#posts made whilst on the bus. about to be late for work...

[yousaytomato]

Proposal: bus service that has 3 or 4 places it calls into, however it changes route based on the quickest possible time between those two places.

There's no set schedule - it leaves as soon as everyone waiting in that place gets on/off.

You can't board anywhere except the predetermined stops, so it's basically luck whether or not you manage to catch it.

There are atleast 10 buses running this route at any one time, 24 hours a day. And it's free.

[apexart-journal]

Anna Louise Richardson in NYC, Day #20 -21

I spent the weekend in Washington DC. After 3.5hrs on the bus I was starving so I headed to my first activity which was to go to this traditional American diner called Jimmy T's in an historic neighbourhood. The houses were cute and how I imagine American houses to look. The diner was terrible, it smelt awful like a mix of grease pit and mould, the food was bad and the coffee equally so. It was an experience that whilst authentic seems to not live up to the hype of the place, it gets a 4.4 on google! It was cheap at least.

I then wandered around the National Mall which is where all the important buildings and monuments are. I went to the National Postage Museum and learnt a lot about stamps such as: the first stamp called a Penny Black was made in 1840, mail was regularly cut open and fumigated during disease outbreaks and the collection and study of stamps is called Philately. There was an activity station where you could take 6 stamps home and I spent a long time choosing from the pile of historic stamps from all over the world, then I sent a postcard home from their in-house post office and went to check-in to the hotel before heading to the Cherry Blossom Festival. It was further down the Mall (which turns out to be quite a long walk) but I got to see all the touristy things. This part of Washington DC feels like a scale model, but the people are the wrong gauge, everything is huge! The festival turned out to be a few tents, some food trucks and a stage. I stayed for a while then wandered on to the Lincoln Memorial and Martin Luther King Jnr. Memorial (It says "OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN OF DESPAIR, A STONE OF HOPE"). I skipped the late night comedy suggested activity as I was very tired and not super comfortable staying out past 1am on my own in a city I don't know.

After sleeping that deep hotel sleep only possible in a soundproof lightproof box I met with Casey Smith a previous Apexart fellow and poet/academic/artist. He gave me a tour of the city, we grabbed a coffee at a farmers market and had many interesting and broad ranging conversations about his time in Uganda on residency, religion, literature and the state of politics in the USA. Casey has met with over 100 of the incoming Apexart residents and was really generous with his time and knowledge. It was also fun to travel around in a car (with heated seats!) after nearly a month of public transport.

"African Americans have had an uneven history in this country. They came initially as forced labor to support the nation's economic development. But they brought with them a spirit that had a powerful impact. Their struggles for human rights forced the nation to rethink the meaning of freedom and equality. Both America and African Americans were profoundly shaped by this process. You are about to witness how these interactions unfolded over more than 400 years."

I spent the rest of the afternoon at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It covers the history of black America's from slavery to Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, contemporary racial politics and everything in between. It was extremely informative, did not shy away from truth and the information was presented really accessibly and without paternalism which is a big change from the other spaces I have been in. I feel like I have a much better overview now of the forces that have shaped the African American experience and how that has shaped the nation. The exhibits were harrowing and I needed a break so I headed to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History to look at the mammals gallery and dinosaurs. I love museums and the dioramas did not disappoint. They also had a very cool room where you could view the conservators and palaeontologists at work on fossils. Then it was back on the bus for the journey home.

It was good to have time out of NYC and to see the capital. I learnt from Casey that residents of Washington DC do not have a voting representative in Federal government as they are a district not a state. So despite being the centre of decision making they cannot affect those decisions!

[harrison-abbott]

Teeny

We all picked on Teeny. He worked in the warehouse for about a year, with us, and he never got relent: all of us ripped him to shreds, whenever he could. Teeny was his nickname because he was small. He tried to laugh off the ribbing at first and then he tried to stand up for himself but neither of those tactics worked and then he tried to show that it upset him and the lads laid off for maybe three days and then they reconvened again.

Teeny worked 50 hours a week. He was never late. Never sick. In over a year. You never saw him eating, or drinking tea or coffee. He’d sit in the canteen and read the newspaper – whilst the others would throw peas or sweets at him. Chocolate raisons, midget gems. They tended to go for the small, hard objects that were easiest to throw. He snickered and politely asked them to stop … and they just kept doing it and wouldn’t let him concentrate on the articles.

His real name was Wes. I spoke to Wes a few times, when the lads weren’t watching. Got to know him a bit. He was different when it was one on one. He said that he was a photographer – that’s what his main passion was – and that he was working this joint to save up for a trip to Europe. Of which he would travel across the continent and take lots of photos. To then send them off to places. He hoped somebody would publish a book of them.

I thought this was pretty cool. And I wished I had that kind of plan in life. All I had done for the past four years was work in this warehouse and whenever I got home in the evening I would play videogames and drink beer and that was about it. So I kinda envied that he had future plans for his life. I didn’t seem to be doing anything important.

The year progressed into the winter. And of course the November and December periods were the worst, busiest, because of the lead up to Christmas. And the workers, the guys, got cranky and fucked off with each other. With the pace they had to keep up and the long hours. And most of them were friends: so they could spark at each other and then brush it off a few hours later and not be made anymore.

But what they all did was take it out on Teeny Wes Weeny. That was what the nickname morphed into in the latter stages, when those bloomin Christmas songs were playing on the stereo, driving everybody nuts. They all savaged Wes to no end. And he was a good worker. One of the best. He could move the material real fast and efficient and he just kept working away. … And in this mad energy, the last few weeks I was working with Wes, I would look across to him. I had stopped teasing him myself because I thought it was fucked up and that the guys had taken it too far. But when I saw him, I noticed he’d developed a mask. He wasn’t trying to smile it away; nor was he looking uncomfortable. All he did was work the boxes. Put the goods in; taped them up. Then he left at five o’clock and got the bus home.

Last time I saw Wes was on the 23rd. There was a staff Christmas party that night, that all the workers were invited to, in the local pub near the warehouse. All the guys wanted Wes to come. I did, as well. He didn’t attend.

Wes would go to Europe in January. He travelled to ten different countries across a year, living in each of them for weeks or months, in order to get a vibe for the nation. Taking photos. Then he sent his material off to a publisher. And they were impressed by his work and they agreed to publish it. I found this out about two years after he left. He posted the news on social media. And I was still here in the warehouse. It made me gulp, with shame, and embarrassment for what I was. But, it was fair. Fair enough. For Teeny Wes Weeny.

[joshuasearing]

Monday 27th November 2023

Hey journal so yesterday was a bad day to be honest. Started the day really not wanting to get up. Then ended up being about an hour late and my mum dropping me off. Once I got in the whole shift was stressful and to make it worse it just dragged on. Also yesterday I did not go to the gym as it was my rest day. Once I finished work I walked to sainsburys and I met my mum and brother in there and my mum needed to get some shopping. Once I met them my brother greeted me by smacking me. Then after being in there very quickly my intrusions started to play up with me and I ended up going in the car and waiting in the car for them to finish. My mum noticed I was struggling and decided to give me her keys which was nice of her. Once I got her keys I walked to the car and unlocked it and sat in it for about 10 minutes. Whilst I waited I just went on my phone. Once they got in the car we then drove home. Once we got home we walked and got the stuff out the car and I held a bag for my mum as she was struggling and finding it a bit to heavy. Once we got in I watched some football with my dad. I watched the second half of Tottenham vs Aston Villa. We ended up losing 1-2. Although when I watched the game we were the better team. We just kept on getting goals disallowed which is so annoying. Also we kept on missing loads of chances. Whereas Aston Villa made the most of there chances. Also son got 3 goals in but they all got disallowed. After football and the unfortunate result I ended up playing the pc for the rest of the night. This made me feel like shit as I did nothing productive for hours and I ended up not writing in either of my journals yesterday at all and I also did not do any meditation which is dissapointing. Anyways later into the night I called Faith for a little bit. I initially called her because she uploaded something on TikTok about guessing flags and she got a lot wrong and I found it funny. After calling for a bit I went to bed. Forgot to mention I did also get ready for bed and made loads of gym TikTok videos for me to post for the next few days.

Now for today I started the morning by keep on snoozing my alarm for about an hour. Then in the morning I rushed to quickly get ready as I had a tattoo appointment at 10am and I got up at about 9:15am originally I thought i was going to leave it really tight and have to get the bus. But luckily my mum gave me a lift which was really nice of her. Anyways once I got to the shop I went on my phone for a little bit whilst the artist got all he’s stuff set up for the tattoo. We also spoke about placement and sizes a little then we were all ready. Also during this time I posted some tiktoks that I had pre made previously. Then with the tattoo it took him about an hour to get both my tattoos done. I will put pictures on here of them once I have finished writing. The tattoo cost me £200 all together which is better than i initially thought. As I asked the other day and he estimated about £220. Anyways after I got the tattoos done I walked to macdonalds near town and got some food from there. Whilst in there I listened to some music whilst I ate. Also I did not have to wait too long for the food which was good. Also after I had my food I decided to walk near town to get the bus. Then my bus stopped near a stop, so I quickly got onto it. Then when on the bus I listened to some music. Then once I got home I showed my mum so tattoos and she really liked them. Then I went upstairs to show my dad but he was on the phone. So I went downstairs to talk to my mum. Then after a while my dad called me up and I showed them to him and he liked them too. Now I’m on call with Faith and I showed her my new tattoos and we have just spoke for a bit. Anyways I will speak to you later journal, bye journal!

[zlatakleos]

Elmira, Demise of Daring and Darling Ego

A short story I felt like posting here; constructive criticism is always welcome and encouraged! While this has nothing to do with my actual novel wip, I had to get this idea out of my handwombs <3

______________________

Elmira, Elmira, Elmira. The way her sunlit hair gently swayed with the rest of her body, her frame small and thin. Her light footsteps rapidly tapped the stairs on her way through the halls of Princeton. Such a strong name for a weak girl. Light of the dearest star, how she sparkled in my wandering eyes so wonderfully bright. I let my vision- and vision only- follow whilst my feet stood as still as roots under me.

She stood out amongst the crowd- shorter than most, sloppily dressed but still presentable, moving fast and free as air. Her eyes of olive green shone brightly against the harsh university lights. Her noticeable eye bags under her lower lashes without even a hint of mascara, small blemishes visible on her skin even from afar. Her posture hunched over, whether from long nights spent pouring over her work or only for pure comfort- I cannot say. Her voice as she sang well past two in the morning, viola and beautiful voice together- more melodic than a lullaby could ever hope to be. 

I leaned against the wall, waiting for her to see me- dressed in my favorite maroon turtleneck and black blazer, a gold ruby-encrusted pomegranate necklace glinting off my chest. She never gave me the time of day, even as I care for her more than a friend ever would. She can’t even remember to eat. Stupid. She’s just so busy, busy, busy, bu-sy, never a single goddamned moment to spare. I took a deep breath, feeling my lungs expand as if they tripled in size, my chest rising with them. I exhaled, looking down at my feet while my cheeks flamed with reddened heat. I looked back up as Elmira caught my gaze, giving me only a small wave and walking straight past me in her pretentious academic superiority. All there was left for me to do was leave, given that she didn’t even show me a smile. Shame. Her delight would outshine all others, that I’m very sure of- not that I’ve ever seen it.

My footsteps echoed through the cold fall evening, almost tapping against the sidewalk like a local performance. Two children- neither could’ve been older than nine- were walking on the sidewalk in front of me, joyful as children in jolly December. I’ve always particularly loved children. “Curse these loud shoes,” I hissed, talking to no one in particular, watching as my words and warm breath summoned frosty wisps of air on this dark, chilly evening. Elmira was staying late once again in the university library as, I can assume. I made my way to her home. I fumbled with her doorknob, my cold hands no longer nimble. I reached under the carpet for her spare key- one that I’ve seen her grab many times before. 

Barely even minutes later, my body entered her living room- no longer within my control. Oh dear, oh dear, what am I about to do? My heart flails in my chest, pounding so loudly I feared the neighbors would hear it. Still, I couldn’t stop moving. I had to feel her beneath my greedy hands. I did not move gently into her room during this good night, the air full of silence and angered lust, with the faint scent of sweet pomegranate lingering throughout the room- likely from her red-stained bowl sitting plainly on her desk.

I sat down on her bed, waiting in thrilling trepidation. As the minutes passed, I stood still as I always was, letting the grandfather clock across from me fill my ears with passing time. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, hear me when I say that my body isn’t mine anymore- maybe my mind isn’t mine either. 

Once- and only once I’ve felt her skin, soft and smooth as roses and redder than her beloved pomegranate beneath my fingernails, once the feel of her skin has met my fingertips will I have known true bliss. Once she has stained my hands and dirtied my nails will I know love’s grasp on the mind.

[smilesvt]

the little magic music shop

hoshi x reader

genre: FLUFFFF

warnings: none really ! a lil bit of sadness, hoshi just being cute

8:32am. he was late, again. i had gotten used to it by now; there was really no point setting up meeting times with hoshi.

he always seemed to have some sort of excuse : 'i woke up late' 'i ran out of toothpaste' ' my hairdryer broke'. as i sat on the bench waiting, i wondered what he was going to come up with today.

a couple moments later, a bike skidded to a halt at my feet. looking up, the rider flashed a sheepish smile at me, rubbing the back of his neck.

'you’re-’

'late again. i know.' he finished my sentence.

'this time my hairdryer actually did break.' he pointed at the damp, curly mess atop his head. i sighed.

'at least i know what to get you for your birthday then .' i joked, sitting down on the back of the bike and smacking his arm.

'and for that, you can work the till today.'

'no PLEASE-' however i couldnt finish my sentence, as hoshi abruptly began pedaling away as i scrambled to hold onto his waist.

this was our daily commute to work: me on the back of hoshis trusty old bike that i had got him for his 18th birthday. we knew this route like the back of our hands, yet i never got bored of it. the morning breeze blew through our hair, and the sun was bathing the streets with pinks and oranges.

before we started working, neither of us had enough money to even buy bus fare with. hence why hoshi began picking me up and dropping me off at our designated spot.

and although we can afford it now, hoshis never mentioned stopping this daily occurrence , so i guess it'll carry on till his legs get too weak to carry us both.

~~~

'hey could you tie the bike up? i have to pop in somewhere quickly-' hoshi asked, braking outside our workplace and quickly jumping off.

i pretended to not see him rush into the bakery next door, assuming he wanted to surprise me.

sure enough, as i finished tying the bike around the lamp post, i turned around to see a satsified hoshi step out of the bakery door. his toothy grin seemed to be sparkling in the sunlight, and he rushed over to me, his eyes glinting.

'here's a lovely pastry for the equally lovely lady' he bowed slightly, handing me one of the bags.

'and a warm baguette for the handsome gentleman.' he wiggled his eyebrows, and i couldn't help but laugh at how dorky he is.

'why thank you good sir. should we head in now?' i giggled and gestured to the shop door and he nodded.

i fumbled around with the keys and managed to open the door.

'ah, home sweet home.' hoshi sighed, walking over to hang his backpack on the coat hooks.

we worked in a music store, as we had been doing for about 3 years now.

hoshi was right: it really was like our home. the store had belonged to his mother, and it was her gift to him before she moved away. as much as he resented her, he decided to keep the small business going. and of course, being hoshi's bestfriend and music being my passion, i wanted to help him out as much as i could.

the work pace was slow, with only the occassional customer coming in to buy vinyl for a loved one, or random teenage girls coming in and browsing at seemingly nothing. days were long and tedious, yet i wouldn't give it up for the world. something about the late candlelit nights with slow jazz playing in the back whilst i read and hoshi sang made it all worth it.

'deep in thought?' hoshi questioned, breaking me out of my reminiscing.

'just remembered something, dont worry.' i smiled at him.

he smiled back, curled up on the sofa we had once randomly found outside someones house. i remember us dragging it down the street in the pouring rain, our clothes soaked and muscles aching, until some nice man offered to pick it up for us. all was well, until we struggled to fit it through the door. i chuckled to myself at the memory: i seemed to be feeling nostalgic today.

'you seem to be in a good mood today love.' he spoke, though muffled, his mouth full of bread.

'and you seem to be a mess today.' i chuckled as i sat down next to him.

he jokingly rolled his eyes. 'shut up and eat.'

and we did, the silence only being broken by chirping birds or us bursting out laughing when we made eye contact. the pastry was my favourite flavour too: he always seemed to know these little things about me that i can never recall ever telling him.

however our eating was cut short by a surprising ring as the door to the store opened and a man walked in. we both shot up as i hurried to wipe the crumbs off my skirt.

'm-morning sir.' hoshi began to approach the older man, yet i noticed his face covered in bread. i quickly pulled him to me by the front of his shirt and wiped his cheeks.

'nearly embarrased yourself.' i tutted.

'i can always count on you honey' he flashed a smile at me and walked off to the customer, his upbeat, friendly persona swiftly showing as he spoke, 'how can i help you on this fine gorgeous day sir?'

i smiled to myself as i walked behind the counter, watching him talk away with the gentlemen, his smile never fading.

~~~

the rest of the day went by as always: only a few more people walked in and out, and it was beginning to grow dark.

'$90 today, not too shabby.' hoshi nodded as he counted the cash from the till.

'pretty good.' i agreed, lighting the last candle at the front of the store. the weather outside seemed to have gotten worse since i last checked, the rain now pattering against the window.

'are you still saving up for the new bike'?

'yeah, but ive got a little while left till i can afford it.' he chuckled, although solemnly.

'you know, we can always get the bus now.' i replied, laying down onto the sofa.

hoshi looked at me and laughed.

'never. not until i get old and cant pedal anymore anyways. what about your camera?'

'ill get it...someday.'

we made eye contact and laughed again.

the rain seemed to be getting louder, and hoshi sat onto a stool opposite from me. the low buzz of the radio seemed to be interrupted by talking, and he turned it up for us both to hear.

'torrential downpour... imagine we get stuck in here AGAIN.' i sighed.

'i mean it wouldnt be awful-'

'you dont remember last year when we got snowed in?'

it was awful. the snow was so high we couldn’t see out of our shop window. hoshi cried but i decided not to remind him. either way, we nearly ran out of food and had to huddle together for warmth. awful.

‘i mean, at least we had each other.’ he shrugged. i guess he was right: without him dancing and making it really awkward when we hugged i probably would have got frostbite.

‘60s soft jazz or 90s rock-indie?’ hoshi suddenly asked, stood in the corner of the store holding two vinyls.

‘hmmm... definitely soft jazz.’ i sat up from the sofa.

he smiled. ‘i should’ve known. you’ve always been after my own heart.’

i felt my cheeks flare up and a small smile forming at my mouth.

‘y’know, this is where my parents met.’ hoshi spoke, staring out the window as the smooth sounds of a swing band began to play.

‘this shop?’

‘yup. my mom worked here and one day, a fairly handsome man walked in. safe to say, after he kept coming in everyday my mum seemed to get the hint.’

‘did your dad like music?’

‘he was a musician. in a band. they never got anywhere or did much , but he really enjoyed it.’

he never spoke about his father much, so hearing this was all new to me. his voice seemed to be breaking every couple words.

‘im sure he’s proud of you, wherever he is.’

‘i’d like to think so too. after all, he’s the reason i always wanted to go to music school.’ my heart shattered at those words as i saw hoshi look down at his feet.

music school. his dream. i knew this was a touchy subject, so we never talked about it much. but i knew how much it hurt: hoshi had always talked about becoming a singer and dancer, performing up on stage with his loved ones and showing his passion to his fans.

so when the fees grew too big for a lone teen to afford, he knew he had to let it go. i remember feeding him when he refused to eat, as he blamed it all on himself. and since then, i made a promise to myself: always make sure hoshi has a smile on his face. that smile that i love the most. the smile that brights up even my worst days.

i walked over to where he was stood and placed my hand on his shoulder.

‘your still young. you have time.’

he looked down at me and smiled, ruffling the back of my hair.

‘but id rather be here.’

‘here?’

‘yup. i used to hate the place. it reminded me of my mom. but now-‘

he stopped and turned to face me.

‘it reminds me of us.’

‘u-us?’

i internally cursed at myself for being so awkward. i was never good with things like this, especially not from my best friend.

thankfully, he laughed as he held my hands .

‘yes us.’

he gently swayed them from side to side, in time with the piano softly playing in the background.

‘if your about to dance with me-‘

‘i know i know ‘you cant dance’ but-‘

he placed an arm around my waist and held the other one behind my head.

it was a warmth i had never experienced before. the feeling of a touch that i could never describe.

i placed my head on his chest. and suddenly, everything felt like it was supposed to feel. maybe he was right. maybe i did want to be here. with just the two of us.

we swayed to the slow rhythm of the jazz band, his feet and body guiding mine as he cradled me in his arms.

and as the streetlight bathed our intertwined bodies in a hazy glow, and the rain fell at the beats of our matching hearts, it felt right.

like our fate was

at our lil magic music shop.

[fayoftheforest]

hii!! i just wanted to say thank u again for sharing your stan playlist!! i finally got around to listening to it and had fun ^_^.

aahhh and break stuff!! i was so happy to see that one haha. someone made this super cute animatic of stan and kyle dancing to it<3 stan vibes for sureeee. and there was some other stuff i enjoyed thinking of stan listening to!!

this might be kinda silly to ask but im super curious!! is there a reason you went with a cover instead of lana's young and beautiful? i def think stan is a lana enjoyer and there are a few songs that remind me of him! i just never thought of that one.

(playlist in reference is here)

aw I'm so happy you had a funky time listening to it!! it was v fun to make a playlist of songs that I think he'd listen to. I'm working on a couple others for different characters at the moment, to varying success - finding characters like kyle are so much harder to pin down 😭 I remember making a headcanons post years ago about what music genres each character would listen to but I cannot for the life of me find it again >:( curse tumblr's terrible search system!!

break stuff is such a silly stan song to me haha. i feel like he'd add it to his playlist when he's in a really pissy mood and listen to it 100% seriously on repeat on the bus to school. but then if it ever comes on whilst he's with kyle he always plays it off like it's on there ironically and makes kyle get up and do goofy dancing too it hehe :] i tried looking for the break stuff animatic you mentioned but I couldn't find it :'( if you happened to have a link that would be lovely to see!!

I picked the cover of young and beautiful for a couple reasons. mainly, I felt like it fit the vibes of the playlist better than the original. I also like to imagine he'd be super into riskee & the ridicule and other british punk bands (definitely not projecting there no siree 🤫). I like to think he listens to it late at night and imagines that he's a famous rock star playing it on stage and dedicating it to kyle 🥹 y'know, like the soppy cringe loser he is <3

i forgot to save all the stan playlists so if you're still happy to share yours I'd love to give it a listen!! that is also an open invitation for anyone else reading this, give me your stan playlists pls and thanks 🔫

[charlesandmartine]

Tuesday 17th January 2023

With the theatre as the main activity today, we thought it prudent to take it easy during the earlier part of the day. Seats were booked for this evening performance of Amadeus in the main concert hall of Sydney Opera House. Starting with pre-show cocktails and canapes we were to be treated to the acting excellence of Michael Sheen. Not to be confused with either Martin Sheen, nor Barry Sheene who is better known in motorcycling circles. It's the Welshman Michael, aka Tony Blair in 'The Queen' fame that we shall be watching

We thought a gentle stroll into the City for about 2pm, late lunch in one of those waterside restaurants on Circular Quay, people watching and keeping an eye on the ferries entering and leaving the quayside would be ideal. It promised to be a very hot sunny day, so not ideal for too much activity.

A quayside late lunch became a happy hour triumph since fish, chips and a drink were half price providing it was beyond the tonsils by 5pm. At the risk of indigestion, it was. Then a stroll in the relaxed atmosphere of Bennelong Point, so named after Woollarawarre Bennelong (c. 1764 – 1813) who was the original key holder for the site before someone decided he would like an opera house there. At least before any performance the original indigenous landowners are mentioned and thanked for their generosity.

We thought it would be a nice indulgence to have cocktails and canapes before the show, so we booked it with high expectations of plural ingredients. The lucky roll from happy hour was long over and the reality was a plastic beaker containing a Pimm cocktail accompanied by a solitary beef sourced, canape lonely in its plastic tray. All for 28 bucks a pop. I did enquire if there was more to follow, but was given a sort of look of antipodean distain. However, to partake in these small items, no matter how desperately wishing they might miraculously become like the 'loaves and fishes' and be transformed into a meal, out there on the Opera House terrace with the Sydney skyline, these simple items became all we needed.

Peter Shaffer wrote the brilliant play Amadeus in 1980. Briefly, it is about the intense rivalry between the two Italian composers, Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Salieri was in the post of Court Composer for Joseph II, Emperor, in Vienna when the young Mozart came to town as a guest of the Emperor. Salieri sets out to destroy Mozart, confessing this very early on in a dialogue with the audience. Whilst he clearly despises Mozart for his unique inspirational, genius, musical abilities he is nonetheless uncontrollably besotted with his music. As a devout Catholic he cannot understand the juxtaposition of how God can bestow such talent on someone who lives a life of debauchery. The whole thing does not end well; Mozart dies a pauper of kidney disease and Salieri attempts suicide with a razor, resigned to accept that his works shall be remembered purely as mediocrity.

What a play, and what a production!! Michael Sheen had a quality of Anthony Hopkins or Richard Burton in his powerful delivery of lines, booming out over the full chorus of Figaro, Magic Flute, or in the finale, Requiem. It was truly a night to remember and savour and we were indeed lost in thought as we spilled out into the balmy Sydney night, the lights of the towers of the CBD, the Harbour Bridge and the throngs of happy theatre goers. We made our way to the 173x bus at Wynyard for a quiet, reflective bus ride home.

[randomingoftherandomness]

Hi! I got a prompt! You know the cliche trope of a married couple fighting and the wife is like “I’m going back to my parents’ house!” Well, maybe wenzhou had a petty fight, and wkx actually uses that line, but he obv has no parents left, so he ran away to yby’s place. Now zzs not only has to coax his husband home, he also has to do it in front of yby, who’s like half freaking tired of the drama, and half get weirdly into it and yakes wkx’s side, making the task even more difficult. Can be modern AU or post canon, up to you 🤣🤣

Hi Nani, sorry this is a bit late hehe 🥰

I’m opting for modern!au for this coz I want to try something new haha

—

The tap on his car window startles him out of his daze and he winds down just in time to have Ah Xiang poking her head into the warm interior, bringing with her a rush of cool spring morning air.

“You fucked up really bad this time, huh?”

“Language,” Zishu chides on instinct but doesn’t pursue the matter when their foster daughter/little sister rolls her eyes and sighs.

“Are you going in or not? If you are, you should do it later coz the Old Man is still in there. If you’re not, then can I bum a ride with you to school?”

“Did you miss the bus again?” Zishu scoffs, reaching over to the passenger seat and passing over three packed lunches that were definitely bought; one for Ah Xiang, one for Chengling who was staying at his godfather Shen Shen’s for the week (thank the gods), and one for Cao Weining who seems to have ingratiated his way into their little family.

She takes it wordlessly and packs it into her bag. Sticking her tongue out at him, she shoulders the straps of her school bag, scuffing her shoe on the ground. Watching her, Zishu kills the engine of the car and lifts up the bouquet of peonies he’d bought last night and drove up and down the block until he decided against coming over to the Ye household at that hour.

“How mad?”

“I’d say you’ll probably have to grovel.”

Zishu grins, a bubble of amusement enveloping his chest with warmth. Exiting the car, he reaches over to pat her on her head and arranges the collar of her school uniform. “I can do that.”

She frowns. “Grovel and beg and kiss his ass and swear you won’t make him angry anymore?”

“Go to school, kid, and text me if you guys need a ride home today. I’ll bring you guys for some ice-cream,” Zishu says, nudging her along. She huffs, pausing mid turn to suddenly throw her arms around him and hugging tightly.

“I don’t like it when you guys fight.”

“I know. I don’t like it when we fight either.”

—

Mr Rong is the one who opens the door with a smile. “They’re at the patio,” He whispers. Gathering his coat and his briefcase, he winks conspiratorially as he leaves for work. “Good luck, Zishu!”

“Thanks,” He replies with a confidence he doesn’t quite feel.

Senior Ye and Mr Rong aren’t that much older than Zishu but somehow they’ve had a whole history between them that nonetheless had culminated in a shotgun wedding in Saipan five years ago that only Zishu, Lao Wen and Rong Xuan, Mr Rong’s only son from a previous marriage, were invited to. Senior Ye had a sharp tongue and a frosty wit, while Mr Rong was warm and personable. They’re the true definition of the saying ‘opposite attracts’.

Whilst Senior Ye, the closest thing Zishu had to an older brother in this world, hadn’t made any secrets of his disapproval of his and Lao Wen’s relationship, in recent years the man seems to have mellowed out immensely. Now, his is the house Lao Wen runs to when they have a fight.

They’re at the patio as Mr Rong had said, sitting at the table with the breakfast things all spread out mid meal. His Lao Wen looks radiant in the sunlight, dressed in a soft jumper that was probably Zishu’s at one point, resolutely not looking over when he approaches. Senior Ye gives him a once over and sighs, put-upon, at the sight of the flowers.

Clearing his throat, he ignores the man and goes to a crouch in front of Lao Wen, setting the bouquet on the table beside them. Trying for a smile, Zishu quietly says, “Hey.”

Cool dark eyes flicker to him and narrow dangerously. Before his husband can say anything, Senior Ye takes a quick jibe in. “Hey. That’s all you can do? Hey?”

“Senior Ye...”

“It’s okay,” Lao Wen says, tilting his head towards Senior Ye with a placating smile. “Maybe we could have a minute?”

“Ugh, fine.” He rolls his eyes, voice dripping with utter disdain as he stalks back into homely interior of his home. “I’m keeping an eye on you two!”

“I thought he didn’t like you very much,” Zishu cannot help but to say.

At this, Lao Wen merely shrugs and tucks his hands under his sleeves. “Have you had breakfast?” He asks, hands already moving to butter the bread and spread the jam. It settles something unnerved in Zishu to see him do this for him and it is enough to unlatch the words, “I am sorry, Lao Wen. Please come home.”

The hand on the butter knife pauses mid stroke. “I...” Lao Wen licks his lips. Setting the knife down with a clatter, Lao Wen reaches out for his hand. They tangle their fingers together, sharing a soft, slow smile. 

“I’m sorry too. I couldn’t sleep last night without you.”

Zishu feels the words unspool his heart. He lifts Lao Wen’s hand to his lips, pressing kisses to the ridges and dips of his knuckles. “What were we fighting about again?” He asks around a irrepressible smile.

“Can’t remember. Probably something stupid,” Lao Wen laughs, curling into him and drawing him into a kiss. “I love you. Let’s go home.”

“I love you, too. Let’s go home.”

—

“How long did it take this time?”

Ye Baiyi rolls his eyes, throwing the ingredients into the bowl before he leans back into the warmth and solid strength of his husband, tilting his head back to kiss at a jaw.

“Not long. I gave them the leftovers from last night to take home for lunch after I made them sit through a lecture. That brat said he wants to cook dinner for us this weekend.”

His husband chuckles, the sound reverberating right to his bones. “You’re such a softie.”

“Mm.”

[valeskakingdom]

Request

Jerome met the reader at the circus ... They spend the evening together (well, maybe have sex)? And then the reader leaves Jerome (he gives her his grey coat, what a gentleman) and comes back the next day, only to find out that he killed his mother and is sitting in Arkham. A year goes by (like in the show, I guess?) and the next time the reader meets Jerome, he’s on the bus with the cheerleaders and of course Jerome remembers her! ;) Is that too much? ;-;

Requested by: @valeskaduh

So guys, here's the final part 2 of my one shot. Hope you like it as much as part 1!!

Wordcount: 3510

Here's part 1: "https://valeskakingdom.tumblr.com/post/647442495087820800/request

Warning: mention of murder and violence

Credit: @gotham-swag

It was late, something after midnight already.

You both, Jerome and you, still laid in his bed fully covered in sweat thinking back about what has happened before, all the feelings, the pleasure... Everything.

Your clothes laid strayed on the ground; your underwear laid next to the bed while your shirt and pants laid elsewhere in any corners of his room.

Jerome had wrapped is arm around your waist to comfort you whilst you rested your head on his chest listening to his heartbeat. It was even and slow.

"That was great, wasn't it?" Jerome broke the silence between you with a slight chuckle.

"Indeed," You chuckled "It was worth it."

"It was. Haven't met a girl that could give that good blowjobs."

"Jerome!" You slapped his chest in embarrassment widening your eyes, a strong blush went over face. You were a little shocked about his assertion, but otherwise you felt honored.

"No need to be embarrassed (Y/N)," Jerome chuckled caressing your side "You could see it as a compliment. I'd choose you over others."

"U-uhm...Thank...you? I feel...honored." You mumbled in embarrassment.

"You're cute when you're shy like that." Jerome smirked, sitting up and took a cigarette from his nightstand and lightened it to smoke.

You hummed saying nothing, just gave him a little smile.

You liked it how he called you cute, and that he liked your shyness. It gave you some hope that maybe that this,between you and him, could turn into something more than just a simple one off. All the sweet nothings he whispered into your ear, all the compliments and intensive kisses... That couldn't come just out of nowhere. You had the feeling something was special between you two; you couldn't say what it was though. All you knew was: you felt different in Jerome's near. It was like you two would know each other for ages.

While Jerome was smoking his cigarette off, his smoke spread through the room that you inhaled it. It didn't bother you, you were used to it from home.

You think took your phone out of the pocket of your pants to behold the clock: 00:37

Time for you to go, you needed to get ready in a few hours for your work.

"Anyways, I think it's time for me to go. Need to stand up early," You sighed grabbing your underwear to take them on "You know, work and such."

"Awww really?" Jerome gave you a little pout while admiring your body for one more time "I enjoyed the time with you."

Again he viewed you from head to toe, admired your curves and your flawless pale skin. His view was giving him chills again and he had the urge to touch again. He missed this feeling of your soft skin, this incredible feeling of him inside you making you moan, or the feeling when you dug your nails in his back because he pleasured you well.

"Me too," You giggled and pulled your pants up to buttoned them, then taking your shirt on "But yeah, I don't wanna be late. My boss becomes mad if anyone's late."

"How's your boss when he's mad?" Jerome asked with a certain leery undertone mixed with jealousy.

He looked at you frowning, his breathe became uneven, he kinda seemed to be upset like if you say a wrong word he's about to explode.

It confused you a little, but you didn't give a shit about it. You thought you maybe were just imagining this jealousy. How could he be jealous anyway? He didn't know you at all so he had nothing to loose when you go.

"Let's say you don't wanna mess around with him. He can be a little scary." You took your shirt on. Now though it wasn't as tight as usual anymore because Jerome tugged it from your body.

"Is he touching you?" Jerome gave you a stern look, his tone became rougher what confused you even more.

"Oh no. No, no, he's just yelling and he hears grudges." You turned to him "It's just annoying, that's all."

"Alright," He nodded standing up to take his boxers on "But wait, before you go..." Jerome walked to his wardrobe taking out a dark grey coat handing it to you "Here, it's cold outside."

"Thank you, but you don't-..."

"It's fine, you can keep it," Jerome smiled "See it as a little reward for the gorgeous night." He winked at you making you blush.

"Thank you." You smiled at him taking his coat on. You smelled his cologne, it smelled like any usual cologne but knowing that it was his made it special.

You both walked to the trailer's front door.

Jerome opened the door, you walked a few steps but turned around to face him. With a smile. You looked at his beautiful shining blue eyes for one last time. More and more you recognized that you liked him. You realized that you've never felt this huge amount of comfortableness and happiness. Sure, in an another relationship you've been happy, too, but not as much as with Jerome.

It was strange, very strange. You couldn't understand how you'd be so attached to a stranger. Maybe it was because Jerome was the perfect guy in your eyes and something gave you the feeling that you two belonged together?

"Well, then," you kissed his cheek quickly "See you around, Jerome."

"See you around, (Y/N). Hope to see ya again." One last time, he gave you this amazing smile before he shut the door.

With a little smile you walked out of the circus. You couldn't wait to visit the circus again to meet Jerome and have an amazing time together.

***

Days went by.

You couldn't stop thinking about Jerome - how kind he was to you, how good he treated you, and let's not forget about the sex, of course. The sex was amazing.

Though you still had his coat. You know you couldn't keep it, you wouldn't feel right about it.

Due to different circumstances, the circus was still in your city. On the one hand, you were curious about the reason why. Maybe there were some complications with travelling? Or maybe they did an extra show and had a lot of work to do to prepare for the show?

On the other hand, all your thoughts focused in Jerome. You were excited: you imagined to hug him, talking to him, laughing with him... Everything you wanted to do when you were able to see him again.

You made your way to Haly's circus with Jerome's coat.

As you arrived, everything seemed to be normal. The circus tent was still constructed, the trailers stood still on the same places as on the day where you visited the show, and the artists still walked around the yard.

You looked around to find someone you could talked to and who you didn't bother; then you saw the Ringmaster who was taking his rings to pack them into his case.

He was a tall colored man with some kind of clown makeup: red cheeks. white makeup was smeared around his face and a fake beard was glued on his upper lip. He was wearing a red suit and a black tophat.

"Hey, uhm...excuse me?" You hesitatingly tapped on his shoulder.

"Hm?" He turned to you with a grunt "The circus is closed for visitors. There ain't be a show today."

"Oh, I know but," as the Ringmaster was about to turn around, you grabbed his arm and turned him back to you "I was just looking for Jerome. He gave me his coat a few days ago and I wanted to give it back."

"Oh, haven't you watched the news? Jerome's in Arkham-..." You widened your in shock, you hoped you haven't heard it right.

"Wait, wait, wait...he's what?!"

Arkham?! Has he really said 'Arkham'?! The asylum where murderers, cannibals and other lunatics are living in?! What is he doing there?! Why is he in Arkham?! What has he done to be busted in there?! These were the thoughts that couldn't get out of your head. Jerome was a criminal? How could he?! He was so kind to me, so polite...was that all just acting? Did he play with my mind?

"He killed his mother with a hatchet. You might know her as the snake dancer." He sighed shaking his head slightly while he kept packing the rings in his suitcase "Let's just hope she didn't have a painful death."

"A-alright...t-thank you..." In shook and disgust, you slowly walk back to your car.

You couldn't believe what you've heard. Jerome was a killer: a blood-thirsty, psychotic and cold-hearted killer. You felt poor, you had the feeling you were about to throw up every minute. You slept with him and you liked it...you even wanted to meet him again!

You were disgusted by yourself.

Now you just wished that you could have changed the past; that you've never slept with him, never let him kiss nor touch you...that you've never even talked to him! You just wished that as he bumped into you, that you ignored him or snapped at him that you and himwoukd have never dealt with each other - everything.

***

*1 year later*

It was a rainy and cloudy day in Gotham.

It was cold, your window panes were fogged through the high temperature difference between your room and outside. In your room, it was warm and comfortable while outside it was cold, almost as cold as in winter.

You were just sitting on the couch eating some sandwiches, drinking a Coke in the hope something new and excited happened in your life.

This day was bearing you down, you didn't know why though. Maybe it was just the weather? You had no idea. You just felt empty inside since last year. And you exactly knew why.

You still couldn't believe the fact Jerome was a killer. You couldn't imagine how an actual kind and smart boy with a gorgeous smile, ginger hair, blue eyes and some abs could grab a hatchet to kill his own mother. You just wished it was a lie and that reality played a bad game with you. For sure, you didn't know Jerome completely, you've just met him once but still you could say that this all felt so wrong.

It was the disgust that caused this feeling. You were disgusted by the thought that you allowed a murderer playing with your mind to get in your pants while he was about to murder something behind your back. You were disgusted by the thought that you imagined you and him being a couple, that you wanted to date him... You were disgusted by everything that included him because it reminded you of all this. When you just heard the name Jerome, you felt shivers down your spine and a feeling mixed of disgust and feeling poor.

One thing that confused you was: you couldn't throw his coat in the trash can. You kept it, it hung in your wardrobe and you smelled on it every day because his cologne was still buried in it, then you remembered the gorgeous night you had with him and all the feeling you felt...But then you remembered who he really was and what he has done right after the meeting of you which caused you to close your wardrobe fast and walking out of our room to quickly forget all that - day by day.

Full of boredom, you turned the TV on hoping something could entertain you there.

But then you saw this:

"Hello, Gotham City! We're the Maniax and I'm Jerome, the shot caller of our little gang. We're here to spread the message of wisdom and hope!"

You couldn't believe your eyes. It was Jerome with a bloody nose who cackled shortly, then shot a cop because he coughed and groaned in pain - he apparently disturbed his little show. He was back, he escaped out of Arkham.

Your body was shaking, your breathe was uneven - you were paralyzed.

You started panicking. No place felt safe for you anymore, especially not your little apartment. You needed to be with someone. You thought, when you're alone you'd be fucked. Maybe he remembered you and wanted to look for you? You remembered that he told you, he'd choose you over others. Of course, they could have been just words but now you never know... He was a psycho who might remember everything.

"Some people have no manners." He took a deeper look in the camera "You're all prisoners. What you call sanity, it's just a prison in your minds that stops you from seeing that y'all are a just tiny little cogs in a tiny absurd machine! WAKE UP!"

Jerome yelled in the TV what made you flinch and you curled up in your couch wrapping your arms around your legs tight. Your face was half hidden being your knees that you were still able to watch his little show - but with fear.

"Why be a cog? Be free like us!" Jerome started to cackle "And just remember, smile" he cackled squishing the dead cop's cheek while cackling louder.

Then you heard horns honking, the police was haunting him.

"Oh, time to go!" He crawled down do the ground taking a police head on and still held the camera tight "But dont worry, we'll be back very soon! Hang onto your hats folks, 'cause you ain't see nothing yet!" Jerome cackled insanely but you immediately turned the TV off.

You grabbed your phone fast to call your best friend (Y/bff/n). You needed to be with them. Being alone in a little apartment would just driving you nuts, especially when Jerome was out!

Your best friend was the only one who knew about Jerome being your one off as they knew that Jerome was a killer so they surely understood why you were so scared. You didn't want to risk anything - whether he'd remember you or not, you didn't want to be alone.

Your phone was ringing, you hoped they'd pick up the phone:

(Y/bff/n): hey (Y/n)! Wha-...

(Y/n): Have you watched the news?!

(Y/bff/n): Uhm...no, why? And why are y-...

(Y/n): Jerome's out of Arkham!!

(Y/bff/n): Wait what?! Are you sure it's the Jerome you're thinking of??

(Y/n): he was in the TV...he's planning something... Can stay with you? I can't stay alone. It's driving me nuts. I already have the feeling he's eyeing me from several corners.

(Y/bff/n): Of course! Come over now. We'll get your stuff later.

(Y/n): Thank you! I'm on my way already! See you!

You hung up, immediately taking your jacket, your phone, your keys and some shoes.

You ran out of your apartment, locking your door and walked straight to the next bus station.

You were in a hurry. Outside you didn't feel well at all. You felt being watched, being haunted. You had the feeling Jerome was everywhere and that he just waited the perfect moment to catch you. Everytime someone was walking past you, you felt shivers down your spine and you were scared that any person was a member of 'the Maniax' and kidnap you and bring you to Jerome. You walked faster to the bus station to arrive your best friend's home as fast as possible. You turned your head to the left, to the right, to see whether someone was haunting you. No one did though. It was just your mind.

As you arrived station, the bus came immediately.

You entered the bus as it stopped and chose a seat in the back.Everywhere around you cheerleaders were gossiping, laughing, squeaking about any boy who kissed a friend and such. You instead kept quiet and looked out of the window.

After a few minutes of driving, the bus stopped through a red car from the fire service that blocked its way. Its horns were honking and you could hear someone was getting out of the car.

You saw a ginger guy dancing out of the car on his way to the entrance of the bus. Your heart stopped. Was it Jerome? Was now the moment where you life will end?

He knocked at the door with something, the cheerleaders started to scream.

Something bad will happen now was what you thought while your pulse was running, your sweat was dripping down your forehead, and your hands were shaking. You wanted to cry, you wanted to crawl back in a corner and hope everything will be fine.

Suddenly the door opened, strangers in white suits with guns entered the bus and put us all in handcuffs that were sticker on chains while they pointed their guns at your heads. But for an unknown reason they went out immediately after everyone in the bus was handcuffed.

Cheerleaders were screaming louder, some even started to cry, to son, and to beg for mercy. You instead kept quiet. You couldn't scream. You were in shock and panic, in fear, some tears were already streaming down your cheeks while you tried break free - you failed.

"I want you all to know," you suddenly heard a familiar voice that paralyzed you in shock - he was here "this was a very difficult decision for us. It was between you and uhm... senior citizen bingo party. In the end we decided to skew a little younger. Youth won the day. Sorry." Jerome walked through the bus eyeing each cheerleader girl and pointed his gun at their heads.

With every step he did, you could hear a clicker-clacker caused by his shoes.

Your heartbeat felt like it could explode every minute. You had the feeling you would die soon. More and more tears streamed down your face, you were sobbing in fear, your hands shook uncontrollably. You just wished, you'd come out here alive.

Then Jerome stopped walking, he was eyeing you in surprise and excitement.

"(Y/n)?!" He bended down to you in astonishment completely around him that all the cheerleaders around him were crying and sobbing, and so were you "My, my, my, look at you. You've grown up in that time we haven't seen each other. How you're doing?"

You said nothing, you were just confused about his behavior.

What was wrong with him? Just a few minutes ago he was about to kill us and now he's behaving like an innocent child?! Was what you thought as you just gave him a confused look.

You were still scared though, maybe again he was just playing with your mind as one year ago just to get you?

"It's so good to see you (Y/n), you know that?" He sighed with a smile on his face leaning his elbow against the seat in front of you to lean his head against his hand "I really couldn't stop thinking about you when I was busted in this dirty old shack. The night in my trailer with you...it was marvellous! I still know each part of your body in detail...it brought me many good nights in my cell." Jerome chuckled dark.

You didn't know what to say. Was he about to kill you now? Was it all just a trick again? Do you have to feel honored now that he thought about you every night and jerked off your body?

You stared into his blue eyes, you could tell he was planning something new - and this time it included you.

"Yeah," Jerome kept staring at you with his grin in his face "Anyways, what's new in your life?"

"U-uhm...p-pretty boring...," You sniffed "Nothing has r-really changed since l-last y-year." You stammered feeling odd about having a normal conversation in such an actually dangerous situation.

"Hm..." Jerome hummed flicking his tongue "You know, actually I wanted to splash gasoline all over the cheerleaders and burn them but...now that you are here... I take you with me and THEN I continue my plan." Jerome uncuffed your hands taking them tight and ran with you out of the bus, the other cheeleaders started to scream and cry again and again begged for mercy.

As you and Jerome stood in front the open entrance of the bus, he softly wiped some hair strains behind your ear. With his thumb he caressed your soft skin and wiped all the tears and smeared mascara away.

Jerome smiled at you admiring your face for a while. He looked deep in your eyes, then down to your lips. With a finger snip your fear was gone, the feeling of uncomfortableness faded slowly. Your breathe was uneven though, his personality changes scared you still. Your hands was still trembling, your knees weak. But something told you that you didn't need to be scared of him anymore. He at least safed you.

"From now on, doll, you're mine."

[folkloreguk]

Practice Room (optional bias)

A/N: 2 posts in one week?? Who am I???? Thank you endlessly for the lovely messages I’ve been getting, I know I’m constantly thanking you but I don’t even know how to repay the happiness you guys give me so I just have to thank you over and over!!!!❤❤❤

genre: smut, optional bias (male) x reader (female), shy!reader, praise, bias babies his gf, use of probably too many pet names, established relationship, idol!bias

words: 4.2 k

(H/N means “his name”)

You were getting off the bus, beginning your walk back home from a friend’s place. You wondered if H/N would be there. Falling in love with him was the best thing that had ever happened to you, and he had made it easy for you. To you, everything seemed perfect about him, even after quite some time had passed since you had first gotten to know each other. Every day you found another thing about him to adore. But as much as you loved him, you missed him. You knew dating him wouldn’t be easy and the same as dating any other guy with a 9 to 5 job. And you cheered him on in everything he did. After all, what was better than seeing the one you loved achieving his dreams? But some nights, when you lay in bed, waiting for him to come home from practice, you wished for normality. Many nights you fell asleep before he could kiss you goodnight and left before you could kiss him good morning. Those days on which you wished for more time with him only came once in a while though, because usually, seeing him do what he loved only brought you happiness.

You texted him: Are you still at practice?

You knew that if he didn’t text you back within ten minutes, he probably was still at work. But surprisingly, your phone vibrated the moment you were going to put it back into your bag.

H/N: Yes, but only practicing a little extra by myself…come pick me up?

Your heart fluttered in happiness at the simple message and the idea of seeing him after a long day. It was fairly late by now. The streets were lit by streetlamps and not many people were still out, when you changed the direction you had been walking in and took the short way to his company building. The entry hall was practically empty, except for a lady at a desk. She recognized you right away, giving you a small nod and a smile before letting you enter. You wished her a good night and got onto an elevator.

You got off on the floor his practice studio was on, noticing the lack of people in the hallways. Most staff members had ended their workday by now. Muffled music was playing from the room at the end of the corridor, making you smile happily. You thought about knocking, but it’s not like he would have heard it over the music. So, carefully, you grabbed the door handle and opened it.

You were met with a very familiar figure. Your boyfriend was dancing, his hair hanging into his face messily, but his face read no sign of tiredness. When you stepped inside, his eyes met yours through the mirror in front of him. His focused expression instantly changed into a big grin as he spun around to greet you. You mirrored his smile, but in a shyer way.

“My baby, come here,” he cooed, making you chuckle and walk towards his outstretched arms. He was in sweatpants and a sleeveless shirt, and in that moment, you thought he had never looked better. His embrace was warm, and although he was a little sweaty, he still smelled like home to you.

“I missed you,” you mumbled into his chest.

“What was that?” he asked, his smile obvious in his voice. You looked at him.

“I said I missed you,” you admitted, cuddling closer to him.

“How much do you want to bet I missed you more,” he said, kissing your nose. The action made you blush, so you hid your face in his chest.

“I definitely missed you more,” you argued.

“Do you really want to go there?” he chuckled. “You know I won’t back down.”

You laughed a little. He could be very stubborn at times, so you knew he wasn’t wrong. Softly, he took your face into his palms and looked you in your eyes, as if he was waiting for an answer. Instead of arguing back, you decided to change the subject, because you knew otherwise there would be no end. You shook your head a little. He chuckled, knowing there was no arguing about who missed who more either way. He knew you loved him, and you knew he loved you. And you let each other know every day. He pressed a soft kiss onto your lips, making you smile. When he pulled away, he let his forehead touch yours.

“What have you been working on?” you asked. He smiled affectionately.

“You know I’m not allowed to show you everything new we’ve been learning,” he said. “But I’ve been practicing a cover dance on my own, just for fun and to improve my skills.”

“Show me!” you asked excitedly. You loved watching him dance. Not only because you thought he looked beautiful when he danced, but also because of how passionate he was. You enjoyed seeing it on his face, how much he loved expressing himself by moving to music. It was truly art to you. He was art to you. 

“Are you sure?” he asked, a cheeky smile on his lips. You gave him a confused look.

“Yes, of course I am,” you assured him.

“Alright,” he said, walking over to the sound system of the room. You took a seat on the floor by the mirror, waiting patiently.

When the song started, you lifted you head to watch him happily. But the moment he had walked into the center of the room and you heard the first few seconds of the music, you felt like blushing all over again. It was a sensual beat, not too slow but still not exactly an upbeat song. Now you understood why he had asked you if you had been sure you wanted him to show you. He moved his body beautifully, dancing perfectly to every single beat. His expression read concentration, but now and then he diverted his face from the mirror to you, smirking – because he knew exactly what he was doing to you. He had told you endless times how he loved your shyness, and therefore took every opportunity he got to make you flustered. Like now, when his upper body moved fluidly in a wave, and his hands ran through his hair and down his chest for a moment. You caught yourself wishing for the blink of an eye it were your hands touching him.

Conflicted, you wanted to avert your eyes from his dancing figure, but simultaneously it was impossible to peel your gaze off him, especially when he was the only person inside the room with you. And even more so, because you couldn’t help but admire every move he made, even if it made your cheeks heat up and your hands fumble nervously because of how inappropriate some of the moves were.

By the end of the song, he was panting heavily, and a few drops of sweat had formed on his forehead. He strolled back to the sound system to switch it off.

He had been your boyfriend for over three quarters of a year, and still your heart jumped like it was your first date when you looked at him for too long. You had done sexual things with him a few times now, but you never seemed to get used to how hot your boyfriend was. And when he used the bottom of his shirt to wipe away the beads of sweat on his face, revealing his stomach, he didn’t exactly make it easier for you.

“How’d you like it?” he asked, grinning and approaching you.

“You’re amazing,” you spoke, almost at loss for words.

“Let me teach you some moves,” he said. Even after dancing for so long, he seemed as though it had only added a boost of energy for him. Instantly, you shook your head no.

“I’d be terrible at it!” you said.

“No, you wouldn’t, because you’d have a great teacher,” he said, holding out his hand for you. His words made you laugh. You reached for his hand, letting him help you up.

“I’m too shy for that, okay?” you tried again.

“That’s okay. I’m the only one here, right? I was shy when I first started dancing, too. And look at me now, it’s my favorite thing to do,” he said. “You trust me, don’t you?”

Because of your shyness, it had always posed as a difficult task to form genuinely deep relationships with someone. H/N was one of the few people in your life, who really knew you. When you were with him, you felt like you could finally be yourself, not having to pretend or hold back your character. He had requested to teach you to dance multiple times in the past. And you knew he wasn’t going to stop asking you.

“Of course, I trust you,” you said.

“Do you remember when you said you wished you could dance to that one song by my group? Your favorite song of ours?” he asked. You nodded.

“I’ll show you the chorus, come here,” he said, and you couldn’t help but let some of his determination catch on to you. At least you could be sure he would never judge you negatively.

“Okay, but go slow,” you hesitated. Clearly happy with your reaction, he smiled softly. Standing next to him, you watched as he began to explain the moves. At first, you felt awkward following his steps, but he had a kind, patient heart. He never even blinked when you made a mistake or asked him to repeat a move. He simply did as you asked, and cheered you on, whether you did well or struggled.

There was one move in particular, that needed more of your attention. It was a combination of hand and foot movements, whilst also turning your head rhythmically.

“I can’t do this one,” you whined, ready to give up. But he was too determined.

“Yes, my love, you can,” he insisted. “Let me show you.”

He stepped behind you, as you watched him through the mirror before you. Gently, he put his hands on yours and showed you the movements. He was counting the steps while you attempted to follow his lead.

“Now, only do the footsteps and I’ll guide your arms, okay?” he asked. You nodded okay and did as he said.

“You’re doing good. Now, try it by yourself,” he praised, and you blushed automatically. It wasn’t like he had said something initially inappropriate. Maybe it was the closeness of him, or the simple fact that you might have had a thing for him telling you that you were doing well. And of course, he noticed how you looked to the floor. You had been together for long enough after all, for him to know everything you were into.

“Baby, you’re not focusing,” he teased. “Are you thinking about other things right now?”

His breath tickled your ear, and when your eyes met his through the mirror, his gaze told you he wasn’t thinking about dancing anymore either. Softly, his hands went to your waist, drawing circles onto your skin where your shirt had ridden up. It had been a while since you had done anything sexual, his recent schedule simply taking up too much of his time and energy. So, when he now touched your sides, even if only ever so slightly, you could barely stand the tension. And when he pressed his lips to the side of your neck, kissing your sweet spot, you let out an uncontrolled whimper. You noticed his confident chuckle when you watched him through the mirror.

“Aw, did my baby miss me so much?” he said, and at the sound of those words you instantly were putty in his hands. You hummed and nodded, while he only tightened his hold on you.

“Let me take care of you,” he said. His kisses lasted longer now, and he pulled your hips flush against his front. Another small whimper escaped you at the feeling of his bulge against your backside. Hungrily, he hummed against your skin as your hand went to his hair.

“H/N,” you moaned. “Someone could walk in.”

“There’s no one even left on this floor at this time,” he said. “I promise no one will interrupt us.”

You trusted him enough to believe he wasn’t just making an excuse. Finally, you turned around and let your lips collide. And how you had missed him. The emotions you felt trough the kiss felt like an enormous wave collapsing over your head, as your hands gripped the material of his shirt tightly, almost as if he would disappear if you didn’t hold him close to you. His lips always felt like heaven, no matter which part of your body they touched. Right now, you wished you could feel them all over you. You moaned in desperation when your tongues touched. A taste of mint mixed with coca cola only lured you closer into his arms. When you breathed against his skin and took in his familiar scent you were sure you couldn’t have felt any more adoration and love for him than you did at that moment.

“Take it slow,” he mumbled against your lips. He cupped your face, when you pulled away for a moment and watched his expression. It only read protectiveness and fondness. His chest was rising and falling steadily, his breaths as heavy as yours.

“Let’s go over there,” he said, intertwining his hand with yours and walking you over to the couch in the corner of the practice room. When he sat down and patted his lap, you straddled his waist without hesitation.

“My angel,” he said, his fingers stroking your face softly. “I missed you.”

You saw each other almost every day, but you knew what he meant by missing you, nonetheless. He missed your body. And you could only agree with him. When he cupped your face and pulled you in for another kiss, you hummed in agreement.

“Lift your arms,” he said. You understood right away, letting him remove your shirt. You closed your eyes for a moment at the mere touch of his hands on your bare skin.

You were torn. A part of you wanted this to last as long as possible, so you would take your time to feel every bit of him you had been missing so much. But the other part, which was a lot hungrier, wanted him right now, no more waiting around. Almost unconsciously, your hands had begun to fumble with the hem of his shirt. At the same time, he pulled down one of your bra straps, placing soft kisses on your shoulder and collar bone. When his hands went from your cheeks to your neck, and over your boobs, squeezing them a little, you sighed, your back automatically arching closer towards him. He reached behind you, opening your bra and you helped him get it off you.

“So pretty,” he said, kissing your neck while his hands ran over the now bare skin of your boobs. Your eyes fluttered like butterfly wings at the sensation, your head tilting backward a little. His low groan almost surprised you when your fingers touched the bare skin of his lower abdomen where you had lifted his shirt.

“Take it off, baby,” he encouraged you. So you did as he said. Even after all this time, seeing him shirtless still made you flustered for a moment. Sternly, you kept your eyes on his face. He chuckled cutely at your reaction.

But he wasn’t one to call you out for blushing or being shy, even though he had told you before that he found it to be one of the cutest things about you. Instead, to make you feel more comfortable, he leaned forward and kissed you again. Your head felt fuzzy at how his tongue swiped over your lip and touched yours. At the same time, he got a hold of your wrists and directed your hands to his chest. Slowly, you went along and touched his warm skin, running your fingers down his chest and abdomen. He hissed against your lips when you came close to the waistband of his sweatpants.

At the same time, you rolled your hips forward. Through the material of your underwear under your skirt, you felt his erection brush against your center. He cursed under his breath, his hands gripping your waist, but not stopping you from moving. With every move your patience faded a little more, every cell in your body wanting to be even closer to him.

“Baby, did you touch yourself when you needed me, but I wasn’t there?” he asked, his fingers sliding under your skirt. You instantly squirmed at his touch, but you knew before he went any higher, he would require an answer from you.

“Yes- ,“ you said. “…but it doesn’t compare to you.”

His gaze softened. “I’m sorry, I wish I could be there when-“

“No!” you assured him. “Don’t apologize. You’re a perfect boyfriend.”

He smiled a little at your words. His eyes were searching for a sign that you were exaggerating or saying those words so he would feel comforted. But he never found one. Because you were simply being honest.

“I love you so much,” he said, and this time it was your turn to smile.

“I love you too,” you said. Then you gave him your best puppy eyes. “Touch me, please?”

“Anything for my angel,” he said, honey dripping from his voice as he smirked at you. Your breath hitched in your throat when he pressed his thumb onto your clothed clit. Because of how busy you had been, you hadn’t even had time to take care of your needs the last few days. So now that he was finally giving you what you had yearned for for so long, it only felt a thousand times better.

“More, please,” you whimpered. Usually, he loved to tease you, until you were begging him and completely riled up from the lack of attention. But not today. He seemed to understand how much you wanted, or rather needed him. So, he slipped his hand past the hem of your underwear. You were dripping wet by the time his fingers slid between your folds, triggering a groan from him. Almost as if you wanted to hold on to something, you swung your arms around his neck and rested your forehead on his bare shoulder. Small, uneven breaths formed against his skin. He found your sweet spot right away, drawing a moan from your lips as you clenched your hand in his hair. On instinct, your hips moved against his hand in a steady rhythm.

“You’re so beautiful like this,” he said. “Does that feel good?”

All you could muster was an impulsive nod with your head still against his shoulder and a hum in agreement.

“Look at me, angel,” he said, his fingers continuing to work pure magic on you. Feeling drowsy, you lifted your head. He gently stroked your cheek with his free hand. The pleasure you were feeling, deep in the pit of your stomach, now mixed with what felt like a hundred butterflies in your belly at the way he was watching you. His digits teased your entrance now and then, making your hips buck against him needily. You were breathing unevenly, and your eyelids felt heavy, wanting to simply give in to the pleasure. But at the same time, you wanted to do as he said, loving the way his gaze made you feel gorgeous even though you felt like you probably looked a mess.

With every second passing you slipped more into a trance-like state, the knot in the pit of your stomach pulling tighter. When your eyes roamed his body, you could only notice the obvious bulge his boner had formed in his pants. Knowing he was probably getting less impatient too, you reached down, palming him through his pants. He almost flinched and then cursed at your sudden touch. Now, it wasn’t only your moans that sounded through the practice room anymore. Even though he had assured you, there was no one left working on this floor of the building, you were thankful for the soundproof walls either way. Your pleasure mirrored in his dark eyes as small moans slipped past your lips.

“I want you right now,” he said, his lips almost touching yours.

“Then take me,” you spoke, almost surprised at how confident your voice sounded. You could swear his eyes darkened even more at your words. He pulled his hand out of your panties and you almost whined at the loss of contact, but you wanted him just as much, so you kept it to yourself. For a moment you stood up from where you had been sitting on his lap, to remove the rest of your clothes, while he did the same. In an impatient haste, you dug for a condom in your bag on the couch. When you had found it and turned to him, he was grinning at you.

“What?” you asked, sitting next to him.

“Nothing, I just think you’re cute,” he said, and this time his words made your cheeks heat up again. He took the condom from your hands, and you waited for him to roll it on. Then, with your hands wrapped around his neck, you let yourself fall onto your back, pulling him along in the process.

“Woah, there,” he chuckled, his nose touching yours and his eyes crinkling from his smile. “Someone’s excited.”

“I missed you, that’s all,” you said.

“So did I,” he replied. Your soft smile quickly turned into a different expression, when you felt his member at your entrance. Your eyebrows furrowed and you gave him a look that silently pleaded him to go ahead. When he finally moved his hips against yours, filling you up, you both moaned in agreement.

As much as you had taken your time before, now neither of you seemed to want to take things slow anymore. He linked one of his arms over your leg, folding it towards your belly as his skin slapped against yours repeatedly. When he hit your sweet spot, you cried out his name, letting him know how much you loved this angle. He seemed to get the message, because he only pushed himself deeper into you. The way he alternated between slower, but more intense thrusts and quicker, deeper thrusts had you right on edge, your head full with one and only one thing. Him. His other arm was holding up his weight, his muscles flexing with every move he made.

The sight of him on top of you turned you on even more. His hair was hanging into his face messily, small sweat drops forming on the side of his forehead while he bit his lip and breathed out stifled groans. One of your arms went to the nape of his neck, wanting him closer to you, if even possible. For a while, he bent his head down to yours, his thrusts slowing down. His soft kisses were a strong contrast to the way he had fucked you just seconds ago, only messing with your already clouded head a little more. His hot breath hit your lips as he buried himself inside of you, drawing out a whimper from you.

“Do you want it harder, angel?” he asked. You hummed a yes and nodded right away, making him smirk down at you. “As you wish.”

The sudden change of pace hit you with a new wave of pleasure, as you clenched around him. He had propped himself up on his arm again, his length brushing over your sweet spot with every sharp thrust he made. By now, your eyes were closing automatically, as you sank deeper into the feeling you were chasing.

“I’m so close, H/N,” you said, not opening your eyelids.  

“I got you,” he said, not changing his pace, if anything, only moving quicker. “Come for me, baby.”

Upon hearing his words, you only allowed yourself to fall even faster. A few more seconds you pressed your lips together, solely focused on how heavenly he felt inside of you. When you finally reached your orgasm, your mouth fell open, whining while your fingers dug into his arm. With the way you clenched your walls around him, it was only a matter of seconds for him to follow up. His jaw clenched and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. You felt your sensitivity set in during his last thrusts, which were slower but sharper. The sound of his voice would always beat every single of your favorite songs as he moaned huskily.

Your hold on his arm weakened as he slipped out of you. For a moment you lay, your forearm over your closed eyes as you waited for you breathing to calm down. Softly, he grabbed your arm, before placing a few kisses on your face. You giggled tiredly at his actions and opened your eyes. The hot, focused look from before had vanished. Now he only blinked slowly, smiling playfully.

“I wanna cuddle, but this couch is small and I’m all sweaty,” he pouted. You chuckled at your boyfriend’s duality and his cute face.

“We better get home quickly, then,” you said, pulling him in for another kiss. You smiled against his lips. You couldn’t wait to fall into bed with him, finally being in each other’s arms when you would fall asleep that night.

[olivarryprompts]

Fanfic Friday #6

Welcome to Fanfic Friday! Each Friday I will post a new fanfic here and on A03. Enjoy x

Read and save it on A03 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/32370130

{Peter Parker’s Field Trip to Stark Industries}

Ships: peppertony, wandanat, sambucky

Warnings: mild anxiety, swearing

Status: married or dating

Wc: 3,281

“-and so that wraps up this lesson. Your homework is to do this worksheet, please hand a sheet back to everyone. I have a quick announcement, and it is very exciting. Given that this is one of the most advanced classes we offer, the school has arranged for us to have a field trip!”

Peter refocused on the word field trip. He didn’t have a good track record for those.

“We will be going to Avenger’s Tower! This is a very exclusive opportunity and you all should be very excited-”

No, no, no, no, this couldn’t be happening to Peter. Not now. Oh god. He had a suspicion this was set up by his basically-father. He was going to kill Tony. His teacher went on to blabber about permission slips and NDAs.

“Class dismissed. Please hand your forms in tomorrow as the field trip is on Friday.”

FRIDAY? How could it be so soon. Peter wanted to die. He headed for the door, but was stopped in his tracks by Mr. Blaze calling his name.

“Yes?” he said, turning around. The class had mainly cleared out by now.

“Peter, you're a good kid, and I understand not being the most popular student in school, but we need to talk about the lie you made up about working at Stark Industries.”

“But the internship is re-”

“This field trip is a great opportunity, and I do not want your lies ruining it for yourself or your classmates. Please do not mention it whilst we are there, or there will be serious consequences.”

“It’s a real intern-”

“Please Peter. You should know better than this. See you tomorrow.”

He was tired and fed up of school when he headed into the hallways to see his best friend.

“Hey,” Ned said, meeting him in the hallway.

“Hey,” Peter replied weakly.

“What’s up? Something happened?”

“Nah, just that field trip.”

“Oh the one to Stark Tower! It’s going to be so fun!”

“Right..”

“You’re not excited? I know you work there and stuff, but still.”

“Hmn uh yeah. No it was more Mr. Blaze being a bitch,” he replied, half lying.

“Still thinks you're lying about the internship?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Wanna come over to mine? Build some lego?”

“Nah, got to be home. Too much work to catch up on with all the patrolling I’ve been doing.”

“Gotcha. Well, see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah see you.”

Peter walked to the carpark expecting to find Happy in his black SUV. He was, instead, met by Black Widow.

“Nat?”

“Hey spider boy.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Figured I’d pick ya up and bring you home. Had a second free.”

He jumped into the passenger seat of the jet black convertible.

“How was school паук?”

“Не очень хорошо,” he said easily slipping into Russian. (Not very good)

“Зачем? что-то случилось? (Why? Did something happen?”)

“Да. У нас есть производственная практика в Stark Industries. Что было бы не так уж и плохо, но мой глупый учитель не думает, что я действительно проходил там стажировку, поэтому он отругал меня. Плюс мое паучье чутье сегодня сильно пошло на убыль.” (Yes. We have a field trip to Stark Industries. Which wouldn't be so bad, but my stupid teacher doesn't think I really have an internship there, so he told me off. Plus my spider sense were going off so much today.)

“бедный ребенок. Я могу чем-нибудь помочь?” (Poor kid. Anything I can do to help?)

“Убить Tony за это? (Kill Tony for setting this up?”)

“Нет, детка. Сожалею." (No can do kiddo. Sorry.)

“Разве ты не можешь рассказать другим Мстителям? Особенно папа.” (Can you not tell the other Avengers? ‘Specially Dad.)

“Я не обещаю.” (I won’t, promise.)

"Спасибо.” (Thanks.)

They’d arrived at the tower. There was more to it than he was telling. Ever since he’d moved into the tower, he’d been his safe space. It was his and his families. And he knew it was supid because so many people used it, but still. It felt awful for people from his school to come there. Peter pulled his security card out of his bag, scanning it.

“Peter Parker-Stark, clearance level Alpha 5, all access. Hi baby boss,” Friday, the building's AI called out, “Shall I tell Mr. Stark you’re home?”

“Yeah sure. I’m going straight to my lab, though.”

“Okay sir. Morgan would also like to inform you that she is looking for you.”

“Send her down to the lab.”

“As you wish.”

He hopped in the lift and allowed Friday to take him to floor 89. It was his personal lab. Oren, he’d reprogram Karen, allowed him entry through the glass door.

“Hello Peter, welcome back. What would you like to work on?”

“I’m going to do some work on my web shooters. Play my “workin after school” playlist on, please.”

“Yes, sir.”

He worked peacefully on his shooters design and mechanics for about 30 minutes before Oren alerted him that Morgan was coming up.

“Morgan Stark is requesting entry.”

“Granted.”

The door opened and revealed his basically little sister.

“Hey Mo,” he said, picking up the little girl, “Who let you roam around all on your own?”

“Mummy sent me up,” she smiled.

Peter nodded.

“What are you working on Petey.”

“I’ll show you,” he said, placing Morgan on his work table. He’d quickly made sure there was nothing that could hurt her.

“Web shooters?” she guessed.

“Yep. See I wanted to make them even more efficient so I changed the gears and trigger mechanism.”

She nodded knowingly. She was very smart for her age.

“Nice! Can we build our robot?”

“Sure thing. Oren, pull up the files for Petey-Pie and Morgana’s Robot.” He’d let Morgan handle the name for their creation.

Peter went and grabbed the box that had all their pieces in it. Being careful around the young girl, they continued to work on building the robot, Peter teaching her little things on the way.

So he had a normal evening. Did some fun work, some homework, ate dinner with the lunatics called the avengers, and went to bed.

“If it isn’t my two favorite small children!” Tony said, entering his lab.

“Daddy!” Morgan said, running into her father’s arms.

“Oren, I thought I told you to lock Dad out.”

“Unfortunately your father runs the building, so I could not follow your wanted protocol.”

“Love you too kid.”

“You set up the field trip.”

“Field trip?”

“Yeah. My school’s coming here on Friday!” Peter said, looking up from his work.

“Really? Nope wasn’t me. It was likely someone from PR, kiddo. You do go to one of the best STEM schools in the country.”

Tony had a point.

“Right...sorry.”

“It’s good, kid. What’s got you so wound up about it?”

“Daddy, I’m going to Mummy.”

“Okay kiddo, Friday take little Potts to bigger Potts,” he said with a smile.

“Yes sir.”

Once Morgan left, Tony asked again, “So wanna talk about it?”

“Just, just this is home. My home. And I know that’s stupid because it’s a fuckin 100 floor tower, but I know it. I know it so well, and I just don’t really want kids from my school here. I know I can’t gatekeep a building bu-”

“Hey, hey, it’s not stupid. It makes sense. This place is home and you don’t want them messing with any part of it. I bet most kids in your class wouldn’t love it if people came into their home for a field trip.”

“Yeah. And i-its my safeplace. From everything.” Everything being all the people he lost. His parents and uncle and aunt.

“I get it. Want me to have Pep cancel the trip?”

“N-no, no. All the kids in my class were so excited.”

“Always so selfless,” Tony smiled, “When is it again?”

“Friday.”

“Kiddo, I promise it’ll be fine. If anything, anything happens just get Fri to call me or Pep. Most of the avengers will be around too so you can call ‘em too.”

“Yeah. Thanks. They’ll just try to embarrass me, though,” Peter laughed.

“They will. Do I need to sign something?”

“I’m just going to have Mum do it because her signature is less recognizable.”

“Yeah, okay. Your teachers still don’t believe you?”

“How did you know th-”

“Come on kid, I’m Tony Stark.”

Peter smiled, “Fair enough. Yeah they don’t. I mean they will after the trip.”

“Yeah, that’s the bright side.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it then. Don’t stay in here too late.”

The night before the field trip he was so nervous. He ended up eating dinner in his lab. Pepper complained but Tony just told her he’d had a long day and deserved a break.

He knew he should have gone to bed but as each hour passed, he got more and more anxious about the trip. He needed something to take his mind off it, so he just kept working and working. Suddenly it was seven in the morning and he needed a shower. Finishing his eighth coffee of the eve, he headed to the 91st floor where he stayed. Hoping that neither of his parents would notice his all nighter he crept into his room.

After getting ready for school, he made his way back out of his room.

“Morning,” Pepper greeted him, “How was last night?” She wore a knowing smile as she continued to tap on her computer, presumably doing work.

“Fine,” he smiled, “Don’t tell dad.”

“I won’t. You're turning into him, though.”

“What else was expected?”

Pepper just smiled, “Sam and Bucky had loads of pastry delivered to the main kitchen if you wanna pop in there.”

“Yeah, sounds good. Thanks.”

“By sweetie, have a good day at school.”

“Thanks. Love you.”

“Love you too, hun.”

Peter jumped in the lift taking him up two floores to the Avengers hang out space.

“Spiderling!” Sam and Bucky greeted

“Old Man, bird boy,” he smirked.

“You look like shit, паук,” Nat said from the sofa.

“Thanks,” he said, putting a few of the delicious looking treats onto his plate. He also grabbed himself another cup of coffee. He plops himself down next to Nat on the sofa.

“Did you not sleep again? You look like hell.” Tony said, entering the kitchen to get himself another cup of coffee.

“Right back at you dad.”

“Fair.”

Steve entered, coming back from his run.

“Hey,” he said, addressing the room, “God kid, you look like yo-”

“OKAY NEXT PERSON TO TELL ME I LOOK SHIT IS GETTING IT!”

“Oh sorry,” Steve said, rolling his eyes. Clint came in with Pietro at his side, “What’s this about Peter looking shit?”

“I hate you all,” he said, finishing his last bite. He laid down on the sofa.

“Oh ah kid, something I needed to tell you. Right, you can stay here. No need to go to school and back. Pepper wrote a note saying you’d meet at the school because you had a doctor's appointment or some shit.”

“Why is spider boy here?” Sam asked.

“School field trip.”

“Only you Parker,” the White Wolf laughed.

“No embarrassing me, please,” he begged.

“Hell no, this is a great opportunity,” Sam said, looking over to bucky.

“I won’t,” Nat said with her hands up.

“I’m in, team embarrass Peter,” Clint said, high fiving Bucky and Sam. At that moment, Wanda walked in heading straight for her girlfriend’s arms. Nat happily let her fall into her lap.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Nat asked with some level of concern.

“Everything,” Wanda said.

“Drama queen,” Pietro scoffed. Peter closed his eyes and let the conversation happen around him. At some point, Tony had left. Clint had gone off to train with the Dumb and Dumber, and Steve claimed he had a mission brief.

Friday’s voice startled him, “Peter, I recommend you head downstairs as your class is arriving in 5.”

“Five what?” Peter questioned.

“Four,” The AI continued.

“A LITTLE MORE WARNING WOULD BE NICE!”

Peter grabbed his shit and jumped into the private elevator as fast as he could. Luckily, he was in the lobby mere moments before the class entered. He pretended just to be standing around.

“Peter,” Mr. Blaze called, “Please come and join the class.”

Peter nodded, spotting his best friend amongst the crowd.

“Hey,” Ned greeted.

“‘Sup.”

“Good morning everyone,” said the tour guild, “My name is Tamiko Hiroki and I will be taking you on your tour today. To start, I will be giving you all badges. When I call your name please step up and collect it.”

She made her way through the basket and by the time she was done only one student had not received a badge.

“Hey, Peter didn’t get a badge,” Cindy Moon, a kind girl in his physics class, called.

“Apologies, there doesn’t seem to be one in here for a Peter.”

“Uh I-i, I have m-my own. Thanks Tamiko.”

“Oh okay, cool. Please follow me to security.” The class seemed shocked. Was the kid telling the truth about his internship?

“So, there are many different levels of pass here. Guests get Beta levels 1-5 depending on what they are doing. Then there’s Omega’s who are interns and such. Next is the scientist and important employees with Zeta. Finally there’s Alpha for major important roles such as department heads. The top level, Alpha 5, contains the most important people like the Avengers who live in the tower and CEO Pepper Pots.

“Tamiko Hiro, Clearance level Beta 5.”

“Don’t worry everyone, that's Friday, the AI who runs the building. Just keep passing through.”

“Philip Maiko, Clearance level Beta 1.”

“Michelle Jones, Clearance level Beta 1.”

Peter headed towards the back, allowing all the students to go in front of him. He prayed they didn’t hear his security protocol. The rest passed through with Beta 1. Then, Peter came up.

“Peter Parker-Stark, clearance level Alpha 5, all access. Hi baby boss,” Friday, the building's AI called out, “Shall I tell Mr. Stark you’re home early?”

“I’m on a field trip, Fri. No need to tell D-Mr. Stark. Thanks.”

The class, once again, looked shocked.

“Why does Penis Parker have all access?” Flash called to Tamiko.

“I do not believe I have clearance to disclose that information, but Peter here may answer,” Tamiko said, glaring at Flash.

“I mean I’ve said it before. I am a personal intern of-”

“PETEY!” Bucky yelled, giving him a hug from behind.

Deflated, he responded, “Hey Buck.”

“Is that all I get?

The two settled on one of the many sofas in the lab. Pete’s head in Tony’s lab.

“Sorry about that, Pepper explicitly told all tours to stay off this level, but it seems as though her assistant made an exception because she thought it was okay as you were on the tour. Pepper fired her.”

Only his mum, “She didn’t have to do that.”

“She was furious.”

“Oh I’m sure.”

“I know this is your safe space, so-”

“It’s okay. No one came in.”

“Yeah.”

“You feeling any better?”

“Just tired. Thanks.”

“Always kiddo. You wanna go upstairs? Take a nap?”

“Sure.”

[klaus-is-the-real-number-1]

The day we caught the train (Slytherin!Five x Hufflepuff!Reader)

 missvifdor said:  It would be for Five Slytherins with a Hufflepuff reader 🤗 they are very opposite in personality but they complement each other. I love Harry Potter and the umbrella academy, so i'm glad you write about both 😄 thank you,

A/N: this was like kinda vauge so i made up like a story line i guess?? Its kinda a mess and really long?? hope this is ok!! I really like these because i used to be obsessed with HP, in this i imagine Five would be from the really posh part of london where, the reader being opposites to him would be from a northern town and theyre both in sixth year which is age 16-17, i had to do so much research for this lol

Words: 2711

Footsteps echoed through the long empty halls as curfew rolled around, the sounds of students rushing to get back to their dormitories after a long night of studying and hushed whispering of passwords was not an unfamiliar sound at this time of night. Pictures were left empty as their residents wandered away out of frame and the castle slowly went to sleep, except for the prefects. As the sun went down, the prefects got up to do nightly patrols to make sure no students were up past curfew, each house prefect patrolled their own areas around their relative commonrooms to catch any wrong doers, not that they were many.

Tonight was your turn, patrolling the basement level and the kitchen corridor around the Hufflepuff dorm room, waiting for anything exciting to happen yet you knew it never would. Hufflepuffs always had a strong moral code and a clear right from wrong, every single patrol you carried out during Fifth year when you were appointed prefect you never caught a single person, now part way into sixth year still not once incident had occurred.

Yet, for some reason, every patrol you had ended up with a certain Slytherin prefect following you around, Five. Five was unusual to say the least, he was a well respected and slightly feared student, cunning and determined, he had a close knit clique of fellow pure blood slytherins, yet for some reason out of everyone in the whole of the castle, he had a soft spot for you. Even though he’d never show it in front of others, during the light of the day he’d sneak in side glances and small smiles, especially in the first few years making sure no comments came your way about your muggle parents or your upbringing.

Exactly on queue, a familiar sound of footsteps echoed down the staircase leading to you corridor only to stop short at the last step. A small ‘lumos’ echoed throughout the quiet hallway before Fives head pops into view, checking it was actually you there before a large smile breaking on his face as he walked into view. “Hey.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be on patrol?” You smile to him as he got closer, crossing your arms over your chest.

“They know it’s me on, no one would dare try anything.” He smirks knowing he was right, striking fear into everybody, except you. His eyes soften and his tone became gentle when he was speaking with you. He’d always been like that, from your first journey on the Hogwarts express, talking the entire train journey up, secret library meeting when you both realised things weren’t as simple as just being friends. Things got difficult when blood ‘purity’ came into play, when suddenly you couldn’t be friends, which hurt.

The dimly lit hallways excentrated his features, his sharp jaw and high cheekbones cast shadows on his face and neck, yet his dimples still shone through when he smiles and breaks up the harsh exterior that he puts on. Stepping closer, you lifted your hand to run it through his hair, watching his face break out into a smile and wrap his hand around your waist. Small displays of affection weren’t uncommon between the two of you, only increasing through the years of being at Hogwarts. “I’m so glad you stopped gelling your hair back.”

“Don’t remind me.” He rolled his eyes, remembering his poor style choices of his past. You move your hand and run it down the side of his face and across his jaw, taking a second to admire him before dropping your hand.

“I’ve gotta go, my shifts nearly over.” A sad looking smile broke over his face as he slowly lowered his hand from your waist. “I’ll see you tomorrow though.” You say as you lock eyes with him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He repeated back to you. He smiled and started walking towards the stairs, just before his foot touched the first step he turned back to you. “Goodnight, y/n.”

Dueling was always one of the most exciting parts of Hogwarts, it was a welcome break from the immense workload that sixth years had to deal with. In sixth year you were expected to be able to cast non-verbal spells, a mentally challenging task where some were better than others. Over the past month your defence class had been working tirelessly on being able to cast successful non-verbal spells with the promise of having a period where you would be duelling, which was exciting for everyone involved, a chance to show your abilities and represent your house.

“I’m going to be pairing you up today,” Your teacher spoke to you all as he was stood on the dueling table, met with a grumble from the students. “With student of the same ability.” He continued, seemingly unaffected by the disappointed sounds of the sixth years. “When I call you out, both of you will come to the stage.”

Cheers and boo’s echoes throughout the room as students from different houses duled, light flying from wands as students desperately tried to conjure spells without speaking, some pulling through well where others barely being able to produce anything at all. Tension rose throughout the room as more people slowly got paired off, everyone wondering who would be the next pair.

“Y/n and Five.”

Smiling, you walk up to the stage and face Five, seeing a small smile emerge from his stern expression. Wands at the ready, you wait for the call to start from the teacher, already knowing your strategy. The air turned heavy and the room turned quite as everyone was ready to watch the duel, you were both the highest achieving students in the class and people were eager to see who would be the best.

Then it started, Five casting the first spell only to have you deflect it, causing a gasp to echo through the room. You knew it would be a risky move to cast a spell that hadn’t been taught, a spell that wasn’t even in the curriculum. It was the only way you had ever found deflecting a spell without having the spell hit your opponent, Five was stunned for a second before hitting back with another spell, only for you to deflect it again and again and again. Waiting for a hesitation from Five to strike and then you got it, a gap in his relentless spell casting when he took a second too long to think about his next spell. 

Before he could blink, he was thrown to the floor with his wand flying out of his hand as you hit him with expelliarmus. Cheers erupted from students interspersed with nasty comments from the Slytherin students, you walk over to Five who was winded from his fall on the floor. Offering your hand he goes to take it before hesitating, under the watchful eyes of his Slytherin clique he lowered his hand and picked himself up, brushing down his robes. 

“Right!” Your teacher stood up on the stage with you and Five. “Class is dismissed, remember to keep practicing these non-verbal spells.” Your eyes never left Five as your teacher spoke, you felt a stinging sensation wash over your eyes accompanied by a throbbing in your chest at his actions. You shook your head and turned away, unable to keep looking at him without bursting into tears. 

“I need you to stay behind.” He turned to you, giving you a stern look only to soften when he saw you in near tears. Slowly, everyone left the room, either going to the library or commonrooms to await their next lesson due to the early finish. Closing your eyes, you gently tapping the lids with your fingertips to try and ease the stinging feeling, you take a deep breath before re-opening your eyes.

“Am I in trouble?” You say as you sit on the side of the duelling stage, legs swinging as you play with your hands.

“Not exactly,” He sighs, sitting in a chair facing you. “Where did you learn that?”

So you start to explain, lying as you went, as you explained you started to immediately regret even casting the spell in the first place. In fourth year you were spending a late night in the library, trying to find any books to help you excel in your classes, you had piles of books in front of you and then one book you opened had sheets of parchment paper interspersed with the other pages filled with spells that weren’t on the curriculum. It was filled with defence spells, jinxes, curses and more, it had been your guide ever since you found it. This, however, was not what you explained to him, simply saying you were doing some reading and found it and were unable to find the book again.

You could tell he didn’t believe you, but sensed that he wouldn’t delve too far into your story. “You can’t pull anything like that again,” He looked at you for a response so you just nodded. “I won’t go any further with this, you can go.”

The rest of the day went slowly, doing everything in your might to avoid Five, you had been patient with him all these years and him not even wanting to let you pull him up because of his little gang looking at him hurt, it stung. You know he’s loyal to his house but after 6 years of always hiding and sneaking around you just couldn’t bare it anymore, couldn’t bare the fact that Five had let this wizarding class war consume him.

Post day was always fun, hundreds of owls flying into the great hall and dropping off post from friends and family at home, some received letters while others got large packages sent in. Bruce was your barn owl, he was large, brown and robust, he would usually reside on your parents farm, being well loved and looked after by your whole family whilst you were away but always knew when you needed him in the castle.

In he came, swooping down with a letter tied to him and landing elegantly in front of you. Petting him with one hand while the other unties the letter, excited chatter filled the room as most other people were doing the exact same thing, wondering what their loved ones had sent them. Carefully opening the letter, trying not to tear the envelope, your eyes scan over the hand-written letter, smiling at all the information that was written in great detail.

At the very bottom they’d attached a photograph of them all together smiling, along with your dog and a few other animals they all looked after. As you were smiling and showing your friends you felt it get pulled out of your hand; turning around, you were met with one of Fives Slytherin friends waving your photo around, calling on his friends.

“Ere’ give it back.” Getting up, you try and swipe it from his hands only for him to hold it higher, scrunching it as he did.

“What are you going to do about it, mudblood-” Before he could finish his sentence the photo was snatched out of his hand by Five, lightly tapping it with his wand and the photo returned to pristine condition before handing it back to you with a small smile.

“Behave.” Five said to him, pulling him away from your table and back to theirs. A smile snuck onto your face as you sat back down, Five had never done anything like that outside the darkness of the library or the nightly patrols, let alone in front of his friends. 

Then, very slowly, he started to actively integrate himself into your life, talking to you in class, helping each other with homework after classes and even sitting with you at lunch on a regular basis. Building up your trust for him again, building up your friendship publically even with all the snide comments other people gave him, he ignored them all for you.

As winter rolled round, snow dusted the castle and surrounding areas as if it was a cake getting doused in icing sugar about to be presented for a meal. Cold nipped at your noses as you made the trek into Hogsmeade, students rushing to buy last minute presents for loved ones before christmas break as well as a stream of students flocking to the Three Broomsticks to get their last sips of butterbeer before the train journey home.

The Three Broomsticks was so full that students were being turned away, it was bursting at the brim with some students even even sharing chairs. The atmosphere was buzzing with excited students, conversations so loud that you couldn’t even hear yourself think. Five and yourself had been lucky, opting to come to the pub first thing then doing your christmas shopping, finding a small booth hid in the corner.

“So are you excited to go home?” He was wrapped up in a hoodie and jacket, a discarded hat and scarf lying on the table, leaving him with flushed cheeks and tousled hair. 

“I ain’t going home,” You say, taking a sip of butterbeer. “I never have, I’d have to get the muggle train back north, costs around 100 quid each way.” You tap your fingers against the half empty glass. “Canny afford it.” 

“You’ve never gone home for christmas?” Sadness was present in his eyes as he locked them with yours but you just shrugged.

“It’s not that bad, it’s like, my sixth year staying so everyone is just used to me now, I get to phone home and they basically give me access to the kitchen and all the teachers who stay put on interest lessons and such.” A breeze caused you to shiver, wrapping you jacket tighter around you. “I also help with the animals.”

Upon seeing you shiver Five leant over the table to wrap his scarf around your neck before gently tucking a strand of hair behind your ear; the small display of public affection causing you to blush. Once you’d finished your drinks you head into town, looking down the alleys for all the little shops you could find, looking for the perfect gifts for your family, asking a slightly unenthusiastic Five for a second opinion and just receiving a series of raised eyebrows or nods of his head. 

Taking your time to walk back to the campus, Fives hand had found its way into yours, swinging your entwined fingers as you went. As the large castle came into view a bittersweet feeling washed over you, knowing that Five and everyone else would be leaving for the holidays tomorrow while you stayed at the castle. Even if the empty hallways felt like home there was always a pang in your chest on christmas morning, even if it did ease off during the day whilst sat round with friends and teachers, it still made your chest throb.

Joy was evident in the great hall, everyone talking loudly and laughing with their friends knowing they won’t be seen for the next two weeks, an exchange of gifts and cards being passed around. Slowly, everyone faded out to the dining hall, getting ready to get on the Hogwarts express home, you passed around hugs and goodbyes as your friends left the common room, all of them leaving cards and parcels by your bed and made you swear not to open them until christmas day. 

All morning you were looking around for Five but were never able to see him and as everyone left for the station you were convinced he had gone. Defeated, you walk through the empty hallways to the great hall for the regular meeting where the staff discuss the rules with the rest of you who had stayed behind. You heard a voice call your name behind you, quickly turning around, you see him. “Five?”

“They needed a male prefect to stay on campus,” He says as he gets closer, grin covering his face. “So I volunteered.” Instead of answering you just throw yourself at him, embracing him in your arms. His arms instantly wrap around your figure, resting his chin on the top of your head.

“Thank you, Five.”

[joshuasearing]

Monday 11th September 2023

Hey journal so sorry I’ve been inconsistent again I’m just struggling to keep up with everything that I want to do. Im just going to take about yesterday and today though as I can’t fully remember past that point if I’m fully honest. So yesterday I ended up being about 45 minutes late to work as I felt so exhausted and mentally not great. When at work yesterday I was on in store. However for about 20 minutes I went on finish which was brilliant and was actually fun to go on for a bit. But I am definitely not as good on that as I am on instore. Instore is my pro area and is where I’m really good at it’s my turf. After work yesterday my mum picked me up as it was my little brothers 6th birthday yesterday. So after work we quickly went home and all got ready to go bowling. So then we made are way to bowling. We ended up playing two games of bowling, with me winning one of the games and it was the first game I won. However the second game I came third as everyone did better and I got a little unlucky and kept on getting 9 a few times which was unfortunate. Also I remember the first bowl yesterday I ended up getting a strike straight away which is crazy. Then after bowling yesterday we walked to Maccies and got some food. However we were going creams afterwards so I only decided to get myself a mayo chicken. We all didn’t get much. Then after having are Maccies we walked back to where we parked are car then we drove to creams. At creams I forgot what you call what I had but one thing I can say is it was delicious and was one of the best tasting food I have ever had. The food was lovely. Also we all had regular sized slush puppies. However all of are food and drinks were so expensive it ended up coming to about £50 which is crazy. After this we went home.

Now for today I started the day of by getting ready then packing everything into my bag. Then I headed out planning to get the bus. However I bumped into my mum taking to one of Kaidens friends mums. Kaiden is my little brother. Anyways she lives near are house and anyways I got talking to them as well. Then my mum offered me a lift instead. I was going into town to get a haircut as I was feeling really insecure about my hair. Anyways my mum ended up dropping me of into town. Then I got cash amount of the cash point then waited to get my haircut. Then when I got sat down I had a lovely conversation with my barber, about loads of different topics whilst he cut my hair. Then after my haircut I went to greggs and got myself a lovely little greggs sausage roll. Then I went to Tesco and got myself some chewing gum. Then after this I made my way to the gym and did a push session in the gym. It took me about 20 minutes to walk to the gym. The session went well. Whilst also in the gym I did some videos of me doing exercises for my gym tiktok account. My username is gymwithjosh, anyways the session went really well. After the gym I walked to Tescos got myself 3 little packs of almonds as I like almonds and they have many benefits physically. Also after this I carried on making my way home. And it took me about 25 minutes to get home. Then ever since I have got home I have not really done to much. I have played on my pc here and there. I have also edited and made loads of tiktoks. I have also posted a few on different accounts. I have also done my documenting my mental health one. Then also for a couple hours earlier I had a nap which was an awful idea as now I am not really tired and I’ve got work at 5am and now I am not going to bed able to sleep so I have fucked myself over. Anyways speak to you later journal, bye journal!

[alwaysmarilynmonroe]

Today is a very special day, it’s Marilyn’s Birthday! Can you believe that if she were still alive,  Marilyn would have been turning 94 years old today – just two months younger than the Queen herself! With each year I always try and write a special post about this amazing woman, who has helped me so much and achieved more than anyone could have imagined in her 36 years. Therefore, I decided to write 94 facts about the Birthday Girl – some you may know, some you may not, all in the hope that genuine things will be learnt and the real Marilyn will be more understood and appreciated.

Gladys and baby Norma Jeane spend some quality time together on the beach in 1929.

Little Norma Jeane, aged seven, in 1933.

Norma Jeane photographed by David Conover whilst working at the Radio Plane Munitions Factory in either the Fall of 1944 or Spring of 1945.

Norma Jeane by Andre de Dienes in late 1945.

Marilyn by Richard Miller in 1946.

Marilyn on Tobey Beach by Andre de Dienes on July 23rd 1949.

Marilyn by Ed Clark in Griffith Park in August 1950.

Marilyn attends a Party in Ray Anthony’s home, organized by 20th Century Fox on August 3rd 1952.

Marilyn filming The Seven Year Itch on location in New York City by Sam Shaw on September 13th 1954.

Marilyn by Milton Greene on January 28th 1955.

Marilyn by Cecil Beaton on February 22nd 1956. This was her favourite photo of herself.

Marilyn attending the Premiere of The Prince In The Showgirl at the Radio City Music Hall on June 13th 1957.

Marilyn by Carl Perutz on June 16th 1958.

Marilyn by Philippe Halsman for LIFE Magazine in October 1959.

Marilyn attends a Benefit for The Actors Studio at the Roseland Dance City on March 13th 1961.

Marilyn on Santa Monica Beach for Cosmopolitan Magazine by George Barris on July 1st 1962.

______________________________________________________________________________

1.  Stood at a height of 5’5½”

2.  Born in the charity ward of the Los Angeles County Hospital at 9:30 AM on June 1st 1926.

3.  Married three times;

– Jim Dougherty: (June 19th 1942 – September 13th 1946) – Joe Dimaggio: (January 14th 1954 – 31st October 1955) (Temporary divorce granted on October 27th 1954) – Arthur Miller: (June 29th 1956 – January 20th 1961).

4. Suffered two confirmed miscarriages; an ectopic pregnancy on August 1st 1957 and miscarriage in December 16th 1958.

5. Suffered with endometriosis very badly, so much so that she had a clause in her contract which stated she would be unable to work whilst menstruating.

6. Starred in 30 films – her last being uncompleted.

7. Favourite of her own performances was as Angela Phinlay in The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

8. Winner of three Golden Globes; two for World Film Favourite – Female in 1954 and 1962 and one for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for her performance as Sugar Kane in Some Like It Hot (1959) in 1960.

9. Her idol was the first Platinum Blonde Bombshell, Jean Harlow.

10. Amassed a collection of over 400 books in her library, ranging from Russian Literature to Psychology.

11. Favourite perfume was Chanel No.5

12. Had two half siblings; Robert “Jackie” Baker (1918 – 1933) and Bernice Miracle (1919) – the former she would never have the chance to meet and Bernice was not informed about Marilyn until she was 19 years old.

13. Former Actor and 20th Century Fox Studio Executive, Ben Lyon created the name Marilyn Monroe in December 1946 – Marilyn after fellow Actress, Marilyn Miller and Monroe after Marilyn’s mother’s maiden name. Ironically enough, Ben starred with Jean Harlow, in her breakout movie, Hell’s Angels (1930).

14. Legally changed her name to Marilyn Monroe ten years later, on February 23rd 1956.

15. Attended The Actors Studio.

16. Third woman to start her own Film Production Company – the first being Lois Weber in 1917 and the second being Mary Pickford in 1919.

17. First had her hair bleached in January 1946 at the Frank & Joseph Salon by Beautician Sylvia Barnhart, originally intended for a Shampoo Advert.

18. Contrary to popular belief, she was technically a natural blonde, not a redhead or brunette. She was born with platinum hair and was very fair until just before her teen years. Her sister described her with having dark blonde hair upon their first meeting in 1944.

19. Another myth debunked – she had blue eyes, not brown.

20. Was one of the few women in the 1950s to use weights when exercising.

21. Wore jeans before it was considered acceptable for women.

22. Her famous mole was real – albeit skin coloured, so she emphasized it using a brown eye pencil.

23. Was a Step-Mother in two of her three marriages to three children – Joe Dimaggio Jr. and Bobby and Jane Miller.

24. Found out she landed the lead role in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) on her 26th Birthday.

25. Another huge myth dispelled – only actually met President Kennedy four times from 1961 – 1962. Three of them were at public events, with the last being her performance at Madison Square Garden. One of them was at Bing Crosby’s Palm Spring house with various people, so at most (which again, is very unlikely) they had a one night stand – nothing more and nothing less.

26. Was the first Playboy Cover Girl, although she did not actually pose for them, nor give permission for them to be used. Hugh Hefner bought the photograph from a Chicago Calendar Company for $500 and the two never met.

27. Speaking of Playboy, the photo was taken by Photographer Tom Kelley on May 27th 1951 and Marilyn made a total of $50 for the photo shoot. The most famous photo then went on to cause a national sensation after being sold to the Calendar Baumgarth Company and became known as, “Golden Dreams“.

28. In 1955 it was estimated that over four million copies of the Calendar had been sold.

29. Favourite singers were Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. 

30. Attended the Academy Awards Ceremony only once on March 29th 1951 and presented the award for “Best Sound Recording” to Thomas Moulton for All About Eve (1951) which she also starred in.

31. Performed ten shows over four days to over 100,000 soldiers and marines in Korea in February 1954 – she actually ended up catching pneumonia because it was so cold.

32. Was one of the few Stars who had Director Approval in their Contracts. Some of the names included were, John Huston, Elia Kazan, Alfred Hitchcock, George Stevens, William Wyler, Joshua Logan and Sir Carol Reed.

33. Was pregnant during the filming of Some Like It Hot (1959) – filming finished on November 7th 1958 and she miscarried the following month on December 16th.

34. Featured on the cover of LIFE Magazine seven times during her lifetime;

– April 7th 1952 – May 25th 1953 – July 8th 1957 (International Edition) – April 20th 1959 – November 9th 1959 – August 15th 1960 – June 22nd 1962

35. Favourite bevarage was Dom Perignon 1953 Champagne.

36. By the time of her death, her films had grossed over $200 million, when adjusted for inflation that is the equivalent of $2 billion in 2019.

37. Designer, William Travilla dressed Marilyn for seven of her films, two (*) of them received Oscar Nominations in, “Best Costume/Design, Color“;

– Monkey Business (1952) – Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) – How To Marry A Millionaire (1953) * – River Of No Return (1954) – There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954) * – The Seven Year Itch (1955) – Bus Stop (1956)

38. Spent 21 months of her childhood at the Los Angeles Orphanage, from September 13th 1935 until June 7th 1937.

39. Was one of the first Stars to speak out about child abuse, with her story appearing in movie magazines as early as 1954.

40. Fostered by her grandmother’s neighbours, Ida and Albert Bolender, for the first seven years of her life.

41. Lived in England for four months, during the period of filming for The Prince and The Showgirl (1957) from July 14th 1956 – November 20th 1956.

42. Her Production Company, Marilyn Monroe Productions produced only one film, The Prince and The Showgirl (1957) based on Terrance Rattigan’s play, The Sleeping Prince.

43. Was photographed by Earl Theisen in October 1952 wearing a potato sack dress after being criticized by the press for her outfit choice at The Henrietta Awards in January 1952. A journalist wrote that Marilyn was “insignificant and vulgar“and “even in a potato bag, it would have been more elegant.“

44. Was a huge supporter of LGBT+ rights, saying the following quote about fellow actor and friend, Montgomery Clift to journalist W.J. Weatherby in 1960,

“I was remembering Monty Clift. People who aren’t fit to open the door for him sneer at his homosexuality. What do they know about it? Labels–people love putting labels on each other. Then they feel safe. People tried to make me into a lesbian. I laughed. No sex is wrong if there’s love in it.”

45. Her measurements were listed as the following by her Dressmakers; 35-22-35 and 36-24-24 by The Blue Book  Modelling Agency. For the majority of her life she weighed between 117-120 pounds, with her weight fluctuating around 15 pounds, during and after her pregnancies (1957-1960), although her waist never ventured past 28.5 inches and her dress size today would be a UK Size 6-8 and a US Size 2-4 as she was a vintage Size 12.

46. Her famous white halter dress from The Seven Year Itch (1955) sold for $4.6 million ($5.6 million including auction fees) on June 18th 2011, which was owned by Debbie Reynolds. The “Happy Birthday Mr. President Dress” originally held the record for the most expensive dress, when it was sold on October 27th 1999 for $1.26 million. It then went on to be resold for $4.8 million on November 17th 2016, thus regaining it’s original achievement.

47. Was discovered by Photographer, David Conover, whilst working in The Radio Plane Munitions Factory in the Fall of 1944 or Spring of 1945, depending on sources.

48. Now known as the, “Me Too” movement, Marilyn was one of the first Stars to speak out on the, “Hollywood Wolves” in a 1953 article for Motion Picture Magazine entitled, “Wolves I Have Known”. The most famous incident being with the Head of Columbia Studios, Harry Cohn, who requested Marilyn join him on his yacht for a weekend away in Catalina Island. Marilyn asked if his wife would be joining them, which, as you can imagine – did not go down well and her contract was not renewed with the Studio. Marilyn made only one film with Columbia during her six month contract, this being Ladies Of The Chorus (1948) which was shot in just ten days!

49. Loved animals dearly and adopted a variety of pets over the years. These included a basset hound called Hugo and parakeets, Clyde, Bobo and Butch with Husband Arthur Miller.  A number of cats including a persian breed called Mitsou in 1955 and Sugar Finney in 1959. Her most famous pet was gifted to her in March or April of 1961 by friend, Frank Sinatra, a little white maltese named Maf. His full name was Mafia Honey, as a humorous reference to Sinatra’s alleged connections to the Mob. After Marilyn’s death, Maf went to live with Frank Sinatra’s secretary, Gloria Lovell.

50. The book she was reading at the time of her death was Harper Lee’s, To Kill A Mocking Bird.

51. One of the movies she starred in was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and won, this being All About Eve (1950) at The 23rd Academy Awards on March 29th 1951. It ended up being nominated for 14 Oscars, a record at the time and has only been matched by Titanic (1997) and La La Land (2016).

52. Her first magazine cover was photographed by Andre de Dienes in December 1945 for Family Circle, released on April 26th 1946.

53. Joined The William Morris Agency on December 7th 1948.

54. Was right handed, not left as often believed.

55. Third Husband Arthur Miller wrote the screenplay for Marilyn’s last completed film, The Misfits (1961) which was originally written as a short story for Esquire Magazine in 1957. After the tragic ectopic pregnancy Marilyn endured in August of 1957, friend and Photographer, Sam Shaw suggested to Miller he alter his short story specifically for her. Ironically the making of this film culminated in their divorce and Marilyn stating,

“He could have written me anything and he comes up with this. If that’s what he thinks of me then I’m not for him and he’s not for me.” 56. Was Author, Truman Capote’s original choice for the role of Holly Golightly in Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961) however, she was advised to turn it down by her Acting Coach, Paula Strasberg, who did not think the role of a prostitute would be good for her image. Writer George Axelrod, who wrote the Screenplay for Bus Stop (1956) and the play, The Seven Year Itch, ironically ended up being the Screenwriter for this movie.

Capote said this regarding Marilyn,

“I had seen her in a film and thought she would be perfect for the part. Holly had to have something touching about her . . . unfinished. Marilyn had that.”

57. Second Husband Joe Dimaggio had The Parisian Florists deliver red roses on Marilyn’s grave twice a week, for twenty years, from August 1962 until September 1982. Marilyn had told him how William Powell used to do this for Jean Harlow after her death and he reportedly vowed to do the same after their Wedding Ceremony. After the 20 years he then donated to a children’s charity, as he thought it would be a nice way to honour her memory. They also created the flower arrangements for her casket at her funeral.

58. The following five Directors directed Marilyn in more than one movie;

– John Huston; The Asphalt Jungle (1950) and The Misfits (1961) – Richard Sale;  A Ticket To Tomahawk (1950) and Let’s Make It Legal (1951) – Howard Hawks; Monkey Business (1952) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) – Billy Wilder; The Seven Year Itch (1955) and Some Like It Hot (1959) – George Cukor; Let’s Make Love (1960) and Something’s Got To Give (1962)

59. Was an illegitimate child, which unfortunately was attached with a lot of stigma in the 1920s. Her mother, Gladys, listed her then husband Edward Mortenson on the Birth Certificate, although it is commonly accepted that her real father was Charles Stanley Gifford, as Gladys left Edward on May 26th 1925. Gladys had an affair with him, which ended when she announced her pregnancy and he never acknowledged or met Marilyn, although she tried multiple times over the years to speak with him. 

60. Stayed in a number of foster homes during her childhood,

– George and Emma Atkinson; February 1934 – September 1934 – Enid and Sam Knebelcamp; Fall of 1934 – Harvey and Elsie Giffen; January 1935 – March 1935 – Grace and “Doc” Goddard; April 1935 – September 1935 and June 1937 – November 1937 and end of 1940 – February 1942 – Ida Martin; November 1937 – August 1938 – “Aunt Ana” Lower; August 1938  – End of 1940 and February 1942 

61. Had her hand and footprints immortalized in cement at Graumans Chinese Theatre on June 26th 1953, with Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) co-star, Jane Russell. Marilyn would place a rhinestone in the dot of the letter “i” as a reference to her character, “Lorelei Lee” but it was sadly stolen. This was an incredibly special moment for her, as she often talked about placing her hands and feet in the many prints there, when she spent her weekends at the Theatre as a child, especially in 1933 and 1934.

“When I was younger, I used to go to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and try to fit my foot in the prints in the cement there. And I’d say “Oh, oh, my foots too big. I guess that’s out.” I did have a funny feeling later when I finally put my foot down into that wet cement, I sure knew what it really meant to me, anything’s possible, almost.”

62. The famous gold lamé dress worn in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and designed by William Travilla, was deemed too risqué by the censors. Unfortunately for fans, this meant that the musical number, “Down Boy” was cut from the film and we only glimpse a few seconds of the dress from behind, on screen.

63. Due to the censors, the original, “Diamond’s Are A Girl’s Best Friend” costume was changed to the now iconic pink dress with black bow. Originally it was to be a diamond encrusted two piece, which was extremely daring for the then Motion Picture Hays Code.

64. Loved Erno Lazlo Skin Cream, Vaseline and Nivea Moisturizer.

65. Had she completed Something’s Got To Give (1962), Marilyn would have been the first Star in a major Motion Picture to appear nude on film. As she passed before it was completed the achievement went to fellow Blonde Bombshell, Jayne Mansfield in, Promises! Promises (1963).

66. Met Queen Elizabeth II in England at the Empire Theater in Leicester Square whilst attending the Premiere of, “The Battle Of The River Plate“ on October 29th 1956.

67. The Misfits (1961) was both Marilyn and Clark Gable’s last completed films. Clark died 12 days after filming finished, on November 16th 1960. The film was released on Clark’s would be 60th Birthday, February 1st 1961 and Marilyn passed 18 months later.

68. As Marilyn died before the completion of Something’s Got To Give (1962) it ended up being remade with Doris Day and James Garner, entitled, Move Over Darling! (1963). The film was originally intended to be a remake of, My Favourite Wife (1940) which starred Cary Grant.

69. Signed a recording contract with RCA Records on September 1st 1953. One of her songs from River of No Return (1954) entitled, “File My Claim” sold 75,000 copies in its first three weeks of release.

70. Was admitted to the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic on February 10th 1961 by her then Psychiatrist, Marianne Kris. Originally thought to be for rest and rehabilitation, following her divorce from Arthur Miller and the strain of filming The Misfits. However, Marilyn was placed on the security ring and held against her will. Thankfully, she was able to contact ex Husband, Joe Dimaggio, who stated he would, “Take the hospital apart brick by brick” if she was not released and after three days of emotional trauma, she left.

71. Visited the following Countries;

– Canada – (July – August 1953) – Japan (February 1954) – Korea (Feburary 1954) – England (July – November 1956) – Jamaica (January 1957) – Mexico (February 1962)

72. Purchased her only home, 12305 Fifth Helena Drive on February 8th 1962, where she would tragically pass just under 6 months later.

73. The home had the following tile located on the front paving entrance saying, “cursum perficio” meaning, “my journey ends here.” The title is still there to this day.

74. Her final interview was published in LIFE Magazine on August 3rd 1962 and was written by Richard Meryman.

75. Aside from her millions of fans, had a staunch group of supporters affectionately known as, “The Monroe Six” who followed Marilyn around New York during her time there. Their nickname for Marilyn was, “Mazzie” and they became so acquainted that Marilyn actually once invited them for a picnic at her home.

76. First married at just sixteen years old, this was to avoid returning to the Orphanage she had spent almost two years in as a child.

77. Supported numerous charity events, most famously riding a pink elephant in Madison Square Garden, to support the Arthritis and Rheumatic Affections Association on March 30th 1955.

78. Left 25% of her Estate to her then Psychiatrist, Marianne Kris and 75% to mentor and friend, Lee Strasberg. For reference, her Will was last updated on January 1961 – a month before she entered the Payne Whitney Hospital on the advice of Marianne Kris.

79. At the time of it’s release, The Misfits (1961) turned out to be the most expensive black and white movie ever made, costing a budget of $4 million dollars.

80. The Premiere of The Seven Year Itch was held on her 29th Birthday, on June 1st 1955, she attended with ex Husband, Joe Dimaggio.

81. Laid to rest at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery on August 8th 1962 at 1:00 PM, with friend and mentor Lee Strasberg delivering the Eulogy. 

82. Although so often associated with diamonds, actually wasn’t that fond of jewellery stating, “People always ask me if I believe diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Frankly, I don’t.” 

83. Spent her 36th Birthday filming Something’s Got To Give (1962) and then attending a Charity Event for muscular dystrophy at the Chavez Ravin Dodger Stadium, which also happened to be her last public appearance.

84. Whilst recovering in hospital from an appendectomy in April 1952, Marilyn asked long time Makeup Artist and friend, Allan “Whitey” Snyder to do her makeup, should she pass before him. She gave him a gold money clip with the inscription, “Whitey Dear, while I’m still warm, Marilyn” and he did fulfill this promise to her.

85. Converted to Judaism for third husband, Arthur Miller on July 1st 1956.

86. Despite appearing in 30 films, she only actually dies in one, that being her breakout movie, Niagara (1953) where her character Rose Loomis, is strangled by her Husband George, played by Joseph Cotten.

87. Moved to New York City in 1955 and attended The Actors Studio, after breaking her Film Contract with 20th Century Fox. This was for a number of reasons, mainly years of low pay, unsatisfactory scripts and lack of creative control. A new contract would finally be reinstated on December 31st.

88. Repurchased a white Baby Grand Piano that her mother, Gladys, owned during their time living together in 1933. After Marilyn passed it would then be sold at the Christies Auction of her Estate in 1999 to none other than, Mariah Carey for $632,500.

89. Wore long hair pieces in River of No Return (1954) and a medium length wig in The Misfits (1961). The first I can only assume was due to the time period and setting of a Western and the second was due to the bleach damage her hair had suffered. After the filming in 1960, she wore the wig a couple of times in public events and then reverted back to her normal hair.

90. Like all students, it was tradition to perform in front of each other in The Actors Studio and on February 17th 1955, Marilyn acted out a scene from “Anna Christie” with Maureen Stapleton. Although it was an unwritten rule that students were not meant to applaud one another, an eruption of cheers and clapping happened after Marilyn had finished.

“Everybody who saw that says that it was not only the best work Marilyn ever did, it was some of the best work ever seen at Studio, and certainly the best interpretation of Anna Christie anybody ever saw. She achieved real greatness in that scene.”

– Actor Ellen Burstyn, on recalling Marilyn’s performance.

91. Used the pseudonym, “Zelda Zonk“, when trying to remain incognito.

92. Marilyn’s mother, Gladys Baker, suffered from Paranoid Schizophrenia and after various stays in institutions, was declared insane on January 15th 1935, when Marilyn was just 8 years old. After 10 years she was released and managed to retain various cleaning jobs and had developed an intense interest in Christian Science. However, by 1951 she was back in various institutions and would stay in the Rockhaven Sanitarium until 1967. Even after death, Marilyn continued to cover her mother’s care payments and Gladys would go on to outlive her for 22 years.

93. Favourite photograph of herself was taken by Cecil Beaton on February 22nd 1956.

94. Last professional photos were taken by Bert Stern, famously known as “The Last Sitting” for Vogue Magazine on June 23rd, July 10th and 12th 1962. Allan Grant took the LIFE Magazine interview pictures in her home, on July 4th and 9th 1962. Whilst George Barris took his photos for Cosmopolitan Magazine, the previous weekend on the 29th and 30th of June, until July 1st 1962. ______________________________________________________________________________

To those of you who took the time to read through all 3000+ words, thank you! It truly means more to me than you know and I really hope it’s shed some light on the truly special person Marilyn was and made you hold a good thought for her on her big day.

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Happy 94th Birthday Marilyn! Today is a very special day, it's Marilyn's Birthday! Can you believe that if she were still alive,  Marilyn would have been turning 94 years old today - just two months younger than the Queen herself!

[chuckbass-love]

Could you do a fic where Steve or Chris falls in love with an exotic dancer? ❤️

Hi, i hope i’ve done a good job with this. I’ve done it as Steve and i hope you love it

Dirty Dancer

GIF NOT MINE!!! Credit to whoever made this gif, if anyone knows who made it pls let me know so I can give credit. I genuinely just search gifs up on google and I never manage to find out where the original gif is from bc of so many people re posting gifs. I never wanna give credit to the wrong person! So if this gif is yours or if it’s someone you know then let me know and I’ll credit them. Thank you💗

Disclaimer: My work is not to be posted anywhere else other than MY Tumblr, Wattpad and Ao3 without my permission. However, reblogs are welcome.

Warning: Fluff, light smut, explicit language (sorta)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Dancer!Reader

Summary: It’s Steve’s first time at the strip club and your first week as a stripper...

You never thought it would come to this, stripping for money and yet here you are, your first week in your new job. It paid well and you need the money for school. You’ve always had a talent for dancing so why not put it to good use. 

You were already racking up some regulars that were quickly becoming obsessed with you and the way your body moved up and down the pole, you were informed by the other girls that having regulars come to you within just one week of being here was rare. You must really be good. 

It was the last night of your first week here and although at first you felt a sense of shame for doing this, it soon faded when you got the hang of things. Plus the money was insane. 

As soon as you get to the dressing room to change into your clothes your boss approaches you. Telling you that you’re working the private dance rooms tonight, which means you’ll have to do the rounds on the floor to see if anyone wants one. You didn’t hate this but you didn’t love it either. Money is money. 

“Someone’s looking sexy” a familiar voice calls out to you as you check yourself out in the mirror, you turn around to see your colleague Jessica in the doorway. 

“Well i mean, this is average but you... Dam” she giggles as she walks over to you to help you put your heels on. 

Once you’re ready you head out onto the club floor, it’s packed in here. Time to work your magic.

As you strut around, flashing a couple of winks to some of the randy men, you spot a group entering the club. 3 guys. All 3 of them are fine as hell but there’s a rule here. You have to let them get a drink and sit down first before you approach them, if they come to you first then it’s fine. 

“Sam, i don’t even know why you brought me here” the tall blonde one chuckles as he looks around the room whilst leaning on the bar, his eyes flicker over to you, meeting your gaze. You look away instantly and strut off. 

Steve had never been to a strip club before neither had Bucky and Sam was determined to teach the two of them a thing or two. They get their drinks and find a seat. Right by the stage. You spot them all joking around but your attention is mainly on the tall blonde, he’s your type. You don’t stand a chance though after all, you’re just a dancer and he’s a regular guy.

“Excuse me” a voice calls out, breaking you from your daydream to see if it was calling to you, he was. You approach the group of guys with a friendly smile.

“Do you do private dances?” you nod in response to his question and he nudges the blonde. 

“Sorry, i don’t mean to be rude, i’m Sam, this is Bucky and Steve. Steve here would love a private dance” his name is even cuter. Steve.

You grin as you hold your hand out for him to take it, Sam pushes him up and out of his seat, handing him some money. His hand grips onto yours and you lead him to the back room, locking the door to signal it being engaged. 

He takes his jacket off, taking a seat down onto the chair in a huff. You can’t help but notice that he seems off. 

“Is everything okay?” you ask nervously “I’m fine, honestly i am” you shrug it off as you remove your cover up, your low cleavage purple dress catches his eye.

You strut over to him, the music playing quietly in the background. Your back faces him as your hips start to grind in a circle, your ass brushing over his crotch, you feel him start to get hard. 

He rests his hands on your waist, stopping you mid dance. 

“Okay what’s up?” you stand up, sighing. “Nothing it’s just, do you mind if i ask you something?” you sit down next to him, motioning for him to go ahead.

“Why do you do this and doesn’t your boyfriend hate it?” you look down at your hands before bringing them back up to his blue eyes. 

“I don’t have a boyfriend and i dunno, i love to dance and i need the money for school” you shrug and he rests a hand over yours.

“Shall i continue now or not?” you really liked him, he was attractive and very obviously not the douche bag type. You respected that about him. He nods and you go back to your previous position before turning around to straddle his lap.

You take his hands and rest them onto your ass whilst you continue to grind your crotch on his, teasing him further. 

Minutes later, the time is up. He grabs his jacket from the table and you place your cover up over your shoulders. You both exit and he returns to his table with his boys. They lean in closer to ask him if it was good and he grins at them. 

The rest of the night consists of private dances to all the major dick heads in the club, some try to get a little too handsy, leading you to snap at them. You have to make sure they know their place. 

It’s now 2am and your shift is over, you head back to the locker room, changing out of your stripping attire and back into your high waisted denim shorts and jumper. 

You slip on your converse and collect your money on your way out. As you walk out onto the streets, the cold hair hits you like wave. It feels good, you flick your hair out of your face and start to walk to find a cab. 

“Hello again” you jump out your skin, turning around to see him. Steve. He’s leant against the wall outside the club, his mates are nowhere to be seen.

“Hi, your mates left you?” he looks around as he walks closer. “Sure does seem that way, they left with some girls” you continue to walk and talk with him.

“So is this what you normally look like when you’re not stripping” you can hear his nerves in his voice.

“Pretty much, not exactly sexy bu-” 

“Oh i beg to differ” you freeze in your spot

“If you’re looking for a hookup, i don’t do that okay? i just want to go home” you don’t mean for it to come out as snappy as it does but you can see he’s not at all fazed by your random outburst.

“I’m not after a hookup, just company i guess. I don’t really wanna be alone again tonight and besides i like you” he what?

You can’t believe your ears, he likes you. But why? You’re a stripper, you just snapped at him and you’re probably not even his type.

“Yeah right. You don’t even know me” you laugh, continuing to walk with him

“No seriously, like i know we only met tonight but i think you’re great” you both come to a halt as you stand near a cab. 

“Look, come back to my place? no funny business or whatever you want. I just want to get to know you better” it’s too tempting to pass up. You reluctantly agree, getting into the cab with him.

You soon arrive at his place, it’s a nice but small apartment and it suits him, very chilled decor. A double bed in the room with Egyptian cotton sheets. You sit down on the edge of the bed, removing your shoes. 

“So, how did-” you cut him off

“No no, if you want to get to know me more, at least let me ask stuff too” he holds his hands up in surrender, signalling for you to go ahead. 

“So, Steve. What do you do?” he tenses up a little at the question

“I can’t really answer that” but why not? “Okay then, what’s your last name?” he smirks “Rogers”

“Steve Rogers, i recognise that name. Wait, aren’t you Captain America?” everyone went on a hype a year ago, The Avengers was all anyone spoke about. 

“Indeed” he joins you on the edge of the bed 

“So i gave Captain America a lap dance earlier. Wow. Guess i can tick that off the old bucket list” you both break into laughter at your joke.

“How old are you?” 

“I’m 21″ he seems shocked. 

“I’d have guessed 25 but not because you look old. You don’t look ol-” 

You can’t hold it any longer, he looks so good. You press your lips to his in a sudden kiss.

Once you pull away he sits there in a state of shock.

“You really don’t know a thing about women do you Rogers?” your little giggle comes out and he shakes his head in admission to your question. He seems so innocent. It’s obvious that he’s a virgin. 

His body language screams it. 

“I’m exhausted” you stand up from the bed “maybe i should go home, i know-”

“Stay, there’s enough room for the two of us in my bed and it’s a little late to be travelling home alone” he wasn’t wrong. He stands up too, taking a white shirt from his drawer, throwing it over to you. 

“Wear this” you smile, walking into the bathroom to change and get ready for bed. You walk out to find him, in nothing but his boxers. He’s ripped, his body looks like it was sculpted by gods. You quickly look away and shuffle past him nervously, making your way to the bed. 

He finishes up in the bathroom then steps out of his room to lock up.

You both get into bed and adjust the pillows to how you like them.

You lay there, facing each other talking for a while until you feel yourself getting sleepier.

--------------

The sunlight flashes through the blinds, instantly waking you up. You rub your eyes as you look at Steve next to you. He looks so peaceful. You quietly get out of bed and head into the living room to find your bag, you check your phone to see it’s 7:00am. You should probably go, you collect your things and shove your shorts on with his shirt too. It’s too comfortable to take off and you figure he won’t miss it. 

You unlock the door and make your way out, hailing a cab to get you back home.

Steve reaches his hand to the other side of the bed, only to discover that you’re not there. He sits up, looking around the room. 

He searches around the small apartment, you’re nowhere to be seen. 

Great, you walked out. 

--------------------

You arrive at work again, it’s your third week here now. You were really getting good with your moves and the money is flooding in. 

It’s only a short one tonight, a dance on the stage and a couple of private dances. As you take your money from your stage slot and walk into the locker room, Jessica is waiting for you. You shove the money into your bag.

“There’s some dude out there asking for you” you turn to face her “wait what?” 

“Yeah, tall blonde, very hot” It’s him again.

He’s made a couple of visits to the club since you walked out on him that morning, before he woke up. 

Each time he comes in, he asks for you. You’ve gotten to know him a bit and you’re starting to like him but the thought of him settling for you when he could have a woman who was more together was horrible. You didn’t feel good enough for his attention.

“You again” you call out and his face lights up.

“Me again. Look can we talk?” you roll your eyes and lead him to the private dance room.

“You can’t keep coming here just to talk Steve. I gave you my number for that” he pulls you close to him, taking you by surprise. 

“Let me take you out on a date” your eyes widen at his offer. 

“Please” you wrap your arms around his neck loosely and his hands fall to your waist. 

“Fine, you can take me out” he smiles down at you and you walk away from him. 

“How about tomorrow?” you agree, winking at him before exiting.

----------------

It was time for your date with Steve, you decide on wearing a little black dress with some matching black heels. You strut up to him as he’s leaning on his motorcycle, greeting him with a hug, he presses a kiss to your cheek as he hands you the spare helmet. You get onto the bike, making sure to grip onto him real tight during the ride to the location.

The bike comes to a halt and he parks up at the side of the road. You look around, taking your helmet off to discover that you’re outside of a restaurant. Italian to be exact. He rests his hand on the small of your back and you both walk in. He’s wearing black pants, a white shirt and a jacket, smart-casual dress sense. Not too formal.

Once the waiter seats the two of you, you speak up.

“How come you wanted to take me out?” you rest your head in your hands, giving full eye contact. 

“You’re attractive and funny and like i’ve stated plenty of times i just want to know more” he sure knows the lines.

“I like you but why do i get the impression that you struggle to believe that? That someone could actually want you” 

“Because i’m not the girl worthy of being treated like this”

“Why not? Because you work at that club? You said yourself, it’s for school”

“You deserve a lot better than a girl like me okay” he shakes his head as your drinks arrive. You take one sip and look around. This place is fancy. Too fancy for you. You stand up from the table.

“I gotta go, this was a mistake” you storm out, he follows closely behind.

“Y/N WAIT” he runs over to you, you stay still as he stands in your way.

“Steve, i think you have the wrong girl here. I’m not your ty-” he crashes his lips to yours.

His tongue swipes across your bottom lip and you moan slightly making way for his tongue to enter your mouth.

“Stop with the ‘i’m not good enough’ routine. I’m a grown ass man and i can decide who i want to date”

You feel the tears brimming. You’ve never really felt worthy of love and now a guy who is quite literally perfect is telling you he wants to date you.

“I see this going somewhere but it can only go somewhere if you let it. If you truly don’t want to then i’ll leave you alone, i’ll stop bugging you but if you want to give it a shot then i’ll be thrilled” 

You look up at him, his blue eyes meeting yours, making you melt. He’s so attractive and sweet.

A silence falls upon the two of you whilst he awaits your decision.

----------------------------

That was a couple months back. You still work at the club to help with school fees and supplies but you don’t work as often.

“Steve stop” you squeal as your boyfriend tickles you, leaving you with no option but to squeal and writhe around. 

“Okay okay” he holds his hands up in surrender.

“How about this instead. Do you like this more huh?” he leans down, taking your sweet spot into his mouth, sucking and biting at it. 

You let out a breathy moan, letting his hands roam your body.

“Those men might get a small part of you, but i get all of you” he peppers kisses down to your sex until his face is inches away from your clit. His mouth attacks you, sucking and licking your folds. 

“As sweet as ever” 

“Please Steve, just fuck me already” you whine and he chuckles, it vibrates on your clit.

“Of course my lady” he rests his tip at your entrance, soaking it in your arousal before pushing in slowly.

“Fuck, just like that” he flips you over so you’re straddling him.

“Ride me” he instructs, you do as you’re told. 

The slow movements on his length have him turning into a moaning shambles. You know he won’t last long with you doing him like this. But you don’t care.

“Make yourself cum baby” you pick up the speed, bouncing up and down rapidly, chasing your high and pushing for him to reach his. 

You’ve been teasing each other all day. You’d bend over on purpose in front of him, extracting a grunt from his mouth in the process. He’d adjust his size in his jeans in front of you, making sure you saw it every time. 

“Cum on my dick baby girl, come on” his words send you over into your high. Your pussy pulsates at the feeling whilst you milk him for everything. 

You feel him spill into you, filling you up just the way you like.

“I’ll never grow tired of that” his chest heaves 

“Me neither”

“I love you Y/N” you stare down at him, happy tears brim in your eyes at his words.

“What?” you know what he said but you just want to hear it again.

“I’ll admit, you had me wrapped around your finger the second we locked eyes for the first time. It’s clear you’d spent so many years doubting yourself and not believing anyone when they slipped you even the smallest of compliments but i meant every one i gave you and i mean it now when i say i love you”

“Steve, i love you too”