#rated:t

[atimeofyourlife]

Drenched in my pain again

Written for @steddiemicrofic

prompt: rest | rated:t | wc: 387 | cw: minor emetophobia | tags: Steve has chronic pain

Steve trying to push through an awful chronic pain flare-up, Eddie has to convince him to rest. Title from Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day.

Somehow, the migraines weren't the worst thing to come out of the hell Steve's body had been put through over the years of fighting the Upside Down. No, the worst thing was the pain. In his sides, his back, all of his joints, in the muscles and deep into the bones. Some days, he could ignore the pain, it staying at a low level that almost faded into the background. Most days, it was present, but at a manageable level. Over-the-counter painkillers, gentle stretching, and a swim in the heated pool being enough to ease the pain. And then there were the worst days. Less frequent, but always awful. Unable to move without wanting to scream in pain, any touch sending sharp, stabbing pains through his joints. Crying and throwing up with the pain when he inevitably pushed himself too far, beyond his body's limits.

Which is how he found himself on the floor behind the counter at Family Video, curling around the trash can. He'd felt how bad the pain was that morning, but knew he couldn't call out sick again. He'd taken too many sick days with migraines, and Keith was looking for any excuse to fire him. So he'd pushed through, picking Robin up on his way in. He tried to get on with the job, but everything made the pain worse, standing still, pacing, reshelving tapes, or perching on the stool behind the counter. There was no position that could ease the pain. Then Robin caught his arm as she reached past him, causing the pain to spike even further. Steve let out a strangled cry, dropping to his knees. Tears spilling over as he reached blindly for the trash can as his stomach rebelled.

Sometime later, Steve unable to say how long it had been, he became aware of someone's presence next to him.

"Stevie?" Eddie said softly.

"Eds, why're you here?" Steve mumbled.

"Robin called me, said you needed to go home and she didn't think you could drive. Is it a migraine?"

Steve shook his head.

"What hurts? Is it a bad pain day?"

"Everything hurts." Steve whimpered.

"Let's get you home to rest, okay?"

"But-"

"Baby, it's okay to rest when you're in pain. You don't want to make it worse."

"Okay." Steve agreed, desperate to stop the pain.

honestly, steve is me in this, the inspiration came from me currently being in the worst chronic pain flare up of my entire life. (i would love to say im exaggerating, but i have had broken bones that hurt less than whatever the fuck is going on in my joints right now.)

[unironicallycringe]

they are gay

UPDATE: I fixed it, apologies, today is filled with a lot of pain meds. Anyways. I wrote the oneshot finally. Ghirabeck crackfic, written as seriously as possible to produce silly fluff, in...

The Real Treasure Was The Unlikely Romantic Bond We Developed Along The Way

Rated:T Word count: 2,024 Pairing: Ghirahim/Linebeck No content warnings

If there were an onlooker to observe, they might have thought that the Famed Adventurer Captain Linebeck had gone entirely mad.

The man was prowling through the old wreckage of a capsized ship run aground. The broken vessel bridged the rocky intertidal, its stern having lodged itself in a sandy berm where the shore blended from sea to land. He balanced across half-submerged masts and algae-slick rocks as the tide came in, speaking aloud as though having a full conversation with no one in sight.

The captain's presence lent a colorful splash to an otherwise dull shore. He was obviously a man of fame and wealth, and one who took great care to look the part. He wore his signature blue mariner's coat, its brass buckles gleaming under a recent shine job, while his bright red neckerchief adorned the space under his chin. Right above, a trimmed goatee and mustache gave him just the right dash of roguishly-handsome flair. The style was intentional, portraying a proper gentleman while still entrancing the imagination with hints of adventure. Of curious note, however, was the large sword strapped to his back. A man like Linebeck was more suited to a thin rapier, perhaps a scimitar at the very most; an obsidian, spiked greatsword was not his style, nor should he have even been capable of lifting it. The weapon's incongruity was more than a little noticeable.

"First Mate, a report please! Where did you say you got that treasure map from, exactly?" Linebeck asked aloud.

There was the slightest shimmering sound in response, quiet enough to make the captain seem as if he answered his own question moments later.

"The merchant from the shop ship? Ohh, I don't trust that, not one bit, you know!"

He paused, and in the silence came another breezy shimmer before he continued.

"It's not to be rude, I just don't think that he can verify the integrity of a ware like that. He doesn't have the treasure-hunting know-how, the hands-on experience, the keen-eyed passion! Not like us! I don't think he ever even leaves his ship. For all we know, he could have been sold a fake, and then we look like fools for buying it…"

There was a titter like the rustle of leaves. Linebeck rubbed at tired eyes with the heel of his palm.

"Oh, darling, won't you just come out and help me, then?"

In a flash of golden diamonds, another man suddenly appeared from inside the sword. This newcomer was gray-skinned and white-haired, and he was tall enough to tower over the captain. His garb was just as meticulously coordinated as the captain's. He wore a billowy, crimson blouse with ruffled cuffs, and a single, diamond-shaped earring dangled from his right ear. When he spoke, his voice was lilting and haughty.

"As you wish, Captain," this new entity chuckled. "Though, I had hoped a simple hunt like this would be no match for such a man of the sea as yourself…"

"Alright, alright, no need for that now, Ghirahim! Besides, I'm only having trouble searching because…well, because…" Linebeck quietly glanced around for an easy excuse. He frowned up at the sky through holes in the ruined ship's overturned hull. "Why, it's because the weather is just so dour! It's giving me a headache. Barometric pressure and all that, you know."

"Current barometric pressure shows no indication of a coming storm," Ghirahim remarked, casually cleaning his nails. "Nary a cloud in the sky, too."

Linebeck simply fell back on stubborn confidence, his pretense of choice.

"Right, well, I just know these things by instinct even before a storm blows in. You see, I'd been out sailing while you were stuck in your sword in that temple after all. I have fresher experience with these seas and her stormy temperaments."

"Oh. He just knows these things, he says," the sword spirit scoffed melodramatically. "I suppose that makes me mistaken then, and you don't need any of my other wisdom. I'll just have to pack my little rucksack and take my leave from this scavenger hunt then, for Captain Linebeck just knows these things far better than a sword spirit..."

"Now, now, I didn't mean it like that! No need to be like that!" the captain backtracked. Ghirahim's threat had no teeth whatsoever, and it was obvious he just wanted to be paid his fee of compliments. "Let's just forget about it and focus, darling? Why, I think you're quite wonderful at, uh…forecasting the weather! And countless other things! Really, you're perfect in so many ways."

That resulted in an approving hum from the playful demon. "Hmmm…fine, it's all water under the bridge. I just think you're funny when you put your foot in your mouth."

Ghirahim twirled his hair in a finger with a long, thoughtful look. Then, he turned on his heel, moving towards the upside-down cabin towards the stern.

"Why don't we check over here again?" he said abruptly.

"Certainly, I was just thinking that."

"Great minds think alike, then."

Linebeck eagerly trailed behind him. His eyes darted over the area with renewed vigor now that he had his exploring buddy fully present.

"Do you imagine it could've been buried in the sand during the wreck?" he suggested. "I was wondering, but I've no shovels on hand."

"Perhaps! Orrr… maybe it was stowed securely enough as to stay aboard while the wreck drifted," Ghirahim returned. He offered a knowing smirk before directing Linebeck to the ceiling - or rather, the ceiling that used to be the deck floor. The sand here sloped steeply upwards, bringing them within such easy reach of it that Ghirahim had to crouch to avoid bumping his head. "Did you know that pirates often use secret compartments to hide their stolen goods and jewels? Now that's a good start."

Linebeck's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Oh, yes, you're quite right!" he smacked a hand to his forehead and laughed a little, then proceeded to check each of the planks above their heads. "Of course! There could be a secret trapdoor on the floor of this very cabin! I'm sure I would have thought of that, had it not been for this dreadful headache…"

With his morale boosted, Linebeck analyzed the old floorboards attentively. He didn't notice Ghirahim wasn't actually looking very hard, instead only smugly observing. Eventually, the demon subtly shepherded them to a space where Linebeck pointed out a hidden, rusty lock that caught his eye.

"A-ha!! Ghirahim, look there! I think I've found something promising!" he sang.

"I'm looking! Good eye, Captain, well done."

"Let's hope the reward will be well worth the splinters…"

Linebeck produced a lockpick and fiddled with the old mechanism briefly. It clunked and scraped in protest before it yielded, allowing the trapdoor to fall open with a creaking groan. He stepped handily out of the way just as a large chest tumbled free from above. But instead of landing still like well-behaved loot, it bounced and rolled down the sandy slope in a bid for escape, headed towards the rising tide.

"Gah! An escape artist, eh?" Linebeck called, scrambling after it through loose sand. "Come back here, you slippery eel!"

Linebeck slid and sprang forward, catching the rogue chest just as it leapt from a rock towards the waves. Far from his earlier frustration, he laughed aloud in the triumph and fun of it all. The chest was surprisingly lightweight, but it didn't dampen the success. Regardless, treasure was treasure. He dragged it safely back to dry land and waved up to Ghirahim.

"Got it!" he cheered.

"A stunning display of dexterity, Captain," the demon yelled back. "Now what's inside?"

Linebeck's fingers searched for the chest's latch. With no lock in sight, he wrenched the lid open and peered inside…

…only to tilt his head in bewildered confusion.

"Huh? What's this?" he blurted. "Did some ruffian get to most of it first? There's just this paper hat and note left...oh, hold on, Ghirahim come look. There's some jewelry that looks exactly like your earring…"

Ghirahim appeared beside him suddenly in another shower of diamonds. The demon tapped his chin, trying very hard to look puzzled.

"How curious! 'Tis almost like … a matching piece to mine," he said innocently. "That's a paper crown, by the way."

Linebeck narrowed his eyes at Ghirahim in suspicion.

"Curious indeed," he said. A smile began to tug at the whiskered corners of his lips as understanding quickly dawned on him.

"Well? What other plunder is there? Does the note share any fanciful tales, Captain?"

Captain Linebeck did his best to fight off that growing smile and look serious.

"Ahem. Let's not get too hasty! We'll do this properly, shall we?" He began pulling each item out to appraise it, standard practice for the record-keeping of his hauls. Ghirahim summoned up quill and parchment to complete the scene.

"First Mate, if you'd please log Item #1 as Suspiciously Familiar Earring Which Certainly Wasn't Left By Anyone I Know." He hooked it into his left ear, opposite the one worn by the demon.

"Mhm, yes, counted and logged. What luck! Blue is definitely your color."

"Item #2: Paper Crown Belonging To A… " –Linebeck stifled a snicker as he read the cursive script across it– "...To A 'King Sexyman'. A historic find and a valuable artifact, I'd say."

"Logged with amendment: Well-Folded Paper Crown. Fine craftsmanship."

"Where did you even get this?"

"Who, me?" Ghirahim feigned ignorance poorly. "Why, I've never seen this treasure before, Captain, on my honor, cross my gem."

"You're not very good at lying…"

"That makes two of us. What's next?"

"Other than the note, there's more jewelry." Linebeck showed off a few other gifted trinkets one by one. Then, he came to two additional golden rings inlaid with sapphires. "You're giving me quite a few earrings, darling."

"Those aren't for ears. But worry about that later, handsome." Ghirahim shot him a wink. "Anyways, I'm simply dying to know what that note could possibly say, aren't you?"

Linebeck sighed, having already given up his play in favor of flushed cheeks and his persistent grin. He unfurled the parchment scroll to read aloud. Its writing was calligraphy of gaudy flourishes typical to a certain sword spirit.

"To My Dearest Captain Linebeck:

I hope you don't find the contents of this chest disappointing, for it was already empty when I got here. It seems our friend Beedle sold us a useless map. But fear not: I procured some other baubles to place inside for your enrichment and amusement! Besides, should you choose to look again, you may find that the real treasure was in front of you all along..."

Linebeck snorted. "Did you draw a winking face at the bottom here–?"

He turned to look at his companion, but the demon wasn't by his side anymore. So expectedly, he returned his attention to the emptied and open chest.

Ghirahim was now sat inside it, fluttering his eyelashes prettily with a hand under his chin.

Seemingly at a loss for words, the captain buried his reddened face in his hands.

"This is…wow…" His shoulders shook with muffled laughter. "Oh, how in the world did I end up finding someone who is so … well, so …"

"So clever? Beautiful? Creative? Excellent at designing surprise bonding activities? Please, take your time."

Bending forward, Linebeck merely captured the demon's lips with his own. His companion's mischief briefly melted into something softer, quieter. When he pulled away, he found that his had, too.

"...so perfect, actually," he finished. "Quite wonderful at many things, really, including surprise bonding activities."

Ghirahim grinned widely, but his voice was only a whisper. His fingers found Linebeck's to intertwine in.

"Speak for yourself. I dare say, you're the one with a new crown to boast of your perfection." He snapped the silly craft into existence and placed it atop Linebeck's wispy olive hair. That earned another shared snicker and the captain nuzzled his nose into the sword spirit's cheek.

"You know, in truth," Linebeck admitted. "I do believe you're my favorite treasure to have found."

[rec-a-fanfic]

Drowned Jack Has Got Your Back by kitewolf Fandom: Rise of the Guardians (2012) Rated:T, CW about suicide Complete: 6k words, 2 chapters Summary:

An urban legend grows over the years, a tale of Drowned Jack, Saint of Suicides and protector of children.

They're different from Jack Frost's believers, but Jack is just as devoted to them

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5865412

---

As it says on the tin, Jack tries to help.

-🪕

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5865412

[wigglebox]

cold

Rated: T | AO3 link | Words: 1,989 | Beta: @crab-full-of-rocks​ and destielzchild | Tags: Domestic Fluff, Cuddling & Snuggling, Sleepy Cuddles, Established Relationship, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Canon Compliant

written for @winchester-reload​ winter challenge. prompt: cold.

They hoped the furnace would last the winter. Their hope was misplaced.

—

Excerpt

As soon as Dean shifted the covers off of him, the blast of cold hit his skin like someone threw a bucket of ice water on him. He hissed as he sought out his slippers somewhere beneath the bed. Even the carpeted floor was cold. Glancing back down at the bed, he muttered an apology as he took one of the extra blankets they put on the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders. It did little to relieve the chill.

“S’cold,” Dean heard Cas mumble into his pillow, hiking the bedsheets around him more, leaving Dean’s spot in bed open to the cold air. It’d be freezing by the time he got back.

Trying to make quick work of it, Dean shuffled out of their bedroom, goosebumps coating him from head to toe.

In the hallway, Dean came to a stop at the thermostat. He didn’t even look at the temperature at the bottom as he tapped the screen, bumping the thing from 66 degrees to 70. It wouldn’t be for long, they’d be waking up in three or so hours anyway, but anything to take the chill away.

Dean hit “OK” and stood back, waiting for the cast iron radiators to rattle with life as hot water rushed into them.

But nothing came.

Read on AO3

[rokutouxei]

family-friendly

genshin impact | T | 1967 childe/lumine | established relationship [ao3]

Childe and Lumine remember their first kiss very, very differently.

-

“We’ll go in the summer,” Childe had promised, and she had honestly believed that with all her heart. Remembered her adventures in the Golden Heart Archipelago with Klee and Jean and imagined all golden shores and blue skies and wide, open oceans. She was ready for that.

She was not ready for the bulky winter wear. She was not ready for the temperature that was like large hydro and cryo slimes all over her body, freezing her until there’s not much left to be frozen again.

(This is where she starts to doubt Childe’s rose-colored glasses.)

It is… quite the experience, to visit his home in Snezhnaya. There was no way she was declining the offer now that she was bound for the nation, and not with Childe giving her free pass into the country despite all the atrocities she’s done to Fatui agents across Teyvat. The least she could do was visit their little home, right? Say hello to his parents, his brothers and sisters, maybe stay for dinner, and then go to her hotel…right?

Wrong.

At this point, she is well aware of how Childe can be. Sweet and romantic when something in him softens, when that part of him that is always craving battle dissipates once his vulnerability sinks in. It’s a side of him anyone rarely sees, one she’s so proud of having the privilege to see on occasion. What slipped her mind is that the wall Childe sets up for the rest of the people in his life—other diplomats, other Fatui, other adventurers, the people he comes to just to have a fistfight with—is a wall he didn’t need to keep up with his family.

They arrive sometime past noon, after a long boat ride and a short trek up a mountain slope. The sky is an enthralling shade of blue. Quite like his eyes. It was snowing lightly—“it feels like it’s always snowing in Snezhnaya,” Childe had told her once—but it wasn’t the dreary kind of snow, rather the one that was a little exciting to watch. Childe knocked at the door and opened it with a yell, which she assumed was a greeting.

She mentally prepared herself for it, but she hadn’t expected Teucer, Anton, and Tonia to greet her with “sister!!” just as she walked through the premises.

Just how much had he told them in his letters?

(How much of her that they knew was the Lumine of Childe’s imagination, one that she would have to keep up with?)

She never peeked at the letters whenever he was busy writing them, never bothered because she felt like it would be an invasion of privacy, but now that she was here under the familiar sea-blue gaze of his entire family… she wondered if even just one look would have been alright.

Getting the approval of the younger siblings was an easy task; all she had to do was give them a few of the souvenirs she and Childe had brought over from their travels and promise to sit down and tell them of her adventures for them to give her the thumbs-up. The less impressionable ones, however, were Childe’s older sisters and brothers, who were polite and homely but a lot curter, as if trying to gauge if she were a good match with their younger brother. If the way his eldest sister had gifted Lumine her own set of Snezhnayan clothing even before dinner is any sign, perhaps she had at least passed their preliminary test.

But family time is very important in Snezhnayan culture, and dinner—well, dinner was an entirely different affair altogether.

-

“You’ve known each other for a long time, Ajax has been writing letters about you since.”

Liyue and Osial and Rex Lapis seem so far away now. “It took us a while to get along,” Lumine admits, side-eyeing Childe, “but once we found our footing with each other, it was enjoyable company.”

Childe’s eldest brother laughs. “Ajax. Enjoyable company.”

“You must be one hell of a woman to persist like that,” his other brother jokes.

“Well, that just means he made a good impression on her right away,” a sister muses.

“He got me out of a tough spot,” Lumine answers, remembering Yujing Terrace and the Rite of Descension. “I owed him one for that.”

“Isn’t that sweet!” his mother coos. “Ajax has changed, to be so sweet from the start.”

“Sweet? It was more of Sexual tension and”—Lumine yells, trying to cover him up: “Hey?! There are kids!”—"aggression from the start.”

“Oh, honey, don’t mind him,” Childe’s mother says, chuckling softly. “His siblings are used to him being straightforward like that.”

“I’m not…” Lumine murmurs, slinking back into her seat, causing the entire table to roll with laughter.

Dinner lasts for what seems like hours, and Lumine sits there shyly poking at her food as questions get pelted at her and Chllde about their relationship. The question of marriage is inescapable too, and she and Childe share a glance at each other for the briefest of moments before answering “it’ll come when it’ll come.”

But while it is easy to shrug off the adults’ more serious questions like that, it is the children’s concerns that are harder to ignore. So when Teucer asks—“How did your first kiss go?”

—Childe instantly pipes up and goes: “Oh, let me tell this one, babe. We were at Liyue Harbor together—"

It only takes Childe a few sentences before Lumine screeches, “No no no no please stop!!”, covering his mouth with her hands.

The whole family just laughs.

-

It is only until after dinner, when Lumine is sure that most of her face had already melted off of her skull, when she gets to pull Childe aside while in their (shared!) bedroom and ask: “No, seriously, Ajax. How do you remember our first kiss?”

“Was my storytelling over at dinner not enough, my принцесса? Would you rather I give you a reenactment?”

She blushes fiercely at being called a princess, but she tries her best to ignore it. “What? No, all I’m asking is—”

Childe does not pay attention and holds her in position, pushing her backward until she’s sat on the bed and he’s standing in front of her, towering (and admittedly a little… delicious, now that he’s dressed down and fresh from the shower.) “We’d come from a fight—the best thing to do with you. Or second best thing,” Childe muses, but then shakes his head back into focus. He holds Lumine’s chin with his index finger and thumb and forces her to look up. “I beat you that time.”

She narrows her eyes, staring back at him defiantly. “Only because I was handicapped.”

“Sure, my love. Luck on my part.” Childe grins. “I was trying to get you to stop sulking.”

“‘Warriors must learn to take part in losses,’” Lumine quotes him, and he nods.

He comes closer to her, carefully switching so that his palm is cupping her cheek instead, wiping an imaginary tear or bruise on her cheek. “You were so strong, but I’d tired you out more than usual. You were slumped in your seat, so I went to try and get you to rest, and you closed your eyes and leaned your head on my hand—” Childe smiles, a genuine one, small and sweet it gets Lumine’s heart racing. “I couldn’t help it, you know? I didn’t know what to tell you—how to tell you, so when you opened your eyes, I decided—fuck, I’m going to kiss her right here.”

Childe leans forward and presses a kiss on her lips.

“And I thought, ‘she’s going to hate me after this,’ but you didn’t, and instead you put your hands on your shoulders and then my hair, and you kissed me back,” he sighs. “You should really be cute more often, my sweet. You were so needy. Like this, let me show you—”

And just as Childe is about to press his lips on hers again, she places the palm of her hand against his mouth and pushes him roughly away.

“That is not what happened.”

Lumine is sure and inconvincible.

“What?”

There’s a moment of silence between the both of them that seems to extend for miles.

Childe blinks, his mind finally settling back into place. “That is what happened. What do you mean? Did you forget how our first kiss went?”

“Did you forget how our first kiss went? That was not how it went.”

Irritation clouds Childe’s visage for a brief moment. “Okay, how did it go then?”

Lumine clears her throat. Childe gets off his knees and back to his feet, settling into position. Lumine takes his hand in hers to put it into place—

And squeezes her cheeks with it twice. Childe goes lax. Lumine holds it in place, just open enough so she can talk.

“You were teasing me. We did come from a fight, and I did lose. And you thought I was being a sore loser about it, but the only true part was that I was sore. And tired.” She squeezes her cheeks with his hand another time. “‘Aww, defeat getting in your head?”’ she says, mimicking his intonation. ‘Warriors must learn to take part in losses, you know?’”

Childe tries to pull away. “I did not—”

“You did,” she insists, holding him in place. “You wouldn’t even let me catch my breath. Do you remember what I did?” He shakes his head. “I bit you,” she answered for him, gently digging her teeth into the flesh between his thumb and index finger. “You yelped and pulled your hand back. Do you remember now?”

He blinks, the memory of it slowly coming back. “Oh no.”

Lumine snickers. “Yes, oh no, Ajax.” She takes him by the wrist and pulls him closer to her, back to his knees. “‘Feisty little girlie,’” she says, in his voice, mockingly. “I growled at you. You chuckled, you bastard. And then you pulled me by the chin and kissed me.”

She presses a kiss over his lips, shaking a little from holding back laughter.

And, with her mouth still on his, she continues—“And I bit you—”

She digs her teeth on his lower lip before pulling away.

“And that excited you because of course it did, and then we—”

“Made out on the mountainside overlooking Liyue Harbor. Holy shit,” Childe finishes, face pale. When he collapses onto the bed next to her, Lumine doesn’t even try to stop the full-blown laugh coming out of her.

“I can’t believe you made it into some sweet romantic memory!” she teases him. “That’s your taste, huh?”

“I swear, that is how I remember that moment!”

“Well you remember it wrong,” Lumine notes, grinning. “Since when have we been gentle kisses, Ajax? You said it yourself—it’s all sexual tension and aggression.”

“I can be romantic sometimes.”

“Sometimes. Not that time.”

When Childe sinks further down the mattress, she presses a kiss on her forehead and looks down at him with soft eyes. “But if that’s how you want to remember it, we can always make that how it goes.”

And when he smirks, for the briefest of moments she thinks she sees his eyes light up in a way she’s always wanted to see. “Really?”

“Really, you dummy,” is all she gets to say before Childe takes her lips with his, a slow, decadent kiss of gratitude. All sweet things, but Lumine knows better to believe that’s going to last any more than a minute, his hot breath already against her neck.

And she thinks, chuckling: maybe it’s better like this. At least they’ll have a version of their first kiss that’s the tiniest bit more family-friendly.

[memoirsofaseeker]

Of Endings and Beginnings series by SasuNarufan13

Pairing: Draco/Harry, but from Scorpius's POV

Rated: T for part 1-3, M for part 4

Words: every part is under 10k words

Tags: mpreg!harry, past draco/astoria, scorpius malfoy

Summary: Part 1 "Scorpius didn't want to upset either one of his parents after the divorce. One night, however, makes him rethink his decision to remain neutral towards the new partner of his father."

My notes: Parts 1-3 are from Scorpius's POV and part 4 is a prequel from Harry's POV. Short fics that tell a lovely story of a new family. I really liked seeing things from Scorpius's point of view, how he observed his father's behavior and his new relationship with Harry. I could've read more of these short stories.

[imagineringside]

ignore him.

rating: t warnings: body-shaming word count: 585

You get backstage after your match and immediately Nyla is in front of you. Her face is softer than normal. Reaching out, she pats you on the shoulder. “I’m so sorry about what he said about you. He’s old, stuck in his ways. It’s not true.”

You’re immediately confused. You tilt your head to the side and raise an eyebrow. “I’m sorry? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Who said what?”

Nyla pops her lips and sighs. “I didn’t know you didn’t know. Now I kind of feel like an ass. But JR said some things during your match about your size, talking about how you look a little bigger than some of the other girls.”

Your heart is in your throat. You feel like you’re going to cry at any moment. You quickly thank Nyla for telling you, because you are grateful to find out what people are saying about you. You rush past her and try to find a place alone where you can cry.

Nobody knows how much nerve it takes for you to get out there and show midriff, how often you look in the mirror and hate what you see. They don’t know how hard you’ve worked to earn your body and how long it’s taken you to get there. You sit on top of one of the black trunks that the production crew uses to store equipment. You bury your face in your hands and you cry, not caring who hears you at this point.

You don’t stop crying when you feel an arm come around your shoulders and smell a familiar scent of cologne. You don’t even stop when someone kisses your temple. You do finally look up though and see your boyfriend, Chuck Taylor and his friends Trent and Cassidy.

“We heard from Nyla what happened.” He says before you can ask. He leans in and kisses your temple again. “And I hope you know that nothing JR said was true. You’re perfect the way you are.”

You scoff, using the heel of your hand to wipe at your tears. You’re certain you look like a complete mess now. “You’re my boyfriend, you have to say it.”

“I’m not your boyfriend and I think you look fine. JR was wrong.” Trent pipes in.

You turn your glare to him. “You’re my boyfriend’s best friend, you have to be nice to me.”

“I really don’t. He just yells at me when I’m an asshole to you.”

You sigh. “It’s not fair. I’m sure he doesn’t say the same thing about Britt or Brandi. I don’t think I’m fat.”

“Because you’re not.” Chuck sighs, pulling you so you lean against him. “You’re absolutely perfect the way you are.”

“Do you want us to beat JR up?”

“We’re not beating anyone up.” Chuck sighs, shaking his head. “But the point remains, you’re perfect, [Y/N]. We can go talk to JR together and demand an apology because you deserve one.”

“We don’t have to do that.” You say, shaking your head.

“We do. You deserve an apology. It’s not his job to comment on your body, it’s his job to comment on your match. Which you did amazing, by the way. Right, Orange?”

You look over to see Cassidy give you a half-hearted thumbs up.

“See?” Chuck grins and you can’t help but feel yourself smile.

The comments still hurt, but you’re glad you have the best boyfriend (and the best friends) in the world to help you through it.

[festiveferret]

prompt: steve suddenly has bunny ears and a bushy bunny tail. tony really really wants to touch his tail (and maybe some other things too)

Thanks for the prompt anon! I couldn’t help but do this one for Easter. I got a bit cheeky with it; I hope you don’t mind :P

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

Some Bunny Like You

Tony shifted the basket higher up on his arm and tried to keep his pasted on smile from shifting into something R-rated. This is for the kids, he kept reminding himself. The kids. On Easter. With Captain Hopper, the Easter supersoldier. Or something.

When the hospital asked the Avengers to come help the kids with their annual Easter egg hunt, Tony had thought nothing of it. It was the kind of gig they did all the time, whenever they could, to use their celebrity to bring some light into dark corners. It always felt a bit odd - how was it that Tony somehow had the power to make some stranger smile that wide? But if he'd been blessed with celebrity status of the positive kind, he was going to use it to the best of his ability.

Steve, on the other hand, was hilariously awkward around the kids. He loved them and wanted to be there, making them laugh and clap their hands together, but he'd spent so little time around kids growing up, and was so constantly terrified of misusing his serum-powered strength, that he never seemed to know what to do when they hugged him or tugged on his sleeves.

But let it never be said that he didn't go into this sort of thing whole hog.

Or, uh, whole hare, as the case may be.

"One of your ears is flopping," Natasha said, righting the band on Steve's head.

"Thank you," he said, all seriousness, and Tony bit his tongue. Okay so maybe the whole playboy bunny thing had had a bit of a formative effect on Tony. Maybe there was something irresistibly sexy about a hot man with bunny ears and a tail. But Tony could restrain himself, especially since they were going to a kids' hospital. He could.

Steve bent over to pick up his basket, and the fluffy white tail pinned to the back of his pants drew Tony's eye.

He could.  

Steve straightened and shot Tony a smile, and Tony hastily started adding eggs to his basket, focusing on anything besides the way one of Steve's long white ears was starting to flop over in the middle again. The pink satin lining looked so soft; Tony wanted a handful of it.

"Ready?" Steve asked, suddenly beside Tony.

"Ready," Tony croaked. "Let's hop to it!"

Half the team laughed and half the team groaned. In the car, Tony carefully put Natasha and Bruce between himself and Bunny Steve, not trusting his hands not to wander. The hospital staff was over the moon to see them, hustling them to the play room where they'd set up the egg hunt. The kids that could leave their rooms were gathered together, some in wheelchairs, many with face masks on, a few on oxygen, but every face lit up with a smile when the Easter Avengers came in.

When they'd shaken every hand and handed out all the eggs in Clint's basket - and each kid had a chance to pick up Steve's shield (a lightweight mockup Tony had made for PR) - the gang split up and visited the kids who couldn't leave their rooms, handing out candy and toys and hugs, taking selfies, and making days.

At the end of it all, Tony was so tired, and so happy, he'd forgotten about Steve's tail - until they got back to the tower. But before he could get a handful, Steve slipped away with Natasha to take Easter pictures for their social media accounts, and Tony was pulled into cooking with Bruce.

At dinner, Steve had taken off the bunny costume, and Tony did his best to hide his disappointment. Eating all together, laughing and sharing jokes as a team, lit something warm deep in Tony's chest. This was family. This was happy.

Clint and Thor did the dishes while Bruce and Natasha argued over the TV remote. After packing up the leftovers, Tony looked around and realized Steve was missing. He said his goodnights then took the elevator up to the penthouse. The apartment was calm and quiet, but when he opened the bedroom door, a warm light was on, and Steve was sprawled across the bed. He put his book down and smiled at Tony. All he was wearing was a pair of dark blue boxers.

And the ears.

"Shit."

Steve chuckled. "I saw you looking."

"But I was being so subtle." Tony walked up to the edge of the bed and reached out to tweak one of the ears crooked. He could feel his cheeks heating. "You just look so damn cute like this."

Steve stretched out then rolled over, propping his chin on his pillow. Tony traced the long lines of his perfect back, down to where he'd stuck the tail to his boxers. He couldn't help reaching out and finally grabbing a handful of the white fluff, fingers grazing Steve's skin. Steve reached up and grabbed Tony's collar then tugged him down into a searing kiss. "Hoppy Easter,"' he whispered, grinning.

"Oh, you are going to pay for that one!"

[narusakufanfiction]

Fic Rec: there was an echo far and faint

there was an echo far and faint by st.concertina

Description: She’s got certain rules when it comes to Naruto - Or; After the war, Sakura grows up

Rated: T

Length: 5,067 words

Warnings: one-sided SasuSaku; WIP

[thestovetops]

Teen Rated Fics

Yup here you go!

lonely houses off the road by Etharei (T)

Barnes is now glaring at him for some reason. It’s somewhat terrifying but also, oddly, a little reassuring— because that’s emotion right there, which means there’s still somebody behind those eyes. Somebody who seems to think Sam is being a bit slow on the uptake. “Time parameters exceeded. Mission failed.”

 “Wait.” Sam narrows his eyes. “Is this some kind of… report? Debriefing?”

“Mission report,” confirms Barnes, looking pleased. Well, looking slightly less murderous than before.

In which various people deal with things they never signed up for, but at the end of the day no one’s particularly surprised.

Mistake on the Part of Nature by idiopathicsmile

Steve takes in Bucky’s betrayed look and Sam’s confusion, follows Sam’s gaze to the pile of mangled fruit in the trash can. Sudden comprehension fills his face.

“Oh,” he says. “Bucky found out about bananas.”

In which an American icon is mourned. But probably not the one you’re thinking of.

The Steven G. Rogers Guide to What You Missed the Last Few Years by what_alchemy (T)

Steve’s got the hang of this 21st century thing.

Five Times Bucky Got Permission by copperbadge (T)

People keep trying to tell Bucky something, and he’s getting very confused.

Consumer Affairs by galwednesday (T)

“Tom,” Sara, the Senior Marketing Associate, said levelly, “if you don’t let me promote our bedroom product line using the Winter Soldier’s tweet reviews, I will quit. I will quit today. I will leave you high and dry with a junior marketing associate and an intern, Tom. The intern just started last week. He doesn’t even know how to work the copier yet.”

The VP for Public Affairs rubbed his temples. “Sara.”

She slapped a piece of paper onto his desk. “I already wrote my letter of resignation. You know what it says? It says that I cannot possibly do my job if I’m deprived of the best free publicity opportunity that has ever crossed my desk, and that will ever cross it again, in the form of one James Buchanan Barnes and his Supersoldier Fuckability Index.”

(Bucky reviews IKEA beds. The marketing team responds.)

Bring It On Home To Me by mambo (T)

Steve’s students don’t believe him when he says he’s dating international rockstar and heartthrob Bucky Barnes, but he is, and has been since they were sixteen.

(A Captain America Reverse Big Bang 2017 collaboration between mambo and ellebeesknees.)

Bite Your Tongue  by Avaaricious (T)

AKA the “I work at a department store and if you take out and unfold a shirt and then leave it one more time I’m going to stuff it down your throat” AU

The Happily-Ever-After Business by mambo (T)

After planning perfect weddings for New York’s elite, wedding planner Steve Rogers is ready to find love for himself.

But he didn’t anticipate falling in love with the tattoo artist who works down the street.

This is how it starts by rinnya (T)

Steve Rogers and The Winter Soldier meet for the first time in 2014 during the canon divergence events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

It starts like this: this is how they fall in love.

have you ever thought just maybe by Desdemon (T)

“JARVIS,” Tony called thoughtfully.

“Yes, sir?”

“Those young people are in love,” he said.

(I wasn’t really sure how long or short you wanted the fics to be so I did a mix of both. I hope these work!)

[atimeofyourlife]

Whumptober day 4

rated:t | wc: 506 | prompt: Cattle Prod | Shock | “You in there?” |cw: minor emetophobia Steve has Hanahaki AU

Steve tried to keep quiet as he coughed over the toilet, bringing up mouthful after mouthful of bloodstained petals. He didn't want anyone else to hear or to know that he was struck by hanahaki. It had steadily been getting worse over a couple of weeks, and Steve knew he didn't have much longer before he would have to make the decision on the surgery. But he didn't know how to go about any of it without making anyone, especially Eddie, feel guilty.

A hacking cough forced it's way out of his chest accompanied by his first whole flower, a partially open black rose.

"Steve, are you in there?" He heard Robin call after a knock on the door. "You've been a while, everyone's getting worried."

"I'm fine, Rob-" He started but got cut off as he started coughing up even more petals.

"Please let me in. I need to know that you're okay?"

Steve leaned over to unlock the door, then had to throw himself back towards the toilet as the next round of petals made their appearance.

"Oh, Steve." Robin said as she took in what she could see.

"Lock it." Steve mumbled between coughs.

Robin did as asked before kneeling behind Steve to rub his back.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Robin asked after Steve's coughing had slowed down.

"Didn't want anyone to worry." Steve admitted.

"Steve, we love you. Of course we're going to worry about you. Some of those kids were practically climbing the walls once they realized how long you'd been gone. They all wanted to come and see if you were okay. I didn't think you'd want them to see you if you were unwell so I convinced them to let me check."

"Thanks." Steve replied, leaning against Robin's shoulder.

"Do you know who it is?" She asked, curiosity getting the better of her. "Is it Nancy? Because I know she's still kinda with Jonathan, but I'm sure-"

"No. It's not Nance. I. It's Eddie." Steve said quietly, knowing it wasn't just him admitting having hanahaki, but also him coming out to Robin.

"Oh. Have- have you thought about telling him?"

"No. I, uh. I asked him out a few weeks ago. He turned me down, said he only saw me as a friend. It started after that. I don't want him to feel guilty or like he has to try to love me or that he has to be the one who saves me. It's not his fault." Steve explained, hating how it made him feel unlovable.

"What are you going to do?"

"I think I'm going to have to get the surgery. When you knocked on the door, I coughed up my first whole flower. So I know it's getting worse."

"Do you-" Robin started, but was cut off by another knock on the door.

"Steve, you in there?" Eddie's voice came through.

"He's sick, can you get everyone home?" Robin replied as Steve lurched back over the toilet, violently coughing up even more petals and blood.

all my whumptober fills

[skyler10fic]

Not the Jealous Type: Ch. 2 UnConventional

By Skyler10

Summary: Rose and Tentoo meet the Vitex team.

Chapter 1 | Read on Ao3

The first night of the convention kicked off with a mixer at a local club. Rose and the Doctor decided to pop in for a bit, have a few drinks and feel out the atmosphere. As they recalled Captain Jack once saying, “A few drinks are worth a hundred interrogation rooms.”

Sadly, this was not that kind of investigation, as everyone was here to forget they were not, in fact, on vacation and were actually supposed to be working. The Doctor went to the bar to place their drink order as Rose sought out seats. All she found was a high table with two bar stools, but it would do. A couple in a nearby booth snogged with roaming hands so she was incredibly grateful for the visual shield when a fit bloke blocked her view of the overly affectionate man pulling the overly affectionate woman onto his lap.

“So I was just wondering, you a copper?” the fit bloke addressed Rose with a drunken slur.

“What?” Rose had gotten distracted, but her training kicked back into gear as adrenaline shot through her.

“Because, baby, you’ve got fine written all over you.” He winked and realized she wasn’t laughing. “You know, fine? Like a… never mind. Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I’m Perry.” He jerked his thumb in the direction of the PDA Pair (as Rose had begun calling them in her head) “That is Mindy and Troy. We work in the Leeds division. You?”

She ignored his ending question. “They are… really into each other.”

Perry laughed and nodded.

“Yeah, they act like they’re some sort of secret lovers or something.” He shook his head.

“Well, whatever makes ‘em happy,” Rose reasoned. She was just about to begin the casual questioning she had prepared for anyone she might strike up a conversation with, but he resumed his advances.

“Kinda uncomfortable for the rest of us though, at least when they act like that. You understand why I didn’t care to stick around.”

“Yeah, so you got no one to do that with then?” Rose was trying to find out enough information to put together a rough profile of the Leeds team for their investigation, but he took it as an invitation.

“No, actually. Just me. You here alone, too? You know, if you want, we can show Mindy and Troy how it’s really done. Nothing stopping us from a little fun. What happens at Vitex conventions stays here, right?” He winked again as he leaned closer over her.

“Ah. Sorry, I’m afraid my date might disagree with you on that one.” Rose leaned back away from him and lifted her left hand from her lap to the table to show him her ring. However, Perry was still watching Mindy and Troy so he didn’t seem to notice. Rose peeked around him to the Doctor who was still standing in line at the bar. He caught her gaze and raised an eyebrow to silently say “You ok?”

She just smiled and gave him a flirty wave that meant “Fine, but do hurry up.”

Before the Doctor could find a way to mime that he couldn’t do much to hurry when he wasn’t the one serving the drinks, Perry turned around to see the bespectacled skinny bloke she was waving at.

“Aw, you’re hookin’ up with him?” Perry asked, incredulous. “Really, that’s your pull for the night? The geek in a suit? You can do so much better than that. I know lab rats like him at first sight. Lemme guess, he’s been goin’ on about his Ph.D all evenin’ and says …”

“Perry!” Mindy exclaimed with a cackle as she came to stand by him. “How pissed are you? Do you have any idea who you’re trying to pull?”

Rose couldn’t hold back a small smile as Mindy died laughing at her friend, while with a lazy, drunk Troy wrapped his arm around her side.

“Actually, you’re not too far off with the Ph.D bit,” Rose revealed, cover about to be blown right off by Mindy anyway. “He’s called the Doctor and-”

“Oh bloody ‘ell! You’re Rose Tyler!” Perry finished for her. The poor lad was white as a sheet, recalling all of the things he had said to the CEO’s daughter. The CEO’s very engaged-to-be-married daughter.

As if summoned, the Doctor bounced over, somehow managing not to spill either of their drinks in the process. Rose noted that as normal as he seemed, he stood next to her instead of taking his seat across the table.

“Hallo, love! And who might these new friends be?”

Perry stood frozen, as if he wasn’t sure which was the better option: stay and pretend he wasn’t hitting on the company’s heiress in front of her genius fiancé or run for his life.

“I believe it’s Mindy and Troy, right?” Rose introduced, as it was clear Perry was having a hard time finding words. “I’m Rose Tyler.”

Mindy shook Rose’s outstretched hand and grinned. “Oh, I know. Loved that dress at the investors’ ball, by the way.”

“Oh, thanks. Were you at the ball? Did you see the Paris division at dinner?” Rose giggled.

“They were so indignant about the soup!” The Doctor provided for the glassy-eyed Troy and baffled Perry.

“And then when the dog-!” Rose snorted.

“Ah, now THAT was a Vitex gathering,” the Doctor finished.

“Yeah, no, I wasn’t there, but now I’m wishing I would have been,” Mindy laughed along with them. “Actually it was in the company magazine.”

Rose groaned.

“Oh, no worries,” Mindy rushed to assure her. “It was a great photo.”

“Of course it was!” The Doctor kissed Rose’s temple, then snuck an arm around her protectively as he shot a glare in Perry’s direction for good measure.

“Well, thank you. It was a lovely night,” Rose accepted the compliment gracefully. “Perry here was telling me you all are from the Leeds division?”

“Actually, I’m just gonna…” Perry nodded to the exit.

Mindy cleared her throat and suddenly the chain of command at the Leeds division became clear as Perry slunk back to the group.

“I’m so sorry,” he addressed Rose. “Truly had no idea. I swear!” He held up his hands and turned to the Doctor in trepidation.

“It’s alright,” Rose replied. “Just believe a girl when she says she’s taken, yeah?”

“And check her ring!” Mindy whacked Perry on the shoulder before bending to examining it herself. “It’s gorgeous! I’ve never seen one like it. What are the tiny swirly circles?”

“Oh, those?” the Doctor pretended nonchalance. “Just some ancient… runes.”

“That’s so romantic!” Mindy checked over her shoulder to see if Troy was paying attention, but he was watching the football game on telly above the bar. She sighed and returned her attention to Rose. “What do they mean?”

“One’s my name, one’s the Doctor’s.” Rose pointed to the sides of her ring as she explained. “Then this one’s like…” She scrunched up her nose, trying to explain it exactly the way he had translated it for her.

“Yours eternally, adoration undying,” the Doctor supplied with a poetic air. “Literally translated, that is.”

Rose grinned up at him.

“Forever, in other words.”  

“Forever,” he confirmed with a peck to her cheek.

Rose took her revenge on the overly affectionate couple and seized the opportunity to kiss him in public while he was so close.

“Oi, they’re worse than us,” Mindy teased, poking Troy into attention.

“Hey, Perry?” Troy spoke up. “That girl over there’s been staring at you all night. Isn’t that Tina from York?”

“Tina, that’s right!” Perry perked up. “Maybe I have a date tonight after all. Thanks, mate. G’night, Mindy. Doctor. Rose.” He turned to go but hesitated. “Are you… You aren’t gonna tell your dad about this, right?”

He was quickly turning a bright shade of pink as the impact of her response weighed on him.

“Well…” Rose debated whether it was worth a laugh at a family dinner. “Nah, I suppose not.”

“Thank you.” Perry exhaled and apologized again before sauntering over to safe and familiar territory.

“Perrywinkle!”

“Tinanator!”

Mindy shrugged as Rose and the Doctor blinked in surprise at the nicknames.

“It’s a thing we do when we come to these things,” she explained. “Like a big bonkers family reunion. Strictly business all day, then fun all night. Even the accountants have been known to bunny hop. We all go home to our separate lives but catch up once a year.”

“You know, it’s funny. I’ve never thought much about these events, how everyone has been here doing this for so long.” Rose contemplated, placing her elbow on the table and chin in her upturned palm.

“Well, you’ve been busy with other… aspects… of the family business,” the Doctor reasoned.

“Yeah, why haven’t you been to Vitex stuff outside London before, Rose? You’d obviously receive a friendly welcome anytime. Perhaps a little too friendly, even,” Mindy teased at Perry’s expense in his absence.

“Ah. Well, you know, the Doctor and I were traveling for a bit and then I was finishing my education,” Rose explained with their pre-planned story. Education was always their code word for the dimension cannon. “And like the Doctor said, I’m still just learning my way ‘round, I suppose.”

“We’re just glad you’re here now,” Troy added, surprising everyone that he was still listening. He turned to Mindy. “Wanna dance, babe? We’ve bothered Miss Tyler and the Doc long enough.”

“Oh, alright, if we have to dance to our favorite song,” Mindy feigned exasperation and grabbed her date’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you both.” She gave a little bow of her head to each of them and pulled Troy onto the dance floor. Soon they were gyrating and grinding with the best of them.

“Predictable,” Rose assessed as the Doctor moved around the table to take his seat.

“In what way?” the Doctor raised his glass to his lips and took a sip. “Nothing about that encounter was what I predicted for our night.”

“No, I meant them dancing all…” Rose gestured to the dirty dancing as she searched for a respectable word for their physicality.

“I never would have thought I’d see the day.”

“What?”

“Rose Tyler, a prude.”

“I’m not! You didn’t see them earlier. Look!”

“You don’t seem to have any problems with PDA when it comes to us.”

“That’s different.” Rose blushed. “We were apart for years and now we’re engaged and…”

“They’re married.” The Doctor took another casual drink of his beer.

“What? Perry said it was like a secret or something… Oh. No wait, he said they act like it’s a secret relationship. Not that it is. Anyway, they’re together here, obviously, but how do you know they’re married? They weren’t wearing rings. Didn’t even catch their last names.”

“I did my research,” he boasted. “Mindy is Imelda Donner, division supervisor, accompanied by former marketing executive Troy Donner, now leading the largest athletic advertising firm in the nation. Perriman Roberts, climbing the Vitex ladder since university days, is currently Mindy’s top sales director.”

“He certainly knows how to offer a deal,” Rose quipped.

“He wasn’t inappropriate, was he?” The Doctor let the sexy specs slide a little down his nose. She shook her head and took the glasses off his face.

“Not nearly as dirty as your lenses. How do you see out of these things?” She took the handkerchief from his suit’s breast pocket and rubbed away the smudges before carefully placing them back over his ears.

He beamed at her with some of that undying adoration he spoke of earlier when translating the Gallifreyan on her ring.

“What?” she finally asked, mirroring his infectious happiness simply because it was his.

“We are an old married couple.”

“And how do you reckon that, seeing as we’ve still got months of wedding planning to do?”

“What you did just then. That was so…”

“Domestic?”

“Wife-like,” he corrected.

“And that’s… good?” She guessed again, this time from the pride written all over him.

“Oh yes.”

“Dance with me?” She stood and took his hand.

“The way Troy dances with Mindy?” He looked over the sexy specs again, this time because he knew it turned her on.

“That’s up to you,” she retorted and tugged on his hand. “But I wouldn’t object.”

He hopped off his barstool and bounded to the dance floor. “C’mon then, we have moves to show off.”

As their luck would have it, the steamy beat of the Latin music faded into the distinctive sounds of the Macarena as soon as they hit the dance floor. Rose watched her part-alien as he tried to master the moves everyone else had known for decades. She hadn’t laughed that hard in a long while.   

[klaine-ficrecs]

Fic: The Light at the End

Title: The Light at the End [Read On: fanfiction.net]

Author: UniversalOverlordess

Rating: K          Pairing: Klaine

Summary:   Kurt Hummel knew that his medical condition was going to kill him - he'd accepted it. But a chance meeting with a boy named Blaine could give him the courage to keep fighting. Sometimes the best things in life come out of the worst situations. AU Klaine

Chapters: 1          Words: 45,180

Status: MultiChap

[Complete]

[wigglebox]

Winter Wonderland

Rated: T | AO3 link | Words: 1,528 | Beta: @crab-full-of-rocks​ | Tags: Domestic Fluff, Snowball Fight, Established Relationship, Post-Canon, Human Cas

Second fic for @winchester-reload​‘s winter writing challenge. 

 They got way more snow than they anticipated, and only one of them is excited about it.

Excerpt

That night, Dean laid on his side, but slept in bursts. The obvious thing would be to fully get off the couch and pull Cas along with him to their bed — but the thing would have been cold by that hour and Dean still felt warm and snug where he was.

Caught between a soft and softer place, he instead rode the wave of consciousness in and out, in and out as time passed. At some moment in the liminal hours, Dean glanced up to the tiny circular window near the top of the slightly vaulted ceiling of the room. It took him a moment to realize snow had started to accumulate on the small amount of space available right outside the window.

He blinked a few times, trying to focus his eyesight on the display but all his eyes wanted to do was close so he could slip back into a shallow sleep.

Dean thought he only blinked, but when he opened his eyes, the living room was cast in a silvery morning glow from the curtains and the little porthole window up top. The sun had barely risen but whatever light it provided was filtered through the snow that was still, surprisingly, falling.

Dean frowned as he looked back up at the small window, not able to see the flakes but seeing that the tiny snow drift on the window’s ledge had grown.

Read on AO3

[memoirsofaseeker]

Learnt in the Cradle by SasuNarufan13

Pairing: Draco/Harry, pre-slash

Rated: T

Words: 5 269

Tags: harry and draco as children, veela!draco, james & lily live

Summary: A wizard or witch can develop their creature inheritance at any given moment; having to be seventeen years old to get it is an old misconception. Draco certainly proves this.

Notes: A really cute fic. A story I didn't know I needed until I read this.

[imagineringside]

strawberry kisses.

rating: t warnings: suggested sex word count: 376 author’s note: i wasn’t quite sure if you wanted smut or not, so i left it open ended. if you did want something smutty, feel free to mention that when i reopen my asks and i’ll do it again, no problem! 

The room is dark, lit only by candles and the TV screen. Your favorite Spotify playlist is playing softly through the speakers. It’s calming – it’s perfect. You’re wearing the brand-new pajama set you just bought, the one with silky pink shorts and a matching tank top. The straps of the tank top keep sliding down your shoulders, revealing soft skin.

This night is perfect. It’s the first one in awhile where Shayna is available and it’s just the two of you. You had a nice room serviced meal and now the two of you are on the bed, a plate of chocolate covered strawberries between the two of you. You pluck one of the strawberries from the plate and sink your teeth into it. The strawberry is lush, sweet, and juicy and the hardened chocolate overtop is a perfect addition.

When you go to take another bite of the strawberry, juice runs down the corner of your mouth. Without a word, Shayna reaches out and wipes the juice from your face with her thumb. Your eyes meet and you’re well aware of where this night is going to go – you’ve been hoping for it for weeks.

That doesn’t mean you can’t have your fun first.

You finish the strawberry you started to eat before going for the next one. You take a bite from it, this one being just as perfect as the first, before you lean forward and offer the berry to Shayna. She doesn’t even hesitate as she leans forward and eats what’s left of the berry.

You repeat the process again. However, before you can offer the berry to Shayna, she leans over the plate and crashes her lips against yours. Her kiss is eager, her tongue quickly hunting for permission to deepen the kiss. You’re quick to grant it, leaning into the kiss just a bit more.

Shayna’s hand comes to your hip, sliding carefully under the waistband of your shorts. Her hands are soft against your skin as it creeps down to your thigh. She grabs your thigh and pulls it up around her waist.

She sighs into the kiss, your tongue brushing against hers. Shayna tastes like chocolate and strawberries. The combination sets your body on fire.

You need more.