#read 📚

[inairbinad]

maybe together we can get somewhere

Written for my lovely, talented, and frequent brainworm-sharing friend @stobinesque! Happy birthday, I hope you have the best day!! 🥳💙 This one is also affectionately known as stobin: codependent delivery drivers. Featuring the soulmates soulmating, some Rockie fluff, and just a dash of Steddie. rated: T | wc: 4k | cw: none [read on ao3]

Robin slaps the classified section in front of Steve as he’s making their morning coffee. It’s been another long night of tossing and turning, of holding each other through anxious dreams thanks to the latest round of shit they’ve been through. It’s exhausting, but they’re figuring it out together. Again. Because if all they can do is stay attached at the hip, share a bed, and tell each other everything’s okay as long as they have each other? Well, Robin’s more than willing to do that for Steve. And after two times around this ride already, Robin knows Steve’s more than willing to do that for her too.

So she uses the time not sleeping to scour the paper for job leads. It’s not like she’s dying to work again, but if she and Steve ever want to realize their plans of getting the hell out of Hawkins and moving to the city, they’re gonna need something. If they can’t sleep without each other, they certainly can’t be expected to work without each other. 

Luckily Robin thinks she’s finally stumbled upon something that could be great for both of them.

“I think I found our next excursion through the perils of capitalism,” she grins and takes her mug from Steve, who always knows just how to make her coffee. She’s actually pretty sure they could do each other’s morning routines in their sleep, by now. 

“Yippee,” Steve says with all the enthusiasm of someone on death row. He knows as well as Robin does that they need to find another job after the Family Video quite literally crumbled to dust, but neither of them is exactly eager to dive back into the hells of minimum wage labor. Not to mention that Robin’s more than a little worried that they’re cursed, and the total destruction of both of their previous workplaces might precede them.

“Come on, as long as we do it together it won’t be that bad,” Robin tries to persuade him before telling him what the actual job is.

“You said that about the last one!” Steve points out, looking so scandalized that Robin’s a little annoyed.

“Are you saying you don’t want to work together anymore?”

“No,” Steve course-corrects so quickly that Robin can’t help but laugh at him. “I whine about work about five-hundred percent more if you aren’t there with me, Robbie. You know that.”

“I’m familiar,” she chuckles, thinking back to every single time Keith scheduled Steve to work without her at the video store. And every time they’d come back to work together at Scoops after a few days apart, Steve would have countless tales of people-watching and bizarre customers to share, even before they considered each other certified soulmates.

“So what is it?” Steve asks.

“How would you like to be one of the newest faces of Surfer Boy Pizza?”

“I thought you couldn’t drive,” Keith narrows his eyes at Robin before going back to inspect her newly acquired driver’s license. She figured it was time to get one after the shit hit the fan for the second time in less than a year, so that’s exactly what she did…after a few tries, anyway.

Steve would argue that she still can’t drive, actually looks like the words are poised on the tip of his tongue before he thinks better of it.

Robin can’t exactly blame him, not after all he went through trying to teach her. She has to hold back a wince as she relives the time she popped one of his tires like a balloon just from rolling over a curb. But by some miracle—arguably her impeccable parallel parking skills, which might be the only thing she’s actually good at, go figure—Robin finally did manage to get her license.

So the way Keith is looking at it like it has to be a fake is a little bit insulting.

“It’s newly minted, I’ll admit,” Robin sighs and leans across the counter to try and level with him. How he managed to snag up a manager’s spot here so quickly baffles her, quite honestly, since they just opened. (The rumor is that the owners saw Argyle driving around in his van so frequently that they were inspired to open a franchise. Robin isn’t sure what that says about her potential new employers, but she’s trying not to think about it too hard.)

At least she knows how to talk Keith into things he doesn’t necessarily want to do by now.

“But I’m super careful and am an excellent parallel parker,” she continues. “You won’t find any scratches on your shiny new delivery vans when I’m working, or get calls from customers saying I left a dent in their bumper like the infamous kid that used to drive for that other pizza joint in town.”

“We don’t mention that place in here,” Keith grumbles, knowing full well that he is that infamous kid. It’s another reason Robin is shocked that someone hired him to work at a pizza place again, even if he isn’t driving this time around. Keith passes her license back over before glancing at Steve, who knows to stay quiet and let Robin handle things. He merely shrugs and gives Keith a look that imparts so much confidence in Robin that it makes her heart swell. “Fine, you’re both hired. Again. But—”

Robin cuts him off with a soft whoop, surprised at how excited she is to be able to make a mixtape and drive around town without a manager breathing down her neck for her entire shift. She doesn’t really care much about the handing pizzas off to people part, more so the independence. And then to come back to the store and gab with Steve about it while they wait for their next call.

It maybe doesn’t promise quite as much togetherness at work as they’re accustomed to, but Robin has a feeling they’ll find a way to work around that.

“But—” Keith says again with his supposedly stern face on and points at Robin specifically. “You’ll deliver by bike until I trust you with a van.”

Robin feels the way her shoulders slump like she’s sinking into quicksand. “It’s about to be summer, Keith—”

Steve kicks her ankle and clears his throat loudly before he sells her out like a Judas. “Deal.”

Robin stares daggers at the side of his head like the good old days when he was just the douchebag who left bagel crumbs everywhere he went. He doesn’t look at her, though, just shakes hands with Keith and seals her to her sweaty fate.

Robin doesn’t speak to Steve again until they pull up in front of her house. “I can’t believe you threw me under the proverbial bike like that, dingus.”

“Do you want to hear my plan, or do you want to go back and quit before you even get your little yellow visor?” he asks as he shuts off the Beemer.

“I’ll hear your plan,” Robin sighs, glad he seems to have one at all. “But I reserve the right to reject it out of hand. Visor be damned.”

Steve smiles and twists around in his seat to face her, like whatever he’s come up with excites him.

“Okay, so every time Keith sends you out on your bike, you ride around the corner and wait, then I’ll pick you up in the van. That way we can do all our deliveries together until Keith trusts you to drive on your own.” Steve crosses his arms and grins at her like he’s some kind of evil, work-avoidant genius.

Robin thinks he just might be.

“I guarantee we’ll still cover just as much ground if I push the speed limit, Hawkins is so small,” he continues. “Then we’ll both basically be getting paid to do one job, and Keith never has to know.”

“You’re a genius Steve, you know that?” she figures it can’t hurt to tell him. It breaks her heart a little to watch the shadow of disbelief that crosses his face to hear it.

“I don’t know about that…”

Robin claps a hand over his mouth before he can say anything self-deprecating. “Nope. Take the compliment. I only have one question.”

“Shoot, Bobbie,” Steve says. He’s probably trotting out one of Robin’s favorite nicknames to counteract the fact that his lips are moving against her palm as he talks, which he knows creeps her out. How she understands what he’s saying anyway is beyond her, but she does.

“What do we do on nights that I’m scheduled to work, but you’re not?” Robin asks as she drops her hand.

Steve shrugs and gives her such an easy smile, Robin thinks his knack for scheming is one of her favorite things about him.

“Help cover the gas, and I’ll drive you around anyway,” he says. “But you’re pretty good at convincing Keith to schedule us together already.”

Robin wonders if maybe this job will actually be kind of fun.

Robin’s pretty sure Keith catches on to their little routine after about a week of doing it. But she’s already plotted a route around Hawkins that maximizes the ground they can cover, and Steve’s had all the best places to speed memorized for years, so every customer ends up singing their praises to the point where Keith can’t really bring himself to do anything about it.

She thinks she might never have to drive a delivery van herself as long as they keep this up. That’s fine by Robin, because even if the pay is shit, it’s probably the most fun she’s ever had at work.

It beats slinging ice cream in a sailor outfit, anyway.

People actually seem happy to see Robin when she’s the one who rings the bell, delivering their dinner with a smile and a little bit of a clumsy lilt to her gait. It always gives her an extra dose of confidence when the particularly hot moms of Hawkins are thrilled to see her—whether it’s for closeted sapphic reasons or just gender solidarity, Robin can’t help but enjoy the attention and praises heaped upon her.

“Robin, you look almost as adorable in that uniform as you did in the sailor outfit. Yellow really is a good color on you,” Mrs. Wheeler says to her one night, and Robin nearly faints from it.  

Eventually she starts flirting a little—not with Nancy’s mom, but maybe with some of the others who didn’t birth her friends—just subtly enough to make getting out of the car to talk to the babes on their route worth it. Steve grumbles about letting Robin talk to all the pretty girls at first, but it’s good natured and really Robin can tell that he’s proud of her for being a little charmer.

He doesn’t mind flirting with the dudes instead, anyway. Especially not when Eddie starts ordering pizza way more frequently than is strictly necessary, even for someone still recovering from his first stint in the underworld.

“Why don’t you just ask him out?” Robin asks when Steve climbs back in the van with a goofy smile on his face for the fourth time in one week. Between the kids hanging out at Max’s and Eddie calling so often, they spend more time delivering to their new, unearthquaked end of the trailer park than anywhere else.

“Why don’t you just ask Vickie out?” Steve counters, just like he always does. Robin tries to flick some of her Coke at him (that she may or may not have snagged from the work fridge behind Keith’s back), but she fumbles the execution and ends up spilling the whole can on Steve’s shirt. Then Steve’s laughing, but also glaring at her as he whines about his work shirt being sticky now.

Robin tries to stifle her own laughter with apologies, chooses not to point out that Eddie’s laughing from his door, too. She strips her own Surfer Boy tee off, leaving just the white tank top she’s wearing underneath, and hands it to Steve to change into. They share clothes like it’s their lot in life anyway. Robin’s actually kind of convinced that one might’ve been Steve’s shirt to begin with.

“Thanks,” he grumbles and changes hastily. He finally notices Eddie’s still watching once he’s trying to fix his hair in the rearview mirror.

Robin revels in the way his neck flushes, just a teeny bit. Steve waves shyly, Eddie waves back, and she wonders how long they’ll continue to be dumbasses as Steve finally pulls away.

“Where to next?” he asks, and Robin checks her list.

Her groan tells Steve everything he needs to know.

“Vickie’s it is!” He sounds entirely too cheerful about it.

The drive from Eddie’s to Vickie’s is vanishingly short, especially with Steve and Robin’s System of Fast and Efficient Pizza Delivery, patent pending.

“Gimme my shirt back,” Robin implores as Steve pulls up to Vickie’s, feeling exposed all of a sudden in just her tank top. She anxiously looks towards the front door as she waits. The porch light’s on for them, because Vickie is always one of the more courteous customers they’ve got—and one of the best tippers.

“Oh so I’m supposed to sit here shirtless because you don’t want to show off your arms to a pretty girl?” Steve asks, and Robin whips her head around to realize he’s not planning on giving her shirt back at all.

“It’s company policy not to approach a door without your uniform!” Robin shrieks, not because she cares much about company policy, but because Steve should have her back on principle. “Plus, you enjoy being shirtless, you flirt!”

“I don’t think Vickie’s going to mistake you for a missionary,” Steve says blandly, ignoring the mild-slut shaming completely. “Plus, you’ve still got your visor on.”

“Steve,” Robin tries, but he just grins at her without moving a muscle.

“You look great. Go get ‘em, Tiger.”

“Oh god. You did not just say that,” Robin sighs, delaying further just to make fun of him a little. She thinks it’s deserved.

“I did, and I meant it,” Steve raises an eyebrow at her. “Unless you want me to drop this one?”

“No,” Robin tells him with all the annoyance she can muster. She might be awkward, flailing, and hopelessly pining over Vickie already, but she’s not gonna let any of that stop her from going up to that door. “Gimme the damn pizza.”

Steve reaches to get it out of the back and hands it over to Robin with a shit-eating grin. She really regrets not giving him more hell over Eddie back there, but she takes the box and squares her shoulders before making her way up Vickie’s front stairs.

Robin rings the bell and does her best not to fidget the entire time she’s waiting. Which isn’t very long at all. Vickie opens the door with a wide smile in greeting, looking almost angelic in the way the light behind her frames her fiery hair, her eyes bright and excited just because Robin’s there. 

Or maybe she’s just really hungry, a more cynical part of Robin’s brain corrects.

“Veggie pizza?” Robin asks, and Vickie nods.

“Thanks,” Vickie says, already moving to exchange pizza for money. “That was really fast.”

“Oh, well. Steve and I have a system. I kind of buried myself in maps for a night while I worked out the quickest routes around town, then we spent the next couple of days figuring out how to drive them quickly without hitting any pedestrians or breaking too many traffic laws,” Robin says without thinking. No matter how many times they talk, Robin doesn’t seem to be able to stop blurting things out around Vickie.

Vickie just laughs though, leaning a little around Robin so she can wave to Steve who is very obviously watching them from the car.

“That’s a whole lot of dedication to the job,” Vickie comments, and Robin can feel her ears turn pink.

“Sometimes I just plan stuff out when I can’t sleep, even if I never actually end up doing it,” Robin admits.

“Me too,” Vickie says with such soft knowing in her voice that Robin wants to wrap herself up in it like a blanket. For the first time she wonders if maybe Steve isn’t the only person who can calm her nerves enough to help her sleep. She doesn’t have much time to get caught up in the thought, though, because Vickie keeps talking.

“Is that your normal uniform?” she asks, and Robin hopes she’s not imagining the way Vickie’s gaze lingers over her bare shoulders, her chest, her neck. She feels exposed, still, her skin alight with any attention Vickie is willing to give, but it feels nice. So nice, actually, that Robin doesn’t remember how to respond for a moment. “Or did you just want to show off your tan?”

Vickie bites her lip and flushes ever so slightly, like maybe she hadn’t quite meant to say that part out loud. Robin can’t think of anything but how desperate she is to kiss her.

“I really don’t tan,” Robin admits. “Freckle, mostly. Sometimes burn if I’m not careful. Which I guess isn’t surprising, given the history of skin cancer in my family—” Robin hears herself and wants to die. She snaps her mouth shut before she can say anything else horrifying.

“Oh, I burn too! Even with all the sunscreen in the world, sometimes–” Vickie cuts herself off with a nervous laugh. “Well, the freckles look very good, anyway.”

“Thanks,” Robin murmurs, and she thinks maybe she’s blushing enough to look sunburnt now.

“Robin?” Vickie asks, still holding the pizza between them like she’s afraid if she moves the moment might break.

Or maybe that’s just what Robin’s scared of.

“Yeah?”

“Can you help me with something real quick, or are you super busy tonight?” Vickie asks. The hopeful way she tilts her head is so precious Robin might implode right there on the spot.

Robin doesn’t care how busy they are, there’s no way she’s not following Vickie inside. “I can help. What’s up?”

“It’s just that my VCR is jammed,” Vickie says, already leading Robin inside and talking over her shoulder. She puts the pizza down on the coffee table and nods toward the TV. Robin ambles over, not sure there’s anything she can do to fix it, but she’s willing to try.

“You worked at Family Video for a while, right?” Vickie asks. Robin nods and tries not to relive every time Vickie came in to rent something and Robin acted like a fool. “Thought maybe you’d have the magic touch with it.”

Robin doesn’t think she’s imagining the flirtatious way that Vickie says magic touch, so she pours all of her focus into the malfunctioning machine in front of her before she malfunctions and melts into a puddle on Vickie’s floor.

She feels Vickie’s eyes watching her as she works and thinks she might melt anyway.

It doesn’t take long to figure out the problem. After some fumbling, Robin manages to untangle some loose tape from inside the deck. She can’t help but think it looks haphazardly shoved in there. “Were you babysitting, or something?”

“No?” Vickie says, voice inexplicably laced with questionable guilt.

“Just seems like it got stuffed in there,” Robin says as she turns around with the tangle on display. “Like maybe a kid was playing with it.”

“Oh. Well. Weird.” Vickie’s biting her lip and looking at her feet all of a sudden. Robin can see the sheen of freshly applied gloss on Vickie’s lips. She wonders what it tastes like.

She also wonders if maybe Vickie put it on just for her.

“Vickie?” Robin’s voice is whisper quiet.

“Yeah?”

“Did you really need my help with the VCR?”

Vickie’s eyes snap to Robin’s face, worried, like she’s been caught out. But then Robin smiles at her, so gently she feels like it might break her own heart just to feel it on her face, and Vickie relaxes her shoulders.

“No,” she admits.

Robin doesn’t know where the courage comes from, what comes over her or how, but one minute she’s standing in Vickie’s living room thinking she might pass out from nerves, and the next she’s cupping Vickie’s cheek with all the casual smoothness Robin’s ever mustered in her life. Then Robin leans in to kiss her.

It’s heady, the power Robin feels just from being the one to move first. It’s like her body was made for this, for gently holding Vickie’s face and tasting the strawberry flavor of her lip gloss, feeling the soft pout of her lips slotting between Robin’s own like puzzle pieces fitting together.

But mostly Robin is soaring because Vickie is kissing her back, fiercely, like maybe this was actually what Vickie was hungry for instead of pizza in the first place.

Robin isn’t entirely sure what being a good kisser entails, at least not when you actually want the person you’re lip to lip with so badly you’re seeing stars. There’s no universe in which Robin thinks this can’t be good, though, because her whole body is tingling from the way Vickie presses up against it, the way she gently slips her hand into Robin’s hair and tilts Robin’s head just so.

Robin feels her visor come tumbling off her head, but she can hardly care when Vickie lets out a delicate moan that leaves her absolutely weak in the knees.

“Vickie,” Robin breathes out when they separate, already wanting to dive in for more. Vickie smiles against Robin’s mouth, kisses the corner of her lips again like she’s worried she missed a spot.

“Yes, Robin?” Vickie asks, suddenly sounding much more confident than she’d looked just a moment before—almost teasing.

“That was really good,” Robin says plainly.

“I agree,” Vickie hums. She pecks Robin on the lips one more time, gentle and quick about it. “And as much as I want to do it again, I think Steve’s waiting for you.”

It’s only then that Robin even hears the distinct sound of the van’s horn honking—two quick beeps to remind her that there’s still two more deliveries they need to make.

“Damn him,” Robin mutters, and Vickie just laughs. Her breath against Robin’s face is minty fresh, and Robin can’t really be expected to function when she knows Vickie planned this whole thing, can she?

“Call me later?” Vickie asks.

Robin nods, but not before kissing her again, deliveries be damned.

“Your lips are swollen,” Steve says first thing when she gets back in the car, dazed and floaty like she’s just taken the best drugs of her life. (This is something Robin actually has a point of reference for now, and she’s easily putting ‘Kisses From Vickie’ at the top of the list.)

“I kissed her,” Robin says, staring straight ahead. Steve squeals like a little girl and bounces in his seat.

“Finally!” he cheers, giving Robin’s shoulders an excited shake. “Are you comatose over there?”

“A little,” Robin admits, but she feels the smile break out on her face like an explosion of fireworks. She sucks in a deep breath and finally looks at Steve. He looks so happy for her she thinks her heart might burst all over again. “I kissed a girl.”

“Was it everything you imagined?” Steve asks, not bothering to hide the hopeless romantic that lives in his chest and pulls all of his heartstrings.

“And then some,” Robin says, hearing how dreamy she sounds and just rolling with it. Steve starts the van up again just as Vickie waves at them both from her front window. She blows Robin a kiss, and Robin thinks she’s died and gone to a heaven she’s not sure she believed in until now.

“Seems this job was worth it after all,” Steve admits.

Robin really can’t disagree.

[hollowslantern]

I need to pick discworld back up I miss rincewind he's like if a wizard was scared

[drowninginabactatank]

TFW you finish reading Harrow The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir:

[savage-flirtation]

I need one of these!!! 😍😍😍

[peppertoastuniverse]

pep reads: fluffiest fluff edition

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ I've just been CONSUMING so many jjk fanfics... here are the softest fluffiest fic recommendations since I think we all need it right now. This list is in no particular order – there's so many talented writers out there! These ones just made me MELT extra hard. Mostly no smut, I just needed to be held.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ

gojo satoru

☆ only you by Kaiseriin [A03: mini series] [status: unknown] [Cursed speech!reader] Other than Gojo, not many people understand the sign language you use to communicate as a cursed speech user. When some students from Kyoto arrive, one tries to learn so he can get closer to you.

☆ summer skies, winter lies by miyaspudding [A03: long fic!][status: ongoing]

"how cruel was fate? how much had he sinned in his past life, for the woman he loved to belong to his best friend? how little did god love him?"

in which gojo satoru learns that emotions are not weaknesses but consolations; and geto suguru realizes that he's always been a little too late for everything. because the furthest distance is an inch away, and the furthest thing from truth is "just friends".

☆best of luck. by reinerispretty [A03: one shot! part of a mini series] [status: unknown] In which Gojo Satoru shows up unannounced, twice.

☆Ah, you were both equally idiotic by Hiroka [A03: mini series] [status: unknown]

4 times others realized something was going on between Gojo and you, and 0 times you both realized it.

[Oneshots from the Old Beats Cinematic Universe]

☆ For A God, Shopping Is a New Adventure by Bun_sun [AO3] [status: on going!] [Baker!reader]

“Would you like anything else?” “Actually, yeah.” He flashes you a grin that only promises trouble, pushing his sunglasses down with a way too exaggerated flirty expression. “Can I get your number too?” “Haha, really funny Gojo. Now, I have more clients so...” But he's already getting his phone out, as if he hasn't listened to a single word you've said. “...Oh, you're for real.” ~ ~ ~ ~ Reader owns a small cafe with their own baked goods. Gojo comes in one day, and absolutely falls in love with their pastries (and with them).

☆ I Want to Kiss You / キスしたい by arminsumi [A03][status: unknown]

You and Satoru falling in love despite a language barrier.

You've come to visit Japan to meet these two boys you met online. Though Satoru can't speak English and you can't speak Japanese, the two of you still fall in love. There's seems to be romantic tension between you and Suguru, too.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ

geto suguru

it's so hard to find suguru fics without him being used as a plot device for gojo

☆ gentle glow / deep thought by waffiez [AO3: one shot] [status: completed] "I thought about you, you know." Despite the softness of his voice, it cut through the otherwise silent atmosphere profoundly and made your heart skip a beat. "Is that so?" "It is." ☆☆☆ in which you awake to your best friend suguru asleep at the edge of your bed, having returned from a lengthy mission and only really wanting to see you.

☆ unnamed drabble by @twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat [tumblr: drabble] [status: completed]

comfy fluff w sleepy needy sugu <33)

☆ Wash It Away by @shadowsandshapes [A03/tumblr: drabble][status: completed]

Sometimes you forget Geto is just a guy. But then he shows a sense of vulnerability that surprises you. After a particularly emotionally draining battle, you run him a warm bath and take care of his aches. ☆ Wisteria and Ciabatta by @hayakawalove [A03/tumblr: mini fic!][status: completed, chapter 2 has smut!]

Traveling merchant Suguru has led a relatively tame life thus far. Growing his flowers, baking his bread. One day, when he ventures out further than normal he comes across something more beautiful than all the flowers in the world. You. ☆ the paint doesn't move the way the light reflects by @twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat [tumblr: long oneshot!] [status: completed]

when the king puts you under the supervision of a dashing knight, you promise to make his job as difficult as possible. unfortunately, suguru geto is the patient sort.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ

bonus!

☆ Digest Your Feelings (DYF) – First Years! by @whalesforhands [A03/tumblr: part of a longer series of fics] [status: completed] new classmates, new life, new friends(?). a look into the life of the dyf au characters in their first year.

[jegulusofwesper]

“kaz and nina hate each other”

meanwhile kaz and nina

nina:

she cast a last desperate look into the darkness, praying for some sign of kaz. had someone got to him, too?

kaz:

kaz had considered trying to eavesdrop on matthias and brum in the ballroom, but he didn’t want to lose sight of nina when there were so many drüskelle around.

[tygerland]

Jenny Kroik Marcus Bookstore. 2022.

[vanalex]

[tranquil-ivy]

NSFW Under the Cut (Bubs is a nickname btw)

A/N: If you saw the first post of this, no you didn't.

Imagine Himbo!Chris as your manager

He's usually a strict manager, but he actually quite likes the newest hire Preppy! Reader. He even considers her a friend. Chris isn't the smartest guy around but what he lacks upstairs he makes up for in muscle. He's a massive guy, looks like a linebacker but hasn't touched a football since playing with his sister Claire in childhood. He's a little intimidating even if he doesn't mean to be.

You've been late to work twice this week because you slept late from studying too much the night before. Midterms are coming up and you're so stressed out everything feels like a thousand times harder to deal with. But, Chris has let you off the hook twice now and you know he's gonna say something today since it's your third time being late.

You walk through the front door, not seeing him in usually spot picking up the returns to put back in the system, maybe he's not in yet... Leon shoots you his usual dirty look behind the checkout but smirks afterwards. Watching you walk back towards the break room to clock in. Pushing the door open you see Chris leaning against the counter with his beefy arms crossed over his broad chest.

Fuck...

"You're late again," he starts gruffly, pressing off the lower cabinets to meet you at the time clock, "I called Leon to see if you were in yet and he told me you were late again."

Of course he would, fucking rat...

"I'm sorry, I overslept again... Midterms are-"

"A killer, I know. But if Leon and Ashley can both be on time, so can you." He takes in a deep breath, he must be actually upset with the lack of his usual kindness. It's kinda cute how much he's trying to fight back his irritation.

"Look, I like you, I really do. And I don't want to have to write you up... So you're staying late today. Putting away the new inventory with me after everyone else leaves." You open your lips to protest, raising his hand he stops you.

"Inventory or write up?" You sigh, biting the inside of your cheek as his brows knit together, looking down at you. You actually liked this side of Chris?

"Inventory..." You mumble as he nods with a slight smirk.

"That's my girl."

Oh.

His boss demeanor drops immediately, patting you on the middle of your lower back as he passes by, making a tingle fly up your spine.

"I'll be doing returns if you need me."

The day drags, 6pm rolling around eventually. Jill staying behind for a bit as she looks over at you from the front door.

"Inventory, all alone with the boss. Sounds like a recipe for disaster," she smirks, leaning closer to you as you roll your eyes, "he's pretty hot, I wouldn't blame you. An that's coming from a Lesbian... And his best friend."

"It's not like that, Jill. He's punishing me." Jill visibly bites her lip, her labret piercing touching her front teeth as she raises her eyebrows.

"You're really not good at deterring me, Bubs..." You groan, she chuckles pulling her coat on.

"It's not... He has a policy about..." You really have no idea what to say, why would she even put that idea in your head? It's not like Chris would show any interest in his employees. He hasn't before at least. Jill's his friend since childhood and gay. Ashley barely just turned 19. And Leon... Is Leon.

Why would you be any different?

"Bye Bubs, have fun with Chris, but not too much fun." She teased, pressing the door open as you wave goodbye. You walk over, locking the door and shutting the neon sign off. Grabbing your coffee from the checkout you down it, throwing it in the trash behind the counter before heading back to the storage room.

Reaching the storage room you step inside, finding Chris stacking smaller boxes of kids books on the dolly. He lifts his head, turning as he dusts his hands off. He smiles at you, sweetly like he usually does. His dopey smile making your stomach do a flip, thinking back to what Jill said.

"Hey," he gestures to the dolly before looking back at you again, "kid section needs to be restocked, thought it would too heavy for you."

That was sweet of him, not wanting you to strain yourself. But of course not, that be making him short a much needed employee. At least that's what you say to your brain to stop wandering.

"Thanks Boss." You give a fake salute before grabbing your dolly and heading out to the kids section. Pushing past the small colorful tables and animal chairs you pull out your box cutter from your skirt pocket and rip the box open. Starting to place books in the younger side of the shelves you hear the door to storage open. Out walking Chris carrying two huge boxes on his shoulders, not breaking a sweat or skin red in the slightest.

"God damn..." You catch yourself mumbling, you know Chris was jacked but Jesus Christ. Two huge boxes into the fantasy section? Those books were usually thicker than your college textbooks. How much does this guy lift?! You blink, eyes burning with the realization you were staring at him. He's none the wiser, back turned towards you as he reaches up pushing the books onto the top shelf.

You continue putting books away, finishing with the toddler stuff and throw the box to the side, starting on the next one. You glance back over at Chris as he tossed his first box to the side. Watching him kick the box over to the next shelf, twirl his box cutter before ripping the tape off and back to work.

You crane your neck over the shelf watching his shirt ride up on him. Seeing the waistband of his boxers over his sweatpants that somehow fit to his ass perfectly. Calvin Klein printed in white over the black band, you'll have to say a prayer later to him for the blessing of the sight you get to see. Chris turns to the side, stretching his arms above his head, shirt riding up again. Tilting your head your see the tips of his V-line, the trail of hair leading to his navel and the curves of his bottom abs. Sculpted to literal perfection...

He has to be doing this on purpose now, right? Cause honestly if it was he was getting your engine to purr with very little effort. Honestly, it's kind of embarrassing. Did what Jill said affect you that much?

Although, Chris is the type of guy to be hit on constantly and barely notice. Just thinking people are being nice to him.

His head quickly juts towards you, quickly looking away you make it look like you were working and not planning what you were going to rub one out to later...

"Need help?" His deep voice fills the space as you give a quick no, squeakier then you had intended it to be. He chuckles, going back to work as you try fighting the heat rising in your neck.

You almost just got caught ogling your boss. Thank God Chris isn't the most perceptive guy around when it came to social awareness or that might have ended with a pink slip. You quickly finish up the kids books as Chris finishes the fantasy section. He looks back to you as he collects the boxes and smiles.

"Head over to the adult section. I'll grab the boxes."

Adult section... Right, you completely forgot Chris had been talking about turning his old office into the adult section after he took a corner of the break room to work in. You nod, heading over quickly as he grabs the dolly and walks off. Walking inside you look at the tall shelves lining the walls and the few tables already lined with books. Looking down at the table you read off a few of the titles in your head, one catching your eye in particular.

How to please your man like a pornstar.

A blunt and to the point title. At least you know what you're getting before you open the cover.

"So this is the kinda crap you like to read?" Chris enters the room with a soft 'tsk. Pushing in the dolly with a few large boxes and the creaky old wooden step stool on top.

"No, just being nosy."

"Mmhm, nosy," he teases, pushing the cart to the shelves. "sure you aren't trying to pick something out for your boyfriend I'm not supposed to know about?"

"I don't have a boyfriend." Chris looks at you over his shoulder, giving you a look like he doesn't believe you.

"Girlfriend? Talking to anyone?" He questions, you shake your head. You both start tearing open boxes and putting away books on shelves. The silence taking over for a few minutes as you ponder his questions.

"You think people like me that much?" You smirk, looking back over at him as he laughs.

"Figured a girl like you would have at least someone sniffing around. I mean... You even get Leon to turn his head once in a while and he's as responsive as wet bread to women."

A girl like you. What exactly does that mean?

"Ew, no. He's the worst and the last person I want looking at me. Besides, that be against the rules." His face shifts, looking confused for a minute.

"Rules?" You scrunch your nose up.

"No dating coworkers?"

"Oh! Yeah, that. No, my Dad wrote those rules and I just haven't had the heart to change the employee handbook after him and Mom died. I'd have to run it by Claire and..." His voice trails off for a few seconds, you getting the jist of it. He turns back to putting books away quietly.

"Still a sore subject for her?"

"Yeah." You nod, understanding the meaning behind it.

"So, you don't care?"

"As long as you assholes don't beat the customers, wear what little uniform you have and show up on time I don't care. It's not my business. Just don't let it affect your job."

Good to know.

You two work in silence for a long while. Eventually Chris pops the step stool open. Moving to put the more "extreme" books on high shelves in case stupid kids wander in unattended. Don't want a child being scarred, that's a lawsuit waiting to happen.

"Bubs." You snap your attention to him holding the stool. He sets it down next to you.

"Yes, Sir?" He blinks with a smirk, huffing for a moment.

"Don't ever call me that again," you giggle with a nod, "you mind doing the top shelves? I have a feeling this stool would snap under me if I even breathed near it."

"So you want me to file the Workman Comp case?" You joke, Chris squinting his big brown eyes for a second.

"You'll be fine, I'll be here to spot you and hand you books."

You agree, reluctantly. Stepping up to the top rung Chris starts handing you the first set of books, staring at you intently. It felt a lot different than a mindful stare, almost like he was watching you purposefully. Shifting back and forth in place every few minutes. Bouncing his legs. You knew he got bored easily but you've never seen him this jittery.

Oddly enough it didn't take long for you both to get to the last shelf, checking your watch to see it's nearly 8pm by now. Rolling your neck you climb back up on the stool, stepping onto the top plank.

Looking down you gesture for a book, Chris shuffles, turning away quickly and grabbing some books from the box, handing them up to you. He turns away, still standing behind you, a tad bit closer than before. Pushing the last book onto the shelf you look back at him as he keeps moving around.

"Are you okay? You seem antsy." He looks back at you, tanned skin a dusty rose color, he looks like he's contemplating what to say. Grabbing the last set of books and hands them up to you before he speaks.

"I'm fine," he insists, "just hot in here."

He clears his throat, pulling at his v-neck near his rose tattoo on his neck. You turn back to the shelf, putting the books away, leaning for the last one. The book slips from your hand hitting the floor as the stool starts to tilt to the side and you try gripping the shelf to stop from falling. Arms wrap around you as the stool topples over, lifting you from the fall. Toned arms around your waist, big hands flat against your belly as his hand accidentally went under your button up and his head in the middle of your back.

"Jesus Christ Bubs. Gave me a damn heart attack." Slowly his arms lower you to the floor, weirdly hunching to put you down. You feel embarrassed, bending over to grab the book as he grabs the stool. Your head turns, eyes shifting as he stands up straight. Your eyes making contact with the massive imprint in his sweatpants. Your jaw drops, turning away immediately.

Oh, oh God he's hard... Did I do that!? Has he been like that the entire time??

You shift and try your hardest to reach to put the book of the shelf. Even standing on your top toes. Chris comes up behind you, putting a hand on your hip, taking the book from you and stands on his own toes to reach. Sliding the book into place with ease. You feel him brush your other hip with his own.

Couldn't he have just done that the entire time?

You give him an odd look as he steps back, folding the stool up, and holding it in front of himself. Oblivious to the fact you already saw his hard on.

"That should be everything..." He takes a few steps back, you nod, quickly stepping past him.

"I'm gonna go grab my purse and head out." You move to head towards the break room when he grabs your shoulder, stopping you.

"Let me walk you to your car, it's dark out. I don't want you putting yourself at risk. Just, let me use the bathroom first."

Damn him and his kind nature...

You nod, following him to the break room and grab your bag as he slips into the employee bathroom.

Walking out of the back you stop at the front door, turning the overhead lights out. The only lights on being the dimly lit sconces along the walls. You start thinking about... Knowing what's probably happening in that bathroom right now. Your thoughts start drifting to the thought of his hand down his pants, trying desperately to stay quiet and get himself get some relief before facing you again.

Then Jill's words drift into your mind again.

He's pretty hot, I wouldn't blame you.

She's not wrong... Chris is hot. And obviously he thinks you are too if you're the cause of his big problem. Should you even be thinking this way? He's your boss. It be unprofessional and possibly really awkward if anything happened... Well more than what already did.

"Ready?" You turn seeing Chris carrying his coat over his arm, walking through the store.

"Yeah." You both step out of the store, stopping to watch Chris lock up. He smiles at you as you start walking towards your car. Quickly, he steps around you, walking along the street side.

It's not odd for Chris to be this sweet but this feels like he's trying to impress you almost.

"Such a gentleman." You smirk, crossing under a streetlight. He smiles wide, bumping your arm with his.

"Maybe if you're good I'll lay my coat across a puddle and you can walk over it."

Is he flirting with me?

You scoff, shaking your head.

"If I'm good? I'm a model employee, thank you."

"Expect for being 20 minutes late three times this week... Be grateful I like having you around." You feel your cheeks heat up as you both stop at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change.

"Wow, you like having me around. What do you have a crush on me or something?" You joke, stepping off the sidewalk and into the double white lines. Chris staying on the curb for a few seconds before quickly catching up.

"What if I did?" He asks, turning his head to look at you as you two turn into the parking lot on the corner. Looking at him, his face is red. The look in his eyes says so much as you stop at the back of your car.

"Look," he stops, leaning against your bumper as you join him, "can I say something that we can... Both just look past if it gets awkward or weird?"

"As long as you're not about to tell me that you're stalking me or something." Chris shakes his head, smile faltering.

"I know I'm your boss and I shouldn't look at you like I do... But it's hard not to think you're really pretty and I want to take you out when I'm around you constantly. And if you don't feel that way we can pretend this never happened and I'll just walk away..."

He's even sweet when expecting rejection...

You just stare at him for a moment as he stands up quickly.

"Right. I'm sorry for saying anything." You reach out, grabbing his hand as you stand up.

"I'm not sure about my feelings but I know I'm attracted to you and you're really sweet. So, I wouldn't mind going on a date and seeing where this goes... I think I'd be a complete idiot for not at least trying with you." He sighs in relief, rubbing his thumb over your knuckles with a goofy smile.

"Tomorrow after work? A Movie and dinner?" He seems so eager, you snicker to yourself.

"Sounds great." You smile, moving in to give him a kiss on the cheek. His smile turns to a full blown grin, looking you up and down.

"Call me when you get home." He gives a fake salute as you turn back to unlock your car door. Looking back over your shoulder you see him exiting the parking lot to head back towards his apartment over the store. And as you climb in, pulling on the door to close it. You swear you hear a faint cheer of yes from the distance.

[burning-sol]

Apotheosis Episode 9

Charlie: And then uhh I’m gonna use five D6 of Healing Light as Exandroth spreads his wings and absorbs the sunlight like a plant. Condi: There is no sunlight.. Exandroth: Photosynthesis-! Condi: Fool! Exandroth: Fuck!! Shit!!! Charlie: Okay. I make a sun and then I eat it. Condi: Okay yeah, that works.

[drowninginabactatank]

My Tolkien shelf gives me serotonin just looking at it 🥰📚

Featuring: The Fall of Numenor, The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Nature of Middle-Earth – all deluxe illustrated slipcase editions.

16 Hill Lane (Halloween Edition) hobbit hole model from Weta.

The Lord of the Rings: Black Gate Little People Collector 4 figure set – Lurtz, Saruman, Sauron and Gollum.

[masal-bitti]

" Eksiktim ben. Bir şeyler yoktu bende, ama ne? Olmayan her ne ise tam kalbimin orta yerinde, orada bir oyuk oluşturmuştu sanki..."

Seyir/Piraye 📚

[tygerland]

First page of The Adventures of Tintin: The Black Island (Casterman, 1966), written and illustrated by Hergé.

[vanalex]

[tranquil-ivy]

Emo! Leon and Preppy! Reader trying to be secretive about their "relationship" or whatever they have going on.

Leon comes in late to his shift and gives Reader a quick kiss good morning (thinking their alone) like the usually do before coming into the store. Then they hear someone clear their throat from the balcony upstairs and see Jill out from behind the cafe counter looking down at them like

(she knew the entire time tell me I'm wrong)