#reed suit ideas

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Erin Reed at Erin In The Morning:

On Friday night, Jacksonville residents took to the Main Street Bridge to celebrate Pride Month. Just weeks prior, Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration and the Florida Department of Transportation issued an edict banning rainbow-colored lighting on bridges during Pride Month, mandating that all such lighting be replaced with red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag. Residents, however, were undeterred. They carried flashlights and rainbow gels, took their positions, and proceeded to light up the bridge themselves. Weeks ago, Manatee County Commission Chairman Mike Rahn objected to Pride lighting on bridges in Florida. Many bridges in the state, such as the Skyway Bridge in Tampa and the Acosta Bridge in Jacksonville, have been lit up in rainbow colors in previous years. This year, however, Rahn attempted to stop such lights from going up on the Skyway Bridge, formally objecting to the lighting. He expressed that the decision did not lie with him, passing the blame to Governor DeSantis. Rahn stated, “I do not have the authority to override the governor of the state of Florida. However, in my opinion, the lighting of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is an FDOT matter and should not be left to the individual counties.”

In response, Jared Perdue of the Florida Department of Transportation declared that this year, bridges would be lit up in red, white, and blue all summer. This decision bars Pride lighting, Juneteenth lighting, and many other special lighting days on bridges in Florida. Perdue stated in a tweet, “As Floridians prepare for Freedom Summer, Florida's bridges will follow suit, illuminating in red, white, and blue from Memorial Day through Labor Day! Thanks to the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida continues to be the freest state in the nation.” The use of the word "freedom" while taking away the choice to light up bridges for Pride Month struck Matthew McCallister, who organized the bridge lighting event on Friday night, as "Orwellian." In an interview with News 4 Jax, McCallister responded to the rainbow Pride light ban, saying, “The timing of that is really strange. The idea that we are going to celebrate freedom by giving you absolutely no choices seems Orwellian, honestly.”

Really happy to hear that some Florida cities told Ron DeSantis “up yours” to his anti-LGBTQ+ ways. 🏳️‍🌈

[roosterforme]

Adult Education Part 23 | Hangman x OC

Summary: Jake has found everything he needs in one person. He knows deep inside that nothing is going to change Jessica's love for him, but he's nervous to tell her what's been on his mind. When he opens himself up to her even more, she gives him everything he wants.

Warnings: Fluff, smut, pegging, anal, language, 18+

Length: 3400 words

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Female OC

This story is part of the Beer Boy and Sugar universe but can be read on its own! Adult Education masterlist

Seriously, who let Jake on my masterlist!? Banner by @mak-32

Epilogue Part Two

Five more months later...

Jessica was just settling down on the couch with a mug of tea when Jake got home from work. "Hey, Baby," he said as he undid the top buttons on his khaki uniform shirt. "How was your day?"

"Not bad," she replied, absolutely loving that her Fridays ended early this term. "I started making a list of what we need to pack for Cabo, and I printed out my final exam sheets. Dinner's in the oven, and I'm about to email Luca back. He asked me if I wanted him to stop by with his skateboard next week. Isn't he adorable?"

Jake smirked as she reached for him. "You made dinner? Seriously?"

She rolled her eyes as she said, "Don't be silly, Smart Boy. I took the pan of lasagna that you left in the refrigerator and put it in the oven."

"Yeah, that makes more sense," he drawled as she looked up at him from the couch. 

"Your uniforms are ruining my life," she whispered as she ran her hands along his thigh and took his zipper pull between her thumb and index finger. "Ever since I actually flew with you in your flight suit, I can't get enough of all of these things. I've been enjoying all the role playing."

Jake pressed his lips together, a thoughtful look on his face. "I noticed you've been having a lot of fun bossing me around lately."

She hummed as she kissed his zipper. "That's an understatement. I loved it when you called me Admiral Reed while you wore your dress blues. Speaking of which... I haven't seen them recently."

"Special occasions, Baby. Can't wear them every day," he told her, and she made a disappointed sound as he took one step away from her.

"Where are you going? I was about to give you a blowjob."

To her knowledge, Jake had never turned her down. Ever. Not once in over ten months with him. She sat still on the couch and watched him rake his fingers a bit nervously through his hair. The more she looked at him, the more she realized he didn't quite seem like himself, and she hopped up from the couch and went to him. 

"You can tell me what's wrong, Jake," she promised softly. "Did I do something?"

"No," he replied with conviction. "You didn't do a damn thing wrong, Baby. I've just had something on my mind."

"Oh." She was trying to think of a single positive thing that would get this reaction out of him, but she could only come up with negatives. Her mind was supplying scenarios that would be enough to break her heart as he studied her with pensive green eyes.

"I really like that," he muttered, gaze falling to the floor. "When you kind of... take control." His face was flushed a pretty shade of pink, and Jessica couldn't stop staring. He was so obviously nervous, and he didn't meet her eyes until she pressed her palm to his warm cheek. "I like it when you do that."

"Okay," she replied with a little nod. "Then I'll do it more often."

He huffed out an exasperated breath and looked up at the ceiling now. "Jessica... I've never asked for anything like this before. And I don't really know how to do it now."

She used both hands to tip his face down again so he was looking at her once more. His pupils were wide, and his lips were set in a firm line, and she had no idea what was running through his mind that was making him react this way. "You can tell me anything, Jake. You can ask for what you want. I do it all the time. I ask you to buy me lingerie and toys, and you always do."

"This is different," came his immediate response. "I don't know if you'll like it. Hell, I don't even know if I'll like it."

She scraped her nails gently along his stubble and tried to imagine what he wanted. She'd give him anything. "Is it something kinky?" she asked, tracing his lip as he nodded. "You're just going to have to tell me then, and I promise I'll at least consider it."

Jake seemed to be gathering his thoughts as her hand drifted down his neck to his shirt where she slowly traced the letters in SERESIN over and over again until he whispered, "Okay. Baby, you know how we bought all those toys from that one website?" When she nodded, he added, "And you know how we kind of skipped the one category?"

She could picture the night they were curled up on the couch with her phone, adding things to the shopping cart with reckless abandon until they'd spent over five hundred dollars. She could also clearly picture the collection of dildos and straps that were available that they didn't touch at all. 

"Oh."

He swallowed hard, his eyes growing wide as he started to pull away from her. "Yeah."

But Jessica wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tighter against her body. He was getting a little hard, and then she whispered, "You want me fuck you like that? With a strap-on?"

She really didn't even need the verbal confirmation, not with the way his body reacted and the soft moan that came from the back of his throat. But she kissed him as soon as he said, "Yes."

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

Jake was waiting for things to shift. He was bracing himself for Jessica to look at him differently or change her mind. There was a difference between wants and needs, and he knew that. He wanted to experiment with her, because he trusted her. She brought out emotions he'd never felt before which opened them up to some exciting exploration in the bedroom. He was nervous to tell her what he wanted, but he did it anyway. 

But what he needed was for Jessica to say yes when he proposed on vacation in Cabo with the three carat diamond ring he bought. He needed her to say she'd spend the rest of her life with him before they went to Texas for Christmas. But if it were possible for someone to fulfill all of his needs and his wants too, it was Jessica. It was always going to be Jessica.

So he was surprised but not unpleasantly so when after dinner, she stretched out on the couch with her head on his thigh and brought the topic back to the items she mentioned earlier. She looked up at him and said, "We should make sure you're happy with what we pick, but there are a lot of options. And I guess if we buy something and you don't like it, we could always try again?"

"I love you," he whispered, now knowing he hadn't done anything to change the way she felt about him. She smiled softly as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"I love you, too," she promised. "And I'm really excited about this."

Jake sighed in relief. "If you don't think it's fun, we definitely don't need to try it a second time." But she was already pointing out a few different dildos that she found on her phone and holding it up for him to see.

"Oh, Jake," she said with a grin that made him pulse with need. "I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a great time. And this one comes in navy blue... I'm just saying, it would match your uniforms perfectly."

That comment alone left Jake in a state of constant need for the next week while he waited for the goods to arrive. The box was dropped off the following Friday, and Jessica was wearing his robe and smiling like the cat who got the cream when he got home from work. "How was your last day of the semester, Dr. Reed?" he asked softly as she held up the pink box.

"It was good," she replied easily. "And it's about to get even better. We leave for Cabo in the morning, and the new toys are here."

Jake swallowed hard as she handed him the box, and when she untied his robe sash, he was treated to the sight of her in her navy blue lace bra and thong set. "Jessica," he croaked, already turned on and beyond excited. 

"Look in the box," she told him, and he realized she had already cut it open. Everything was the same blue color as her lingerie, and he moaned softly when he ran his hand along the smaller of the two dildos. He didn't know if this would feel good or not, but the idea of his girlfriend wearing it was making him hard. 

He met her eyes as she said, "If it looks good to you, I'll clean everything and get ready while you change into your dress blues."

"My dress blues?" he asked as she took the box from him. 

She bit her lip and moaned. "Do it, Lieutenant Seresin. Put on your dress blues and wait for me in the bedroom."

"Yes, ma'am," he grunted, heading right for the closet without delay. His hands shook slightly as he pulled his uniform from the hanger. He was so excited, he could barely get the tie on himself. He looked at the shoes. Would she want him to wear the shoes? Did he want to skip them and hope for a reprimand? Would she reward him more if he was wearing the full uniform?

He ended up putting them on, and when Jessica walked into the bedroom, he was standing at attention. But his jaw dropped when he saw that she was already wearing the strap-on. No sound came out, but he was gasping for air as she ran her hand up and down the length, casually strolling closer to him. 

"This looks good on you, Lieutenant," she purred, and his cock stirred a little more. "I like it when you're dressed for the occasion."

"What's the occasion, Admiral Reed?"

She took his hand in hers and turned the palm up, and then she squeezed out some lube. Then she guided his hand to the dildo, and he helped her coat it up. "You're the one who told me this uniform is just for special occasions, so I'll make it a very special one for you. I'm going to fuck you in the ass until you come."

Jake gasped, his hand tightening around the length, pulling Jessica closer to him. "Please," he whimpered, and she adjusted his hat on his head with her clean hand. 

"I can't guarantee this will stay on," she mused, grabbing him by the bicep and turning him so he was facing the bed. Her hands came to rest on his hips from behind, and the toy poked him as she said, "And these definitely won't be staying on." 

She reached around and started to undo the front of his pants. This was his Jessica. This was the self assured, beautiful woman of his dreams, and she started jerking him off as his pants fell to the floor. The strap on was rubbing his backside. He could come simply from this.

"Bend over, Lieutenant," she demanded, squeezing his cock with her slick hand before releasing him. He did as he was told, and when his cheek met the bedding, her hands met his ass. "Don't forget, Jake," she said softly. "If you're not enjoying it, the safe word is Sam Adams."

"Thank you, Baby," he whispered, actually feeling a lot more at ease than he imagined. And that's precisely when Jessica's hand landed on his ass with a hard slap. 

"Lieutenant Seresin," she barked out. "Your uniform is sloppy. Your pants are on the floor. I have told you so many times to straighten this out!"

"Yes Admiral Reed, ma'am," he replied, his voice shaking with need as his cock twitched against the bed. "I'll do better next time."

She laughed, and Jake could hear her uncap the bottle of lube just before he felt her squeeze it onto his backside near where she spanked him. "You need to be taught a lesson. Or you'll keep strutting around here like the rules don't apply to you."

"Yes, ma'am," he gasped as her fingers slid through the slick mess before easing from his balls right up to his asshole. He was already bucking back against her fingers as she teased him, and he'd never been more aware of the fact that he'd never had anything inside him before. 

He looked back at her over his shoulder, his blue jacket all bunched up on his body along with his shirt and tie. When she met his eyes, she smirked and said, "Relax, Lieutenant. Be a good boy. It will all be over soon."

The words Sam Adams were right there on his tongue, and he was ready to shout them out, but he found himself relaxing at her touch as she eased her fingertip along while she whispered, "Just be a good boy."

He grunted at the stretch, because it felt incredible. "Admiral Reed," he whined as she inserted her finger deeper. God, he'd wanted this in the worst way, and it felt so fucking good. Her other hand rubbed circles along his lower back, and when he pressed his hips back for more of her finger, she started to withdraw it instead.

"You want more," she whispered, a statement rather than a question. She could tell he did, but he nodded against the bedding and told her yes. Then her finger was back, slipping inside him as he took fistfuls of the blankets. This was different than he usually felt when they were intimate. Not better or worse, but a different kind of pleasurable. She was easily gliding along a spot inside him that left him a little short of breath, groaning her name.

After long enough that his cock was starting to ache for relief, she said, "I think you're ready for the strap, Lieutenant. And I can't wait to give it to you."

He knew she would be gentle amidst the roleplay, and she was. Jake could feel her coating him up with more lube before she leaned down and kissed his back through his uniform. Then she eased the blunt silicone head to his hole and swirled it around while he did his best to try to relax. Jessica's other hand wrapped around to his cock which was devastatingly hard, and she started to slowly jerk him off again while she pushed. 

If the stretch from her finger felt good, the stretch from the strap felt both incredible and also alarming. He was gasping, knuckles white as he clutched the bedding. Jessica pushed deeper and deeper, still stroking her hand along his cock as she filled his ass completely. Her hips were resting against him as he moaned and whined loudly. 

He squeezed his eyes closed, sucking in air as she paused, fully seated. "How does that feel, Lieutenant Seresin?" she asked, voice breathy as she kissed along his back again. 

Jake tried to find the words to describe the juxtaposition of pleasure mixed with slight pain along with the thrumming desire for more. More of Jessica's voice, more movement, and more pressure. "I like it," he managed, and that was all she needed to hear.

Inch by beautiful inch, she withdrew until that blunt tip was the only thing inside him, and Jake moaned loudly as she thrusted into him faster this time while his body grabbed at the length. "Oh god," he whined when he was full again. "Feels amazing."

She slid her slick hand along his cock and whispered, "You're my good boy," while she fucked him. "You're doing great." She rolled her hips, fucking him with rapid, shallow thrusts while he grunted her name and balled the bedding up tighter. She stroked his length slower as her hips went faster, and Jake's hands shook with anticipation. 

"Baby," he moaned as her hips pressed against his ass, holding herself in place as she filled him completely. 

"Admiral Reed," she corrected, letting her hand drift slowly back down his shaft so she was squeezing his balls. She rolled her hips back and snapped them forward in one fluid motion, and Jake buried his face in the bedding as he cried out. 

"Admiral Reed! I'm close! I'm so close!"

Without slowing her tempo, Jessica grabbed him by his hips, and Jake's cock pressed against the bed. She was rubbing him in all the right places, keeping him full with thrust after thrust, and his cock was throbbing in need. 

"Come, Lieutenant. You earned it," she promised, grabbing at his hips and waist and grunting as she finished him off with all of her remaining strength. Just a few more thrusts as she found every spot inside of him that needed relief, and he was coming all over the bed.

"Fuck!" he growled, lifting his upper body slightly to chase that perfect pressure, and he watched his cum shoot across the bedding as Jessica rubbed his electrified skin. Jake collapsed back down onto his own mess, the sticky warmth on his hands and cheek as he whined and whimpered. 

He felt Jessica remove the strap one inch at a time until she was free of his body, and she hugged him from behind, kissing at his shoulder. "I love you, Jake. I love you so much," she crooned breathlessly, and he at least had the wherewithal to realize she might need some relief now as well. But he couldn't stand up yet. Not when she was whispering the sweetest things in his ear while his legs shook.

When he lifted his head, she kissed his cheek while he tried to formulate words. Then she moaned and licked the cum from his face. Nothing had changed. She was still his in the same way she had been, and if anything, he loved her more for what she just did with him. 

"Jessica," he whispered, kissing her lips, finally. She tasted like him. She tasted perfect. Then he stood, and she was smiling up at him, wearing that pretty strap. And Jake knew. He fucking knew damn well that it was time to ask her. 

"Where are you going?" she asked when he reached for his pants, pulling them up high enough so he could walk. 

He rushed out to the kitchen and opened the cabinet that contained all of the spices and seasonings. She was still apprehensive about cooking on her own, and this was the last place she would have looked for anything. He grabbed the small box and popped it open as he ran back into the bedroom as quickly as he could. Jessica had removed the strap and set it on the bed, leaving her in that sinful looking navy blue set. She adjusted her glasses just before her gaze fell to his hand, and then he dropped to his knee in front of her.

"Jake?" she gasped as her eyes went wide.

"Marry me. Please, Baby. Marry me. You're a need. A necessity. But you're also somehow the only thing I want. I was going to propose in Cabo, but I can't even wait until tomorrow. Will you marry me?"

Her pretty face crumpled as she sobbed, but she was nodding and reaching for him. Her voice shook as she smiled through her tears. "Yes. I'll marry you. You're my needs and wants, too."

Jake stood and scooped her up as he laughed. She ended up beneath him on the bed next to his cum, kissing him and running her fingers through his hair while he tried to get her to hold her hand still. "Let me put it on you, Smart Girl," he whispered, unable to stop smiling as he took her left hand and slipped the ring into place. He loved the way it looked. And then, as if the massive diamond didn't matter much to her in comparison to him, she had her hands back in his hair. And he kind of loved that, too.

"I can't wait to tell everyone how we got engaged," she said as she laughed and buried her face against his neck. 

"You can tell them anything you want, Jess. Just make sure you pack that strap for Cabo along with the rest of the toys."

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

Thank you so much for coming on this little journey with me! It was really fun to fit Jake and Jessica into the Beer Boy and Sugar universe, and I hope you'll stick around to read about Bob and Anna soon, too! IYKYK...if you follow along with Beer Boy and Sugar, you already knew about Jake and Jessica's upcoming nuptials. More surprises are in store in every corner of this universe soon! Big thanks to @mak-32 @beyondthesefourwalls @sylviebell for all your help!

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[brownskinlemon]

can you write aaaa… dominic fike x reader/gf surprises him after a show overseas and they have sum great ‘i mmissed u’ sex ? 💋✨

pairings: dom/fem!reader gf

word count: 2,047

warnings: smut, multiple 0rg@sms, fluff, swearing

authors not: this was super fun to write! ty for the requests <3

Bass boosted through the venue, an electric guitar riffing in the distance as you watched your boyfriend through a small tv in the green room. You were sitting on the couch, excitedly toying your fingers against the worn leather as you waited for Reed to give you the okay to head to Dominic’s hotel. It was 9pm already, you had been here for an hour, all without Dom’s knowledge. You had to see him perform before heading there to surprise him.

It started with the expected loneliness that filled your apartment when  he left for tour, and then a not-so-silly idea as he joked on the phone.

“I wish you could come see me in New Zealand.” He chuckled, you two talked for a bit more until you decided to pretend to head to bed. As he headed to sound check somewhere in Europe, you stayed up late, searching for the nearest ticket to meet him in New Zealand. It had taken some sneaky conversations with Reed and some planning but you had formulated a plan to surprise him in NZ.

Now, here you were, pulled out of your trance by Reed poking his head into the green room.

“He’ll be off in about 25. Driver’s outside and it’s about a 15 minute drive away.” He smiled softly.

You hopped up, following him down a dark hallway and exiting out through a side door, swiveling your head around as you headed to a blacked out SUV, surprised to find no fans waiting outside the venue.

“They’re on the other side.” Reed chuckled, reading your mind. “Here’s the hotel key. Now shoo!” He joked, urging you into the car.

The ride to the hotel was calm and beautiful, the sights of Auckland keeping you in awe. You arrived at the Sofitel hotel, trying to maintain your composure at how grand and pristine the building was. The lifestyle that Dom had created for you was still too much to take in at times.

After checking in, you headed to the bar to pass time, wanting to give Dominic time to shower. You knew how hard we went at shows, and you figured he’d want to be clean and refreshed to be surprised. The sexual tension that had been laced in you two’s recent texts hinted to you what tonight could look like.

While waiting, you got a text from Reed:

“He headed up to the room about 15 ago, you should be all good to go. Good luck xx.” You were suddenly overcome with nervousness as you made your way to the elevator. You two had been together for about 2 years and you still couldn’t help the nervousness that overcame you when you were reunited with him. You chewed gently on your bottom lip, tapping your foot as the elevator made its way to the penthouse suite. After tapping your key, you gently opened the door, closing it behind you and crossing your fingers in hope that he was still in the shower. As you made your way through the suite, you were met with ever growing sounds of music echoing in the bathroom, paired with the steady pour of the shower. You tiptoed past the bathroom door, making your way to the bedroom, gently closing the door behind you. 

You kicked off your shoes, eyes catching yourself in the mirror, eyes scanning over the tight sundress you had decided on for today. Your eyes scanned over the room, suddenly met with a view that couldn’t be described as anything less than stunning. It was a top floor view, overlooking the whole city, the colorful lights gently illuminating the dim room.

You were taken out of your trance by a sudden deep voice behind you.

“What the fuck” 

You turned on your heels, eyes caught onto Dom in the doorway, clad only in pajama pants and his jaw agape as he tried to register that you were here, right in front of him.

“Surprise…” You said breathlessly with a shy smile, heart racing in your chest as if you were seeing him for the first time.

He strided over to you silently, lifting you up into his large arms, engulfing you in his scent. He dug his face into your neck as you wrapped your legs around his waist, squeezing each other tighter than ever. After a few moments, he placed you on your feet gently, hands laced behind the small of your back as he ogled down at you like a schoolboy with a crush.

“You are fucking insane! How did you pull this off?” His voice slightly raspy from his concert earlier in the night.

“Blame Reed. He’s sneaky and an enabler. I came to him as a joke and he helped me figure it out.” You chuckled, smiling up at him. 

“I missed you so much today you have no idea.” He sighed contently. He leaned forward, kissing you slowly, leaning back a moment later to leave his forehead on yours.

“Is that so? Wanna show me how much?” You slyly remarked, suddenly hyper aware of the desire pooling your insides and raising your temperature.

His eyes shifted between yours, a darkness began to circle them as he realized what you meant. He nodded silently, grabbing your face with his hands and kissing you fervently, almost making your knees buckle. Your tongues danced together and he pulled you up into his arms again, finding the desk near the window to sit you on.

He pulled himself to stand between your legs, grabbing your neck gently and tilting it back for easy access to mark you. He switched between lightly ghosting over your most sensitive spots to littering marks all over your neck, driven on by the whines that left your throat.

He pulled back to scan over your body, hands running up and down your inner thighs..

“This dress looks, really fucking good on you. And it's…” His hand ghosted lightly over your clothed clit, making you gasp. “Easy access.” He smirked innocently at your reaction.

You whined at the loss of contact, hands gripping onto his biceps and eyes pleading up at him. He understood what those whines meant, cueing you to lift up as he gently pulled your panties off, throwing them somewhere in the large room. Your breath stalled in your chest at how he lowered himself onto his knees, keeping eye contact with you as he teased between your inner thighs, extremely close to where you needed him most. 

“Dom please I-” You were suddenly cut off by his pink lips wrapping around your clit, making you let out a high pitched sound at the sudden surge of pleasure, arching up into arms and leaning your head back onto the window behind you.  

You couldn’t help the way your hips grinded up into his tongue that circled you so skillfully, one hand laced in his curls, the other dug into the edges of the desk, desperate to find anything to hold onto. He hummed into you from contentment, enjoying the sounds spilling from your mouth, as you became a babbling mess of moans and echoes of his name. Your eyes rolled back as he slowly and gently worked one, and then two of his long fingers into you, pressing deeply at your g-spot not losing his rhythm between your legs.

Your legs tensed as a coil in your abdomen began twisting and alerting you and him to the way you were about to become undone. 

“Cmon baby...look at me..” He cooed gently, not stalling his pace. You forcefully looked down at him through squinted eyes that were threatening to close at any moment. “Give it to me, pretty girl.” Your breath ran ragged, the way the lights danced across him, the innocent look in his eyes despite what he was currently doing sent you over the edge. Your eyes squeezed together as you thrashed in his arms, coming undone with a series of ragged moans, riding out your high as he began to draw back on his torture between your legs. 

Your head stayed laid back and eyes stayed closed as you attempted to catch your breath. You heard Dominic shuffle to stand up. Your head snapped up and eyes caught onto his as the tip of his length gently rubbed the entrance of the ache between your legs. One hand held the small of your back up while the other held the base of his length. He groaned quietly at the sight of your wetness that had pooled between your legs. He gently let you adjust to his size, working into you inch by inch, eyes trained onto your face to watch for your reactions. You both moaned in unison as his hips met yours, his hands leaning over to the window behind you, hiking your leg up. 

“You feel so amazing my god “ he groaned. His thrusts began gently, rocking into you at a steady pace. You looked up at him, mouth agape, as he coaxed you through it gently. “So p-pretty. Good girl.” 

“Harder Dom- please baby, please.” You begged. He didn’t stall, picking up his pace, the sound of his hips colliding with yours and your increasingly loud moans filled the room. You clung to him, hands around his back as he pounded into you. His lips collided with yours suddenly, the kiss filled with passion.

“I love you..i love you..i love you..” He mumbled desperately against your lips, moving deeper than before.

“I l-love you” You managed to get out through your moans.

He kissed you deeply again, leaning back to gently pull out and flip you to stand on your feet facing the window. You felt his breath ghost over your ear as he whispered gently.

“The view is almost as pretty as you. Wanted you to see it too..” He said, gently smirking at the way your body shivered from the kisses he traced down your neck and  back, gently teasing the tip at your entrance again before sliding back into you, leaving your mouth agape. He gently pressed down on your back, queuing you to relax over the desk. He resumed his earlier pace into you, kneading at your ass that was positioned up to him. One hand made its way around you to grip the sides on your neck, the other finding its way between your legs.

The combination of the delicious pressure on your neck coupled with the circling of your clit left you feeling dizzy and your knees buckling.

“Holy shittt” You whined, tears pooling in the corners of your eyes. If he kept going the way he was, you weren’t going to last for long. Your hand went up to cup his hand around your throat gently.

“Can you give me one more baby? I know you can..c'mon..” He cooed in your ear,relishing in the way that his words made you clench down on him.One particular thrust made you finally come undone for the second time, forcing you up on your tippy toes, eyes rolling back as you cried out Dominic’s name like a mantra.

He finished soon after, pulling out with a gasp, and finishing on the curve of your ass. He leaned over you, placing his head on your shoulder as you stood shivering, trying to come back to reality.

“Good job baby.” He smiled as he kissed your cheek.

You smiled gently as you came to, opening your eyes to fully take in the view in front of you.

“What happened to your fear of heights?” You toyed, turning in his arms. 

“Fear of heights can’t beat the orgasm I just had not gonna lie.” He deadpanned, making you weakly laugh. He scooped you up, forcing you to pee while he ran you two a bath, shortly making both of your ways to relax in the water with your back against his chest.

“I feel lucky, so many girls wish they could have.. that but only got an autograph.” You smiled lazily

“Oh trust me you got a few signatures of your own” He smirked, pointing at your neck “Seven to be exact.”

You jokingly rolled your eyes. Relaxing against him, you were just grateful to be back in his arms again.

[on-the-clear-blue]

The idea warms are hitting extremely hard today, so outside of my usual DPxDC I give you, Spider-Man in Gotham...Not MCU Peter edition!

Give me a Peter Parker that is 18 going on onto 19, he has been Spider-Man for like, 5 almost 6 years, getting his bite very early, and dealing with all the things that happen to him younger.

And give me a Year One Batman. Who is still trying to figure out what the hell he is doing, and toting along a 9 year old Robin

Peter, falling out of a portal, and doing his standard check of surroundings, spotting Batman staring at him in clunky armor and a brightly colored child: Waves slowly

Bruce, who heard some freaky shit was happening with a cult near by and went to investigate: blinking at the blue and red being that got summoned

Dickie, who is trying (and failing) to do the Bat glare: still waves back.

And like, just the idea of this 19 year old Spider-Man taking a much older vigilante under his wing, teaching him the ins and outs of it all.

Like..

Bruce, Storming through a bag guys base gets suddenly pulled back by a web to his cape.

Peter, giving him a "bitch you dumb" look under his mask: Traps! LOOK FOR TRAPS?? AND LOOK UP? PEOPLE HID THINGS UP?

Bonus, Spider-Man bending himself into a human pretzels and Dick "I have no bones" Grayson is gleefully testing to see if he could do it too.

Jump cut, years later, Peter beats emotional intelligence into Bruce with Dick.

All the Bat kids grow up with Uncle Peter, (either Peter can't get back or has been told specifically that he can't by a higher being or something) and like...

Peter is the only one that catches Tiny Tim following them during patrol, he shows him all the places to get the best angles, even poses a few times for him.

Either is there when Jason dies and saves him, or is there mourning with Bruce

(Gotham lives in fear of the memory, Batman at his most brutal and Black Suit Spider-Man)

Teaches Jason how to control his pit rage after he comes back, what is Spider-Man if not control?

Stephanie is his bestie in puns and white girl music tastes.

Tim finds a partner in constantly staying up far to late as well as someone who likes to invent,( because I hc that Peter has pretty much worked with every scientist in New York, cus like since this is a blend of canons, he has worked with the Lizard, Doc Oct, Reed Richards, the only one he said no to an internship was Stark)

Duke gets a meta mentor that can help him with his powers, Spidey has been on more than one team with someone that had some form of light powers.

Plus I think Spider-man is Gothams daytime hero before Signal joins him, they are the daytime duo

Cass is his favorite (don't tell anyone because they already know) she can see him and he can see her in a spider sense, they do the point meme whenever they sense each other.

Little stabby Damian finds out that this person with his father has been trained by many an assassin (Wade, Daredevil, Natasha, Shield in general)

And Wade...Deadpool pops up occasionally, even he doesn't understand why or how lBruce gets a strange feeling he should punch the Flash in the face the next time he sees him)

Bruce having to deal with Deadpool is terrible for him and I sadly love it.

(Also on the point of Black suit spidey in Gotham...ESPECIALLY after Jason is murdered? Oh Peter is killing the Joker, or his arm privileges forfeit. I feel like Peter would try not to kill him but wouldn't try too hard.)

Spider-man being a founding members of the Justice League, them having to deal with Peter crawling on the ceiling, and scuttering through air vents!

Peter making Parker Industries, pointing inventions from other heros/villains from his world, he isn't above pettiness, and that's how the DC world gets some of Reed Richard's old designs he gave to Peter "Because they are practically useless" they arnt they save millions of lives. Not to mention Arc Reactors, Peter grinned the whole time claiming it was his idea.

Hope you enjoy my ADHD rambling brought to you be sleep deprivation

[letternotekisses]

Could you do something for The trapper? Along the lines of getting caught in one of his traps in a game and he can't resist getting a good feel, it would be a waste to just be put on hook afterall!!

ily anon <3 cw for v slight mention of the trapper jerkin it, blood n gore and non consensual touching

You were his favourite.

You were keen and diligent, always glancing up and down to spot the glimpse of the metal jaws he'd primed in the greenery. You knew who he was - a hunter, tracking you through the dirty moss and bristling reeds in wait of your delicate ankles falling victim to his traps. Evan had waited so long to snatch you up, yet it seemed at every trials end you were disappearing into the fog - just out of arms reach.

This trial, however, felt different. Maybe the entity had finally heeded his requests in the bloodweb - his gnarled mask staring into the fire as he carelessly threw in another offering. Or rather, she'd heard his heavy grunts ringing out through the ironworks - Evan's breaths billowing out behind his mask in raspy moans that sounded suspiciously like your name.

Either way - his prize came forth in the form of a suspiciously easy trial - where he'd still yet to catch you. You'd tried your best in the end, unhooking your little friends every time Evan had strung them up like pigs to bleed, but it just wasn't enough. He seemed faster, stronger this round - cleaving through the other survivors like butter and leaving little old you all alone to find the hatch.

All it took was for one little misstep, the stress of your situation leaving you less alert than usual and allowing you the misfortune of stumbling right into the jagged metal of one of his traps. A shiver of dark delight fell over Evan once he heard your scream sound out into the cold air, why, you were only a few metres away, you sneaky little thing.

You claw at your ankle, hands slicked with blood as you try so desperately to pry the metal jaws away from your torn flesh. Your grip is made worse by the watery mud of the swamp, and it isn't long until you hear the thundering footsteps of the Trapper behind you, your heart hammering like a little hummingbird in your chest.

He's quick to splay a broad hand out on the small of your back, pushing you harshly into the mud so he can crane the trap off of your ankle. Evan can hear your pained whimpers, face buried into the crook of your arms as you wait for him to pick you up, or worse, mori you. Instead, the Trapper takes great satisfaction in moving his calloused hand underneath you, propping you up so he can rut himself against your back.

Evan practically growls against the back of your head, the gnarled carving of his mask jutting into your soft cheek. His breaths are thick and rugged as he reaches to palm your soft tits through the fabric of your top - your confused, indignant whimper only made it all the more delicious. He palms your hip in a deceptively soothing manner, his fat, heavy cock stiffening against the cleft of your ass.

But alas, the Entity hungers. The Trapper pulls away almost reluctantly, the Entity had gifted him greatly this trial - Evan would make sure to keep in her good graces for trials much like this in the future. You cry and squirm as he hoists you up, kicking against the broad wall that is his back when he stands straight, a hand kept firm on your ass in a very indiscreet manner. He growls, feeling his cock chubbed up against his boiler suit.

It's a damn shame to watch the Entity take you away, your body ascending into the sky as Evan observed, a pleased rumble reverberating through his chest. He continues to think about it long after the trial had ended.

When you pop back up at your shabby little campfire, confused and stammering as your survivor friends crowd you in attempts at comfort - Evan watches on from the treeline, palming at himself through his overalls. Now that the Entity had gifted him a taste of you - he only wanted more.

Poor sweet thing, you had no idea what was ahead of you now.

[edgepunk]

Earth-2710 thoughts yapfest

I've been mulling over the idea of Peter having the symbiote permanently and I think I'm gonna go with it in this AU. It's mainly from pettiness, because the comics refuse to give Peter any new powers, or anything to shake up the status quo. Meanwhile some of the other heroes get neat gadgets or powers.

I've talked about this, but I can't find the original post, so anyway - I got the idea from the ps5 game where the symbiote left remnants in Peter's body when he wore it for a longer time, and it was starting to bond with him on a cellular level. However, in this AU he was completely unaware of the remnants. They are dormant and slowly growing inside of Peter’s body, using some of his tissue and nutrients to get stronger. This symbiote is its own entity, now. It's not the Venom symbiote anymore (Eddie is Venom ofc).

Fast forward about 8 months later when Peter notices his super strength is a little wack. At first, he thinks he's just being careless, but after he accidentally sends a couple of thugs into the hospital, he starts getting worried. It's driving him a little insane, thinking that he doesn't know how to hold his strength back anymore. It causes him a lot of stress and he has trouble sleeping. He becomes more careless and makes a lot of mistakes during fights. All the stress and sleep deprivation catches up to him during an intense fight with the Sinister Six. He's anxious, tired and he can't keep up with them. They defeat him.

They carry Spider-Man's unconscious body to Times Square and hijack the billboards, livestreaming his defeat. They wanted to do this to humiliate him in front of all the citizens he promised to protect. However, it's not enough for Doc Ock and he has other plans. He wants to kill him and make sure all of NYC sees it. The other villains try to stop him, but one of his tentacles pierces right through Peter’s chest.

Side note: Peter and Otto weren't close at all in this AU. However, Peter used to look up to him and his scientific achievements when he was in high school. That is until Otto became a villain, of course.

So, you've probably put two and two together - when Otto killed Peter, the symbiote fully awakened and revived him. Peter is freaking out that he somehow has the black suit again, but shifts his focus to send the Sinister Six back to jail. Then, he tries to remove the symbiote, but it hurts him so bad that he collapses and is physically unable to do anything. He seeks help from Reed Richards who does a full body scan and finds out the symbiote is a part of Peter - removing it would kill him.

Peter is in full freak out mode, unable to think clearly. He goes home and has a breakdown. Days pass, his stress levels are off the charts, but he tries his best to keep it together. MJ is there to keep an eye on him, she's scared for him. The last time Peter had the symbiote, it almost turned him into something unrecognizable. MJ doesn't want to lose him this way.

All the stress and lack of sleep isn't doing Peter any favors - he's getting more aggressive and sending thugs into the hospital left and right, and he starts isolating himself from everyone. And he completely loses it, he goes feral and turns into this spidery humanoid alien amalgam.

ngl I'm not good with monster(-ish) designs but here's a rough doodle of feral symbiote Peter with regular Peter for scale. I've never liked him turning into big muscular Venom, I think that should be Eddie's thing. Peter should be more spidery imo

With the power of love, Peter turns back and spends weeks learning to control the symbiote. And then we'll get the Hybrid Suit, which IS the symbiote but Peter made it look like an edgier version of the classic suit.

Peter still has the lingering fear of turning into that thing again, but tries his best to control his anger since removing the symbiote is impossible without killing him. Sometimes he gets a little too agitated, though. But it would require a lot more stress/anger for him to turn again.

[tobiasdrake]

That introspection on magic addiction is really insightful. Personally, my favorite addiction metaphor is the Venom Symbiote, especially in the Spider-Man 2 video game. It's really neat to see how Harry as Venom is basically the equivalent of being so drugged up that you practically become a different person

Oh man, the Venom Symbiote is so across-the-board in portrayals.

I love Marvel symbiotes. That was my favorite powerset as a kid. A superpower that is also your costume but is also a sentient partner who loves and cherishes you and is with you always.

I was a lonely kid who didn't have a lot of friends; That's my fault, nobody wanted to be friends with a paranoid bully with a victim complex and a growing sense of misogynistic entitlement. Can't imagine why. So I liked to fantasize about what it would be like to have a symbiote, who would make me super powerful and also be my best friend.

Cletus Kasady and the Carnage symbiote are absolute monsters but they're also really sweet together. Depending on the writer, of course, but Carnage is at his best when writers remember that the distinguishing thing about him over Venom is that Kasady and his symbiote are a fully-bonded match made in Hell. They have what Venom wants but struggles to get because interpersonal relationships are hard.

Venom is a character the writers go back and forth on a lot. Like, IIRC the original reason why Spider-Man got rid of the symbiote was because being attached to a living thing is icky. Reed Richards was like "That suit is alive," and Spidey went "OH FUCK NO GET IT OFF". I don't know. I might be misremembering that.

But that's kind of a bad look so writers instead play it up as a wicked parasite that feeds on pure evilness and turns its host cruel and vicious. Which goes a bit too far the other direction because now you've erased the nuance of symbiote characters. Venom has a long and storied history of being an antihero, just as much as he has of being a villain.

That's a side of the character you can't really get from "The Evilness Suit made of concentrated evil turns Venom evil, and now he can only ever be evil so long as he's wearing the evil substance." It always makes me sad when adaptations malign symbiotes as wholly and intrinsically vile.

Of course, I have no idea what's even going on with them anymore. They're like space gods made of pure goodness or some shit now. I think Carnage became Cthulhu at some point? Comics are weird. But going by what they were in the 90's and early 00's, I was a big fan.

[vickiee-mcmuffin]

A new discovery

Word count: 2.2k

Pairing: 838 Strange x Female Reader

Trope: Explicit smut, Daddy kink (18+ Warning, Minors DNI)

A/N: Here's 838 Stephen's version. Hope you like this. The other Stephen variants will be coming soon. Just gotta think of ideas :)

Summary: You discover a new side to Stephen when you call him Daddy as he makes love to you in his office.

You had woken up a horny mess, pressing your thighs together as you turned your head to Stephen’s side of the bed, hoping he’d still be there. But his side was empty, and you knew he must've already left to go to the Illuminati’s headquarters. You whined in frustration, you needed Stephen so bad, your body was screaming at you to have Stephen fuck you and make you feel good. 

You could’ve easily made yourself feel good, but you knew it wouldn’t satisfy you enough. It never did. You were desperate for Stephen, so you planned on finding him so he can help relieve the ache between your legs. 

Pulling back the covers, you got out of bed and grabbed your sling ring from the bedside cabinet, training could wait, you had other important needs to tend to first. Dressed in only your pyjamas, you opened up a portal to the Illuminati's headquarters. Stepping through it, you found yourself in one of the supply closets in the building. It was the best place you could think of so you weren’t caught by any other Illuminati members. 

You knew you could've just opened up a portal to Stephen's office, but there was the risk of him not being in there. Or another member of the Illuminati being in there with him. So the closet was your safest option.

You closed the portal behind you before you moved over to the door, opening it just enough for your head to poke out. Looking left and right, you made sure the coast was clear before you opened the door fully. You stepped out and closed the door slowly and carefully behind you. 

Then you began your walk to Stephen’s office, almost tiptoeing as you walked through all the different rooms in the building. You had been here before, so you knew where to go but the risk of getting caught increased as you got closer to Stephen’s office. 

Eventually, you made it. You were just about to turn the last corner to his office but you stopped in your tracks when you saw the back of Reed Richards in his black and blue suit. He was standing in the doorway to Stephen’s office talking to him about something. You didn’t have a chance to hear what they were talking about, because you quickly moved to hide behind the wall. 

That had been close. To close for your liking. 

Your breathing was a little unsteady as you stood there waiting for him to leave, listening to their distant chatter. You could hear Reed telling Stephen about the coming week's schedule and about a meeting they had later about a potential threat. Then you heard Stephen’s deep voice. He was telling Reed that he’ll be at the meeting later if he can get through all his paperwork. 

The minutes slipped by and soon you had been standing there for a good ten minutes. Reed was still there talking to Stephen. Your legs started to ache from standing in the same position for so long. You just wished they would hurry up and be done with their conversation.

Eventually, though, you heard Reed telling Stephen he’ll see him later before he closed the door to Stephen’s office, and you were happy he was finally leaving. But your happiness soon turned to instant panic. What if Reed walked this way to go back to where he needed to be? What if he saw you? 

But you sighed in relief when you heard his footsteps fading away in a different direction. Taking in a deep breath you then walked over to Stephen’s office, knocking on the door and waiting for an answer. 

“Come in!” Stephen called out. 

You smiled and opened up the door, catching sight of Stephen sitting in his office chair. “Hi, Stephen,” you said quietly as you stepped foot into the room. 

Stephen waved his hand as soon as he saw you standing there. The door quickly slammed shut behind you, making you jump a little. 

“Y/N, what are you doing here?” he asked you, a shocked look on his face. 

You didn’t answer. Instead, you just walked over to him, stopping when you were standing right there next to his chair. Turning his chair, you moved it so you could climb onto his lap to straddle him. You leaned forward, kissing him as your arms wrapped around his back. Stephen kissed you back, his own arms moving to wrap around you, pulling you closer to him. 

“Need you so bad,” you moved to whisper in his ear. 

You pressed your lips against his again, kissing him hard and fast. But Stephen pulled away from your lips, and you sent him a pout. 

“I’m busy working, sweetheart,” Stephen told you. 

Whining in frustration, you rocked your hips against him, trying to apply some sort of pressure to your aching centre. Stephen let out a low groan, your lips slamming against his again as you continued to rock your hips. You felt Stephen’s hands land on your hips as you moved, his fingers digging into you. 

“Need your cock inside of me so bad. Please, Stephen,” you begged with pleading eyes. 

“Fuck, baby,” Stephen said lowly. “You’re going to get me in trouble.” 

“I’m sorry. Just need you so bad.” 

Stephen then gripped your hips tightly, forcing you to come to a stop. He eyed you intensely before he sent you a small smirk. “Alright, sweetheart. I’ll give you what you want, but gotta be quick, okay?” 

You nodded quickly, and Stephen smiled at you before you got off his lap. You removed your pyjama bottoms, kicking them to the floor before you got settled back on his lap. You kissed him, your tongue diving into his mouth for a short moment before you pulled away. 

Moving your hands to the waistband of his trousers, you pulled them down, his briefs following shortly after. You pulled them down just enough for his cock to spring free, and you licked your lips at the sight of his half-hard cock. Spitting on your hand to lubricate it, you then moved it to his length, your hand wrapping around the base of his cock. You moved your hand up and down his length slowly, low groans leaving Stephen’s mouth as you stroked him. 

You felt him growing harder in your hand as you pumped his cock, his length twitching in your hand as you moved. You pumped him a few more times before you pulled your hand away. Planting a gentle kiss on Stephen’s lips, you then lifted yourself up before wrapping your hand around his cock again. You moved the tip of his cock to your wet entrance, pressing it against your little hole before you began to slowly slide down his length, taking every inch of him. 

You moaned into each other's mouths as you sank down onto him, and you kept moving until he was balls deep. Once you were filled to the brim, you began to move. You bounced on his cock, riding him so eagerly, desperate to feel that pleasure you always felt when Stephen fucked you.

Resting your hands on his shoulders, you used that as a support as you began to bounce wildly on his cock. You moaned loudly, and you quickly felt Stephen’s hand on your mouth, silencing you. 

“Shhh,” Stephen told you, and you sent him a quick nod. 

He then moved his hand away and you went back to bouncing on his cock, moving hard and fast as you let out soft cries. Stephen’s hands were on your hips again, his fingers gripping you harshly before he began to guide you up and down his length at a rough pace. 

“Mm, it feels so good!” you whined out.

“Yeah?” Stephen grunted.

You nodded, watching him smirk as he bounced you on his cock even harder. He was pushing into you nice and hard, the pleasure increasing with every thrust. 

“Fuck, just like that, Daddy!” you cried out when the tip of his cock hit a sweet spot deep inside of you. 

Lost in the immense pleasure Stephen was giving you, the word had left your lips before you could even try and stop yourself. Stephen stopped bouncing you on his cock suddenly, his dark eyes meeting yours. He stared at you intensely, not uttering a single word as he stared at you. You were worried you had made him uncomfortable by calling him that, because you knew it was a gamble to use that word with older guys. Some seemed to get a kick out of the name, while others hated it. 

You were about to apologise but before you could even open your mouth, Stephen moved you, quickly bending you right over his desk. He pulled your hips back, spreading your legs apart before he got himself settled behind you. He slid back into you with one quick thrust, and your hand shot up to your mouth to stifle a moan as you took all of his thick cock. 

Stephen pushed his length in and out of you, moving at a fast and punishing pace. You gasped, eyes snapping shut as the heat between your thighs grew more and more. All the papers on Stephen’s desk fell to the floor as he pinned you against his desk, your nails digging into the wood. One of his hands was pressed against your back, while the other was gripping your hip, the sound of skin hitting skin filling the room as he pounded into you. 

“St-Stephen!” you cried out as he fucked you. He had never been this rough with you before. Ever. Your words seemed to have triggered a new side of him. A side you’d never thought you’d see. But you were loving every moment of it.  

“Fuck, sweetheart. Fucking take it!” he groaned when he felt you clenching around him. 

“Oh, please fuck me right there,” you pleaded with him when his cock hit that sweet spot that made your whole body shake. 

He did exactly that. He thrusted into you, hitting that spot again and again. You screamed as he hit that spot over and over, and you were certain the other members of the Illuminati were going to hear you. But at that moment you didn’t care, you just wanted Stephen to keep fucking you like that.

As Stephen kept moving, you started to feel that familiar feeling of your orgasm building up deep inside of you. You wanted to cum. You needed it so bad.

“Fu-Fuck, Stephen. You’re going to make me cum,” you moaned. 

“Is that right?” Stephen grunted. 

“Yes!”

Stephen began to fuck you at an impossible speed, your screams filling the room as he pounded in and out your wet pussy. 

“Fucking be a good girl and cum over Daddy’s cock,” Stephen said, his voice deep. 

That was it for you, his filthy words pushed you right over the edge. They came out of nowhere causing your orgasm to hit you hard and fast. 

“Oh my God!” you cried out as you came all over his cock, drenching him with your juices. “Oh, Stephen!” 

Stephen fucked you through your orgasm, dragging out the feeling. Your whole body shook as Stephen kept moving in and out of you. Soon you could feel his length twitching inside of you as he let out a groan, and you knew he was close too. 

He pumped his cock into you three more times before he let out a deep guttural groan. He filled you up with his cum, giving you every last drop before he pulled out of you. You whined at the loss of him, but you were left feeling satisfied now that he had relieved the ache between your legs. 

The two of you were panting wildly, not moving so you could catch your breaths. Stephen seemed to get his breathing back on track before you did, and he pulled up his trousers before he conjured a wet washcloth in his hand. 

He cleaned you up, being careful as he dragged the cloth across your sensitive area. Once he had cleaned you up, you grabbed your pyjama bottoms, putting them back on before you turned your attention to Stephen. You found him already staring at you, a small smile on his lips. 

“So… Daddy kink huh? That’s new,” Stephen chuckled. 

You felt your face heat up as you looked at him. “I didn’t realise I had called you that until it was too late,” you said shyly. 

Stephen leaned down and kissed you, and you kissed him back quickly before Stephen pulled away, his face moving to your ear. 

“Well, I liked it when you called me that. It was hot,” he whispered into your ear.

“Really?” you asked, sounding surprised. 

Stephen sent you a nod before giving you one last kiss. “I better get back to what I was doing now, sweetheart.” 

“Okay,” you nodded. 

You then opened up a portal back to the Sanctum, but before you walked through it, you sent Stephen a smile. 

“I love you, Stephen.” 

“Love you too, Y/N,” he smiled. 

You sent Stephen one final smile before walking through the portal and closing it behind you, leaving Stephen to get on with his work. You then decided to have a hot shower before getting ready to go to your training class at Kamar Taj.

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[gashotbox]

(happy new year 🎊 here's a little story to start it off. though it's still winter, we're fast forwarding to a summer setting. also, i have a clear idea of where to take this next so if you're interested, i could write up a part 2?)

they had buried you neck-deep in a sand pit on the beach. one moment, you were chilling on a blanket with your earbuds in, oblivious to what your friends were up to. the next, they persuaded you to climb into a hole they had dug in the sand, saying that you were the only one small enough to fit and that they'd let you out soon enough. evidently, this did not end up happening.

as your head peeked out from the ground, you couldn't move or free yourself of your own accord. with you in this defenseless state, your friends decided it would be the perfect opportunity to pull some pranks on you. one of them stuffed your mouth full of a snorkel you had originally brought for diving. now unable to shout for help, and hidden away in a nook behind a sand dune that was surrounded by reeds and tall gras, you were invisible to the other beach goers.

"and here i thought you've learned from your mistakes the first time around", Jesse tutted mockingly.

"yeah, trusting us this easily after that teabagging prank my brother helped us pull at the last sleepover is crazy", quipped Alex. "well, you're gonna learn your lesson now! lemme see...what should we do with you...".

"y'know, the sun's beating down on them pretty hard. let me cover you up", Jesse said, moving to grab the blanket next to you. but instead of simply covering you up, Jesse sat down right in front of you, ass mere inches away from your face. afterwards, your friend pulled the blanket over you as well as their crotch.

"sorry, gotta change into my swimming trunks without flashing anybody. well, anybody except you." there was an obvious grin in Jesse's voice.

then, their private parts were revealed to you. you tried closing your eyes but as neither of you had taken a dip in the water yet, the reek of Jesse's unwashed junk and naked butt hit your nose regardless. even worse, Jesse didn't seem to be in a hurry to change into their bath suit. instead, you could hear both of your friends faintly chatting above you.

suddenly, noise errupted from the ass in front of you and on reflex, you breathed in the unmistakable stench of a fart. before you could react, another blast hit your face, whirling up grains of sand in the process. you tried breathing through the snorkel in your mouth when something blocked its tube.

"no way, did you just gas them out under there??", asked Alex, clearly amused.

"sure did", Jesse laughed. "even blocking off the vent here. otherwise it wouldn't be much of a prank, right?"

"fuck mate, they'll be planning our murder once they get out."

right on cue, a long, particularly nasty sound escaped from between Jesse's checks, making you open your eyes again in fear of what else might've left their colon. you were relieved to find nothing more than a sweaty but otherwise unmarred asshole spewing putrid gas at you-- and how screwed up was that thought.

"shit", Jesse cursed. "at this rate, my stomach's gonna be the likelier killer. gotta find a loo somewhere."

"or how about we go take a swim and you do your business there?", Alex proposed.

Jesse shook their head, chuckling. "you know, sometimes you can be even more fucked up than me. c'mon then."

finally pulling on their trunks, Jesse stood up while leaving you under the blanket. "don't worry, we won't be gone for too long", Alex reassured before both friends got on their way. after a short while of wildly tossing your head from side to side and having your screams muffled by the makeshift gag in your mouth, you accepted defeat. you slumped forward and waited for your friends' return.

-🔺

this story has me throbbingg.. gosh how humid and sticky it must be, what with the summers heat combined with the fact their hot, sweaty pucker is wagging inchess away from your face. trunks hanging just below their asscheeks so that every salty gust of wind sends the muggy stench of their junk headed your way. each fart ripping out their hole and sending a spray of sweat , sea water and sand particles flecking your cheeks .. fuckkk. only thing that cld make this better is if they bend over and spread their cheeks and slather sunscreen on your nose .“hey, champ, i missed a spot. mind rubbing it in for me?”

[hispieceofcake]

🎸MY THOUGHTS AND HEADCANONS TO ADAM FROM HAZBIN HOTEL - (for now)🍖

Hello hello folks, I've been thinking about writing about this post/blog for a while now and here it is, because Adam is my favorite character (obsession) and I have a lot of things in my head that I need share before I kidnap someone to listen to me talk about it for hours on end.

Hahaha I'm just kidding...or am I?

TW: Mention of profanity and sex.

I'm writing this blog because I have a lot to say about Adam and I think I'm already bothering my friends too much (just kidding, I'm going to keep filling them with Adam until I say enough is enough🤓👆)

Alright, let's start, firstly I was already a big fan of Hazbin hotel's work since the time Vizziepop had released the pilot on YouTube at the time of on October 28, 2019, and man, I was simply OBSESSED with the work, I had no idea who Adam was at that time, I was only 11 years old (And I know, I know, Hazbin Hotel was not and is not intended for minors, but I didn't have internet surveillance on my parents, so that's what happened and now I'm 18 years old).

And boy, oh boy

I was in complete EUPHORIA when it became public on August 7, 2020 that Hazbin Hotel was going to have a sequel on Amazon, I only knew how to talk about it and was excited waiting for the release date.

And when I watched that episode where Charlie has a meeting with Adam...I was like "THAT MAN, I NEED THAT MAN‼️‼️"

And that song..."Hell is Forever"... I can't remember a day that I didn't clean the house listening to that sound and pretending the broom was a guitar while I beat my hair like an 80s rocker high (I know, it's an exaggerated comparison but that's how I feel, so let me have it).

Here, listen to this work of art sung by our (MY) beloved Alex Brightman

In addition to the song "Stick it to the man" from the musical "School of rock" that Adam references in one of the items on the list of things to get into paradise, coincidentally his voice actor Alex Brightman also He is the main voice of the song and a character in the musical.

I spent all day listening to her today, but that's the least of it

There are also some songs by other singers that make me think of Adam because of their lyrics, for example Lana del Rey, there is a song of hers that all I think of when I hear it is Adam, unfortunately I can't share it here because it is a discarded song by the singer that I managed to download on a pirated website that has been taken down a while ago.

The songs that make me think of him are "Push me down" and what made me think of Adam is the following part "I'm your little baby doll and you are my mister rock 'n roll", the song "Brooklyn Baby" because of the music part "Well, my boyfriend's in a band, He plays guitar while I sing Lou Reed", the others songs are "Say yes to Heaven" and "Angels Forever".

Adam, besides being my favorite character and hyperfocus, was the reason I met the character Beetlejuice (my other hyperfocus) and the voice actor and actor Alex Brightman. Because he was the one who aroused my curiosity to know who his voice actor was since I recognized that his voice was the same as Fizzarolli's, and then when researching and discovering the actor, I also ended up discovering about Beetlejuice, I even have a blog about it, if you want to read it, this is it here.

Just like with Beetlejuice, I'm producing a page with drawings and collages about Adam in my sketchbook that I might post later in a future post about my sketchbook, but that's another topic.

In addition, I'm trying to put together some songs to create a playlist based on him, in it I'm putting rock songs from the 80s that I feel suit him or that he would listen to, some songs by the norwegian singer Aurora which are very reminiscent of and are based on the garden of Eden and Adam from the bible (although the Adam from Hazbin hotel and the one from the bible are completely different).

Some time ago I was writing a fanfic about Adam with an authorial character completely made by me, it was just a fanfic that I had written on character IA but then I decided to write it myself, but I never got around to posting it and kept it stored in my notepad.

The story took place in the timeline of the first season of the series, where heaven discovered that demons and beings from hell now possessed angelic fist weapons and could hurt or kill the exterminating angels after the death of one of the exterminating angels, they would need a new strategy or a new "weapon", and then with the decision of God and all the seraphim, she was created, an angel made to protect heaven and bring back balance by killing sinners in hell, her name was Angelita, and she would be handed over to Adam who would have to train her until the day of the next day of extermination (which would be the day in which Adam dies), throughout the story Adam would begin to feel something for her, unlike Lilith and Eve, he would fall in love out of true love and not obligation, this love between the two would be something forbidden (as a metaphor for the forbidden fruit of Eden) since by God's order she would have to be pure and virgin and that Adam would not fall into temptation for her, I won't tell the rest of the story, if you want I'll make a post just about that (I'll leave you curious hehe), all I can say is that Adam will not die and the ending is tragic, for all sides.

🤘🏻MY HEADCANONS ABOUT ADAM🎸

These headcanons are some things I thought Adam might like, do, or make me think of him, and I'm also writing this because most of the headcanons I find about him are about sex or couples things (Not that they're bad, some are actually quite cute and I read them when I need comfort), so I'm here to contribute some content just about him.

• About how he feels about have been betrayed

I know, Adam is not the best person in the world but man, he is not a monster, he is a human, the first human, unfortunately, human nature is curious and destructive, not that this is an excuse for everything Adam committed. But then I think, "How much did it hurt to be cheated on twice?", "Did he feel worthless, insufficient?", I know how much it hurts to be cheated on, then I think how bad he felt and feels, but he hides it all behind a false personality of "Dick Master" and "The First Man", titles, high ego and falsehood to hide your real self. The only part of Adam that we were shown about him was him being extremely selfish, rude, arrogant and sexist, but all in scenes where he was exposed to people, people who weren't close to him, and then I wonder if he's just all that, but I feel like Adam he's just a hurt man who hides what he feels behind a false personality, just like Angel Dust does. Proof that he cares about people (at least those he considers close) was his smile at Lute as he slowly lost his life in the arms of the exterminating angel who cried seeing him dying. (I cried so much at this scene 😭)

Adam is a sexist character, I can't deny that, but man, he's the first man, no one ever told him what was right and wrong, they always let him do what he wanted from the beginning of his creation, and even in heaven, but now he had Sera to put him in his place at least when she was around.

I might just be taking a shot in the dark or looking for something good in what isn't there, but that's how I think about Adam, so please let me have this, let me see there's still some good there.

• Adam has a chubby body (like a dad body)

Okay, this one took me a while to think about, because a lot of people draw him thin and we never see him without his tunic, which left me quite confused, but after analyzing some scenes and discovering he was made based on his voice actor (Alex Brightman) I had no more doubts.

In these scenes every time he is squeezed his belly ends up being marked and you can clearly see that he is a little chubby. I know there was that scene with Lilith at the beginning that shows him skinny, but let's face it guys, you can see from his scenes in heaven that he eats a lot, do you really think he wouldn't gain a little weight?

And even Lucifer during the fight in hell against him told Adam that he had really let himself go, kind of like he was different before when he was in the garden of Eden.

Honestly, I don't know why people try to say he's skinny, the fanarts are really beautiful and stuff, but come on, don't you think a chubby Adam would make more sense? I'm not saying this because I love chubby men (I think they're incredibly cute and it makes me want to hug them 😫💗) but I don't know, I just think that with all of his diet, which isn't the best, it made him gain a little weight in the meantime.

• He felt bad about being the only human in heaven

This is because of an art I saw on Pinterest and it made me reflect on it. Like, when he got to heaven he was the only one with human appearance, all other angels and winners (human souls who reach heaven) had different appearances, such as animal appearances, for example Molly, Angel Dust's sister, who is a spider.

So I think he may have made that mask with horns to feel more integrated into that society and less different.

•Adam plays guitar when he's feeling bad (sad, distressed, stuff like that)

I imagine that whenever Adam is feeling sad, distressed or even stressed, he goes somewhere alone and plays his guitar in calm chords expressing what he feels through the melody played, it would be calm notes but full of feelings, his black gloved fingers hitting the strings while all there is in the place are just him, his guitar and his mind, and no one else to see him like that.

I think that whenever he remembers Lilith and Eva's betrayals, he feels at least a little bad, and then playing his guitar stops and takes away all that bad feeling in his chest, even if it just goes away temporarily.

I imagine the following scenario, late afternoon almost dusk as the cotton white clouds take on a yellowish tone as the sun slowly sets bringing the night with it, while the sun brought the night with it, in Adam's chest that bitter feeling grew as memories knocked on the door again, leaving him more moody than usual, making him fly away from the city with his guitar to sit on the golden gates of heaven and as he plays the guitar calmly emptying that feeling from his chest so that the next day he pretends that nothing happened, but he knows, he knows that that will forever be stuck in his mind.

• He's not as popular as he says he is

Going back to that topic I said about him hiding behind a false narcissistic personality and high ego, I think that him being popular is a lie, both sexually and in society, I know, he is the first man and that would make him popular and the fact that he is a guitarist in a band, but think with me, would you like to be in the presence of someone or have relationships with someone who only knows how to curse all the time and talk about himself and how many girls he had sex with over the weekend?

Well, at least I think that everything he says is just stuff to inflate his ego and feel good about himself.

• He likes 80s rock bands

This is just in my head, I feel like Adam would like 80s rock bands like Metallica or Guns N' Roses, maybe even Slipknot, bands in general that have the same type of music that he plays, I also think he enjoys guitar solos like Slash or the solo from the song "Master of puppets".

I also think that his band's style follows the same style as these bands, I don't know, like I said it's just my headcanon.

•Adam has a fear or trauma of apples

This is supposed to be a little funny

This headcanon came to mind when a friend of mine who also knows Hazbin hotel made the joke that Adam is afraid or traumatized by apples because of the whole forbidden fruit of Eden thing and betrayal by Eve.

Imagine, Lute simply eating an apple near him and he freaks out, ripping the apple out of her hands and throwing it away.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

I honestly feel like Adam deserved a chance to change, a chance at redemption, a chance to really be loved and really love, no sex, no divine obligation, just real love.

Well guys that's what I have for now, I'll try to remember more headcanons for a next post, maybe even some +18, but for now that's all I have in my mind.

Thank you so much for reading, kisses in your heart 💗🤘🏻

[eyelessfaces]

heyyyy!! might seem random and I don’t know if you listen to Lana Del Rey at all so feel free to ignore me, but if you do, what are some of her songs that you associate with Oscar’s characters (like Poe, Llewyn, Miguel, Rydal, the Moon boys... whatever, I’m not picky). Love your work btw!

dear anon, you are in luck, you have no idea how much.

I don't listen to lana that much, I do listen to a few songs and appreciate her work but my dear best friend @eatingyouryoung happens to have the oscar + lana brainrot cocktail

when I asked her for help to answer this ask, she happened to have already thought about this and sent me a 5 pages long document she had written about the subject, so there you go:

Llewyn:

In My Feelings

Brooklyn Baby

« Could it be that I fell for another loser

I'm crying while I'm cummin'

Making love while I'm making good money

Sobbin' in my cup of coffee

'Cause I fell for another loser

Get that cigarette smoke out of my face

You've been wasting my time

While you're taking what's mine, with the things that you're doing

Talk that talk, well now they all know your name

And there's no coming back from the place that you came

Baby don't do it

'Cause you got me in my feelings (catch you, it's so much right now)

Talking in my sleep again (you can whistle if you want) »

Rydal:

« Well, my boyfriend's in a band

He plays guitar while I sing Lou Reed

I've got feathers in my hair

I get down to Beat poetry

And my jazz collection's rare

I can play most anything

I'm a Brooklyn baby »

« They say I'm too young to love you

They say I'm too dumb to see

They judge me like a picture book

By the colors, like they forgot to read

I think we're like fire and water

I think we're like the wind and sea

You're burnin' up, I'm coolin' down

You're up, I'm down

You're blind, I see »

California

Lucky Ones

« I shouldn't have done it, but I read it in your letter

You said to a friend that you wish you were doing better

I wanted to call you, but I didn't say a thing

Oh, I'll pick you up

If you come back to America, just hit me up »

« You don't ever have to be stronger than you really are

When you're lying in my arms, and, honey

You don't ever have to act cooler than you think you should

You're brighter than the brightest stars

You're scared to win, scared to lose

I've heard the war was over if you really choose

The one in and around you

You hate the heat, you got the blues

Changing like the weather, oh, that's so like you »

Santiago:

« Boy, get into my car, got a bad desire

You know that we'll never leave if we don't get out now, now, now

You're a careless con and you're a crazy liar, but, baby

Nobody can compare to the way you get down, down, down

I tried so hard to act nice like a lady

You taught me that it was good to be crazy

Every now and then, the stars align

Boy and girl meet by the great design

Could it be that you and me are the lucky ones?

Everybody told me love was blind

Then I saw your face and you blew my mind

Finally, you and me are the lucky ones this time »

On Our Way

Poe:

« Why do I think too much?

You tell me not to worry

Because you're the boss

And you, you got a real good plan

My trouble's all over now

Because you're my man

You don't know what you've done to me

You're heavier than heavenly

Life on the run has set me free, me free now

We're on our way »

Love Song

Miguel:

« Dream a dream, here's a scene

Touch me anywhere 'cause I'm your baby

Grab my waist, don't waste any part

I believe that you see me for who I am

So spill my clothes on the floor of your new car

Is it safe, is it safe to just be who we are? »

Black Beauty

Marc:

« I paint my nails black

I dye my hair a darker shade of brown

'Cause you like your women Spanish, dark, strong and proud

I paint the sky black

You said if you could have your way

You'd make it nighttime all today

So it'd suit the mood with your soul

Oh, what can I do?

Nothing, my sparrow blue

Oh, what can I do?

Life is beautiful, but you don't have a clue

Sun and ocean blue

Their magnificence, it don't make sense to you »

Say Yes to Heaven

Jake:

« If you dance, I'll dance

And if you don't, I'll dance anyway

Give peace a chance

Let the fear you have fall away

I've got my eye on you »

Honeymoon

Steven:

« There are violets in your eyes

There are guns that blaze around you

There are roses in between my thighs

And a fire that surrounds you

It's no wonder every man in town

Had neither fought nor found you

Everything you do is elusive

To even your honey dew »

Prom Song (Gone Wrong)

Nathan:

« Boy, it's late, walk me home, put your hand in mine

At the gate, stop and say, "be my valentine"

You are, by far, the brightest star

I've ever seen, and I never dreamed

I'd be so happy that I could die

You used to say that I was beautiful like Cleopatra

But you the king too, so I would say, "back at ya"

I flip my hair and make you stare and put my makeup on

And make up stories 'bout my life and put on very cherry bomb

And even then, I knew that we were something serious

That you would dominate my thoughts like radio to Sirius »

Pretty When You Cry

Blue:

« All those special times I spent with you, my love

They don't mean shit compared to all your drugs

But I don't really mind, I've got much more than that

Like my memories, I don't need that

I'll wait for you, babe, you don't come through, babe

You never do, babe, that's just what you do

Because I'm pretty when I cry »

Dealer

Jonathan:

« I check it, I wreck it, I turn it around

I gave you all my money, gave you all my money

Gave you all my money, gave you all my money

I don't wanna live

I don't wanna give you nothing

'Cause you never give me nothing back

Why can't you be good for something?

Not one shirt off your back

Why can't you be good for something?

Not one shirt off your back »

Young and Beautiful

Leto:

« Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?

Will you still love me when I got nothing but my aching soul?

I know you will, I know you will, I know that you will

Will you still love me when I'm no longer beautiful?

Dear Lord, when I get to Heaven

Please let me bring my man

When he comes, tell me that you'll let him in

Father, tell me if you can

All that grace, all that body

All that face makes me wanna party

He's my sun, he makes me shine like diamonds »

National Anthem

here you go :))

« I'm your national anthem

God, you're so handsome

Take me to the Hamptons, Bugatti Veyron

He loves to romance 'em, reckless abandon

Holding me for ransom, upper echelon

He says to be cool but, I don't know how yet

Wind in my hair, hand on the back of my neck

I said, "Can we party later on?"

He said, "Yes, yes, yes" »

[poppetsisters]

Now that my rage over the Doomcasting has simmered down, I just wanna gush over the Fantastic Four comi con stuff.

I'm not joking, when I heard that Michael Giacchino was doing the score, I SCREAMED. Not only is he famous for scoring The Incredibles, but he also did Speed Racer from 2008 which, if you haven't heard that score, it is one of the best scores for any film I've seen.

The period accurate footage is such a treat. I figured Matt Shakman's work on Wandavision was going to be indicative of what the Fantastic Four was gonna look like and yet it looks even better. I was nervous that Shakman's lack of feature film experience was gonna be a detriment, but his decades of work on TV gives him amazing instincts for character dynamics, which is one of the most important assets when making a Fantastic Four movie.

A lot of what we saw is pre-vis and may not actually be in the movie, but the retro-future vibe of the movie is perfect. The fact that MCU Fantastic Four is taking place in its own separate pocket away from all the bullshit really helps me feel excited for this movie. For once, the disconnectedness is something I'm EXCITED about, go figure.

Again, because it's pre-vis, not a whole lot of glimpses at The Thing's rocky form, in fact none of the powers were shown off for understandable reasons. I have no worries that The Thing is going to look good. As bad as Fant4stic was, The Thing looked pretty good in that film. Korg also never looked outright bad to me either, and they're probably gonna put more effort into how he looks anyway. Sue's powers are probably gonna be represented well seeing as invisibility is a really easy power to do VFX for. Fire graphics have come a long way as well, and that concept art makes me thing they may take a very stylised approach to his flame effects. Reed however is the one I'm really worried about. The only time stretch powers looked good was The Incredibles 1 and 2, but those were both stylised 3D animated filma. Live action has a much higher bar to clear with a heavy risk of uncanny valley Pedro Pascal. If you can make that man look bad, then you know you fucked up.

The Fantasticar is nice. We had the Dodge in Rise of Silver Surfer and the Bathtub in Deadpool and Wolverine, and though I like the Silver Surfer one (despite the shameless product placement) I get that they wanted a car that looked like a mid-century man's idea of what a flying car looks like. The only think is that I wish it could split apart into four sections, it doesn't look like it can do that. Oh well.

The spacesuits look good, the colours are exactly what I imagined they'd be on the concept art, but I'm waiting for the proper super suits to be shown off. Hopefully they have less interlocking parts and resemble the slightly thick and comfy spandex we saw in the concept art.

It looks like Pedro is keeping the moustache, which normally I'm not a fan of Reed with facial hair, but I also think it gives Reed a sorta Howard Hughes look that helps him blend in with the aesthetics of the world. The grey around the temples is good though, and it seems like he's also doing a transatlantic accent which frankly is very surprising.

I thought that Ebon wasn't doing an accent until I rewatched him during an interview. He appears to be toning down his natural tendency to draw out his A's and E's. It was only two lines of dialogue so I don't know, but what is very apparent is that he's not going for the outrageous brooklyn accent The Thing is legendary for in the comics, but something a little more subtle and believable.

Vanessa Kirby and Joseph Quinn are both different flavors of British, and though Joseph only says one word, it's pretty clear both are foregoing their natural accents. That said, Vanessa's choice of, what I can only guess is a slight mid-western accent, is very interesting. I was not expecting that choice.

They added a subtitle to the movie. Fantastic 4: First Steps. I think they didn't need to add a subtitle, but since they did. I'll just give it a cursory analysis. I think you can derive FOUR meanings from the title: First Steps calls to mind humanity's first steps on the Moon, fitting for a space age tale. First Steps also feels like a good title for their first adventure. First Steps works metatextually as their first steps into the MCU (which isn't technically true with those two cameos in MoM and D&W), but the most important theory I have for First Steps is in relation to a baby's first steps. I think that Franklin is going to be in this movie as a major plot point. Serving what purpose, I'm not sure.

To finish things off, we only get a look at Galactus through a window, so not much I can comment on in terms of appearance, but I'm very happy that it's an actual dude and not shadows within a cosmic cloud. He looks very imposing and I hope we get more perspective shots like that to sell how big this guy is.

[bullet-prooflove]

Lake Tahoe Series - Part One: Black Bear Lodge - Manny x Reader

Part of @storiesofsvu Holiday Bingo! The square was Sledding!

Tagging: @darqchilddaydreamz @crazy4chickennuggets @kmc1989 @withakindheartx @theesirenteller @darqchilddaydreamz @wnbweasley @bonni-98 @skyesthebomb @yezzyyae @delightfulbelieverwerewolf @redpool @trublu2u @fleureeee

Set a few years after End of the Line which ties in to a Hank Loza storyline

It’s at Black Bear Lodge in Lake Tahoe that you meet Manny. He’s sitting at the bar in a white sweater, his thumb chasing over the etchings in the crystal tumbler that he holds in his hand as he studies the amber liquid.

You’ve been sitting here for a couple of hours now, finishing up an article you were writing up on Reed Mather, a tattooist that works out of Lake Monster whose use of bold colouring was proving revolutionary in the field.

It’s the reason you’re up here at this time of year, four days after Christmas. The truth is you have nowhere else to be. You have no family; your friends are all settled, and you can’t stand the idea of another seasonal blind date. The people in your life, they’re well-meaning but they don’t understand that being alone, isn’t the same as being lonely. You enjoy your own company; you’re not looking for a relationship. You enjoy the freedom you have to travel, to explore.

You’ve got another three days booked in the Lodge, you’d splashed out on one of suites with a jetted tub and planned to spend a couple of hours soaking. It’s when you close your laptop that a drink appears in front of you, you pick it up surveying the amber liquid before raising it to your lips and taking a sip.

It’s smoky and warm on your tongue, the heat flowing through your chest as you meet Manny’s gaze across the bar. He smiles before tipping his glass towards you and you smile back.

That’s how it starts this thing between the two of you.

A glass of top shelf whiskey on a Chesterfield couch, laughing so hard that your ribs hurt.

“So, what brings you here?” You ask him, drawing your legs up underneath you. Your arm comes to rest on the back of the couch, the sleeve of your jumper riding up towards your elbow. Manny’s fingertips trail across your bare skin, sending a rush of anticipation chasing through your synapses.

“My daughter.” He says softly, the edges of his mouth turning up into a small smile. “She’s always wanted to go sledding and we don’t get much snow up in Yuma. We went to that place further up, Heavenly Lake.”

“I bet she loved it. I’ve been up there a few times; it turns out I’m terrible at winter sports.” You tell him and he laughs, it’s such a rich, genuine sound, that you feel all the way down to your bones.

“Yea I discovered the same thing.” He confides. “My daughter took to it like she was born to do it. We had a lot of fun together on the sleds but everything else…”

He shakes his head.

“I’m not made for the cold weather. Her mother, my ex, picked her up this afternoon and I’m kinda at a loose end tonight.”

You turn your hand over and his thumb smooths over your underarm, tracing over the tattoo of a laurel wreath on your wrist. The one you you’d gotten after you’d won an award for your photography collection ‘The Ancient Art’ – documenting different tattoo methods throughout the world.

“I know this work.” He says, before his eyes flicker up and meet yours. “Hank Loza out of Santo Padre.”

“He’s done all my tattoos.” You tell him and you see Manny’s interest pique, his gaze straying to the contours of your navy-blue sweater. You imagine his hands straying underneath it, ghosting over the tattoos that decorate your body. He wants to see them, you can tell.

“The Tattoo Journalist.” He recalls, teasing over the leaves etched into your skin. “The two of you used to be a thing.”

“A couple of years ago.” You tell him, watching as his fingertips trail across your palm. “He’s settled now, has two kids with a lovely woman called Maggie.”

His fingers caress yours before they settle within the grooves, entwining. The silver stacker ringers you wear upon your fingers clack against his own.

“No lingering feelings?” He questions and you shake your head with a wry smile.

“He needed someone more present and that just wasn’t me.” You tell him honestly, cradling your glass of whiskey to your chest.

“Ah.” He says, nodding his head in understanding. “That’s the reason my marriage fell apart, I wasn’t very present. I’m a good father, a decent President but a shitty husband. We co-parent and she’ll always be the mother of my child but…”

“Sometimes two people just aren’t right for each other, no matter how much you try to make it work.” You say and he smiles that handsome smile of his before he brings your hand to his mouth.

His gaze is heated when he looks at you, you can see his desire simmering in his eyes as his lips brush over the hollow of your wrist.

“You wanna get out of here?” He murmurs against your skin. “Continue this someplace else.”

“Yea.” You say, setting your glass of whiskey down on the table. “I think I do.”

Love Manny? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[photo1030]

Leather and Lace - Chapter 14: It’s Such a Perfect Day

Summary: You and Arthur go on your first "non-date" date, not even realizing it. *I got the idea for this one listening to Lou Reed's song "Perfect Day".

Just a perfect day You made me forget myself I thought I was someone else Someone good

*This stunning image was found on Pintrest, posted by Gail Hall. Awesome page, check her out. 

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It is late morning and you turn your face up into the warm sunlight, squinting your eyes closed to the bright light. A contented hum escapes your lips as you settle into the languid sway of your horse's gait. It is an almost hypnotic motion, one that is always so comforting to you. Sighing deeply, you eventually open your eyes to look upon the vista stretched out ahead of you as you ride through the countryside. You could never tire of this view. The rolling landscape is lush with the vibrant colors of the fall foliage that has now started to turn for the season. The grasses sway softly with a slight breeze that kicks up every now and again as if Mother Nature was to remind you to stay awake and pay attention to the wonder around you. 

You look over to your right and see your traveling companion following suit. Arthur is not as awe-struck as you are when you're out and about like this, as he is out of camp more often than you. Arthur is used to roaming and sleeping under the night sky, being exposed to the natural elements and such. But even though he is used to it, it doesn't mean that he doesn't appreciate it just the same. Arthur is not one for "city-life" and is more at home in the countryside. He is in his most relaxed state when he's just as he is now:  on his horse, casually riding through the hillsides, with nothing but the clouds in the sky and the occasional squirrels in the trees to keep him company. The only other thing that could make it any more perfect for him when he is out like this is if you are riding alongside with him, just as you are now. You are not together as a couple, yet you both find great comfort in each other's presence, an unspoken "thing" between you. And with that notion, as if he internally knows your mind, he turns to look back at you as well. Meeting each other's gazes, not a word is said between you, and he returns just the smallest grin, but one that makes those lines around his eyes crinkle with happiness.

Today, you and Arthur have spent the morning hunting, trying to stock up on more food and supplies for your group. The task has proven most successful as you have brought down two deer and a handful of pheasant. Along the way, you came across an apple tree that still bore fruit, so you quickly grabbed what you could that wasn't rotten or picked-at by the birds. You even came across a rogue squash vine that was growing along a fence post! (Probably seeded there by either critters or a vegetable tossed to the side like garbage). Elated with your score, you and Arthur head back to camp with more than enough meat and a few sacks of wild fruit and vegetables, even mushrooms, that you've found along the way. At the moment, you are humming and singing your favorite songs off and on as you let Blue wander at his own pace beneath you. You even catch Arthur humming along with you, with a few words being mumbled in there as lyrics as well. The two of you are in such high spirits this morning, but unfortunately, things are about to take a turn. When you get back to the camp, you and Arthur are faced with the wall of negativity that is everyone else's foul mood.

You and Arthur get your horses hitched up and begin to carry the meat and bundles of other food over to the food wagon. As you approach Mr. Pearson to bring him the provisions, you are met with his horrible out-of-tune singing as he fusses about, preparing whatever concoction he's planning for today's meal. It makes you cringe inside a bit, causing your nose to wrinkle with the discomfort to your ears. But Pearson's horrible caterwauling is soon drowned out by the sound of bickering off in the distance. Dutch and Molly are at it again, and everyone can hear the yelling across the camp, even with them enclosed within their tent. Their harsh tones and constant hollering seems to swell by the minute. You and Arthur exchange an uneasy glance amongst yourselves before turning around to head off in the opposite direction if you can, desperate to find reprieve.

But the two of you simultaneously halt where you stand as the off-setting choice in the other direction is not that much better. Off in the remainder of the camp, Ms. Grimshaw is after Tilly once again, the two of them exchanging bitter snaps with each other. To your right, Bill and Lenny are having a heated debate over a game of cards. And although you can only faintly hear them, off to your left, you can see that Abigail and John have gotten into it. And by the way their arms are swinging around, it seems to be a fight that is rivaling the one that Dutch and Molly are having at the same time. Hosea smartly took Jack out for a walk to get away from all of the noise, and Charles is practically hiding up on the hill, working on new arrows. And to complete the sad sight, your eyes land on Uncle, passed-out drunk already under the tree.

Your surroundings are darkly depressing and you suddenly feel very trapped, like arms of oppression are closing in around you. You and your "family" live hard lives, difficult lives, and it is hard to have moments of unadulterated happiness such as the one that you and Arthur shared earlier this morning. Which is why you suddenly feel very defensive about prolonging the lovely mood that not only you are in, but have managed to procure for Arthur as well. This man constantly exudes exhaustion, evidence of it settled deep in his blue eyes at all times. And you were just so pleased that you were able to offer him just a bit of comfort and escape by simply getting him away from the trappings and responsibilities of the camp, even if it was just for a few hours this morning.

As you stand there, you can feel your face pull up in annoyance. You were floating on clouds just moments ago after your morning with Arthur, and now you have come back to this disheartening sight. You sigh deeply, feeling your shoulders dropping by the second. You shift your weight from hip to hip, debating on what to do. Arthur must feel the same way as you, as he has yet to leave your side. In fact, instead of running off and hiding in the safety and seclusion of his tent, his body slowly drifts to move closer to yours, almost as if to shield you from all of this ugliness. "Arthur?" you quietly say his name, fearing that you're about to get swept up in the wave of everyone else's bad temperament. And as you look over, you can see your own misery mirrored in Arthur's face as he stares about at the chaos with a deep scowl quickly setting upon his brow.

"Way ahead of ya, sweetheart," he mumbles. "C'mon," he tugs your elbow to follow him as he abruptly spins on his heels to head back to the horses. You are right behind him, rushing to get back to the hitching post. You and Arthur both walk at a rapid pace and with great purpose in your strides. You don't even have to speak another word to each other as you both quickly get back on your horses and spur out of the camp, desperate to get out before anyone tries to stop either of you.  

Only once the two of you have made your hasty departure and you are out at a safe distance from the camp, does Arthur finally speak up. "So, what do you want to do now?," he asks you as he runs his fingers through his hair before he readjusts his hat upon his head. "We probably got a few hours to kill before all that nonsense back home blows over," he says nodding over his shoulder at the people left behind you.

"Why don’t we go into town?" you suggest. "Maybe skip over to Ourey? I'm sure we can find something to occupy our time there." The newer town of Ourey had popped up when the railroad expanded in from Silverton and the town was quick to build up. For its law-abiding citizens, Ourey provides churches, diners, merchants, and even a new school, while the other side of town hosts numerous saloons and brothels. So it offers a little bit for everyone, as they say, making it a fine choice for you and Arthur to spend your day together.

"Alright, then." His response is simple and agreeable, making you chuckle. Arthur Morgan can be so intimidating and difficult sometimes. Yet other times, he is like a puppy that could follow you around endlessly.

So you head to Ourey, the trip taking about an hour on horseback. The ride over is pleasant, as usual, for you two. You chit-chat about everything as you ride together and enjoy the scenery along the way. Upon arrival, the two of you begin to walk around the busy town, surveying the atmosphere. There seems to be plenty of activity and people milling about today. "Well, this was your idea," Arthur says, turning towards you as he scratches at the stubble on his scarred chin. "What do you want to do while we're here?"

You think a moment, weighing your options. Your eyes fixate on nothing, going into a blank stare and your mouth twists up and your lips pull in on themselves as a result of your deep thought. You rarely get the chance, not only to be out from camp, but to be alone with Arthur, and you don't want to waste such an opportunity. "I don't want to do anything that I don’t want to do," you finally conclude.

Arthur stares at your for a moment, taking in your over-simplified statement. "Well, that narrows things down," he says with a slight snort of derision, pulling his cigarette case out of his satchel and placing one of the smokes between his plump lips.

You roll your eyes at him as you playfully back-hand your forearm into his chest. "Look, I don't care what we do, as long as there’s no laundry tub or pan of dirty dishes involved. There's no one around to tell us what to do for once. So let’s just walk around and do whatever strikes our fancy in the moment," you chirp with a slight shrug of your shoulders.

"Sounds like as good a plan as any," he drawls, shaking out the match as he takes a long drag off of the cigarette as he patiently waits for you to dictate the next move.

You take a moment, spinning about slightly to look around the town. You can hear music playing softly in the distance somewhere. "Sounds like they have a band playing in the square. Why don't we go over there and sit a bit until we figure out what to do, yeah?" you suggest. "Sounds good to me," he agrees and he follows your lead when you tug on his jacket sleeve to follow you.

The two of you amble over to the public square where a small quintet sits under a gazebo and is performing to a moderate-sized crowd. You both find a place in the small grandstand that was built for seating and listen to the music, taking in scene. You don't get much entertainment, living out in the woods as you do. The only music you get to hear is when you and Javier play and sing together, or Dutch fires up his gramophone. 

You and Arthur sit close to each other, contently listening. You even catch him humming and tapping his fingers along to the music at one point. You try to be inconspicuous as you shyly look him over. His tan leather jacket fits him so well, worn-down and broken-in from so much use that it is almost like a second skin to him. The collar of his black shirt that he's wearing underneath pokes out and frames his face nicely. Seeing him so content in this moment of time brings a certain joy to your heart and you shuffle just a bit closer to him, wanting so much to take-in and be a part of his happiness. He doesn't realize how close you have moved to him until he glances down when he feels your leg brush up against his own. Arthur stares at the sight of you being in such close proximity to him for a brief moment before looking up to your face to see you simply smiling back at him. The feeling between you two is electric as you hold each other's gaze for that lingering moment. Its like a force of nature that is inevitable to deny and it drowns out all others as if you two are the only ones in the world. You don't say a word, as nothing needs to be said right now, but simply bump your shoulder into his in acknowledgement.

When you eventually turn your attention back to the musicians, you notice a boy, about twelve years old, walking about the crowd, selling roasted walnuts. He calls out to the people, announcing his goods to sell. Arthur lifts his hand and nods to motion the boy over. "Whatcha got there, kid?" his voice is deep but always soft when he speaks to youngsters.

"Roasted walnuts, sir," says the boy as he hurries over to Arthur, excited to make a sale. "Picked 'em myself. I got salted and candied." The boy is young, but definitely knows how to peddle his wares to a crowd.

"We'll take some of them candied ones," says Arthur as he digs a few coins out of his satchel. Looking at the boy, you notice that his hands are dirty and his clothes a little worse for wear. You imagine that he's doing whatever he can to get money, even selling nuts out of the tree in his yard. But Arthur doesn't call him out on it, but instead treats this boy with respect, just as if he were a professional adult. "Better make it two," Arthur says after thinking a moment, noting just as you are, that this boy probably needs the money just as much, or more, than the two of you do. "The lady here has a sweet tooth", he winks at the boy and he nods in your direction with a grin. The boy's head bobs up and down excitedly at the prospect of doubling his sale and quickly hands over two paper bags with the delicious treat, and gratefully takes the coins out of Arthur's hands in return. Your heart melts as you watch them interact. This man has a heart bigger than he lets on, and you are just so grateful to be a part of his life. The boy gives Arthur a quick "Thanks, mister!" before moving on through the crowd.

"Here you go," says Arthur nonchalantly as if he didn't just do the most adorable thing, in your opinion, and hands you one of the bags. You give him a demure little smile as you take it out of his hands, your fingers glancing across his knuckles as you do, saying "Thank you". You pop a few of the walnut meats into your mouth and savor the delicious notes of sugar, molasses and spices dancing on your palate. Even Arthur lets out a brief and involuntary hum of pleasure as he tosses a handful across his own tongue.

You begin to casually look around the town again and take notice of a particular sign outside of one of the buildings. Upon seeing it, an idea immediately forms in your head and you tap Arthur's leg to get his attention. "Come on, I know what I want to do next!" you exclaim as you stand up with an excited look upon your face. Your sudden movement startles Arthur slightly, and he gives you a confused look as he looks up at you before standing up to follow you. "Jesus, its like walkin' 'round with a little kid," he jokingly mutters to you. You absentmindedly grab his hand with a giggle, tugging him after you. You are too wound up in your plan to think about what you're doing at the moment, but Arthur is quick to take notice your soft fingers wrapped around his meaty bear-paw. He's too fixated on the sight of your hands clasped together to notice where you are dragging him to.

After walking a few yards, you stop in front of a large white brick building, used as the common area for the town. There is a big sign on an A-frame stand in front that reads "ART SHOW". You look up at Arthur with a spirited grin, to which he only gives a questioning lift of his eyebrow. "Really, (Y/N)?" he asks you skeptically. "Yep! Wouldn't hurt to get a little more culture in our lives, Arthur" you snicker, your shoulder pulled up to your chin flirtatiously as you look up at him through your long eyelashes. This slight movement of your body makes him want to do anything and everything that you'd ask of him right now. "Sure", he sighs in resignation. "Let's go get 'cultured'," as he waves his arm in the direction of the building. You let out a slight squeal of excitement and push open the door, Arthur's arm coming up over your head to hold it open for you as he stays close behind.

The two of you step inside the building and its one great hall, open and expansive with large windows to let in plenty of natural light. Scattered about are partitions with various pieces of artwork mounted to them. Your mouth drops a bit in awe and excitement at the sight of it as you take it all in in one sweeping glance. "Good Afternoon, sir...miss," the usher greets you at the door. "Today's display is that of Chicago artist Christopher Palmer. Pieces are for sale as marked. Please, enjoy." And he swings his arm out to usher the two of you in to the room. "Thank you," you reply sweetly, as Arthur simply nods to the man in response as the two of you walk past with Arthur protectively placing his fingers along the small of your back as he falls in step behind you.

You and Arthur wander about the room together, looking at the various pieces of artwork. The pieces are drawings, sketches done in both charcoal and colored pastels. They are of various subjects, covering landscapes and sunsets, but mostly portraits; images of people in a range of states: old and young, smooth-skinned young women with delicate curves, and hardened men with frown lines and piercing eyes.

"You could be in here, you know?" you suggest to Arthur as the two of you stand in front of one of the walls, studying a particular piece.  

"What are you talkin’‘bout?" snorts Arthur, glancing at you slightly in doubt.

"Your drawings. You’re just as good, if not better, than this artist," you flick your wrist at the current sketch in front of you.

"You’re crazy," he dismisses you, turning his attention back to studying the sketch on the wall, his head tilted slightly as he notes the lines and technique of the artwork in front of him.

You eye him up a moment, trying to think of a proper response to his ever self-deprecating comments. "Yeah, you’re probably right. You’re not that good. Really bad, now that I think about it," you tease sarcastically.

"Hey, I’m not that bad." he retorts back at you.

"Yeah, you kinda are, now that I really stop and think about it," you smile mischievously at him.

"Hey, I’m good," Arthur justifies, knowing full-well that you are goading him now and decides to play along.

"Eh," you shrug. "It’s like looking at a toddler's doodling, to be honest," you continue.

Arthur turns fully to you now, giving you a hard stare, to which you simply smile innocently, trying to suppress a laugh. "You’re a brat, you know that?"

"Yep. Most definitely," you agree, tilting your head slightly with a light-hearted giggle as you slip your arm through his to lead him to the next collection on the wall. The two of you continue to casually walk through the room, taking your leisurely time, yet you leave your arm draped over his as you do, like a right and proper couple. Neither of you would admit it to the other, but you are each enjoying the fantasy of pretending. You could've pulled your arm away from his, but you don't. You like the feeling of comfort that the contact brings. Arthur walks with his head held high, a sense of pride radiating off of him. It feels good to have you on his arm, like you belong there. He even catches the glances from a few of the other patrons, an older couple, who observe the two of you with an approving smile. Arthur is genuinely having a nice time here with you. His usual scowl is replaced with a look of contentment, happiness even. He’d never believe it, but he is that much more handsome with a confident bounce in his step.

After you have finished your walk-through of the artwork, Arthur suggests that the two of you continue your day together and go over to one of the saloons for a drink and something to eat. Of course you agree, wanting to extend your day-trip out as long as you can. The walk to the saloon isn't too far from the town hall where you just left the artshow, and it doesn't take you long to get there. There are a few saloons in this town, but you head over to your favorite one.

Upon pushing through the doors  of the bar, you and Arthur take in the crowd, assessing how busy they are today. "I'm going to 'powder my nose'. Go ahead and grab us a table, I'll be right back," you tell Arthur, placing your hand upon his forearm as you give him a big smile before you proceed to walk across the room and towards the hall that leads to the public outhouse in the back. Arthur doesn't say a word, but simply watches you go. His eyes follow your path the entire time, not breaking contact, until you are physically out of his sight. He sighs deeply with a stupid, love-sick grin on his face. Part of him wants to follow you out back and pin you up against the wall of the building and plant a desperate and passionate kiss upon your perfect lips. But no. He's just not there yet. He still can't quite tell if you are just really good friends, or if there is the possibility of more there. But he is in no rush today. As long as you are here with him now, he really doesn't care to what capacity it is.

Arthur saunters over to the bar and places his large hands on the wooden top, catching the barkeep's attention with a slight lift of his chin. The gang has been in this bar quite a few times and you have gotten familiar with this particular bartender. His name is Dave and he's a mild-mannered fellow, but you can tell that he is not a man that you want to anger. He's not as large as Arthur, but he's large enough, with thick arms and a keen eye, and able to quell any fights and such that occasionally pop up in his establishment. If Arthur had to guess, Dave has a past of his own and is using this bar as a way to "go legit". And because of that, Arthur and Dave have a mutual respect whenever Arthur is here.

"What can I get for you today, my friend?" Dave asks Arthur, as he walks over, picking up a rag on his way and gives the bar a quick swipe.

"'Afternoon, Dave," Arthur greets him in return. "Just takin' the day off today with a friend of mine. Can I get a couple of beers and a plate of whatever you got back there?"

"Sure thing. Go ahead and grab a table. I'll get Theresa to bring it over to you," says Dave, nodding to the room of tables and chairs behind Arthur.

"Thank you, kindly," says Arthur, tossing a few coins on the bar with a grin.

He turns around and is about to make his way over to pick out a table in the corner for you and him, when a woman suddenly steps in front of him, blocking his path. His eyes instantly darken in confusion as he is halted in his actions.

"Well my, my, look at you, handsome," the woman purrs to Arthur. "Just where are you off to in such a rush, hmm?" She looks Arthur up and down with a sultry look upon her face. Her face is all done-up with make-up, a little bit too much in over-compensation, and she has a tight-fitting red dress on, one that plunges in the front to accent her amble bosom. The color and the design of the dress leave little to the imagination. Arthur doesn't recognize her, so she must be a fairly new working girl in the saloon.

"Ma'am," Arthur stiffly nods his head to acknowledge her. "I'm just goin' over to catch a seat at one of them tables over there," he tries his best to be polite, clearly not wanting anything to do with this sort of thing, before trying to walk around her and move on. But she is not going to let a prospective job get away so easily. Especially not one as attractive as Arthur. She observed how kindly he treated you when you walked into the saloon together. And she is hoping to not only be able to earn some money today, but to be with someone who also happens to not be an asshole while doing it.

"Oh hey, now, hold on a second," she sings to him, placing her hand on his chest to stop him. "I was thinking you and me could go off and have a little fun together?" she leans in a little closer to Arthur, lifting her eyebrow suggestively. "My name is Marie. What's yours, handsome?" and Marie reaches down and takes ahold of Arthur's wrist, lifting his hand up and begins to play with his fingers seductively.

"None of your business," replies Arthur flatly, trying to push past Marie. But she is quick to keep herself in his path once again, still holding his large hand in her own. And this time, seeing that she isn't making any progress with him, she tries a more daring move, and places Arthur's hand onto her own chest, sitting his palm flat on the soft skin between her collarbone and curvature of her breasts. She then begins to trail her fingers along his arm, as if to entice him into her bidding.

Arthur's eyes shoot open at the shock of such a bold invitation. He stands there motionless, not sure what to do. But the weird tension between them is quickly broken when he hears someone clear their throat with a simple "Ahem". Arthur and Marie both turn their heads to see you standing there, eyebrows raised in question as you observe them, smiling in amusement with your arms crossed over your chest.

Poor Arthur, he looks so uncomfortable. And the look on his face when you've caught him, literally red-handed, is priceless. "(Y/N)! Uh...erm..this isn’t what it looks like," he says awkwardly in his defense to you.

"It looks like you have your hand on that woman’s chest, Arthur," you reply calmly, with a grin that he can't quite read. Are you mad? Do you happen to find this situation comical? But you know how aggressive the working girls can be. And you can tell right away by the expression on his face, that this situation was not of Arthur's prompting.

"Oh, uh, then it is what it looks like, but what it looks like isn’t really what it is," he stammers, desperately trying to make a coherent thought, yet his hand has yet to move, as he is frozen in motion.

"Thank you for clearing that up," you say after making him sweat it out for a brief moment. And you walk away from the two of them, rolling your eyes, as you make your way to one of the tables to sit and wait for your lunch. Arthur awkwardly looks back at Marie, who in fear of getting her ass beat for trying to steal someone else's man, has smartly kept her mouth shut. He looks down at his hand that is still sitting on her chest before quickly snatching it away from her again, a scowl on his face and the dust of a shameful blush crossing his cheeks. "Go on, get outta here," he waves Marie off quietly. And accepting that she's not getting anywhere with this one, Marie gives a slight huff of frustration and quickly moves on to find herself another target.

Arthur slowly makes his way over to the table where you have chosen to sit. You have picked one of the tables in the corner by a window, ironically the one that he was heading to himself, and you are sitting quietly, occupied with fidgeting with your fingernails, until the waitress, Theresa, walks over and places two beers on the table in front of you. You give her an appreciative smile and a gracious 'Thank you', before you take a long gulp of the ale and swipe the edges of your mouth with your fingers, as if nothing is wrong. Arthur sheepishly sits down at the table across from you. "I’m sorry about that," he finally offers to you, not able to make direct eye contact with you.

"For what? I’m not your wife," you chuckle. "You can touch whomever you please," you say nonchalantly with a brief wave of your hand to dismiss the topic before you take another swig from your bottle. "Don't worry about it."

"Yeah but…I don’t want you to think I'm that sort of man," he says in earnest, looking at you fully now, his face laced with concern. He really hopes that he didn't just screw everything up with you with some stupid stunt.

"And what sort is that?" you ask softly, your eyelids blinking slowly as you lean forward on the table, placing your chin in your hand as you meet his gaze.

"The kind that paws at a woman like that," he says, embarrassed that he even has to explain this to you, his face starting to go red again.

"Oh, I know you’re not like that," you reassure him. "That’s one of the reasons why I like you so much," you grin as you reach across the table with your free hand and wrap it around his in comfort. Relief washes over him immediately, and oddly enough, your understanding of him makes Arthur feel even better than he did before.

The day continues on, and after lunch and another round of lively conversation, the two of you leave Ourey and spend the time roaming the land on your horses, enjoying a slow pace, as if time doesn't matter; as if it is just the two of you in the world with no other cares or responsibilities waiting back home for either of you.

 As you take the road to start to head home, Arthur suddenly announces that he is taking you on a little detour. "I got something to show you," he says. "C'mon, this way," and he gives you that twinkle in his eye again over his shoulder.

Intrigued, you spur Blue into a faster canter behind Arthur and Buck to keep up. He takes you down a stray path about thirty minutes off the main trail, heading deeper into the woods and away from the more populated areas. 

As you ride further on, you start to hear water off in the distance. Eventually, the trail leads up to a small lake that the local river feeds into. It is surrounded by a thick ring of trees, tall oaks and wide evergreens, and there is a small waterfall cascading softly off to the side, carrying water in from further up the hillside and cliffs surrounding the area.

You and Arthur both pull your horses to a halt, stopping for a moment to take in the beautiful sight. "Found this place when I was looking for that Wilson bounty a few weeks ago," says Arthur, nodding his head. "Been meaning to bring you up here to show you." He turns to look at you, curious to your reaction. He is hoping that you find it as special as he did the first time that he came across it. But when he sees your jaw drop slightly in awe, he knows the answer to his query.

A huge smile graces your lips. You exchange a look with Arthur before you quickly hop down out of Blue's saddle and walk over the water’s edge. "Would you look at that water!" you say astonished, your hands resting on your hips as you gaze at the lake. Arthur slowly swings his leg over the saddle and climbs down from his own horse. He walks a few steps and absentmindedly rubs the velvety skin of Buck's nose while he watches you. You bend over, reaching down, and trail your fingertips into the cool water, snaking them back and forth and observing how the liquid elegantly ripples. The water catches the sunlight as the sun starts its journey down to the horizon again for the day. The sensation of the water moving between your fingers with a slight rippling sound is mesmerizing. You keep playing like a child, swirling your hand around and around. You could simply pitch forward into that pool and float weightless forever under its current. Then suddenly, you stand, shaking your hand dry. "Let’s go for a swim!" you declare definitively, your eyes wide and an air of excitement in your voice.  

Arthur's face twists with confusion as he is pulled out of his reverie of watching you play with the water. “What?”

"A swim!" you repeat yourself. "You do know how to, don’t you?" you ask teasingly.

“Yeah, of course I do,but…” he replies uneasily, shifting his weight, his boots scratching slightly into the dirt.

"But what?" you cut him off. You're not about to let him off the hook that easily.

"What if someone sees us? Gets the wrong idea?," he suggests, his body fidgeting slightly now with nervousness as his thumbs tuck into his gunbelt.

"No one’s gonna come along out here," you wave dismissively. "And besides, what idea is that?" you ask suggestively, raising your eyebrow at him.

"Well...you know…", he says with a gesture of his hand towards you, his face getting red again.

"Oh, so stealing and shooting people is OK for you, but you frown upon skinny dipping? Is that it?" you fold your arms in challenge, that same devilish smile sitting on your lips.

He sighs in frustration, having the moral debate in his head. Being put in such a precarious situation, he’s not so sure he’d be able to control himself if something were to start between you two. Today has been so perfect. And he really doesn’t want to risk ruining it by doing something stupid or offensive. But, then again, Arthur never can say 'no' to you. And you know it. He hangs his head for a brief moment, hands on his hips, before looking back up at you again. "Alright, fine," he caves, and you clap your hands quickly with a slight hop of excitement in victory.  

You stand there a minute, looking at him expectantly. "Well? Are you going to turn around so I can get undressed or what?" you ask as you spin your finger to indicate for him to look away.

"Oh!…yeah…right," he says, flustered. Arthur turns his back to give you privacy, his hands starting to sweat nervously as he rubs his thumb into the palm of his opposite hand as he waits. His eyes stare straight ahead as he hears the flutter of fabric behind him and tries not to think about that fact that you are stripping down at this very moment right behind him, just mere feet from him. He can hear his own heartbeat in his ears at this point, like thunder rumbling to an oncoming storm. Jesus, what was he thinking bringing you here?

It only takes a few minutes until he hears water splashing and a brief yelp from you the moment that the cool water touches your skin. The feeling of the water brings your senses to life, full-on; from the invigorating temperature, to the way you glide and float as your limbs cut through the natural resistance of the water. You swim out far enough to cover yourself before turning around and calling back to Arthur on the shore. "OK, your turn now!" Arthur turns slowly, eyes searching until they find you out in the water. He stands perfectly still, not saying anything for a moment as he watches the sun dance off the water around you. You remind him of one of those water nymphs or mermaids from Jack's stories. He instantly notices how graceful you neck is, observing how it curves down to meet your now-bare shoulders, round and soft, and already covered in water droplets that dance with sunlight.

"Come on!" you holler even louder this time, trying to urge him into motion. "You said you’d do it too!"

"No, actually I didn’t agree to anything," Arthur replies calmly, a smirk slowly creeping across his face.

"Yes you did!" your eyes go wide, ready to argue. "I said 'Let’s go swimming' and you said 'fine'! Now, get out here, Morgan!!" you demand with a slight playful laugh.

Arthur sighs dramatically with an eye roll to match. "Fine. Are you gonna turn around now?" he challenges back.

Shaking your head at the big man's bashfulness, you spin in the water again. You gaze upon the waterfall while you wait, mesmerized by its water droplets tapping upon the lake's silvery surface as you hear the jingling of Arthur's gunbelt, followed by his belt buckle. God, you so wish you could turn around and sneak a glimpse of him right now. The temptation is so great at the moment that you catch yourself biting your lips a bit in anticipation. A few moments later, after the ruffling of clothing, you hear him getting into the water.

“Ah, geez! Damn, it’s cold!” he complains bitterly.

"Oh, stop it, you baby! It’s not that bad," you giggle, turning your chin slightly over your shoulder as you call to him.

A few moments of slight splashing and then he is making his way over to you in the water. "Alright, you can turn around now," he says. When you circle back around, waving your arms around in the water to turn yourself, you see Arthur swimming towards you, his chest bobbing in and out from under the water as he gets closer.

"There, you happy now?" he asks in an exaggerated pout.

"Yes, Mr. Morgan, you have made me quite happy," you smile back at him triumphantly.

"Well, that’s good to hear," he says with just a touch of sarcasm and a smile of his own mirroring back at you.

The two of you swim about and splash around for a bit. The water is cool and refreshing as it caresses your skin. The weightlessness of the liquid allows you both a unique opportunity of relaxation that only being submerged in water can offer. The air around the lake is quiet and still, the only sound is the water rippling around you, mixed with the occasional snort of laughter and mischievous conversation between the two of you. You are so thankful that it is just you and Arthur right now; that there is no one else around to dampen your spirits and ruin a perfect moment with their own drama.

It is quite fortuitous that you decided to wear your hair down and unbound today, as you simply cannot resist the urge to get your hair wet. At one point, you tip your head back, allowing the water to encompass your hair, the sensation soothing your scalp. You involuntarily let out an exhale of pure joy.  Arthur observes how such a simple thing can make you so content, and its the most beautiful thing that he's ever seen. His eyes glide down over your neck and on down to your collarbone, relishing the sight of your exposed skin, what little he can see. He watches as you raise your arms up to run your hands through your hair and then down again to fan out across the water's surface as you float there; an angel spreading its wings. Arthur swears his heart is about to burst right here and now within his chest. And then, it dawns on him that now is just as good a time as any to tell you what he's been practicing in his head for a long time now.

"Listen, (Y/N)," he says, catching your attention as you level your head again to meet his eyes. Arthur takes a deep breath. "There’s something I-“

"Oh my God Arthur, look!" you interrupt him suddenly with a shocked look upon your face as you point over his shoulder at the shore behind him. Confused, Arthur quickly spins around in the water to follow your line of sight and there he sees the object of your distraction. A couple of pudgy, rambunctious brown bear cubs have come bumbling out of the woods and down to the water to play. They do not notice you and Arthur and, therefore, pay you no mind. But eventually, a slowly ambling momma bear comes up behind her cubs to keep a careful eye on her offspring. The two little cubs are walking along the small beach, sniffing about, and begin to nose around your discarded clothing that they have found.

It is an awesome sight to see, but it doesn't take long before you realize the danger that you are now in. At best, you and Arthur are trapped, naked, in the water. Worst case scenario, that momma bear sees you and decides that you are a threat to her babes. You are suddenly thankful that you decided to let the horses wander untethered, safely away from this predator. You turn your head about quickly to check on them and can see the horses safely grazing off in the distance in the field adjacent to the beach.

"Arthur?" you whisper his name uneasily, swimming closer to him, your eyes never leaving the bears.

"It’s OK," he says quietly, slowly stretching his arm out to protectively move you behind him, yet keeping his steel-blue eyes keenly fixed on the shore as well. "Just stay quiet and as long as we make no advance towards the cubs we should be alright." You simply nod your head silently, obeying his instructions, yet watching the animals carefully.

You and Arthur sit motionless in the water, carefully watching the bear family move about. The adrenaline that courses through your veins is both terrifying and almost exhilarating at the same time. You both just pray that the momma stays calm. The bears sniff around curiously for about twenty minutes before they decide to slowly move on. Fortunately for you and Arthur, there is no commotion or problem from them at all. They are simply out scrounging for food before retiring for the evening. As you watch them make their way into the woods again, you slowly roll your eyes back into your head in relief. Once the bears are out of sight, you lean in closer to Arthur and whisper, "I think it’s time to go."

"I wholly agree," he nods. "I’ll go first, make sure it’s clear, and then you come on out," he says quietly over his shoulder, still wanting to keep his movements slow and calculated.  

"OK, but be careful!" you warn in a hushed tone, concern lacing across your eyebrows as you watch him start wading back to the beach.  

As he gets close to shore, Arthur is about to stand up and suddenly remembers that he’s still naked. “Turn around again!” he waves back at you as you still wait back in the depth of the water.

"But what if you get mauled by a bear?!" you ask, alarmed at the thought of letting Arthur out of your sight for even a second.

“Woman, if I get mauled by a bear, what in the hell are you going to do about it?!” he reminds you exasperatedly, looking at you like you're crazy.

"Oh...right...good point. OK," you say awkwardly, realizing how ridiculous you sound, before you spin around again, allowing Arthur to proceed to shore in discretion.

The man cautiously emerges from the water, looking left and right for any sign of the bears again, as he makes his way to your pile of clothes. He grabs a rag out of his satchel and hastily dries himself off before getting dressed in at least his union suit and jeans. He swipes his hands together, one across the other nervously, as he looks around for any lingering sign of the bears, before deciding that you are out of harm's way.

"Alright, you’re safe to come out," he calls out to the water to you and waves you in, as he spins around for you, now, to make your way to the beach as well.

Quickly, you swim to the shore and once out of the water, you snatch up the bit of cloth Arthur used to dry himself with before you, and start to get dressed, hastily pulling your loose blouse over your head first before fumbling with your skirt.

"I can not believe that just happened!" you say with a chuckle, totally amazed as your fingers work to retie the lacing of your skirt.

But Arthur is less than impressed at the moment as he turns to finish getting dressed. "It’s always something with you, isn’t it?" he asks, rolling his eyes with a huff, shoving his arms through the sleeves of his shirt.

"Oh, come on, now, we’ve had a wonderful day today, Arthur. And you have to admit, seeing those bears was pretty amazing, right?!" Your arms are outstretched emphatically towards him, holding your palms up to accent your point as your face lights up with excitement, so full of life.

“Sure”, he deadpans as he secures his gun belt.

"Oh, come on, Arthur," you whine again. "Don’t be like that…please?" 

Arthur just simply can't get over you. You could have been mauled by a bear, and left to float in the lake, naked, for the fish to eat. Yet here you are, thinking that this was an 'amazing experience'.

And he simply chuckles in disbelief, as he gives you a reluctant smile and shakes his head at the very wonder of you. "Yeah, OK. If we can manage to get back to camp in one piece today, I’ll admit, it’s been a perfect day."

A/N:  OK, so for those who have been following this storyline, we are finally coming to the big moment that my slow-burn has been building to. The next “chapter” will be “Feelings Revealed”. Super excited, as I have been working on that one for almost a year now. I do have an “ask” that I am going to write first (so excited, its my first “ask” ever!) but then on to the “main event”. Stay tuned...

[alliluyevas]

On the subject of Mormon republican leanings and also my old friend Nikita Khrushchev. Let's take a break for a rare moment of combined Mormonposting and Sovietposting.

Here's Nikita Khrushchev petting a cow during his iconic 1959 visit to the United States. The balding gentleman with the dark suit and glasses standing next to him is LDS Apostle Ezra Taft Benson, who was also serving as Eisenhower's Secretary of Agriculture at the time. ETB was what I will academically refer to as an ardent anti-communist and what I might more pejoratively term a right-wing weirdo. He considered running for president as a John-Birch-society-sponsored third-party candidate with Strom Thurmond as VP in advance of the 1968 election, and then after that fell apart George Wallace asked him to be his VP candidate but LDS prophet David McKay basically forced ETB to say no, to give some idea of his political persuasion.

ETB was not keen on Khrushchev and felt that it was a mistake to invite him to the US at all, but his son Reed apparently took advantage of a car ride with a captive-audience Khrushchev to proselytize to him for forty-five minutes (though apparently Khrushchev argued back!) and later sent him and his family six copies of the Book of Mormon.