#so expect to see some of it in the future

[suspicioustoads]

I don't often get sappy on my bones-and-toads blog, but humour me for a moment.

My dad is really cool. Total badass, highly creative, mastermind with a camera, and the primary source of my twisted humour. He also a heart that should have killed him by age 10, if not sooner.

Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries. CCTGA for short. In your heart you have two main arteries that carry blood to and from the heart. In a healthy heart, the left heart chamber sends blood shooting through the artery out to the entire body. The right chamber only has to pump blood a short distance, to the lungs. Because the left ventricle's job is to send blood throughout the body, that artery is stronger. The right ventricle's job's job is to send blood just to the lungs, making the right artery weaker. It doesn't need to work as hard, so why would it? Now switch them. The weaker artery has to shoot blood throughout the body while the stronger one can take it easy, shooting blood only to the lungs. Basically, his heart is backwards.

The funny thing about the human body is that it has a habit of just making things work. Twisted heart? No biggie, lets rewire some things and we're good to go. And we are good to go, but only for a certain amount of time.

He had his first heart attack at 10. In the pool too, which out of all the places you want to have a heart attack, that's pretty low on the list. He got his first pacemaker shortly after. Fascinating pieces of technology, pacemakers. It's effectively a tiny battery that monitors your heartrate and sends little electrical zaps when your heartbeat gets too low. When your heartrate gets too high, it reins things in. Pacemakers don't come without their limitations and do need replacements every so often, but it keeps your heart going.

I didn't expect he'd be here to see me graduate high school. I didn't think my dad would be around to see me walk the stage and accept my diploma or my degree. I still worry he won't be around for future major milestones. But he's here now. He's here to go on photo outings with me, to paddleboard across a lake and complain about boaters speeding past us, to watch Star Trek for the millionth time like it's the first time we've ever seen it, he's still here. His heart is still going because a group of people armed with knowledge, technology, and sheer fucking determination said "we are going to fix this" and they did.

Things are bad, yeah. But we can turn that into good. We have, and we will, keep turning bad things into good things.

Blink, motherfucker.

yes, things are bad right now. some even say it's irreparable. it's hard to imagine a world that is better with such crushing evil everywhere.

but I need you all to remember that we live in an age of miracles, too.

about three weeks ago, my dad almost died. he had a brain aneurysm rupture at 2 in the morning. if he had not been staying at his girlfriend's home, he very likely would have died. as it was, he ended up at the hospital very quickly. the neurology team diagnosed the problem and placed a drain tube in his head to moderate pressure while they formulated a strategy for the impending surgery. the day after, they placed scaffolding inside the broken blood vessel. they kept him on certain medications for several weeks to ensure he healed properly.

twenty years ago, my dad would have come out of this ordeal with at least minor —more likely moderate to severe— brain damage. he could have lost the ability to walk, or see, or speak, or remember anything for longer than ten minutes.

yesterday we shared some jokes about terrible hospital food and then he walked out of the hospital on his own two legs.

it's going to take more time for him to fully recover. he lost a lot of weight. he's still in some amount of pain. but he is here, whole, with a life expectancy of twenty to thirty more years.

yes, it is probable that a large part of his incredible recovery is due to sheer luck, and his natural physical resilience. but an even larger part is the fact that a team of highly trained, highly skilled people, armed with modern knowledge and technology, saved his life.

we live in an age of miracles, and I don't mean the divine type of miracle. every day, millions of human beings across our planet dedicate their waking hours to beating back the four horsemen their damn selves. and it is working. all of human history is defined by those who chose to look Old Grim himself straight in the eye and say: "I am smarter than you, I am faster than you, I am stronger than you, and I will not stop until you loosen your grip on all of us. Blink, motherfucker."

And by force of will, they make him fucking blink.

yes, things are bad. but don't you dare forget the good we can do.

[tokoyamisstuff]

Hwang In-ho x gn Circle Guard! Reader

Why did it take 6 months until the Frontman gave 222's baby to his brother?

just a quick drabble from the top of my head, idk it's 2am leave me alone

"Take off your mask."

A shaky breath escapes your lips while doing as you were told, sweat still dripping from your forehead from earier labour.

Now that the games have ended and the protocol for erasing all evidence has been completed, you assumed it was about time for the usual: One last, passionate moment spent together before you and your superior would part ways for yet another year.

Almost automatically, you fondle with the zipper of your suit, about to present yourself for him like so many times before.

"No" he stops you immediately, raising his hand in a rather appeasing than commanding manner. "Don't."

Before you could even react, the man turned around, fondling with a piece of furniture you didn't recognize despite being invited to his quarters on the regulary.

And then, out of the black box no one would assume was a bassinet, he took the last thing you'd expect to see ever again.

"Is that-"

"Yes, it is" he answers the obvious, beckoning you over while cradling the newborn in his arms with a tenderness you weren't aware he was capable of.

For a while the two of you would remain like this, standing besides each other as you undeservingly watched in awe of this peaceful innocence born in the midst of sin and despair.

In-ho observes intently how your eyes light up when the baby's little fingers wrap around yours, feeling the corners of his mouth etch into a smile he had long since forsaken.

Many questions were burning on your tongue, most of them concerning the child's future, but also about the Frontman himself that remained an enigma to you even after all those years. Because as intimate as your relationship was, it was also strictly physical, and in all other aspects he prefered to keep a 'professional' distance.

"Did you ever want to have children?"

You blink up at him like a deer in the headlights, unsure whether it was a trick question. After all, he was never interested in your thoughts, or feelings in particular.

"I heard you volunteered to feed her" he inquires further, gently wrapping a blanket around the baby after placing it back into the bed.

Sure, you weren't opposed to the idea itself, but with the circumstances your life had developed, you never truly allowed yourself to even consider it.

"I'm a murderer" you state matter-of-factly, facing downwards in a mixture of shame and bewilderment. "I shouldn't involve myself with anyone."

"Same goes for me" he retorts in his usual callous tone, standing so close that the back of your hand barely touches his. "But I was told to deal with the baby as I see fit."

"So...have you decided yet what to do with it?"

The Frontman's features always seemed as much of a mask as the angular black shapes of his attire, although right now a hint of melancholy slipped right through. "I...have someone in mind. But not yet, not while it's still so dependent."

Before you could even think of a possible answer to continue the conversation, you felt his fingers intertwine with yours, eyes still locked on the baby stirring contently in it's sleep.

"You still live alone, right?" You nod. It's not a question, it's a fact. He knows even the most trivial details about your life outside of this job, and unbeknownst to you he's way more involved than he should be.

In-ho remains silent, chooses not to reveal what's going on in the inside, about how the current games reopened old wounds and got him to question simply everything.

"Just a few months" he squeezes your hand ever so slightly, gaze darting between you and the newborn with a fondness that almost startled you. "I need to settle some other things, so...I could use some help caring for the child."

It sounds like he tries to convince only himself, for the power imbalance between you two made that proposition more order than offer anyways.

Still, here was method to his madness, well aware that you both would inevitably taint this symbol of hope shall you get too attached for too long.

In-ho leans to your height, planting a lingering hiss to your temple before resting his forehead against yours. You crack a meek smile, since this brief imitation of normalcry was the first thing worth looking forwards to in an eternity.

"Alright, then let's...try to enjoy this while it lasts."

[baileypie-writes]

Hi! Little nervous to request but I read your rules so I’m hoping this all is good! May I request a Baby Saja x reader fluffy alphabet? Thank you for taking the time to read this request!

A/N ~ Hello there! Thanks for your lovely request! I’m happy to fulfill it! Also, there isn’t much info about Baby, so all of this is just my personal headcanons of his character. Hope you enjoy!

Baby Saja Fluff Alphabet

Fandom: KPop Demon Hunters Fanfic Type: Alphabet Reader: Gender neutral Relationship: Romantic Genre: Fluff Word Count: 2,151 Warnings: Possibly OOC Baby, Baby being a brat, mentions or arguments, mentions of giving up the relationship

A - Activities(What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?)

I see Baby as a pretty lazy guy. He doesn’t like putting much effort or energy into anything other than his performances. He likes his down time. So he prefers just lying around with you. Whether it be watching a movie or scrolling on your phones— as long as he can lounge around, he’s down.

B - Beauty(What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?)

He doesn’t focus a lot on physical appearances. But he does like being held by you. He loves when you run your hands through his fluffy teal hair, or when you cup his face in your hands to give him a kiss. So if he had to choose, it’d be your hands.

C - Comfort(How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?)

Compared to the other Saja Boys members, Baby probably has the least amount of understanding— or even care— about others’ emotions. Though of course, being your boyfriend, you’re different.

While he still doesn’t understand your emotions, he’ll try to help you feel better. His attempts are… peculiar. For example, he’ll show you a funny meme to try and get you to laugh. Though when that obviously doesn’t work, he tries a different approach.

Cuddles and kisses are what finally does the trick. It’s hard not to smile when someone with such a sweet face is smothering you with affection.

D - Dreams(How do they picture their future with their s/o?)

He has everything he could possibly want in his life. Fame, money and a great partner. He’s 100% content. His idea for the future is just doing what you’re already doing.

E - Equal(Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?)

This is a difficult thing to come to a conclusion with. On one hand, he likes to make the decisions, since he doesn’t like being told what to do. But on the other hand, he likes having things done for him— being babied, if you will. I’m gonna label him as dominant though, because that’s how he thinks of himself. 

F - Fight(Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?)

Baby is very difficult to argue with. While he doesn’t shout a whole bunch, he’s extremely bratty and stubborn. No matter how much you attempt to get him to see your point of view, your words seem to go through one ear and out the other. His own words are sharp and hurtful. You end up having to give up after not getting anywhere.

After some time apart, he grows tired and anxious from the lack of attention. He tries to casually wiggle his way back to you without properly apologizing. But if you’re firm enough, you can get one out of him. Not without an attitude though.

G - Gratitude(How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?)

He’s an ungrateful brat. He expects things to be done for him without giving anything in return. Everything you do goes unnoticed, because it’s what he’s used to.

Although, when he goes without your support for even a day, he finally realizes just how much he’s been pampered. In fear of not losing your love again, he begins thanking you for all that you do. It’s not anything grand. Just a flat “Thanks babe.” without looking away from what he’s doing. But it’s enough for you to notice.

H - Honesty(Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?)

Other than the fact he’s a literal demon, as well as his past life, Baby doesn’t really have anything to hide.

He’s not even super secretive about the demon thing. The only thing keeping him from telling you is Gwi-Ma. If given his master’s permission, his secret would be revealed.

I - Inspiration(Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?)

Baby doesn’t like being bossed around by Gwi-Ma. So if you offered an alternative, he’d leave his demon ways behind in order to live a more comfortable life.

Also, if you’re up for a challenge, you just might be able to get him to be less of a brat. But it takes a lot of work.

J - Jealousy(Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?)

Baby doesn’t like sharing, and that includes your attention. So jealousy is something he feels very strongly.

Due to his fame, it’s easy to get someone away from you. He’ll swing an arm around you with his signature cheeky smile plastered on his face. A “They’re with me.” falls from his lips, confidence and attitude so thick, you could almost see it. If that doesn’t work, security is called.

K - Kiss(Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?)

He’s a pretty good kisser. He’s blessed with soft lips that feel nice against yours.

The first kiss with Baby was him being the menace that he is. He wanted to mess with you, just for the fun of it. So what better way to get a reaction out of you than to give you a kiss?

He was super nonchalant about it— acting like it was something he always did. This only fueled your reaction— just what he wanted.

L - Love Confession(How would they confess to their s/o?)

Baby does absolutely nothing when he realizes his feelings for you. He didn’t care enough to play around with possibly one-sided romantic feelings. However, once it dawned on him that you felt the same way, he figured that he might as well mess with you.

Playful flirting is something he’s good at, and he knows it. And the worst part about it is that it’s the kind of flirting where you can’t quite tell if it’s supposed to be flirting or not. It drives you crazy. But once you build up the courage to confront him about it, that’s when he admits his feelings— rather casually, like you’re having a normal conversation. But the pink blush on his fair, soft cheeks give him away— he’s definitely down bad for you.

M - Marriage(Do they want to get married? How do they propose?)

He honestly couldn’t care less about marriage. He finds weddings a waste of time, effort and money. If you really wanted to tie the knot, he’d rather elope. Running away with his lover is much better than a boring ceremony, in his opinion.

N - Nicknames(What do they call their s/o?)

Baby only really calls you nicknames to annoy you. He comes up with the most ridiculous, sappy ones— the ones that cause you to cringe the moment they roll off his tongue.

The nickname that he uses in a non-satirical way is “Babe”. It’s classic, and comes to him naturally.

O - On Cloud Nine(What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?)

For the most part, his feelings are pretty unnoticeable. One of his main talents is maintaining a cool demeanor no matter the situation, and it’s no different when he’s in love.

Although, his bandmates do end up noticing how much time he spends with you. Offstage, Baby doesn’t give anything or anyone his attention unless he’s really interested. And there he was, acting all “friendly” with you— well, as friendly as he could get. So they figured something was up with him.

P - PDA(Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?)

If you’re okay with your relationship being public, he does not shut up about you. He brags nonstop, knowing it’ll make his bandmates and fans jealous. And that’s exactly what he wants. It’s hilarious to him how much people care about his love life.

When it comes to PDA, he’s pretty open to it. He likes leaning on you, wrapping an arm around you and— if you’re strong enough— being carried on your back. He also likes giving you kisses just to see your reaction.

Q - Quirk(Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship)

His fame is an obvious one. So instead, I’ll focus on his sharp tongue. 

This isn’t just about his rapping skills. He can come up with the most insane comebacks in such a short amount of time. If you’re in any sort of altercation with someone, he can end it with one sentence, leaving the person you were arguing with completely dumbfounded.

R - Romance(How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?)

Baby wants to look cool 24/7, even to his significant other. So he’d rather die a second time than do anything sappy and cliché.

Instead, he focuses on the small things. Buying you something because it made him think of you, bringing your favorite snacks when he comes over and even sending you memes with the caption “us”. To anyone else, they might not seem all that romantic. But to the both of you, they’re pure acts of love.

S - Support(Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?)

As long as they’re realistic goals, sure, he believes you can do it. Though, he doesn’t exactly help a whole lot for you to achieve them. He’s far too lazy for that. So unless it’s something he can do from the comfort of his own home, you’re kinda on your own. 

T - Thrill(Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?)

Baby’s a mix of both.

He likes not having to plan for anything— only relying on things you’ve done in the past. But at the same time, he gets bored after a while. So something new every once in a while is good enough for him.

U - Understanding(How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?)

He has a pretty good understanding of your emotions. He knows how to tell what you’re feeling, even if you think you’re hiding it well. He’s memorized your habits, interests and hobbies as well. 

Empathy is not something he has a lot of. As mentioned before, he doesn’t really care about other people’s feelings. That being said, he still doesn’t like seeing you upset. He’d much rather see you happy. 

V - Value(How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?)

Fame isn’t exactly something that Baby needs in his life. Sure, he likes the attention. But it’s also just a lot of effort. It causes a lot of inconveniences as well. So if given the choice of giving up you or his fame, I feel there’s a good chance he’d throw his fame away.

W - Wild Card(A random fluff headcanon)

He’d never admit this, but he enjoys matching outfits with you. He’ll ask to pick out your clothes for the day, then choose something suspiciously similar to his own. 

X - XOXO(Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?)

Baby loves to give cuddles. But not the sweet kind— the annoying kind.

His limbs will be entangled in your own, and he’ll rarely unravel himself for anything. You can’t get anything done without him practically breathing down your neck, since he refuses to let go of you.

Kisses from him are mostly to surprise you, to get in your way or to try to get out of trouble. They’re almost never actually innocent.

Y - Yearning(How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?)

Baby truly believes that he’d be completely fine without your presence. He’s tougher than he looks. But he certainly lives up to his name when he’s away from the person he’s bonded so closely with.

Everyone notices how irritable he becomes while you’re gone. It seems that nearly everything makes him snap. The cause of his attitude is clear— especially with seeing how his face lights up when you call or message him. Funny enough, he keeps up his cool demeanor while talking to you— as if your absence has no effect on him.

Z - Zeal(Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind?)

Due to how lazy he is, there are definitely limits to how much he’d go through to save your relationship. But that’s not to say he wouldn’t regret it. If he had to say goodbye, he’d never be the same again. It’d plague him forever.  

Dividers by @sweetmelodygraphics

~~baileypie-writes

[theladybrownstarot]

Pick-A-Card : Your future - Self's messages for getting into a relationship [TIMELESS]

Masterlist

Donation

Paid-Readings

Pile 1.

Namaste pile 1 ! Let's get with your reading :

Your future self is telling me that you have a tendency to become quite aggressive and competitive in your relationship, which is not good for you and your partner. Apart from this, I really see that as a lover, you are someone who would go sea and beyond for your loved ones to protect them. When they need you most, there is no point if you let your ego and aggression come here. For some of you, you need to stop running away from love and let it come towards you. You need to clearly work on these if you want to attract relationships that can make you happy. Although I can see you have worked a lot on many things, and I really appreciate you for that. You need to stop expecting a lot from your relationships. I know that you're not delusional, but you keep a lot of expectations, which may burden your partner, so go without any expectation, but let there be equal give and take. Your future spouse may be a foreigner or may have some different background than yours, but whatever it is, they live far away from you, and most of you may connect through the internet by any means or through some travel purpose. You people must have been with young guys/girls when it comes to dating, but if you don't like it, then darling, somewhere it's possible your future spouse is younger than you by a year or two or months. You may get a proposal within months after you see this reading, but only when you believe you are changing yourself on these things, even if you come back again reading it. Your future self says that you need to take care of your total well-being before getting into a relationship. You should meditate, do breathwork, do yoga, or do color therapy too. For those who may have a crush, they are not the one for you because it's not the right time and you know less about it. You too need to reflect on what specifically you need from a relationship because most of your needs are from your past experiences, not on current or future ones. You may have Mars in Aries, Moon in Libra, Venus in Sagittarius/Taurus, or fire dominant. Basically your ascendant may have a fire degree and the rest I see water signs here too—Scorpio, Cancer, and Pisces.

If you would like to have your personalised readings than dm me personally ! You may even donate encouraging me up 🦋

Pile 2.

Namaste pile 2 ! Let's get with your reading :

Your future Self is telling me that you are sharp minded , practical , but at times you may get rude and cold towards your partner when in a relationship. You may have extremely high standards, but surely you too are someone who is working hard for yourself of course , you will want someone of your level But this is not quite possible easily or you may not get one so the message it to Basically , lower your standards and change your thinking or perception of the guy or the girl you want in your life because in search of getting very high you may end up loosing what you could had. You are quite Stubborn in nature and insecure when You get into a relationship , which is something you need to work upon . You may too have the tendency to question, doubt or get easily scared in your relationship which clearly states either you have slow Self-esteem or you vision the person with you less than what you are which I don't wanna say but is quite toxic from your side but it's okay completely because you can work on it surely . You may too have the nature of controlling and dominating your partner Not letting them have their opinions or freedom in decision mostly wanting things to go in your way . Your future self is telling me that you really need to work on your way of expression like expressing your concern by communicating more with who is with you so there is no misunderstanding , also do you cry alone ? Please don't do that because for someone it may seem that after a fight or disagreement you are not affected like your partner is . You need to walk on this thing where you always hold onto your past or others mistake Because you will be unable to move on and forgive someone or your partner without giving a chance or space of improvement . Do not view or all the time see your relationships with anyone based on your past - heal from it and move on . After you work on these things you immediately attract your dreamt relationship but before that you may attract some money related opportunity before meeting your one and than starts happy changes which are big one ! Some people may have moon in Saggitaurus, air signs in top 3 or may have air and fire signs mix too and Mars in gemini.

If you would like to have your personalised readings than dm me personally ! You may even donate encouraging me up 🦋

Pile 3.

Namaste pile 3 ! Let's get with your reading :

Your future self tells me that often when you get into a relationship with anyone, whether it be your first or any, it comes on, and there is a tendency for things to go quite fast,which needs to be slowed down. There's a rush of things either from your side or the person's. Apart from this, I am getting a message that your insecurities, which are personally rooted in major past experiences, come to the surface level when you are in a relationship, and all these insecurities are related to your suppressed conscious and unconscious mind. Even if not, you need to work on your healing, basically healing your perception about yourself and the way you see things while being with someone. You may also have difficulty in making decisions when you are in a relationship, also in general, because of some confusion that is always there in your mind. There is often a hesitation while expressing your emotions from a deep level. Let me tell you that your healing will be completed with others by knowing and expressing with them. You need to find out and discern who and what is good or bad for you, plus how you can deal with it without affecting yourself. For those who were testing a relationship, this is good news: you will be soon attracting it from 9 weeks to 9 months, and for others, manifestation can be a good way to attract a relationship by also being grateful and happy from the inside, changing yourself, and increasing your vibration and energy to the level where you are attracting a kind of your own. Your emotions are really powerful because what you will feel is what you will attract. You need to forgive and accept your past so you can move on to some new energy, increasing your aura. Make yourself more aware of yourself and take control of things, and then give the control to someone else or your circumstances. You need to bring a bit of confidence and creativity, which will spark magic in your positive thoughts, affirmations, and visualizations. This is a simple message for you: do not always rely on luck and take responsibility for your actions because luck is in your favor from now on. Do not hesitate if you need the help of other people because it's okay, okay? Because also I told you that you will need collective healing, which will involve people and you. A strong no for any relationship you want to go for right now because I have told you you will make one for you rather than chasing one. Reveal your inner self, and also, along with time, the physical mysteries of your life will reveal themselves with each encouraging step you take. You may have strong Piscean energy in you or water, Jupiter, Neptune, or Jupiter in Pisces or a fire sign and Mercury, or it could be in an earth sign.

If you would like to have your personalised readings than dm me personally ! You may even donate encouraging me up 🦋

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❝Thanks a lot for reading this pac and I hope you found it useful by any ways possible. Do support please by like , rebloggs and follow and if possible by purchasing or donating too 🌸🦋 till than bye see you in the next reading !❞

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©️ theladybrownstarot 2025 all rights reserved . I do not consent my work to be copied , sold , rephrased or plagiarized on any platform . Any violation shall result to copyright strike .

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Wanderlust 1

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, kidnap, size difference/kink, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You go travelling to get some world experience but you don't get the one you're expecting.

Characters: Nick Fowler, Bucky Barnes (reader in 30s, short!)

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Asking for more or putting ‘part 2?’ is not feedback.

Love you all. You are appreciated and your are worthy. Treat yourself with care. 💖

You’re not afraid of flying, just not a fan of travel. It would be nice to go out and do more but the reality of getting there often deters you. Not this time. You finally bit the bullet and bought the ticket. 

Thirty isn’t old. You know that but it feels like a good time to start doing things. Your twenties went fast in hindsight, even if they felt like a slog. Miserable, emotional, and near disastrous. 

You have your first steady job, bills aren’t tight enough to strangle you, and it’s about time you did something just for you. Everyone is obsessed with ‘self-care’. Are you finally on trend? 

You shuffle along with the slow trawl of passengers. You look for your seat by the number on your ticket, holding up your phone awkwardly to compare. Your compact suitcase hangs from your vice grip as you haul it along, the wheels hitting your heel. 

You stop as you find your assigned seat. Hm. Middle seat. Headphones on and you’ll be fine, you’re sure. You reach up to open the overhead, just barely able to pop it open. 

Your carryon threatens to slide off your arm. You ignore it and bend to grab your suitcase. You watched a bunch of tutorials on how not to overpack. As you grip it, your bag slips down your arm and you lift the suitcase overhead. You hit the edge and it bounces back, nearly landing on your head. 

You brace for impact. The weight lightens in your grasp. A man grunts as you look up and see a large hand hooked on your bag. A pinky ring shines back at you. 

“Careful,” he warns. “Here, let me get it.” 

He uses his other hand to push it up and slides it out of your grip into the compartment. You watch, embarrassed. You can try to do things yourself but you still end up in the way. 

“Thanks, uh, sorry.” You eke out. 

You turn and sidle into the row of seat. You cradle your carryon as you do. You sit and hug it as you wait for the man to pass. He doesn’t. He follows. 

“I’m in the window.” He points casually. 

“Oh? Uh... my bad.” You flatten yourself as he turns and he brushes against the seat in front of you to get past. Unlike you, he’s too big for the cramped coach row. 

He sighs as he sits down. He shifts around as he gets comfortable. He flips up the window cover and rolls his head so his neck cracks. He pushes his feet out as far as they can go. 

He must be a frequent flyer. He seems perfectly at ease. Meanwhile, you’re twenty steps ahead in your mind.  

You need the flight to land, then you need to get your bag back. You don’t expect getting it down to be any easier. Then you have get through the airport, show your passport, and fine a taxi. Then the hotel, unpack, review itinerary for tomorrow. 

The more you think about it, it doesn’t seem so fun. Sure, you’ll get to see all sorts of cool things, but that’s only if you don’t get lost. You wiggle your foot nervously and put your elbow on the armrest, only to hit that of your seat neighbour. You apologise and let your arm hang at your side. 

“No problem,” his silty tone tickles your ears. “You scared of flying?” 

“Huh?” You look at him and follow his own gaze to your foot. You still it. “No, just... travelling is stressful. I’ll try not to bother too much.” 

You put your hands on your knees, as if holding yourself still. 

“Isn’t it?” He chuckles. “Can’t make anything easy these days.” 

“Mhmm,” you nod. You’re not the greatest with strangers either. Thirty years old and you’re still just as clueless as you were a decade ago. 

“Nick,” he says.  

You flinch as you see something at the edge of your vision. He offers his hand. You stare at it before you shake it. You’ve never been one for the outdated gesture but you’re too meek to refuse it. 

You shake his hand and give your own name. He grins and you turn your head straight. He’s not a bad looking guy but you shouldn’t think about it. He’s older. You can just tell. Not just the crinkles beside his eyes or the light lines in his forehead, it’s his confidence. Maybe this trip can help you find your own. 

“Pretty,” he says. “What’s in New York?” 

You hesitate before you understand his question. You sniff and fidget. “I’m a tourist. Just wanna see some historical stuff. Brooklyn Bridge, an old jazz bar... “ 

“Huh. All alone?” He wonders. 

You open your mouth to answer then pause. “Meeting friends,” you utter cautiously. 

“Girls’ trip. Fun,” he says. “Business. Again. Always got me back and forth.” 

He leans on the armrest and pushes his shoulders back into the seat. His knee breaks the boundary of your seats, pressing against your own. You try not to pull away too obviously. 

The overhead snaps shut and startles you. Another man drops into the seat on your other side. He huffs as he sits. He’s as big as your other neighbour, maybe a bit thicker. 

Where Nick has short tidy hair and subtle shadow of stubble coming through, this man has a thick beard and hair to his shoulders, there's some silver woven into both. He looks agitated as his cheek ticks and a woman’s bag nearly hits him. He swats the D&G luggage out of his face and growls. 

Your foot begins to go again. You only realise as the man sighs again. You cross your ankles and shrink down. 

Another bag comes close to the aisle passengers face and he grits, “watch it.” 

Nick snickers. The man slowly turns his head, eyes drifting over darkly. You glance between them, then to the back of the seat ahead of you. 

“Wanna switch?” Nick offers. 

The other man puffs through his nose, “don’t bother.” 

“Well, let me know.” Nick says coolly. “We were just sharing out gripes about travelling. Fun, isn’t it?” 

The man in the aisle seat curls his lip, “I guess.” He curls a finger and pushes down with his thumb until his knuckle cracks. “You too on a honeymoon or something?” 

Nick laughs, you look at him in shock. 

“Just met. Solo riders.” Nick answers. You’ll let him do the talking. 

The other man clucks. Nick reaches across you. “Nick.” 

His hand is ignored. He retracts it with a soft scoff. Nick introduces you next. The other man exhales loudly. 

“Bucky,” he says. “Keep the lights off and the noise down.” 

He leans back, his arm thick enough that it fills more than the armrest. He pushes his shoulders wide and leans his head back. He closes his eyes and you flick your thumbs nervously. 

You unzip your bag and search for your headphones. The aisles empty out and the attendants begin their pre-flight routine. As the plane thrums, the safety presentation begins. You keep your headphones around your neck. 

You buckle in, Nick does too. Bucky does it without opening his eyes. You shift and wait for takeoff. 

“Wanna look out the window as we lift off?” Nick offers. “You can lean over me.” 

“All good.” You assure him. “Thanks. 

“I don’t mind,” he says. 

“Really, it’s fine.” 

A low rumble comes from your other side. You seal your lips and push the button on your headphones. You go to lift them over your ears. 

“You listen to music or podcasts?” Nick asks before you can put them on. 

You lower them down, keeping your hands on them. “Music.” You answer quietly, mindful of the man on your other side. 

“Oh? Let me guess, Olivia Rodrigo?” He suggests. 

You shrug and shake your head, “never heard of them.” 

He snorts, “really? Hm. You look young, I thought...” 

“Just old stuff,” you answer. “Patsy Cline and whatever... boring.” 

“Boring? I don’t think so,” he muses. “All those pop stars come off the conveyor belt these days. Nothing wrong with taste.” 

You give a sheepish smile and lift your headphones again. You put them on then turn forward. You scroll your phone for your ‘most played’ playlist. You tap shuffle and sit back. 

Nick sits calm and still. He doesn’t take out his phone or try to play around with the screen in front of him. He just watches the clouds as you reach cruising height. 

Bucky is still. By the measure of the breath, you think he’s sleeping. You wonder how as you every now and then you can hear the squeal of a toddler through your music. 

The snack cart comes by. None of you get anything; Bucky doesn’t stir at all. 

Your leg sways back and forth as the flight stretches on. You check the time over and over. You knee hits Bucky’s leg as your nerves bubble. You push your legs together and peek over at him. He opens one eye; you mouth ‘sorry’. 

You chew your lip. You bite down until it hurts. The hours unfurl torturously. This is what you hate. Spending all that money to sit in a seat, overcrowded and impatient. 

The seatbelt sign flips on again. You take off your headphones as the Captain announces landing over the PA. You put them away in your carry-on and wrap your arms around the bag. 

The plane touches down with a jolt. You squeak and Nick wraps his warm hand around your wrist. You glance at him. He’s just being nice. 

“I’m okay,” you insist. 

Once the wheels stop, the restless passengers begin to disembark. Bucky is up and off, shoving past those struggling to get their bags. He’s at the front without obstacle. 

Patiently, you stand and watch your fellow travellers. Nick looms behind you. You crane around to see him. 

“I’m just waiting,” you say. 

“No problem. I’m patient.” He waves you off. “So,” he grips the seat by you. He’s close enough you can smell his cologne. “Where are you staying? East side? Uptown?” 

“Um... I’m not sure exactly. I don’t really know the city.” 

“Big place,” he comments. “Transits not too bad though. Just don’t make eye contact.” 

You nod. You’re already nervous enough. You heard all the horror stories from your mother and the headlines. 

As the aisle clears, you step out and turn to open the overhead. Nick gets it first. He takes down your bag for you. You thank him. 

You turn down the aisle as he shuts the compartment. He travels light. Or he checked his luggage. He has nothing but himself. 

You wait through the tedious disembarking and exhale deeply as you get to the ramp. Inside the airport, you follow the tides to the gates. The people disburse as you find a quiet place to order a taxi. 

“Hey,” Nick startles you as he struts across the terminal. “You looking for a cab?” 

“Oh, uh...” you lower your phone as your data won’t respond and you can’t sign into the airport WiFi. “I was just...” 

“Come on. I’ll help you flag one down the old-fashioned way. Gonna need one myself.” He insists. 

“Oh, you don’t have to--” 

“Hey, it’s no worries. You’re gonna wanna snag one before the next arrival,” he grabs your bag and extends the handle. “Come on.” 

He rolls your bag behind him as he marches away. He’s helpful if not a bit forward. You scurry after him. 

“Uh, thanks. I appreciate it.” 

“You kidding me? This place is like a city of its own. Can be overwhelming. You said you hate travelling. If I can make it easier, eh, why not?” 

You come out through the automatic doors and he slows to scan the long line of taxis and the clogged traffic of those trying to leave.  

“I got a trick, come on,” he beckons you behind him and you follow. 

“I can take my bag,” you offer. 

“Don’t worry, honey,” he carries on. “Let’s find...”  

He raises his hand to hail one of the cabs into an empty space along the curb. You look up as his fingers move but stop before you can make out the signal. Strange. 

“There we go,” he proclaims. 

A black car pulls in and the trunk pops. You frown. That doesn’t look like a cab. He puts your bag in the back and shuts the lid. You stay on the pavement. 

“Um, Nick, I think--” You stare at the tinted windows. 

He nears and puts his hand on your arm. “Stop doing that,” he pushes his jacket open with his other hand and grips the gun holstered on his belt. “Get in.” 

[bixbythemartian]

so if you've missed this, we're up to chapter 4 now! it's going to be either 5 or 6 chapters long, with an epilogue. I already have a sort of bridge or interlude kind of planned as well, and I'm thinking about what the next story is gonna be (I have a vague idea of a couple of scenes).

I'm really enjoying this, and so I'm gonna keep doing them until they stop being fun. (seeing people react is part of the fun, so please tell me how you're feeling in the tags or replies!)

I do want to say, now that I've got most of this first story written, we're gonna issue some trigger warnings for animal death and child abuse mentions, there's gonna be some dead bodies and a bit of violence, an anxiety attack.

like in general the gore/sex rating is probably gonna be the kind of thing you'd find in Buffy or Supernatural (used as metrics because a great deal of people are familiar with either property) and likely dips into, like, Hannibal kind of shit on occasion. (There's definitely some of all three in the DNA of this story.) Just so you have an idea of what to expect in the future! It's not going to be for everybody, it's fine if this is not your thing, you can block the tag if you don't want to see this stuff!

If you are following along, I hope you're having as much fun as I am! please tell me about it lol

50+ Ways to Annoy the Death Witch

Chapter 1: Call her a Necromancer

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I was on the porch sketching when Callahan showed up.

Callahan works for the Council and investigates witchy doings. Mostly in the vein of ‘please lets keep the normies from trying to murder us all’, though that concern has gone down a TON in the internet era.

You’d think it would be the opposite, right? Everybody has a camera, all the time. Surely they’d catch actual magic!

Yeah. They do, all the fuckin time, and they call it something else. Or they do call it magic, and they’re called crazy. You've seen 'em. The internet is full of people who think giants or aliens built the pyramids, people who claim they see shadow people, or think their neighbor controls the cows, they just don't stand out.

Anyway, work has dried up for Callahan and people like him, is my point. It's a much slower gig than it was back in the day.

Is he a witch cop? Ehhhh... he’s the closest we come. Mostly he’s just trying to keep us out of the news, like I said. If one of us was really out of line he’d take it to the council and let them handle it (usually by binding the witch’s magic), but that hasn’t happened in a couple of decades.

He still comes and crawls up my ass every time some teenager finds an old grimoire and brings back the family pet, or whatever.

I stood up as his truck came down the drive. That was my last big project, taking the gravel out and putting pavers in for the driveway. It was expensive as hell, but it means that I can just swap a paver out if one cracks, rather than having to have to deal with gravel all the time.

I do kind of miss the noise of the gravel, though.

That payday was from his last visit, come to think- usually he comes out because he's stumped, and after he's done accusing me of atrocities and grave robbing, he hires me to help him figure out who actually did it.

Pretty often it's some kid with too much magic and not enough sense trying to bring back someone they love. It's always sad, but that's easy to handle. By the time we get involved, they're usually pretty anxious for a solution, because it has gotten out of control.

He parked next to my pickup and got out, strolling over like he had all god damned day. He’s probably in his late 30s, dark hair and eyes. He lives up in the city, these days, but his grandparents went to high school with mine, in a town that gets smaller every year, and are buried in the same damned graveyard.

I first met him in that very graveyard.

“Hey there, Miss Tabitha,” he said. “How’s my favorite necromancer?”

I sighed. He annoys me so much.

“I know, I know, you don’t like being called that.”

“I’m not a necromancer,” I said, for probably the thousandth time.

“Sure, you’re a different kind of death magic witch. Whatever.”

“A necromancer is someone who uses magic to control corpses, and can be any type of witch. I’m a death witch, my power source is the death of any and all organic matter. Some witches get their power from the earth or the stars or weather, mine happens to come from a different natural force.” I don’t know where he gets his from. For a while I suspected it was hair gel, but he switched to wearing ballcaps.

I think he’s balding.

“And you use it to keep your neighbor’s chickens from getting sick and that’s it, huh?”

“I buy eggs off her,” I said. “Do you want something, or do you just get itchy if you haven’t accused me of something unholy?”

He clicked his tongue. “Well, now, there’s a cemetery out in Macomb that’s had some bodies dug up.”

“Macomb,” I said. I knew vaguely where it was- south of highway nine, east of where I lived, but pretty easy driving distance. I’d have to look at a map to be sure, but definitely a place I could drive out and back from in a day and still have plenty of time to get up to trouble. “You actually found a local crime to accuse me of, you’re getting a bit better at your job.” He rolled his eyes.

“What’s going on in Macomb?”

“Well, like I said, some bodies went missing. The cops say it’s funny, it’s almost like they dug themselves out."

"Well, they shouldn't be doin that," I said.

"Right? Coffins are there, just the bodies are gone. I know you’re gonna say it wasn’t you, but it wasn’t you, was it? That’s close enough that you probably draw power from that cemetery. Even if it was an accident?”

“There’s closer cemeteries. Norman has at least two that I know of.”

“Well, that’s fair,” he said. “I gotta ask. Necromancy shit in our neck of the woods? I gotta ask, Tabby.”

“Don’t call me that,” I said.

“Was it you?” he insisted.

“No, it wasn’t me,” I said.

“Alright, that’s all I needed to ask.” Once he'd asked and I'd answered, that was it, he didn't pester me about it again.

“Are you trying to get my help, or do you want to wander around with your thumb up your butt for a few days first?”

“Come on, Tabitha. We’ll pay you the usual rates,” he said.

I sighed at him, just so he knew I was annoyed. “Let me put some pants on and run a brush through my hair, and then I need to see the graves.”

“We’re taking my pickup,” he said. “So, if you’ve got a step stool-”

“Ha ha,” I said. “Wait here.” I took my sketchbook inside, and dropped it on the table by the door, went to find a brush and change into jeans. Grabbed my kit- it’s just got standard odds and ends that one might need when casting on the go, some prepared spells, all stuffed in an ancient maroon Jansport.

I’m probably going to have to get a new bag soon, I’ve had this one since 8th grade, and it’s really starting to wear out.

We head out.

He’s got a 70s Ford pickup he’s been restoring, to sell. Well, he’s been ‘restoring’ it about as long as I’ve been cleaning the house out so I can sell it, maybe longer, and I've been living in the house near a decade, so. Take that as you will.

It’s in decent shape on the inside, and the a/c works, and it’s matte primer gray on the outside, has been for years now.

The road out where I live is dirt, and then it goes to gravel, before you get on something paved.

He looked up in the rearview mirror. “You know, I just figured it was someone else who lived out this way when I came out, but I do believe I’m being followed.”

I looked in the sideview mirror. There was someone behind us, but it was hard to see them through all the dust the truck was kicking up.

Magic came rushing at the mirror, and snapped it off.

“Rude,” I said.

“Did they just snap off my mirror?”

I started cranking the window down. “Turn left if you have to turn, warn me if there’s a right curve,” I said, unbuckling my belt, and wrapping it around my leg. “But try to go straight as you can, that’ll help me aim.”

“It’ll help them aim, too.”

“Don’t worry about them.” Magic whined as it pinged off the vehicle. “You really should shield the pickup.”

“I’m just gonna sell it.”

I pulled myself out of the seat to sit on the window, one hand gripping the ‘oh shit’ handle, my legs clenching the door.

Late model SUV, something dark. I could see why he recognized it right away- it was a sort of dark red and had an engine snorkel. Also some extra lights on front- someone goes out in this truck. Mudding, looks like.

They had someone standing up through the sun/moon roof firing spells at us. He was using something that looks like a gun. That’s pretty common, these days, wands resembling guns.

Wands are a type of prepared spell, they hold charges and you fire off the charges until you’re out. Most people mostly use prepared spells.

Most people just can’t hold that much magic inside their bodies- there’s an upper limit- and so the best way to store the magic they gather from the wind or the stars or the grass or whatever their thing is to make spells and put the magic there. Even the more powerful witches, witches like me with a larger capacity for magic, they tend to store a lot in prepared spells.

Most sources trickle it in. So if you blow your magical load, as it were, you have to wait for it to come back. Recharge under a starlit sky where the light pollution is low. Or lay in the tickling grass.

There’s some exceptions. Sun witches- rare- basically can refuel constantly. Oh, it’s night? Oh, it’s cloudy? The heat in the ground beneath your feet comes from the sun. The sun is a constant, even when it’s not out. Sea witches, too- they have to be in range of the coast, but within that range, powerful. There’s also rumor of one lady up in the midwest who gathers her power specifically from the Great Lakes, and she’s supposed to be one of the most powerful witches in the world.

You know what's also around all the time? Dead shit.

If it is now dead and was ever alive, even briefly, it belongs to me.

Like his wand, a bit of dead wood. I sucked the power out of his wand, and whipped it out of his hand. “Knock it the fuck off!” I shout. I could barely see him, but he looked young.

He swore, shaking his hand. “Ram them!”

The driver I could see even less of, but I could see him shaking his head.

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” I said.

It takes a deep spike of power- the older and longer dead something is, the more briefly it was alive, the harder it is to fuck with.

Gasoline, for example, is derived from something that died at least 66 million years ago, so it’s kind of a big one.

The driver managed not to roll the car off the road as the car engine suddenly stopped working, and Callahan came to a stop.

I figured they'd be alright, they go out mudding, they're used to shit going wrong.

“The hell did you do? It took a ton of power. My nose hairs are burning.”

“Turned their gas into mesozoic algae for long enough to shut their car off,” I said.

"What?"

"Gas is made from crude oil. Crude oil is dead shit. Specifically, algae and plankton from the mesozoic."

"Huh. Your nose is bleeding," he said.

I wiped at my nose, untangled myself from the seatbelt, and managed to dismount from the window and land on both feet, which is about as much as I could ask for.

My right eye was throbbing- I’d drained myself to the last drop for that.

Still, there was a dead skunk on the road, and dead tree limbs, and I breathed magic in. The ache receded, but probably wouldn’t go away until I'd slept.

I walked up to their SUV, the driver keeping both hands on the wheel, like I was a cop. “Hey,” I said. “What the fuck?” I put my hand on the car, and converted all the ancient ocean sludge back into gas. That was easier, but it still made my eye throb.

The wand wielder jumped out of the SUV and got up in my face, tried to shove me against the car, but Callahan grabbed him and pulled him back.

“My grandparents crawled out of their grave, and everybody knows they got a pet necromancer around here. I want them back.”

Now, I’m not actually that easy to intimidate, and he was just a snot-nosed kid who’s barely old enough to drink, if that. But he was also angry to cover up being scared.

“Well, we’re on our way to find out what’s happened. Having to stop for your bullshit isn’t helpful," Callahan said.

“Everybody knows it was you.”

“Sweetheart, if I was raising the dead, why would I start with your kin? I don’t know you, I don't know your grandparents."

He looked at the driver. He had bleached his hair and it was a sort of peachy pink that could have been intentional or it could have been to light a pink over too orange a bleach. The driver had blue-black hair that was definitely box dye. They both looked indecisive.

"It’s probably someone who know your grandparents. It’s like a murder- it’s almost always someone who knows the victim,” I said. He's just a grieving kid, they both are.

“But you’re the only necromancer in the state, maybe the country,” he said. His heart wasn't really in it, though. He was just upset.

“I’m not a necromancer,” I said. “I am a death witch. It’s not the same thing. They died recently?”

He nodded. “We spent a lot of time living with em, Mom was in and out of rehab, and Dad… I don’t know. He wasn’t around until we were older.”

“You get your magic from this side, or your Daddy’s side?”

“They had magic, but they say I got mine from Dad, and he gets his from Mom.” He jerked his head at his brother in the driver's seat.

“Okay. Why don’t you get out in front, we’ll head on out to the gas station, because I need a fuckin energy drink, and then we can go take a look. Sometimes I can see stuff nobody else can, and I have a good nose for corpses.”

“You really think you can find them?”

"I don't know for sure about finding their bodies, but I'm positive we'll get to the bottom of this," I said.

He nodded and, almost sheepish, headed back to the SUV.

“Just try and start her again,” I told the driver. “I’ll top you off at the Valero station, that trick probably pulled some out of your tank.”

The car started, and they pulled around us and sped off.

“You think they’ll be at the gas station?” Callahan asked.

“Mmm. Fifty fifty, but they’ll be at the cemetery, which is what I really care about. C’mon, I want a Monster.”

“You keep drinking that crap, your heart’ll stop.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I say, climbing into the truck. “Let’s go.”

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If you read this and enjoyed it, maybe you want to help out and contribute to my ko-fi? I'm disabled and that's the best way for me to earn a living right now! Check out my masterpost for other fiction.

[luuce]

Bowie's sitter

Part 2

wordcount: 5,832

summary: walking your dog really does make you meet new people. When in search of a new sitter for your dog, he seems to have chosen it himself. 

warnings: none, just fluff. 

part 1

························································

You didn’t know the impact Harry had on people or how famous he truly was until you received a text from your little cousin, who lives all the way in Italy, who had texted you a picture of Harry walking with your dog just next to him, followed by a message, “Just saw this picture of Harry Styles and he’s walking a dog who look just like Bowie! What are the odds? Maybe you should meet up and try to get a playdate for them, and who knows, with those resemblances, maybe they are siblings?”

She follows on telling you how there are also pictures of him last week with the same dog doing some shopping at a pet store, and she follows to send you a picture of Harry carrying two bags full of things and Bowie is walking beside him with a ball in his mouth.

That would explain why Harry told you there was no need of you sending Bowie with food, toys and treats to his house, that he only needed his blanket. He truly was knocking this sitter job out of the park and doing more than what it was required.

It has been a couple of weeks since this new dynamic started, and you nor Bowie couldn't be happier. Your camera roll has been filled with the update pictures that Harry sends you every time he’s taking care of your dog while you’re on a shift, and after your first date that happened last week, there started to appear many selfies of Harry and Bowie enjoying their time together.

He took care of everything about your date. Told you to dress casual and that Bowie was invited too, of course. He picked you up in his car, and drove about thirty minutes until you arrived at an open field full of lavender. He opened the car door for you and held your hand before opening the back door to let the dog out, who ran around happy of his freedom. You both just stood there, admiring the view and taking it in. He had prepared a picnic for you three, because yes, he had thought of Bowie too and had brought a few snacks for him too. 

It was the perfect day, just you, him, and Bowie. You talked hours on end about literally anything you could think of, even into a very deep level. You told him about your family, how your mum’s side of the family was Italian and that you were born in Italy, but moved to England when you were three because of your father’s job. 

“Do you see yourself living more here or in Italy?” He had asked really curiously.

“I don’t know, actually. I love living here, but also a big part of me would love to live there, closer to my family. Maybe I will buy a house there in the future, work a few months here and a few months there, but I don’t know, seems like could get tiring all the back and forth, but what I would really love is to settle down and have children and for them to have a home, whether that is here or in Italy.” 

He told you a bit about his life on tour, how he understands the need to settle down in one place and build a home. He also surprises you by speaking Italian, and you end up having most of the conversation in that language. He talks about his love for the country and how he travels there often, telling you also about the end of his last tour, which had taken place in Italy, and how special it was.

You were truly mesmerized by him, by how quickly you’ve fallen comfortable with him, by how much he cares about your dog, because you’ve met people previously who barely tolerated him, and for you, your dog was like your child, so treating him poorly would make you dislike anyone quite fast. But with Harry, everything felt easy, perfect.

You were on your morning walk with Bowie when he started to decide which way you would go, and seeing as you had no plan, you decided to just follow him to see where he would lead you to, although you were not expecting him to just sit down in front of a door and start barking. 

“Hey, no, don’t bark.” You try to shush him but he doesn’t stop, “Bowie, stop. What are you doing?”

You try pulling on his leash but he just laid on the floor, making it much harder for you to move him. He suddenly stopped barking and started wagging his tail, and just when you thought he would comply and follow you, he jumped and ran behind you. His leash rounded your feet and the next thing you know, you’re falling down. But just as you’re about to hit the ground, somebody catches you.

“Woah, are you okay?”

It 's Harry. You’ve been saved by Harry. 

“What happened, Bowie? You almost made your mum fall.”

Bowie just wages his tail as he looks at him, tongue out. 

“I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” You say “he dragged me here just to stop at that door and start barking.”

Harry just started laughing. “That’s my house, actually.”

“Oh, that would explain it all.” You laugh with him.

It’s in that moment when you really look at him and take him in. He’s all sweaty and wearing a cap and sunglasses as always, along with his short shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt. 

“Would you like to come in? I need a quick shower, but after I could make you coffee, if you’d like.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose, really.”

He shakes his head “Not at all. Come in. Unless you had plans for the day, if that’s the case then we can do it on another day.”

“Oh, no plans, no. I was actually going to text you and see if you would like to spend the afternoon with Bowie and me.”

He smiles and leads you towards the door. “There’s no need to text me now, I would really love to spend time with you both.”

You smile and follow him. Once the door’s open, you both go inside and Bowie barks happily. Harry reaches down and unleashes him and he holds his hand out for you to hand him the leash. Bowie just runs towards the door of the house and sits patiently waiting for us to arrive there.

“I’ll just take a quick shower and will be right back. In the meantime, you can look around if you like. I can give you a tour after, or just follow Bowie around, he knows where most things are now.” 

You laugh at that, because that’s probably true. 

“Okay, yes, don’t worry. I promise not to snoop around too much.”

“Oh, please do.”

He smirks and leaves to go upstairs and shower. You look around the entrance of the house and see a few portraits. You get closer to look at the pictures of who you imagine are his family and friends. You take notice of Bowie’s leash that’s hanging on the wall, and how it looks so in place within this space. Suddenly your dog barks at you and starts walking, as if to tell you to follow him, and you do. He takes you into what looks to be the living room and he goes straight into a corner, where there’s a box filled with dog toys and balls. He picks one up and starts walking through a corridor, and you can’t help but follow him. He takes you through the kitchen where he stops at the glass door at the end of the room and sits, waiting for you to open it. 

“You’re sneaky, huh? You knew from the beginning what you were doing, didn’t you?” You tell him as you reach him and open the door. 

It takes you to a huge backyard where Bowie runs happily. After a few laps around, he drops the ball from his mouth into your feet and runs back. You throw the ball at him and watch him run around until he brings it back and you throw it again. You play catch for a while, all while taking in your surroundings. He has a little garden in the corner which you get closer to so you can see what flowers he has. It looks really well taken care of, and it looks so beautiful. 

“It seems you have found Bowie’s favourite part of the house.” You hear Harry say.

You turn around to look at him and you see him walking towards you, not before throwing the ball for Bowie to run after. 

“Hm, yes, he brought me straight here to play. I love your garden.”

“Thanks, love. I take full pride in it.” He smiles at you and he reaches for your hand. “Would you like some coffee?”

“Would love one, thank you.”

He pulls at your hand and takes you back inside. He pulls at one of the stools from the kitchen and motions for you to sit down. 

“How do you take your coffee?”

“With milk it’s perfect, thank you.”

He moves around the kitchen while he gets everything ready.

“How was your walk this morning?” He asks while the coffee machine starts.

“Short.” You laugh. “Bowie brought me straight here. I think he was onto something.”

“I may have told him to bring you.”

“I don’t think he’s that smart yet.”

You both laugh at that and he puts your coffee in front of you. You both look at Bowie through the glass to see him running around.

“He loves it here, I can tell. Thank you for taking care of him for me, it means a lot.”

“It’s my pleasure, I love having him here.” 

He invites you to drink the coffee outside on the porch, where he has a swing bench that you both sit on. As soon as Bowie sees you, he starts running towards you and jumps on top of you, making you almost drop your coffee. 

“Hey, careful my love.” You tell your dog who decides to sit between you two.

“He 's so sweet. Always wants to be close to one.” Harry says as he pets him.

“Yes, I actually love it. People have told me how annoying it is that I spoil him too much, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I would prefer a clingy and loving dog who gives you kisses and is always happy to be with you rather than one who prefers their space and would never get close to one.”

You gasp at that. “That’s what I always say!”

The way you both look at each other is something you haven’t experienced before with anyone. You both look so happy, so content with your space. Before you know it, you both start leaning towards each other, he looks down to your lips and then into your eyes, as if silently asking if this was okay. You close the gap between you as you put your lips on his. The hand that isn’t holding his coffee cup goes to your cheek as he kisses you, falling into the feeling of you both involved in a kiss. You lean more into him, trying not to squish Bowie who’s still laying down between you two, although with the movement he seems to prefer going down to the floor than be there between you. 

Time moves differently when you are just enjoying your moment. You’ve wanted to feel closer to him, almost ending up sitting on his lap, careful not to spill the coffee cup you’re still holding. You separate to take some air, smiling at each other as you take it in. His hand moves from your cheek to your lower back, leading you to sit on his lap, which you do, sitting sideways and with your legs laying onto the bench you’re both sitting on. You lean your head on him, as you both watch Bowie play around, who, as soon as he spots you, runs back again and jumps into your lap.

“He’s the sweetest boy.” Harry says as he pets his head.

“And you’re the sweetest man.”

He grabs both your empty coffee cups and leaves them on the table next to him. Then one hand goes to pet Bowie again and the other goes to your cheek, bringing you into another kiss. This time, it doesn’t last long as Bowie tries to interfere and get some kisses to himself, to which you both laugh. 

“He wants some loving too” You say as you bring him closer to you both.

Harry wraps one arm around you and another around Bowie, folding you two into a group hug. Bowie starts showing how happy he is by filling your face with kisses and he then does the same to Harry. Laughter fills the air as you three spend time together, almost like a little family. 

“So,” you say when you recover from the laughter. “It's our boy’s second birthday next Tuesday.”

“Oh, is it? Why didn’t you tell me, buddy?”

Bowie just barks at him. 

“I work the night shift that day but I was thinking of taking him to the park and maybe baking him a dog cake so he can eat it, I don’t know the specifics yet, but I was wondering if you would like to spend that day with us, celebrating the birthday boy.”

“There’s nothing I would love more than to spend that day with you both. And, can I be honest?”

You sit a little bit better to be able to look at his eyes clearly. “You can always be honest with me.”

“I like you. A lot. And I also love Bowie, I don’t know what I would do without him. And the more time I spend with you, the more I want to keep doing so. So yes, I would love to spend that day with you, and also any other day, if you would have me.”

“I would love that.”

You lean over to kiss him again. Spending more time with him is something you are dying to do, almost as if you were craving it. Doing life alone can be rough, that’s why you adopted Bowie, with him everything feels nicer, but since meeting Harry, you have felt as if you were in a bubble of happiness and giddiness and you were hoping it wouldn’t pop off ever.

You lay there with Harry for what feels like hours, until he asks if you’re hungry so he would make lunch. You follow him back to his kitchen and you can’t help but admire everything around it.

“I think this would be my dream kitchen. I love cooking, and this kitchen would keep me trapped all day, I love it.”

Harry laughs. “You can come use it anytime you’d like, door’s always open for you.”

“That’s so nice of you.”

“I mean, as long as I can accompany you and I get a portion of it.”

“Oh, so you would use me.”

You both laugh and he hands you a plate of food. He then grabs his and sits next to you on the kitchen island. 

“No, but seriously, you can use it anytime. I have everything you may need, and if I don’t, just tell me and I’ll buy it.” 

“You don’t have to do that.”

“But I want to.”

You smile and nod. “Okay, then. Can I make you dinner?”

“What were you thinking of making?”

“Pesto Pasta. But I’m making it all from scratch, you’re going to love it.”

“Sounds delicious, I’ll help. I don’t know if I have all the ingredients, but we can go later and grab some.”

“That would be perfect, yes.” 

You both enjoy your lunch and then you casually grab some paper he has near and a pen and start writing down the ingredients that you need. Harry is looking around the kitchen looking for things you’re going to need and letting you know what other things you should write down. It’s a good dynamic that you have going on. Later, with your bellies full of food and after some rest along with Bowie, you three go out on a walk to the park.

Beautiful day out, sunny weather which leads to more people to be out on the streets. The park is full of life, some kids running around playing, some having picnics, and even people just enjoying the sun. There’s an area full of dogs and Bowie, once he’s free, runs towards them and starts smelling them, on his way to make new friends. He starts playing with a dog a little bit smaller than him and you can tell that he’s being careful while playing, not trying to scare him off. 

“He’s so good with other dogs.” Harry says as he casually puts his arm around your shoulders and drags you more towards him.

“Times like this make me want to consider getting him a sibling, but I don’t know if I could deal with two dogs all on my own.” 

“I think we could make it work.”

“Hm, would you like shared custody?” You laugh.

“I would like to do it together, if you’d like.”

You turn a bit in his embrace, rounding your arms around his sternum and hugging yourself closer to him. He throws his other arm around your neck and looks down at you. 

“Don’t you think we’re going too fast? I mean, we’ve known each other for a few weeks and we’re already talking about getting a dog together.”

“I think that when you know, you know, and I really want to see us together moving forward.”

“I would love that too. But I would hold on getting another dog for a bit, though. I want to enjoy a bit of us time before we have to involve ourselves into taking care of another puppy.”

“Okay, that sounds perfect to me.” 

He leans down and kisses you. You end up holding each other while looking out for Bowie, who seems really happy running around with the other dogs. Harry seems to go rigid for a moment in your grasp, and he moves the both of you around and drags your head closer to his chest.

“I’m sorry, there’s someone taking pictures of us.”

“Oh, um, okay? Sorry, I don’t know how to react to that.”

“Don’t be sorry, it’s not your fault.”

“It’s not yours either, you know?” You make him look at you. “It’s not your fault that people think they have the right to take pictures of you just because you’re a public figure. Just because you decided to be a singer, doesn’t mean you have to accept that invasion of privacy.”

“Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“You can always lean on me, you know?”

Suddenly you start feeling more pressure since he’s, quite literally, leaning on you. You wobble a little bit and move your leg back to hold both your weights. 

“But not quite literally!”

You both start hysterically laughing and you almost fall to the ground, more so when Bowie comes running towards you and crashes on your legs. He barks happily as a way to be included into what’s happening. Harry seems to recover a bit faster than you and holds you closer to him again, one of his hands now holding the small of your back, the other pushing your hair a bit back from your face.

“Shall we head back?” He asks you.

“We shall.”

He puts the leash on Bowie and holds your hand, interlocking your fingers with his as you three start walking towards the shop. You banter a bit about who’s going into the shop, and Harry insists that he should, that since it’s his house he should be the one paying, but you reply back, telling how since he’s putting the house, you’re paying for the food. It took you a bit, but finally he agreed and he was the one who stayed outside of the shop with Bowie. He catches on the corner of his eye the same paparazzi from before, taking pictures of him. He acts indifferent to it as he grabs his phone to distract himself while he waits. 

“Baby, do you want white or red?”

He’s caught completely off guard when he hears your voice, mostly because you called him baby, which makes his heart beat a bit faster than normal. He looks up from his phone at you, and he sees you smiling back at him at the door, holding two different bottles of wine.

“I think white goes better with pesto, what do you think?” You ask him again.

“Uhm, yes, that’s perfect.”

His response comes back a bit quiet, but you get to hear it. You smile at yourself and go back into the shop. You’ve left Harry feeling like quite a mess outside. Once you have all you need, you pay and go outside to meet your boys. Harry is smiling and makes you swap Bowie’s leash he’s holding with the bag you’re carrying, so that he can, with his other hand, hold yours. You both head back to his house in silence, and you can feel how Harry is holding something back. You can tell that Bowie is getting excited and knows where he’s going when you turn the corner, and his steps come a little bit faster to make him arrive sooner. 

As soon as you arrive, you take off his leash, and put it in the spot you know Harry has reserved for him, and next, you follow Harry to the kitchen where he has left the bag on the counter. When you open the bag to start taking out things, you can feel how Harry comes from behind and wraps his arms around your waist, his head on your shoulder.

“What did you call me just back there?”

“Oh?”

“Hm, you know, when you came to ask me about the wine. What did you call me?”

You smile. Because yes, it may have slipped when you called him that, but it had also come natural to do so, and you don’t regret it, much less now that you know the impact it made on him.

You leave the bag and turn around, wrapping your arms around his neck. 

“Oh, I don’t know. Baby?.”

He nods and smiles. He leans down and kisses you.

“You like it when I call you baby?” You whisper before going for another kiss.

“I love it.”

You talk between kisses. One hand going to the back of his head. “Baby, my baby.”

You feel some pressure on your shin and then a cry. Harry and you separate and look down to see Bowie crying between you two.

“Oh, my sweets, you’re my baby too, don’t worry.”

Harry leans down and picks him up, bringing him between you two for a hug and kisses.

“You will always come first, Bow” Harry tells him, and it literally melts your heart.

After a cuddle of all three of you, you decide that it’s time you start elaborating dinner. You decide to start first with the pesto so it can later rest a bit in the fridge while you’re making the pasta. Harry insists on helping you, but you make him sit back with a promise that he could help out later, as long as he plays good music while you’re cooking.

“I was born for that job” He says as he gets up and leaves the kitchen, only to come back a few moments later with his laptop in hand. “Any preferences?”

“I’ll let you choose, you’re the expert.” 

He starts playing music, and it’s no surprise, Fleetwood Mac. That man truly listens. You ask him to show you where he keeps everything, and once you’re a little familiar with it, you feel as if you were in your own kitchen. You first start by squeezing the juice out of a few lemons and then put that, alongside the nuts and garlic into the food processor. You wash all the basil first before putting it into it too, and then while it’s processing, you add the olive oil little by little. Once it’s all done, you add the grated parmesan and process it again, finishing it up. 

“Okay, this is done. Now to the fridge.” 

Harry helps you clean up what you’ve already used and then helps you by getting all the ingredients and utensils you will use for the pasta. Now, making the pasta together is quite fun. You both end up with flour all over you and laughing like there’s no tomorrow. You don’t think you have laughed as much as you’ve done today. You take a few dance breaks in between, Harry making you spin around the kitchen and you, in turn, make him do a few spins too, which makes you laugh all over again. 

Once you finish, you let the pasta just sit there until it’s time to cook it, and in the meantime, Harry opens up the bottle of wine and serves you a glass. You thank him, taking a sip of it while looking around.

“Where’s Bowie?” 

Harry looks around too and doesn’t see him either. “Maybe he’s taking a nap.”

You both leave your glasses on the counter and start looking around. You went to look outside but he didn’t seem to be there, so you followed Harry into the living room but you didn't see him there either. 

“Maybe I can take you on a tour of the house while we’re at it.”

He holds your hand and leads you to a closed door. He opens it and steps aside so you can go in first. You can see a piano in the corner, a few guitars around and tons of other instruments, along with some microphones.

“This is my little studio at home. Doesn’t have much but it helps me when inspiration strikes. I usually rent studios once I know I’m fully going into something.”

“This is really nice, Harry. You’re gonna have to play me something sometime.”

He leads you back to the main room and shows you a small guest room, also the small laundry room and the garage he has, which is connected to a small gym which has the basic necessities for him to train at home. He then leads you upstairs showing you two other guest rooms with their respective bathrooms and lastly his room, which you can see one of the two doors open. When you both go in, you find Bowie sleeping in the middle of the bed by the pillows.

“This is my room, as you can tell.”

“He looks so comfortable there, my heart.”

He hugs you from behind as you both take a moment to admire the sleeping dog. After a bit, you both go down and he tells you to sit on the sofa while he gets the wine. You end up sitting there for a while, all until your phone starts ringing all the way from the kitchen.

“Just leave it. I’ll call back.” You tell him as you try to relax back. But once it stops, it starts ringing again and you groan. “Okay, let me see who it is.”

You get up and leave your glass on the coffee table while you go into the kitchen to grab the phone. You see that it’s a facetime call from your cousin, and you decline it and go to text her, but before you can do so she texts: “PICK UP!!!”, so you do so the next facetime she does. 

“SONO LO STESSO CANE?!” It’s the first thing she says as soon as you pick up. (They are the same dog?)

“Nessun saluto? Come stai?” You reply before you hear Harry’s laugh from the other room. You start walking back to your seat. “E che significa che sono lo stesso cane?” (No hello? How are you? And what do you mean they are the same dog?)

“Ci sono foto di te, Bowie e Harry Styles in un parco?” (There are pictures of you, Bowie and Harry Styles in a park.)

You immediately look at Harry who is picking up his phone and looking it up. “Are there?” You specifically ask him. He nods and shows you his screen, where you can see the both of you hugging and then a few more of you outside the shop, hand in hand and with Bowie.

“Sei con lui?” (Are you with him?) 

Harry nods his head at you, and you turn your phone so she can see him, and as soon as she does, she hangs up. You both laugh.

“Who was she?”

“My little cousin. I think she’s a big fan of yours, she sent me a picture of you and Bowie the other day and she thought you had adopted a sibling of his. I just told her I had to find you and see for myself.”

“And find me you did.”

He pulls you into a kiss and you smile. You lay there together for a little while until you hear the sound of paws hitting the floor, and you can perfectly hear how he’s coming down the stairs. A moment later Bowie appears in front of you and he stops, takes a big stretch, and when he’s done he jumps into Harry’s lap.

“Hey buddy, how was your nap?” Harry asks as he starts scratching behind his ear.

Bowie just cuddles more into him, looking for more affection. You grab your phone and use it to snap a picture.

“Come here you too. Let’s take a family picture.” Harry says and opens one of his arms so you can get closer.

You put the phone on selfie mode and take a picture of you three. You love it. You look so happy, and you are. 

“Should we make dinner?” You ask after being in that position for a while now.

“Yes, I’m starving, can’t wait to try your pasta.”

Harry takes the lead back to the kitchen and starts by getting out a pot and filling it with water. You both start preparing dinner together and while the pasta is boiling, Harry tells you that you can play music from his laptop if you want and that he will feed Bowie. You grab his laptop and press play on the music from before as watch him open a cabinet where he takes out a bag full of food and he prepares it into a bowl. You’re falling, it’s inevitable. You’ve never felt the way you’re feeling with Harry, and how he does not only take care of you, but he also takes really good care of your dog.

He puts the bowl down on the floor for Bowie to eat and brings back the bag into the cabinet, and you can’t help but meet him in the middle, wrapping your arms around his neck and smiling at him, which he returns to you.

“Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

He kisses you as you both sway in the middle of the kitchen to the sound of the music. You stay there, enjoying your moment until the timer goes off for the pasta. Harry tells you to sit down and that he will take care of the rest and you do as told. He brings both of your wine glasses back full, and then he comes back carrying two plates full of pasta.

“Buon appetito.” He tells you when he puts your plate down.

“Anche per te.” (You too.)

He had turned down the music a bit and now it was more of a background noise as you both dig in and make conversation. 

“I feel this might be the best pasta I’ve ever had.” He says after a few minutes.

“Thank you, baby. Teamwork.”

“Oh no, baby, this was all you.”

Now, hearing him calling you baby made your heart beat ten times faster. Harry can’t help but enjoy the effect those words caused on you, because it was just the same he had felt earlier in the afternoon. 

You both finish your dinner, and you can’t help but think back to the amazing day you have spent together with him. You’ve never felt the need of being closer to anyone this fast, you’re feeling as if you have met your match, and you’re scared that he would slip away any moment, although his words today have shown you just the opposite, just reaffirming that what you have right now, is it. You’re both in it, completely, no fooling around, no beating around the bush, no. You’re both in it for the long haul, having made a connection truly unique, unlike any other before, and you can only see yourself moving forward, creating more memories, learning new things from one another, because yes, you may not know each other for that long, but a connection like the one you have, shouldn’t be looked over or ignored, no, it should be explored, and you can’t wait to start doing so, can’t wait to fall, can’t wait to laugh, can’t wait to learn, can’t wait to love. Because you’re both in it, and you wouldn’t have any other way.

When you realise that it’s getting late you start to collect your things, along with getting Bowie ready. Harry seems a little sad you’re both leaving, he would have asked you to stay, but he thought he might be pushing it too far and wouldn’t want to scare you off. He walks you both to the door, and he can’t help but reach for a kiss goodnight.

“How about you come over tomorrow for breakfast? After your run? I think it’s my turn on the house tour, although don’t expect much, it will be much shorter” 

Harry can’t help but laugh at that. “Okay, sounds like a plan. I’ll see you tomorrow, goodnight.” 

“Goodnight, baby”

A groan comes out of his throat before he can help it, bringing you back into a kiss. And another one, for good measure. After one last kiss, he kneels on the ground to also give some kisses to Bowie, who immediately returns them and starts liking his face, which makes you laugh. After some really long goodbye, both Bowie and you start on your journey home.

“Text me when you arrive.”

You look back at him and smile. “Will do.”

There’s a skip on your step on your stroll back home, the smile on your face permanent, and the happiness inside is completely full. Both Bowie and you are really lucky to have met him, and you can’t wait to see what the future holds for your little family.

[squish--squash]

smth that always makes me so emotional about wind breaker is that it feels kind

I've watched a handful of shonens in the past, especially in my middle school and early high school days. hxh was one of my firsts, and mha wasn't that far behind it now, I'm not saying these two are mean stories per say, but if you pluck the main characters and just look...both of them go through so much pain throughout the story. the reader gets to watch it happen over and over. they're put through the wringer, and the world around them isn't very kind to them. I never finished hxh when I watched it back in middle school; the chimera ant arc hurt me too much, and I couldn't make it through the arc. similarly, I slowly stopped watching mha after a good side character died (the first death of many for that series, from what I've heard)

but wind breaker is different.

the worst of what's happened to our main cast so far has all happened in the past. they're older wounds, or we don't get to see the metaphorical knifes cut their hearts and souls open.

what we, the readers, get so see over and over is not their pain and agony, but the recovery of it.

(manga spoilers below cut, sorry anime-only peeps)

we get to learn in a flashback of umemiya's family and the accident that caused their deaths, we get to learn of his grief and the agony he experienced. but seeing his pain wasn't the whole point of the flashback: it was to see him healing from that tragedy. it was to establish just how important some of umemiya's characteristics and habits are to him, not formed out of his trauma and grief, but out of the recovery and healing process.

we're recently been shown that kiryu's family life is far from ideal. the constant fights, the isolation, the tension and fear and hatred. but we also get to see the worst is now behind kiryu and akari now. we get to learn that akari is stronger than expected, that she's been holding her own and has a plan, that she hasn't been broken by this. their futures are looking brighter by the day.

as the story progresses, we're learning more and more about sakura and what it was like before makochi. ostracization. neglect. open hatred. stuff that makes my heart shatter every time I think about it. but that traumatic background isn't the POINT. all of that, although haunting and lingering in sakura's bones, is in the past. he's not there anymore, he's somewhere better. he's growing, he's healing, and learning the world and warmer and kinder than he thought it ever could have been.

yes, there's still pain. yes, there's still things that hurt. but the worst of it has already been crossed before the story even begun (at least for now...I can't say with 100% certainty something from sakura's past isn't going to rear its head at some point). wind breaker isn't about showing pain and blatantly overcoming hardships and growing through the tragedy, it's about healing, about growing through that recovery.

with other shonens, you might wonder to yourself if the main characters are going to be okay by the end of the series.

with wind breaker, you know sakura is going to be okay. and, in a way, it feels like wind breaker is trying to tell you that you're going to be okay, too.

[angstywaifu]

Black Dahlia - 63. Dirty Laundry

Summary: Dahlia and Garrick finally get a moment alone after a busy few weeks.

Black Dahlia Masterlist | Masterlist | Links

It was rare to get a moment to ourselves lately. Garrick was doing more supply runs to help keep the Gryphon fliers happy. I was busy with Imogen training Violet, as well as my own squad. We’d just gotten through the first round of War Games, and while Fourth Wing had won, it had shown we still had some work to do. So not only was I putting the squad through training on the mat, I was also doing flight drills. And so far, it seemed to be paying off. But it meant the time Garrick and I had together, was mostly spent sleeping or when we were eating meals in the dining hall.

But tonight we’d made sure I had no training to attend, and Garrick had sternly told Xaden he didn’t want to be disturbed tonight unless it meant life or death. And yet, with all that, out of all the places we’d ended up… it was the very scarcely used laundry room of the Quadrant. Definitely not what Garrick and I had wanted. But with all the supply runs he was doing, he’d barely had time to do any washing, and as soon as I walked into his room, the smell had made it abundantly clear he needed to do some washing. So here we were. At least it still meant we got some time to ourselves.

I watch from where I sit on the counter, leaning up against the wall as I watch Garrick attempt, and very much fail at folding his clothes. “You are one of the most skilled fighters I know, and yet folding clothes is your undoing.” I tease as he grumbles at the shirt he’s been trying to fold.

He shoots me a glare, before reaching into the sink and throwing a wet and soggy sock in my direction, which I swat away, landing on the stone floor with a loud squelch.

“What the hell was that for?”

“For mocking my ability to fold clothes. Not my fault it’s confusing.” He grumbles as he attempts to fold the shirt again. And just like before it looks like a small child has tried to fold it, looking like a rumpled ball of fabric instead of a neatly folded shirt.

“Maybe you need to work on your skills outside of fighting and riding a dragon.” I tease as he shots me another glare.

“I fail to see how anything outside of that would be necessary. It’s not like our enemies are going to be defeated by me folding laundry.” He says before unfolding the shirt again. “Let’s see you do better.”

I hop off the bench, poking Garrick in the side to get him to move over. A move I only pulled when no one else was around, because he refused to let it be known he was ticklish to anyone but me. I grab the shirt which was now more crinkled than it had been before he’d washed it and dried it with his signet. It was one of the things I’d had drilled into me from a young age by my mother and the Colonel. Folding my clothes to make sure they were clean and presentable, along with making my bed to the ‘military standard’ as they’d said. Though I was yet to have anyone check my clothes folding and bed making abilities to see if it met this ‘standard’ I’d had drilled into me and couldn’t seem to shake. Within second the shirt Garrick had been struggling with was nearly folded.

“Told you it isn’t that hard.” I say as I hold it out to him.

“And like I said, I don’t think our enemies are going to be defeated by folding laundry properly.” He grumbles.

I shrug. “Maybe not, but maybe one day you’ll need those skills when our enemies are defeated.”

“Like when? When am I going to need to know how to fold laundry properly?”

“Guess we’ll just have to see what happens in the future.” I tell him with a smirk as I shake the shirt at him that I still hold.

He narrows his eyes at the shirt in my hands, and instead of taking it like I expect him to, his eyes raise to mine and with a flick of his wrist, water splashes up and over the edge of the sink, hitting me in the face.

In retaliation I throw the shirt at his face, which he catches with ease. But it’s the opening I need to conduct my revenge as I use the move he had on me, using his own signet against him as I send water flying towards him. I’m a panic he raises the shirt clutched in his hands, drenching the shirt in the water instead.

“Oh you’re gonna pay for that.” He says with a smirk before launching at me.

I yelp as I dart away, nearly slipping on the discarded sock on the floor in my haste to get away from him. I vault over one of the benches to get away from him, knowing Garrick, while strong is not as nimble and quick as I am. But when I turn to keep running, he’s already at the other end, smirking at me as he blocks my path. He launches at me and I laugh as I turn and round the other corner, using his signet to propel me forward.

“That’s cheating!” He calls out.

“Just using what’s at my disposal to my advantage.” I throw back at him, hearing him grumble as I use what he tells the other cadets in training back at him.

In response I feel air pushing back at me. And I glance over my shoulder to see the bastard smirking at me, using his signet to pull me back to him. I try to use it to propel me forward, but Garrick unlike me is far more experienced with his signet than I am, and as an arm wraps around my waist, hauling me back against him, I know I’ve lost.

“Now that’s cheating.” I point out as he nuzzles into my neck.

He chuckles, before placing a kiss to my neck just below my ear, causing my breath to catch in my throat. “Just using everything at my disposal to my advantage.” He whispers against my neck.

I try to elbow him in the side, but he grips my waist, picking me up and placing me on the bench top again as he stands between my legs, lips hovering just above mine.

“Maybe I should spend time improving my laundry skills, especially if it ends up like this.” He murmurs against my lips before leaning in.

Our lips barely touch before a noise has us breaking apart. Turning our heads we both watch as the familiar curly hair of Bodhi turns and leaves.

“First the my bedroom isn’t safe, then the showers, now the laundry room. Nowhere is bloody safe around here.” He grumbles as he walks away as Garrick and I burst into laughter.

@imtoanonymousforyou @simplyme-fornow @omalmal @lalaluch @wolfbc97 @leptitlu @fullmoon-94 @the-fandom-ness @fan-of-many-bands @awkardnerd @heeseungthel0ml @acourtofsmutandstarlight @fairchild06 @freyagallileaevans @pit-and-the-pen @hannraumari @elliot-rain @thestarseternaal @stupid-and-contagious01 @hyperfixation-train-station @lxnvmvrzx @thebreadisthetruevillian @red0202 @fangirling-galore @craftytrashprincess @taliyahvermillion @xadenswhore @fenixyrie @lagrandeourse @hellodarling1357 @iambored24601  @thegiftofacreativemind @fanfictionjunkie1112 @mysticalfuncollectorus @ohlookitsasinglepoeceofpopcorn @emoravenwolf @imheretobeinvisible @pvrkacciosan @fuckingsimp4azriel @clarewinchester @i-am-infinite @prettylittlewrites @electronictimetravelninja @ash88-yep

[brooklyn-duo]

Bucky is quiet as they walk, trying not to think too hard on what he was heading into because before he saw any of the fighting over in Europe he had to get through basic training. He thinks back on the last week and a half, and he finds himself increasingly grateful the more he realizes how much Steve gave him in that time. He gave Bucky everything that he could have possibly asked for and then even more than that. He had never known what it would be like to love someone like this, or be loved like this, and even as scared as he was about the future he was glad for the heap of memories that they’d shared that would give him some comfort during the worst of it. He can’t help but steal glances at Steve as often as he can, smiling absently at the way he carried one of his cases as if he was the one heading off to war.

At the station, he looks down at Steve and nods, swallowing the lump in his throat, “would ya? I wrote her a letter earlier this week letting her know I was heading to boot camp but i ain’t had a chance to check in on her with work and everything,” he admits, hoping that she would be okay when he was gone.

He waits awhile, delaying the last moments until just before it’s finally time to board the bus and he doesn’t hesitate before hugging Steve tightly. It would be seen as a brotherly hug or something and he didn’t care, he just hugs him one last time and whispers softly, “thank you Stevie..for everything.” Then, before he can really process it, he’s on the bus and looking out the window to Steve, ignoring the sting of tears in his eyes as the bus pulls out and away from where the blonde stood on the sidewalk.

—

The weeks pass impossibly slow but faster than Bucky expects at the same time, he can’t keep track of the months that go by as he completes basic training and then the specialized sniper training through the winter, into the spring. He wrote Steve as much as he could, even though it wasn’t as often as he would’ve liked, and made sure to keep things discreet in the letters in case they were ever misdirected and mailed to the wrong person. He was worried that after being assigned to the 107th and given the rank of Sergeant that he would immediately be sent overseas to where the fighting was in Europe. He couldn’t believe his luck when he received a few days leave to go back to New York before shipping out with his unit, and he doesn’t dare question it but makes arrangements immediately, deciding to surprise Steve since there’d be no time for a letter to be delivered anyways.

When he gets back to the city, the first place he checks is the apartment but when he finds it empty, he goes to check the usual places like the movie theater and where Steve’s art classes were, at least where they had been even though Bucky isn’t sure if he’s still taking those classes. But on his way to the theater, he hears a raucous in the alley and can’t help but look in only to see someone hitting Steve. His blood boils at seeing someone so much bigger beat someone smaller, and it only infuriates him even more knowing it was his Stevie.

He yanks the stranger away from where he stood over Steve’s body after knocking him down, shoving him back and getting between him and Steve, “Pick on someone your own size,” he snapped, sizing him up and smirking a bit when he does actually try to swing on him. It doesn’t take much to kick his ass, literally, out of the alleyway and Bucky watches him stumble away for a moment before turning back to where Steve was already standing and dusting himself off.

“Sometimes I think you like getting punched,” he says dryly, bending down to pick up something Steve had dropped in the fight, a folded piece of paper, groaning lightly as he read over the rejection, “How many times is this Stevie, you’re from Jersey now?”

Bucky cherishes these last few minutes, and it takes everything in him to finally pry his own arms from around Steve, “I better get dressed..” he mumbles softly, even if he looks like he hates himself for setting Steve on the bed so he could stand. He goes to his wallet, taking out the last handful of bucks he had from his last shift and puts it on the dresser for Steve before getting his draft letter from the drawer it had been sitting in since he got it 10 days ago. He shoves it in his wallet a bit angrily, hating that stupid letter even if it was the reason he finally confessed to Steve because now it was the exact thing taking him away from Steve.

Once they’re dressed, and once he’s got everything he needed, he kisses Steve one last time before they had to leave their apartment. It’s tender, and he couldn’t help the longing he felt, “I love you Steve Rogers, every bit of you, even that punk ass personality of yours,” he says with a weak smile, hoping to lift his spirits even just a bit so that it wasn’t so hard to walk out the door.

[maudie-duan]

OVER SMUT? HERE’S SOME READS!!

A/N: I'm seeing a lot of post of people not wanting smut. So I decided to make a little list of what I have that doesn't contain any... not that there's anything wrong with it. I can understand the burn out and I write it!

Harry Styles x Fem!Reader x Sad Ex-Boyfriend

You and Harry ended things a while ago...Now he's calling you out of nowhere...after you've finally moved on...

Warning: Just Harry reeling over his Ex...All THE ANGST.

Story Here<-

Ex-Boyfriend!Harry x Ex-Girlfriend!Reader x Rekindled Love

When love has begun to leave a scar, you somehow find the strength to reach out to the one person who knows you best, the one person who would understand you even at your worst, and just as your about to break an old lifeline finds a way to keep you afloat.

Warning: HEAVY ANGST, (a scene of)Verbal Abuse, Dark Themes, Emotional.

Story Here<-

BookEditor!Harry x Fem!Reader

Is it love at first sight, or just love at a distance, a sweet little story about Harry finding love where he least expects it... on the subway in NYC.

Story Here <-

Three-Part Mini-Series: Almost Lover Masterlist Here<-

Based on 'Don't Smile,' 'Taste,' and 'Things I Wish You Said.'

Bonus Part 'The Sharpest Tool' <-This is the only part that has smut but it can be skipped completely or if you skip the end of that part. It placed at the very end of the chapter.

You were an almost lover, now a hushed whisper in the dark when his Ex moves back to town. Nothing is worse than a love triangle you weren't expecting--old flames, new love, and lingering feelings, but who's the real winner when everyone gets hurt?

Based on 'cindy lou who': When the man you've loved since childhood decides he's ready to settle down, but it turns out you are no longer his forever. Here<-

Main Masterlist <-

One Shot Masterlist <-

Taglist For Future Stories<-

[aurora-starshine]

I have a silly question- :D

How did each girl meet their love interest? :D

I havent thought about all of them super in depth yet, but I do have a couple I could really imagine~

Malleus and Briar met outside of the expectations and pressures of their titles. Malleus having gotten a bit stuck in the branches of a tree, Briar had happened to be passing by, she went to help the prince. Not knowing who he was, and not holding any fear in her eyes as she reached up to help him, her hand holding a strange mark on its middle finger. He had never seen anyone look at him with such... normalcy before; as though he was just some boy, and not the Future king of Briar Valley. And Briar was glad that he too didn't make any fuss about who she really was, having spent the past months surrounded by attention, and noise as she was returned to her "real family". Although when she's dressed in her clothes from the cottage, it can be hard to tell that she's a princess. They would continue to spend time together in the woods, neither ever asking for the others name, worried that they would ask for a name in return. Jadee and Jamil have known each other all their lives, seeing as he works for her family. They didn't speak much as young children, didn't care too much about the other. That is, until a day where Kalim went somewhere without either of them, the day they started talking to each other. Not as servant and master, but instead more as equals. They both surprised each other with how easy it was to slip into friendly conversation, as natural as breathing. Jadee began to catch feelings from that day on. And quickly began to resent the system that kept him as a servant, and her as a prize to be given away. She hasn't, and likely will never approach Jamil with her feelings, knowing it's unfair to bring that to him while he is still under her families thumb.

Ruby and Epel met at a spell-drive event. Even though NRC didn't win, Ruby had excitedly run up to Epel to compliment how cool he looked on the field. He was confused and flattered at the same time, half expecting her to make some kind of comment on him looking "cute" during it. But she never mentioned his looks, only excited about the sport. She left with a smile, and they've been thinking about each other ever since. The cute girl who thought he was cool, and the handsome boy who didn't ask about her brother

Vivian and Leona met when they were children. Her adopted father thought it important for her to make friends with others who were from the savanna, and who better than the prince her age? She was initially very nervous around him, and he was jealous of her status of the only daughter of the king (adopted or not). They visited each other a lot as children, but didn't start having an okay relationship until high school. They both agreed to "date" each other. Her for security of her position (Her uncle has been looking for any reason to kick her out of the family), and him for the possibility of a kingdom all his own. But is that all there is between the two...?

Allison and Riddle met rather simply. They were both at a bakery in town, and at once had corrected someone in line about bad manners and napkins. They looked at each other, surprised. They both have the same instinct for following rules, and so they decided to talk about it over tea. a soft crush between them

Blume and Sebek met when she sneaked onto NRC campus to talk to her dad (a teacher at the school). her having literally run into him on accident. She interrupted his yelling about proper behavior, by excitedly commenting on his hair, something about how it looks like lightning. He was stunned into silence as she ran off with a wave, deciding quickly that she very much liked the cute crocodile boy

I haven't decided yet how Posy and Idia would meet, but if y'all have any ideas lemme know :3 Neet x Popular girl my beloved Also if y'all have any ship name ideas, lmk cause I'm bad at those lol

Chapter 7 spoilers I think:

Lilia and Maria have known each other for hundreds of years, so long that neither remembers how they met. But they do remember the good times before the war, how they'd spent days and nights together, finding joy in each others laughs. they dated for around a hundred years before the war began, and Maria, who had helped raise the dawn knight with her sisters, stood on the side of her family. Both had an opportunity to kill the other, neither could bring themselves to do it. After all, how could you kill the person you love? But that was a very, very long time ago now...

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

how much I believe the dragon age companions are Actually putting on the makeup they've been designed with

this is part 1: ORIGINS COMPANIONS! lists for other games will follow eventually.

my perspectives on this are from someone who both 1) works an outdoor job that has me traveling and camping for up to 2 weeks at a time. and 2) a second side job where i put on vast amounts of intricate makeup for every appearance. so i both wander around barefaced most days but do have a lot of experience with full face looks, as well as applying all that makeup outdoors or with limited lighting and mirrors available. I will be stealing some reference pics from the dragon age wikis for this, but also looked at other sceenshots online to see other angles or better quality.

first some general thoughts on makeup in Origins: makeup in the origins CC is categorized as eyeshadow/liner (in one toggle), blush, and lip color. These are pretty basic settings, and while the true reasoning is old graphics, it also means all the makeup is sort of blended/blurry rather than say sharp graphic or colorful eyeliners. this does change in future games, but I do think in general the 'smudgy' look suits a group of characters running around the wilderness or sleeping in a tent rather than living indoors.

Leliana: Orlesian. Bard. Embraces other stereotypically girly interests like dresses and shoes. It is easily believable that she not only wears makeup but spends the time applying it every day. She likes to feel pretty and would bother with it even while camping, because why not? Leliana is shown with eyeshadow/liner, rouge, and a somewhat neutral lipstick. All fine by me 👍

Morrigan: Morrigan was my original complaint/inspiration for this post, as I discussed previously. Her dialogue about the mirror implies she wasn't allowed 'vain' pleasures growing up, and that she didn't have many personal items. at the same time, legend says Flemmeth used to seduce & kill men, and Morrigan states there's an expectation for her to perhaps follow that route eventually too. So: did Flemeth teach her makeup once she got older? did Morrigan rebel and sneak a mirror and products somewhere to learn anyway? and on a practical note, would she spend the time to wake up and put it on in the morning? She does wear a lot of jewelry, and appreciates being gifted more, so I do think that she would be down for adding extra time to her morning routine simply for the sake of aesthetics. However she also acts prickly about 'girly' things like clothes and fashion, protesting that she lives in the woods, and expressing discomfort when Leliana is staring at and evaluating her, though at the same time acknowledging she's considered attractive in general. What a complex lady! Anyway, I can buy her liking makeup, but I think early-game-Morrigan is a bit too defensive and standoffish to be wearing as much dramatic eyeliner, eyeshadow, blush, contour, and dark lipstick as she is. Character design is static in these games, so they all come looking the way they're introduced, but if we ignore that my 'fun' thought is that she picks up doing makeup once she and Leliana get to know each other better.

Alistair: Not designed with any makeup. Of course it's only the male companions who get to skip it across the board, but whatever, I'm ignoring bioware's double standards for now. I agree with Alistair not wearing makeup anyway. His upbringing didn't exactly allow him a lot of freedom to explore things like that, with the chantry/templars, and he's very much a do-what-i'm-told person vs someone who chafes and wants to seek out other forms of self expression.

Wynne: if i was an old lady i would NOT be bothering, but my grandma wore makeup every day until she died at age 89, so clearly it matters to some people. we don't know anything about the history of cosmetics or societal pressure about makeup in Thedas, but we do know Wynne the Circle mage like things like structure, routine, and ritual. So I buy her following her usual morning makeup routine even though she is waking up in a swamp now. That's fine i guess. But I do think she should be in LESS eyeshadow than she's shown with just because on older skin crumbly products like shadow are way less likely to stick without extra primers & setting spray which are too modern for this setting. Just a touch of color on the lid without going so far up to the eyebrow & temple would make more sense. The blush & lips can stay, and the pinkish tones do read a bit more fashioned to me.

Shale: missed opportunity here tbh. before Shale even finds out she used to be a dwarven woman, she enjoys how the crystals and gemstones you find make her look fetching and catch the light. she would LOVE more glittery adornments. "how is a pile of rock going to wear makeup" you ask? easy: spraypaint. Shale should get to pick different graffiti decals every month and just power wash them off once they start to fade. at LEAST lets get her some nail polish. please live forever you beautiful golem, someday Thedas will manage to invent these things and you can rock out the way you were clearly meant to.

Zevran: another letdown here. he deserves some cunty eyeliner. ioware your double standards for male vs female characters is showing. while Zevran's promiscuity is something that he was trained to embrace with the Crows without choice and in part an act (to hide his insecurities about real emotion/connection), i think he'd enjoy the dramatic flair some makeup products offer. the tattoos are sort of a 'permanent' makeup in this way. i don't think he'd do makeup every day but when bored in camp would be the one using a dagger to draw dramatic eyeliner wings.

Sten: Not designed with any makeup. Sten values practicality in day to day life, and I would say a lot of his appreciation for fine art is about the skill, history, and craft itself more than the end product of just 'a pretty thing', or he'd also like jewelry/baubles. plus, the Qun wouldn't allow flexibility for its warriors to spend time/money/product on something that frivolous; and once in southern Thedas he still disdains things he thinks are a waste of time by the Ferelden barbarians. HOWEVER. what the Qun DOES allow is vitaar, which is a qunari-specific form of warpaint in special designs that honestly IS kind of a parallel equivalent to makeup just with a specific combat function of poisoning every other race on touch etc. unfortunately, the devs did not invent this stuff until after origins as far as i am aware. so while i would LOVE to see Sten with some vitaar options, alas, we are deprived in the Origins timeline. and since he is sort of living in disgrace away from the Qun when we find him, I do think he could be stoically choosing not to use vitaar bc of All That and wouldn't care for other forms of makeup. so lack of makeup is Believable. but also i hope as the newest Arishok he does eventually get some sexy red and white warpaint and i will put my hands all over his big strong body even if the stuff kills me. who said that

Oghren: Not designed with any makeup. Oghren............. well at the point we meet him he is too drunk to care about much beyond trying to find his ex-wife, and then being Sad about how that all worked out. perhaps he had a more wild youth, but at least for the Origins timeline, that man is not waking up early for makeup routine. I do think DAO does him pretty dirty character depth wise but, yeah, not he's not gonna be wearing any of that on his own.

Loghain: Not designed with any makeup... i THINK. the area around his eyes is WAY darker than other npcs, BUT i am pretty sure this is to indicate that he is sleep deprived and perhaps scheming rather than supposed to be an actual product. It's supposed to be read as dark circles, not eyeshadow, kind of mirrored by his stubble shadow. Loghain is also a heavily practical man above all else. He is old, busy, and has too much other shit going on such as trying to maintain rule over the whole kingdom, hunt down the escaped wardens, and desperately try to pretend a blight isn't also happening. he is NOT putting on any product including the lotions he probably needs. alas.

Dog: DON'T THINK I FORGOT that dog gets to wear makeup aka kaddis, the special mabari warpaint :)))))) he lets you paint all over him no problem and a very good boy he is!!!!!!!!! 10/10 on this one Bioware, wish you let some of the women be bare faced in this medieval fantasy setting but at least i get to fingerpaint my dog as a consolaton prize

[fatalitysficbakery]

༒☙༒ Sunshine Over At The Scheffield Diner. — Elias “Stack” Moore x Black Fem!Y/n

genre: fluffiest fluff in the bakery.

warnings: stack gets a stern talking to.

synopsis: the prettiest lil daisy caught his eyes.

↳ ༒ Fatalitysficbakery navigation menu ༒.

↳ ༒ Fatalitysficbakery Sinners menu ༒.

༒

❝All the little birdies on Jaybird Street.❞⁣

༒

Long as he'd been alive, so had the Scheffield diner, sho as rain open every monday-friday, Lords willing, leaving the nearby plantation workers with a place to confide in when finally going home. Somethin' cheap, didn't eat into the money they'd just worked their asses off to earn. Somethin' for the family.

But the sweetest pie wasn't on the menu; no, Stack found it to be closer than he thought with a lil spice added for a kick that kept him on his toes.

She was Alin Scheffield's youngest daughter, Y/n Scheffield, some sweet to look at after long hours and not too much sleep. She ain't hurt business a bit; a real Delta woman, with an accent thick as honey and twice as sweet and warm hazel eyes disappearing beneath the weight of her smile, the more it broadened.

When they were younger, they'd played together happily, them and Smoke, but that was before the world got real. Real, raw, and dangerous. When they turned out to be more of they daddy's seed than they would have liked. Monsters were no longer something that hid beneath their beds, but something they saw the longer they gazed into the mirror. Saw the abyss, watched it stare back.

When they came back to the Delta, he made it a habit to visit the Scheffield Diner. It brought back memories he wasn't quite ready to unpack, but the longer he stayed, the more he found a reason to.

She was stubborn to the core. No doubt, her pappy warned her bout men like him. Though she had her own mind, she was still a good girl. Never glanced at a nigga like him cept' to roll those pretty lil' eyes of hers, sass wielded tongue like a blade to the heart.

He ain't care, long as she talked to him.

"You want somethin', Stack? Pie? Coffee? Directions back to Chicago? I'll give ya those fa free."

"Know my way round plenty well, Miss. But if it'll get you to look my direction, Been stumblin' my way through here for weeks."

Just as expected, she rolls her eyes, a hand on her hip and a sigh parting her lips, pulling out her pad to write something down before he's drowning in hazel and unsure how to stop staring. Her eyes bore into his, quirking a brow in response to the flirting that he knew ground her gears some furious.

"Usual, then?" Her voice is kept steady, guarded, but softening every day, or at least he thought so.

She was a tough cookie, didn't tolerate no bullshit specially' when she was sweating her ass off trying to give herself a better future. If ya had a slick tongue, she'd cut you down quick, but they'd always bantered a while.

Maybe she was sweet on him. He was a hopeful man.

His adams apple catches her eye when he chuckles, somethin' masculine, smooth... somethin' dangerous when heard from his lips. The kinda temptation they talked about in the bible.

"You remember it still? Black coffee...not too much sugar now, and-"

She follows along, keeping him in her peripheral while writing down that familiar order, it being the same each and every time. "Black coffee, not too much sugar, and a slice of Mama's famous peach cobbler. Got it." she cuts him off, it's like she's seeing right through him.

He licks his lips, watching her leave, whistling under his breath. She was a little firecracker, alright; He was more than ready to walk into the flames, too.

༒ ☽ ☙ ༒ ༒ ༒ ☙ ☽ ༒

☾ Three Weeks Later.

It'd been a day from hell, felt like it as well. The sun had been gleaming, but it was raining real heavy, like the devil was beating his wife. Least that's what Mama said on days like this. It got no better that night, neither.

Was it just her luck or just his luck that her car had picked this specific night to break down on her when it was time to leave the diner?

Realistically, she could've just called her father. He'd be more than happy to take his babygirl home, get her out the harsh weather. — Fate seemed to have different plans for her that night, though; She bent at the hip, flashlight on while taking a look under the hood of the stupid broken-down piece of junk she'd inherited when she was just 19. That's when she heard him honk.

When she looked up and saw him, she found herself praying immediately. Like he was the boogeyman or something. It was dramatic, and she told herself that. It was just Stack, not some demon. — Why'd it feel like she was taking a walk on the dark side nonetheless?

"Need a ride? Pourin' down cats and dogs out here, girl. Gon get that pretty dress all soaked."

Okay, so also realistically, she'd refuse his offer. Remind herself he was no good, and always up to no good. Convince herself Daddy was at Uncle Ryan's house and he'd be more than eager to get her home. Be a good girl. Keep her distance.

Cept' that ain't quite what she did.

She's huffing at herself as she struts over to the passenger side, ducking down and getting herself out of the rain with none much more than a simple, "Ight, but you're taking me right home. Ain't no stopping."

Flashing that infuriating smirk in her direction, one hand on the wheel and the other reaching over to help buckle her in, he shakes his head. "Got no faith in a nigga, huh? Don't think I'll play sweet?"

She gasps too audibly for her liking when he leans over to buckle her in, holding her hands up in an almost surrendered position, him looking up at her with those infinite brown's, laughing at her reaction.

"Quite the opposite, boy. You might play too sweet."

He makes a 'pshh' sound, sitting back in his seat, glancing her way when she's finally allowing her body to relax, settling in himself, he puts the car in drive.

"Don't tell me you're afraid to get a sweet tooth now, miss Scheffield." He whispers just loud enough for her to hear, sending her a wink as they drive off. "Stay with me, baby. Ain't all bad."

"Then what are you?" She asked, voice a bit quieter as she turned to face him, her expression a bit softer now, like she was giving him a chance, and opening to show her something real.

Lord, with those eyes of hers on him, it was easy to get him to do anything she asked of him. "That depends on what you're asking, darlin'."

Her shoulders shrug, looking out the window now, muttering softly, "Keep ya eyes on the road." Her fingers tap anxiously at her lap, her lips rubbing the lip gloss she had on in like moisturiser. She was contemplating her next words, sighing out when she finally gave up and spoke up... "You're not just Stack. You're Elias, right? I'm asking what Elias is."

He paused, like the question was foreign to him. No one really bothered to ask about Elias. Elijah was the only one who seemed to remember that was even his name, and that was when he needed a brother, not a comedian. So, who was Elias?

His eyes begrudgingly move from you, looking back to the road ahead of them. He could turn water to wine if he wanted, words quick and deflecting. — He ain't have much of an answer. Not right now, at least. He was a brotha starving, and she'd just offered him a way in. "I heard curious cats can get themselves hurt, you willing to take the risk to figure me out?"

Fore' she even knew it, her hand was being lifted; her fingers instinctively lacing with his. Her breathing catches when he brings it to his lips, igniting something in her that she wasn't all too ready to acknowledge yet.

"That's Bullshit."

"Repeat that?" He whispers, leaning a little closer just so he could hear her better. He knew she wasn't the type to back down, and that's what he liked about her.

"Bull. crap. You're charming your way around the question."

He shakes his head. "Wrong."

"Yeah? Speak up then."

He shrugs his shoulders. Something like a game of tug-of-war was engaging between the two of them. "You're too intrigued."

"I'm too-"

"If I don't say anything right now. Leave that pretty mind of yours with unanswered questions...?" His breath tickles her ear as he leans so close to her. Slyly, he opens the door for her, his brow raised; he's looking at her as if he knows something, something she doesn't. He's reading her. "I'll get to see you again..."

It's pathetic, really. She regains her composure far too late in the ordeal and now all she could do was feel him, breathe him, think... him.

Unbuckling herself, she steps out of the truck, soft gaze turned into a glare. She'd been showing too much, way too much. It was almost cute when he saw her attempting to build those walls back up as quick as she could help it. "Goodnight, Elias."

Tipping his hat in her direction, he smiles back at her, "Sweet dreams, Miss Scheffield."

༒ ☽ ☙ ༒ ༒ ༒ ☙ ☽ ༒

☾ One 1/2 Months Later.

Since that night he'd driven her home, she ain't seen a sign of Elias Moore in a damn near two months. It took her a while to adjust to his absence, and that was something she despised getting used to. If she was used to it, that meant he was right.

He was right.

She'd find him in every customer that rang that bell when the door opened, growing more agitated each time his eyes disappeared from their gaze. Call it down bad, call it something but he'd baited her successfully. Like the con-man she knew he could be.

When she finally did find his face in the crowd, though? All fine, and chocolate, and confident with a swagger that could charm the pants off ya old ass grandmother?

She wasn't just pissed. She was furious.

Just about to take her break when he walked in, she glared his way before grabbing her pack and walking outside. She sauntered past him like he didn't exist to her. Like she hadn't noticed him the second he walked in.

That didn't mean he was ignoring her, however.

His direction changed when she walked past, and suddenly so was he, ignoring the glances from other patrons, aunties in silent communication and coworkers happy for a friend...His eyes are solely focused in on one woman.

"Ya must ain't see me, woman? Shot right past me. Prolly took a lil look out the corner of your eye, but nah...You ain't see me."

He's observing her every little move, every detail. Like it was music to him. Every note spoke somethin' different.

Her eyebrows shot up, leaned against his truck, cigarette between rosy lips and smoke blowing like a soft breath on a cold winter day. "You're finally wanting to be seen?"

Straightening up, he clears his throat, struggling not to smile bigger than he can hide it. "Why? You ain't miss me now, did ya baby?"

If she could slap the smug off his face, she absolutely would. Eyes boring into his, she speaks barely above a whisper, but her words are heard clear as day. "Y'know I wish I could say that shit wasn't true but..."

"I'm listening. Keep talking." With his hands clasped behind his back, he leans forward expectantly, itching to get closer and reach out for her though knowing she was angry enough as is, and goddamn was her fury a sight within itself.

She throws her cig down, the toe of her heel crushing the remnants of the flame out under her foot; cursing under her breath, she struts up to him, an unread mission in her gaze. They look at each other for just a brief moment before a pop echoes through the night, her palm meeting his cheek and surprising them both. Stack keeps her hand there when he processes what'd happened, holding it to his cheek just to keep the sting there for another second.

"My daddy warned me bout men like you, and I promised myself I wouldn't go near no man less' he was someone respectable. You walk in like the devil, and something changes. I don't know what you want with me, but I ain't no fool."

Eyes going to her finger that was pointed to his chest, a wry half grin broadens across his lips, two fingers coming to wrap around hers. "Didn't think you was, doll. Far from it, actually."

"So? What do you want from me? And why was you gone so long?"

Elias clears his throat, stalking slowly towards her, he places her hand back down to her side and allows room for breath between them once again. "I was handling somethin', sweetheart. Had some business, that's all. I was always comin' back. As for what I want with ya..."

Her eyes search his for deceit, and where she found none, she found something cheekier instead, something that softened her gaze and relaxed her shoulders; had her biting back a smile when he finally asked her.

"How bout just one date? Nothin' more."

༒ ☽ ☙ ༒ ༒ ༒ ☙ ☽ ༒

authors note: fluff before i absolutely break your hearts. -fatality/bubbles.

[bluev0id]

HOW TO OVERCOME YOUR TROUBLES?

Hello ! This is a general pick a spider web reading that will give u some hints and insights on what you could do to potentially free yourself from your current burdens. Practical or emotional. This reading is for entertainment purposes(!!!!!!!) PLEASE SEEK REAL MEDICAL/LEGAL/WHATEVER NECESSARY HELP IRL IF NEEDED

1.

You are trying to take the wrong road to your success, which is why nothing is happening as you want or planned. That, or you're so afraid of not reaching the goal or finding resolutions, that you're stunned into doing nothing. The cards here are simple and direct-> change your approach. Pinpoint what's not working and why, then silence your fears and frustrations, and little by little, start implementing change. It could be in your attitude or world view as much as real practical situations. There's a set of skills you're lacking, perhaps that's what you need to focus on first. To heal and be abundant is a slow path that needs careful crafting and it won't happen in a day or two. Use your desire as motivation to pull you forward

CARDS : Death; ace if swords reversed, world reversed + 8 of pentacles reversed, Queen of pentacles, 3 of swords reversed

~☆ To thank me, you can check out and interact with my ETSY shop ☆~

2.

Seems like you are creating most of your issues. You like to push yourself for the sake of others, you want to see the best in them or the best in life but whatever you were dealing with has turned around and bit you. Sometimes, it's better to give up and let go. It doesn't have to be the person or the situation itself, it could also be your expectations. Make sure you're true to yourself and honest about what you desire and whether the situation you're in is aligning with it. I see you as a beautiful soul, someone who is caring and loving but there's a lot of mental fog and self sabotage. Know your worth and that your first priority should always be yourself.

CARDS: 6 of cups reversed, chariot reversed, 7 of wands reversed + 5 of swords reversed + the empress, 7 of swords reversed

~☆ To thank me, you can check out and interact with my ETSY shop ♡ ☆~

3.

Overthinking and fears are the first words that pop up for me. I see you're tired of feeling this way, and you want to break free, you want people who you can trust and to see things moving in a more positive direction. Your biggest enemy is being tired and feeling like the world has betrayed you. You need to learn to let go of this paranoia and negative thinking. If you're scared people will harm you, set boundaries and be loud and clear about them, get rid of people who have deliberately hurt you. There's a lot that can be done, however, once you've done these things, you need to let life run it's course and not obsess over all details. The best way to be in control and feel content is to take things as they are and for what they are instead of trying to predict every future problem. There are good things in life and they will find you if you open your doors to them.

CARDS: Justice reversed, 2 of cups, 9 of swords, the sun reversed, king of cups reversed, 8 of swords reversed

~☆ To thank me, you can check out and interact with my ETSY shop ☆~

4.

This might be a bit frustrating to hear but for now the best you can do is keep yourself together and be patient. Seems like there's no clear action to be taken except planning and trying to keep a positive mind. This situation won't last forever, it's just difficult right now, but you know you will figure it out and one day it will be forgotten in the past. Make sure you're not adding self sabotage into the combo and that your mind and emotions are in check. Think about what you would like to do as a treat once you're out of this situation. What little things could you do now to keep your mind focused on the end result? Whatever activities help you relieve stress and don't add any extra stress or problems, now is the time to partake in them.

CARDS: The Star reversed, 10 of wands reversed, 4 of cups + 2 of wands, the world, 7 of swords + strength

~☆ To thank me, you can check out and interact with my ETSY shop ☆~

[chococara25]

The Long Shadow of Action

Actions has consequences. What if Eddie didn’t just kick Buck out of his house, he also removed his guardianship over Christopher because how can he trust someone who let Bobby die to protect his son? (He doesn't realized how his actions would have long term consequences to everyone involved.)

WIP to this idea

Buck was at the HQ trying to cancel his transfer request with the HR department when one of the secretaries told him that Chief Simpson requested a meeting with him. Was he in trouble? Was this about leading the military on a wild goose chase using stolen government and municipal properties?

Buck frantically tries to figure out a way to absolve everyone in that incident (Tommy doesn’t deserve a suspension just because Buck begged him for help) when Chief Simpson finally spoke, slapping down a thick pile of files in front of them.

“These are the offers I got just this week from over half the captains in the district, all fighting to have the first pick on you. I know for a fact that with your current certifications, you are overqualified to be in 118, especially without having a proper partner.”

Buck, floored by the files, could only listen as Chief Simpson continued. “And with your success training firefighter Panikkar with your high standard, even the Academy had approached with an offer for you to train future heavy rescue operators. Even the fire marshal department had made an offer after your short stint with them, where your analytical approach in enforcing safety standards puts you down as one of our best fire marshals. The point is, firefighter Buckley, you have the potential to rise high, and I hope you will take the chance to do it.”

“I don’t know what to say, Sir. Surely my record with the LAFD… I sued LAFD once!”

“Firefighter Buckley, I think we all can agree you have just cause for that lawsuit. And the fact that you turned down the settlement offer and only requested to be allowed back to work with LAFD speaks well of your dedication to the calling. And the achievements you've garnered throughout the years only show how valuable an asset you are for LAFD.”

Noticing Buck’s indecisive looks, his voice gentled. “I think Captain Nash would agree with me, we were in talks before he passed away, on the possibility of you being trained to be a captain. He was thinking about retiring in a few years and hoped that you would be his replacement.”

“Bo - Captain Nash did?” Buck blinks, not sure what to say. “Erm, can I-can I think about it? And get back to you in a few days?”

The Chief nods. “Of course. I truly hope you give this serious consideration, firefighter Buckley. This is a good opportunity for you.”

Buck needed space and some time to think about the offers.

And yet, coming home to Eddie packing up his things haphazardly into boxes was the last thing he expected to see.

“What are you doing?” Buck froze by the front door, staring in increasing horror as he took in the stacks of boxes waiting for him in the hallway.

“Hey, Buck!” Eddie still struggled to wrestle one of the boxes, not noticing Buck’s furious look. “Chris and I are moving back to LA, so I’m gonna need my house back by this Friday because our stuff will be here by then.”

“But I’m subletting,” Buck said. “Where am I supposed to go?” Buck tried to hold onto his temper. This is his house now; he has a contract and everything.

“You’ll figure it out.” Eddie waved his hand vaguely. “You can sleep on the couch if you need it.”

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