#spring boot 2.0

[nicoline1998enilocin]

The Only One For Me || Part 2

PAIRING || Boyfriend! College Student! Young! Tony Stark x Girlfriend! College Student! Female! Reader

WORDCOUNT || 11.4K

SUMMARY || Life with Tony as your boyfriend has been a dream, and now you're both getting ready to take your relationship to the next level. After that night, you feel like a different person, and you're happy to have shared this moment with him.

RATING || Explicit (E) 

WARNINGS/TAGS || College AU. No powers AU. Young! Tony Stark AU. Established relationship. Sexual tension. Explicit sexual content.

SMUT || Virgin! Tony. Virgin! Reader. First time. Hand job. Oral (M&F receiving). Unprotected sex (Reader is on birth control). Fingering. Teasing. Praise. Dirty talk. Hair pulling. Back scratching.

A/N || This story has been requested by my best friend and the most amazing person on earth, @ccbsrmsf1! I wish you the happiest birthday today, bestie, and many more beautiful years. I love you and look forward to working on more stories for and with you in the future! 🤍

A/N 2.0 || I want to thank the sweet @mostly-marvel-musings for proofreading this story and lifting it to a new level! I appreciate you so much, and I'm forever grateful 🤍

EVENTS @elixirfromthestars Elixir’s Cinema || I burn for you… + I do… I need you. + “Kiss me.” @fandom-free-bingo Frosty Edition || Teasing @fandom-free-bingo Maritime May Edition || Brushing their hair + First meeting@julybreakbingo Post-JBB || Fear of rejection

All the graphics in this post are made by @nicoline1998enilocin

Main Masterlist || Tony Stark || The Only One For Me || Part 1 || Part 3

The past month has been a blast, as you get to spend as much time as possible with your best friend, Natasha Romanoff, her boyfriend, Bruce Banner, and your very own boyfriend - the tall, muscular, sweet, and shy Tony Stark. From the moment you were on your first date together, you two have grown even closer, and now he’s getting ready to meet you for dinner to celebrate your one-month-anniversary. For the past few weeks, he’s been planning to ask you to go to the upcoming spring dance with him, and tonight will be the night to pop the question.

“Are you sure she will like this?” Tony asks as he stands in front of his life-size mirror, trying on the third outfit as he’s deciding on what to wear. Bruce sits comfortably on his desk chair and looks over at his best friend, trying to assess if the outfit he’s wearing now is the one as his brows furrow.

“Hmm, maybe you should go with lighter jeans instead,” he offers, and Tony lets out a small sigh as he swaps out his black jeans for a pair of light blue ripped jeans. Though it’s not something he wears often, he’s willing to give it a shot, and it’ll go well with the jacket he plans to wear for the night. Once your boyfriend is back in front of the mirror, he smiles as he looks approvingly at the outfit Bruce has helped him put together.

“Glasses or contacts?” he then asks, holding up his glasses as an option.

“Definitely glasses; you know she always goes wild when you wear them, right?”

Tony’s cheeks turn bright red at his best friend’s remark, and a soft ‘okay’ slips from his lips before he puts them on top of his head and walks into the bathroom to switch his contacts for the glasses. You’ve mentioned a few times how sexy and adorable he looks when wearing them, and it will always be a deadly combination for you and your entirely ruined panties in the best way possible.

While Tony is taking his time to get ready, you’re doing the same for the dinner he has invited you to. Your outfit is laid out on the bed after Natasha has put it together with pieces from both your closets, and all you need to decide on now is which shoes to pair with them. However, this is definitely causing a debate between you and your friend.

“I promise you that I’ll be much more comfortable in my boots than your heels! I can barely walk 20 feet in these before I break an ankle,” you tell her with furrowed brows as you hold up a pair of your stiletto heels. The entire time, you feel the nerves swarming through your stomach as you’re afraid to make the wrong choice, wanting this night to be nothing short of perfect.

“Detka. Listen to me,” Natasha says sternly, and you can’t help but meet her gaze in the mirror.

“He will love you in everything you put on tonight - or any other night. You could wear your fluffiest slippers or your highest heels, he wouldn’t even notice! The last thing he’ll be looking at is your shoes, because that man has nothing but eyes for you before kissing you senseless. Trust me, you can wear anything you want, and anything you will decide is going to be perfect.”

When she’s done, you let her words sink in as you look at both pairs of shoes you’re holding. Deep down you know she’s right, and the last thing he will think about is your shoes, so you decide to go with the pair of black chelsea boots to finish the outfit, following your initial thoughts. Then it’s time to work on your hair and make-up before slipping on the clothes, and you look nothing short of beautiful when you’re done.

“I can’t wait to see what Tony thinks when he picks you up,” your best friend says as your fingers slide over the soft lace of the bodysuit. While it’s something that’s usually out of your comfort zone, it doesn’t look out of place on your curves, and you’re both sure Tony’s jaw will be on the floor when he sees you. She also looks at you with a prideful gaze, as she couldn’t be prouder of the happiness radiating off you both when you’re together.

“Believe me, neither can I,” you say with a shy smile, warmth spreading through your cheeks as you’re looking at yourself one last time, admiring all the hard work you and Natasha have put in while getting ready. It doesn’t take long for Tony to arrive after, and you squeal excitedly when you hear his knocks on the door.

“Have fun!” Natasha says as you rush past her, ready to greet your boyfriend. It’s been a little over a week since you’ve seen him in person due to your busy schedules. Now that the end of your degree is nearing, you’re both busier than ever, and you’ve both been looking forward to this reunion. When the door swings open, you’re met with a broad smile and a sight to ruin every last pair of your panties, as Tony looks especially handsome tonight.

“Hi, Angel,” he says as his hands are in his pockets, a blush already on his cheeks as he takes in your outfit for the night. His eyes get stuck on the revealing lace of your bodysuit, and he’s glad to be wearing a pair of his baggier jeans today, as they’ll help to hide the fact that he’s rather excited to see what you look like tonight. You barely get a chance to greet him back, as he gently pushes you against the door to kiss you, not able to stay away from you for another second.

His lips are soft yet demanding when they slide together with yours, a soft moan escaping your lips as his thumb caresses your cheek, while his other hand gently squeezes your hip, taking domination of every sense in your body. His cologne fills your nostrils as you two take the time to greet one another with this kiss, as it has been long overdue. You’ve been waiting for this moment for longer than you’ve wanted, but it’s been worth every minute.

Your bodies mold together beautifully, and it feels like coming home as you two take your time with the kiss. When it’s time for you both to get some air, you can’t stop smiling at him, the butterflies in your stomach going wild as you look into his shimmering dark brown eyes. His shy smile also makes your heart melt, as he looks more handsome than you’ve seen him ever look to this moment.

“Buon anniversario di un mese, angelo mio,” Tony says, making your heart melt at the foreign language slipping from his tongue as naturally as when he speaks English. He’s been raised bilingual - his Mom, Maria Stark, is from Italy so his parents have raised him with both English and Italian - but rarely speaks Italian outside of his parents’ home. However, when you found out that he speaks Italian, you’ve been encouraging him to do it more, making your heart melt as a result each time he does.

Then, after a few more pecks on your lips, Tony reaches into his back pocket from where he grabs a long, slender present wrapped in stunning red and gold wrapping paper. Your eyes go wide at the sight of the present, and you suddenly feel bad for not having anything for him, as you haven’t been able to go out and pick the perfect gift for him. You’re about to tell him exactly that, but he’s ahead of you, reassuring you that it’s okay that you don’t have one.

“All I want is to spend time with you on a night that’s special to us, Angel. Your presence and your smile are the best gifts you can possibly give me,” he says, which makes you smile and melt even harder. If you weren’t already deeply in love with him, you surely would be now, as he never fails to say the right thing. Then you move to open the present, making Tony smile widely as he patiently waits for you to take the wrapping off.

Inside is a necklace with a delicate chain and a small ‘T’ on it, and the color of it compliments your skin beautifully. Unable to know what to say to such a gift, you instead take it out of the small box it’s currently sitting in, holding it up to get an even better look at it.

“Can you put it on for me?” you then ask, and Tony obliges by taking the chain out of your hand and putting it on, his fingers sending sparks through your body, your skin feeling warm from where he touches you. He has picked the perfect length, and when you turn around he gasps softly, as you’re now proudly wearing his initial.

“You look even more beautiful than you already did, Angel. Sono l'uomo più fortunato ad essersi innamorato di qualcuno bello come te,” Tony whispers as he gazes into your eyes, and he has never felt luckier to be yours than he is now, just like he just said. Though you can’t understand the words he’s saying, you’re still enjoying them thoroughly, as Tony speaking Italian is something you will never stop encouraging.

“Ti amo, Tony,” you whisper before smiling and standing on your tiptoes to kiss him again, the words he was going to say now swallowed by your lips on his. His cheeks are on fire as his fingers dig gently into your hips, and the simmering flame that’s been slowly growing between you two is quickly turning to a large fire, passion growing with every passing second between you two.

“We- We should go to dinner,” Tony says with a smile after pulling away, a little out of breath as he gently puts his forehead against yours. You smile back at him as you close your eyes, your own chest rising and falling quickly as well. Once you’re both ready to go, he interlocks his fingers with yours before leading you out of your dorm and towards one of the most romantic restaurants New York has to offer.

The two of you were quickly seated at a table that offers a beautiful view of the New York skyline, as Tony has pulled out every last stop to make the night unforgettable. It doesn’t take long for a waiter to bring out two menus and water for you both, which Tony happily pours before taking a sip, the nerves in his stomach growing with every passing second. The last time he was this nervous was right before the kissing booth, when he was about to kiss you for the first time.

“Can I ask you something?” Tony asks after taking another sip of the water the waiter just brought over, his voice shaking slightly due to the growing tension in his body. His nerves are higher than he thought they would be, but he also knows that he needs to ask what he’s about to ask. You look up at him from the menu you’ve been given, brows furrowed and worry visible on your face.

“Of course, Handsome. You can ask me anything,” you say in a reassuring tone, his cheeks turning red at the nickname.

“I- I know this is a bit silly but- I was wondering if you’d like to be my date to the spring dance,” he asks as the burning on his cheeks intensifies, turning them to a deep red as the words come out of his mouth. Even though he’s not entirely sure why he’s asking you this - you’re his girlfriend, after all -, he’s still happy he managed to get the words out without making a fool out of himself.

“I don’t think it’s silly to ask a question, Tony. But to answer yours; I would love to be your date to the spring dance. It wouldn’t be the same without you,” you tell him, and he smiles brightly at your words. Sometimes, Tony needs some extra reassurance - especially after some of his past relationships that have caused a fear of rejection in him -, and you’re always happy to give him exactly that. Nothing is weird or out of bounds for you two, and you know you can always ask for anything you need.

“Thank you, Angel. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he says before grabbing your hand and bringing it to his lips, kissing the back of it softly. Heat takes over your cheeks as you look at what he does, happiness settling in your stomach. Each day seems even more special than the last with him, and you’re grateful to be loved by a man like him, wanting nothing more than to experience this love for the rest of your life with him.

Then, as you’re about to say something the waiter comes back to take your orders, and when those are given, the conversation turns light, with Tony cracking jokes and talking about your shared interests before you’ll both enjoy some of the most delicious food you’ve ever had. When every last bite is gone, it’s time for your favorite dessert: a rich, creamy tiramisu that has your mouth watering at the sight.

“Wow,” you whisper as you take in its beauty, and Tony grabs a spoon so he’ll be able to give you the first bite. As he lifts the utensil to your lips, his gaze is trained on your mouth the entire time, his body reacting instantly as he hears your reaction to the sweetness of the tiramisu. 

A soft moan escapes your lips as the dessert practically melts in your mouth, Tony’s hand still in the air as he looks at the way your face turns into a look of pure pleasure. He never would have expected that feeding someone dessert could be this intimate, but he’s not minding it in the slightest. Simultaneously, he’s also grateful that his lap is covered by both the table and a napkin, so no one can see what your reaction to the softness of the desert is doing to him. The moan escaping your lips has him painfully hard, but he’s willing it to go away quickly, as there’s nothing he can do about it now, no matter how much his desire is telling him to do it.

“This is delicious, Tony. I would almost dare to say it’s better than having an orgasm,” you say in a slightly teasing tone, your own cheeks turning just as dark as your boyfriend’s at the mention of orgasms. Though you both have been open and honest about never having had sex before, you’re no stranger to helping yourself to take the edge off, and it’s something that’s been going through your mind a lot since getting together with Tony.

What you don’t know, however, is that Tony is planning to make your first time together extremely special, because not only will it be your first time together, it will also be your first time ever for you both, and you’re looking forward to that moment, as it’s going to be a night never to forget. However, the time to head back to your dorm arrives all too soon, as neither of you wants this night to end yet.

As the door of your dorm comes into sight, you squeeze Tony’s fingers in anticipation of what’s to come, but you’re caught by surprise when he pushes you against the wall, his lips immediately fighting over dominance with yours as his hands explore your curves, his warm body ensuring you’re not able to go anywhere. Your fingers are laced in his messy locks as you share the steamy kiss, and soft groans fill the hallway as you gently tug on his roots.

“Fuck-” he says as you pull his head back, allowing you to place kisses on the sensitive places on his neck. If it were up to you, you’d pull him into your dorm right now to share a night of passion, but that’s not what you’ve discussed, so for now, you’ll gladly stick to these steamy make-out sessions whenever you have the chance.

“Angel, please,” Tony says as his hand cups your neck, squeezing softly to get your attention. You pull back to reveal the marks you’ve been putting there, pride blooming in your chest at the sight of them. They’ll most likely disappear before the end of the night but you’re still happy with every last one of them.

“We should get some rest-” he says, only to be cut off by another kiss, as you’re unable to get enough of him. He smiles against your lips as he returns the sentiment of passion, but eventually he pulls back, the need for air becoming too much.

“I love you so much, Angel. I can’t get enough of you and your sweet, soft lips and this beautiful body of yours,” he says, his voice breathy as he’s trying to catch his breath.

“But, I also really need to get back to my dorm. I have an early class tomorrow that I can’t miss,” he says, his eyes softening from the lustful gaze he had not too long ago. His cheeks are bright red as he looks at you, and you nod in understanding before pecking his lips a few more times, making him smile shyly.

“I love you too,” you whisper before pulling him in for a hug, his body enveloping yours perfectly as you bury your nose in his jacket, his cologne filling your senses as you enjoy these last moments with your boyfriend. All too soon for your liking he pulls back before placing a kiss on your forehead and heading back to his dorm room, where he’s getting ready for his early class, and to visit his parents to get some advice, too.

The moment Tony walks into his parents’ house, it’s like a wave of Italy washes over him, his smile growing wider with every step. He loves the independence of living in the dorms on campus, but coming home to his Mom and Dad is a moment he always cherishes, as there’s not a single better feeling than being enveloped in the warmth of their house. Well, that is other than being around you and feeling your lips on his. 

“Ciao, tesoro mio. Mi sei mancata così tanto!”

Maria’s voice fills the hallway as her heels click on the tile flooring, her arms stretched wide to welcome her son home. She’s always the first to greet him when he’s back, and he happily melts into her arms as they embrace. one another. Tony loves her with all his heart and soul, and the bond the two of them share is indescribable - there’s nothing either one of them wouldn’t do for the other.

“Anche tu mi sei mancata, mamma,” he whispers as they move from side to side, her grip not loosening for a second.

“You should really be careful not to crush him, Maria,” Howard says as he walks into the hallway where his wife and son are still holding each other. It’s been much too long since he’s seen his parents, and he’s happy to be back.

“I’m not,” she huffs as she lets Tony go, her hands on her son’s cheeks as she inspects him. He’s practically glowing now that he’s together with you, and she can’t stop smiling up at him, their height difference making her crane her neck to look at him.

“Welcome home, son. It’s good to see you again,” Howard then says before pulling Tony into an embrace of his own, and Tony returns the sentiment, letting them both know it’s good to be back. He can’t wait to introduce you - his Angel, the love of his life and the woman he wants to grow old with - to them as well, as he’s positive they will love you from the moment they meet you. His cheeks start burning at the thought of you, as you are the reason he’s here in the first place, and it doesn’t go unnoticed by Maria who pats his cheek lovingly.

“So, how is everything going between you and Y/N? We’ve been looking forward to meeting her,” Maria says as he ushers Tony into the dining room so he can sit down. It doesn’t take long before there’s a refreshing cup of iced tea in front of him, just like his Mom used to make when he was growing up. His smile widens at the mention of your name, and he couldn’t be more excited to tell them all about you.

“It’s going well,” he starts off, his mind flooding with memories he has made with you so far.

“Even though we’re both incredibly busy with assignments and tests, we’re spending as much time together as we can, and I can’t get enough of her presence. She’s so loving, funny and sweet. I think you’ll like her, mamma. She radiates the same warmth and love as you, and it makes her just as special as you,” he tells his mom, which makes her blush intensely this time.

It is clear where he got the blushing from, as he looks a lot like Maria in this moment, making Howard’s heart melt as he looks at his beautiful wife and amazing son.

“Vederti così felice mi rende orgogliosa di te, bambina mia. Mi rende una mamma felice,” Maria says. Whenever she’s expressing these words of love and pride, she often resorts to her native language of Italian, as she can show her love even more that way. Tony’s mouth curls into a smile as he listens to her say how proud she is of his happiness, and he couldn’t agree more.

“Grazie mamma. Sono molto fortunata ad avere una donna come il mio Angelo al mio fianco,” Tony responds softly, and he thinks about you as he says it. He’s very lucky to have met you in this lifetime, and he’s told you before that he hopes to have the honor of falling in love with you in every single universe and lifetime after this one. Maria leads Tony to the living room as Tony has told them before he wanted to discuss something, though embarrassment is slowly filling his being at the thought of asking for the kind of advice he’s about to receive.

“Well- uhm… There’s a- a reason I’m here,” Tony starts off as he’s comfortable on the couch with the tea Maria has made for him, his voice low and his entire body feeling like it’s on fire as he’s trying to find the courage to say what’s on his mind. He nervously plays with the hem of his shirt while his gaze pointed to his knees as the nerves are getting the best of him; and then Maria reaches out, gently laying her hand on her son’s fidgeting fingers.

“What’s on your mind, Mi Amore?” she asks, and Tony sighs before looking up and meeting her gaze, her brows furrowed in worry as she looks at Tony.

“I- I’m hoping to get some… advice, from you both. I know we’ve talked about the birds and the bees, but- but I would like some more advice than that,” he says, his mind going into overdrive as he thinks of every possible answer they could give. Thankfully, they have always reassured him that he can come to them with anything, and that’s exactly why he found the courage to ask for advice.

“I’ve been talking with Y/N, and we want to take the next step soon, but- uhm- I’m still a virgin. We both are, actually,” he tells them, and Howard hums in response, while Maria squeezes his hand in encouragement.

“I- I know how to use protection and stuff, but I’m wondering if there are other things I should think about? Or do things to make it more enjoyable for us? I don’t want our first time to be bad, so…” his voice trails off near the end, relief washing over him that he finally managed to say it out loud. He trusts his parents with everything, and he’s happy to have the type of relationship to come to them with these kinds of questions, too.

“Before you do anything, please ensure that you’re both 100% on board with it. If there’s even a sliver of doubt on either side, you shouldn’t push it. There’s nothing more important than consent, and with that comes a deep trust,” Howard says, now leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. He’s at eye-level with Tony, who nods in agreement. The burning in his cheeks is slowly subsiding, though he’s still beet red as ever, making him look adorable.

“While everything we just discussed is very important, there’s one more thing I want to ensure you know. After you’ve had all your fun, and you’re both enjoying that post-sex haze,” Howard says very matter-of-factly, making Tony blush all over again, “it’s very important to do aftercare. Don’t just roll over and call it a night, but take care of yourself and her by cuddling, for example, or maybe take a shower together.”

“Or a romantic bath with champagne and some fruit,” Maria says as she looks at Howard with a shimmer of excitement in her eyes, her husband smiling back at her with nothing but pure love. Tony quickly pieces together that it is something that they tend to enjoy, and he’s unsure whether to be happy for them, or be weirded out by it, as he’d rather not think about his parents doing things like that.

“So, aftercare. That’s good to know,” Tony says, his cheeks a fiery shade of red as the conversation is finally nearing it’s end. While he loves that he can talk to his parents about anything, he’s still a little uneasy when it comes to sex, which is only intensified by the fact that his first time is going to happen soon, and he wants everything to be perfect for you both.

“Is there anything else you’d like to know?” Howard asks, but Tony shakes his head - he has had enough sex-talk for one day, though he’s very grateful for their advice. Now, he’s looking forward to using all of his knowledge during your first time, wanting it to be nothing short of perfect for you both.

The days leading up to the spring dance seemed to crawl by at a snail’s pace, the classes feeling like they’re never ending and the assignments feeling like they’re becoming longer and more difficult, too. It’s only a figment of your imagination, however, as excitement has settled with you about attending said dance with your boyfriend. Though you’re more excited about what might happen after, because the two of you have discussed your first time together, as well.

It’s been on your mind more and more lately, and now that you’re out shopping with your best friend and roommate, Natasha, you can’t help but bring up the topic of lingerie.

“Do you mind if we go in here for a moment?” you ask as you’re walking by a beautiful looking mannequin that displays delicate, black lace inside one of the storefronts. Natasha hums approvingly before taking a left and walking in the store ahead of you. Even though you’re no stranger to wearing lingerie, it is your first time visiting a store like this, as you’re looking for something special to wear during your first time.

Natasha smiles widely as she heads into the store ahead of you, and you’re soon surrounded with lingerie in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors. However, your eye is immediately drawn to a white set on a mannequin, the lace soft and delicate as it’s wrapped around the curves of the doll. Natasha follows your line of sight as she stands beside you, and without saying a word she’s off to find you the exact set you’ve been eyeing.

Soon, you’re in a spacious dressing room as you slip on the bra, the matching panties feeling delicate against your skin. When it’s all in place you take a good look in the mirror, admiring yourself from every angle as you let thoughts of Tony wander through your mind. You think about his reaction, but also about how quickly he would take it off in favor of having you entirely bare, and that’s when you get an idea.

You picked a short silk robe in a cream color to try on as well, and you slip it on, the fabric gliding over your skin as if it’s made just for you. You tie it loosely before standing in front of the floor to ceiling mirror, ensuring you can still see bits of the lingerie and some skin before snapping a few photos - both for your personal collection, as well as to send Tony to tease him a little bit.

His response came quickly, and you can’t help but feel your cheeks flush as you see the words “most beautiful Angel” fill the screen. This cements it for you, and you decide to buy all three pieces before changing into your own clothes, ready to pay and grab some dinner with your best friend and roommate.

“And? What did he think of it?” Natasha asks with a raised brow, making you smile at her words. Somehow, she always seems to be able to read you without fault, knowing exactly what you were doing as you took the photos for your boyfriend.

“He loves it,” you say softly, and she nods with a smile before heading to the register and paying for the sets she herself picked out. It’s a mix of red and black, which have become her signature colors, and they both compliment her skin tone perfectly, so she’ll usually be seen wearing one of those two shades.

After grabbing some dinner and settling back in the dorm room, you and Natasha have decided on a movie night with face masks and popcorn, just like you two used to do in the early days of being roommates. It’s become a tradition for you two to do it at least once a month, and tonight is the perfect night as tomorrow is the spring dance. The face masks are one of the brightest shades of blue you’ve ever seen, and you’re both laughing until your stomach aches from the sight of the other looking like smurfs.

It’s been barely 5 minutes since you’ve applied the bright blue face mask to your face when you hear a knock on the door of your shared dorm room, making both you and Natasha curious as to who could be on the other side of the door. You rush over there as quickly as you can, but before you open the door, the person on the other side is already gone, only a golden box left in their place. On top is a small card with your nickname on it, giving away immediately who it’s from.

“Who is it?” Natasha asks after putting some popcorn in a large bowl for your movie night, but you don’t say anything as you pick up the box.

“It’s not who, but what,” you say as you kick the door shut with your foot, the box heavy in your arms as you carry it to your bed, ready to unpack it. Within seconds, she’s by your side to see what’s inside, and you quickly take off the bow that’s been tied around it, so you can finally read the note that’s attached to it.

I love you, il mio meraviglioso angelo.

Wear this tomorrow night, and you’ll be the most beautiful girl at the dance.

I’m looking forward to seeing how angelic you will look as it’ll hug your beautiful curves.

~ Tony ♥️

“Are you kidding me?! That’s the sweetest thing ever!” Natasha exclaims after reading the note, your smile almost splitting your face in half. Your cheeks are burning at the mention of your curves, as Tony has mentioned quite a few times how much he loves them, and that he’s looking forward to worshipping every single inch of your body, leaving your cheeks heated and your heart beating like it’s about to leap out of your chest.

“I know! I wonder what’s inside,” you say softly, and your suspicions are confirmed as you lift the lid. Inside is a deep red gown made of the most beautifully shimmery material you’ve ever seen, and it looks like it’s embellished with diamonds, too. He hasn’t spared a single expense when buying you this dress, making it look as if it could belong on a red carpet in Hollywood.

“Wow,” you both say in unison as you take it out of the box. It’s an off-shoulder dress that’s tighter on top, but flowing near the bottom, allowing you to walk and dance comfortably. The lights of your dorm make the diamond shimmer, and the color accentuates your skin tone perfectly, even now that you’re holding it. You can’t even begin to imagine what it’ll look like when you finally get to put it on.

“You’re definitely lucky with a man like Tony. I don’t know many men who would go out of their way to pick out a dress like this that matches your skin and personality perfectly,” she says, and you’re unable to stop smiling as you hang the dress up for now, not wanting it to get ruined.

“Oh god, I am lucky, aren’t I? I never thought I would find a love like this, but I’m forever grateful to have fallen in love with Tony,” you say as you pull Natasha into a side hug, her arm snaking around your waist to pull you against her side, too.

“And you deserve it, Detka. There’s no one who deserves it more if you ask me,” she says, making your cheeks heat in response. Not only are you lucky with a boyfriend like Tony, but you’ve also won the best friend jackpot with Natasha.

“I love you,” you say proudly, and she returns the sentiment before letting you go and grabbing the bowl of popcorn, ready to rewatch Grease for the thousandth time together.

The day of the dance is finally here, and you’re experiencing a mix of both nerves and excitement, as it’ll be the first school dance that you’ll attend with your boyfriend. The dress he gifted you yesterday is hanging on your closet door, ready to be worn tonight, and the lingerie you’ve bought is ready to be slipped into after your shower. Music is blasting throughout your dorm as Natasha is getting everything ready for the two of you to do your hair and make-up, making a fun girls day out of it.

As you’re working on shaving your legs, you suddenly hear your phone going off, and you can’t help but take a peek around the shower curtain, your heart rate spiking at the sight of Tony’s name.

Tony >> I’m looking forward to picking you up tonight, Angel. I wish I could see you sooner, though - being away from you for this long is killing me

You can’t help but smile at his words, as you’ve talked to him on FaceTime not too long ago. That doesn’t mean you’re not excited to see him, however, as it’s all you can think about. All you know is that he’ll wear a suit that will go perfectly with your dress, but he hasn’t let loose about what color it will be. Thankfully, you don’t have to wait that long anymore, as both Tony and Bruce will pick you and Natasha up in less than four hours.

“What do you think?” you ask Natasha when you’ve gotten fully dressed, and you’re showing off the finished ensemble.

“I think that he needs to pick up his jaw from the floor when he sees you. You’re beautiful, Detka, and Tony is very lucky to have such a hot piece of arm candy for the night,” she says as she puts the finishing touches on her own hair. You don’t get the chance to answer her, however, as you hear a knock on the door before you get the chance. You rush over to the door, and you’re met with a sight for sore eyes.

Tony is holding a bouquet of white tulips as he smiles widely, his gaze roaming over your figure as you’re standing in front of him. The necklace with the little ‘T’ on it is highlighting your neck perfectly, and the dress hugs your body in all the right places, making you feel like the angel Tony always tells you that you are.

“Hi,” is all you can say as you take the flowers from him, your mind having gone blank at the sight of Tony in a perfectly tailored black suit, though the tie is made of the exact same fabric of your dress. His hair is messy in his own perfect way, and he opted to wear a set of dark-rimmed glasses to finish off his look. While Tony always looks handsome in his casual looks, he looks downright stunning in his suit, and you can’t get enough of the sight.

You quickly put the tulips in a vase before heading out the door, followed by Bruce and Natasha who had their moment of greeting, too. The Uber Tony ordered is waiting for you downstairs, and like a true gentleman he opens the door for you, allowing you and Natasha to get seated first, followed by himself and Bruce, and the night is officially off to an amazing start as you’re looking around the car, admiring the friendships you’ve built with all of them over time.

While the night is started off with some drinks and laughter, it quickly changes to seeing who can do the weirdest dance moves, only for the music to turn from an upbeat dance number to a slower song, and Tony holds out his hand for you as an invite to join him on the dancefloor. You happily take it, allowing him to guide you towards the dancefloor and take the lead in your slow dance.

Your body is pressed against his as your hands are on his chest, and his long fingers gently dig into your hips as you’re swaying back and forth. He looks at you with love in his eyes and a small smile on his face, and pink cheeks from the warmth in the room.

“I love you,” you tell him, and his smile immediately widens. He’ll never get enough of hearing those words from you.

“I love you too, Angel. Thank you for showing me what true love is like, and for being my date tonight. I’m happy to be able to share these moments with you instead of with Bruce as we’re sitting down the entire time as he’s unable to stop talking about Natasha.”

Right on cue, you meet your best friend’s gaze as she dances with her boyfriend, and she winks at you before looking back at Bruce. Tony leans down when you’re facing him again, but instead of placing a kiss on your lips like you thought he would do, he presses one to the top of your nose, catching you off-guard in the best way possible.

“What did you do that for?!” You ask playfully, and he shrugs while blushing even harder, making you want to return the favor. And you do exactly that, making him smile widely as you place a kiss on the tip of his nose, too. And just like that, a tradition is born.

“What do you say about heading back to the dorm, huh?” Tony whispers in your ear while dancing, the night coming to an end as more and more people are heading back to their dorms or to continue the party in one of the many nearby bars. Your head was resting against his shoulder as you swayed back and forth, but his words immediately set your entire body on fire, knowing exactly what he’s asking of you.

“I think that’s exactly what we should do,” you tell him as your fingers glide into the hair on the nape of his neck, your lips meeting him in a passionate exchange. The night you’ve been looking forward to for a long time is finally here – after tonight you’re not going to be a virgin anymore, as you will give yourself fully to the man you love.

Looking back on it, there’s not a single moment you remember from the way back to the dorm, as you and Tony haven’t been able to let go of one another for a single moment, constantly touching, kissing, whispering sweet nothings. You were both everywhere at once, and your mind has gone blank soon after getting into the Uber, and all you remember is Tony pulling you onto his lap, where you could feel all of him.

As soon as the door shuts behind you, Tony pushes you against it as he cups your cheeks with both hands, ensuring he can meet your gaze properly. Your chest rises and falls quickly as you’re attempting to catch your breath, but it’s difficult when he keeps stealing the air from them every few moments by pressing his lips hungrily against yours. Your dress quickly finds its way to the floor, leaving you in nothing but your heels, the white lingerie and the necklace, making Tony groan at the possessiveness of you wearing his initials.

“Did you buy this for me, Angel?” he whispers, his voice rough as he takes a step back, admiring the lace against your skin. Your nipples pebble at the attention he’s giving you, and you nod in response as you turn around in your spot, showing him the rest of the lacey fabric as it hugs your curves.

“It’s too bad I won’t be able to enjoy it for much longer,” he says hungrily which sets your cheeks on fire, and his words are followed by him sinking onto his knees so his face is at the same level as your dripping, clenching pussy. You’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, and now that it’s finally here, you’re just as hungry for it as he is. He looks up at you with a questioning look, not moving another inch without your permission.

“I- I’m burning for you, Tony, I do-,” is all you can say before he lets his fingers glide over your thighs, the roughness of his fingertips making your head reel at the feeling of them against your thighs. He gently grabs your calf before lifting it and hooking your leg over his shoulder, giving him the perfect view of your thoroughly ruined panties. He reaches up to let his thumb glide over the fabric covering you, making you moan loudly as he finds your sensitive clit.

He smirks as he looks up at you through his lashes, though your eyes are closed as your head has fallen against the door. Tony leans in before letting his tongue follow the same path his finger just did, a groan escaping his chest at the first taste of you, immediately making him want more. Before you know it, the fabric is slipped to the side and his tongue has found your clit, making you roll your hips to meet his pace.

“Oh god- I’m close-” you say as you lace your fingers in his hair, pulling him impossibly closer to you in the process. Tony keeps alternating between sucking and licking, and you’re surprised when he gently works one of his fingers into your clenching pussy, and that ultimately leads to you falling apart. Your first orgasm brought on by your boyfriend is nothing short of amazing as he takes his time to work you through it, his own cock straining painfully against the zipper of his pants.

“Kiss me.” It’s all you can say after screaming his name for the past few minutes, and he obliges by gently pulling your leg off his shoulder and rising to his full height, giving you goosebumps as you see the height difference between the two of you. His lips instantly find yours and you moan at the taste of yourself on his tongue, and it adds to the hotness of the moment as you pull him closer against you, not a single inch of space between you two.

“Let’s lie down for a moment, Angel,” Tony says as he gently coaxed you towards your bed, and you let yourself fall on it with a thud before he rearranges your body in an effortless manner, making your heart beat faster as your entire body feels like it’s set on fire. Your boyfriend takes the time to undress himself before you, making a show of it as you drink in every inch of his beautiful body, every ridge, muscle and freckle being uncovered.

Then, it’s finally time for him to join you in bed, and you get comfortable against his side as you try to gather the courage to say what’s on your mind. He notices something’s going on, and he tucks a piece of hair behind your hair before placing a kiss on your forehead.

“A penny for your thoughts?” he asks, making you smile before looking up at him with a deep breath.

“I- I want to make you feel good, too,” you admit shyly as you let your fingers glide through his happy trail, a small smile on your lips as you look up at your boyfriend. His cheeks are still tinted pink from the effort he went through to bring you to your high, but his eyes are displaying a curious look.

“Well, I wouldn’t say no to that, Angel,” he tells you, his lips finding yours effortlessly as he bends down to capture them. You can still taste yourself on his tongue as you get lost in the kiss, a soft groan audible as your fingers slip underneath the band of his boxers, ready to give him the same treatment as he has given you not too long ago. When you pull away, his lips are swollen and red, matching the color of his cheeks, and he gasps audibly when your fingers wrap around his cock.

“You’re so big,” you whisper as you pull your gaze down to the outline of his cock in his underwear, where your hand is holding him to get used to the feeling. The hardness of it, combined with the soft skin and the texture of the veins make for an odd experience, but you’re soon used to the feeling, even daring to work your hand up and down a few times. The friction of his boxers against his sensitive, soft tip have him clutching the sheets, his chest rising and falling quickly.

Without saying anything, you move to kneel between his legs, his boxers now showing the perfect outline of his length, a wet spot of pre-cum staining it on the top right. You can’t wait much longer and you gently pull down the fabric that’s keeping you from your main goal, and you’re not disappointed in the slightest. His cock is long and thick, and light blue veins run across the flesh towards his red, leaking tip. His skin is soft when you touch it again, your fingertips grazing over the sensitive veins.

“A-Angel,” his voice is teetering on the edge of begging, as he wants nothing more than the pleasure you’re about to give him. He’s a patient man, but when he’s this close to having your mouth wrapped around him, it’s impossible not to get impatient, though he wouldn’t push you past what you’re comfortable with. He’s told you before that he’s allowing you to set the pace of the evening, and he’s sticking to his word.

“You’re being such a good boy for me,” you say as you play with his balls, which earns you a loud moan of your name, his hands digging into the sheets even further. His back arches as you let your free hand wrap around his length, the feeling of your hands nearly being too much. He’s been waiting for this moment for a long time, and he’s not sure how long he’ll last if you keep going like this.

You move forward to lick a stripe all along the length of his cock, followed by you gently sucking on his soft tip while you keep playing with his balls, and it earns you exactly the reaction you’re hoping for. His hips roll in response to your moves, his cock nudging deeper into your mouth as he does. He knows he’s not going to last long, but you don’t mind as you double your efforts, earning yourself a loud moan of your name as his cock spills every last drop of cum into your mouth.

When you’ve worked him through his orgasm and he’s gone entirely soft - even like this he’s still very impressive when it comes to length - you climb over his sweat-adorned body to kiss him again, giving him a nice surprise when he learns you didn’t swallow, instead fulfilling one of his fantasies by allowing him to kiss you right after he came in your mouth. It’s been one of his dirtiest fantasies about you, but one you’re more than happy to oblige in.

“How’re you feeling?” he asks as he looks you over, his hands rubbing your skin lovingly.

“Good. Different, but not in a bad way,” you say with a satisfied smile, and Tony hums in response, his own mouth curling into a smile, too. The air between the two of you has shifted in a positive way, the trust between you and him even stronger now that you’ve seen each other in such vulnerable states.

“Good,” he whispers as you tuck your face into his neck, the closeness being something you crave after everything that just happened. His fingers draw abstract figures on your back as you get some rest, your mind still feeling very fuzzy after everything that’s happened so far.

When you wake up, Tony is more than happy to see your eyes again, as they’re one of his favorite things about you, and he smiles at you before flipping you over without warning. You shriek in excitement, and when he covers you entirely, his size kink is going wild for a moment, his cock pulsing in excitement at the sight of you like this underneath him.

“Are you ready for more, Angel?” he asks, and you nod quickly, lust coursing through every inch of you.

“Let me grab a condom-” Tony says as he leans over towards the nightstand, but before he can grab the handle, you wrap your hand around his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. He immediately looks over at you with worry in his eyes, your cheeks heating under his intense gaze. Your entire body feels like it’s on fire each time he looks at you, but now there’s a pang in your chest that makes you feel bad about stopping him in his tracks like this.

“You don’t- I mean, we don’t have to use one, Tony. I’m on birth control, and I want to feel you, all of you tonight. There’s no one else in this lifetime for me, and there’s no one I trust more than you. Unless you want to use one, of course,” you say to reassure him. It takes a moment for it to process in his mind, but his mouth curls into a smirk when he realizes what you’ve just asked from him. You want him to slide in bare for the first time, and he’s not saying no to an opportunity like that.

A hint of mischief is visible in his eyes as he repositions himself so that he’s above you, leaning on his elbows and his lips close to yours. All it would take is the closing of the few inches between you two to feel his lips on yours again, and it’s very tempting as your eyes flit to his lips and back to his dark brown eyes. 

“Non c'è niente che desidero di più che sentirti nudo, Angel. The warmth of sweet pussy welcoming me as I slide in gently, taking my time as I stretch you with my thick, long cock. I want to feel her soak my entire length as you’re taking inch after inch, after inch. And then, as my cock is so deep in your sweet pussy that there’s nowhere for my cum to go other than inside you, I can feel your walls clenching as she tries to pull me even deeper. That’s exactly what you want, isn’t it? To have me fill you up with my cum until it’s leaking out around my cock, and making a mess between our bodies?”

You swallow around a lump in your throat as your pussy pulses from his words, excitement running through your entire body as your nipples pebble, too. His closeness is intoxicating in the best way possible, but you need him even closer. You need him deep inside you for as long as you can, and you’ll never let him go when he’s in. He will be yours, and you will be his. For the end of time, in this lifetime and all the ones after this one.

“Please,” you say softly, your voice low as lust is taking over once more. Your throat is also a little raw from how deep you took him mere moments ago, and your lips are still swollen from the countless stolen kisses. Tony lets out a deep breath before shifting on one arm so he can grab your jaw gently, his thumb running over the edge of it as he tilts your head back.

“Your wish is my command, Angel,” he whispers in a deep tone before leaning down and kissing your neck, a needy moan slipping from your lips as he does and he slips his thumb in your mouth as a response. Your fingers dig into his biceps as he takes his time marking your collarbone and chest, aware to not put them too high as you still need to be able to cover them. One day, you’ll proudly wear his marks without a second thought, but now you still have to be careful. Each mark Tony leaves has you clenching around nothing as his thick thighs are keeping your legs spread, his cock nudging at your entrance with every move he makes. He knows exactly what he’s doing, and it’s nearly driving you insane.

When Tony is finally satisfied with the marks he has left - most of them placed neatly on your chest and breasts - he lets you go, his thumb slipping from your mouth with a loud pop. His cheeks are bright red when he’s done and his heart feels like it’s about to leap out of his chest as he looks at the marks he’s left, and you’ve rarely been more beautiful to him.

“You’re such a good girl for me,” he says before kissing you again, his tongue easily winning the fight for dominance as you give yourself over to him. His hand slides between your bodies before wrapping around his length, a groan leaving his lips as he looks down to where he’s lining himself up.

“Take a deep breath for me, Angel. I promise I’ll go slow, but if it’s too much, you can always tell me, okay?” he asks, and you nod reassuringly, and you smile at him with a content look. After a few more seconds, Tony pushes in for the first time, your eyes going wide at the intrusion of his cock, as it’s very different from his fingers, no matter how much he took his time stretching you earlier.

“How’re you feeling?” he immediately asks, and you take a few deep breaths before answering. While your body is very stiff when he first slides in, you can feel yourself relax under him, and your breathing slows down as well.

“Good, Tony. I promise that I’m feeling good,” you reassure him, and he nods, his own heart rate and breathing slowing down, too. He takes his time to work every last inch of himself into you, constantly checking in and giving countless kisses, too, which helps you relax even further. The feeling of his cock inside you, the stimulation from his veins and the love he’s showing you has you on cloud nine, and you’re happy to have waited for the right man.

“Hmm, fuck- I do- I need you so badly, Angel. I need you so badly,” Tony groans as he bottoms out, his words slurring together as his brain is focused on one thing only: your pussy greedily pulling him in further and further. Your fingernails dig into his shoulder as he bottoms out, a loud moan escaping your lips as your eyes roll back in your head from the pleasure he’s giving you.

“That’s it, taking me so beautifully. You’re taking all of me so well,” he praises you, setting your cheeks on fire once more before you give him the go-ahead to start making you feel good.

“S so soft and warm, I never want to leave your pussy. ‘s pure heaven,” he whispers between slow rolls of his hips, your body working in tandem with his as he presses his forehead against yours, making the moment even more intimate than it already was.

“Un giorno ti sposerò e ti darò tutti i miei bambini, il mio amore,” Tony groans, the thought of you carrying his babies being one he can’t get out of his head as he slowly picks up the pace. It all feels very natural as you’re unsure where one person ends and the other begins, your bodies moving in sync as your highs are quickly building once again. While Tony keeps saying things in Italian – which only adds to your arousal – you can’t stop saying his name like a chant.

“Tony- Tony, please! ‘m close-”

“It’s okay, Angel. Let go for me, cum all over my cock and I’ll give you every last drop of my cum,” Tony pants as the bed creaks loudly, though neither one of you cares about who can hear. Right now, there’s nothing but you and Tony in your little bubble of happiness and pleasure. It only takes a few more thrusts and your nails raking down Tony’s back before you’re falling over the edge, immediately followed by Tony as he works you both through your orgasms.

“Ti amo,” you whisper as you look at him with pure love, and he whispers it right back at you before capturing your lips once more. The rest of the night is spent in each other’s arms as you’re enjoying the post-sex haze together. In the bath, where you’re feeding each other chocolate covered strawberries, or in bed where you’re more than happy to be cuddled to sleep by your boyfriend.

“Thank you for making tonight special, Tony. I’m glad to have you be my first,” you tell him, your fingers gliding over the coarse hair of his chest.

“And I’m glad to have you be my last, Angel. I’m never letting you go,” he tells you, and you agree before falling into a blissful sleep in Tony’s arms.

“How’re you feeling about meeting my parents today, Angel?” Tony asks as he stands behind you to zip up the dress you’ve chosen to wear as today will be your first meeting with Howard and Maria. It’s a blue dress that compliments your skin tone beautifully - courtesy of Tony who picked it out as a present for today - and Tony is wearing a shirt that matches in color, making you smile as you look in the mirror.

“Nervous, but overall excited. After everything you’ve told me about them, I think they’ll be nothing short of amazing. Especially seeing how well they raised you, as you’ve turned out like the perfect gentleman.” Thoughts of last night and how sweet he was with you during your shared first time are still swirling in your mind as you meet his gaze in the mirror, his cheeks flushed as you smile widely.

“I’m excited, too. I have a feeling they’ll love you almost as much as I do.” Without another word he grabs your hairbrush, letting it glide through your soft locks as he’s brushing your hair, getting it ready for you to turn it into a simple but beautiful hairstyle, as you prefer keeping your hair in a ponytail or a bun when possible.

When he’s done, he places the brush down before gently laying his hands on your waist to still be close to you, as he prefers not leaving your side right now. As soon as you’re done, you turn around to pull him into a kiss, your lips moving with his as if they;re made for one another, passion being poured into every passing second. Neither of you can get enough of one another, and if it were up to you, you’d spend another day in bed, but instead you have exciting plans to attend to.

“Let’s go, otherwise we’ll be late,” Tony whispers against your lips, and after a few more pecks you let him go, though you already miss him the second he steps back to head to his parents. The drive to their house is beautiful as the sun is shining and the music is blasting through the speakers, the roof of Tony’s convertible being down means you’re able to soak up even more of this beautiful day. His hand is gently squeezing your thigh as he looks at the road, a content smile on his face. If life is going to be like this from now on, he’s even happier to be spending it with you.

As soon as Tony’s family home comes into view, you let out a soft gasp at the beauty of it, as the rays of sun make it look almost iridescent as they shine on the white exterior. You’re not sure where to look as you’re getting closer, as the garden is also breathtaking, and you’re looking forward to seeing it all. And then, right when Tony parks his car, the two owners of it walk out to greet you both, huge smiles on their faces as they see you two.

“Welcome home, Angel,” Tony says before getting out of the car and rushing over to your side so he can open the door, a quick greeting being exchanged before he opens it. The next few moments go by in a blur, as you’re quickly being pulled into a hug by Maria, her arms tight around you as her floral perfume makes you think of home. Her warmth and happiness make you smile as you say hi to her, and she hums in response.

“Welcome to our home,” she says, her Italian accent shining through as she does. Tony has told you before how the two of them met while Howard was vacationing in Italy, and their summer romance turned into the rest of their lives as she moved to the United States to pursue their love. Now, they’re happily retired and enjoying life together, and you can’t wait to live a similar life with Tony when you’re older.

“È un onore incontrarti, Maria,” you say after she let you go, and her eyes go wide as she hears you speaking Italian. Even if it’s not perfect, she’s still extremely grateful for it, as it shows her that you’ve put some tremendous effort into it before coming here. She gives you a loving smile before grabbing your hands, squeezing them gently.

“The honor is all ours, Tesoro,” she whispers, and when you look at Tony you see he’s looking at you with wide eyes, as he didn’t know you’ve been studying to speak Italian, even if it’s only a few sentences. His heart is about to leap out of his chest from happiness, pride visible on his face as he kisses you on your cheek before whispering an ‘I love you so much,’ in your ear. He learns new things about you every day, and this was certainly one of the best things he has ever experienced with you.

Then, as Tony lets you go in order to get a big hug from his mom, Howard pulls you in for a hug as well, welcoming you to their home as well.

“Thank you for the invite, Mr. Stark-”

“Oh please, you can call me Howard! You’re part of the family, so there’s no need for those formalities!” he says as his hands are on your shoulders, his eyes bright with excitement as he says the word ‘family’. After everything Tony has been through in his past relationships, Howard couldn’t be happier with someone like you by his son’s side, as he wishes nothing but love for him.

“Well, thank you, Howard. I really appreciate the two of you opening up your home to me,” you say, and then it’s finally time to head inside. Their house is like a slice of Italy in New York, which combined with the countless photos of Tony from his baby years all the way to now, makes it feel like home. In the kitchen, Maria was working on preparing lots of little Italian snacks and dishes to enjoy, while Tony and Howard led you to the large garden.

You’re unsure where to look first, as you want to see it all, though that is quickly taken care of when Tony interlaces his fingers with yours in order to show you around. There are countless flowers blooming, making their garden look like paradise as you walk over the footpath. Tony recalls many memories, and when you’re both out of sight, he pulls you close to him.

Without saying another word, he cups your cheeks as his thumbs rub over your cheekbones, sending a shiver down your spine as he looks at you.

“How’re you feeling? Are you enjoying yourself?” His voice is soft and filled with love, and you nod as your cheeks heat under his touch. Last night, something inside you both changed for the better, as you’re even more in love now. Last night you shared one of many firsts together, and it’s only the beginning of the rest of your lives together.

“It’s so fun to be here! Seeing where you grew up and hearing all the stories fill me with so much happiness that it feels like I might burst soon! And your parents are a true delight, as well. You’re very lucky to have grown up with them. I actually see a lot of them in you as well, and it makes you adorable,” you tell him, which makes Tony’s cheeks heat up adorably.

“You are adorable, Angel,” he says before capturing your lips with his, the kiss soft and loving as you both take your time to enjoy the moment. The birds are chirping all around you, and the sun shines down on your both, adding to the warmth of the moment.

“I love you,” you whisper before giving him a last kiss on his cheek and grabbing his hand again, wanting to go back and hear all the stories that Howard and Maria could possibly share about Tony when he grew up. The rest of the day is spent with lots of laughter, many stories of Tony from his childhood and teenage years, and of course the amazing food Maria has made. But then, you get the one question you didn’t expect to hear today,

“So, how did you two enjoy yourselves last night?” The tone with which Maria says it lets you know she knows exactly what has happened between you two, and right on cue, both Tony and yourself turn redder than a tomato. x

That night, after saying goodbye to Howard and Maria, you and Tony drive back in silence as you’re thinking about the day you just had. And it’s official: this is the family you’re happy to marry into one day. They’ve shown you nothing but love today, and you’re even more excited to share your life with him. This day has changed everything, and you’ve never felt more welcome in your life, all thanks to your future father- and mother in law.

[ladylooch]

Oooo for flashback Friday, could we possibly get more of Kevin & Lena having daddy daughter dates?

That little girl is his whole world and it’s the cutest thing ever 😭 I can see him dedicating a whole day out of the month to do whatever she wants to do. The sky’s the limit when it comes to him spoiling her!

His other kids like 👀 dad wtf 🤣

Let’s talk about the things Lena and Kevin love to do:

Lena is plant bae 2.0. Kevin and her are always tending to the house plants and the gardens when they’re in season. Lena loves going to the plant nursery in the Spring and happily plants all the vegetables for their family garden. She's so cute in her bright yellow boots and overalls. She rushes outside every day to water the plants with Kevin too. It's her favorite "chore".

Lacey and Lena both participate in dance until Lacey moves to gymnastics. Lena sticks with dance for a while. Kevin’s FAVORITE thing is daddy daughter dances with Lena. He takes it very seriously. Once, Lena was sick, but Kevin still went to practice with the group and told Lena about everything she missed.

Lena refuses to learn how to swim from anybody except for Kevin. The other two Fiala kids did swimming lessons through the local parks and recreation department. Not Lena. She went to that first swimming lesson, took one look at the teacher and said "my daddy knows better than you.". She marched back over to daddy and demanded to go home. So, Kevin taught Lena how to swim. He was up for hours at night on Youtube making sure he was teaching her correctly and doing his best to keep her safe.

Kevin loves a good pedicure. Lena becomes his pedicure buddy as soon as she can sit still long enough in the chair to participate. Sam is a bit miffed when they go without her one time. "You didn't even like pedicures before me!" She complained, genuinely sad to have missed out on Kevin's ticklish giggles. Kevin hated the look on her face. So they never go without Sam again.

Lena prefers to talk with Kevin in Swedish. Even though her siblings know the language too, it feels like their special bond. Kevin does regularly have to remind her to switch back to English, especially as she's about to run into school for the day.

[miynt0012]

[SIM DOWNLOAD] Neuvilette | Genshin Impact

maxis match | one outfit | full cc list

yeep-

he just sort of happened lol

I also made Miko I'm gonna share her soon :0

please don’t share my sims / pictures of my sims on the gallery or on any other platform

DOWNLOAD: mega

cc list:

skintone

lamatisse - bare skintones

genetics

yooniesim - imperfection teeth set | spookysims - lip masks | PYXIS - about face (skin details) | goppolsme - eyebrows G20 | NSW - a thousand nights set (eyebags n4, philtrum n1 mm overlay) | okruee - misc face details | mmsims - eyelashes v6 | NSW - male asian collection (eyes n25) | NSW - cartoon style genetics set (north male skin, matte face add-on n1) | obscurus - maxis match genetics set (nostrils nosemask) 

hair

johnnysims - gerald hair (v1) | the kunstwollen - lynn hairstyle (ombre overlay) 

makeup

goppolsme - liner cc11 |

accessories

clumsyalien - miracle cc pack (rae scarf)

clothes

gorillax3 - single coat AM | saengchung - spring collaboration (spring overfit pants)   

shoes

simandy - "something went wrong and that's why I'm here." set  (tokki boots) 

extras

kijiko - ea eyelashes remover | obscurus - set for eyes (male eyes preset) | NSW - male asian collection (lips preset m n11-18) | obscurus - male body presets | NSW - male presets: face collection (nose preset n15) | joshseoh - universal hair overlay | joseoh - lighting overlay 2.0 (true black merged)    

please take a look at my TOU before downloading!! thank you!

[estiliamods]

Outfit PW-03 F [REWORK] 2.0!

Link(Paid 8$) Ko-Fi

Payhip

contributor: Illy does thing and Bizu for Bibo+, SB! for Tre, Aleks for Yet Another Body+

update 2.0

- rework, improve on model and texture

- you still can download old version(old design) on your payment history

- more variants of dyes and outfit's format

replaces:

body replacement

use Top Bibo Tre(M), Yet Another Bibo(M)

Legs, Feet - Bibo+ M, L

gear

Head - Varsity Flat cap

Body - Hooded Fireglass Leather Vest

Legs -Spring Bottoms

Feet - No.2 Type B Boots

-all item is dyeable

⟶ Permission

- any import to other body types are for personal use only

- you can use my mod for any SFW or NSFW

- lalafell NSFW is prohibited

- resell/reposting/redistributing my file is prohibited under any circumstance

- mod is a digital product, thus it's non-refundable

[souhaillaghchimdev]

Financial and Banking Application Programming

Financial technology (FinTech) has revolutionized how we manage money, invest, and perform banking operations. For developers, programming financial and banking applications involves a unique set of skills, tools, and compliance considerations. This post explores the essential concepts and technologies behind building secure and robust financial applications.

Types of Financial Applications

Banking Apps: Enable account management, transfers, and payments.

Investment Platforms: Allow users to trade stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies.

Budgeting & Expense Trackers: Help users monitor spending and savings.

Loan Management Systems: Handle loan applications, payments, and interest calculations.

Payment Gateways: Facilitate secure online transactions (e.g., Stripe, PayPal).

Key Features of Financial Software

Security: End-to-end encryption, two-factor authentication (2FA), and fraud detection.

Real-time Data: Updates for balances, transactions, and market prices.

Compliance: Must adhere to financial regulations like PCI DSS, KYC, AML, and GDPR.

Transaction Logging: Transparent, auditable logs for user actions and payments.

Integration: APIs for banking systems, stock markets, and payment processors.

Popular Technologies Used

Frontend: React, Flutter, Angular for responsive and mobile-first interfaces.

Backend: Node.js, Django, .NET, Java (Spring Boot) for high-performance services.

Databases: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis for transaction tracking and caching.

APIs: Plaid, Yodlee, Open Banking APIs for data aggregation and bank access.

Security Tools: JWT, OAuth 2.0, TLS encryption, secure token storage.

Basic Architecture of a Banking App

Frontend: User dashboard, transaction view, forms.

API Layer: Handles business logic and authentication.

Database: Stores user profiles, transaction history, account balances.

Integration Services: Connect to payment processors and banking APIs.

Security Layer: Encrypts communication, verifies users, logs events.

Regulatory Compliance

PCI DSS: Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.

KYC: Know Your Customer procedures for identity verification.

AML: Anti-Money Laundering laws and automated detection.

GDPR: Ensures data protection for EU citizens.

SOX: U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance for financial reporting.

Sample: Python Code to Fetch Transactions (Plaid API)

import plaid from plaid.api import plaid_api from plaid.model import TransactionsGetRequest client = plaid_api.PlaidApi(plaid.Configuration( host=plaid.Environment.Sandbox, api_key={'clientId': 'your_client_id', 'secret': 'your_secret'} )) request = TransactionsGetRequest( access_token='access-sandbox-123abc', start_date='2024-01-01', end_date='2024-04-01' ) response = client.transactions_get(request) print(response.to_dict())

Best Practices for FinTech Development

Always encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit.

Use tokenization for storing financial credentials.

Perform regular security audits and penetration testing.

Use test environments and sandboxes before live deployment.

Stay updated with financial laws and API updates.

Conclusion

Financial and banking software development is a specialized domain that requires technical precision, regulatory awareness, and security-first design. With proper tools and best practices, developers can build impactful financial applications that empower users and institutions alike.

[learning-code-ficusoft]

Provide insights into securing Java web and desktop applications.

Securing Java web and desktop applications requires a combination of best practices, security libraries, and frameworks to prevent vulnerabilities like SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, and unauthorized access. Here’s a deep dive into key security measures:

1. Secure Authentication and Authorization

Use Strong Authentication Mechanisms

Implement OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, or SAML for authentication.

Use Spring Security for web applications.

Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for added security.

Example (Spring Security Basic Authentication in Java Web App)java@Configuration @EnableWebSecurity public class SecurityConfig { @Bean public SecurityFilterChain securityFilterChain(HttpSecurity http) throws Exception { http .authorizeHttpRequests(auth -> auth .requestMatchers("/admin/**").hasRole("ADMIN") .anyRequest().authenticated()) .httpBasic(); return http.build(); } }Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Define roles and permissions for users.

Use JWT (JSON Web Tokens) for securing APIs.

Example (Securing API using JWT in Spring Boot)javapublic class JwtUtil { private static final String SECRET_KEY = "secureKey"; public String generateToken(String username) { return Jwts.builder() .setSubject(username) .setIssuedAt(new Date()) .setExpiration(new Date(System.currentTimeMillis() + 1000 * 60 * 60)) .signWith(SignatureAlgorithm.HS256, SECRET_KEY) .compact(); } }

2. Secure Data Storage and Transmission

Use Secure Communication (HTTPS & TLS)

Use TLS 1.2+ for encrypting data in transit.

Enforce HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security).

Encrypt Sensitive Data

Store passwords using bcrypt, PBKDF2, or Argon2.

Use AES-256 for encrypting sensitive data.

Example (Hashing Passwords in Java)javaimport org.mindrot.jbcrypt.BCrypt;public class PasswordSecurity { public static String hashPassword(String password) { return BCrypt.hashpw(password, BCrypt.gensalt(12)); } public static boolean verifyPassword(String password, String hashedPassword) { return BCrypt.checkpw(password, hashedPassword); } }

Use Secure Database Connections

Use parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection.

Disable database user permissions that are not required.

Example (Using Prepared Statements in JDBC)javaPreparedStatement stmt = connection.prepareStatement("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?"); stmt.setString(1, username); ResultSet rs = stmt.executeQuery();

3. Protect Against Common Web Vulnerabilities

Prevent SQL Injection

Always use ORM frameworks (Hibernate, JPA) to manage queries securely.

Mitigate Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Escape user input in web views using OWASP Java Encoder.

Use Content Security Policy (CSP) headers.

Prevent Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

Use CSRF tokens in forms.

Enable CSRF protection in Spring Security.

Example (Enabling CSRF Protection in Spring Security)javahttp.csrf().csrfTokenRepository(CookieCsrfTokenRepository.withHttpOnlyFalse());

4. Secure File Uploads and Deserialization

Validate File Uploads

Restrict allowed file types (e.g., only images, PDFs).

Use virus scanning (e.g., ClamAV).

Example (Checking File Type in Java)javaif (!file.getContentType().equals("application/pdf")) { throw new SecurityException("Invalid file type"); }

Avoid Untrusted Deserialization

Use whitelisting for allowed classes.

Prefer JSON over Java serialization.

Example (Disable Unsafe Object Deserialization in Java)javaObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream(inputStream) { @Override protected Class<?> resolveClass(ObjectStreamClass desc) throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException { throw new InvalidClassException("Deserialization is not allowed"); } };

5. Secure Desktop Java Applications

Use Code Signing

Sign JAR files using Java Keytool to prevent tampering.

shjarsigner -keystore mykeystore.jks -signedjar SecureApp.jar MyApp.jar myaliasRestrict JavaFX/Swing Application Permissions

Use Java Security Manager (deprecated but useful for legacy apps).

Restrict access to file system, network, and system properties.

Encrypt Local Data Storage

Use AES encryption for storing local files.

Example (Encrypting Files with AES in Java)javaCipher cipher = Cipher.getInstance("AES"); cipher.init(Cipher.ENCRYPT_MODE, new SecretKeySpec(key, "AES")); byte[] encrypted = cipher.doFinal(data);

6. Logging and Monitoring for Security

Use Secure Logging Frameworks

Use logback or SLF4J.

Avoid logging sensitive data like passwords.

Monitor for Anomalies

Implement Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS).

Use audit trails and security alerts.

7. Best Practices for Securing Java Applications

✅ Keep dependencies up to date (Use OWASP Dependency Check). ✅ Run security scans (SAST, DAST) using SonarQube, Checkmarx. ✅ Apply the principle of least privilege for database and API access. ✅ Enforce strong password policies (min length, special characters). ✅ Use API Gateway and rate limiting for public-facing APIs.

Conclusion

Securing Java web and desktop applications requires multi-layered security across authentication, data protection, and vulnerability mitigation. By following best practices like strong encryption, secure coding techniques, and continuous monitoring, developers can protect applications against cyber threats.

WEBSITE: https://www.ficusoft.in/core-java-training-in-chennai/

[dsa-neo]

2024 New Year Resolution

To keep my hopes high for this year, I will be focusing more on Backend. So setting some of the goals, that I want to do this year

Checklist

Q1

Data Structure Algorithm

Java Spring Boot

Q2

AWS Cloud Practioner Certificate

Docker

My Current Stack

Frontend: HTML / CSS / JS (Vue | Angular | React | Svelte), TypeScript / Dart (Flutter)

Backend: Python (Flask), PHP (Laravel), Node.js (Express, Nest and Koa)

Database: MongoDB, Postgres, SQLite, Redis

Short Summary

I started learning programming back in 2008. So it's been a long journey. Initially learned Python to write games via PyGame and ActionScript 2.0 (to modify Flash games source code).

[inextures]

Guide to Spring Reactive Programming using WebFlux

Reactive programming is a programming paradigm that promotes an asynchronous, non-blocking, event driven approach to data processing. Reactive programming involves modelling data and events as observable data streams and implementing data processing routines to react to the changes in those streams. 

In the reactive style of programming, we make a request for the resource and start performing other things. When the data is available, we get the notification along with the data in the form of call back function. In the callback function, we handle the response as per application /user needs. 

Features of Reactive Programming 

Asynchronous & Non-blocking 

Functional style of coding 

Data flow as event driven stream 

Backpressure on data streams 

When considering whether to use Spring MVC or Spring WebFlux, there are various factors you must consider.  

Spring MVC: It’s based on a servlet API and follows an imperative programming model. This means you write code in a step-by-step manner, which is generally easier to follow.   

Spring WebFlux: It offers a reactive programming model. Reactive programming is about handling asynchronous streams of data. This requires a change in thinking and can be more challenging than the traditional imperative model.   

Spring MVC: If you are familiar with traditional web application development, Spring MVC’s imperative model might seem more straightforward. It’s easier to read, write, and understand for developers accustomed to this approach.   

Spring WebFlux: Writing reactive code can initially seem complex because of the shift in mindset. However, for some use cases, like streaming data, it can simplify your code.   

Spring MVC: Debugging is typically more straightforward with an imperative model because the call stacks are more predictable and easier to trace.   

Spring WebFlux: Debugging reactive streams can be tricky, especially for developers new to the reactive paradigm. However, tools and practices are evolving to better support this.   

Spring MVC: Works naturally with blocking resources like traditional RDBMS using JDBC or JPA (Java Persistence API). 

Spring WebFlux: If you have blocking dependencies like traditional databases, you might not get the full benefits of the reactive model. However, reactive databases like MongoDB Reactive, Cassandra Reactive, etc., can be integrated natively with WebFlux.   

Spring MVC: Uses a thread-per-request model. For a high number of simultaneous connections, this can lead to a large number of threads, which may not be efficient. 

Spring WebFlux: Uses an event-loop concurrency model, which can handle a vast number of simultaneous connections with a smaller number of threads. It’s designed for high concurrency. 

Spring MVC: Typically runs on servlet containers like Tomcat, Jetty, etc. 

Spring WebFlux: Runs on reactive runtimes like Netty. This provides non-blocking and highly scalable operations, suitable for high-performance systems. 

Spring MVC: Typically uses annotated controllers. 

Spring WebFlux: In addition to annotated controllers, WebFlux supports functional endpoints which allow for programmatic route definitions. 

Spring WebFlux: 

As we know, Spring provides Web MVC framework to handle the HTTP requests, but it is Blocking & Non-Reactive in nature, so to support reactive programming Spring provides one more web framework in Spring 5 (includes in Spring Boot 2.0) called WebFlux. 

It is a reactive-stack web framework that is fully non-blocking, supports reactive streams back pressure. It uses project Reactor as a reactive library. The Reactor is a Reactive Streams Library and therefore, all of its operators support non-blocking back pressure. 

It uses two publishers: 

Mono 

Flux 

MONO: 

A mono is a specialized Publisher that emits at most one item and then optionally terminates with an onComplete signal or an onError signal. In short, it returns 0 or 1 element. 

Mono is another implementation of Publisher. 

It emits at most one item and then (optionally) terminates with an onComplete signal or an onError signal. 

Like Flux, Mono is also asynchronous in nature. 

Mono noData = Mono.empty(); 

Mono data = Mono.just(“rishi”); 

FLUX: 

A flux is a standard Publisher representing an asynchronous sequence of 0 to N emitted items, optionally terminated by either a completion signal or an error. These three types of signals translate to calls to a downstream subscriber’s onNext, onComplete, or onError methods. 

Flux is an implementation of Publisher. 

It will emit 0 to N elements and/or a complete or an error call. 

Stream pipeline is synchronous whereas Flux pipeline is completely asynchronous. It will emit values only when there is a downstream subscriber. 

To subscribe, we need to call the subscribe method on Flux. There are different variants of the subscribe method available, which we need to use as per the need: 

Flux flux1 = Flux.just(“foo”, “bar”, “foobar”); 

Flux flux2 = Flux.fromIterable(Arrays.asList(“A”, “B”, “C”)); 

Flux flux3 = Flux.range(5, 3); 

// subscribe 

flux.subscribe(); 

Frequently used operations on Mono/Flux 

just(-): Create a new Mono that emits the specified item, which is captured at instantiation time. 

fromArray(-): Create a Flux that emits the items contained in the provided array. 

fromIterable(-): Create a Flux that emits the items contained in the provided iterable. The Iterable.iterator() method will be invoked at least once and at most twice for each subscriber. 

fromStream(-): Create a Flux that emits the items contained in a Stream created by the provided Supplier for each subscription. The Stream is closed automatically by the operator on cancellation, error, or completion. 

empty(): Create a Flux that completes without emitting any item. 

doOnNext(-): Add behaviour (side-effect) triggered when the Flux emits an item. 

doOnComplete(-): Add behaviour (side-effect) triggered when the Flux completes successfully. 

doOnError(-): Add behaviour (side-effect) triggered when the Flux completes with an error. 

map(-): Transform the items emitted by this Flux by applying a synchronous function to each item. 

flatMap(-): Transform the item emitted by this Mono asynchronously, returning the value emitted by another Mono (possibly changing the value type). 

subscribe(-, -, -): Subscribe a Consumer to this Flux that will consume all the elements in the sequence. It will request an unbounded demand. 

log(): Observe all Reactive Streams signals and trace them using Logger support. Default will use Level.INFO and java.util.logging. If SLF4J is available, it will be used instead. 

delayElements(-): Delay each of this Flux elements (Subscriber.onNext signals) by a given Duration. Signals are delayed and continue the parallel default Scheduler, but empty sequences or immediate error signals are not delayed. 

block(): Subscribe to this Mono and block indefinitely until a next signal is received. Returns that value, or null if the Mono completes empty. In case the Mono errors, the original exception is thrown (wrapped in a RuntimeException if it was a checked exception) 

Working with Spring Web Flux – Understanding the Reactive nature 

Requirement: Send Promos to all the customers of an e-Commerce website 

Step-1: Create a Spring Boot project using Maven (Choose Spring Boot version 2.0 or later) 

Step-2: Add the below spring-boot-starter-webflux dependency in pom.xml 

 <dependency> 

                             <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId> 

                             <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-webflux</artifactId> 

</dependency> 

 This dependency includes the below dependencies 

spring-webflux framework 

reactor-core that we need for reactive streams 

reactor-netty (the default server that supports reactive streams). Any other servlet 3.1+ containers like Tomcat, Jetty or non-servlet containers like Undertow can be used as well 

Version will be picked from spring-boot-starter-parent dependency version  

Step-3: Create a Customer DTO class with the fields Id, Name & Email Id 

Step-4: Create a Customer Repo with 2 functions loadCustomers(), loadCustomerStream() as in the below snapshot.

Step-5: Create a Customer Service with 2 functions, one is to send promos to list of customers, another is to send promos to customer stream

Step-6: Create a Customer REST Controller with 2 end points as in the below screenshot

Summary:

Spring introduced a Multi-Event Loop model to enable a reactive stack known as WebFlux. It is a fully non-blocking and annotation-based web framework built on Project Reactor which allows building reactive web applications on the HTTP layer. It provides support for popular inbuilt severs like Netty, Undertow, and Servlet 3.1 containers.

Spring WebFlux or Reactive non-blocking applications usually do not make the applications run faster. The essential benefit it serves is the ability to scale an application with a small, fixed number of threads and lesser memory requirements while at the same time making the best use of the available processing power. It often makes a service more resilient under load as they can scale predictably.

WebFlux is also relevant for applications that need scalability or to stream request data in real time. While implementing a micro-service in WebFlux we must consider that the entire flow uses reactive and asynchronous programming and none of the operations are blocking in nature.

Originally published by: Guide to Spring Reactive Programming using WebFlux

[ankaapmo]

Introducing Servlet 4.0 Server Push Using Spring Boot 2.1 - #Ankaa

Introducing Servlet 4.0 Server Push Using Spring Boot 2.1 In this article, we will be talking about Server Push Technology that is actually part of the HTTP/2 spec. The most important feature of Servlet 4.0, due to HTTP/2, is the implementation of the server push capability. The concept behind this technique is that if the client/browser requests a... https://ankaa-pmo.com/introducing-servlet-4-0-server-push-using-spring-boot-2-1/ #Http2 #Java #Performance_And_Scalability #Server_Push #Servlet_40 #Spring_Boot #Spring_Boot_20 #Tutorial

[codeonedigest]

YouTube Short | What is Difference Between OAuth2 and SAML | Quick Guide to SAML Vs OAuth2

Hi, a short #video on #oauth2 Vs #SAML #authentication & #authorization is published on #codeonedigest #youtube channel. Learn OAuth2 and SAML in 1 minute. #saml #oauth #oauth2 #samlvsoauth2 #samlvsoauth

What is SAML? SAML is an acronym used to describe the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML). Its primary role in online security is that it enables you to access multiple web applications using single sign-on (SSO). What is OAuth2?  OAuth2 is an open-standard authorization protocol or framework that provides applications the ability for “secure designated access.” OAuth2 doesn’t share…

[greyeyedmonster-18]

ootd as she’s running late for work (whoops)

- newsies boots (they’re back. honestly, i’m putting these shoes to WORK and they’re holding up very well, so…10/10)

- socks they gave me when I was a HS senior as a “gift” for paying for a prom ticket (why do i still have these?? idk)

- black high waisted paper bag pants (my faves, i have them in…multiple colors)

- stripey halloween sweater (is it actually halloween themed? no. but it’s black and white and rust colored so it might as well be) ~artfully~ tucked into the aforementioned pants

- fluffy hoop + tassel earrings i wore when i interviewed for this job (unsure if i’ve worn them since, i just remember i wore all black and wanted a ~statement~ piece of jewelry at the time)

- CURLS CURLS CURLS (odds of hair going up midway through the day are still pretty high though lol)

- brick colored lipstick. cat eye liner. mascara. (i’ve missed makeup, figuring out how to make lipstick work with a mask has been delightful)

- the usual wedding rings and all that jazz. (arcade ring coming soon???)

bestie andie, coming in for the ootd and putting us all to shame.

its giving, curly girl 2.0

its giving spooky chic, catch me in my sweater in spring, watch as i MATCH MY LIPSTICK to the color.

its giving, my hoops have attitude and so do i.

10/10 not a single note in sight.

(arcade ring coming soon)

[hermionegranger56]

a v late recap of evermore

so i think Taylor Swift sensed that i was Going Through It and was like here you sad bitch, here’s another surprise album to help fix all that. cause good lord evermore is just what i (and i think we all) needed. i truly TRULY can’t believe we’re lucky enough to get a sister album to folklore, i love it so much. the first day it was out i drove myself 2 hours to the very end of the Cape and sat on an empty beach and cried to it and honestly??? magical. here are my thoughts on it that no one asked for:

first, as an overall here, this album complements folklore so well. it’s the spring to folklore’s autumn, it’s self-assured and warm and beautiful. each album shows off her lyrical genius so well and she only grows stronger here. when folklore came out, i was floored because the music was so different for her and so up my alley. each song’s production sucked me in and it was like she was confidently telling us “here is another genre i can work with” (masterfully at that). evermore feels different. it feels like Taylor is so comfortable in this creative space, she isn’t trying to fit into any new molds or expectations, she is just HERE, now, saying “this is who i am and this is my craft”. it’s really been a privilege to watch her grow as an artist. ok. here we go

willow:

god the video was so beautiful, a really good continuation of cardigan. the chorus is so so delicate and prettyyy, thats MY MAN ughhh its so good. it reminds me a lot of invisible string tbh, or if betty from cardigan grew up and found love. this is really one of my favorites, she starts so strong

fave lines: “the more that you say, the less i know/ wherever you stray I follow/ i’m begging for you to take my hand/ wreck my plans, that’s my man”; “life was a willow and it bent right to your wind”

champagne problems:

oh dear god, it’s if all too well and new years day had a baby and it is a MASTERPIECE. i can picture it all, college sweethearts, broken hearts, i feel like its new england at christmas, ivy league old money…its cinematic. and it gets at the feeling like you’ll never be good enough so you leave before that happens (basically before you get to the tolerate it stage??) and OOF. AND GODDAMN THE RANTING BRIDGE (illicit affairs came close on folklore but i think THIS might be the best bridge since All Too Well). I’ve screamed it a lot tbh

fave lines: BRIDGE BABYYYYYY EVERY SINGLE PERFECT WORD. WHAT A SHAME SHES FUCKED IN THE HEADDDD

gold rush:

this one is bright and lovely and catchy!! it reminds me a lot of mirrorball tbh, all like swirly and magical. i can’t even put it into words but i can see this one so clearly. its all rosy and golden

fave lines: “eyes like sinking ships on waters/ so inviting, i almost jump in”; “what must it be like to grow up that beautiful?/with your hair falling into place like dominoes/ I see me padding across your wooden floors/ with my Eagles t-shirt hanging from your door”; “the coastal town we wandered round/ had never seen a love as pure as it”; “my mind turns your life into folklore”

’tis the damn season:

UGH I FUCKING LOVE THIS ONE EVEN THOUGH IT MAKES ME WANNA TEXT MY EX. the melody is SOOOO satisfying, the progression to “write this down”, i’m obsessed. the idea of being home for the holidays and feeling a little lost and tired and nostalgic for what could have been is something superrrr relatable. this song reminds me of snowy drives around my hometown in the best/worst possible way hahah. one of my top 5 for sure.

fave lines: “we could call it even/ you could call me babe for the weekend/ tis the damn season, write this down/i’m staying at my parents house/ and the road not taken looks real good now”; “and wonder about the only soul/ who can tell which smiles i’m faking”

tolerate it:

oh honeyyyyy this track 5 packs a punch, i mean the lyrics are absolutely BRUTAL in the best way. it’s just so sad, and encompasses a lot of my own insecurity about always feeling like you’re more invested in a relationship and watching someone fall out of love or just stop caring. i LOVE the “my love should be celebrated, but you tolerate it”, like bitch YES your love should be celebrated. also taylor sounds angelic on the “I” at the start of the chorus

fave lines: “i know my love should be celebrated/ but you tolerate it”; “i made you my temple, my mural, my sky/ now i’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life”; “what would you do if I/break free and leave us in ruins/ took this dagger in me and removed it”

.

no body, no crime:

YESSSSSSSSS I LOVE THE SUBGENRE OF COUNTRY ABOUT WOMEN KILLING SHITTY HUSBANDS AND THIS SONG IS SO FUCKING GOOD AHHHHH!! I LOVE the beat, i love country taylor, i love the addition of HAIM. UGH ITS SO CATCHYYYY, like i’m obsessed with the slide from “i think he did it but i just. can’t. prove itttttt NOOO no body no crime” UGHHH this is without a doubt in my top five

fave lines: “she thinks i did it but she just can’t prove it”

happiness:

I heard this one described as an emotional marathon and holy shit it is, each line is a sucker punch. i really like how it feels like a conversation and looks at the acceptance and pain that mingle together when a relationship just…ends. her lyrics are unmatched on this album but this is a particularly strong track

fave lines: “i haven’t met the new me yet”; “when did all our lessons start to look like weapons/ pointed at my deepest hurt”; “there is a glorious sunrise/ dappled with the flickers of light/ from the dress i wore at midnight”

dorothea:

this one feels like Betty 2.0 and its so sweet and bright and also kinda sad. it’s wistful!! that’s the word i want, wistful! the vibe is gives off reminds me of Red, like musically. it’s home-y. idk if that makes sense but i like it a lot

fave lines: and if you’re ever tired of being known for who you know/ you know, you’ll always know me”

coney island:

ugh this one is magical, i honestly really love the instrumental to this one, it’s so soothing. the lyrics to me feel like you’re in some dream state, going through every heartbreak you’ve ever been through. I love the addition of The National, the vocals fit together so well (and I like it better than both Bon Iver features i think??)

fave lines: do you miss the rogue/ who coaxed you into paradise and left you there/ will you forgive my soul/ who you’re too wise to trust me and too old to care?”

ivy:

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (that’s how i feel about this absolute masterpiece oh my GOD) it makes me so incandescently happy, the folk feel, the lyrics that are so cinematic and poetic and paint such a clear picture (to me) of two Victorian lovers who are in unhappy marriages but don’t let that stop their love. the chorus just like….fills my whole chest, the OH GODDAMN hits so different. and i want “my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand” tattooed on me, that is one of her BEST lines and i will die on that hill. its all so pretty, i can’t deal. the vibe also strongly reminds me of a) invisible string and b) Little Women (2019). i think taylor should do folk and uhhhh only folk please

fave lines: EVERY WORD BUT ESPECIALLY: “i’d meet you where the spirit meets the bone/ in a faith forgotten land”; “oh goddamn/ my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand/ taking mine, but its been promised to another/ oh, i can’t/ stop you putting roots in my dreamland/ my house of stone, your ivy grows/ and now I’m covered in you”; “he wants what’s only yours”; “clover blooms in the field/ springs breaks loose, time is near“; ”so yeah, it’s a fire/ its a goddamn blaze in the dark and you started it”

cowboy like me:

ALL RIGHT everyone sleeps on this song but oh my GOD its so good!! it’s smooth and dreamy and gives me that old fashioned, bonnie and clyde type love story and some of the lyrics are so poetic. I really love the addition of the Tim McGraw chords too???? BUT DEAR GOD COULD WE HAVE GIVEN MARCUS MUMFORD MORE OF A ROLE HERE??!! HE SOUNDS WONDERFUL, GIVE HIM A FEATURE, GIVE HIM A WHOLE VERSE. THIS IS A FOLK ALBUM TAYLOR, USE FUCKING MUMFORD AHHHH (i fucking love him omg)

fave lines: “dancin’ is a dangerous game”; “you’re a bandit like me/ eyes full of stars”; “now you hang from my lips/ like the Gardens of Babylon/ with your boots beneath my bed/ forever is the sweetest con”

long story short:

A BOP!! GIVE ME SOME HAPPINESS TAYLOR WOO! I really love how catchy this one is. it feels like her introducing the craziness of her life to joe and being like look all of that was tough but here i am now and I couldn’t be happier. It’s refreshing, self-deprecating and endearing. I couldn’t love it more and it is ALWAYS stuck in my head!

fave lines: “and he’s passing by/ rare as the glimmer of a comet in the sky”; “long story short I survived”

marjorie:

ha hahah hah ha this one ENDS me, like dear LORD i need to call my grandma immediately. it is so so GOOD and SAD, like the you don’t know how good something or someone is until they’re gone, but even then, they’re still there with you. I love the grandma wisdom of “never be so clever you forget to be kind” etc. and holy SHIT the addition of Taylor’s grandmother’s opera singing as background vocals is GENIUS AND DEVASTATING, god the part where she goes “i’d think you were singing with me now” and then Marjorie comes in is honestly one of the most beautiful musical moments i’ve heard in a hot minute and it breaks me every time. wow.

fave lines: “never be so polite/ you forget your power/ never wield such power/ you forget to be polite”; “the autumn chill that wakes me up/ you loved the amber sky so much”; “and if i didn’t know better/ i’d think you were singing to me now”

closure:

ok i’m sorry, this is my only skip here. I really do love the lyrics and the idea of, yeah no you don’t deserve closure from me. i just can’t get past the pots and pans beginning, its too chaotic. but i’m sure it’ll grow on me! it does feel like finally moving on and i do love that about it

fave lines: “don’t treat me like/ some situation that needs to be handled”; “i know i’m just a/ wrinkle in your new life/ staying friends would/ iron it out so nice”

evermore:

god her voice is SO soothing in this one, it’s literally hypnotic. the song itself feels wandering and dark at first, like you’re stuck in this depression, and then bon iver comes in and it picks up and it feels like coming out of the trees, into the sunlight and finding your way again. finding that the pain WOULDNT be for evermore like she says. it feels like an ending and a beginning. beautiful

fave lines: “writing letters/ addressed to the fire”; “and when i was shipwrecked/ i thought of you/ in the cracks of light/ i dreamed of you”; “and i was catching my breath/ floors of the cabin creaking under my step/ and i couldn’t be sure/ i had a feeling so peculiar/ this pain wouldn’t be for evermore”

[angelbabyszn]

Care For Me (Cesar X Reader)

OMB Masterlist

You couldn't believe it. You couldn't believe what you were seeing at this exact moment. A few moments earlier, you saw your boyfriend, Cesar kissing your good friend, Monse on his bed.

He...cheated on you. You never thought that you would get cheated on. You were nice, sweet, supportive to Cesar, tried to have plans to get him out of the gang, and so much more.

You thought he liked you...for you. He told you he did but apparently he doesn't. You were about to say love him after being with him for a year and a half.

And all of that went down the drain. From just one kiss.

"Y/N, please I can explain." said Cesar as he quickly got up and went up to you in the doorway.

You stayed quiet and looked over to Monse with a worried face. You just couldn't believe that she was just kissing your boyfriend. And she knew you were together with him.

You turned back to your upset boyfriend who was begging for forgiveness in his eyes. You looked straight into his eyes.

"Do you love me?" you asked with a straight face and Cesar took a step back from you. He looked down and looked back up at you with puppy eyes.

"Oh course I do-"

"No, you don't. You never did. I-I trusted you. I have been there for you ever since we started dating. Try to get you out of the gang, make sure you have a place to sleep, comfort you for over a year!" you shouted and Cesar looked down in regret.

"And this is what I get in return. You are kissing another girl. Not only that, a good friend of mine!" you shouted as you stepped back in front of him and lifted his head back up with your right hand made for him to look at you again furiously. 

"What else did you do?" you asked softly as tears started to come into your eyes. You quickly ran out of the house crying your eyes out.

He f*ckin broke your heart in pieces. You loved him with all of your heart. You run out of Cesar's house ignoring Spooky calling you and continue to run until you reach Jasmine's house.

You knock on her door and quickly stop crying and wipe the tears to look normal. A moment later, Jasmine opened the door.

"Y/N? Babe, what's wro-"

"Can I stay over tonight?" you asked quickly. Jasmine slowly nodded and let you inside her house.

You and Jasmine walked through the house to her bedroom and both of you sat on the edge of her bed.

"Honey, what's wrong?" asked Jasmine as she looks at you and rubs your back. You looked back up at her and started to cry again.

Jasmine got closer to you and started wiping your tears with a tissue. You grab the tissue from her and start drying the rest of your tears away.

After all of your tears went away the second or third time tonight, you were committed that your eyes were very red and still a bit watery. You looked back at Jasmine with a worried face waiting for you to speak.

You took a deep breath and started explaining what happened. How you felt, how he was enjoying it as they continued to kiss, how he reacted when he saw you, how he tried to apologize, everything. 

"That hijo de puta!" shouted Jasmine furiously. "I knew something was going on between them! How did I miss it?! How come I never got it on my camera?! I should-"

Jasmine looked at you and stopped to see you with very sad eyes. Jasmine slowly sat back down next to you and quickly hugged you to comfort.

You wish none of this happened to you. You thought Cesar was different but he wasn't. There was always a little voice saying it was wrong to be with him but you always ignored it because Cesar made you feel so happy inside.

You were blind. You fell in love with Cesar so deep that you didn't notice anything going on with him and Monse. You should've known. You should've questioned him more..

"Y/N?" asked Jasmine and you looked up at her.

"Y/N, don't think it was your fault. You did everything for that puta. You did your job as a girlfriend. And he didn't appreciate one thing." said Jasmine as she looked down at you and you shifted your eyes to the ground.

"Hey!" shouted Jasmine and you quickly moved your eyes back to Jasmine.

"I'm serious! You're got everything! You're beautiful, talented, unique, sexy with that a*s!" said Jasmine and slapped your butt with her right hand which made you jump.

"You deserve to be with somebody who wants you for you. Somebody who will be there for you all the time. You're a whole life's love boo. Don't you forget that." said Jasmine with a smile making you smile for the first time tonight. 

"Thanks. I feel better now." you said with a smile.

"Good. You left some clothes from the last time you were over here in my last drawer." said Jasmine as she turned and pointed at the drawer on the other side of the room.

"Thanks." you said and you got up and got some pj's out from the drawer. 20 minutes later, you and Jasmine went to sleep for school tomorrow.

-

Are you down to be a distraction, baby? But don't distract me, let me ask you, baby 

Do you, do you, do you do you wanna be a distraction, baby?

Do you, do you, do you do you wanna be

You growled as you start to wake out of your sleep. You flip on your left side with your eyes still closed. Bad idea.

"WAKE UP Y/N!"

You screamed making you lose balance and falling off of the bed. A moment later, you slowly opened your eyes to see yourself on the floor with your right hand over your forehead.

You turned your head a bit to the left to see Jasmine looking down on you. Jasmine pauses Distraction by Kehlani and bends down to get a closer look. She was already dressed for school.

"Jasmine, what the h*ll." you said and slowly sat up from the floor. 

"Y/N. It's the first day of school after spring break which means..." started Jasmine as she started to lean down at you to finish her sentence.

"Um...summer is about a month away?" you said while looking at her uncertain. 

"Well yes but no!" said Jasmine and she stood back up and started going through her closet.

"I have no idea Jas. Tell me already." you said with a sleepy face. Jasmine turns back around with an out of the ordinary outfit on a hanger in her hand.

"No."

"Y/N yes! Today's the day!" said Jasmine and you got off of the floor.

"I am not-"

"Yes you are! Today, Y/N 2.0 comes to Freeridge High!" said Jasmine as she walks up to you with a huge smile on her face symbolizing her excitement.

"I don't feel like it. I just had a breakup yesterday." you said as you walked over to Jasmine's bed and flop your back on it.

"Which is the perfect opportunity to come to school upgraded to show that 1.0 is missing!" said Jasmine excitedly. You sat up on the bed and looked at the outfit Jasmine had in her hand.

"Give me the outfit." you said making Jasmine squealed. She gave you the outfit the fastest she could and ran to her bedroom door until she stopped.

"Get ready. Yell when you are ready for hair & makeup. I'm going to make us breakfast. She's a girl!" said Jasmine excitingly and quickly went down the hall to the kitchen.

"A girl!" shouted Jasmine from the kitchen which made you giggle. You looked at the outfit in your head and you did a shy smile at it.

-

"Da*n" whispered one of the football players underneath their breath as he looked at you. You and Jasmine walked past the football team in the hallway. 

You gain a pink blush and Jasmine looks back at the football player who was looking at you. Jasmine pulled you onto the other side of the hallway opposite where the football team was a few feet from both of you.

"Y/N! That was the 10th comment you got this morning! It's not even lunch yet! I'm jealous." said Jasmine. 

"Well you said I need to upgrade so I did." you said with a giggle. 

You were wearing a V-neck denim romper to show your body at the right places, silver jewelry, black boot heels, and your hair straight ombré of your favorite color and your natural hair color.

"And that upgrade completely worked! You got Ryan Smith, the most popular guy looking at you!" said Jasmine and you turn around to see Ryan, who commented on you earlier staring at you in front of his teammates.

You turn back to Jasmine with a grin. You felt confident which made you so proud inside because you never thought you would wear anything like this.

You felt a tap on your shoulder and you turned around to see Ruby, Jamal, and your now-ex, Cesar.

"Hi, welcome to Free-whoa!" started Ruby  until his eyes widened and stopped speaking to see your face once you turned around to him. "Y/N?!"

"Hey guys." you said and Ruby, Jamal, and Cesar's jaws dropped to see your complete new style. Jamal looks at Jasmine with a weird face.

"Oh course I did this upgrade, Jamal." said Jasmine and she turned her face to Cesar to see that he was all over the place.

He was acting just fine until he saw you in a completely new look. He couldn't believe how much you changed over one night. Now he completely regrets it.

"You okay over there Cesar?" asked Jasmine with a grin and you turned to look at him.

"Yeah, I'm completely fine. Just..." started Cesar with his left hand behind the back of his neck. He looked down on the ground and started to stare at you bottom to top as he bit his lips.

"Oh no puta!" shouted Jasmine and she quickly went over to Cesar and slapped him. You, Ruby, and Jamal eyes widened by what just happened.

"What did you do?!" shouted Cesar as he held his left cheek as he looked at Jasmine crazy. 

"Cause you 1.0, was looking at my girl which is a 2.0. She doesn't go or go back to somebody who is underneath her. She keeps on going up! And that's on period!" shouted Jasmine and you and her did your girls handshake. 

"Y/N. Please I'm so sorry. Beat me up. Hit me with anything! Please! I'm so sorry I boned Monse." said Cesar begging on his knees in front of you.

"You boned her?!" shouted everyone in the talk except Cesar.

You felt the tears coming back but you weren't going to let it out this time. You already cried so much already. You weren't going to cry more because you're now Y/N 2.0 and you're owning it today. 

Cesar slowly got up and stood in front of you. You walked closer to him with a furious face. 

"GO TO H*LL CESAR DIAZ!" you yelled at him which made everybody in the hall stop what they were doing and stare at you and the group.

You quickly ran down the hall and went up to the next floor to go to class.

-

Three weeks. It's been three weeks since that outbreak in the hallway. You use every part of your brain to avoid Cesar at all costs. You still couldn't believe that he actually boned her.

You thought that was a rumor. Ever though it started before you two started dating, you never believed it. Now you definitely do. The words came straight out of his mouth.

While avoiding him, you and Ryan have been hitting it off. He was more than you thought he was. He's actually good at math and a nerd in video games which is one of the cute things about him. You don't know where it's going with him but it's going great between you two.

Meanwhile, Cesar has been crying and regretting everything ever since what happened in the hallway. He can't stand Ryan being so close to you like he used to be. Spooky has enough of this puta phase about you everyday. 

The school bell rang and everybody came running out of the school building since it was Friday. You walked out of the gates of Freeridge High with your earbuds on as you listened to music as you walked home.

You were almost home until somebody put a bag over your head and picked you up. Like any other human, you started to scream, fight, kick, anything to get free from the strong hands that were around your waist but you couldn't.

You kept screaming until you were put sitting down. Somebody put a seat-belt on as you tried to get yourself free. They sat next to you and shut the door.

You freeze and turn your head to the left knowing whoever kidnapped you was on your left side. A moment later, the bag was taken off of your head and you jumped to see Spooky.

"Spooky?! What the f*ck?!" you yelled at Spooky with wide eyes.

"Hello to you too." said Spooky with a serious face and he started to pull away and started driving his car. 

"So, you gonna tell me why the h*ll you kidnapped me?!" you shouted at him and crossed your arms.

"Cesar." 

"What about him? You know that we're done right?" you said while looking at him.

"Yeah and been acting like a puta about it." said Spooky rolling his eyes. 

"So what? What does that have to do with me?" you said with a sass making Spooky stop his car in front of his house.

"Spooky! No!" you shouted as you got picked up by him and put over his shoulder. You kicked and screamed as much as you could but you couldn't get free from him.

"I don't want to talk to him!" you shouted and Oscar sat you back down again but you felt a bed. You looked around to see you were in Cesar's room.

"Spooky, I don't-"

"He won't shut up about you! Crying all night, singing songs about you, retelling old memories of y'all, I'm surprised he didn't stalk you yet!" shouted Spooky, making you surprised. 

"Look, whatever going on with you two, fix it. I need my brother back, not this whiny lovesick puppy puta." said Spooky and walked out.

You growled and you were about to get up and walked out until you saw Cesar coming into his room with a towel on his waist, shirtless, and his hair wet from taking a shower. You grew a pink blush because surprisingly, you never saw him shirtless.

"Y/N?" asked Cesar uncertain because he doesn’t know if he was imagining this in his head or not. 

"I'm going to go-"

"No stay! Please! I'll change quickly!" shouted Cesar and he quickly grabbed some clothes and closed his room door behind him. He went to the bathroom to put on some clothes. 

A few minutes later, Cesar came back in a black tee with jeans and Nike's on. He sat next to you on the edge of his bed and both looked away from each other.

"Y/N?"

You turned to him to see him looking at you with regret in his eyes. Cesar grabbed both of your hands and you looked down at them for a moment and then looked back up at him.

"I'm so sorry that I boned Monse. I don't know what came over me. I never wanted to hurt you. I'm also sorry for not being the boyfriend that you deserve. You do so much for me and I don't even appreciate it. You keep our whole friend group together. I wish I could go back in time and fix what I did wrong. I understand if you don't want to see me or speak to me no more after this because I deserve it. You don't deserve somebody like me, you deserve better. I hope you can find somewhere in your heart that you would forgive me." said Cesar and he slowly pulled your hands up to his lips and gently kissed them while looking deep in your eyes. 

Your heart beats in butterflies and you gain a pink blush which Cesar noticed and then he looked down and smiled.

"Gosh, he's cute." you thought and did a small smile. He looked back up at you and started to stare into your eyes.

You looked back at him with thoughts running through your mind what else to say next with the biggest question ever: Do you forgive him?

[ace-dindjarin]

the best i can do is regret | ch 2: cin vhetin (fresh start, lit. white field)

Fandom: Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Relationships: Hunter & Omega, Crosshair & Female OC, The Bad Batch, minor Hunter/Male OC

Summary: Where Omega wasn’t Hunter’s first daughter. He thinks he made the right choice with her; but he's not so sure about Omega.

Notes: This is the chapter that’s been fighting me. Hopefully it’s readable. CW: descriptions of blood, kinda gory descriptions about body parts, genocide, mentioned insomnia, and minor character death. And Hunter has a breakdown. 

Something is wrong.

It’s not the planet, although Concord Dawn is definitively the strangest planet Crosshair’s been on—and the Bad Batch have been to Wild Space. Glass that shouldn’t be there crunches beneath his boots as he pushes forward, rifle ready to fire. In the atmosphere, a behemoth rock wall looms, formed by one end of the asteroid-blasted hole in the planet. It casts a permanent shadow over the region, and still there’s light blinding Crosshair’s sensitive eyes from the war-blasted glass reflecting a distant fire. A planet of hypocrisies, things that shouldn’t be.

And yet, it’s not what’s wrong.

“Up ahead,” he calls. Squinting past the agonizing brightness, he points his rifle in the general direction of the fire and searches for the source. He hears the tinkling of the glass distantly behind him as the rest of the squadron rush to meet him. When he tilts the scope towards the brightest area, white assaults over his eyes, sending a burning current through the veins of his eyeballs.

“Osik.” Crosshair drops his rifle, trying to blink away the flash. There’s still a bright blue blob obscuring his vision. “Hunter, you up for this?”

“Why wouldn’t I be,” he snaps, and pushes Crosshair out of the way.

Hunter’s the one that’s wrong. Ever since they received the Concordian distress call on the Marauder, the sarge’s gotten snappier—to the point that Tech grumbled under his breath that he was worse than Crosshair. It wasn’t just his attitude; he was wrong down to the way he stood. Crosshair saw it all: his slumped shoulders, hands hanging aimlessly by his side, and a permanent crease between his eyebrows.

Most worryingly, he’d skipped one of his sleep cycles. Crosshair’s the oldest; he’s been with his squad throughout their entire lives. He saw how their “desirable” mutations took a toll on his squadmates—Wrecker’s ribs had to be rebuilt with durasteel fibres because they couldn’t support his mass, Tech came out of the tube with a faulty lung that had to be replaced, and Crosshair himself still used an inhaler. Hunter’s curse was insomnia, caused from nights interrupted by the sounds and sensations of everything, everywhere. Crosshair used to accompany him to the Kaminoan’s therapy wing once a week and he still reminds him to take his medication every day.

A relapse, however small, is very bad. But Hunter leaves the cockpit every time Crosshair brings it up.

All he can do is keep an eye on Hunter. Hunter falls to his knees, picking up shards of glass and letting them fall against the ground. Crosshair sticks close to Hunter as he follows the trail, his eyes still bleary from the blinding light. Tech follows, nervously gripping his datapad. He’s been quiet since Hunter decided on becoming Crosshair 2.0. He’d normally be talking their ears off about the properties of the glass. Instead, he’s flitting wide eyes from Hunter to the fire and back. Wrecker gently bumps his vambrace against Crosshair’s pauldron—his way of asking if Crosshair’s alright. He nods, warmed by Wrecker’s constant nature. At least Wrecker is his brash, kind self, no matter what.

When they’re a couple paces from the source, blaster fire shatters the glass before their feet. Wrecker throws the lot of them behind a jetty of rock, and Tech starts laying out some cover fire. Crosshair blinks out the last of the bleariness and raises his rifle to the source of the blaster bolts. Beskar flashing against light, red jai’galaar on black paint.

“Mandos,” he calls back. “Death Watch.”

Hunter swears. “Cross, Wrecker, you two handle them. Tech, you’re with me.”

Tech looks very much like he’d rather die by the hands of a Viszla. Crosshair decides to give him a break.

“Tech’s better with Mandos.” It’s true—Tech once engineered an altered deactivator that somehow targets beskar. “I’ll go in with you.”

Hunter stares at Crosshair. His eyes are cold behind the dark visor.

Crosshair sighs. He doesn’t want to fight right now.

For once, Hunter’s on the same page. “Fine. Stick close.”

Crosshair obeys, slinking away from the rock jetty with the sergeant as Wrecker distracts the Mandalorians. Once Crosshair checks that the skies are clear of further Death Watch, he turns his gaze to the source of the fire.

It’s a village. Ornate, dirt-baked houses burn in shambles. There isn’t a wall without a hole through it. The acrid scent of blaster fire fills the air, enough for Crosshair to want to reach for his inhaler. Fresh red fruits lay scattered across the road, bruised from the harsh treatment. Bodies, strewn across the village, lay limp, covered in ash. Some have died next to more, smaller bodies, and others grip blasters in their cold, swollen grips. Every one of the corpses have eye coverings, whether it be a colourful silk fabric or a sturdy metal band.

Crosshair’s only met one other Miraluka. A Mandalorian Protector who’d rescued the Batch from a Separatist planet when they’d crashed their old transport—the one with Senator Amidala painted on the nose. He remembers his long white hair, blinding grin, and the blue fabric tied over his eyes. He’d gotten along with Hunter; the Mando had made the stoic sergeant laugh as they worked on ship repairs. Crosshair imagines it would be nice if someone made him laugh.

Oh.

Crosshair lays a hand on Hunter’s pauldron. Even through the thick duraplast, he can feel Hunter shaking. “Where is he?”

Hunter lets out a trembling exhale. “I don’t know,” he whispers.

They perform a routine inspection, searching from left to right, then back to left. Hunter’s holding his blaster like a lifeline. Crosshair tries his best to ignore the itch in his throat from all the smoke he’s inhaling. He wonders what the Miraluka remnants had done to earn a wipeout by Death Watch, then decides he’s better off not knowing.

“Crosshair.” The distortion of the comms highlight the tremble in Hunter’s voice. Crosshair turns to see Hunter standing in front of the ruins of a small hut. The building’s so thrashed by ammunition, it’s barely recognizable as one anymore. Death Watch clearly had a vendetta against the resident.

Crosshair surveys the hut from corner to corner. It’s difficult to find anything, since everything’s covered by a thick layer of ash. All that said, there’s no silhouette of a body, nor charred beskar.

But Hunter doesn’t move. “Can—can you hear it?”

Crosshair tightens his grip on his rifle. If Hunter hears something, it means they’re in trouble.

For a long minute, all Crosshair hears is the distant crackling of fire and wind whistling against glass. Then, Hunter makes a hurt noise. “Fuck, Cross, it’s—it’s a karking baby.”

Alarm flashes through Crosshair’s body. “Where? Here?”

Hunter doesn’t respond, but the way he falls to his knees and starts brushing off the ash on the floor is telling enough. Crosshair picks up a synthfiber broom that miraculously survived the firefight to help Hunter’s crusade. At first, it’s futile, just glass and threads of a carpet long gone. As Crosshair gets to the corner of the hut, he sees a tiny crack in the flooring—far too even to be a fault in the ground. He follows that line, sweeping out a rectangular panel.

“Here?” he asks Hunter. The sergeant places his hand on the panel, taking off his helmet to get a more direct feedback.

Hunter’s eyes fly open. “Yes—fuck, we gotta open this.” Pulling out his knife, he works on prying open the panel. Crosshair runs his fingers across the rim of the panel, searching for a grip, a handle, or—

A button. The panel springs up upon pressing it, not jumping fully out of the way but lifting enough for them to get a grip. Crosshair can hear the wailing now, faint under the thick glass but still ear-piercing. They work together to get the panel lifted, a slow process of one-two-three-pull interrupted by the gradually loud screams of the infant underneath. Crosshair wants to clap his hands over his ears. He imagines it will be worse for the sergeant.

With a final heave, they pull the panel up from its slot. They set it down to the side and hurry back to the pit they uncovered. Crosshair hopes Hunter will be ready for what he sees.

The Mandalorian lies at the bottom. White hair stained copper, head slumped over to the floor, helmet scattered to side. For a moment, Crosshair thinks he’s dead—then he sees the minute shifting of his shoulders, indicating breath.

Crosshair looks up to Hunter: eyes shaking, abnormal breath speed. So Crosshair does what he’s done for his brothers ever since they were children—he grips the sergeant’s arm tight and presses their foreheads together. “He’s alive, okay? He’s breathing.”

“He—the baby—” Throat constricting, legs twitching—

Crosshair tightens his grip, fingers certainly digging a bruise into Hunter’s arm now. Out of his own fear upon seeing his sergeant so unravelled, or for Hunter’s sake, he’s not sure. “Hunter. Help me pull him out of there.”

Hunter’s eyes flicker for a moment more. Then, his eyes harden. “Okay.”

They debate a bit on how to get down, ultimately deciding that the foundation can handle two grown men hanging off a grappling hook without shattering. Hunter lands at the bottom clumsily (legs toppling under him, hand shooting out to stabilize himself, eyes widening in panic) and scrambles his way to the Protector’s side. By the time Crosshair’s hit the ground, Hunter’s got the Miraluka’s head resting on his lap.

The Miraluka lifts his face. His eye covering is long gone, exposing the eerily empty heat pits that sit in place of his eyes. He draws a shuddering gasp.

“Shh, don’t push yourself,” Hunter whispers, carding his hand through the blood-caked hair. His eyes are glassy at the corners.

“Hunter,” the Mando breathes, Core accent highlighted in the rasp of his breath. He coughs, splattering blood on Hunter’s chestplate. “Ni…enteyo ven jorhaa’ir…”

I must speak with you. Crosshair drops to his knees, placing a hand on Hunter’s shivering back. He’s tempted to reach out and comfort the Miraluka as well, but he feels like he’ll burst their moment if he interferes.

“You can tell me when we get you out of here,” Hunter says, and it sounds like law out of his mouth. He looks at Crosshair, and it’s years of working together that lets Crosshair know what he wants. He reaches for the Miraluka, wrapping his arm around the Mandalorian’s torso. Hunter supports the Protector’s other side.

“No, no, nayc—” The Miraluka tries to struggle against their grip, but he’s so weak Crosshair can barely feel his squirming. He’s covered in wounds; Crosshair counts at least three capital injuries along what he can see of his torso. “Hunter, gedet’ye, ni kar’tayl—”

The sunlight decides to enter the pit then, shining a light onto the stained dirt under the Mandalorian’s body. Where a child wails.

Crosshair’s seen a lot of babies, but it’s the first he’s seen one that doesn’t share his face. He’s entranced by them—by the way the child’s nose sits wide on their chubby face, by the way white, fuzzy hair sticks haphazardly out from their round head, by the way the silk eye covering sits against soft skin.

For a moment, everything fades in the face of this child. Crosshair feels a smile tugging at the corner of his lips—almost.

Then he notices the way the child’s cheeks round, their familiar brown skin, their pouty lips. Crosshair’s seen the same in thousands, millions of babies. It’s…impossible. Clones are sterile. The Kaminoans never documented fertility as one of Clone Force 99’s mutations.

But when Crosshair turns to look at Hunter, his face is turgid with the same fear blinding Crosshair—the fire, once again.

The Miraluka suddenly groans, slipping out of Hunter and Crosshair’s grip and tumbling to the floor. Before Crosshair can reach for him again, the Mandalorian curls into himself, gasping and coughing. All the grace, ease, confidence of the man who saved their lives long ago is gone. The Protector’s arm stutters as he reaches for the sergeant.

Hunter takes it, clasps it with both hands. Presses a kiss against the bruised knuckles. “Onnik…”

“Ni kar’tayl, Hunter,” the Mandalorian says, so hoarse Crosshair can barely hear him, “gar kaysh buir.”

Buir. Crosshair feels dizzy.

Hunter shakes his head. Eyes wide. Hammering pulse. “I can’t—”

“Hunter.” All of a sudden, the power is back in the Mandalorian’s voice. “Swear it.”

This is crazy. Hunter is in no position to do what the Protector demands.Crosshair looks to Hunter. He looks as lost as Crosshair feels.

And yet, he says the words. “Haat, Ijaa, Haa’it.”

The Miraluka’s grip relaxes. A smile spreads across his face. “Vor entye, cyare.”

Crosshair sits back on his legs, tips his head to the sky and rubs his hands over his face. His heart’s hammering in his throat. He replays the words that have been spoken in front of him.

I know you as this child’s father.

I swear it, on truth, honour, and vision.

Thank you, beloved.

Fuck, he’s so dizzy he can barely think. He pushes through, though, despite the way his head throbs and his eyes burn, because he hates the haze, how the reflected glass blurs the truth.

He focuses on Clone Force 99, forces himself to breathe. Would they be on the run, from the Republic that was their home since their birth? Would it be worth it, however blindingly bright the small chubby-cheeked baby was?

Somehow, despite everything, Crosshair hopes it will.

[agl03]

Wait, what about Robo Coulson being evil? Did I miss something?

Hi Anon,

Robo Coulson going evil has been one of my longer running theories for this season.  I was originally concerned about this after Robo Coulson was zapped by the giant EMP.  It didn’t hit then, instead we got a cool noir inspired episode. A common trope in TV land is that the team has to go against their leader and the stakes are higher because its someone who knows everything about them.  See Best of Both Worlds in Star Trek TNG as a great example.   

This is also a trope that they toyed with last season.  Sarge simply having Coulson’s face and offering snippets of memories was enough to deal some major blows against the team.  Even more it got May and Daisy to trust him, take him to the temple with Izel, divide the team, when that was the last thing they should have done.  If a super powered LMD/Chronicom that had all of his memories were to go evil then they would be serious trouble.  

So that Marvel article about LMD’s just as Robo Coulson 2.0 is getting booted up is more than suspect for me.  And if I were SIBYL and I needed someone on the inside, he would be one of the best targets to do that.  Not only is he tech based and something that could be corrupted given the right code or signal.  He was also out of sight last week during the killer robot attack and SIBYL was on the base....she could have done something then too.  

Those that have followed me know I’ve been concerned about Encoh and Mack, that in the aftermath of what happened with his parents and the secrets with we had time lurking.   I’ve been worried Mack might order Enoch away as the truth comes out.  Or imagine the team finds out about Diana and is very upset with everything and Enoch falls on his sword claiming he put it in without her knowledge to protect her.  But now toss in the worry that Robo Coulson 2.0 has been corrupted and he could also stir the pot as well.  

The annual team fight and separation is coming  Sousa is already not big on what’s going on and next week isn’t going to help either. I really feel like Jemma is going to be pretty alone when it comes to finding Fitz and that means she’ll need to loose the support she has in Enoch and/or Deke.  Enoch isn’t in IMDB for 10, 9 is going to be a big for him.  So look for any trap that SIBYL may have set to spring it then.  Especially if her goal is to her her hands on certain members of the Fitzsimmons clan.

The final thing is Clark has said that 9 is his favorite episode of the season so that means something big is in store for him there and Clark always loves himself a good plot twist.  

If Coulson has been corrupted look for perhaps a hint in the tag of 8...perhaps a bit of a homage to a certain someone’s turn in Season 1.  We know this writing team loves them some parallels.  

[mycupoffanfiction]

Don’t You Know

Bucky x Reader

Bucky comes to you when he needs to be grounded and be reminded what love is again. 

Warnings: Fluff, language, blood, nudity (not really described), implied smut (no actual smut).

Word count: 2400

Masterlist

A/N: Hellooo here’s a request from an anon based off the song Don’t You Know by Jaymes Young, hopefully it meets what you hoped for! I tried a few ideas out but this one just kept coming back to me, I hope you like it anon 😘💕

____________________________________

“Buck, where are you going? Bruce needs to-.” Before Steve could even finish his sentence, Bucky had bolted away from the quinjet and into the building. “What’s up with him?” Sam asked, receiving a shrug from Steve, Nat looking on at the pair of soldiers with a smirk. Bucky didn’t want them to know, but she knew. It was hard for her not to know things about everyone, but Bucky knew that and he knew she’d keep it to herself. “The guy’s got a gash on his side with only tacking stitches in it, he’s gonna rip it open.” Steve groaned, rolling his eyes before he walked off.

 It was three in the morning when you stirred from your sleep. A little whine passing through your lips as you came to. There was a thump and then a hissed “Fuuuck.” From the other room and you were immediately alert, turning on your side to grab the pistol Bucky had given you to protect yourself. You shot up from your bed, cocking the pistol as you approached your bedroom door and took a deep breath before pulling it open.

 “Whoa!” Bucky stumbled back; hands raised in surrender. “M’sorry doll.” Bucky apologised, looking down at you with concern on his features. Part of him was proud that you’d learnt enough from him to handle a gun and another part of him was slightly scared that he’d taught you how to use a gun. “Sorry I scared ya.” Bucky let out a nervous laugh as you lowered the gun, clicking the safety back on and letting out a breath you didn’t realise you’d been holding.

 “What are you doing here at,” You paused, turning to pick up your phone and put your gun away. “Ten past three in the morning?” You asked, voice groggy and thick with sleep. You gave him a once over, a little gasp on your lips as you saw the huge blood stain on his side and you dropped your phone on the floor, rushing forwards to him. “Oh my- what happened? Wait, so this is what your tac suit looks like. You’re bleeding oh god, fuck me you’re bleeding.” You let out a run on sentence, blurting out everything coming to mind.

 “Doll.” Bucky tried to pull you away from his side but you were freaking out about the massive blood stain on his tac suit. “Darlin’.” Bucky took you by the shoulders, still you resisted as you fussed over him, trying to inspect the damage, although there wasn’t much to see through his tac suit. “Sweetheart, baby, sugar.” Bucky pushed you back up against the wall, wincing a little in pain as he did.

 “I missed you so goddamn much.” He murmured, pressing his body up against yours. “Need you so bad.” Bucky mumbled as he leaning in closer. “Needed to see you.” He continued, his hot breath fanning against your soft skin. You felt yourself burn up with a blush when his calloused fingers gently grazed your hip, his metal hand breaking your skin out into goose bumps when he touched you, but you welcomed it. You welcomed the contrasting feelings. You’d dreamt about it for weeks, how his hands felt on you, how he felt on you. “I’m yours, Bucky.” You whispered, lips parted as he hovered over your mouth as if he was teasing you, waiting for the right moment to indulge in you.

 His flesh hand came up to cradle your head, thumb pressed up against your cheek, his fingers gently digging in to your hairline. A sharp intake of breath and Bucky pressed his lips against yours. A whimper of surprise escaped you before you relaxed into his touch. You moved against his lips, applying a soft pressure as you pressed into his chest, desperate for more, for him.

 His tongue gently parted your lips and the soft velvet of his against yours was perfect. Bucky’s head went quiet. All of the could haves, should haves and what ifs from the mission died down as he lost himself in you. Your soft skin beneath his touch, the way your hair felt between his fingers, your body heat against his, the soft cotton of your nightshirt, the faint smell of your shampoo contrasting with the metallic tang of blood from his own clothes. He felt like he was home, like he could be okay again.

 Out on the field he was a different person, but as soon as he was back here with you in your little apartment, he was himself, more than he could ever be around anyone else. He was soft but intense, loving but rough but in all the right ways. He wasn’t afraid around you. He didn’t harbour a fear of himself because he knew you saw him as much more than the Winter Soldier or Bucky Barnes 2.0. He was more than that to you. He was home to you as much as you were to him.

 Your hands reached up, caressing his cheeks with your thumbs as you held him in your hands. Tears hit the pads of your thumbs and you felt your heart stutter. Breaking away slowly, you looked up into his glassy eyes, the tears freely falling now as he struggled to keep his composure. It was useless to do that around you; he knew he could be vulnerable with you and you’d take care of him. You’d love him no matter which side of him he showed you and he loved you for that.

 “Let me take care of you.” You spoke just above a whisper as you carefully wiped his tears away with your thumbs. A soft, watery smile made it onto Bucky’s lips and he nodded before he let his composure crumble and he leaned into you. His head fell into the crook of your neck as he sobbed, his arms holding you around the waist, fingers digging in, holding on, wanting you to ground him. You were so willing to look after him, so willing to be there for him and it broke his heart. Not because it hurt or that it was wrong, because you cared so goddamn much about him and he couldn’t remember a time other than Steve that someone had ever cared this much for him.

 “Let me clean you up, Bucky.” You rubbed his back slowly, your lips grazing his ear before you pressed little butterfly kisses to the side of his head. “No.” He shook his head, rubbing his forehead into your shoulder before he stood back up straight. “Doll, I need you so bad.” Bucky whined, almost begging for you, for your touch, for something, anything. “Been without you too long.” He mumbled, gently tugging you in the direction he wanted you to go, pushing you back into your bedroom.

 Bucky pushed you through your bedroom and into the bathroom, letting you take over and turn the shower to let the water heat up while you got him out of his clothes.

You reached down to unfasten his tac suit, making sure to be slow and careful with him in case of any bruises or cracked ribs. By the time morning came, you knew he’d be mostly healed again, but you wanted him to be comfortable, to feel good again.

 You peeled his vest off, revealing the bare skin beneath which was marked with blue and purple bruises, slight yellowing around the outside of each patch. Your breathing hitched when you saw him, tears springing to your eyes as you looked him over. You hated seeing him in such a state, it was always a painful reminder of how brutal his job was, but it was also just as much of a reminder of how happy you were when he came back to you.

 You hadn’t even gotten him out of his vest fully before you started pressing kisses to his skin, the taste of salty sweat clinging to your lips as you pulled back up and looked up at him, a look of sheer adoration in his eyes as he met your gaze. You gently pushed his vest off, pulling the sleeve off his right arm as you went, being careful with him as you went, afraid to hurt him.

 You unbuckled his trousers, Bucky gently nudging you away as he leant down to untie his boots and pull them off his feet, allowing you to continue. You freed him of his clothes, slipping off your soft cotton night shirt and underwear before you gently pushed him into your shower, getting in behind him.

 “I know you hate it.” Bucky broke the silence between you as you wet a sponge and squirted some lavender bodywash onto it, squeezing it under the water a few times to get it sudsy. “Seeing me like this, I mean.” He added, voice gruff and uneven, like he was on the verge of tears again. You ran the sponge over his torso, a sigh passing through your parted lips before you looked up at him. “It’s hard.” You nodded, swallowing down the lump in your throat. “Hurts when I see you hurt.” You mumbled, working a blob of dried blood with the sponge for a moment until it soaked off his skin and the stain beneath ran away with the water.

 “M’sorry doll, should’ve waited to see you.” Bucky sounded guilty, even perhaps a little heart broken and you shook your head. “No. No, Bucky. I’m glad you came to see me, even if it hurts, just to know you’re okay.” You held back a sob, but you choked on it, making you let out a pained crying whimper, making Bucky immediately pull you against his chest. “I’m okay darlin’. I’m with you.” He whispered in your ear, stroking down your half damp hair as he pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

 “I don’t do it for Steve.” Bucky spoke as you composed yourself running the sponge up his flesh arm and rubbing off the dirt and blood. “Do what for Steve?” You asked quietly, using your wrist to roughly wipe a tear away from your cheek before you nudged at him to turn around. “The work, I don’t do it for him, or anyone else. I fight for you, to keep you safe from it all.” Bucky turned a little to see you, your hand paused in the middle of his back as more tears trickled down your cheeks. “You’re the only thing on my mind out there, knowing you’ll be there when I’m back.” Bucky smiled to himself as he let you wash him. “I’m always here, Buck.” You mumbled against his skin, bringing your arms around his middle and pressing yourself up against his back.

 You moved away a little, just enough to press kisses to his marred skin, where metal met flesh. You ran your fingers over the scars on his back and his arm, tears mixing with the shower water as you took him in, reacquainting yourself with his body. The scars he had were caused by awful things, perhaps to some they were a sore sight, but to you, they were the sign on a warrior. A strong soldier, your Sergeant had served long enough, endured enough and yet he kept fighting. For you.

 “Please don’t go again.” You choked out, not quite meaning to say it out loud. “Please stay.” You followed it up, sniffling as you let another sob wrack your body. Your dropped your sponge, Bucky turning in your embrace to hold you close. “I’ll do anything for you.” Bucky whispered, lips hovering in front of yours as he tilted your chin up. “Anything.”

 In a split second, your lips were captured in a kiss full of love and passion. It was sweet but strong at the same time, his grip on you was firm but filled you with so much security to know that he was there, in your reach, under your touch, beneath your fingertips.

 You’d taught him to love again, at least according to Bucky you had. You’d been the light at the end of the tunnel. You’d helped him love himself again and shown him how to open his heart to you. He’d do anything for you and now that you asked him to stay, he’d ask how long for, even if that meant changing the way he did things so he could give you all the love you needed. All of the closeness you needed to him. He’d move mountains if he had to.

 You lay in your bed, spent and tired, but in a state of pleasant hazy euphoria as you lay beside your soldier. Your head rested on his bare chest, delicate fingers playing with the dog tags he wore as you breathed easily. After all the sleepless nights, the pain of waking up without him for weeks, he was back at your side again.

 And he would stay for a long time this time. Perhaps he wasn’t ready to leave again. Perhaps he never would be, because you provided a comfort and a love so great that it hurt him every time he had to pull himself away from you.

 “I love you, doll.” Bucky whispered into the silence of your bedroom. “I love you too, Bucky.” You mumbled out, a smile on your lips as you closed your eyes, relishing in the comfortable feeling of being so close to him. To your Bucky.

____________________________________

Permanent Taglist: (OPEN)

@shygirl-00 @swanlakemikey @scuzmunkie @paintballkid711 @lovelylilia @mapreza1 @love-bucky-3000 @cals-cigarette @scarlett-berserker @2407zzz @mercurybarnes @mywinterwolf @geeksareunique @fairislesheets @wendaiii @mochibarnes @anyasthoughts @miamua-posts @megantje123 @sideeffectsofyou