#technically late I died a bit today

[vrronica-sawyer]

happy Mother’s Day!!!

[felinecyan]

When The Night Calls

[Izuku Midoriya x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: Your best friend leaving the hero course was enough to make you lose your mind. Especially when he’s suddenly standing across from you with nothing but a tired smile.

WC: 2978

Category: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Vigilante!Deku

Please give this one extra love!! Somehow Midoriya is also very suspiciously difficult to write 👀 (Also, that 3rd-degree burn I gave my hand today is making me want to cry and throw myself in a river. Damn you, AO3 curse!! )

『••✎••』

Seeing that letter taped on your door broke you in more ways than one.

He had been gone for almost a week, but his note left behind made you realize just how long it'd been. How long he had left you with nothing more than a simple explanation of his departure and how it felt like he was never coming back.

The entire class had been on edge ever since. The note even threw Bakugo for a loop, as much as he would deny it. It had everyone wondering where he was and if he was okay.

It hurt you the most, though. He was the closest friend you had and the only one who truly understood your feelings.

But now he was gone.

Aizawa still continued teaching, but with Midoriya absent, the class just couldn't focus. He wasn't as good at making things seem less depressing or stressful, and his lectures were just boring without a green bush to lighten the mood. Or at least, you thought so.

You haven't been paying much attention lately, and you're too busy thinking of your missing friend. Your grades had been slipping, but it wasn't like anyone could blame you. Even if your friends could, they didn't say anything.

They had tried talking to you, but all you could do was give them a half-hearted smile, shake your head, and tell them, "I'm fine."

You weren't fine, and you knew that. But what were you supposed to do? Cry about it? It’s not like he’d come back if you did that.

Ironically, he did technically come back.

That day, Aizawa decided to keep the pain everyone felt about Midoriya buried beneath the surface, so he assigned you all a ten-page essay about the history of quirks.

So, here you were, writing a half-assed essay close to two in the morning. Kaminari was blowing up the group chat with memes and random jokes, but no one seemed to care or even respond.

Well, that was until Bakugo started yelling at him to stop texting because he was trying to sleep.

That went on for about a solid ten minutes, with everyone getting annoyed at the two idiots, but eventually, it died down.

You took a glance at the clock, which now read 2:12 a.m.

Sleep just couldn't come to you. Not now, not when your brain was filled with thoughts of the broccoli boi.

Then, there was a tiny patter against your window, almost like a knock. If it hadn’t been so quiet, you might not have heard it.

You ignored it at first, of course, but it continued, the knocks getting louder and more urgent.

Finally, you stood from your chair, deciding to investigate, but then, the knocking stopped.

You paused, confused, but shrugged, figuring you must have been hearing things.

Yeah, right, because hearing knocks on your dorm window at 2 a.m. is normal.

It turned out to be a good thing you got up because when you turned back around, a figure was directly behind you.

You jumped back in fear, letting out a short shriek before slapping your hands over your mouth. The side eye glance to your window, now open and curtain rustling in the slight wind, had you regretting not locking the damn thing.

The figure let out a small chuckle, his shoulders shaking a bit, and your heart rate sped up.

You could see the person a lot better now that they weren't in the shadows, but the moonlight still kept their face hidden.

All you could see was the curly mess of green hair and a large hoodie with a black mask pulled over the bottom half of their face.

But you didn’t have to see his eyes to know exactly who it was.

Your hands fell limply to your sides as the boy stepped closer. His hand reached the hood of his suit, slowly pulling it off, and his bright, emerald green eyes were staring straight into yours.

The only thing you could do was stare, dumbfounded.

"You did lock it, by the way," the boy's voice said. It sounded hoarse and scratchy as if he hadn't spoken in days. He probably hadn't.

Still, his intuition never failed.

You continued to stare, eyes wide and unblinking.

Midoriya's brow furrowed, a look of worry replacing his smile.

"They really should put more difficult locks on these things. I mean, honestly, all I had to do was twist it, and it opened. If I were a villain, then— hmph!"

Your arms wrapped around his neck tightly, cutting him off. His eyes widened, surprised, but eventually, he relaxed, wrapping his own arms around your waist and pulling you closer.

"I was so worried," you said. You could feel your body starting to tremble, tears pricking your eyes. "Everyone was."

His arms tightened, his chin resting on your shoulder.

"I know. I'm sorry," he whispered, his breath tickling your ear. "I couldn't think of any other way."

You leaned back a bit enough to look him in the eyes. His tired, determined eyes.

"Wait, if you’re here… does that mean...?"

"I need my notebook." He kept his frown, and a sigh escaped his lips. "You have my old notes, right? I need those."

Oh.

That was it.

That was why he was back.

"Oh," You failed to hide the disappointment in your tone. "Right, uh, hold on…"

You pulled away, your eyes looking away from his. You could feel his eyes burning into the back of your head as you walked over to the desk, rummaging through the drawer.

Speaking of, your desk was an absolute disaster. If allowing students in your dorm room wasn't against the rules, Iida would have broken down your door a long time ago, screaming at the top of his lungs about how your room was in utter chaos.

Eventually, you found it. It was covered in sticky notes, and some of the pages were folded. Makes sense, considering the fact that you'd spent the last week reading it, studying, and hoping to find some kind of clue about his whereabouts and the league itself.

But even if it was in your hands, screaming for its owner, you hesitated. He was going to leave again, wasn't he? He wasn't going to stay.

But common sense hit you. You couldn’t force him to stay. It would be selfish of you to even ask.

You turned, walking back over to him. He was staring intently at the ground, his eyes narrowed in concentration, and he had a small frown on his face.

When you were a couple of feet away, he finally looked up, his hand reaching out for the book.

"Here," you said, trying not to let the sadness seep into your words. "Don’t mind the added stickies. Simpler terms, easier to understand, you know?"

"Right, thanks," he murmured, his eyes darting over the cover before flipping through the pages. His brows were scrunched together, and his fingers fiddled with the pages, flipping through them with a practiced speed.

He was so concentrated on the notebook that he didn't see your frown, and he didn't see the sadness in your eyes.

But then, he froze.

His eyes scanned over one of the pages, his fingers tightening around the spine of the book, and his breath hitched.

His eyes flickered up to yours, and his lips were set in a tight line.

"You read this?"

"Huh?" You blinked, taken aback. "Was I… not supposed to read it all?"

"What? No, no, I meant this page."

He flipped the book around, opening it to a certain page, and held it up for you to see.

Oh, yeah, his page. The one where he wrote about himself. Which, proudly, you knew most of what was written in it, anyway. Some things caught you off guard, but not many.

"Oh, yeah, I skimmed over it," you admitted.

"And... how much did you skim over?"

"Um... all of it? I mean, I'm in your hero notes, too. I took a lot more of my time on the page dedicated to me, I have to admit, but uh… What's the big deal?"

Midoriya looked at you, and his gaze was intense. "Did you… miss me that much that you would study my hero notes that closely?"

"Well, I wouldn’t say closely—"

He tilted his head in an almost sarcastic manner, and his eyes narrowed as he leaned over to point at a section in his notes.

A bright pink sticky note, covered in stars, was stuck onto the paper.

It was a small part, a very short paragraph, and you had given your analysis of him and not of his quirk either. It was a list of his attributes, his personality, and the type of hero he was.

To someone else, it would be pretty informative about what kind of person he was and what kind of hero he would be, but you both knew the true meaning behind the note.

Because it was all the things you missed about him.

"… oh, " was all you could say.

The air around you two suddenly became awkward, the silence becoming heavy.

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

But, as expected, Midoriya broke the silence.

"I figured since you’re still awake, it must mean that you're working on homework or studying, and you wouldn’t do that at night if I weren’t gone," he began. "I thought that maybe it would be too soon to come back, or even that I should have stayed away, but, well, I really needed my notes, and, honestly, I wanted to see you, and—!"

He was rambling again. You could practically see the gears turning in his head, his brain spitting out more words than his mouth could.

At least he was still himself, you thought.

You decided to cut him off, placing your hand on his arm, and he jolted at the sudden contact, his head snapping back up to yours.

"I’m sorry," you said, looking down.

He looked confused, tilting his head. "What for? You have nothing to be sorry for; you didn't do anything wrong."

"No, I—" You cut yourself off, biting your lip, and looked away. You took a deep breath before speaking.

"I'm sorry," you started. "For not stopping you. For not coming with you. For not helping you. I had no idea what you were going through, and I was too worried about myself, and I didn't—"

"Hey, hey, stop," Midoriya said, placing his hand on your shoulder. You hadn't realized you were shaking. "This is my fight, okay? It's not yours, and I was the one who didn’t want to bring anyone else into this mess. This isn’t your fault, so please don’t beat yourself up about it."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do." You looked back up at him, tears blurring your vision. "I don’t know how to help."

He was silent for a moment, but then, he pulled you closer, wrapping his arms around you once again, and you buried your head in his chest, gripping the fabric of his hoodie.

"It's okay," he said. "I don’t expect you to know how to help, and I didn’t come here for your help. Well, technically, I did since you had my notebook, but I’m speaking on a—"

“I know, I know," you mumbled.

Another moment of silence, and then, he sighed, a puff of air brushing your ear.

"I'm not sure when I'll be back, if I ever will, but I promise," he whispered, his breath tickling your ear and his words making your heart skip a beat. "I promise we will be fine. We all will. Me, you, everyone else. It might take a while, but we will be okay."

You nodded, your grip on his hoodie tightening. This was the sound of a goodbye, and the finality of it terrified you.

"It’s just…" you mumbled, and his brow furrowed.

"Just what?"

You hesitated, a lump forming in your throat.

"What?" He repeated, pulling back to look you in the eye. "Please tell me."

You took a deep breath, swallowed the lump, and looked him in the eye.

"It's just that... You’re my not-alone buddy, remember?”

Midoriya froze, his eyes widening.

It was a little game you two had back when things weren’t so complicated. Back when you were just normal students.

You both struggled to make friends, so you made a pact. Obviously, that thought disbanded when everyone else got close, and now you all were pretty good friends, but the friendship between him and you was different. It was a bond between you two that was just special.

Not even ‘Kacchan’ could ruin that, as close as he and Midoriya grew.

You never called him Deku, even after Bakugo and the rest of the class started calling him by the nickname. Sure, it was his hero name, and you could call him that, but you just never felt comfortable.

Todoroki didn’t either, but then again, Todoroki didn't call anyone by their nicknames.

But, back to the point.

"We made a pact, and... that was one of the things I wrote on the sticky notes." You gestured to the book. "It was during my angry denial phase, so I’m not that proud of it, but… it was still true."

"You were angry?" He asked, confused. "Why?"

"Well, first of all, I was worried sick. I knew you were going to go do something stupid, and obviously, I was right.”

He winced at that.

"But I was angry because you didn’t trust me, and I felt like you were leaving me, too," you said, biting your lip. "I know that sounds stupid and selfish, and I get that this was your battle, not mine, and I can't change that, but... I guess I was just scared. You didn’t even tell me before you left, and the note was just..."

You trailed off, a lump forming in your throat again, and your eyes burned with tears.

You didn't want to cry in front of him, so you buried your face in his chest again, and his grip tightened around you.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

You shook your head. "Don’t apologize. It's not like you're changing your mind."

He was quiet for a moment, his head lowering and his lips resting on your forehead.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Your breath hitched. "Izuku, please don't say it."

He pulled back, and his face was unreadable. He looked determined, his eyes burning with passion, and it hurt. It hurt to know that, despite everything, he still had his mind made up.

"I have to go," he said, and his voice was quiet. "I don’t want to leave you alone. I really don’t, but I have to, and you need to stay safe. Me being here isn't doing anything good, and I can't keep coming back and putting you in danger. So, for now, at least until the Shigaraki is dealt with, please just be safe. Don’t try and find me, and please don't let anyone else know I was here."

He paused, his eyes glancing towards the window.

"Actually, I might come back just to get rid of that lock. I mean, seriously, I barely even touched it, and it came right off. You could easily replace it with something stronger, maybe one of those new locks that only respond to fingerprints! But, then it can be traced back to you, and they can use you to— oh, man, I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

You didn't bother to respond. Instead, you leaned up, pressing your lips against his cheek.

Midoriya's entire face went bright red, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

You could feel your face burning, but it was worth it to see his reaction.

"Be careful," you said. "Please, Izu, don’t be stupid."

"R-Right."

He stumbled a bit, his hand coming up to touch the spot where your lips were. His eyes flickered back to you, and you swore you saw him blushing, but then he turned, heading towards the window.

"Oh, uhm, b-by the way," he said, reaching the window. He placed his hand on the frame, glancing back at you. "For Aizawa's essay, you have to also analyze the strengths and weaknesses, not just the evolution of quirks. Make sure to read the whole paragraph in that book he gave us at the beginning of the semester."

He gave you one last smile, pulling the mask over his mouth and the hood over his head. You looked in befuddlement as he stepped out onto the roof, and your hands were wrapped around the edges of the open window.

"How did you—"

"It's Aizawa," His mask was muffling his voice, so he lifted it up a bit, and his eyes twinkled. "What else do you expect from him?"

And then he jumped.

He let the mask drop back down and became just another shadow in the night, with his green lightning trailing behind him.

You didn’t have the energy to laugh, and you didn't have the heart.

You leaned against the windowsill, letting the cool night air wash over your face. You sighed, watching the clouds drift in the sky.

"You're still an idiot," you whispered, closing your eyes.

When the sun rises, this encounter will only be a distant memory.

But for now, the cold night was enough to convince you otherwise. For now, his green eyes were staring up at the same night sky, and he was thinking of you, too.

That kiss on the cheek, as tame as it was, was still enough to make his head spin. You were still his friend, his not-alone buddy, and nothing was going to change that.

And you both were okay with that.

[pupyuj]

→ “simple solutions.” || kim minjeong (winter) x reader fic.

— you always knew that your friend minjeong would never leave you to rot in your apartment all alone, so you make sure to call her over just to pass time. and today was one of those days...

word count: 2.7k

dynamic: g!pswitch!taken!winter x switch!bimbo!reader.

content warnings: smut, hate/angry sex technically, cheating, oral, blowjob, deepthroat, throatfucking, unprotected sex, meanjeong!!!

requested? : nope.

a/n: a gift for the most normal winter fan i know, @wintersera 😭❤️‍🔥 i made this when i was half-asleep so sorry if there are any mistakes, loves 🙏

clear skies and crisp air; you could literally do every outdoor activity imaginable right now. cycling, walking, jogging, and all the things you normally do on days like this. yet somehow, you felt like doing the opposite of going out. somehow, you didn't want to feel the sun on your skin and bask in it's late-morning, early-afternoon shine. you wanted to stay in your apartment, right under the comfort of your super-soft blankets and pillows, and—there is really no other way to put it—get fucked raw.

and so you message the only person who you knew would be more than willing to fulfill your needs.

you smiled at your phone screen, satisfied, before turning it off and focusing your attention on the movie in front of you. but of course, your mind was still elsewhere. you were practically buzzing with excitement—what with the small smile on your lips, the way you couldn't stop looking at your phone for any notifications, and the wet spot that was starting to form on your panties solely due to the thought of her.

ah, speaking of which—you heard the familiar sounds of a car engine coming to a stop, and a few minutes later, your front door opening and closing, and then the thundering footsteps coming up the stairs. you leaned back on the headboard of your bed as your bedroom door swung open, revealing an out-of-breath kim minjeong, handsomely pretty as ever.

you bit your bottom lip as you stared at her... and the sweat that made her hair stick to her damp forehead, her mindlessly-put-on jacket, and oh that big fucking tent in her stupid baggy shorts... she looked like the lamest loser in the world, but you still got up from your bed in your oversized tee and panties-only glory, grabbed minjeong's sleeve and pulled her in for a searing kiss. one where you found your hands on her hair, and she puts hers on your hips. her lips moved in sync with yours—desperate, hungry, and so fucking needy—as it always did.

you pulled minjeong's jacket off her body, smiling into the kiss seeing that she had only been wearing a cropped tank top underneath. you always have been a sucker for skin-to-skin contact. one of your hands move to the back of minjeong's neck to deepen the kiss, and you wrapped your other arm around her, pulling her closer and finally making her give in and completely melt into you. minjeong's hands start roaming your body, groping and squeezing everywhere like she has never touched another girl before. it was cute. she squeezes your ass with both hands and then slaps it, making you moan and giving minjeong the opportunity to shove her tongue inside your mouth, getting a better taste of the sweet apples you had just before you decided to invite her over directly from your tongue.

eventually, you stumbled back into your bed, still kissing minjeong until she reluctantly pulled away, gasping for air.

"oh." minjeong suddenly picks up her jacket from the floor, fishing for something in the pockets.

you leaned back on your arms as you waited for her to return in front of you, where she held a condom between her fingers. "forget it, minjeong," you said, swatting the condom out of her fingers and smirking at the sight of her annoyed expression. "i want to feel your cock inside me without some stupid rubber getting in the way." you tucked your fingers underneath the waistband of her shorts and pulled it down. and minjeong did wear the briefs that you loved seeing on her so much.

"would you look at that," you poked her hard dick, giggling at the sight of the wet spot that was presumably because of her precum. "and you said you didn't want to come over."

"shut up."

you almost considered just making minjeong dry hump you until she comes in her cute briefs because you really did love them on her but fuck, you needed her cock inside you. immediately.

you pulled down her briefs, letting it fall to her ankles, and was met with the sight of her throbbing hard dick that was more than ready to fuck into you. "everyday i wonder why people keep getting surprised whenever you tell them you have a dick when it's this big." and it was nearly as thick as your wrist too. just so fucking perfect. minjeong really was.

minjeong was sensitive, already whining as you started stroking her length slowly. or maybe she just really liked the way you touched her. either way, she sounded so cute. you stuck your tongue out and licked off the precum leaking from her slit with a satisfying hum, making minjeong bucks her hips into your hand, hoping to get you to suck her off already. "fucking get it over with, (y/n). i have to leave quickly." minjeong was saying, taking a hold of your wrist but you push her hand away.

"says who? you're gonna fuck me and come inside me until you're drained and i'm full to the brim with your cum," the thought alone makes your clit twitch. you leave several kisses down her stomach, and left a hickey right on her abdomen. "right now, you're mine, minjeong. forget about your girl."

that's exactly what happens the moment your lips capture her tip, sucking on it and making minjeong moan loudly grab your bedside table for support. her other hand goes to your head, slowly nudging you downwards as you eased more of her length down your throat. christ, no matter how many times you take her cock in your throat it was always hard and painfully slow because of her sheer size. but see, that's what you loved about it all. the challenge, and that gratifying feeling that washes over you when minjeong's cock hit the back of your throat.

"fuckfuckfuck... (y/n)..." her little whines were a bonus too. her clutches your hair tightly and starts moving your head back and forth on her full length, not at all minding the pain she was feeling from how your nails dug so far into her thighs. you were sure to leave marks there but minjeong's girlfriend wouldn't notice. she never notices anything.

"mhm...! fuck, you dumb slut...!" she was completely fucking your throat now. minjeong held your cheeks in her hands, thrusting her hips into your face aand fucking your mouth like it was your ass. ugh, she drove you crazy. every time you gag and clench your throat around her, it pushes minjeong closer and closer to the edge. eventually, she starts moving her hips desperately, chasing after her orgasm.

"(y/n).. ah—i'm c-coming... fuck..!"

one last thrust and your mouth was filled with her warm cum as she came with a cute whine. as hard as it was to breathe with minjeong's cock literally just spurting semen down your throat, you still made sure to swallow every drop, not wasting a single one. minjeong pulls out of your mouth, cheeks flushed and breathing heavily — fuck, she looked hot.

you cleaned up her cock with your tongue while minjeong watched looking all flustered as if the two of you hadn't been fucking behind her girlfriend's back for months now. minjeong cups your cheek with one hand, wiping the tiny spot of cum that managed to get there and then inserted her thumb inside your mouth.

"were none of your other friends available?" minjeong asked, her nail pressing hard against your tongue.

you shook your head, and minjeong removes her thumb to let you speak, "you know you're my favorite, minjeong." you kissed her hand and stood up, letting her grab the hem of your shirt and pull it over your head. you weren't wearing a bra, so minjeong quick to take your breasts in her hands, relishing in the sounds of your soft moans. minjeong dips her head and starts leaving a trail of wet, sloppy kisses all the way down to your collarbone, where she leaves several marks.

"mine." she whispered and nibbled softly on your skin.

minjeong might allow other people to kiss you, touch you, and fuck you, but she always made sure to make it known that you truly belonged to one person only and it was her. she said it through the hickeys she left on your neck and chest, through the fact that you owned several shirts of hers, the fact that she had a custom-made guitar pick with your initials on them (you didn't know of this), and the way she would almost always drop anything and everything to meet up with you.

it would've been romantic had minjeong not been cheating on her current girlfriend, but not everything works out fine. and there was really only one simple solution this problem... and that was cheating, apparently.

minjeong didn't like it. she was a good person. she believed she was, you knew in your heart she was, everybody knew she was. but something pulled her to you, and it was unbreakable no matter how much she tried to stop herself. you were beautiful, you were captivating, mesmerizing—everything about you just pulls her in.

"hm." minjeong traces her finger along your collarbone where she has left more than a lot of hickeys. you didn't care that it was messy. whatever minjeong wanted, you were willing to give it to her.

you sat further on your bed, pulling minjeong down along with you while you kissed. her tongue was once again inside your mouth, not even letting you get a taste of dominance with the way her tongue expertly wore you down. she swiftly pulls off of panties and breaks the kiss to look at your now fully naked body. so fucking perfect, and it's all for her.

"what's the hold up, minjeong? hurry. your girlfriend's waiting back home, right? let's get this over with." you teased, spreading your folds open to give her the full view of your pussy, clenching around nothing and so deliciously wet. minjeong doesn't even make an effort to talk back to you, she simply grabs her dick and puts her tip right along your entrance. you hold onto her arm and your bedsheets as minjeong thrusts her cock inside you, both of you moaning in unison at the feeling. as soon as your warm cunt surrounds her cock, minjeong's brain just shuts down and she's focused on only one thing: to come inside you.

"you're so slow... fucking move, minjeong or else i'll— ahh...!"

annoyed, minjeong was quick to shut you up by giving you what you wanted, but in a pace faster than you expected. not that you were protesting. she pushes you down on the bed so that you were laying on your back, holding onto your thighs as she pounded your pussy just how you like it. fuck, she filled you up so good... her cock was just the right kind of thick that it made you feel so full. it was almost hypnotizing, and you get so lost in pleasure that you almost turn into a completely different person.

you were whining, whimpering, and saying minjeong's name in such a sweet way. "m-mminjeong-ah...! fuck... please, harder..." you were gripping the bedsheets tightly underneath you, and your back arched with every thrust. minjeong just knew where to hit you, how to use her cock in a way that would drive you to insanity.

"harder, minjeong...!" you pleaded again, wrapping your legs around her waist to pull her closer. minjeong was always quick to give you what you want but it was never enough. you needed her to to use you, to ruin you, to act as if you were nothing but a toy to her. but unfortunately, minjeong was too fucking nice for all that... so you have to push her.

grabbing her arms, you pulled her down for a kiss. you wrapped your arms around her neck, your moans now getting higher and sounding more desperate now that minjeong was fucking you so much better. she was getting into it now, knees planted on your bed and your thighs right over hers. she was holding your legs back by the back of your knees, making sure that every thrust was hard and went deeper than the last. she looked so cute with her eyebrows furrowed, so focused on the pleasure of it all.

you couldn't help but look down to watch as your pussy got pounded, only getting even more horny at the sight. the two of you looked too good together.

"i b-bet she doesn't let you fuck her like this, right, minjeong?" you took note of how her eyes snapped at you, all annoyed now. "or at all... what do you even see in her...? mmhm.. so fucking pretty, but such a prude... even jimin-sunbae was more interesting—mmph..! ahh..." you bit your lip when minjeong takes a hold of your waist with both hands and slams into you, effectively shutting you up but only for that one moment.

"ever think about her while you're f-fucking me, minjeong? huh? maybe you... god... maybe you're even imagining that she's me right now... fuck you if that's the case but.. ahh... whatever makes you use me better," you grinned at the way minjeong's eyes bore through you, so filled with anger. more. you have to push her more. "leave her, minjeong. you know t-there's only one pussy in this world that can satisfy you... and that's mine—mmf!"

"shut up. just shut up." minjeong clamps her hand around your mouth and pounds you harder than ever. any trace of that careful and gentle good 'friend' of yours was gone, and you had to admit that this is the version of minjeong that you liked the most. the one you brought out of her, the one you practically created.

your minjeong.

minjeong's thrusts were getting sloppier, and clumsier as she neared her climax. moaning and muttering profanities in your ear, biting into your shoulder, her nails digging into your waist even deeper. all of these habits you were so familiar with. the way her cock dragged within your walls had you mind reeling, you were practically drooling—she just fucked you so good.

minjeong lets go of your jaw to clutch the bedsheets, "i'm coming again... (y/n)...!"

"don't you dare pull out," you held onto minjeong's neck, pulling her face close. "come inside me."

"you're f-fucking crazy... i won't do that..." but minjeong knew you wouldn't let her pull out. especially when you kissed her deeply and started clutching on her neck. "(y/n)... shitshit..." minjeong shakes her head and buries her face on your shoulder, letting you lock your legs around her waist and hug her.

"i got you, baby... just come..! fill me u-up, please, minjeong...!"

merely seconds later, minjeong releases her load inside you with a gasp, and you held onto her for dear life as you came undone yourself. your juices mixing with her own and spilling out of your cunt, making a mess of your bed but you didn't care.

an hour or two later, when you and minjeong have fully recovered from your high, she pulls herself out of your embrace and started dressing up. you merely watched, being familiar with this situation already. before minjeong could finish getting dressed, you grabbed her shirt and gently tugged her down, capturing her lips in a soft kiss before you pulled away.

minjeong stares at you, and for the first time you couldn't get a read on her.

"we can't keep doing this. i can't."

she sounded like she meant it, you could hear it in her voice and see it in her eyes. minjeong left quickly after that, leaving you alone in your bed that got increasingly cold as soon as she went out the door.

but the thing is, minjeong wanted to mean it. and you wanted to believe that she meant it. but it was hard to do that. it always has been.

especially when two weeks later, minjeong stands on your front porch drenched from the rain. eyes red and puffy, lips quivering from both the cold and her emotions. and she says the words that immediately made you tug her inside your home.

"i broke up with her. i need you."

[vodika-vibes]

hi!! i saw that your requests where open and i wanted to request something for wrecker bc i noticed you don’t have anything for him yet!

i was hoping for a cute fluffy proposal for wrecker x gn reader please?

For Always

Summary: You’ve loved Wrecker since you were a child. Since the day his CT number appeared on your body, written in a messy hand on your collar. Luckily, he’s always felt the same way.

Pairing: TBB Wrecker x GN!Reader

Word Count: 948

Warnings: None

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @imabeautifulbutterfly

A/N: This is technically a soulmate AU. I had an idea and thought it was cute.

You stir awake at the feel of warm lips pressed against your collar, and you mumble something that might have been a name, if you were a little more awake, but just sounded like several letters strung together in a facsimile of a word.

There’s a low chuckle and you blearily blink up at the man half laying over you, “Morning, cyare.” Wrecker murmurs, his voice a low, and pleasant, rumble to your half asleep ears.

You yawn widely and stretch out across the bed, before you reach up to lightly caress his cheek, before your hand falls to his chest, where your name rests right over his heart. “Morning,” You finally reply with a sleepy smile.

He takes your hands in his and threads your fingers together as he leans over you, “Did I wake you?”

“I was already half awake,” You admit as you shimmy on the soft cotton sheets to press yourself as close to him as you can, “You’re up early, handsome.”

“Mm,” Wrecker hums his agreement, before he slowly lowers his head to press his face against your neck, “Have plans for today.” He finally says, his lips warm against your heated skin.

“Oh?” You squeeze his fingers, “Anything interesting?”

“Not really,” He moves his head so that his nose bumps yours, “Omega wanted me to go shopping with her today, and then lunch with my brothers.”

“Sounds fun,” You reply with a small smile.

“Well, Tech’s been in wedding mode since the day Phee asked him to marry her, so lunch is really us helping him hammer out the last details.” Wrecker admits, he presses a feather light kiss against your lips, “What about you?”

“Phee is looking at dresses today, and she wants me along to help. Since I’m stand in for her family.” You lean up to catch his lips in a heated kiss, which makes him sigh against your lips, “We’re also going to finally find an outfit for me today.”

“You’ll look amazing no matter what you wear.” Wrecker says loyally.

You laugh softly, “Phee tends to agree, she’s been thinking about what she wants me to wear, since they’re getting married on the beach.”

Wrecker finally releases one of your hands, but only so he’s able to trail his fingers down your bare arm, “Do you ever think about it?” He asks, his gaze serious.

“About what?”

“Marriage.”

You watch him, slightly surprised, though the surprise fades as you consider his words. “I’d be lying,” You finally say quietly, “if I said I hadn’t. But I’ve been thinking about it more and more lately.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” You smile at him adoringly and press your hand against his cheek, “But I don’t need to be married to be happy with you, Wreck. I’ve loved you since the day your CT number appeared on my skin.” You pause, “Well, after I stopped freaking out about it not being a name.”

Wrecker laughs, like he does every time you mention the story of the day your soul-mark appeared. His grin is broad as he presses his forehead against yours, “I’ve been thinking,” He starts.

“Oh?”

“How would you feel about getting married?” Wrecker asks.

“Like right now?” You ask, your voice hushed.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but all of the ceremony feels a bit...excessive.” He admits, “But that’s Tech and Phee. We don’t need anything quite so big, do we?”

You hum thoughtfully as you consider his words, “I’d like to marry you.” You finally say, “But you’re right. The idea of being the center of attention like what Phee wants sounds like a nightmare.”

Wrecker laughs softly, “So we’ll do something different.”

“Like what?”

“I’ll workshop that with my brothers,” Wrecker admits with a grin. He kisses you one more time, “I actually have a ring.”

You blink at him, “You do?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t found it, to be honest.” He says with a shrug, as he sits up and reaches into his bedside table and hands you a little box. You sit up and open the box to look at the ring.

It’s simple, no diamonds or gems on it, but it’s been carefully carved so that it looks like his armor paint is etched into the metal.

You love it.

It’s so...him.

You grin at him, “It’s perfect.” You pull the ring out of the box and ease it on your finger, before you hold your hand out in front of you to examine how it looks on your hand.

Wrecker presses his chin against your shoulder, peering at the ring on your hand thoughtfully, “It looks good on you.” He finally says, his strong arm slides around you and he pulls your hand to his lips, pressing a light kiss on your knuckles just under the ring, “And soon you’ll be properly mine.” He murmurs quietly.

“I’m already properly yours Wreck,” You correct him with an adoring smile, “This will just make it legal.” You turn so you’re facing him properly, a bright smile on your face.

And then you yelp as he all but tackles you backwards, his lips hot against yours. A laugh falls from you, swallowed by his eager lips, and he pulls away and grins down at you, “Mine.” Wrecker murmurs, “All mine. Finally.”

You wrap your arms around his neck, tightly, “And you’re all mine.” You agree.

He grins at you and leans in to pepper kisses all across your face, “I don’t have to be anywhere for a couple of hours.” Wrecker practically purrs against your lips, “How about we celebrate our new engagement?”

His lips attach to a point against your neck, and you whine, “Yes...please.”

[stevesbipanic]

Steve always gave Eddie flowers.

It was one of his moves from his old King Steve days, giving the person he liked flowers. He just thought it was a sweet thing to do, he always tried to make sure it was their favourite flower or a flower that reminded him of them. When he was sixteen he had borrowed a book from the library about the meaning of flowers so he could make them swoon telling them that the flowers meant beauty or kindness or grace.

He had asked Wayne what Eddie's favourite flower was, he said sunflowers he thinks it comes from Eddie's mother she always loved sunflowers before she died. Steve had remembered sunflowers meant loyalty and adoration, he thinks that fit Eddie Munson perfectly.

He wished Hawkins had a sunflower field, he knows there's one a few towns over, he and Robin drove through it once on the way to Indy. The florist in town flirts with him telling him how romantic it is to go to a flower field.

"You buying your sweetheart some flowers for Valentine's Day?"

"Yeah, they deserve something special today."

The girl seems a bit disheartened but covers it well, "A lucky gal having a gentleman like you."

She asks if he needs a card for the bouquet but Steve tells her there's no need, he can tell Eddie everything he wants to say. Any other year Steve might've gotten his valentine a box of chocolates or a teddy or balloons but he knew Eddie wouldn't appreciate those, the sunflowers would be perfect.

He took a deep breath as he parked his car before making his way up the hill to where Eddie was waiting for him. He smiled when he got to the top.

"Hey Eds, sorry I'm late, but I got you these, I know they're your favourite."

He sat down beside Eddie and softly placed the flowers on the dirt.

"I know I didn't technically ask you to be my valentine, but I like to think you'd say yes. Maybe we would've been coming up on one year together instead of one year without you. Could've taken you to that diner that Wayne said you liked to go to as a kid. He talks about you a lot ya know, I worry one day he's going to run out of stories and it'll feel like losing you all over again."

Steve takes a moment to lean against the stone and gather his thoughts.

"Robin worries about me, but I think she gets it in a weird way. I just wish we'd had more time. I mean you had just asked me out when all this went to shit with Chrissy and Vecna. I never wanted you to get in the middle of this, I should've protected you Eds. Part of me wonders what would've happened if we had planned to go out after the game, maybe you would still be here."

A light wind blows, softly during the tears on Steve's cheeks. If he closes his eyes he can almost imagine Eddie is the one wiping them away. Steve thinks about what Eddie would say if he was here. He'd probably blush at the flowers, pull his hair in front of his face to hide it but that bright look in his eyes would give him away. He'd probably giggle at the holiday, talk about how it's such a straight persons day but secretly love it when Steve kisses his cheek. They'd probably share a milkshake at the diner and hold hands under the table.

They'd probably do a lot of things if they'd had more time. Probablys don't bring back Eddie, so Steve will sit with him on the hill, the bright sunflowers laying stark against the bittersweet backdrop of their lost potential. Steve places a soft kiss on top of the headstone.

"I hope you enjoy the flowers, sweetheart, I'll be back tomorrow."

[getvalentined]

Okay so that ask opened the floodgates for me. I've been sitting on my headcanons about Vincent's mother for ages, but I think this is as good a time as any to start writing it down for interested parties.

So. Let me talk about Sayoko Valentine, where she came from, who she left behind, and what that means for my version of Vincent.

Sayo's maiden name is Otayo, and she was born in 1929 to High Summoner Otayo Katsuhisa and his wife, Ota Seira—the family name similarity is intentional, as Seira came from a branch family in the same line, but was technically Katsuhisa's cousin. (This is normal. Vincent's paternal predecessors are actually worse. Welcome to the genealogy of nobility.)

As stated, Sayo left home at seventeen, eventually ending up in Junon, where she was able to test into university thanks to the impressive education provided to her back home. She went into botany—which is what she wanted to do back home, but her father wouldn't allow it because of her position as heir to the temple—and met Grimoire when he was working as an assistant teacher in one of her secondary classes. He fell in love instantly, she absolutely did not. It took about a year before they got together, although they were married pretty quickly after that, and Vincent came along more or less immediately, when Sayo was twenty.

The real tragedy here is that while Sayoko is recorded as having died due to influenza complications, what actually killed her was a brain aneurysm—caused by her personal aeon struggling to front after being essentially held captive since Sayo left Wutai. This eventually happens to all summoners with personal aeons, provided they survive to adulthood but don't "maintain" the aeon properly, although usually it isn't until mid-thirties. Sayoko's struggle with the flu made her constitution weak, and that's why it killed her so young. She died at twenty-seven. (Just like her son.)

(Grimoire went on to eradicate influenza from the face of Gaia. He was just too late to save his wife, and he never fully recovered from that failure.)

Sayoko has/had a brother around a decade younger than her who is still alive today and currently heads up the summoner temple in Wutai, having taken Sayoko's place as the heir after she ran away from home at seventeen. He's in his mid-sixties during the Crisis, and is actually slightly closer to Vincent's age than that of his late sister. Seira passed away giving birth to him, and although he was very fragile growing up, his health improved starting around age four, following the very early presentation of his summoning abilities. Sayo left two years into his childhood training, when she was sure he would survive. (If he hadn't improved, she would have stayed out of a sense of duty to her family, even if heading up the temple was the very last thing she wanted.)

Because he was so ill as a child, Sayo's brother was given an ancestral name, a tradition that meant to allow the soul of the ancestor in question to serve as a distraction against death. Allegedly, doing this confuses the Lifestream into believing that the sick child has already died, because a soul with that name from that bloodline is already in the Lifestream. Sayoko's little brother is named Braska.

Vincent knows he's alive, but has never met him and has no intention of ever doing so—fairly intensive research postcanon led Vincent to the discovery that summoner religious beliefs would define his very existence as an extreme sort of heresy. Vincent knows, from the little bit he remembers from stories told by his mother, that her family loved her very deeply, and so he has no intention of letting them know that the daughter they loved so much ran away to make her own life and instead produced the single most horrific monster their belief system can conceptualize.

They would probably refer to Vincent as an Unsent, although unlike any they've ever even imagined. In actuality Vincent is what they should refer to as an Undying, a concept that is so far beyond ancient there's almost nothing written about it anywhere, but Vincent never came across that in any of his research so he doesn't know.

Other random notes:

Ota Seira's younger sister was selected as a bride by the emperor of Wutai at the time, making her Yuffie's great-grandmother. This means that she and Vincent are somewhat distant cousins. Because of that intensive research Vincent did postcanon, he is completely aware of this, but Yuffie isn't, and he is never ever going to tell her. (It also means that Yuffie carries the summoner gene, but that doesn't really matter since it's rare enough she's really unlikely to end up with anyone else who has it.)

At least two old Junonese families also carry the summoner gene, but it's so recessive there are no records of it presenting since the founding of Junon. One of these families is, obviously, the Valentine line, which is how Vincent presented with the gift. The other is a noble family that fell from grace in the early 1800s, formerly known as Faucille, who artistically translated their name from old Junonese to Standard upon the loss of their house into order to keep their fallen fortune from being easily connected to the original line: in the modern day, their surname would be Crescent.

Vincent's entire existence may have been specially orchestrated by Minerva herself in order to produce a viable vessel for Chaos, but that's just a theory. Genesis says it's true, but can you really trust that guy? (When it comes to anything related to Weapons or Minerva, postcanon, you absolutely can and in fact should, but Vincent doesn't want to think about it.)

[kkyaka]

Chapter 2: Mending and Breaking

Summary: Aomine continues to repair his relationship with his son, but after finding out about your relationship with his teammate, his jealousy further strains his relationship with you. Word Count: 8,706 Warnings: aomine is lowkey delusion lmao, oc is aomine's teammate, trip to the fair, slight flirting kinda, aomine is really jealous and petty, angst towards the end, aomine is drinking if i missed anything please lmk!

MASTERLIST

When you wake up in the morning, Taj is still sleeping next to you, so you carefully get out of bed, making your way to the bathroom. You go downstairs, immediately spotting Aomine on the couch, and he must hear you because he gets up, walking over to you, looking even worse than he did last night. "I'm not apologizing," you state, having already played this conversation out in your head as you tried to fall asleep.

"I don't expect you to. Matter of fact, you shouldn't," he states. Honestly, you spent a couple of hours laying in bed and replaying what you said to Aomine. You were going back and forth wondering if you were too harsh or if you should've said more. "What should I do?"

Your brows pinch together. "About what?"

"Taj," he answers. "He thinks I don't like him." Maybe your words last night were enough.

You sigh. "Baby steps, okay? If you try to do too much too soon, it'll only make him shy away," you explain. "We can try and go something today since he doesn't have school, and you seem to be off?" You raise the question because it doesn't look like he's dressed to go anywhere basketball related.

"Yeah, we're close to the off-season, and we're out of the finals, so..." He shrugs and you nod in understanding. "He's still sleeping though."

"Well, he'll probably sleep for a little while longer since he was up late last night," you say.

"What was he doing in your room?" Aomine asks softly.

"He said he had a nightmare, but I didn't ask what it was about," you answer, turning your head to the side to yawn. Aomine doesn't respond, and you look at him for a split second, and you can't remember the last time he looked so defeated.

"I saw that you have the kitchen pretty stocked," he speaks up through the silence, and you look in the direction of the kitchen, pointing over your shoulder as you respond.

"Yeah, you had, like, no food," you huff. "So, I bought enough to last us for the week, but I'll have to go again."

"I'll pay you back. I didn't even think about that, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Aomine," you say, waving him off.

"Seriously, how much was it?" He sounds firm, and you run your hand over your neck.

"I can't remember. I think I still have the receipt somewhere." You walk over to where your jacket is, searching through the pockets until you find it. You hand it to him, and he unfolds it, looking for the cost. He walks away, and you watch him go, just standing there as you blow a sigh out through your mouth, puffing your cheeks out.

He comes back with a check in his hand, and you grab it when he hands it to you. Your eyes widen as your jaw drops when you look at it. "I definitely did not spend this much money."

"Well, you did more than you usually do this time, so..." he trails off.

"Yeah, but still," you chuckle. "Jesus, Aomine."

"Seriously, take it. I'm not gonna let you give it back. And I'm technically your boss, so if I say you have to take it, you kinda do." You softly shake your head, smiling against your will before you fold the check, putting it in your bag.

"Well, thank you."

The both of you stay silent as the conversation dies down, and you both look at the stairs when they creak a bit, seeing Taj slowly walking down them. "How'd you sleep?" you ask, walking towards him.

He wraps his arms around you. "Okay," he mumbles. "I had a dream where he fought a dragon."

"Really?" you muse, crouching down to his level, and he softly explains the story, making quiet sounds alongside his storytelling.

"And then we got to keep him in the castle with us!" he quietly concludes.

"That sounded like a really awesome dream!" you whisper. "What do you want for breakfast?" you ask after he nods.

"Pancakes."

"Okay, I'll get everything ready. Go brush your teeth and wash your face, alright?" He nods, walking back up the stairs, and you smile as you watch him go, standing up, and when you turn to go into the kitchen, you see Aomine with a bitter smile on his face.

"It seems like he can only smile like that with you around," he confesses.

"Well, you can start to make that happen," you sigh, not even bothering with trying to comfort him because he won't benefit from that, and you don't think he wants you to do that. He nods softly, and you touch his shoulder before you walk into the kitchen.

Aomine follows you a little while after, sitting at the island as he watches you get everything out. Taj comes back down the stairs with the stool from the bathroom in his hands, putting it down in front of the counter. "Perfect timing, Taj. I just got everything set up." You kick over the step stool you got for him, and you have him start measuring out the pancake batter. Aomine finds himself sitting back at the island as he watches both of you. You and Taj watched Encanto earlier in the week, and he's been obsessed with the soundtrack ever since, so you have it playing while you fix the pancake batter.

Aomine smiles as he watches you and Taj sing the songs, both of you dancing when you can. Aomine gets lost in watching you and Taj interact, and he wonders if he could've had days like this all along. He thinks about where he would be if he didn't end things the way he did back then. He never got over you, and it can't help but feel like it's fate that he's found you again.

He wonders if he had met you earlier when he found out he was a father if Taj would be like he is now with him. You probably would've knocked some sense into him, and gotten him on the right track, but when he thinks about that, he can only think about how much he relies on you. And he's not sure if that's a good thing.

"Are you eating pancakes, Aomine?" you ask, looking over your shoulder, and you see that he's zoned out. "Aomine." You try again, but he still doesn't hear you. You make sure that Taj isn't going to make a mess before you walk around to where Aomine's sitting. "Aomine," you say softly, putting your hand on his shoulder, and he jumps before he quickly turns his head to look at you. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry, just got lost in thought," he sighs.

"I asked you if you're gonna eat some pancakes," you repeat, smiling at him. He nods, returning the smile, and you walk back over to Taj. "You gonna eat eggs, too?" you ask, and Aomine nods his head right after you speak, still with you and not in his own world.

Taj doesn't like eggs even though he loves cracking them open. He abandons the pancake batter after he's done stirring to crack the eggs which you help him with. While he whisks the eggs, you start to heat up the griddle. You keep an eye on Taj to make sure that he's not making a mess.

"Hey, Aomine, can you cut up some fruit for me?"

"Of course." He's quick to stand, and you already have the cutting board and knife out, he just has to get the fruit. You already cleaned them, so the only thing he has to do is cut.

"You can handle that, right?" you tease. He smiles, huffing as he rolls his eyes. Taj has been doing really well with making the eggs, so you just watch him cook, only helping him to dump the scrambled eggs onto a plate when they're done.

"Good job, Taj!" you praise, and he smiles up at you before immediately turning his attention to the pancake batter. You pour out the batter onto the griddle, making sure that Taj is keeping his distance so that he doesn't get burned. When one side is cooked, you stand behind Taj, your arms around him so you can help him flip the pancakes.

You both cheer loudly when he flips them without problems, and you tell Aomine that if he wants anything else to get it out of the fridge. You have Taj put the syrup on the table before getting his plate, and you give it to him when he comes back. You grab the breakfast meat from Aomine, and he frowns at you.

"I'll finish this. Take a plate and go sit." Aomine looks over his shoulder at his son, suddenly feeling really nervous. He turns to look at you when you hand him a plate of food. "Remember, no basketball talk." He doesn't move, and you turn him around before giving him a little push. "You got it, Aomine. Just talk to him."

Aomine picks at the plate before he walks over to the dining table. He sits across from him, and Taj looks nowhere near as happy as he does when he's with you. Aomine clears his throat as he tries to find something to say, and he notices Taj about to cut his pancakes.

"You need any help?" Aomine tries.

Taj doesn't even look up when he answers. "No, I got it." Aomine sighs internally, counting down until you get here. You walk in with cups in each hand, and you set one in front of Taj, giving the other to Aomine.

"Hey, Taj, why don't you tell your dad about what you did at school earlier this week?" you mention, urging Aomine with your eyes before you go back into the kitchen.

"It's nothing really," he whispers before he eats a strawberry.

"I bet it wasn't," Aomine responds. "Lay it on me."

"I read a book that was above my reading level, and it wasn't really hard for me to do."

"That's great, Taj. Was it a chapter book?" The question seems to surprise his son, and if Aomine wasn't looking, he definitely would've missed it because he can see Taj's eyes widen just a little. Taj nods, taking a sip from his cup. "What was it about?" Aomine carefully presses.

"Dragons," he answers, the word coming faster than his previous responses. Aomine wants to mention the dream Taj was telling you about, but not once did he mention him, so he decides against it for fear that it'll erase his progress.

"What do you like about dragons?"

Taj looks down at his plate as he finishes up his pancake like he's thinking of what to say. "How big they are, and how many colors they can be." Aomine nods to show he's listening, and the boy keeps talking. "Some of them breathe fire that's red, and others breathe fire that's blue, and that's hotter than red fire."

Aomine feels so many things at his response, and he nearly slumps in his seat that Taj is actually having a conversation with him right now. You walk in with the bacon and your plate in your hands, your cup being held by your teeth. You raise your eyebrows at Daiki as you set everything down.

"You telling him about the dragons?" you ask as you sit next to Taj, and you look at Aomine, giving him a hopeful look. The conversation goes by a little faster now that you're there, but Taj focuses most of his attention and responses on you. Every now and then, you have him tell Aomine things, and he quickly realizes that he has to have a mediator to talk to his son.

Aomine just decides to listen to you and Taj talk because, at one point, it starts to get too much for him. You seem to notice, but you don't draw any attention to it. When you're all done eating, Taj helps you with loading the dishwasher and washing the stuff that doesn't fit or can't go in it. Watching Taj after hearing what you said only makes him feel even worse, and for a split second he wonders if this is all worth it. He wonders if he's already done too much damage, if he can come back from it. You're giving him hope, but he doesn't know if he can have it in this situation.

You glance at Aomine as Taj talks to you, and he's zoned out again. You can only assume that he's thinking the worst, so you try to think of anything that could get him out of that. "Is there anything you wanna do today, Taj?"

"You're not leaving?" he asks, and you shrug as you shake your head.

"Not if you don't want me to. It's the weekend, so I figured you'd want to do something fun today."

"Can we go to the fair?" he asks suddenly. "I saw it on TV one time!" You have a vague idea of what he's talking about, so you look it up on your phone. It's actually not that far away, and you turn to Aomine, seeing that he's still sitting at the table in his own world.

"Aomine," you call, and he quickly looks at you. "Taj wants to go to the fair. You up to go?" You give him a subtle look, silently telling him that this is chance, and he gets it immediately, nodding his head as he stands.

"Sure. That sounds fun."

"Go ahead and get dressed, okay?" You tell Taj, and he quickly nods, running up the stairs and to his room.

~

Once you're all dressed, you all get into the car quickly since it's getting colder outside. Taj talks the entire trip there, and you can't help but smile and laugh as you listen to him. You rest your elbow on the console as you turn around to look at him as he talks, and Aomine finds himself smiling as well.

He focuses on you and Taj's conversation because he knows that all he'll think about his how you guys seem like an actual family, and how this is the only thing he's been thinking about the past couple of years.

He tries to tell himself that it's just a fantasy, that there's no guarantee that you'll even be here for the rest of his life, but when he's in situations like this, he can't help it. If you asked him months ago if he thought he would ever be in this situation, he would think you were crazy. He honestly couldn't believe his luck when he finally saw you again after all these years, and he's making it his mission to not fuck this up again.

Taj is bouncing excitedly as Aomine finds somewhere to park. It takes a while since it's the weekend and a bunch of people are here, but when finds one, Taj is already out of the car and waiting for the both of you get out. Taj grabs your hand as you walk toward the entrance, and he's bouncing on his feet the entire time.

You don't really worry about getting wristbands for the rides since Taj isn't tall enough to ride most of them anyway, so you focus mostly on the games that they have there. You can tell Taj is overwhelmed once you walk in, not knowing where to go first. You laugh softly as you guide him in one direction, deciding just to eventually make a full circle back at the entrance. As you walk, he looks at everything, and you continue moving until he finally finds something that he wants to do.

The booth with the skeeball catches his eye, and you let him lead you over to it. Aomine pays for his turn, and Taj says that he wants you to play with him, so you go to pay for your turn, but Aomine is already ahead of you. "You didn't have to do that," you whisper, and he just gives you a shrug as he smiles.

You roll your eyes, your attention quickly diverted to the game since it's starting. Taj struggles at first since he doesn't have enough strength to get any of the big points, and Aomine steps up behind him to help him. He helps throw the balls with enough force that they get into the top holes, and he's laughing the entire time. You glance over to see Aomine smiling as well, and there's a small part of you that's relieved since he hasn't smiled like that in the last couple of days.

You end up winning once the round is over, and you get to pick a prize, but you let Taj pick what he wants. He picks the dragon that's hanging on the side, and he jumps excitedly as the person at the booth hands it to him. He grabs your hand as you all walk away, keeping a tight grip on the plushie.

You play more of the games that Taj wants to play as you walk by, and Aomine pays for your turn every single time. "Aomine," you warn softly.

"Don't worry about it," he discloses, pushing towards the booth so you can play the game. Neither you or Taj do as well with the rest of the games, not winning any prizes, but Taj seems happy enough to just be playing them. You're looking for some more games to play when Aomine suddenly pulls you towards the basketball booth. You roll your eyes, but follow him anyway.

"Which one do you want?" he asks Taj, and there's a big wolf sitting in the corner being the hoops. He happily points to it, and Aomine pays for his turn. You already know Aomine's going to do well, doing tricks as he tosses the ball in, and Taj watches in awe as Aomine runs up the score.

He does so well, that all of you get prizes, and Taj wants all of you to get the same one. You all walk away happily with your matching plushies, and Taj suddenly runs ahead to another booth. He stays in your sight, so you and Aomine slowly walk up to see what he ran over to.

"I want this fish!" he exclaims, pointing to the one he wants.

"Bud, these things are super rigged," Aomine sighs.

"Look at the colors!" he shouts, completely ignoring him, and Aomine shakes his head.

"I'm not good at this," you admit, so Aomine tries at it. He doesn't succeed the first few times, and he sighs heavily before he pays the person again.

"Aomine, you've been at it for fifteen minutes," you tell him. You don't even know how much money he's spent.

"I almost got it," he murmurs, fully focusing on the game.

You don't know how much time passes, and you watch amused as Aomine tries turn after turn. Taj's excitement starts to dissipate the longer you stand there, and right as you're about to call it, Aomine shouts loudly. "You did it!" Taj gasps, and Aomine sighs heavily, letting his head fall.

Your mouth is open in surprise as Aomine hands the fish to Taj, and you've never seen him smile so wide. "You're awesome!" Taj says, hugging Aomine.

He laughs. "You're welcome, Taj."

He softly puts his hand on his head, leading him away from the game, and Taj holds the bag up to his face, smiling widely. "You spent so much money on that game," you note.

"You're telling me," Aomine cries. "But, he's happy, so it was worth it."

You're all starting to get hungry, so you make your way over to the copious amounts of food trucks. You find somewhere to sit, and you both smile as you watch Taj look at the stuff that he's won. You look at Aomine, who's smiling just as wide, and you softly touch his hand.

He looks at you, and you smile when his doesn't fade. "It's good to see you smiling," you tell him quietly.

He moves his hand a bit so he can squeeze yours gently. "Thank you for this." You nod slowly, and Taj soon gets your attention, telling you that he's done eating. There are a couple of kiddie rides further into the fair, so you hold all of the stuff while Aomine rides with Taj. He takes turns with both of you, and both of you take pictures. He sees the carousel next, so Aomine holds the prizes while you and Taj find the one that he wants to ride.

Once it starts, whenever it gets back around to where Aomine is standing, you wave to him, showing Taj where he is. Aomine waves back every time, filming the both of you as he does so. He actually rides it a couple more times before he's finally had his fill, and you decide to ride the ferris wheel as the sun starts to set.

Taj sits with you across from Aomine, and as the cart gets higher, he starts to get a bit more nervous. By the time you get to the top, Taj is huddled next to you, his face in your shoulder. You laugh softly as you move him into your lap, and you quietly try to urge him to look. You're about to reach the top, and Taj finally takes his head out of your chest.

"I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, Taj. I promise," you reassure, and he slowly peels himself away from you, leaning over a little to look down.

"We're so high," he whispers, looking at the fairgrounds.

"I know, right?! You can see everything!" you muse, pointing out a bunch of different stuff to him. Aomine's mostly watching the both of you, enjoying the sight in front of him way more than what's outside. Once you to the top, the cart stops moving so that you have a chance to look, and Taj hesitantly slides out of your lap, holding onto your hand as he steps closer to the window.

"God, it's so beautiful," you whisper as you look at the sunset over the fair.

"Yeah, it is," Aomine finds himself mumbling even though he hasn't looked outside since he sat down. He's staring right at you, and thankfully you don't notice, your attention on Taj.

You take pictures, and you all take one together before it starts to go back down. Taj is sitting on your lap again when it starts moving, but you can tell he's a lot less nervous than before. He starts to doze off by the time you reach the bottom, and Aomine picks him up from your lap as you carry all of the prizes.

By the time you're making your way back to the car, Taj is asleep in Aomine's arms, and it's quiet as you walk. Aomine carefully straps him into the car, being cautious so that he doesn't wake him. "Did you have fun?" you ask Aomine as he drives off.

"Yeah," he answers with a nod of his head. "Thank you again for doing this."

"Don't mention it," you say lightly.

"I think Taj had the most fun, though," Aomine comments, and you chuckle softly as you turn to look at Taj.

"Yeah, he'll probably sleep for the rest of the night," you say, smiling at the way he's holding onto the stuffed dragon.

When you get to the house, Aomine carefully picks Taj up, and he stirs a bit before he goes back to sleep, his cheek mashed against Aomine's shoulder. You both take your shoes off before you walk to Taj's room, changing him into his pajamas before you lay him down.

"Goodnight," he whispers, and you rub over his forehead softly, kissing him on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Taj," you whisper back, and Aomine echoes it before you both walk out of the room, softly closing the door.

You sigh heavily when you're out in the hallway, and Aomine follows you to the guest room as you pack your stuff. "You're leaving?"

You cover your mouth as you yawn. "Yeah? You're here, so I don't need to be," you laugh softly.

"You can stay one more night. I don't mind."

You stop packing your stuff, looking at him. "You sure?"

"Of course," he states. "I would hate for you to go home so tired."

At that, you yawn again. "Alright. Thanks, Aomine."

"Sure. Goodnight."

"Night, Aomine."

"Girl, you're, like, the hot topic of the gossip right now," your friend says, and you frown as you set the phone on the counter, putting it on speaker before you turn the faucet on.

"What are you talking about?" you ask before you start to wash your face.

"I mean the tabloids, they took pictures of you and Aomine at the fair." You're quick to rinse and dry your face, and as you look at your phone, you see a text from here. You click on the message, seeing that she sent you a link to a magazine company. You click on it, and the first thing that comes up is a picture of you, Aomine, and Taj walking with the wolf plushies in your hands.

"I didn't even know they were there," you whisper as you scroll through the article.

"All of our friends keep asking me about it," she laughs, and you roll your eyes as you close it out. Of course, it's the usual, "new love interest?" type deal, and speculating if you're Taj's mom. You don't have the energy to deal with that right now, so you focus on getting dressed.

"Well, tell them that there is nothing to ask about. Nothing is going on between us."

"Well, I expected that. But his son is really cute, though. And you were right, we looks just like him."

"I know, right?" you laugh, sliding your shorts on. "They only difference they have is their personalities," you add, smiling when you hear her laugh.

"So, how is all that going, anyway? With Aomine, I mean," she asks, and you sigh as you fix your shirt in the mirror before walking out of your room.

"Besides it being awkward every time the conversation stops?" you question. "It's not that bad, I guess. It could be worse."

"Has he even apologized for what he did back then?"

"No," you sigh heavily. "And I don't really wanna have that conversation anyway. It's all in the past."

"Alright, if you say so."

You don't respond, figuring out what you want to eat. You look down at your phone to see a text from Aomine, and you roll your eyes when you see it, wondering if you talked him up. You frown a bit when you see that he's inviting you to his game at the end of the week, and your first instinct is to say no.

You tell your friend about it, and of course, she immediately tells you that you should go. You send back a text asking if Taj wants to go, figuring he asked you because Taj said something about it. You raise an eyebrow though when Aomine says that he hasn't even asked him yet. You've never been to a professional basketball game before, and you're not really a fan of watching pro, but you think it'll be a fun experience.

If Taj goes, I'll go

You send the text, locking your phone before setting it on the counter as you look through your fridge for something to eat. You talk to your friend for a couple of more hours, finishing the call shortly after. You see a text from Aomine, and you sigh just a bit. Guess, you're doing to a basketball game.

~

You honestly forgot how chaotic professional basketball games can be. The second quarter's barely started, and you're already overwhelmed. Since Aomine gave you the tickets, you have to sit right by the court, which you never understood the desire to do that in the first place.

Taj actually seems to be pretty entertained, so you bear with it for his sake. The camera pans to you every now and then, but thankfully, they don't seem to move the camera directly in front of you. You know that people are talking especially since people recognize you with and without Taj. You barely go out with Aomine at that, and people can still point you out.

You hold Taj on your lap as you watch the game, occasionally reacting to something ridiculous that happens like a bad call or one of the players being dramatic. The opposing team calls a timeout, and you focus your attention on Taj, asking him if he wants anything to eat. You've barely gotten the question out when one of the servers walks up to you with some food.

"Oh, we didn't order this," you tell them, but they still hand it to you anyway.

"One of the players bought it for you," they respond before they walk away, and Taj starts to eat as you scoff. The timeout ends, and you make eye contact with Aomine, who winks at you before walking back onto the court. You roll your eyes as you run your tongue over the inside of your lip, trying to hide your smile, but you fail almost instantly.

You make sure Taj doesn't spill anything as you eat, placing everything you and him finish on the empty seat since he's sitting with you.

He cheers whenever Aomine scores, which is pretty often, and they actually have a pretty good lead. When he looks over at you, he waves causes Taj to wave quickly back as he runs back to the other side of the court.

Watching Aomine only makes you think about how you use to watch him in high school, and how he always found your eyes in the bleachers whenever he scored. You always thought he looked the most relaxed on the court, and watching him today, you don't think any different. He still looks just as hot as he did back then, you can obviously see that, and you look at something else as you try to divert your thoughts.

The game is starting to wind down, but the other team came back, so it's getting a little too close for comfort. You find yourself on edge as you watch, and you look down at Taj when he gets your attention. You're obviously not looking at the court, but you suddenly see the ball rolling in your direction as the cheers from the stadium get louder. You can see player running at you, and you look up in time to see Aomine saving the ball just from going out.

You jump as you wrap your arms tight around Taj, but Aomine turns around, stopping himself with his hands on his chair just in time. "You okay?" he smirks, and you push him softly on the chest.

"Go play, Aomine," you order, and he kisses Taj on the forehead quickly, standing straight up, but he doesn't walk away without giving you another look.

"Bye, Dad!" Taj shouts, waving as he leaves, and Aomine looks over his shoulder to smile at him before paying attention to the game. You sigh heavily, starting to feel warm all of a sudden, and you ask Taj if he's okay to try and curb those thoughts you're having. You try your best to not show how much he affected you, but it proves more difficult than you expect. Luckily, Taj starts talking, so your smile can be blamed on whatever he says.

The game ends with Aomine's team winning, and he tells you to meet him outside of the locker room before he disappears. You set Taj down as you stand, and he helps you collect the trash. You walk off the court, finding a trash can near the locker room, and you wait for Aomine to come out. Taj talks excitedly about the game, and you hang onto every word.

They take a while, which was expected since they started to slip up at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and after some time, some of the players finally start to file out into view. Taj bounces on his feet as he waits for Aomine to come out, and he lets go of your hand, sprinting over to him once he sees him. "You were awesome, Dad!"

"Thanks, bud," he says warmly, picking him up. You smile as you watch them, and you jump when you feel a tap on your shoulder.

"Funny seeing you here." You turn around, gasping loudly as you jump into them.

"Chris! Oh, my God!" He hugs you back, picking you up for a split second before setting you down. "I didn't know you could actually play like that," you tease, and you laugh when he shoves you lightly.

"That's because you never came to any of my games," he counters.

"I did! But you didn't even play."

"Way to bruise my ego." You laugh, turning around when Chris' eyes go past you. Aomine's walking up with Taj in his arms, an unreadable look in his eyes. You frown slightly, wondering what's on his mind, but he speaks before you can even think about what it could be.

"You guys know each other?" Aomine asks, and you can hear an edge in his voice as Chris wraps his arm around you.

"Of course. She's the reason I'm here after all."

"Okay, that's a bit dramatic, don't you think?" you question after you roll your eyes, and Chris looks down at you.

"And how is that? You were the one that encouraged me to even consider going pro." You shake your head. "What made you come to this game anyway?" he asks.

"Aomine invited me since Taj wanted to go," you tell him, and Taj wiggles in Aomine's grip, telling him that he wants to get down.

"You were awesome, too, mister!" You laugh as Chris crouches down, holding his hand out to give Taj a fist bump.

"Thanks, little man. But I wasn't as awesome as your dad," he responds, and when you look at Aomine, he isn't smiling like you thought he would be.

"Alright, let's get outta here. I'm beat," Aomine announces softly, and Chris stands up before all of you walk out of the stadium. Taj holds your hand as you walk to the car, and Chris walks alongside of Aomine.

"So, am I only the only one that thinks it's a coincidence that she looks just like Taj's mom?" he asks, which puts a sour taste in Aomine's mouth. "Or does Taj's mom look like her?" he follows up, and Aomine gives him a look that causes Chris to immediately drop it.

You're buckling Taj in when they walk up to Aomine's car, and once you're done you close the door, walking over to the driver's side. "You got any plans tonight?" Chris asks once you come into view, and Aomine's hands ball into fists in his jacket pockets.

"Thankfully, no," you sigh. "I plan to do absolutely nothing tonight."

"Just nothing?" Chris whispers in your ear, and you laugh as you shove him.

"Thanks for inviting, Aomine. It was really fun," you say. "Congrats on the win."

"Thanks for coming," he responds lowly.

Chris throws his arm around you again, and Aomine follows the motion. "See you later, man," Chris says lightly before you start to walk away. You wave to Taj when Aomine opens the door to set his bag in the back. He slams the door with more force than he meant to as he watches the two of you walk away.

Finding out that you and Chris know each other definitely put Aomine in a bad mood. He tried his best not to show it, but he can't help but glare at his teammate at practice. He has so many questions, but he doesn't think he wants to know the answer to it. He knows that at the end of day, he doesn't have a right to know about your relationships, but that doesn't mean he can't be curious about it.

He can only blame himself though; thinking that there was a chance that you weren't seeing anybody. He was focused on trying to win you back that that became the last thing he thought about. He knows that he can't be mad, but the selfish and jealous part of him is pissed. He wonders your thing with Chris will last as long as you're here, and if it does, does that mean he'll never get the chance to be with you again?

He shakes his head, knowing that dwelling on this isn't good for him. It doesn't seem like you and Chris hang out all of the time, or maybe you just don't mention him that much in front of Aomine. What are the chances that you knew one of his teammates though? In the back of his head, he regrets inviting you to his game.

"Hey, you wanna go pick up Taj while I finish everything up?" The question jumps him out of his thoughts, and he looks at the time on his phone to see that Taj's is about to get out of school.

"Yeah," he sighs, getting off of the couch. He grabs his keys without another word, and he drives to the school, turning up the music from the radio to try and tune out his thoughts. He pulls into the pick-up line, and he smiles when he sees Taj walking down the hill a few minutes later.

"How was school today, Taj?" he asks once he gets into the car, only driving off when he hears the click of the seatbelt.

"It was awesome! y/n brought cupcakes this morning, but I didn't know until my teacher brought them out after lunch!" he explains. "Everyone sung happy birthday to me," he sighs, and Aomine doesn't even think about his inner turmoil as he listens to how happy his son sounds.

"That sounds amazing, Taj. I'm glad you had a good day."

The conversation Aomine overheard between you and Taj has been playing in the back of his head these past couple of months, and when he went to practice the next day, he immediately made it known that he couldn't be at practice or training that day. He made sure that nothing was going to come up; there was no way he was missing his son's birthday this year.

Of course, only thinking about that made him realize how he missed them the previous years, and how he always tried to make it up to Taj in a half-assed way. He kicks himself for that, but he knows now that he won't ever do anything like that again. He gets this weird sense of deja vu as he thinks about that, and his memories quickly take him to when you broke up with him. He's quick to listen to Taj's conversation, not wanting to take that painful path down memory lane.

When he pulls into the driveway, Taj can see that your car is in the driveway, so he's excited to tell you about his day. He runs towards the house as Aomine locks the car, and he waits patiently for Aomine to open the door. You're in the living room as soon as the door opens, and Taj is running towards you, nearly knocking you down.

"Thank you for the cupcakes!" he yells, and you laugh loudly, your head falling back momentarily.

"Of course, Taj. Did you have fun at school today?" He nods quickly, telling you the events of his day at school. You follow him to his room as he speaks, and Aomine waits until Taj is out of sight before walking into the kitchen. The decorations are already set up, and he bought the cake yesterday, which he checks to make sure it's in the fridge.

Taj said that he didn't really want a party this year, but you and Aomine decided to do a small party for him anyway. He hears the doorbell ring, and he walks to the door, frowning as he wonders who it could be. All of the happiness he was feeling is zapped out of the door when he sees who's on the other side.

"What are you doing here?"

"I heard it was Taj's birthday, and y/n invited me," he answers. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, of course. Sure, come on in," he says, stepping to the side to let him in.

You come down the stairs, smiling widely when you see Chris. You walk over to hug him, and Aomine looks somewhere else in the house. "You made it!" you say softly.

"Of course. I had nothing to do tonight, and who doesn't love parties?" You laugh as the doorbell rings again, and you look past Chris before you walk towards the door. "Oh, that must be Tyson and Kayla."

You were right, your niece and nephew hugging you as soon as you open the door. Your friend and her husband is behind them, and you give them a hug as you let them in. You introduce everyone to each other right as Taj comes down the stairs. His steps slow as he looks at everyone who's in the room.

"Hi, Taj!" Kayla says, and the kids walk over him as he stops.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asks, and you walk over to guide him towards the kitchen. He gasps loudly when he sees all of the dragon decorations all over the kitchen, and you sit him down at the island.

"Happy birthday, Taj!" You all say as Tyson and Kayla sit next to him.

"I know you said you didn't really want a party, but I wanted to have a small one anyway," you tell him before you get the cake, which is also in the shape of a dragon. He looks at it, his eyes shining with happiness as you put the candle on the cake, lighting it shortly after.

You all sing happy birthday, and once you're all finished, he quickly blows out the candle. You all clap before you start to cut the cake, asking Chris to get the ice cream from the freezer. Everyone is having their own conversations as they eat the cake and ice cream, and Chris is standing next to Aomine, and Aomine can't hold his tongue anymore.

"So, what'd you guys end up doing after the game?" he asks quietly, fiddling with a piece of his cake.

"What do you think?" Chris muses, and Aomine can't hide his glare. "We were just catching up," he finishes with a shrug, going back to his cake, and Aomine wishes he didn't ask. He can't help but look at you again as you talk to your friend, and the fear of losing you forever starts to bubble up in his chest. He doesn't think he's ever felt so helpless in his life.

The kids play until the sun starts to go down, and you call them back in since it's getting colder as the sun starts to disappear. The party doesn't last much longer than that, and Tyson and Kayla give Taj one last happy birthday before they make their leave, and Chris stays to help clean up.

"Did you have fun today?" Aomine asks Taj, who looks like he's two seconds from falling asleep on the couch.

"Yeah," he mumbles, and Aomine smiles as he picks him up, taking him to his room. He helps him change into his pajamas before putting him into bed. "What'd you wish for?" Aomine asks him.

"Nothing."

"Why not?" he frowns.

"Because you were here for my birthday. That's all I wanted." Aomine can't help but smile, his heart swelling as he softly runs his hand over his forehead.

"Well, I'm glad your wish came true," he says warmly.

Taj gives him a sleepy smile. "Is y/n coming?"

"I'll go get her. Sleep tight, Taj," Aomine says softly. He turns the light out before closing the door, and he makes his way downstairs. He sees you and Chris talking, and you're laughing quietly as he gets into your space, and Aomine tries his best to keep his jealously at bay.

"Taj wants to say goodnight," Aomine interrupts, and you give him a nod before you make your way upstairs.

"So, is she Taj's babysitter?" Chris asks and Aomine just nods. "You think I can steal her away Friday night?" he asks suddenly, and Aomine nearly tells him no. He bites his lip to stop that from coming out. "We don't have anything on Friday, so I thought I'd ask."

"You don't really need to ask me," he responds, forcing out a laugh.

"Alright," he says lightly right as you come down the stairs.

"He's out like a light," you chuckle, pointing over your shoulder. "I'm glad he had fun today. You did good, Aomine," you say, pushing him lightly on the shoulder.

Despite the conversation he just had, he smiles. "Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you."

"Of course, you could have." You walk over to the door to grab your stuff. "You need anything from me?" He shakes his head, and Chris opens the door for you.

"Thanks for having me, Aomine."

"Yeah, no problem. Goodnight." You both echo him, and he doesn't close the door right away when you leave, watching you for a little bit longer until he can't take it anymore.

~

Aomine is surprisingly anxious when Friday comes. He can't stop thinking about it no matter what he tries. He's sitting on the couch, watching an old basketball game when you both come through the door. Taj hugs you once you close the door, knowing that you're going to leave. "See you later, Taj."

He runs to his room, and Aomine stands up, walking over to you before you can even leave. "Hey, um," he starts, and he can't believe he's actually about to do this. "Something just came up tonight," he lies. "My coach suddenly wanted me to meet with him, I don't know why."

"Seriously?" you ask, your body slumping a little, and Aomine tries and fails to ignore the guilt that's rising in him. "Well," you start with a sigh.

Taj comes back downstairs, and he frowns a little when he sees that you're still here. "Looks like you're stuck with me for the night, Taj," you tell him. "Your dad has somewhere to go."

"But what about your date?" he questions suddenly.

"You're going on a date?" he blurts, and you laugh a little as you shake your head.

"Those were not my exact words," you say to Aomine. "But, I'll just have to cancel them," you say to Taj. Taj stands there for a second, looking at the floor.

"How about I hang out with Tyson and Kayla?" he offers. "Can your friend watch me?"

You smile softly. "Really?" He nods quickly. "I can stay here with you, Taj. I don't mind."

"But you've been watching me a lot longer than you usually have. You should go have fun." You laugh at his words even though he does have a point. Since Aomine started having more away games out of the state, you're basically a full-time nanny now.

"Alright. I'll call her and see if she's free." Taj nods as the phone rings, and Aomine doesn't think he's ever felt worse.

His son is more mature about this than he is.

Your friend picks up and you explain the situation to her. Aomine's heart drops when it sounds like your friend can watch Taj, and he knows there's nothing he can say to stop you.

You hang up the phone. "She said she'd be happy to have you." Taj jumps excitedly, and you tell him that you'll be back in a couple of hours to come and get him. Aomine doesn't have any words, and he barely says anything to you as you leave.

Aomine almost wants to say something, anything to try to get you not to go, but he knows that you will catch onto what he's saying. When you walk in though, he's speechless as he takes in what you're wearing.

"T-Taj will be down in a second," Aomine stutters and you nod, looking down at your phone. He can only assume that you're texting Chris as your fingers tap at the screen. "You look amazing."

You smile at him, and he wishes he was the one taking you somewhere. "Thanks. I hadn't had a chance to wear this, so I thought tonight was the perfect time."

Taj comes down the stairs a couple of seconds later with his bag packed, and he walks up to you. "You look so pretty!"

"Thank you!" you gasp with a wide smile. "You ready to go?" He nods quickly, and he gives Aomine a quick goodbye, and Aomine can only silently watch as you both walk out of the door.

~

Aomine doesn't usually drink, but he didn't know what else to do. His thoughts were loud in his head, and there wasn't anything that could help him tune it out. He's only had half a beer and he's already feeling warm.

It seems like time slows down as he waits for you to get back, and he nearly jumps out of his seat when he hears your car pull into the driveway. He quickly moves the beer into the kitchen, out of sight, and by the time he's sitting back on the couch, you and Taj are walking through the door.

"Did you have fun?" Aomine asks, and Taj nods quickly.

"We played so many games, and their mom cooked us dinner! It was really good!"

Aomine laughs softly despite his heart feeling like it's on the verge of breaking. "That sounds awesome."

"Did you have fun tonight?" Taj asks you.

"I did! Thank you for freeing my night, I really needed it." That only makes Aomine feel even more like shit, and he feels anger start to course through his veins alongside the alcohol.

"You're welcome!" he says proudly as he hugs you. You laugh before he makes his way to his room, and you turn to Aomine once he's out of sight.

"He's probably gonna be up for a while since it's Friday night," you tell him, but Aomine doesn't respond. "Are you okay?"

"You really couldn't watch him tonight?" he suddenly asks, and you bristle at his words.

"Excuse me?"

"You couldn't cancel your plans just for tonight?" You raise your eyebrows as you look at him like he's crazy.

"Would you rather me leave him with some random ass stranger that you don't know?" you counter, keeping your voice down. Aomine goes to say something, but you cut him off with a scoff. "Please, and I mean, please, do not tell me you are upset that I hung with someone tonight that wasn't you."

Aomine freezes as he's caught red-handed, and you huff in disbelief as you shake your head. "Unbelievable." You look at him, and he almost wants to break the eye contact. "You have no fucking right, Aomine. There is nothing wrong with what I'm doing. I am allowed to have relationships that don't involve you."

"I-I know," he tries, and you take a step closer to him.

"Do you?" you press, and he can tell you're pissed.

"I'm sorry," he sighs quietly. "I'm really sorry."

You scoff again as you shake your head, leaving him and making your way to Taj's room. Aomine sits there, realizing what he's done, and he can only figuratively kick himself.

You spend some time with Taj before you finally call it a night, and you make no move to say anything to him or even look his way as you make your way out of the house.

And the only thing that Aomine feels is guilt and shame.

[lizzie-is-here]

bucky barnes oneshot

the white cat

bucky barnes x fem!reader

a late night stop at the animal shelter, a truck, and a dinner date

a/n: not bucky’s cat being named after the place he died 💀 anyway sorry i’ve disappeared i got busy lmao. BUT. i have an idea for a new series based entirely off a winterguard show i was told ab this year by dupont manual so we’ll see if it goes anywhere 👀

the white cat pt. 2

Working at an animal shelter had its benefits.

For all the sad stories you often had, you also got to save pets, watch them get healthier, and most of the time, go to a loving home.

Plus, every so often, a very attractive customer would come in, and, seeing as you are the only employee constantly in the so-called “meeting room” for potential adoptees, you would help them.

Today was one of those days. Or, rather, nights.

Technically, you were closed. Everyone else had left earlier and you’d stayed to clean up. You were sweeping up fur and treats, listening to the radio as you worked.

The man outside the window showed up around 8:56.

Normally, you’d be creeped out. A woman, alone, while a man stared at her through a window? It’s the plot of, like, every Scream movie.

But you recognized this man. He’d been showing up the past few days, not to ogle you, but to ask questions about the cats you had, what he’d need to buy, what kind of care they needed.

You’ve only seen him, never actually talked to him, but he seems sweet. A bit shy, very nervous.

“Hi.” You wave and the man looks behind him before pointing at himself. Laughing, you nod. “Yes, you.”

Setting down a cup of pens, you unlock and open the door for him.

“Sorry about coming in so late. Are you guys even open?” He fiddles with his glove-covered hands, turned a bit awkwardly so his left side is further away.

You shrug, not wanting to scare him off. “We can be. What can I help you with?”

He scratches at the back of his neck before pointing towards the back. “Can I get a cat?” He pauses before barreling on. “I’ve done all the research, got all the stuff set up back at my apartment, and honestly…”

He trails off a bit. “I think it’d help with some… stuff.”

You understand. Plenty of people need company, and you could confidently say that animals provided plenty of that.

“No problem,” you smile. “Come with me.”

Leading him back, you don’t comment on the fact that he makes no noise when he walks, or how a soft, pleasant whirring like quiet machinery has reached your ears.

The meeting room has a few beanbag chairs, a table, and cat and dog toys scattered around. The mystery man sits cross-legged on the floor, looking up at you with eyes that make you think he might be the puppy.

He looks around, a little lost. “So, what do I…”

You pick up where he leaves off. “Are you looking for anything particular?”

He shakes his head, and some of that shyness seems to shake away too.

“No, I trust your judgment.” He smiles. You ignore the warmth in your cheeks and whisk away to the back, looking into the kennels until you find what you’re looking for.

A young cat, only a few months old. Just came in last week. Every time that man has come in, she’s been excited.

“Alpine, sweetie, c’mere.” You gently coax her into your waiting arms, cradling the white fluff as you head back to the room.

It’s impossible to miss how his eyes light up when he sees you, even more so when he spies the cat.

You sit across from him, so close your knees touch, and pass off Alpine.

“She’s so small,” he whispers, almost reverently. You chuckle, watching her climb unceremoniously into his lap.

“She likes you. Been trying to see you all week.” His eyes are still fixated on the little white blob that contrasts his jacket. “Her name’s Alpine, unless you wanna change it?”

He pauses, laughs a bit like there’s some inside joke there, and shakes his head. “No- no, Alpine’s perfect.”

A few minutes later, he’s filling out the paperwork and making small talk when you finally notice his name and age.

James Buchanan Barnes, age 106.

The ex-Winter Soldier. The Howling Commando. The Fallen Sergeant.

He notices you mentally smacking yourself and holds out his right hand.

“Hi, I’m Bucky. Sorry I didn’t say anything earlier,” he chuckles.

You wave a hand. “Don’t worry about it. Sorry if I made you feel weird.”

Bucky shakes his head and readjusts Alpine. Steeling his nerves, he gives you his best smile and finally does the second thing he was hoping to achieve tonight.

“No, no, you didn’t make me feel weird at all. In fact-“ He meets your curious gaze. “-I was wondering if you like to go out sometime?”

You can feel the blush you know he can see, but manage to respond anyway.

“Yeah, I’d really like that, actually.”

Apparently, he isn’t expecting you to say yes so quickly, and pauses for a bit.

“I- Uh, what’s a good time?”

You gesture around. “I get off work tomorrow at 7:30?”

“I’ll be here.”

The two of you enjoy the moment, Alpine purring softly in Bucky’s arms. It’s perfect.

Until a car horn honks from outside. Heading out, you see a truck with three other people in it.

Three other Avengers, to be exact.

“Thought you’d never be done!” Sam Wilson jokes from the driver’s seat. From the passenger’s, Natasha Romanoff waves while Steve Rogers opens the back door for the soldier next to you.

Bucky rolls his eyes.

“I’m sorry, they’re being stupid,” he grumbles. “But, I’ve only got a motorcycle, so I needed some help.”

“It’s cute that they came along,” you say. “Still on for tomorrow?”

He laughs and gestures to the truck. “If those heathens haven’t scared you away, then yes. Absolutely.”

“I’ll see you then?”

“See you then, doll.”

[berenwrites]

Late Again? - Stranger Things - Steddie - PG

Rating: PG | cw: mentions of sex | tags: fluff, rich Steve, post Vecna

Prompt: Love is being late to work because you can’t ever say goodbye in a reasonable amount of time (@sharpbutsoft)

A/N: Written for @steddielovemonth day 14. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone. Hope you are having a great day full of love be it platonic or romantic.

Also on AO3 soon | All My Other Stranger Things Fic

Late Again?: Love Is Too Compelling!

“You should just quit,” Eddie said, doing his very best to drag Steve back to bed.

“And leave Robin alone?” he replied, slipping out of his boyfriend’s grip. “I couldn’t. She took a year out so she could earn some money for college, and I won’t leave to her deal with Keith on her own.”

“Let me guess, you offered to give her the money and she said no,” Eddie said, flopping back onto the pillows.

“Yep,” he said, searching around for his work vest. “She’s being stubborn, wants to earn her own way. I’ve tried explaining that since my Grandpa died I have more money than I know what to do with, but she keeps telling me I might need it in the future. It was hard enough to get her to let me pay for some proper driving lessons. Her dad is great, but good at teaching driving he is not.”

“I’ve seen her dad drive,” Eddie agreed, “he’s almost as erratic as his daughter.”

“They do take after one another sometimes,” Steve said, holding his prize aloft when he finally found his vest down the back of the nightstand.

They might have been somewhat enthusiastic the previous evening given how their clothes seemed to be in very random places. Not that Steve would ever complain. His sex life with Eddie was amazing, which went right along with how much he had fallen in love with his metalhead boyfriend.

“Please come back,” Eddie whined. “Just for five minutes.”

“You mean like yesterday’s five minutes?” he responded. “If I am late again, Robin might actually tell Keith, and I’ll have to sit through another one of his lectures about company loyalty and responsibility.”

He was very glad to find he still had plenty of clean underwear in the drawer when he pulled it open. Laundry day was a way off yet, thank heavens.

“Am I not worth it?” was Eddie’s next gamble in the dragging him back to bed game.

“Of course you’re worth it,” he said, leaning down for a quick kiss on the way to the bathroom, “but I happen to have the keys today.”

“I shall lay here and pine away thinking of how I have been abandoned,” Eddie added with huge drama.

“Write me a new song,” Steve shot back, sticking his head back into the bedroom after grabbing his toothbrush. “You know how hot I think that is.”

“I feel like an old-timey bard with a rich benefactor,” Eddie replied.

“Yeah, well when you and the band are rich and famous, I’ll be your kept man, okay?” he said with a laugh.

Eddie had tried to find a job in town after he had been begrudgingly allowed to graduate, but no one would hire him. Even though he had been completely exonerated and even made into a bit of a hero by Owens’ carefully created cover story, Hawkins was slow to believe. After Steve’s grandfather had died and he’d inherited a ridiculously large amount of money and the house in Hawkins, which it turned out his parents had never owned, Steve had offered to give Eddie the time and space to chase his dream.

It had taken some persuading, but neither of them planned to go anywhere until the kids were graduated, just in case it wasn’t as over as everyone said, so Eddie had finally acquiesced. Eddie had a set up in the basement where the band could also practice and, these days, he’d just about moved in permanently too. Technically he and Wayne had a house thanks to government hush money, but Eddie spent most of his time at Steve’s, and they had Wayne over whenever Wayne was free.

“Stevie,” Eddie called from the other room as Steve started the shower.

“Yeah?” he called back.

“Have you ever actually told Robin how much you inherited?” Eddie asked.

“Um,” he said as he thought about that. “No,” he realised, “but I did tell her I had so much I didn’t know what to do with it.”

Throwing around numbers had felt kind of wrong.

“You do realise you don’t exactly live an extravagant lifestyle these days, right?” Eddie said and Steve turned to find his boyfriend now standing in the doorway.

He shrugged.

“Guess I got used to budgeting,” he replied.

“Which is very noble, gracious knight,” Eddie said with a grin, “but are you sure she gets just how filthy rich you are now? I didn’t until you showed me the numbers.”

Steve had never thought of it like that. Throwing some of the paperwork he’d been given by the lawyers at Eddie had been part of his last-ditch attempt to convince his boyfriend to take him up on his offer.

“Ah, maybe not,” he had to admit.

“Then I shall return to bed and mourn your parting quietly today,” Eddie said, back to his dramatic flair, “but give Robin the numbers and invite her to be your live-in lesbian of leisure.”

“Our,” Steve corrected as he laughed at Eddie’s choice of words.

This was why he was sure Eddie had more than enough talent to eventually go global. One day Eddie’s words and music would be famous, he had no doubt. Using the money he had never expected to receive to give Eddie the time and space to realise his dream, seemed like the perfect plan.

“I still don’t know if she’ll say yes,” he said, pulling back the shower curtain to climb in, “but I will tell her. Now shoo before I’m tempted to be late again, because if she’s mad at me she won’t even give me the chance to talk.”

“As my liege orders,” Eddie said and bowed, which was hilarious given he was naked.

Steve gave himself a stiff mental talking to and refused to look too long. After all, he only had so much will power.

All My Other Stranger Things Fic

[rushingheadlong]

Today is the 30th anniversary of Brian’s concert at the Palace Theater in New Haven, CT, USA. And since this is my favorite solo show Brian has ever done, I wanted to finally put together a proper post about the concert and why I love it so much.

First, a bit of background about the tour in general… For about 40% of the shows on the tour, the Brian May Band was not the main act at all. From late February to early July 1993 Brian was touring almost exclusively in support of Guns’n’Roses; they had some shows during this time where they were the headlining band but those were (generally) few and far between. It wasn’t until October 1993 that Brian set out on a tour that was exclusively his, with the Brian May Band as the only headliner and with no other support bands joining them.

It’s also important to remember that nearly everything about solo touring was entirely new to Brian, and while he can look back on it all with fondness now that ‘newness’ did cause legitimate issues during the tour itself. One of the biggest recurring problems was the new wireless system they were using for the Red Special.

(Brian, sans curly lead, at Brixton Academy)

The lack of cable meant that Brian had the freedom to move around that he needed as a frontman, but it also meant that they were dealing with constant signal issues and interference. And by “they” I mean Brian and a temporary guitar tech, because this tour took place after Jobby left but before Pete Malandrone came along.

So, with that out of the way… Why is this my favorite Back to the Light concert?

Well for one thing, it’s the best quality bootleg we have from the tour. Really the only video that’s in better quality is the professionally-filmed Brixton Academy show, and that one was edited for release to remove the explicit ending to Love Token and Brian’s cover of “God (Dream Is Over)”. In fact for the longest time the October New Haven show was pretty much the only source we had for “Dream Is Over” at all because it was never performed when they were touring with GNR.

So even though there weren’t any special one-off songs during the New Haven concert, this is really the only easily-available (i.e. on youtube) bootleg we have that includes the original full setlist and the complete encore. Some sections of video are missing, but they’re generally short moments between songs; very little of Brian’s actual performance is missing, and even better the audio quality is fantastic as well.

That's not to say that it's a perfect bootleg, or even a perfect show for that matter. The technical issues that were endemic to this tour are absolutely present here too, from Jamie’s guitar not coming in on his solo to major tuning problems with Brian's acoustic. But IMO that doesn't detract from things too much at all, because the band is far enough into this whole production that they know how to work around these things. You can see those moments when Brian gets frustrated but it doesn't get the best of him, not like it did in South America:

(Brian frustrated by technical issues in Chile)

By the time October 1993 rolls around the Brian May Band is a well-oiled machine. They know how to brush off the mistakes and cover for the inevitable problems that happen during any live show. And when things are going alright for the band and Brian looks more happy than not during shows, it's sometimes easy I think to forget how very not alright Brian still was on a personal level.

Because this final stint of touring kicked off less than two years after Freddie's death. The therapy that Brian found through Back to the Light wasn't in the making of the album, which was nearly finished before Freddie died, but in the touring specifically. Which means that by the time the band rolls into New Haven, Brian's been working through his grief onstage for less than a year. After knowing Freddie for over 23 years and spending 16 of those almost exclusively performing live with Queen.

Saying that Brian was still "not alright" in October 1993 is actually a massive understatement. The worst of his depression, anxiety, and grief is absolutely still there, but Brian keeps working through it - both literally, as he continues with the tour, and figuratively as he uses that tour as his therapy.

But as anyone who’s been in therapy can tell you, it’s not always linear. So when your therapy is performing with your band and you have a momentary backslide…

Well, you pretty much get this exact concert.

I’ve talked about some of this before, most recently in this post where I talk about Brian’s visible reaction to the audience participation in Love of My Life, but honestly I did that moment a disservice by stripping it out of the context of the rest of the show. Because yes, he’s reacting to the audience there (and I'll talk more about the audience later) but critically Brian has been off his game since the start of the show.

(Brian already looking Over It™ after only a few songs)

If you haven't watched (m)any of the BttL concerts, it can be hard to pick up on a lot of this without the additional context of Brian's behavior during other gigs. Brian has always been the most confident while performing and he's comfortable with this band now, so on first watch it’s easy to see him enjoying himself and think that the few moments of overt discomfort are outliers born out of Brian’s unfamiliarity with being a frontman.

But once you start watching more of his concerts, you realize that Brian only seems so comfortable because he’s avoiding going “off script” in his interactions with the audience whenever possible.

The first time this is really apparent comes at the start of Love Token. The introduction to the song is pretty standard across the tour, but what's missing is Brian talking to the audience before launching into things. He tells them, "You guys are great." but the rest of the typical chatter and comments about not having been to New Haven in a while are turned into part of the Love Token opening monologue.

(New Haven, before Love Token)

In contrast, a week later in Milwaukee, Brian does the happy-to-be-back bits entirely separate from Love Token and he explicitly mentions when he was there before with Queen. He's having a genuine moment with the audience outside of the music, and you can tell from his tone of voice and how he’s talking that he’s not doing this on autopilot.

(Milwaukee, before Love Token)

That's something that seems simple, but it still requires talking off-the-cuff to a theater full of people. And if you're already having a rough night, why put yourself through that if you can simply roll it into part of the song and make it a bit more routine for yourself instead?

Then we get into Love of My Life, and I know I already talked about some of this before but amazingly that moment where Brian physically curls in on himself during the song is not the only tell that this isn’t a good night for him.

Again, we have to take a look at Brian’s interactions with the audience because LoML is one of the parts of the show where he can’t avoid talking to them even if he wanted to. What he specifically says can vary wildly from one night to the next, but there are three main beats he usually tries to hit:

Asking the audience to sing along

Telling them that this song is for Freddie

Acknowledging that he wasn’t the one who originally wrote the song

I say “usually” because Brian doesn’t always mention that 3rd point. Often he just says that this is for Freddie and launches into LoML, without any commentary on the song not being “his”.

Sometimes he does mention it but leaves it a little vague, like in March 1993 in New York when he said, “This is something that I don't usually sing and to be honest I get doubts as to whether I should or not.” And sometimes he laughs it off a bit, like he did in Milwaukee in October 1993 when he said, “And it isn't because I was thinking that I have the right, it's just because I really wanna do it."

Regardless of how it’s said, Brian’s emphasis is still on the song being for Freddie. Any comments he makes about his “right” to perform it are almost always secondary to his assertion that he’s doing this in memory of his friend - but not when he gets to New Haven:

(New Haven, before Love of My Life)

In New Haven, Brian (accidentally) puts the focus on the song’s ownership. His slight hesitance and fumbling over his sentence inadvertently puts the emphasis on his own anxieties and mental state, so when he does mention Freddie his grief seems to come through stronger than it may otherwise have done.

Then Brian starts playing and although we have to acknowledge again that he’s having technical issues here, you can still tell the difference between his background emotional state on this night and his frustrations with his guitar. Because when Brian’s problems are external, he reacts and emotes to them externally - but when his problems are internal, he reacts by turning inwards on himself.

(New Haven, during Love of My Life)

Both of those gifs are from LoML. On the left he’s clearly frustrated by the guitar and/or his playing. He’s making a face, shaking his head, trying to adjust to fix it… He’s not exactly going out of his way to hide that there’s an issue there.

But on the right, when the audience sounds a bit too much like they would have with Freddie and their singing is starting to get to him, Brian’s reaction is to close off. He goes still, his face becomes blank, he turns the mic away from him so it can’t pick up any noises if he starts crying again…

(Yes, again, because I’m not going to swear on my life that that’s what’s happening earlier in the song…. but Brian does wipe something away from his face and sometimes that’s enough to make you wonder…)

(New Haven, Brian wiping his face during Love of My Life)

A few songs later and we arrive at Too Much Love Will Kill You. It’s another moment for Brian to talk to the audience, although he usually doesn’t say anything. At both Milwaukee and Brixton, Spike starts playing and Brian just comes in singing. But in New Haven, Brian feels the need to give the audience a little “warning” before they start…

(New Haven, before Too Much Love Will Kill You)

This is Brian’s anxieties coming through again, plain and simple. There’s no need to tell the audience that this part of the show “terrifies” him. If anything there’s a stronger argument to be made that the better, safer option would have been for Brian to say nothing rather than priming the audience to expect this to be imperfect.

Except the audience has already seen the imperfections. Even if they aren’t picking up on every little tell that Brian is having an off night, at this point they’ve already gotten through LoML. Everyone in that theater has already beared witness to his small come-apart during that song, and you know that Brian is absolutely still thinking about that moment as Spike starts the opening notes of TMLWKY.

Here he is, about to sing another slower and more emotional song, only this time he doesn’t have the familiarity of his guitar to fall back on or to hide behind if something goes wrong again. If he’s remembering LoML then surely the audience must be thinking of it too - and surely they must be waiting for him to fuck up again, so clearly the best thing for Brian to do is to preempt this song so the audience knows that this is difficult even on the best of nights.

That’s obviously all speculation but, as someone with an anxiety disorder myself, sometimes it just makes you want to apologize for everything. Whether you’ve actually done something wrong is irrelevant, because the anxiety will always find ways to make it feel like you’re “failing” in some way.

Brian can’t outright apologize to his audience. He’s stuck in his frontman role with a certain script to follow and he can’t break kayfabe to say “Sorry” without ruining the entire atmosphere of the show. What he can do is to admit to the things they should already know - in this case, that being onstage without his guitar is unusual and uncomfortable for him - and let them infer the rest.

He does nearly the same thing again when he talks to the audience at the start of the encore. He always thanks them for coming out to the show, but it feels a little more heartfelt at New Haven.

This part is impossible to gif but the first thing Brian says is, “Let me tell you, this is no bullshit, you guys are amazing. Because there's not that many of us here tonight and I appreciate you guys turning out and making that kind of noise.”

And I promise I’ll get more into the audience in a bit, but the fact that this wasn’t a well-attended show is SO important here as is Brian’s acknowledgment of that. This is really his last chance to say anything to the audience and he decides to specifically thank them for being loud enough to make up for the lack of attendance.

If that doesn’t say something about where his anxieties may have been focused - and what moments from the show struck a genuine chord with him - then I don’t know what does.

After that, Brian only has one more thing to say before he starts introducing “Dream Is Over”...

(New Haven, before the encore)

This is as close as Brian can get to saying, “I’m sorry but I’m doing my best.” He’s saying that he’s giving the audience everything he can and it sounds like an apology anyway. And then he has to steal himself to start the intro to the song, which he always has to do, but it hits a little harder when it’s preceded by that and not by something more like this:

(Milwaukee, before the encore)

And if you’ve made it through this nightmarishly long dissertation about every reason this show is heartbreaking and all the ways you can tell that Brian is having a rough go of it, you’re probably wondering “Rushing what the fuck is wrong with you that THIS is your favorite???”

Which, valid. But it’s my favorite because I think it’s both incredibly important and, honestly, very humbling to see Brian like this.

This isn’t the Tribute Concert, where everything is still so raw and performing hurts as much as doing nothing at all. This isn’t 1992 in South America where Brian can channel his grief into his frustration and push it out on the techs every time something goes wrong. This isn’t an opening show for GNR, where Brian’s time is more limited and even if he gets emotional he’s (probably) not the reason everyone in the theater is there.

This is Brian, not quite two years on from Freddie’s death, still mourning and still extremely depressed and anxious. And this is what it looks like when Brian has to push through that and put on a show anyway. The ways in which he both pulls away from the audience and tries to open up to them give insights not just into the state of Brian’s mental health at the time, but how that affected everything else about him from the way he carried himself to his mannerisms to how he followed the script of his own concert.

The October New Haven concert is a stark reminder of the depths of Brian’s depression and just how much time it takes a person to claw their way out of that.

And the other reason I love this concert is that you absolutely can also see the progress that Brian has already made.

Because despite the 2,500 words dissecting all the ways in which Brian was not fine during this show, there are still plenty of moments where it’s abundantly clear that he was enjoying being able to perform his music with this band.

(New Haven, Brian looking happy)

He’s visibly delighted every time he realizes that Jamie has shimmied over to join him without him realizing. He keeps looking over to everyone on his right and grinning. Whenever he really nails a difficult guitar line you can almost see the confidence boost that it gives him.

Yes, Brian is depressed and struggling but when he’s onstage he’s still Brian fucking May. He’s in his element and he is nailing it, despite the technical hiccups and emotional moments and everything in-between.

I love this concert because you see the depths of who Brian is as a person: his musicianship and how he uses that as a crutch to keep himself moving forward, the love he has for both the friends he’s performing with and those who are gone, his fears and anxieties and moments of deep self-doubt, the guitar legend he grew up to be and the incredible frontman he didn’t realize he could be, and the tired person simply trying to find himself anew after 20 years spent as someone he can’t return to anymore.

And there’s one final, very important reason that I love this show so much: the audience. (I promised we’d talk about them eventually, didn’t I?)

Brian has always been someone who thrives on the atmosphere of a live show and by god was New Haven determined to give him everything they could. They were loud, they were enthusiastic, and you can see Brian responding to that.

(New Haven, Brian looking happy because of the audience)

Brian pulls himself back together after the audience starts cheering for him during LoML. During band introductions they applaud for him long enough that it bleeds into the next song, and despite himself Brian smiles at it. And every time they recognize a Queen song you can see Brian responding to something familiar to him again.

Do you know how hard it was to get even these three gifs? Not because finding the moments was difficult, but because this audience is enjoying themselves so much that their arms are blocking the view more often than not.

Look, I am stupidly biased about this show because I’m a CT native - not from New Haven, but this is still a “home” show for me. Brian walks out wearing that tank top and I get why he wore hometown shirts for the encores even though I fucking hate Yale. This show could have been the most run-of-the-mill, routine concert imaginable and I would still find some way to write 3,000 words waxing poetic about it.

But this wasn’t a routine concert - or maybe a better way to put it would be, this was an incredibly routine concert made remarkable because of far Brian’s mask has slipped and what that inadvertently reveals to us. It’s incredible because the quality of the bootleg means we can actually see the little details of expression that otherwise are often lost.

The October New Haven concert is my favorite from Brian’s first solo tour because it proves the entire point he was making with the album. It’s a performance that shows us that Brian was finding his way Back to the Light - and that even when he was still in the dark, he was “still the same old [him] inside” despite everything that changed.

[okayyeros]

TW mentions of almost dying and car accidents

I’m not gonna lie, today was kind of off the rails. I basically made every bus to work on time, even though I had to run back and grab my laptop from my house, and there was a ton of technical issues so my meeting started like SUPER late because of it.

And then me and my friend got into a car crash, where it honestly could have been so so much worse than what it was. The other person’s car landed perfectly between two poles and my friend and I just got hurt from the airbags and seatbelt (also I accidentally punched myself in my face with jewelry). We could have died but for some reason the fucking stars aligned and we didn’t.

Hermes is a God I’ve always passively worshipped. Whenever I find myself in his domains, I will thank him and pray to him, but I don’t reach out often like I do with Eros and Apollon. I just keep finding myself so thankful for Lord Hermes and honestly every single one of the gods. My friend and I could have died. But we didn’t. Things aligned and everyone was safe. I don’t like saying it was all thanks to a diety bit it’s comforting to think He was watching over us in that moment and made sure we didn’t die. I gave him a little offering earlier tonight and this is sort of another one. Thank you Hermes for protecting us and thank you Apollon and Eros for always watching over me.

[arya-skywalker]

Fae and Fate (Renegade Nell fic)

Summary: A look into Billy Blind’s mind leading up to his decision to introduce himself, and a slight variation on the scene itself.

Notes: Dipping my toes into the fandom with a little character study thing. Some canon dialogue, some lines tweaked or added. Technically more canon adjacent with the main difference being that Billy is slightly less stupid and slightly more fae, but events continue in roughly the same way.

AO3 link

Billy Blind knew two things: that humans were fragile but wonderful creatures, and that he had magic they didn’t. His powers came from light, from laughter and love, from all that was good and right. He could imbue a chosen human with strength and agility beyond their wildest dreams— but only for protection, never for personal gain. He could change his size and appearance, become invisible or intangible at will. He could see brief glimpses into the future— warnings of approaching danger or a sense that someone would do great things— but his past was lost to him.

Sometimes he’d hear a whisper of song, a long-forgotten tune that tugged at his heartstrings and filled him with longing. Something beyond mortal senses, something that was no longer his. Mushroom circles reminded him of a home he could scarcely remember; a doorway locked and barred, unable to be seen but there all the same.

When Billy first set eyes on Nell Jackson, he knew with every fiber of his being that fate had brought them together for a reason. She would be his human, his chosen vessel, his connection to the mortal realm. She was strong, stronger than she knew— not only in body, but in heart and spirit and mind. She stood up for herself and others.

It didn’t take long for Billy to realize she was maddeningly unpredictable as well. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing, no, it kept things exciting! But still, it meant he had to adapt. He couldn’t make a proper deal, no, she jumped straight into danger before he could consider saying a word, and well now he had to protect her, didn’t he? So he did. That time, and the next, and the next, and blimey did she end up in danger rather often!

~*~

Billy watched from a distance as Nell returned home. She should be safe now, theoretically, but he still didn’t want to leave her. There was more to the story, their tale was not yet complete.

He learned that she had family, two younger sisters and a father. Everyone in town suspected she had died in the war with her husband. If Billy hadn’t intervened, she likely would have. Wars were terrible things. The local lord’s son had been wreaking havoc on her home town— which meant she wasn’t safe here after all and she still needed Billy’s protection. All the more reason to stay, at least a little while longer.

Billy respectfully did not watch as Nell went through her wardrobe transformation, but still he kept an ear out just in case. The sisters were catching up with each other; the subject moved to Nell’s late husband.

“I do miss him a bit. Except I don’t think he’s left me, even if he is dead,” Nell said. “It’s like today, I got held up by these highwaymen. And one of them hit me. And it’s like… I don’t know, something happens to me inside and… you should see me. I’m untouchable.”

Oh no. No, no, no! That wasn’t what he meant! Billy didn’t even know her late husband— or if he did he couldn’t remember. Perhaps the man’s death had somehow drawn Billy to her, but even if so, they weren’t the same person. Billy most certainly was no ghost, he was a fairy. Keeping up this ruse would be a lie. That wasn’t right.

He had to tell her the truth, somehow. When the time was right.

~*~

Billy watched as Nell made a fool of herself, wincing as that lord’s son threw her around like a sack of potatoes. But there were rules. She started it. She could stand to take a few punches. She had to learn a lesson in caution; throwing herself recklessly into danger expecting him to save her wouldn’t do. He wouldn’t always bail her out of situations she willingly got herself into. His powers were a special gift, not something to be wasted on petty quarrels.

There was a limit.

If her life was threatened, he could step in. If the lives of those she cared about were threatened, he could step in. If she was in danger of permanent injury, he could step in.

The whip was danger enough. One lash he let slip, seeing it would barely graze her cheek.

Then he shrunk into a speck of light and dove into her, filling her lungs and veins with his power. It was invigorating, disorienting, fulfilling. Time slowed around them. He felt her every move, her every emotion. They were one.

Her righteous fury filled him as his powers fueled her. A dangerous thing, that. But she got her revenge, and he protected her.

As soon as it was clear she and her family were safe, he withdrew and flew off, giving her some space and taking some time to think.

~*~

Now, the question was how? How could he reveal himself and get her to listen to a word he said?

He could try passing as a human. A simple glamor. The right size and shape as a normal man, nothing out of the ordinary. Say how he wanted to help, ask her opinion on magic, ease her into the reveal. That sort of thing.

But then again she had a habit of attacking anyone who frightened her or even looked at her the wrong way. That might be an issue.

He could try writing a note, explaining everything in detail and leaving no room for misinterpretation.

Except he knew she couldn’t read, and anyone who did read it would think it madness. Humans generally had difficulty believing in anything magical in nature, which was the whole problem to begin with.

Or he could just show up as himself and hope for the best. Put precautions in place so she wouldn’t hurt herself trying to fight him. Sometimes the simplest solution was most effective.

Right. Billy had to reveal himself. It had gone on long enough. He waited until they were alone in the middle of the night, less likely to be overheard.

“Nell. Nelly,” he whispered. When she barely acknowledged him, he shouted, “Nelly Jackson!” There, finally she moved!

“D-don’t scream,” he warned, then internally kicked himself. That was a foolish thing to start with. But he continued, “You need to look up.”

She opened her eyes, scanning the room, until finally she looked straight at him, eyes wide in shock. She saw him! Good. This was good.

“Oh, I’ve been racking my brains trying to figure out the best way to introduce myself without giving you a shock, Nelly Jackson,” Billy said. “Frankly, there isn’t one! Of course, it isn’t absolutely necessary that I should introduce myself.”

He stood on the beam, doing his best to appear more confident. “But in your case, I had a sneaking suspicion it might crop up sooner rather than later.” He flew towards her, slowly and cautiously.

Of course she immediately drew a pistol on him. Luckily he had prepared for that.

“So three things. One, I’m on your side. Two, that is not loaded.” He pointed to the gun. “And three, it won’t have any effect on me even if it was, for I am non-corporeal!” He did a little bow for effect.

“What do you mean you’re on my side?” Nell demanded. She didn’t lower the gun.

Clearly, words weren’t enough. Billy sighed. “Look at me,” he said, making sure she made eye contact before diving in and briefly sharing his powers. Just long enough for her to feel and acknowledge it, assuage her fears.

Then he flew out again and did a flip in midair. “I protect you!”

Nell stared at him, still wary, still holding the gun. “Why?”

“Because you are a very special person, Nell Jackson, and we will do great things together,” he said, believing every word and hoping she would too.

“You don’t know a damn thing about me.”

“I do, actually,” Billy countered. “I’ve been watching you. And I have the gift of foresight, a strong intuition and an excellent judge of character.”

Nell scoffed. “Watching me, have you?”

“A bit hard to protect you if I’m not around, yeah? I know you have a good heart, you’re brave, you stand up for the right things. Those are all good signs.”

“I didn’t ask you to protect me.”

“No, you didn’t. But you like it, don’t you? The power. I heard you boasting about being untouchable— and that’s not entirely true.”

Ah, there, now he truly had her attention! She wavered, more curious than wary now. Good. “Feels untouchable, that power,” she said. “There some catch?”

Billy nodded. “The more immediate point is this: I can only protect you, Nelly Jackson. I will not take part in random acts of violence.” He landed on the pistol and walked across it.

She frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Like earlier this evening,” Billy clarified.

“What? He’s a bully! He’s an arrogant lout, and he hurts people,” Nell protested.

“Be that as it may, he didn’t start anything. You did.”

“No, he was gonna!”

Billy shook his head. “Ain’t the point. It was an unnecessary risk, egging him on like that. You knew he’d lash out, and you expected me to enhance your abilities. You can’t rely on it, Nelly. My powers are a gift. I chose to give them to you, and I can choose when not to.”

“No, wait. You mean you let him whoop me about and you could have stopped it?!”

“I did stop it.”

“Not sooner!” Nell shouted. “Like when he was grinding my face in the mud!”

A knock on the door interrupted them. Thank goodness! Something to distract her from her anger. This was not going to plan. Not at all.

Nell glanced at the door, then back at him. “Who sent you? Where are you from? Look at you. What are you dressed as?”

That was a lot of questions. Most of which he hadn’t the foggiest clue of. And that last one was just plain insulting. He liked his clothes, thank you very much.

Before he could reply, the knock continued. Nell shot him a warning look and a “wait right there” and went to answer it. After a few steps, she paused and glanced back at him. “What’s your name? I mean, do you got one?”

It was time to give his name, to complete the bond and give himself fully. This was his best chance, a way to save this mess of a conversation. He took a breath and smiled.

“Yeah. Billy. Billy Blind. It’s truly a pleasure to meet you, Nell Jackson, and I look forward to what we can achieve together.” There, done! He felt a warmth in his chest as the bond sealed. He was her fairy, and she was his human. It was all official now, even if they took a roundabout route to get there.

“I’ll catch you later.” With a wink and a clap, he turned into a spark and flew off before she could ask any further questions.

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Haunted

Warnings: explicit porn!!!

I'm not putting content labels on it anymore cause it kills my visibility, so consider yourselves warned.

I told y'all @sasukimimochi gave me brain worms with their gift and I wasn't joking.

This is like a part two to their very fun and sexy ficlet, so go read it too!

Enjoy and drink water!

Lan Xichen has never had trouble sleeping - the 9pm bedtime instilled into his circadian rhythm ever since was a child, his body growing tired whether he willed it to or not. His sleep was rarely troubled, and he woke up rested the next morning at 5 am.

Tonight, his body is betraying him, and Xichen doesn’t know how to deal with it.

(Well, he does know, but he is not doing that. He is above such things, he can control his body and his urges. He’s a powerful cultivator, he’s a sect leader for heaven’s sake, he cannot let such base needs cloud his judgment!)

He’s tried everything he could think of to get himself to sleep - lavender tea, calming melodies, even a walk outside!

It’s 3 am by now. He has to be awake in 2 hours and he’s barely slept a full one.

He wonders whatever could be haunting his subconscious so badly that he can’t fall asleep enough to even nap - and no, it’s not that person, quiet! It must be… the… stress of his position. Yeah, that’s definitely the cause of his restlessness right now, he needs to take a vacation somewhere soon…

(A vacation, huh? A vacation… somewhere isolated… and with-)

Xichen groans, frustrated, turning in his bed for the seemingly millionth time. Why is his mattress so uncomfortable? And his pillows are horrible too, it feels like he’s laying his head on a rock! No wonder he can’t sleep, the conditions here are abysmal!

(Yes, they’re the same conditions as always but that’s not important right now.)

He’s so tired, he really is, but he’s just laying in bed staring at his ceiling, frustration mounting. He has meetings tomorrow - technically, today, ugh! - and he needs to be well rested! He needs to sleep even if it’s just a little bit!

Is there really no way for him to get some shut-eye tonight?!

Well, there is one way left. Xichen sighs, defeated - might as well, right? It’s for a good cause, if he shows up in front of the elder council tired this morning, he’s going to end up calling them cunts to their faces - not that they’re not, but uncle’s had enough qi deviations after hearing Wangji and Wei Wuxian go at it all over the Cloud Recesses lately and Xichen doesn’t want to put their uncle in the ground yet.

(To be fair, Xichen’s a bit envious of his little brother, though he knows Wangji and his husband deserve the happiness and respite. Is it so wrong for him to wish he had someone too? Someone to share his life and his heart and his bed with?

Someone to get risky around the Cloud Recesses with? Someone to warm his… lap while he works, someone to wait for him late at night wearing nothing but a smile and-)

This feels incredibly unsatisfying, Xichen thinks to himself as he tries to work himself to completion. He’s not even fully hard, and the drag of his hand feels unpleasantly rough against his hand. He should’ve had the foresight to use some oil - but he’s in that annoying stage of insomnia where he’s not asleep, but moving seems nearly impossible, and his night stand is way too far out of his reach right now.

He feels pathetic and ridiculous at the same time - such a simple act and yet he doesn’t even enjoy it. He’s not even really into it, just leisurely trying to get himself off so he, hopefully, gets sleepy after. But even the thought of that feels tedious - how is he going to handle the mess after?

It’s always so, so messy… in fact, that’s one of the main reasons why he doesn’t do it often. It’s incredibly embarrassing to clean up and way too troublesome for just a few seconds of bliss.

Or maybe he’s just bad at it and doesn’t see the appeal.

He wants to laugh almost - he must make quite the picture, forlornly staring at nothing in particular, dick in hand, no progress on either of his two objectives - sleep and orgasm. At this point, he’s just going to probably find morning like this, and the image does make him giggle a bit.

What a way to watch the sunrise, right?

His back protests against his mattress - he really needs to have a softer one brought in - so he rolls over on his right side, and his eyes suddenly go wide with arousal, realization and shame all the same. The softness of his blankets and the pillows he’s haphazardly thrown around the bed have rubbed against his cock in just the right way to send his mind reeling with sensation.

And an idea.

He feels… dirty even thinking it. Pornographic, debauched, unbecoming - but despite that, he quickly - excitedly - makes a nice little mound of pillows for himself, stacking them on top of one another enough so he can grasp at them and then-

“A-ah!”

The sound escapes him before he even feels it form on his tongue, and he slaps a hand over his mouth as if to cover it. But it already echoed through the empty hanshi and Xichen irrationally worries people heard it - even if, at such an hour, everybody is dead asleep.

He lets go of his mouth, resolute to keep quiet now. He can do that, he’s not such a horny animal with no control over his reactions. He’s going to be quiet and finish quickly and then go to bed.

Heavens, why are his pillows the exact firmness of-

Xichen’s eyes flutter closed and another moan tumbles out of his lips, helpless against the feeling and the vague fantasy coming to life behind his eyelids. His hips cant slowly against the pillows, and the touch is pleasantly rough now, much better than his hand, the bite of it sending shivers down Xichen’s spine like lust-coated needles.

Still, he does reason with himself, in between thrusts, that he really needs to keep quiet. His window is open after all - and if there’s anyone suffering from insomnia like he is and they’ve decided to take a walk to clear their head, they could walk by and hear-

Another moan escapes him. Fuck, what if - what if that person was here right now on some business, who cares, and they - No - no - don’t -

Xichen heaves a breath that nearly hurts - holding himself upright by his forearms. No, he can’t think of them, it’s not -

His body betrays him, though, because his mind’s weaving a perfect fantasy of them underneath him instead of the pillows, arched perfectly off the bed, head turned to a side to look at him, cheeks flushed, glistening with tears, and eyes distant as he-

The bed creaks, loudly, and the sound both breaks and makes the fantasy. Maybe he’d fuck them so hard they’d break the bed and he’ll have a valid reason to replace it. Maybe he’d get to break every piece of furniture in the hanshi like that, refurnish the whole fucking thing after as a cute couple activity-

His hair falls, wild and unbound, over his body, sticking to the thin layer of sweat covering his skin. He almost feels the phantom grasp of their nails all over his back, the desperate grip on his forearms, the loud moans and the begs and-

Xichen stops on the brink of orgasm, gasping for breath to the point of hyperventilation. He doesn’t want this to end yet - and he’ll think of the irony of that later - but the way arousal simmers underneath his skin is intoxicating, his imagination supplying the lack of a partner so well he should probably wonder if he’s hallucinating.

He wants - what doesn’t he want? His hips pick up speed again, this time in a slow, forceful rhythm, and he smiles to himself at the way the bed’s begun protesting again. He feels his muscles flex with the movement, and his brows furrow at the aftershocks of pleasure that follow every thrust - this shouldn’t feel as good as it does. He shouldn’t be enjoying it the way he is right now.

But he’s somewhere between reality and fantasy right now, and it’s a heavenly place to be. He hears a voice he likes ask him for more, harder, faster, and he doesn’t deliver because he’s feeling mean.

He likes to be mean, he wishes he could be mean more often.

The feeling of his hair all over his back annoys him, so he’s quick to gather it all to a side, supporting himself only with an arm and - he gets it. It is pretty hot to be able to do that. And, what the hell, he is pretty hot in general.

There’s a rule somewhere about arrogance. Not that Xichen cares about it right now, but he notes it exists.

It’s fun to break it. He should be more arrogant too.

He moans again, pathetically pretending to bite his lip to stop it as his fantasy shows him something else, something new - and he’s decided he’s had enough of teasing himself and whoever he’s dreaming he’s fucking right now.

It is late after all, and he did start this with a purpose - to fall asleep.

It’s not that much physical effort, not for the strength and stamina Xichen has built up, but he figures this is different from the training he’s done. Still, he hopes he’s really as good at this as he thinks he is - perhaps he’ll get to test it out for real soon.

The thought brings him back into the moment. The images in his mind are more diffuse now, but he can’t be bothered with that now. There’s a rush everywhere in his body, his heart pounding relentlessly in his ears and puffs of quick breaths leaving his lips with every quick, mindless movement.

He feels everything start to tense up, his body gearing up for something that it’s felt before but not - not to this intensity, not to this level -

And he nearly collapses on his wet, messy pillows as he comes, a name spilling out of his lips as his body relaxes into the rush of his release. It pulses inside him seemingly forever, endless, and he wonders if he could kill himself by coming too hard. It does feel like he’s dying, for a fraction - air seems to be insufficient and his vision is unfocused, heart hammering against his ribcage - but it passes, ebbing into a soft, pliant warmth.

Xichen knows he has to clean up now. He can’t sleep in his mess.

But he doesn’t want this feeling to go away, not as his eyelids are finally growing heavy and he’s yet to feel the emptiness of having nobody to share the afterglow with.

So, he picks up the only unsullied pillow left and the topmost layer of his blankets and with the elegance of a particularly heavy slab of stone, he rolls himself onto the floor and decides to sleep there.

Not much different from his bed anyway.

—

The elder council sends unkind glares towards their sect leader as he casually struts into the meeting hall two hours late.

“Apologies,” he starts, not at all feeling sorry. “Last night has been… particularly haunting for me. Let us proceed?”

[dailyscottficrec]

Happy Birthday Mem <3

Please enjoy this long recommendation post in honor of @momentofmemory's birthday. I've said it before and I will say it again, I highly recommend everything she writes. If you are looking for genfic, Scott centric fic and fic that just exudes love for the canon and characters: this is the place to go!

(find her fics here: momentofmemory)

all these years left unspoken

It’s been ten years since it happened. Five, since she was last here.

It doesn’t feel like it.

(or, Lydia Martin lost her best friend at seventeen, and the worst part is that she has so much time to figure out how to live with that.)

This was the first fic of hers that I read. It really captures the essence of grief and mourning so well. It gives you such a gut punch re: how young Allison is when she dies and how young Lydia is too. I love it so much.

what measure is a non-human

“Scott!”

Kira’s sprinting past him before Stiles can get an appropriate what the hell out, and she just barely catches Scott before he nosedives into the asphalt. A shell-shocked Liam appears from behind a row of cars, hands reaching for Scott like he wants to help, but isn’t sure if he’d be welcome.

The only sound louder than Stiles’ feet slapping against the pavement is his heart pounding in his ears.

Ahhh! I love this one so much. The exploration of Scott's pain and scira comfort of it. My heeeearrt.

administered twice, daily

It’s been—a lot, to say the least. Between wrapping up all the loose ends from what Theo, the Dread Doctors, and the Beast did, and untangling the mess his own pack had become, he hasn’t had a shift at the clinic since—well. Before.

It figures it’d be raining.

He blinks up at the streetlights, the hum of electricity buzzing underneath the harsh patter of the rain, and it feels too much like too many things.

Wolfsbane, asthma, claws. Kira, Stiles, Liam.

 (Dying, dying, dying.)

I *just* read this today!! I can't even believe I had missed it. Both Deaton and Scott's voices are absolutely impeccable. I love how much they say without ever saying it and the exploration of Scott's grief and pain over his own death. Gyahhh! And there is Scott cuddling kittens? Lovely.

meet me on the landing

There’s nothing at the foot of the stairs.

Gravel under his shoes, gasoline in his nose. Flames reflecting off his eyes and flecks of deep-red rust from the motel steps on his palms.

But nothing, whisper his thoughts. Nothing for you.

(or: a series of ten interconnected, 100-word drabbles exploring Scott's character arc through the lens of staircases.)

Mem and I live together at the top of the "a proper drabble is exactly 100 words hill" and I learned that after reading this fic. And gushing about how lovely it is. I love that each drabble stands alone and then how they also tie together. It's a lovely look at each moment and I adore this fic so much.

retrouvaille

retrouvaille (n): the joy of meeting or finding someone again after a long separation.

Ken gives Kira the phone three weeks before they move.

It’s an eye-catching bright yellow, designed to match the intensity of her favorite watch, with a package of professional apps preloaded to the home screen and technical specs boasting an unprecedented 64gb of storage. The most important part to Ken, however, is the impressive-looking camera lens protruding from the back.

!!!! Ken's voice in this is amazing. This explores Ken's relationship with Kira and is so so lovely. I love the bit at the end that explores Ken and Scott too!

codominance.

Scott veers the jeep sharply off the road just in time for it to rattle to a stop.

Stiles is uncharacteristically silent beside him.

Scott breathes through his nose and watches as the arrow on the gas gauge drifts down to empty—honest, now that it’s too late.

Now that it’s dead.

This is arguably mem's most famous fic. I remember teasing her about having a box of tissues ready when she finished it. I need them. This fic is absolutely dripping with love for Scott and Stiles and their relationship. Every single line is so measured and so impactful. If you read only one, I suggest this one. (But really, check them all out)

hiraeth

He reads the pamphlets on the table outside the counselor’s office at school: Your body is changing, they say.

He thinks, no. My body was replaced.

This is a shorter piece- but it packs SUCH a bunch. It really explores the effects of the body horror Scott feels after s1-2. It does a lot in such a little amount of time.

the devil you didn’t know

He hasn’t heard that voice in nearly two years, but it’s instantly recognizable. “Danny?”

There’s a low rumble of a laugh, not quite like he remembers, but when he hurries past the threshold he’s met with the blinding, ear-to-ear grin of his former classmate.

“In the flesh,” Danny says, rainwater dripping from the black leather of his jacket as he gives Scott an open-armed shrug.

I absolutely love the horror vibes in this one! The tension is so good!!! And I always love Scott and Danny content. This one is so fun!

electric love

Scott’s toaster zaps him twice when he stumbles into the kitchen at 5:30 in the morning.

He doesn’t think much of it.

This is such a sweet scira, Kira comes back fic!! I love just how nervous but affectionate they are around each other at the end. This is sooo sweet.

the family business

There’s a gun in Scott’s face.

He doesn’t know guns. Has no idea what the caliber is or the range it has, or honestly even what a caliber is.

He just knows that it’s Big.

I am not exaggerating in the least when I say read this every time I watch 2x01 now. This scene from Scott's POV is so ahhhh, it really hits home that he's *sixteen* and that this kind of violence has just recently become his life. Gyahhha. I love it.

varicose veins

Theo can smell Scott’s sweat from the long run. The aftershave he’d used this morning. The rain-smell of his clothes.

Still none of the exhaustion he knows has to be there, or the relief from making it out of the elements. Not a thing about his emotional state at all.

It’s not like him.

Scott from Theo's pov is always so good, and this is absolutely no exception. This explores Scott's relationship with pain taking and pain and Theo's relationship with Scott and the Dread Doctors and pain so well. I love it so much.

schrödinger’s boy

Mason checks his hands. He doesn’t really know what he’s looking for.

Claws?

Smoke?

He just sees skin.

This Mason post Beast trauma character study is sooo good. I love that it explores Mason's relationships with Liam, Sydney and Scott so well. Love it.

guardian

Melissa looks frazzled, hair twisted in a mess and clothes soaked, but she doesn’t waste a second in sizing Jennifer up. “Who the hell are you?”

The frightened courage in her eyes is all too similar to her son’s.

The genuine confusion, however, is not.

This might be easier than Jennifer had thought.

This is a look at Scott from Jennifer's POV during 3a, and it's soo chillingly good. It was the first of the collaborative series we worked together on, and it was so fun, too! I loved Jennifer's voice in this so much and the way it really hits home the trauma of your English teacher also being your enemy.

blood in the water

There’s blood on the shower wall.

It’s smeared over the tile at chest height, handprints just barely distinguishable in the bright red streaks. Thin, watery droplets glide slowly down the wall. Fresh—as if it’d been splattered there seconds ago.

It hadn’t been there this morning.

(or, 5 times Scott washed the blood off alone, +1 time he didn’t have to.)

Are you a hurt!Scott fan? Me toooo. And wow, does this deliver. I love the imagery and the emphasis on Scott's disassociation. And then the +1 just puts you so high on scalia feelings. Love, love, love.

zebra cakes

“Have you ever…” Lydia pauses, catching a glossy lip between her teeth. “Do you ever feel like you’re falling?”

Malia frowns.

All four legs of Lydia’s chair are anchored safely (and boringly) on the library floor.

Malia tilts hers back another couple inches, situating her boots confidently on the table. “Nope.”

Lydia sighs. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?”

This is such a good look at Malia and Lydia friendship. It also catches the essence of grief and mourning so well. It's really a Malia and Lydia character study and rings so true for both of them. Highly recommend.

futility

“If you wanted to murder me,” he says, turning slowly to face the source of the scent, “there are less public places you could do it.”

Tamora Monroe smiles at him, still nearly ten yards away. The sage bushes neatly obscure the pistol at her hip.

“You can’t murder an animal,” she says.

“In your mind, maybe. But it looks the same on paper.”

This was originally a tumblr fic and I am so glad mem cleaned it up for a03. There is a lack of Tamora content and Scott and Tamora content and this excellent fic corrects Crimes. I love the emphasis on just how tired Scott is along with how he still wants to change her mind. I love, love, love.

silence

Stiles watches Scott’s chest expand on the inhale; collapse on the exhale. His button-down shirt sticks lightly to his front, damp only with sweat, instead of the blood Stiles had seen days before.

Stiles wishes he’d snore. Talk in his sleep. Something.

He raps his own fingernails against the handle, achingly loud against the silence. 

This is a Stiles pov tag fic to codominace. And it's so good. I love how clearly you can feel that Stiles loves Scott in this. It fits in the fic and enriches the relationship between them and I love it, too.

heavy heart

“I can get you out,” Theo says. “It’s a low dose—you probably won’t even notice the wolfsbane for the first couple floors.”

Scott leans heavily against the table in the center of the room. “After that?”

“You’ll start getting weak. After a few more floors, you’ll pass out.” Theo makes sure his voice doesn’t waver. “And then I’ll carry you the rest of the way.”

This was part of the sceo collaboration. And it's another hurt! Scott. Favorite. Beloved. I really enjoyed the parallels between wolfsbane and asthma. And the tension between them here is so fun. Gyhahh!

what do you know

Melissa finally musters up the nerve to rap on the window between them. “Kira? Honey, are you okay?”

Three seconds slip by—tick, tick, tick—before Kira’s head turns, slowly, like she’s half asleep.

The look in her eyes startles Melissa.

This was another collaboration. This time looking at Kira over the years through different eyes. I remember we all found this a lot harder than we expected, so it's extra satisfying that this is so lovely. This explores Melissa and Kira during the time in s5 when they have no idea what is going on with Kira. It's so good. I love how it really adds to canon.

perspective

Surprise radiates from Scott’s scent at Deucalion’s instruction. “I’m going… home?”

“‘Going home’ isn’t an option anymore,” Deucalion corrects. “At least, not the one you’re thinking of.”

This was another tumblr fic- written for me. And I adore it so much, I probably reread it on tumblr 10-15 times. Now it is on a03 where I can enjoy it. Mem and I are both forever fascinated by the missing 24 hours that Scott is with Deucalion in 3a and this fic explores that. I also love snarky! Scott so much. Another feature.

worth fighting for

Table at his back.

Pain.

Restraints around his wrists.

Kate?

Harsh fluorescent lights glaring down, bright like the High Line, isolating like the church.

He can’t think.

Or: Scott wakes in an unfamiliar place. It gets worse from there.

It would be disingenuine of me to say anything other than this is my favorite mem!fic. They are all great, but this was written for me- tailored to exactly the kind of stuff I like. It has captive! Scott, hurt!Scott, all the villains, scira, BAMF Scott and BAMF Kira, and it explores Bardo and Scott's relationship with death?? And just. Everything about it makes me so happy always. <3 <3 <3

[chimeclan-tales]

Tales of the Departed - IrisClan

About Weedstar and Fogtail / Fogstar

All the notes/rambles about some of my first clan gen leaders!! They're so dramatic.

Weedstripe / Weedstar

His strange trait made him very silly. He kept falling out of trees.

Actually liked hanging out with Fogpaw because he was very "quiet"

“Hey Fogpaw! Why the long face?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Did you know I caught a huge vole today? And mother said I'm doing amazing for my second hunt! Really, I just saw where the vole was going.” [basically talks for 2 more paragraphs]

“That’s nice.”

His mother, Snapstar, and his overall popularity inflated his ego a bit too much.

Literally became deputy after one moon of becoming a warrior

Unaware of the two siblings that died as kits. No wonder Snapstar cared for him too much.

As a leader, he does make good plans... In concept. They only work based on his perception.

If the rogues valued honor like IrisClan cats, then the peace talk would have been a perfect solution

Overall very outgoing and happy to help

...As long as it’s not too much trouble for him

“Oh, of course I have time for you!”

“You can go speak to Fogtail about it. I’m busy.”

“What? It’s not working? Then you’re doing something wrong.”

OOC Notes

Honestly, started as a joke leader because. Weed.

Then he started making horrible decisions / half the clan started dying

At some point StarClan struck him with lightning TWICE and a bunch of cats were disappointed in him

Fogtail / Fogstar

Cold and angry outside (withdrawn, takes things more seriously than others, will lash out when rage builds)

As an apprentice, he gets fed up with Weedpaw and Snapstar but… Okay. His brother was nice to him. Fogpaw felt guilty about it

Once he’s a warrior (especially deputy), he’s a bit more mature and that’s when he develops closer relationships with his clanmates.

Had an apprentice Heathpaw. She was late-bloomer among the other apprentices, and he could see parts of himself in her. Despite his initial coldness, he was absolutely the best mentor to her. Sadly died to the Rotting

Deep down, cares a lot and knows his clanmates well

He sees battles as part of a warrior’s life, but wishes he didn’t have to cause cats to lose their loved ones.

The start of his leadership was bloody because cats did not trust him after he killed Weedstar.

Goes to StarClan despite that because the morality in these clans are... different. There is a positive perception for killing in battle and technically he fixed a bunch of things during his leadership.

OOC Notes

The 2 songs I listened to when writing this boi: Operation Pyrite and Operation Basepoint (yes, rock Arknights music)

[loremonster]

Sorry About That, Technical Difficulties...

HOLY FUCK I'M ALIVE!

Sorry for the abcense folks. Long story short; my phone out and out died when I really needed it to make a mental health appointment, and hubby has head off to his next deployment. I take weeks to recover from unexpected upheavals, and those two getting stacked sorta put me in hibernation mode for a couple months.

Longer version;

Had a telehealth appointment with my meds manager. I remembered it, I planned my day around it, I'm on the web site and logged into the portal and ready to go 10 min early... for my phone to go black screened with no indicator lights when plugged in, and no response to forced restart buttons. It's hot to the touch so I legit stuck it in the fridge, and went to plan B to try and make my appointment- hop onto my laptop and join the video call that way.

My internet had gone out. I had to reset the router while getting progressively more panicked about being late because My Phone Is Dead so I can't call the clinic to tell them what happened and they can't call me to find out.

Thankfully, that is when hubby arrived home with some lunch. I was able to use his phone to call the clinic and tell them what was up, rescheduel my appointment, and attend that appointment to secure my next few months of refills.

My old phone was fully bricked. It cooled down, but plugging it in got nothing. Running down the battery to dead and then plugging it in did nothing. So hubby looked up what was on offer and ordered the new one I am using now, and it arrived a week later.

I really like the new phone. It's got a stylus! So I can art on the go even when I forget the trapper keeper with my traditional supplies in it :D

However, because I'm a paranoid bitch who refuses to make use of cloud systems because why wouldn't they copy every bit that runs through them? So I've been manually logging back into apps as I remember which of my six email addresses was associated with them 🤣 legit it took me until today to remember I made a new email for this specific Tumblr account so my notifs wouldn't set off my Professional Writer e-mail's notifications.

Today I just wanted to let folks know I'm Not Dead, tomorrow I'll answer asks that have been recieved while I was MIA. 💚

Big love to everyone, hope y'all are well

-Lore