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thestruplindegaard77 · 2 months

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Your Perfect Oregon Coast Vacation Starts In Florence

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naturecoaster · 5 months

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Escape the Holiday Hustle and Bustle with a Nature Break

A rush of traffic dodges the messy construction zones on US Highway 19/98 on Florida’s Nature Coast. Every red light brings another pour of cars onto the already crowded road. A minivan, a red jeep, a truck laden with lumber. Ahead, more orange cones and a giant illuminated arrow funnels the traffic into a more compact road. Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas looms ahead, with it comes the holiday bustle. Visitors fill the gaps between the locals with colorful license plates and luggage-packed vehicles. Noise. Traffic. Congestion - and not just from that sinus infection you picked up at the last family gathering. You may feel like you’ve reached the end of your tether. Now is the time to distance yourself from the stressors, take a detour off that busy highway, and immerse yourself in nature. Nature Break at Salt Marsh Trails in the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge The noisy traffic of 19 begins to fade as you drive down West Yulee Drive. By the time you reach South Mason Creek Road, the tension begins to seep away from your shoulders. The space between houses gets wider, the trees and bushes taller, and then you are there, sliding into one of the parking spaces on either side of the big metal gate at the Salt Marsh Trails. Salt Marsh Trails is a hiking area in the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. This 31,000-acre wildlife refuge along Florida’s west coast stretches from the Homosassa River in the north to 12 miles south of the Chassahowitzka River, past Chassahowitzka Bay to Raccoon Point. 76% of this NWR is a designated wilderness area, preserved and protected from development. The Salt Marsh Trails area is located in the northern portion of the NWR. Salt Marsh Trails Entrance. Photo by Sally White Comprised of three trails, each a portion of a mile, this green space makes the perfect place for a brief holiday nature escape. Hiking the Salt Trails by Mason Creek in Homosassa At the entrance, there are three trails, the Salt Marsh Birding Trail to the left, the Red Cedar Trail to the right, and the main trail, the widest, cutting through the center to Lastinger Tower. You choose the ¼ mile Lastinger Tower Trail, a wide flat path through a maritime hammock. Palmetto fronds and oaks flank the trail, infusing the air with fresh oxygen. Trailhead marker for the Salt Marsh Trails in the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Sally White It’s a quarter mile to the tower. Only a quarter mile, but you find yourself surrounded by nature. You pause to look up through the thick canopy. Wiry air plants, tinged with tiny purple and red flowering tips cling to the crooks of the live oaks, like 70’s rockstars with punk hairdos. These healthy giant air plants are bromeliads and related to the pineapple. Resurrection ferns adorn the thicker oak branches, covering them like a living blanket, their delicate fronds basking in the rays of sun that find their way through the canopy. During times of drought, these ferns turn brown and curl up, lying dormant until the wetter season, when they emerge, forming a lush green covering - thus giving them their unique name. You spot a structure through the trees to the left. The Knudsen Pavilion. Picnic tables beneath a newly constructed pavilion with a shiny tin roof. It makes you wish you had grabbed a pub-sub at the Homosassa Publix on your way here. Maybe next time. You start planning the perfect picnic in your head and then stop as the trail opens up. Sunlight. Blue skies. Miles and miles of salt marshes. Ahead a muddy track leads directly to Mason Creek. A rustic paddle launch entrance. And beside it, a two-story wooden observation tower beckons. Lastinger Observation Tower Lastinger Tower, a two-story observation deck overlooks the salt marshes in the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Sally White Lastinger Tower overlooks Mason Creek and the salt marshes. You bound up the steps to drink in the view. Tidal creeks cut winding paths through the greying islands of spiny rushes, leading out towards the Gulf of Mexico. The whirr of a loud motor interrupts your thoughts, making you cringe, until you see an airboat whip through the creek, gliding across the water. The captain waves at you as he drives past the tower, ferrying his passengers out to explore the wetter regions of the wildlife refuge. The majority of the Chassahowitzka NWR is wetlands - brackish marshes, estuaries, and saltwater bays only accessible by boat. The noise of the airboat fades, and you are left again with the twitter of birds and the chatter of crickets. View from Lastinger Tower in the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Sally White. Salt Marsh Birding Trail & Animal Tracks You breathe in the view and descend the tower. At the base, a sign directs the way to the Birding Trail, promising a ½ mile hike looping back to the entrance. You enter the swampy area that parallels the salt marsh, with views of the empty nesting tower among the grasses, awaiting occupants. This trail takes you past hefty golden leather ferns, aka swamp ferns, and cabbage palms. Some of the palm tree tops look bare, twisted off from storms. The trail is dark and slick. Crabs dart into their holes near the marsh and an uprooted red cedar tree tells signs of a recent storm. The path gets muddier. You notice tracks in the mud. Deer. Raccoon. Is that one an alligator? And another - much larger paw print, which you think might be a dog-friendly lab on an afternoon walk, maybe? Or a coyote? There are no shoe prints. You decide to tackle this trail on a drier day and turn back to the tower. Wild animal tracks in the mud on the Birding Trail at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. How many different animal tracks can you find? Photo by Sally White. Red Cedar Trail On the opposite side of the tower, by the kayak launch is Red Cedar Trail, a 1/3-mile path that also loops back to the trailhead entrance. This trail edges along Mason Creek before pivoting into the hammock. The ground gets muddy there as well. An impromptu nature escape, you aren’t prepared for a mud hike, so you head back to Lastinger Trail. Brazilian Peppertree in Florida A Florida invasive plant, the Brazilian Pepper can cause the same allergic reactions in people as the poison ivy. Photo by Sally White. A tree filled with red berries catches your eye. Birds love berries, but these are Brazilian Peppers, an invasive plant in Florida (there’s a sign, that’s how you know). The Brazilian Pepper was introduced to Florida as an ornamental plant from South America in the 1840s. With rapid growth- it can reach heights of 30 feet. It forms a thick canopy that shades out the native plants, essentially ‘taking over”. A relative to poison ivy & sumac, it can be poisonous to humans. People allergic to poison ivy can have the same allergic reaction to the Brazilian Peppertree. The Salt Marsh Birding Trail is a half-mile hiking trail from the Salt Marsh Trailhead to Lastinger Tower, and can be extremely muddy. Photo by Sally White. Back to the World The ¼ mile hike back to your car goes easily. Birds. Salt marsh. Wild animal tracks. Cool plants. Somehow you feel a little lighter as you slide back behind the wheel of your car. Happier. Heck, maybe even healthier. It WAS exercise after all, wasn’t it? And with your nature break, you feel able to tackle your world again. Immerse yourself in nature this holiday season with a short hike or nature break on Florida’s Nature Coast. Red mangroves frame the rustic paddle launch site at Salt Marsh Trails in the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Sally White Things to Know Before You Go to the Salt Marsh Trails: - The Salt Marsh Trails Trailhead can be found at 6112 S Mason Creek Road in Homosassa, Florida. - This is a fee-free area with limited parking. - Bring bug spray - Visitors can hike, fish, and launch their paddle crafts (canoes, kayaks, SUP) from the launch point at Lastinger Tower (1/4-mile trek to launch point!) - Don’t park in front of the gate or you will get towed. Sources: - https://www.fws.gov/refuge/chassahowitzka - https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/habitat/invasive-plants/weed-alerts/brazillian-pepper/ Read the full article

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ackerfics · 3 years

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Hi can i please request a soft coffe date with Levi and after the date reader and Levi go in the park sit on a bench reader falls asleep on Levi’s lap or shoulder (u choose) and he caries her bridal style to home he just slips in bed beside her but he wakes her up accidentally and like he says sorry like so many times but she just kisses him and snuggles in his chest.After that they are both asleep.Love your works so so much!💕

best part — levi ackerman

— levi ackerman x female reader (modern au)

— warnings: none, just fluff <3

— summary: it’s your first anniversary with levi and he made it a day to look forward to in the coming years.

— word count: 2.8k

— author’s notes: aaaaa thank you so much for loving my works, that means so much to me !! i slightly altered the request and made it a picnic date with some coffee on the side. i had fun writing this bc it screamed single in my face. [sighs] i feel like i’m torturing myself by writing these scenarios sksklfjwe anyways happy reading !!

reblogs are greatly appreciated !!

Feelings were something that Levi couldn’t get a grasp on since he could remember. He was a stoic and reserved man, even among his peers — that was until he met the woman who made him weak in the knees. The first time he met her, he had to regain his composure when she gave him a small smile. The two of them were in front of the counter in the nearby café, with him ordering his daily dose of tea while she told the barista her favored blend of coffee. Levi remembered shaking his head at the unnecessary love for coffee — tea will always remain superior in his opinion. He apparently murmured that out loud, with the most beautiful pair of eyes shifting to meet his caught his heart and took his breath away.

Who knew that being regulars of that café and by visiting the establishment at the same time could make their fates align as if they were woven together.

Today was one of the rare times he had free time from university and the best part is that today marks their first anniversary as a couple.

Levi had no idea what to do. Since he was an absolute goner in the feats of romance, he tried consulting his friends. It was something he mildly regretted. Erwin was the same as him, always focused on academics that he doesn’t have any time for relationships. The fucking giant suggested he should stay true as possible in his intentions, planning just a small date that can fit their little world together — not grandeur at all, to which Levi slightly took note of. Next, asking Hange was an absolute disaster. Knowing that you shared a major with this buffoon, they announced to the whole lab that Levi’s taking you on a date on your anniversary. It was a good thing they don’t know what he was planning.

So Levi decided on a small picnic date, with food and drinks from the café you two frequented.

Everything was packed safely and securely in a basket on the front seat of his car. To be honest, this was the first time he stood the longest in front of his closet. Planning what to wear was a total waste of time but he wasn’t complaining about his outfit for the day even though it was similar to the outfits he donned every day. He kept stretching his turtleneck in the anticipation of seeing you after your lab. While he waited in the parking lot closest to your department building, Levi was scrolling through his social media accounts.

It always warmed his heart every time he visited his feed on Instagram, every single post featuring you. Hange said it was simp behavior and Levi didn’t talk to them for an entire week. (Well, after having a reflection at one of your dates, staring at you like you were his salvation, he concluded that Hange was right.)

A message appeared on his screen, making his lips quirk up in the smallest yet endearing way possible.

i’m going out of the lab now, i’m so excited for our date

Levi looked up from his phone, seeing your bubbly smile lighting up the parking lot. Even though the windows are tinted, he reciprocated your wave. He unlocked the door of the passenger seat and suddenly, the fruity scent of your perfume enveloped him in a warm blanket of comfort. The next thing he knew, his shoulders relaxed in a droop, meeting your eyes as you lit up at the sight of the basket.

“Hi,” you greeted him, taking the basket and putting it on your lap as you made yourself comfortable on the front seat.

Levi turned to face you and leaned forward, hands pulling on the seatbelt and securing you beside him. He stopped with only a few inches separating your faces, his half-lidded silver gaze going back and forth between your lips and eyes. After a few seconds, uttered so softly against your lips, “Hi, beautiful.” The feeling of your lips moving against his always gave him a torpedo of butterflies, today’s occasion only spurring the insects to flutter their wings that it felt so electrifyingly good. With a little swipe of his tongue on your bottom lip, he hummed as he pulled away with red cheeks and a small smirk on his now shiny lips. “You put on blueberry.”

“Yeah,” you agreed with a small laugh, kissing him again quickly that he pouted.

“You know I can’t stop when you have that flavor of lip balm.”

You playfully narrowed your eyes. “I thought we have a date to go to.”

“Just one more?”

You grinned at how clingy Levi was becoming. It was rare for him to be like this and every time he acts like a touch-starved partner, it was too much for your weak heart. You held yourself back from pushing his cheeks together and marveling how adorable this side of him is. Leaning to fit your lips against his, you gave him what he wanted. “There. Now, let’s go on this date you’ve been planning.”

Levi chuckled as he straightened on his seat. He placed a hand on the back of your seat, looking behind him as he steered the car out of the parking lot and into the cityscape. The whole ride, his other hand was covering one of yours on top of the basket, his thumb rubbing soothingly across the back of your hand. You hummed along with the song playing on the radio, missing the adoring glances Levi gave you every once in a while. Fifteen minutes flew by so quickly and the car stopped in the small parking area of the local park. The two of you got out of the car, Levi pulling your hand in his, and leading you to a nice spot in the emerald plains.

With both ends held between you two, the picnic blanket was carefully draped on the grass, then making yourselves comfortable on the laid-out blanket. Levi took out everything nestling inside the basket — some wrapped sandwiches, a container of berries, shawarma wraps, and a small tin of oatmeal cookies. You were starving since you ate a salad from the university’s convenience store early in the morning for your lab meeting. As each container was revealed by Levi, you were anticipating the moment you will have your fill. Your stomach seemed to agree with your line of thought, interrupting the comfortable silence with a low gurgle. Levi looked up from tidying everything, eyebrow raised in slight amusement.

You felt your face become warm. “Oh, shut up. I haven’t eaten anything since nine in the morning. I’m bound to be hungry after not eating lunch.”

Levi clicked his tongue, pushing the sandwiches in front of you. “Who told you to skip lunch anyway?”

You leaned forward, fluttering your eyelashes with an innocent smile. “I have you to bring me my go-to order in the café anyway.” You bit down on a clubhouse sandwich. Everything became light when your palate was immediately satisfied. You couldn’t help but eat the sandwich as quickly as possible because being hungry enhances the taste of food.

“Hey, slow down,” Levi lightly scolded you. “You might choke.” The next second, you were coughing after gobbling the sandwich in a new record. Levi turned to the basket and took out a large cup of iced coffee, handing it to you to wash down whatever was lodged in your throat. “Here, drink it off.”

You would’ve cooed at the sight of your favorite blend of coffee if not for your life on the line with all your coughing. Slurping the cold liquid until you felt your cough subsiding, you let out a contented sigh as you slumped against Levi’s side. You smiled when you felt a pair of lips brushing on your head. You took a drink of your coffee before muttering, “What would I do without you?”

“Probably die of choking. I told you to slow down every time you’re hungry but it will always end with you having food down the wrong pipe.”

You laughed. “I still have you to remind me that.” You looked up at him, catching the adoring look Levi was giving you. You took it as a moment to admire him as well. His eyes will always remind you of the stars, their silvery glow so bright against any source of light. A lot has happened in the year you were together and you were starting to wish you could paint your love in the most vibrant hues. Leaning up, you pressed a kiss on the corner of Levi’s lips. “I’m so happy it’s you,” you murmured on his cheek, forehead pressed on his temple.

Levi stared at you with half-lidded eyes, hand lifting to brush a thumb on the apple of your cheek. Your name dripping from his lips made your heart flutter. His throat bobbed, his mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to say something. Just as you were about to ask him what was bothering him, Levi dipped his head until his lips stopped beside your ear. He always did this whenever he has to say something that was meant for your ears only. You patiently waited for him to muster his courage, rubbing the hand cradling your jaw. However, you breathed out a gasp when he finally said the words that you were never afraid to tell him.

“I love you. So fucking much.”

You could only stare at his embarrassed face, surprise taking away your voice. On normal days, you would’ve teased him for the blush creeping his face, reaching his ears that had you swooning. But now, the sight of his reddened cheeks and restless eyes made your face heat up. Your heartbeat was so loud in your ears, the effect of your lover’s confession spurring your senses in overdrive. You felt so many things at the moment, you felt proud of Levi for voicing out his feelings to you and you felt all the love dedicated to him gathering in your chest.

“I know it took me a whole year to say these words to you and I’m not that great with feelings unlike some people you know,” Levi rambled, silver irises flicking at anything but you. “B-But,” he cursed at his stutter, “I really do love you. I’m so fucking happy that it’s you, too. You are so patient with me and I’m starting to think that I don’t deserve you.” He said your name again in that fluttering way that made your heart clench. “Happy anniversary to us finding home in each other. I want this to last and I hope you won’t get tired of me.”

“I would never,” you reassured him, cupping his cheeks in your hands. “You took the words right out of my mouth, Levi. I love you, too. Everything in my life involving you is the best part of it.”

Levi planted his lips on yours, kissing you like it was the last time he could ever do so. “You’re making me weak and I don’t mind if you do it for the rest of my life.”

You suddenly perked up; eyes bright as you remembered the gift you tucked in your bag. “I got something for you.” You took out a small black box and handed it to a wide-eyed Levi. “I know it’s not much but it reminded me of you.”

A silver simple bracelet was placed on top of a small cushion, a thin plate connecting the two ends of the bracelet. Levi didn’t buy any gifts for you except for planning the date and it made him feel guilty. His eyebrows were furrowed as he stared at the piece of jewelry, his apology clear in his eyes. “I didn’t buy any gift for this day. Fuck.”

You chuckled, unclasping the bracelet and putting it on Levi’s wrist. Your fingers touched the bracelet gingerly, a wistful painted on your lips. “This date and you saying you love me for the first time couldn’t amount to what I just gave you.” You kissed him on the cheek. “You’re already the best gift I could ask for, a simple bracelet is nothing compared to you.”

Levi smiled breathtakingly before nuzzling his face in the crook of your neck, eliciting a series of giggles from you.

“Okay, now let’s dig in. I’m still hungry, you know.”

“You’re always hungry, love.”

“Thank you for the coffee, by the way.”

“Yeah, yeah. Now eat some more.”

You look so peaceful sleeping with your head on his lap.

It was nearing sunset by the time you were getting drowsy. The food was already finished half an hour ago but that didn’t stop you two from continuing the picnic date by exchanging stories. You were in the middle of telling Levi your encounter with your juniors when you yawned. Levi suggested you try to get some rest after a busy week in your major, taking his advice with a hum as you laid down on the blanket. The cups and containers were all tidied up in the basket beside him and Levi thought that it will be getting late the more time you spend in the park.

He decided against waking you up so he put on your backpack, tucked the basket on the crook of his elbow, and slid his arm on your back and under your knees. He carried you carefully until he reached his car, slowly placing you in the front seat, and buckling your seatbelt. He kissed your forehead before putting the basket and bag in the backseat. The drive to your shared apartment was spent with Levi glancing at your sleeping form and the bracelet that reflected against the sunset.

Entering the apartment building after parking the car in the basement lot, carrying everything, including you, proved to be quite difficult until he reached the door to your apartment. Levi had to stick to the wall to prevent you from falling to the floor as he pressed the passcode to your and Levi’s living space. Leaving his shoes in the rack by the entrance, Levi padded to your room.

As he placed you on the covers, he realized he was staring too much with your bag on his back and the basket still tucked in his elbow. After taking off your backpack, he hastily returned to the kitchen to leave the basket on the counter. The events of the day suddenly entered his mind and a smile instantly pulled on the corners of his mouth. You were the best thing that happened in his life. You encouraged him to pick himself up after finding himself stuck in limbo. Your smile was one of the prettiest things he ever saw on the planet, which says something because Levi never described anything as pretty in all his life. (Except for his mom but that’s already a given since he would get a scolding whenever he visits home.) Sure, he was bummed that he didn’t give you anything for your anniversary but today will be one of the days he will look forward to celebrating.

That’s all that matters.

Going back to your room, Levi changed into his pajamas and slipped into bed with you.

Levi froze for a moment when you shifted your position, humming as you opened your eyes drowsily. You smiled at him but that didn’t stop Levi from feeling guilty about waking you up. He knew how much you needed sleep. He was a witness to your sleepless nights and caffeinated rushes so taking away the one thing you find solace in was shitty.

“Are we home?” you murmured in a voice painted with sleep.

“Shit, baby, I’m sorry for waking you up,” Levi fussed. “Yeah, we’re home but I didn’t wake you up because you’re sleeping so well. I’m really sorry.”

You only laughed, leaning up to kiss your lover. Levi poured everything in the kiss, opening his eyes slowly to the feeling of your body snuggling in his side. “I love you, Levi.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

He didn’t mean to wake you up so Levi laid on his back and pulled you closer until your head nuzzled his chest. His eyes never looked away from you, roaming and soaking in your peaceful features. You were easily the most beautiful person in Levi’s mind. How your eyelashes touched the top of your cheeks, how your eyebrows relaxed at the physical contact with him, how your lips quirked in a small smile at the feeling of him enveloping you. He could admire you all evening but his eyelids were already tugging downwards. Maybe it was the way your saccharine scent calmed his senses or maybe it could be the way you felt so right fitted to him like this.

It could be so many reasons but all Levi knew was that he had never felt so comfortable in his life, pulling him in a dreamless sleep filled solely with your warmth.

#levi #levi x reader #levi x you #levi ackerman #levi ackerman x reader #aot x reader #aot #attack on titan #attack on titan imagines #levi attack on titan #snk imagines #snk #shingeki no kyoujin x reader #levi ackerman x you #rorywrites

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dawn-wasabi · 2 years

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DSMP/iDots - Family Friendly Picnic (Crimson NG) (+ close-ups)

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Cheesy and odd title for this piece, I know, but to be fair I’m unsure of what to properly name it. “Cheesy,” no pun intended (I better stop while I’m ahead). I gained the inspiration for this piece after rewatching one of my all time favorite childhood cartoons known as “Kipper the Dog,” the episode in particular called “Arnold’s Drum.” Do not judge me, I am not the only one who returns to what they grew up watching for nostalgia reasons. However, I must admit, though I am now a young woman, “Kipper the Dog” I find is one of the most realistic and wholesome children’s cartoons that I can still smile and enjoy rewatching every now and then, the only difference being that the cast all consist of animals. The show may have had some episodes that revolved more around the fantasy side, but for the most part, they can be described as wholesome and realistic little adventures. I’ll be happy to one day share the adorable episodes of this show with my children in the future.

Well, I am getting too much into the show, so allow me to talk about the render. Unfortunately, I did not (and still don’t) have all the skins I require to make the full version, so this is only a second attempt at a demo. I still require models of Foolish Gamers, Foolish Jr, Finely, Michelle, and Kayden, so I had to settle with the families I had entirely. Ranboo and Tubbo have Michael as their adopted son, Bad and Skeppy have the twins Abraxas and Asriel, and a6d has his adopted daughter Belladonna. In this picture, Michael is around the age of six, the twins are around three, and Bella is about two or so. I tried to make some details and situations similar to the episode of Kipper I was basing this off of— I’ll name a few. For one, some of the items seen in the picture are meant to be the same as the ones seen in the show; the red cookie tin, the drinks, and the food items to name some. Another example is Michael’s pose and seating, which is very much like Arnold’s in the episode, including his items he can be seen holding and on his plate. Also similar to the character’s situation, Asriel is separated from his brother and parents while Arnold sat amongst himself near his cousin, Pig, and his friends, Tiger and Kipper. That’s just a few specific details I tried to recreate here.

The item models I used were all built in my in-game Minecraft (aside from a backpack rig) because I could not find rigs I liked or that worked for download. The food items were already a part of the animating software, but I did have to improvise and build each sandwich with the items options. Sounds horrible, but I used moss carpet as the cheese in the sandwiches, rescaling them to a smaller size and changing them to a yellow color. Overall, I still think I have it when it comes to improvisation in the Mine-Imator program. I also think that overall, this piece was cute and wholesome.

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Color changeable Backpack rig @ Mike a6d @ N/A (original uploader deleted or deactivated) Belladonna (Infant_Outer wear) @ dawn-wasabi Asriel (toddler_child) @ dawn-wasabi Ranboo @ JaygomPlays Michael (wear) @ dawn-wasabi tubbo @ honkkarl BadBoyHalo @ TheBioticJoker Skeppy @ Pumpapastej Skeppy eboy @ P0mp Abraxas (toddler_child) @ dawn-wasabi

*Rig pack and its creator can be found on Mine Imator forums. The skins I used and their own creators can be found on Planet Minecraft. The next generation models I made are not uploaded on any source of the web to use— sorry.

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a6d’s YT - https://www.youtube.com/c/a6doff Ranboo’s YT - https://www.youtube.com/c/Ranboo Tubbo’s YT - https://www.youtube.com/c/Tubbo Bad’s YT - https://www.youtube.com/c/thesaintsofgames Skeppy’s YT - https://www.youtube.com/c/Skeppy Belladonna, Asriel, and Abraxas @ dawn-wasabi Michael @ YouTubers

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You are NOT allowed to use this render!

#dream smp #dsmp #idots #mcyt #minecraft youtubers #next generation #mineimator #mcyt ranboo #mcyt tubbo #mcyt badboyhalo #mcyt skeppy #a6d #ranboo #tubbo #badboyhalo #skeppy

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emmalenalouisaellis · 3 years

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Picnic Perks: Savoury Spinach Vegan Muffins with Tomato and Cheese

Gosh is it really September? I feel sometimes I must have somehow blinked and missed the last few weeks of August as it is now September and I watch outside my window somewhat satisfied as the leaves subtilty begin to change in shade and colour and the nights get darker faster and faster.

Autumn has always been my favourite season and so I relish the opportunity to trundle through the woodlands with a basket in hand to go foraging for apples, blackberries and conker nuts and sometimes mushrooms. I’m careful as always so not to disturb the fairy rings, and tiptoe quietly so not to interrupt the birds and animals filling their larders for spring. It is a great opportunity to sit under a tree and write undistracted and I often lose track of the time listening to the sighing and singing of the wind.

But writing is often hungry work, which is why whenever I venture out I like to pack a small picnic to keep me going. Something quick and easy that can be whipped up without fuss and minimal mess.

So now that I’ve hopefully whet your appetite I’d like to provide you with another of my recipes: Vegan Savory muffins which are bursting with flavour and rich in delicious spinach which adds a vibrant green to these bite-sized portions; sure to satisfy both the plant based and typically meat-hungry appetites. A single batch can easily be doubled to make about 24 muffins, which is a great cost saver or ideal for group outings and can be easily kept in the fridge for up to a week for a simple lunch paired with salads and coleslaw or on their own as a savoury breakfast/ afternoon snack. If you don’t want to make them vegan you can simply use dairy based cheddar or mozzarella cheese; or follow one of my other recipes for some alternative moorish flavours.

Savoury Spinach Vegan Muffins with Tomato and Cheese- Serves 6 (2 each or 12 individual portions):

You will need:

1 x 12 piece muffin tin - I recommend using non stick tins as it saves on the washing up and allows you more time to enjoy tasting. Or some greased and lined tins. *Remember to use vegan dairy free spread if greasing these) A cupcake one will also do if you do not have a separate tin.

12 Muffin/Cupcake cases to preserve the shape when cooked).

1 Mixer - I use my Kenwood chef to make sure everything is very light, bubbly and smooth but you can do this by hand with a mixing bowl and metal whisk if you don’t have one).

Two mixing bowls.

Wire Cooling Rack.

Ingredients:

90 ml vegetable oil.

2 tsp ground linseed or milled flax seed (mixed with 2-3 tsp water).

375 gself-raising flour.

2 tsp baking powder.

½ tsp cayenne pepper / chilli powder.

⅓ tsp salt.

60 g nutritional yeast (I’ve used bouillon - the vegetable one is great for adding additional flavour).

165 g frozen spinach (or use 500g fresh & boil down as they always shrink to nothing when cooked).

420 ml plant milk (I used oat milk for a plain texture but you can also use hazelnut if you prefer a nuttier muffin).

6 cherry tomatoes diced up into small pieces (or a bag of frozen diced tomatoes from Tesco).

Grated vegan cheese ( I’ve used grated mozzarella style and cheddar by Violife).

Herbs for taste, I recommend parsley and basil.

Some additional linseeds or flax for the topping.

Method: For the Muffins:

1. Pre-heat oven to 190⁰C/ 375⁰F or Gas Mark 5

2. Whilst this is warming up, place your muffin cases into the muffin tin.

3. In one of the bowls, pour in the oil, linseed & plant milk & mix to combine.

4. In the other bowl, mix together the nutritional yeast, flour, baking powder, chilli powder & salt

5. Thaw the frozen spinach in the microwave for about five-six minutes & squeeze to remove excess moisture , chop it up a bit so the pieces are able to be mixed in easily (or if using fresh spinach, gently steam, squeeze out & chop).

7. Slowly add the liquid mix to the dry mix, stirring bit by bit until it's all combined. Don't over mix.

8. Add the spinach and herbs to the mix & stir to combine.

9. Repeat this step with the cheese (I used grated mozzarella style and cheddar by Violife).

10. Once mixed spoon the mixture into each muffin case and top with pieces of the cherry tomato & surplus seeds.

11. Bake for 25-30 minutes. By this time the tops should be a golden brown. Put a skewer in one of them and make sure it comes out clean. They may need an extra 5 minutes.

12. Once cooked, take the muffins out the tin and put on a cooling rack.

13. Serve when cool if prefered hotter or left in the fridge until needed.

14. If reheating simply cook them at the former temperature for up to 5/6 minutes.

Although I’ve suggested these muffins as an autumn dish they really are lovely all year round and can even be used as canapes or petit-fours for tea parties or special occasions.

I’d be curious to see your own take on savoury muffins, Please let me know in the comments and check through my blog for more vintage and traditional recipes; including those which are adapted especially for plant based diets :) I’ll be adding further flavours to my blog so be sure to check back as I try to post regularly.

Have a beautiful day.

Emmalena x

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mari-writes · 3 years

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🧺🌳☀️

“Bokuto-san, please tell me where we’re going. I’m getting nervous.”

Akaashi winces as the car they are in bounces over uneven ground. Are they potholes? He can only guess, since his eyes are covered by a thick bandana.

“Calm down Aaashi! It’s fine!”

“I’m literally being driven blindfolded in a car with no idea of our destination.”

Bokuto laughs. “But it’s me, your boyfriend behind the wheel!”

“That is hardly a consolation.” Akaashi reaches to open a window. Fresh air rushes into the car; he smells earth and pine. Are they in a forest?

The car lurches to the right and Akaashi grips the roof handle for dear life.

After five more harrowing minutes, the car finally slows, gradually coming to a stop. Akaashi releases the breath he’d been holding.

“We’re here!” Bokuto pats his thigh. “Just give me one minute to set up. Hang tight.”

“What-no-hey!” Akaashi stutters, but the man has already hopped out and is now rummaging through the trunk. Akaashi huffs, crossing his arms over his chest and sinking into his seat.

Two hours ago Bokuto had announced they were going on a surprise day trip. He’d barely given Akaashi time to prepare, only saying he should dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes, and insisted he’d take care of the rest.

Deep down Akaashi knows everything will be fine. He just really hates surprises. He hates not knowing what is happening. He hates feeling out of control.

But he hasn’t seen Bokuto in so long—their schedules kept them apart for weeks—so he’s willing to be a bit uncomfortable.

“Okay, babe, it’s ready!” Bokuto is back, opening the door and taking Akaashi lightly by the arm. Akaashi, still blindfolded, stumbles slightly as he gets out. He falls forward into his boyfriend’s sturdy chest.

“Mmm,” he mutters into Bokuto’s shirt. “This better be good, Bokuto-san.”

Again, Bokuto laughs as he guides Akaashi away from the car. Akaashi feels his shoes hit soft dirt and then grass, leaves crunching. Sun rays hit his face. A mockingbird chirps in the distance.

Finally Bokuto stops. Calloused hands gently remove Akaashi’s bandana; his fingers get caught in Akaashi’s curls briefly. “Surprise, Keiji.”

Akaashi blinks, his eyes adjusting after being closed for so long. Then his gaze lands on the scene before him and he gasps.

A large blanket is laid out over a small patch of grass, under a grove of ancient-looking trees. On the blanket sits a large whicker basket, open and displaying containers of varying sizes, including a small cooler pack and an insulated thermos.

Small patterned plates with chopsticks sit nearby, as well as a pair of tin mugs. At the end of the blanket is a smaller basket with matching cloth napkins. “B-Bokuto-san,” he breathes. “It’s a picnic.”

HIs boyfriend giggles nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “Umm, yeah. It is.” He reaches out and Akaashi lets him pull him down onto the blanket.

Akaashi feels his mouth twitching upwards. He nods. “You did this all yourself?”

Bokuto grins. “Yeah! I bought the basket from that little shop in Osaka—remember we saw it, when you visited last month?”

“I knew it looked familiar.” Akaashi touched the basket gently. He turns to his boyfriend, pecking him on the cheek. “Thank you, Bokuto-san. This is lovely. I’m sorry I was rude earlier.”

Bokuto shrugs and reaches for the thermos. “That’s okay. I guess I went overboard with the ‘surprise’ thing, eh?” He pours and then hands Akaashi a cup of tea.

“The blindfold was a bit much.” Akaashi raises one eyebrow as he takes a sip, and Bokuto winces.

“Sorry,” he murmurs.

Akaashi sighs. They are still figuring things out about each other, even two years into their relationship. Bokuto had known he liked picnics—and now he also knows that Akaashi doesn’t like kidnapping-style surprises.

For the next hour they devour their lunch: homemade bentos crafted by Bokuto himself, with extra sides of fruit and sugar snap peas. Conversation flows easily, and silences are punctured only by the sound of the forest around them.

Eventually Bokuto reaches to the bottom of the basket for a small container. “Dessert!” He beams, opening the box to reveal an assortment of tea cookies doused in powdered sugar. Gingerly he takes one and holds it out.

Instinctively Akaashi grabs his wrist, leaning forward to eat the delicacy from Bokuto’s fingers. He smirks as his boyfriend’s ears go red. “Not fair,” Bokuto whines, and Akaashi only has a moment to giggle before his boyfriend is tackling him back onto the grass, kissing his face all over, licking the sugar from his lips.

They stay out until the sun starts to dip below the treetops. The colors and sounds around them start to shift, signaling the end of the day. They pack up, slowly as if in a daze. Akaashi has not felt this light and content in ages.

Akaashi volunteers to drive them home. At one point, he looks over to see that Bokuto has fallen asleep, head lolling against the headrest. He’d obviously been working hard the whole morning to prepare the picnic. Akaashi smiles.

“Thank you,” he whispers even though he knows Bokuto can’t hear. “You’re amazing, Koutarou.”

I went on a picnic with family today and it inspired me to write this. Hope you enjoyed! :)

#bokuaka #bokuto koutarou #akaashi keiji #haikyuu!!#haikyuu #my writing #drabble #ficlet #fanfiction #fanfic

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sunflowerandco · 3 years

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After the Fact: Act V - The Duncan Special

Rating: T

I wanted to dedicate this chapter to @straighttxhell for just being so nice and supportive of this story! And I really hope you all like this one for the fact that’s it’s all very soft so prepare.

previous acts here

Duncan, DJ, and Geoff were all settled on the couch in need of a game plan.

"As much Courtney gives off that energy, I can't imagine her wanting this grand gesture, and I don't either. I'd rather it happen in the moment, like in a moment you wouldn't expect." DJ came up with an easy solution to Duncan's dilemma.

"So basically, do the complete opposite of what Geoff did." Geoff responded in offense to DJ's suggestion. "Then why am I here?!"

Duncan removed the hands behind his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Moral support?"

"I think there'd have to be morality involved then..." DJ trailed off. They heard the door unlock and immediately straightened up despite only having to stop talking. Courtney walked into the living room and their joint silence automatically raised her suspicion.

"Why are you being so quiet? What did you do? Did you eat my key lime squares?"

Duncan didn't know what the hell a key lime square was, but his answer gave him a free ticket out of her line of questioning. "...Yes?"

Courtney gasped like she just witnessed him kick a puppy. "Carlos makes them specifically for me! Now I have to go back to the bakery!"

"I'm sorry, baby." Duncan grabbed one of her reusable grocery bags, handed it to her, and kissed her on the cheek in baseless consolidation. "Tell Carlos he's gonna be busy making you more." He went as far to turn her toward the door by her shoulders. She yelled out before closing the door.

"You're picking up the order though!" As soon as the door closed Duncan turned back to his friends.

"I don't even know what the hell a key lime square is." DJ felt sympathy for Courtney's unneeded frustration.

"You didn't have to lie to ol' girl."

"If I didn't, she would still be on my ass. Trust me, you don't wanna see Courtroom Courtney." It was the nickname he came up with after she got accepted into law school. It made her even better at arguing her point across, which Duncan didn't even know was possible for her to do.

Geoff got up from the couch, eager to get his point across to his friends. "All I'm saying is it would be a shame if it wasn't a memorable moment. That's why I went all out for Bridge."

Duncan pondered on what he said. He could understand why Geoff felt the way he did, considered the aspect of the event being memorable for Courtney, and not just a passing moment between them. He thought maybe grand gestures weren't such a bad idea. "Alright, then. What do you think I should do? When it comes to big, I have a few ideas.

The three of them exchanged ideas until they could think of the most extra idea for the amount of time they had left to plan.

***

Duncan stood in the kitchen, leaning his back on the counter as he awaited an answer on the other end of the phone.

"Hi, yeah, I'm calling to book a balloon ride for two on Saturday evening?"

…

"Uh, yeah it's Duncan Miller and Courtney Álvarez. I haven't been on one, but I think she has."

…

"Five-thirty's great. Okay, we'll be there. Thank you."

Duncan mentally crossed a line on his list. If doing this meant they'd have a memorable, story-worthy day, it would all be worth it in the end. He turned to walk back to the living room but jumped at the sight of Courtney looking in the refrigerator. "Oh my God! How long have been standing there?"

Courtney looked at him before refocusing on the contents of their refrigerator. She seemed to be low-energy and confused by him being startled. "Oh, hey, Babe. I just got here?" He appeared to calm down after she told him. She couldn't find anything that she wanted, so she closed the door defeated, and sighed against the door.

"What's wrong? Didn't you have another class today?"

"Yeah, but my professor went into labor, so it got cancelled. I'm happy for her and all, but now I'm glum." This was one thing he knew upset her, but one thing he couldn't understand. Her personal enjoyment for classroom settings, participation points, and homework made her feel most productive. So, missing out on it made her star dim.

"Needa hug?" Duncan held his arms out to invite her in and hoped his heart rate didn't give away nearly getting caught by her. She responded by entering and wrapping her arms around his torso. She looked up at him. Her voice was so low and the number of times he'd seen her like this were very seldom.

"Thank you. I'm gonna go shower now." He let her go do whatever she could to raise her spirits, but he couldn't help but find her crestfallen demeanor cute.

He heard the bathroom door shut and he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding in. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this nervous around her. Duncan habitually relied on his confidence as a stand in and he couldn't decipher whether it weakened from the act of posing the question, or the method he chose to take under the influence of his best friends' views.

Duncan's cell phone went off. It was a number he couldn't place but answered anyway. before he could say anything, he heard another man's voice speaking in a sultry tone.

"Hey, Courtney. It's Carlos. You gave me this number for the order, right?"

"This isn't Courtney. It's Duncan, her boyfriend. She wanted me to pick up her order. But, if you plan on talking to my girlfriend like that again, I can give you something I'm good at, too."

"Oh, alright. it's ready for pickup. Bye"

The call dropped immediately after he spoke.

***

Duncan sat on their couch with a picnic basket in his hands. It would be their first time in a month where they were able to devote a day to themselves without their busy lives getting in the way. Duncan was feeling the pressure now in hopes of the success of this day; he just hoped he'd done right by her with his plans. His head filled with preoccupations and all the possible ways it can go while Courtney readied herself for their outing. Duncan looked in the direction her voice was coming from, abruptly bringing him out of his contemplative state.

"What do you think?" Her white dress highlighted her warm skin. The puffed sleeves-cottage core look was not her usual style, but she pulled it off effortlessly. He stood up from the couch, ready to hype his girl up.

"I just thought I'd try something new since I haven't dressed up in a while. I think I look pretty good."

"My god you look gorgeous, Princess."

"Oh, stop. You really think so?" Courtney feigned bashfulness before she broke out into a few poses, looking over her shoulder and putting her hands on her hips. Duncan playfully scooped her up and kissed her on her cheek.

"Ready to head out?"

The car ride to the dock park filled with conversation of Courtney's excitement and Duncan's guise of normalness. When they arrived, the sky took on a gray hue, one Duncan did not expect from the forecast he checked today. They found the spot of their choice and unfolded their blanket. Their time was spent indulging in their favorite foods packed, relaxing, and reading.

Courtney laid her head on Duncan's lap, holding a book in her face while he fed her grapes, helping her live up to his name for her. She closed it when she looked up and noticed Duncan was being quieter than usual. "What are you thinking about?" Courtney sat up to face him.

Duncan tried to shift the focus of the conversation to her to deflect. Still, Courtney persisted. "How beautiful you are right now."

"Nice one, but seriously. What's going on?"

"Nothing. Why are you being such a lawyer?"

"Because it gives me answers; you've been acting weird, key-lime-square-eater."

Duncan threw a grape at her hoping to distract her. Courtney tried not to laugh when her mouth dropped open. To counter, she reached for the can of whipped cream to dispense some on top of his head. She couldn't suppress her laughter after some of it fell on the tip of his nose, using her finger to catch enough to eat. Duncan challenged her even further. This was just their one of many food wars, just at a new, unexpected location. "You really wanna do this. Right here?" He grabbed the can, making Courtney retreat behind a nearby tree. He felt a few droplets from the sky fall on his head, but it was nothing serious enough to wreck their plans. He caught up to her, grabbing her from behind and carrying her back to their blanket while he threatened to dispense confectionary mousse on her hair. Courtney pleaded for mercy in between laughs.

"Duncan, please don't!"

"Don't dish what you can't take, Princess!"

Then, there were more droplets to which they didn't mind. The rain got a little heavier, but it didn't interrupt their preoccupation.

A bolt of lightning near a tree and shower-like pour down confirmed their decision to make a run for it in the boathouse near the docks.

They thanked the Gods for the door being unlocked as they entered the boathouse; the rain still beating loudly on the tin roof. This cabin proved to be nightmare fuel and they were surrounded by live bait, large, sharp fishhooks, and surprisingly no boat resting on the inside dock. Thunder rumbled loudly over the roof of the cabin just as they secured the door shut. Duncan's instincts compelled him to slip his leather jacket over Courtney's shoulders to stop her from shivering but took the ring box out of his pocket before doing so and stuffed it in his jeans pocket. He tried his best not to show his annoyance to their plans, but then it dawned on him that maybe this happened for a reason. He could read the signs the universe usually gave him, and this time he determined that the storm was a sign that he was right all along. He subtly joked about the fortunate event, trying to throw a curve to keep her surprised.

"Worst date ever, huh?"

Her hair was still dripping wet, and her natural waves made her hair shrink slightly. She was cold, wet. Her response surprised him. It was as if she tore a page from his book and didn't base her happiness on perfection. "I mean... it depends on how you look at it. I'm with you. We haven't had a day like this in a while." She wrapped her fingers around his arms to pull him in and attach her lips to his. Her acceptance of their situation confirmed his perception of their moment, and he felt more ready than he'd ever been to ask her. Their kiss was shortened when Duncan pulled away slowly, and his hands went from her hips to hold onto her forearms. He kept his eyes on hers as he brought one knee to the floor, still holding onto her when he started.

"It isn't gonna get more memorable than this."

Courtney caught on immediately and had no control over the tears flowing to her eyes. Her voice broke when she tried to speak. "Duncan..."

"Courtney, when I told you that you save my life every time, I meant it. I don't know where the hell I'd be if you weren't in my life." He continued, and the more he spoke, the more relief he felt.

"You are the only person who makes change worth it because you deserve the best of me if it means dealing with the worst sometimes. I want to keep giving the best of me to you. I love you so much, it's been this way for so long, and I don't think I'll stop."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out that small box, and held it open in front of her while she tried to wipe away the tears on her face. "Will you marr-"

"Yes" Duncan let out a breathy laugh, both relieved and humored by her fervent nature.

She giggled as she choked back tears while Duncan slid the ring on her finger. He stood up to hold her in his arms tightly, not wanting to let go as she left lipstick marks all over his face and neck.

Courtney forgot they were in a fish cabin. Duncan often had that effect on her.

***

When the rain let up, they decided the best way to spend the rest of their day was in the comfort of their own home, on the couch, wrapped up in blankets. Courtney finally got her hands on her favorite dessert, and they were watching whatever interested them on TV.

"Carlos always nails it perfectly with these!" He glanced at her and remembered his interaction with that baker.

"By the way that guy has it bad for you. I don't blame him though. Now, he knows better than to bother you, though." Courtney objected in disbelief, still chewing her dessert.

"He does not!"

"Of course you're blind to any guy having the hots for you. If it weren't that way, we would've been together since ninth grade."

"That sheer confidence. What gave you the idea I wanted to date you in the ninth grade?"

"The ring on your finger tells me otherwise."

She held her hand out proudly and admired the oval-shaped gem on her finger.

"How did you afford this? You didn't rob a jewelry store, did you?" Duncan gave her a blank stare before she started giggling. He brought her hand down and intertwined his fingers with hers, looking at the TV again.

"No. I started saving the day before you moved in with me."

Courtney's chest warmed up with an unexplained feeling of completeness when he told her. She looked in his direction and into his eyes; she felt even more soothed after realizing he rubbed circles on her hand with this thumb. She gave him a look of contentment before positioned her head on his shoulder and stared at the TV while he slid his arm around her shoulder.

"Thank you." He looked down at her, puzzled at her sudden gratitude.

"For what?"

"For giving me your shirt at the beach. For opening conversations about our feelings that I was too scared to have, and just growing with me. Had it been anyone else, I think my life would be very... fragmentary. Like, this just wouldn't feel right with another person. Maybe even... insipid? We might not make total sense to some, but I feel like I perfectly fit here." She let her mind speak for itself in this moment while she traced the lines of the tattoo on his hand out of habit.

"You said it better than I did. I love you, and if I can express that in any way, I'll take it." Duncan knew he'd always remember feeling unfathomably lucky to have taken this route of fate.

"I love you, too."

A/N: Well I hope you all enjoyed this one! Again thank you for reading and I’ll see you in act vi

#duncney #td courtney #td duncan #duncney fic

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league-of-thots · 4 years

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Cloudy Days and Summer Smiles - A BNHArem collab

Pairing: Aizawa x reader

Warnings: none (sfw), hurt and comfort, brief talking about abduction

Word Count: 4.6k

AN: I haven’t been able to do a collab in a while, but I was super excited to grab Aizawa for this one. If you want to see the other amazing works for the collab, click HERE. also a special thanks to @ikinabi for helping my dumbass with a banner, i love it so much red thank you <3. i hope you all enjoy this one

Date nights weren’t really a part of Shouta’s and your relationship. With him constantly working his ass off, and you also having to work, there wasn’t a lot of time that the two of you could spend going out together. Not that you minded of course, snuggling up to your boyfriend and simply talking with him whenever the two of you had free time was probably your favourite thing in the world.

You’d noticed though, that despite there being a summer break in school, that the pressure on Shouta to perform more in hero work had kept his stress levels and exertion really high. It hurt you to see your boyfriend constantly exhausted, yet he wouldn’t drop any of the extra hero shifts he’d been given recently.

You knew why of course. You knew that he always wrapped up his self worth in his hero work and in passing on knowledge to students. Of course, that also made it more painful to see him work himself so hard, you know just how amazing he is, and yet he works himself to the bone trying to be better. So, you do your best to try to make things easier for him, going over to his apartment to tidy up sometimes, or making dinner there and leaving it on the stove for him to eat when he got home.

You swear that one day you’re going to find where he hid his stupid stash of fruit pouches, that he swears are nutritional enough to be a meal. No matter how much you wheedle him, or show him facts, or just be plainly worried for him, he has an irrational attachment to them. He needed good food, and he needed a lot of it, because he worked a hell of a lot. Now if only you could get that through his head.

So, it’s become another habit of yours to always bring over some healthy snacks, high in protein and salts to help him recover from tough work days and power through the next ones. You keep notice of things he likes or doesn’t like, and be sure to try and put some stashes of them in his cupboard so that he can see them before he goes to work. It’s made it a little better.

He’s started doing a similar set of things for you, bringing you coffees if he was in the area where you worked. Another favourite were the fruit smoothies he’d make when you were feeling a bit down. Although he wants to be there for you more, you understand that he’s always stretched thin across two jobs, and you always make sure that he knows how much you love him despite that.

You know that Shouta feels particularly upset when he has to cancel some of the few date nights the two of you have planned due to work. Of course, you don’t blame him, it’s a part of the man you fell in love with. You know you feel disappointed when it happens, but you always try to reassure him that it’s not because of him, its just the fact that you don’t get to see him. You hope it relieves some of the guilt he feels, because really, you’re proud of all his hard work, and love how steadfast he is all the time.

Though you wish he really would take better care of himself.

It was going to be a good weekend though, you were excited to spend it all with Shouta, who’d taken a weekend off for once. As soon as he’d gotten it confirmed, you’d started planning some little things the two of you could do together after not having seen each other for a few weeks. It had been tough, yes, but you’d made sure to call him every day or every other day two, and you’d made sure that you’d also dropped off some treats, putting them on his table so he’d actually notice them.

He’d always send you the cutest cat videos to you, making sure to send a cute little message, his own way of telling you thanks. It makes you feel warm inside, the little gestures bringing you happiness that would brighten your day a bit.

Anyways, to what you’d been planning. You knew that even on date nights that actually happened, Shouta always preferred lowkey events, something where the two of you could spend quality time with one another and just talk. You’d decided that you’d do your best to make a sweet little lunch for the two of you, and maybe even a dessert too. You’d looked up the weather and it was supposed to be sunny and partially cloudy, the perfect day for a picnic in the public gardens.

You put on some nice clothes you always had for the hot summer air, and start packing up a basket you’d bought a while ago and never actually had the chance to use. You were practically giddy with excitement. The last six times you’d tried to see him, he’d had to cancel, and no matter how much you tried to push down the feeling of being unimportant, it stuck around.

It wasn’t about you after all, it was about Shouta and the people he was helping. You can’t be so selfish about his time; you knew what his schedule was like before the two of you even started dating.

Yet you couldn’t quiet that little voice in your head that said you were never going to be the most important thing in his life. That he’d give you up for the chance to do more to help as many people as he could.

It burned shamefully within you, how could you distrust him, the one who showed his love for you in al his little gestures and acts of affection? But also, the times he’d snap, brush you off, act like it were a chore to actually be together… those things would keep you tossing and turning for long nights. You know that Shouta would reassure you and help you get over these feelings if you talked to him; you just couldn’t erase the fear that telling him would push him away.

Which is why you were so excited to see him again, you know that seeing him and talking with him will wipe away those fears, like waves crashing onto a sandy beach. You know you can get over this yourself, there’s no need to drag your boyfriend into stupid insecurities. Especially over ones founded just off of coincidences.

He has enough to worry about on his own, after all.

You pack up the salmon sushi and the other little bites of food with the meal, put the pastries in a little tin and add it into your basket. Grabbing a soft blanket, you fold it, place it on top of the blanket and grab the sunhat Shouta had gotten you after you’d pointed it out on a walk you’d been on. Smiling at yourself in the mirror, you grab the basket and head out to go meet him.

The gardens aren’t too far away from your house, and you enjoy a lazy walk, the sun warming you up. Near the gardens is a family park, and you hear children giggling and screaming in joy as they play with their parents. It softens your heart, and you feel you shoulders relax, not noticing them being tensed in the first place. Part of you imagines being one of those families with Shouta one day…

You find a small hill within the gardens, the grass rather long and waving in the breeze, hundreds of flowers with multiple types surrounding you. Setting out the blanket, and the food, you take a picture of the area. You send it to your boyfriend, and you know that he’ll recognize the place you are from your many walks together. So, you lie out, relaxing your arms behind your head and gazing up at the sky, where clouds are slowly covering the baby blue with grey.

Time passes, and you’re getting a little bit antsy. You’ve checked your phone, and you have no messages from Shouta, and it’s already been half an hour since the two of you were supposed to meet up. It wasn’t like him to not mention if he couldn’t make it. He always gave you a heads up in case something else had popped up. You sent him a quick text asking if he was alright, and if his plans were still the same.

You got no response, and as you neared an hour of waiting you gave into the hunger in your stomach and ate the lunch you’d packed. You still saved the dessert though, the thought of eating any sweets poisoned by the sickening feeling that was settling within your stomach.

You were worried, and called Shouta just to check in on him, but were greeted with a dial tone message. “Hey, Sho.” You start off a little quiet and you clear your throat. “I just wanted to check in on you, I haven’t heard from you all day, love. Just… let me know if you’re alright please. Love you.” You quickly hang up so he doesn’t hear your heavy sigh.

What if he just didn’t want to deal with you anymore? You know it’s illogical and yet… its too coincidental a timing for your brain to let it go. Plus, he’d never skipped out on a meet up between the two of you without saying anything, and it was throwing your world off balance. You feel a wetness on your face, and you look up to see that clouds had completely covered the sky, and rain had started falling down from them.

You laughed a little at the sight. Truly, this date was not supposed to happen, even the weather was showing you that. You leave one of the little plates of sushi out on the rock, not being able to bear taking it home on your own. You gather the now soaked blanket and the basket still full of treats you’d spent hours making.

The cold rain patters down your back and you shiver as you begin your movements back in the direction of your home.

You figure you’ll hear from Shouta soon. He might have completely neglected you on that day, but it was the first time anything like this had ever happened between the two of you. Maybe he’d just had a bad day, made a mistake. Maybe he’d forgotten to charge his phone, which had happened before. A few times you had answered your phone expecting to hear the loud voice of Hizashi, but receiving the soothing voice of your boyfriend.

So you’re not very worried when the rest of the afternoon goes by and Shouta hasn’t made any contact with you. You text Hizashi to see if maybe Shouta had been with him, but no luck on that front. Hizashi had the week off from hero work, and hadn’t heard from Shouta today either.

As more time went along, the more worried you got. All your insecurities started to bubble up, and all the mistakes you’d made in your relationship – even the small ones like forgetting he was lactose intolerant – started building up in your head. You’d probably driven him away with your constant affection, or maybe it had been the overbearing way you tried to help him. Maybe you weren’t pretty enough or good enough in bed for him, or maybe he just grew tired of you.

By the time you usually went to bed, you were an anxious mess. There were so many possibilities, and your anxiety was telling you that none of them were good. Surely somewhere you’d fucked up.

Knowing you have work tomorrow, you pop one of your sleeping aids and try desperately to get some semblance of rest. You know it’s going to be a rough night, but hopefully you can get enough rest that tomorrow will be bearable to you.

Three days later, and Shouta still hadn’t reached out to you. You felt heartbroken that he hadn’t yet, and felt unfairly abandoned. Neither of his friends had heard from him either, and you doubt that they were covering up from him either, because you’d heard the worried undertones of their voice. It terrified you to think that the closest people in his life had no idea where he was or what he was doing.

Unbidden images of your boyfriend bloody and broken in torn down places were constantly popping up into your brain. At this point, you just wanted to know if he was alive, because you’d gone to his apartment and there had been no sign of anyone having been there for a few days at least.

You tried to keep your mind away from that dark place, and yet it would keep circling back, as if to say that the worst-case scenario was happening right at that very moment.

It was driving you mad with worry, and you called the agency that Shouta was working for at the moment just in case they could tell you. Most of the time, you wouldn’t be allowed to know anything confidential. Even though you were the emergency contact for Shouta, you were still a civilian, and that meant that you were often left in the dark about certain conditions and events that your lover was a part of.

“Hello, this is Sleep-stroke Agency, how may I direct your call.” The woman’s voice on the other side of the line was smooth and had a soft tone. It soothed your nerves enough to allow you to pull yourself together to find the words you needed.

“Hi, um- this is Ms. Y/L/N. I’m the emergency contact for Aizawa Shouta, Eraserhead. He works for this agency at the moment.” You take another slow breath and let it out. “I’m calling because its been a few days since me, or his close hero friends had heard from him, and I was wondering if something had happened to him…” you taper off and you wait for the reply.

You hear some quick typing in the background, a little mumbling that you can’t make out until she stops and clears her voice with a rather pointed cough. “Ah, I’m really sorry, but I cannot tell you, dear. That’s classified information.”

“Can you at least tell me if he’s alive?” you plead with her, desperate. You should’ve known right away that something really major must’ve happened, how could you have ever doubted your Shouta?

“The rules are clear, Ms. There was an unexpected circumstance that arose and needed Eraserhead’s presence. I cannot tell you any more detail than that.” Her voice drops the professional tone for a few seconds. “I know how hard this can be, hun. Please try to hold yourself together until you get some concrete news.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you for your time.” You hang up and feel the energy drain from your body as you slump onto the couch.

Guilt and worry and fear were all mixing into this toxic combination as you sat with all your thoughts, and you soaked in them, unable to gather the strength to pull yourself out. If something had happened to him, something serious, when you were worried about how good the desserts would taste, or if he were going to break up with you… Well, you wouldn’t be able to forgive yourself for a long time.

In a daze you blindly call one of your friends, blearily noticing it’s the middle of the afternoon and she should be able to take your call. You needed some words of comfort right now, no matter who they’re from. You barely hear the hello she greets you with before you start sobbing into the phone uncontrollably.

It’s been two weeks now, although you can’t tell from feeling it. It seems like no time has passed since you’d made that phone call to Shouta’s agency, your life had become a daze. Somehow you managed to go to work and make three meals a day for yourself, but you couldn’t really recall what you’d been doing. If someone were to ask you what you’d been doing, all you’d be able to reply with is nothing, because all you could do at home was blearily look at the walls, ceiling, window… Without any clear news, you were shrouded in this cloud of uncertainty, completely helpless on deciding what you should actually do in response to this nightmare.

It was approaching your third anniversary, and you weren’t even sure if he was alive to celebrate it. That thought sobered you up, and you shakily made yourself some tea, to warm your hands which felt frozen at in your terror. You need something to ground you, something that will make everything feel real again, so you begin your breathing techniques. You listen to asmr, something that would often calm you.

Eventually, with you working at it, you manage to calm yourself, despite the odds stacked against you. Needing a distraction, you turn on the TV as you curl up in a blanket near the fireplace on the side of your living room. Sleep had become your enemy during the few weeks, although you wanted nothing but the sweet embrace of numbness it would give you.

You couldn’t sleep yet again, so you’d migrated to the couch to read a little bit and look over some of the news. Apparently, rompers were making a comeback, though you weren’t too surprised about that.

It was all in the name of distraction anyways. The TV had gotten stale, and you felt yourself dripping into that scattered and anxious headspace, so you had to change it up, keep everything else at bay until you had an idea of what to do.

It’s one in the morning when you hear the weak knock at the door, and instantly, you’re on high alert, your nerves tingling. You quickly make your way up to it and use the peephole to catch a glimpse of whoever would be knocking on your door this late. You nearly burst into tears right then and there upon seeing your boyfriend’s face, bruised and scratched, but whole.

You fumble with the locks in your haste to open it up, the desire to hold him, to make sure he was really there making your movements feel alien. “Shouta!” you cry as you finally fling it open, and you can see his eyes soften as he looks down at you.

“Hi there, kitten. Can I come in?” his voice is hoarse and a little bit shaky, but his words are clear as a summer sky. You immediately throw your arms around him, squeezing him tight against you, and his head comes down onto your shoulder as he wraps his own around you as well.

“Of course,” you say thickly, through new tears that threaten to spill from your eyes. “There’s always room in here for you, Sho.” You lead him into your living area, making him lie down on the couch while you sit on the floor by his head. You run your fingers through his hair, gently combing out the larger knots as you lay your head down onto his chest. His heart is thumping in a steady rhythm, and you start to relax as you realize that, no, this isn’t a dream. This is real, your boyfriend is alive and ok, though a little bit worse for wear.

The two of you sit in silence for a little bit, his eyes closing and his breathing relaxing as he leans into the hand tangled in his hair. It brings a soft smile to your face, and you file away the memory to be able to look back on.

“Shouta, I’m going to get you some tea if you’d like it.” You say softly, almost afraid to disturb the little bit of peace the two of you have made on your couch at 1 in the morning. His eyes open lazily and he nods his assent, and you go to get his favourite blend you have sitting in the top shelf with your other types.

Once the kettles done its work, you bring two cups over to coffee table. Shouta has already sat up and accepts the tea with a small smile as you move to sit beside him. The two of you drink in silence for a little while, not afraid to disturb anything, but simply to preserve the moment before talks need to happen.

As the two of you finish, he clears his throat. “I’m sorry for missing our picnic, love.” He says, rather gruffly, as if to hide the thick emotion knotting his words. “I- well I wasn’t expecting to have to go to another city.”

“Why did you, they said it was some classified mission, even Hizashi and Nemuri had no idea. They were scared, and honestly… that was terrifying.” You tell him the truth, because that’s how the two of you are, valuing clarity in your relationship.

He fiddles a little with the scarf that’s always present around his shoulders. “The whole thing was a setup. I got on the train early that morning and was knocked unconscious.” He starts in a monotone voice, factually, as if he were still processing it himself. “I didn’t even know how much time had passed until I’d woken up in the hospital two days ago. I was unconscious for most of my stay there, and they didn’t give me access to anything or anyone until they were sure I was clear.”

“Oh my god…” Your eyes had widened as you looked at him with horror, it sounded so much worse than he was saying. You pulled him close to you. He was trembling just barely beneath your grasp, a sign of just how intense the past couple of weeks had been for him. You try your best to be a rock for him, comforting him and listening to him talk about what he could. He didn’t go into graphic detail, but just the bare bones had you fighting back anger and sadness. He shouldn’t have had to go through that.

You help him get ready for sleep, bringing him some extra clothes and taking out the spare toothbrush you had for him. He thanks you with a swift kiss to your forehead, and you giggle before going back to the other room to clean up the dishes. You made the decision there, that you wouldn’t bring up your insecurities to him until he was back into the groove of daily life, and had time to recover.

After cleaning yourself up, you drag Shouta to bed, and the two of you fall asleep wrapped in each others arms.

About a month had passed since that night where Shouta had come to your doorstep early in the morning and wrecked. Since then things had begun their return to normalcy, something which both relieved you and at the same time made you a little nervous. You weren’t sure how to ever broach the topic you wanted to with him.

Which was illogical, as he would say. You know he takes you seriously, and that he’d want to put your fears at rest. But, part of you feels so guilty for even thinking of doubting him, and you don’t want to hurt him like that. You trust him more than anyone, you just had a lack of faith in yourself that was hard to ignore sometimes.

The opportunity came when he suggested the two of you tried to do the picnic once again, much to your delight. He’d asked softly if you would make the same meal again, he said it had looked delicious and he wanted to try it. You could only smile and agree, knowing how much he hated cooking himself, but loved yours heartily.

You’d done much the same thing as last time, though now, with a little trepidation just due to the fact that last time you’d tried this, Shouta had gotten kidnapped. But there was nothing else to do other than to shake yourself out of it and move forwards. So that’s what you did.

You made your way to the same area, heart pattering as you found the spot empty. He wasn’t there yet, that much was clear, but that was normal, he wasn’t a tardy man, but he also didn’t see the use of going to things earlier than he had planned.

Ten, fifteen, thirty minutes go buy, and with each passing minute, you feel your heart grow heavier. Why did such shitty things happen to you on what were supposed to be events filled with happiness? There are still no clouds in the sky though, and you look up and stare into the never ending blue. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be, and you’d just have to live with that.

You don’t remember closing your eyes, but you do remember the soft laugh of your boyfriend waking you up. You open your eyes blearily to the beautiful sight of your boyfriend smiling happily and it brings a sleepy smile to your face.

“Shouta! You came.” You exclaim happily. He looks a bit confused at that.

“Of course I did, Y/N, why wouldn’t I?” Curse your still half-asleep brain. You didn’t want to bring it up like this.

“It’s nothing,” you try to brush it off, knowing it likely won’t work.

“Obviously not. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s really stupid looking back on it…”

“I don’t care about that kitten, just be honest with me.”

“It’s not a slight on you at all though, okay? Keep that in mind please, Shouta.”

He looks confused for a second. “Of course.”

You take a deep breath. “It’s just that, it was really hard to see you for a few weeks before you had your unplanned trip.” He nods his agreement. “I knew it wasn’t the case, but I got worried that maybe I wasn’t interesting enough, or I was holding you back from things. Then you didn’t show for our date and I panicked a bit, thought you might’ve found a way to just move on from me. I know you’re the most amazing thing that’s happened to me in my life, and I’m just terrified of losing that.” You can’t look in his eyes the shame pulling your gaze down.

“Hey,” he says softly, pulling your head up gently, until you’re forced to look into his eyes. “I’m not going to fault you for having insecurities. Everyone has them.”

“I know, Sho, but you’ve been nothing short of amazing to me, and here I am doubting you.”

“Well, I don’t blame you. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in thoughts and start to spiral into overthinking. But here’s the truth. I am in love with you. You make my days better, and give me something to look forwards to on long days and nights.” You smile up at him, eyes a little misty.

“Good thing I feel the same way then, huh?” you giggle, trying to pull a laugh out of him. You get a small smirk instead, which satisfies you.

He leans into you and presses a soft kiss on your lips, light and fully of love. When you chase after him, he pulls away a bit laughing, so you tackle him to the ground and start to pepper his face with kisses.

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and its there you realize just how much you love him as he stares up at you like you’re the sun in the sky.

#jays writes #aizawa x reader #hurt and comfort #sfw

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painless-innit-colourful · 3 years

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‘Where I Go, Will You Still Follow?’ - A Clingyduo Fic from the Hunger Games AU

In the most ironic twist, I missed Tommy’s lore stream on Monday writing Clingyduo comfort/hurt (in that order). I wasn’t sure whether this fandom needed any more angst right now, but whatever, take this anyway. This fic is set in a Hunger Games AU where the characters of the Dream SMP reside in Panem and must compete in the Games. Only Tommy + Tubbo appear in this fic though. Angst reigns supreme on Reaping Day, where the boys face the possibility of being picked for the deadly Hunger Games for the first time. (Also I promise you don’t have to have read HG to get this.)

tw nothing really, they’re only being reaped here.

word count: 3102

On the morning of the reaping, two boys tread carefully through a desolate orchard.

At this time of year, the trees are mostly left to their own devices. In about six months their boughs will bear fruit, and there will be plenty of people scurrying to and fro beneath them collecting their bounty to be stored and sent to the Capitol. Those very boys will join them. However, on that late Spring morning there is no one about. During this season the trees require only the occasional pruning, and everyone’s still in bed this early anyway. No reason to get up on a day where you don’t need to. Public holidays like this are rare.

Tommy and Tubbo hold hands as they move through the trees. Old habit, they suppose, a defense mechanism against getting split up, for better or worse. With the number of people in their district it can make public gatherings hazardous for lonely children, and if there’s anything worse than getting caught alone in a stampede, it’s getting left behind in a chase. If one boy falls, so does the other. If one boy is caught with his hand in the larder, the other will be nearby. The two of them are a package deal: where one goes, the other follows.

They only stop when they’re sure they’re properly alone, deep in the orchard. It would take anyone hours to find them; it would take most people hours to get out from this point. But years spent traversing these paths - both from the ground and the branches above - have given them an instinctual knowledge on which way to go. They settle in beneath a large apple tree; lush and green now that the blossoms have since blown away. They go about unwrapping several grease paper packages that were previously weighing down their pockets as Tommy hums a tune to keep them company. Tubbo shuffles uncomfortably as they lay out a small breakfast of half a loaf of bread - dark and dotted with seeds, District 11’s signature - a petite disc of cheese that Tubbo suspects Tommy sat on at some point, and an apple each. Food they either squirreled away from the pantry at the orphanage or stole outright. The thought pinches Tubbo’s cheeks.

“What’s that sour face for?” Tommy asks him, flicking his eyes up every so often as he arranges the cheese on the bread with a tiny knife stashed in his boot and breaks the half-crescent of bread roughly in half. “You’re not still worried about getting caught.”

Tubbo sighs, and it tells Tommy all he needs to know. “C’mon! We covered our tracks and literally no one saw us.” When Tubbo’s expression doesn’t change, he puts a comforting hand on his friend’s arm. “Well, definitely no one saw you. I’ll take the hit for it, if they find out.”

“No, it’s- fine.”

“Your face says otherwise, my friend.” All the same, Tommy retracts his arm and finishes haphazardly spreading the cheese upon the bread. He nudges one of the apples towards Tubbo with his foot, “Here, start.”

“Excuse me, the apple comes after the main course, how dare you break tradition.”

“My apologies, my liege.”

The easy smile returns briefly to Tubbo’s face as they laugh, then quickly melts away again. Tommy fixes him with a sympathetic look. “What?” Tubbo asks, locking eyes with him as he finishes brutalising the cheese and hands him his half. “You’re worried about the reaping.”

“And you’re not?”

“Should I be?” When Tubbo gives him a sideways glare, Tommy shrugs. “Dude, it’s a tiny chance. Two in thousands and thousands. You’re more likely to get struck by lightning than have either of our names fished out of the bowl.” And though Tommy was likely skewing his numbers a bit, he supposed it was true. It was their first year of reapings and neither of them had taken any tesserae. They were about as safe as you could be between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Still…

“Besides,” Tommy continued. “If your name gets called, I’m sure someone would volunteer for you.” He barely makes it to the end of his sentence before Tubbo’s noise of dismissal drowns him out. “Yeah right. Let’s be realistic here.” Tommy leans back against the tree as he eats. Sunlight peeks through the branches at random intervals, illuminating him in softly glowing patches. He turns his head slightly and beckons Tubbo over with a nod. They shift their bodies and the food around until they’re sitting shoulder to shoulder between two large roots, and Tubbo finds that the sunlight is almost as warm as Tommy beside him.

They remain in that position for some time, eating their way through their swindled picnic. It’s a bit much for an ordinary breakfast, but it’s somewhat of a tradition to have something special on reaping day. Makes the hours standing in the square while the Mayor drones on about how it’s right to send two children to their deaths a bit more bearable. According to those traditions, you’re supposed to celebrate with a meal after the reaping too, though neither boy is quite sure where that convention came from. Not many in District 11 could afford it in any case.

At some point Tubbo drops a hand to the floor between them, and at some later instance Tommy places his where their fingers can interlace. “You’re nervous too.” Tubbo states without looking at his companion, instead remaining as he is, staring past the leaves to the clear blue sky. “No way.” Tubbo giggles at Tommy’s indignant tone. “A big man like me is not scared of being picked in the reaping.”

“Fearless he is, Big Man Tommy.”

“Too right!” They laugh, and the terror their giggles mask bubbles just beneath the surface, a pot mere seconds from boiling over.

“Look, Tommy,” Tubbo’s voice becomes serious, and Tommy’s laughter peters out. “It’s all well and good laughing and joking about it, but… In the event one of us is chosen…” Their eyes meet and Tubbo squeezes Tommy’s hand, to which Tommy returns the grip. “I need you to tell me you remember our promise.” In response, Tommy sighs, drops Tubbo’s hand, puts that arm around his best friend’s shoulder, pulls him close and runs his free hand through his hair, almost all simultaneously. “Yes of course I remember it.”

“And?” Tubbo replies expectantly.

“And what?”

“Say it, you dummy.” Tommy places his free hand over his heart like a salute. “I, Tommy Innit, promise my dearest friend Tubbo Underscore, that if he is chosen for the Hunger Games in this afternoon’s reaping, I will not volunteer to take his place.” He waits for Tubbo to relax, satisfied, before tacking on: “Thus letting him be led away to a faraway place to be on television then get brutally murdered, also on television. “ He can feel Tubbo’s eye roll without even looking. “You made me promise the same.”

“Yeah I did, didn’t I?” He admits quietly, leaning his head against his best friend’s, brown curls obscuring half his vision.

“It’ll be okay, right?”

“Yeah.” Tubbo’s hair smells faintly of apples, somehow. Tommy squeezes his best friend and hopes he won’t have to betray him.

Unbeknownst to him, Tubbo has the same thought.

---

The duo spend the hours before the reaping as they usually do: sleeping in each others embrace somewhere they technically shouldn’t be, pretending the clothes they have to change into back at the orphanage are any better than what they’re changing out of, and hogging the second floor bathroom for way longer than necessary. The black storm cloud that is the reaping casts a longer shadow than previous years, but they manage to ignore it for most of the morning with enough shenanigans to fill their quota for the year. The clouds threaten to burst however when the time reaches half twelve, and the parentless teenagers of the district begin to make their way towards the square where the ceremony will take place. The once-blue sky darkens as the crumbling facade of the Justice Building comes into view, as if nature were waiting for her cue, and Tommy wonders if he jinxed himself with his earlier comments about being struck by lightning.

He’s holding Tubbo’s hand again - standard crowd procedure - and he’s thankful for about the millionth time that they’re the same age. They head with the other twelve year old orphans to the corresponding pen for their age group, and find themselves sandwiched in the centre. Tubbo exchanges a few words with some of their peers, most likely to be ‘Good luck’, but Tommy’s not really concentrating. The square is already full and still there’s many more people to come, and with every person that joins the crowd there will only be more cramming the possible tributes together like sardines in a tin. There have been crushes at reapings before; they tell them in school about the reaping for the seventh games, where too many spectators packed the floor and there was a panic that killed four people, including one kid in the crowd. In an ironic twist, their name was later pulled from the ball, and their escort had to be informed live on stage in front of the entire nation that they’d died earlier that day.

Decidedly, the odds were not in their favour.

Tommy doesn’t like to admit it, but tight spaces get to him. And here, packed in by bodies with camera crews perched high on the rooftops over the crowd, scanning for the faces that will leave the district tonight, he feels like a fish in a barrel. “Hey-” Tubbo’s voice reaches him through the din of thousands of people talking at once, but he sounds a million miles away. He practically crushes Tubbo’s fingers with his own, and, in retaliation, Tubbo flicks him on the nose. He blinks at him angrily for a second, the distraction welcome despite his show of annoyance. “Breathe, Tommy.” He forces air in and out of his lungs for about thirty seconds just to make sure he still can. Tubbo traces stars on the back of his hand.

By the time the Mayor’s stepped up to the podium and began his yearly recitation of the history of Panem, Tommy thinks he’s calmed himself down somewhat. Tubbo still traces stars in little pentagram patterns on Tommy’s hand with his thumb, and though it’s starting to get a little irritating, something stops him from signalling him to knock it off. He glances briefly sideways to Tubbo, and though his expression is mostly blank, the two have gotten used to watching each other’s tics and tells, signs that are imperceptible to anyone else but them. The small twitch at the corner of his mouth, the way he scrunches his nose slightly when he blinks, even the way he presses a little too hard with his thumb, his patterns becoming less uniform and the edges of his nails leaving little scratches. He’s as scared as Tommy. So he lets him keep doing it, for both their sakes.

The Mayor finishes his history lecture, reads the list of past victors and then finally introduces the District 11 escort, a spritely-looking man in a bottle-green suit called Montaque. He’s been the district’s escort for a few years, and Tommy and Tubbo used to joke his mustache was so spiky-sharp looking you could win a Games by using it as a weapon. He seems to glide across the stage as he gives a speech about District pride or some nonsense, then utters the classic phrase, “Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour.”

He crosses the stage to the front where two glass balls sit, holding thousands of tiny slips of paper. A lump forms in Tommy’s throat. Somewhere in one of those balls there’s two slips of paper that could serve as their one way ticket to the Capitol. He knows they’re somewhat lucky: some kids their age have many more slips thanks to tesserae, but Tommy feels a pang in his chest even as he thinks about it. Some kids have parents. Some kids have somewhere to put their tesserae so it won’t immediately get stolen. He and Tubbo may have considered it, but what use would they have for grain and oil when on most days they could barely hold onto their bedsheets? It was one less thing to worry about.

Montaque the Stupid sticks one of his disproportionately-large hands into the first glass ball, and retrieves a slip of paper, and Tommy begs inside his mind, not us not us not him. He reads the name, and the entire world suddenly stops spinning. Somewhere in the back of Tommy’s mind is a lag, like when one person in a chain of people passing produce from a field to a wagon disappears. The chain does its best to keep up, but it’s very quickly overwhelmed, leaving debris in the form of dropped vegetables and a backlog that needs to be attended to.

That’s how it feels inside Tommy’s head as the crowd parts for him, a sea of people craning their necks as they shuffle aside to form a runway for him towards the stage. This can’t be happening. His mind can’t catch up to the fact, doesn’t want to catch up to the fact that this is happening. He glances to his side and immediately regrets the action, for Tubbo stands beside him looking equal parts shell shocked and distressed. Their eyes meet, teary and desperate, and Tommy only has the strength to mouth ‘Promise’, before his feet start to carry him towards the stage alone, and his hand in Tubbo’s becomes an outstretched arm. When they finally let go Tommy can feel the ghost of his friend’s hand in his own, and knows that it will be one of the last kind touches he ever receives. He tries not to think of that as he half-marches towards the veranda. He doesn’t look back for fear it’ll set him off crying, but if he were to, he would see Tubbo standing impossibly alone in such a huge crowd, holding the hand that held Tommy’s to his chest.

He mounts the stage and looks out over the people of the district he calls home, a tiny voice in his head telling him to make the most of this last time. Last time. He searches for Tubbo in the crowd, spotting him easily by the empty pathway he just walked down being slowly absorbed back into the crowd. He can see even from here the tears shining on his cheeks, the way his whole body shakes with the effort of holding more back. There’s a couple orphanage kids looking like they’re trying to console him, and, if Tommy should weigh in, doing a pretty sh’it job. He looks away to watch Montaque snatch the second slip of paper from the glass ball, and he tenses every fibre of his being shouting internally please please please. The name is read, and this time Tommy finds himself still breathing and present as some older kid makes his own shaky way to the podium. He’s about fourteen, with a stocky build that betrays work in the crop fields. As he takes his place opposite Tommy, the young boy is reminded that the Games will be full of people like him. Stronger, older opponents. Tommy, at the monumental age of twelve, doesn’t stand a chance.

The moment lingers, and then it keeps lingering, and then Tommy turns to Montaque to find out why the da’mn moment won’t move on. He’s staring out into the crowd once more, and Tommy’s heart, already too heavy, drops straight into his boots as he follows Montaque’s gaze. The crowd parts once more, and Tubbo strides forward, a shaky confidence marking his every step. The murmurs around the square hush, as he comes to stand mere metres from the tributes. Tommy wants to catch his eye, shake his head, scream at him to stop, but Tubbo doesn��t look at him. Tommy knows exactly what he intends to do as he opens his mouth; Tommy mouths the words along with him.

“I volunteer as tribute.”

Now you’ve gone and done it.

Montaque, biggest pri’ck on the planet, waxes lyrical about courage and bravery while he arranges the exchange of the fourteen year old for Tubbo. As if he’d ever know what it is to be brave. As the Mayor takes over once more, reading the Treaty of Treason as he is bound by duty to do, Tommy tries to catch the attention of his best friend, who’s acting annoyingly aloof. He watches as Tubbo stares into the distance, looking alarmingly calm with the whole ordeal. Tommy wants to scream, and do a bit more than scream and call him all the foul names he can think of and demand he un-volunteer and why? You stupid bi’tch absolute idiot why would you volunteer when we had a promise, why did you betray the promise? Why? Why why why why why?

As the Mayor wraps up the Treaty bore-fest, he motions for the two tributes to shake hands. Tributes. Now bound unrelentingly for an arena where they will kill other people. Other children. Maybe even each other.

Tommy feels some comfort in how helpless their situation is. Odds are they’ll die long before each other are a threat. They’re going to be a team obviously, and Tommy’s going to protect Tubbo as long as he can. That’s what he promised him the day they met, and that’s what he intends to do.

They shake hands, and Tubbo finally looks at him. The tears have dried on his cheeks. They take a little longer than is necessary, conducting a silent conversation between them.

‘Sorry.’

‘I am so fu’cking mad at you.’

‘You thought I would really leave you?’

‘I hoped I was wrong.’

They stand for the anthem. They are carted into the Justice Building to wait for people to come and say goodbye. No one comes. They weren’t expecting anyone anyway. They are all they have; all they’ve ever had. And where one goes, the other follows.

Tommy waits alone in the Justice Building, trying to figure out if the first thing he’ll do when he’s alone with Tubbo is hug him or strangle him. Beyond that though, he has to protect his boy. He has to keep his promise. An uneasy feeling stirs his gut. One promise has already been broken today.

And the odds aren’t playing nice.

#hell yeah i finally posted it #honestly i don't have a lot to say other than i hope you enjoyed #let's keep rereading the fluffy parts right?? anyway #i'm distraught over current events on the dsmp and this is how i'm coping #dream smp #hg au #tommyinnit #tubbo #dsmp fic #dream smp fanfic #crim writes #real proud of this one #all in one go. never written 3000 words in a day before

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reluctant-mandalore · 4 years

Text

🎃Mandoctober🎃Day 22: Naptime

The Mandalorian and his son enjoy a pleasant afternoon in a field of flowers, ending their little adventure off with a nap.

Warnings: Fluff, son and dad bonding. That’s it. It’s just fluffy times y’all.

Word Count: 974

Pairing: No romantic Pairing (dad and son bonding time y’all)

a/n: Hey y’all! This prompt was perfect for filling my need of having Din and the child cuddling. So that’s exactly what y’all got! It’s not my most favourite piece, but I hope you all like it anyway! Please enjoy some nice bonding between our favourite tin can man and his cute green son!!

The Mandalorian had watched the clouds drift by, the sunlight warming him under its gentle rays. His back rested against the trunk of an old tree, the child fast asleep on his chest. The only sounds that could be heard in the large field were that of the quiet snores which left the child, and the rustling of leaves hanging above the two lounging beneath. All in all, it was a peaceful and relaxing afternoon, which the Mandalorian found he was enjoying immensely.

Times like this made Din want to remove the helmet he wore, wanting to feel the cool breeze on his skin for once in his life. Although the creed held him firmly, and he resisted the urge as always. Instead, he focused on taking in the pleasant surroundings, while also keeping a steady eye on the child resting within his grasp.

The child let out his tiny snores, his small chest rising and falling with each one that escaped him. He looked peaceful cradled in the Mandalorian’s arms, like there was nowhere else he’d rather be sleeping. Din couldn’t imagine his beskar chestplate being comfortable by any means, but the child didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, as he had nuzzled himself even closer to the man. His little hands could be seen grasping onto the smooth edges of the armor, with his little cheek pressed snuggly into the crook of the man’s neck, as he slept soundly and deeply.

Din had hummed at the sweet sight, gently petting one of the child’s ears, and watching it twitch once his touch had left. The child shifted on his chest from the contact, a small huff leaving the tiny creature, who was now on the brink of awakening. Seeing this, Din adjusted the child in his hands, gently and softly, not wanting to disturb the little one any farther. He hummed quietly—a tune he remembered his own mother once sang to him—trying to ease the child back into a deeper rest again. One of his free hands rubbing soothing circles onto the little one’s back, as the sweet tune that left his modulator echoed out into the field.

Hearing his voice, the child had settled once more, a soft sound leaving him, before being replaced by his little snores again. Din had breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the child was resting peacefully once again, and went back to admiring the vast open landscape. Almost instantly, his eyes connected with that of a bright orange butterfly, fluttering among the flowers which grew there.

The sight of the beautiful insect brought a smile to rest on his cheeks, as it brought on an earlier memory of when the child had found one himself that day. The child had spotted the butterfly and babbled in delight as the insect had landed on his little nose. The butterfly began flying away again soon after, and the child chased the fluttering creature through the flowers in the field, excitement evident in the bright smile the little one wore.

Watching the child go after the butterfly, had made the Mandalorian wonder if this was the first time the little one had ever seen one. The reaction from the child certainly made it seem that way, and Din began to question just how much the child had missed in his first 50 years of life. The thought saddened him at first, but the laughter of the little womp-rat had managed to pull him back to the present, and soon he found himself picking up pace to run along with the child.

That adventurous morning of theirs was what had led to the two of them resting underneath the old oak tree. The Mandalorian had made sure to feed the child—a small picnic he had packed himself earlier—before having the child settle down for a nap for the rest of the afternoon.

The child had been fussy, not wanting to rest and miss out on continuing to explore the new area. Din had ended up rocking him to sleep, telling him a story from his own childhood in order to help lull the little one to close his eyes. He had considered putting the child to lay down in his cradle pod, but opted to have him rest against his chest, afraid that moving the little one too much would awaken him from his slumber. Besides, Din admittedly could need a bit of a rest for himself, and a nap with the child sounded divine to the aging man.

Before the child came into his life, the Mandalorian didn’t take naps or breaks. He always found some reason to keep himself busy and moving around. As far as he was concerned, his way of life didn’t allow for things like breaks. The deadly life he lived meant that he always had to be on his toes, prepared for everything and anything to go sour at any moment. This was one of many things the child had changed in his life that he had come to enjoy.

Lost in his thoughts again while staring off into the distance, it didn’t take long for the Mandalorian to also feel himself begin to get sleepy. His body feeling sore, and mind tired from the earlier activities of the day. His eyes had blinked slowly, attempting to keep them open, but soon even he could not keep them from closing, and sending him to join the child in dreamland.

The sun would continue to warm the large flower field while they rested, the tree the father and son laid under shielding them both from its burning rays. The grass beneath them a soft cushion to relax against, as the Mandalorian and the child slept peacefully in afternoon sunlight. All their worries an afterthought, as they both enjoyed a well deserved nap.

---

Tags:

@starrywatermelon @ah-callie @readsalot73 @karnita-mexicana

#the mandalorian #mandoctober #baby yoda #din djarin #din #mando #mandalorian #the child #the mandalorian fanfic #star wars fanfic #no reader #dad and son bonding #fluff #yay!!#we're catching up #lets go yall

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aliasimagines · 4 years

Text

oh we are so screwed // jason todd

requested by @im-hqlover

Jason takes the reader on a night date (he was like a robin), while the reader thinks her family is asleep, she accepts the date, but when she returns her family was horrified to not know where the reader was, what should the reader do now??

word count: 1060

a/n: i'm sorry, i swear i'm working on your requests, i just wasn't at my best latley and i kinda lack inspiration but i am doing them!

Clinging onto Jason you bite back a scream as he uses his (batman's) grapple gun to fly from your bedroom window to a building's roof. The hood of your hoodie fall off due to the wind and made your hair go everywhere. He repeated his stunt with the grapple gun a few times, enough for you to be more comfortable and open your eyes just a little bit.

The streets might be overflown with criminals and crime bosses, perhaps somewhere not far Harley Quinn was walking her highly dangerous hyenas and sure as hell a bank robbery was happening somewhere at the moment but looking around made you forget all that. The city lights were like electric stars lighting up a big balck canvas, a work in progress, a painting called Gotham. These moments actually made you believe that one they this hell of a city can be normal.

The cold wind made feel awake, alive. You felt free, like you can actually fly. And you wanted to fly, fly away with Jason into the night but to your disappointment he stopped at one rooftop.

Your disappointment didn't last long thought. Because in front of you there was a whole picnic set out with pillows, blankets, candles, everything. You, still gasping, turned to see Jason touching the right side of his mask over and over again.

"They're are fake candles...sorry. It's a windy night."

You didn't even wait a second, you just straight up jumped back into his arms. You hugged him as close as his suit let you and pulled away with a smile.

"Jay you made all of this?? You're amazing!"

Jason chuckled and pulled you back in for another hug before he led you to a pillow where you could sit. He sat halfway next and opposite of you. He slapped his hand on the basket full of food.

"Are you hungry love?"

"Sure." you said. Jay started to unpack all the delicious food he brought for the two of you.

"Hey babe, while I set this up would you put on some music?"

You noded and reached into your hoodie's pocket only to find nothing in it.

"Heck! My phone! It's not here."you cursed.

"Shit, is it possible that it dropped out on the way here? " Jason immediately put down the bottle of (favorite drink) that he was holding. You ran your fingers through your hair frustrated.

"I don't know... I really hope not. Oh... Wait. I remember. I plugged it in to charge before you came for me and I forgot to grab it."

"Well at least we know where it is. Here, take my phone."

"You're music gallery is just emo bands and musicals."

"And? I don't see your point?" he lifted an eyebrow at you before turning back to prepare the picnic. You chuckled and put on some music that you know Jason loves but not so much that he would break into a concert at the top of this huge buildings roof. So obviously no songs from musicals for him now. You put down his phone and he offered you a glass of your favourite drink. You thanked him and blew him a kiss before taking a sip.

"So m'lady, do you want sandwiches or cookies first?"

"Depends. What kind of cookies?"

"Chocolate chip. Now I don't wanna brag but I made them and they smell delicious."

He looked so proud of his cookies so you choose those. He hande you to little box container thingy and you took the cookie on top. While the two of you ate and drink, you also started to talk.

With the the music playing softly in the background and Jason talking. You felt so relaxed and safe. You really loved his voice, it was so soft and gentle as he quietly explained something. To be honest you didn't pay attention to what he was actually saying but rather just his calming voice. You couldn't even tell how much time has passed.

"..don't you think?"

You suddenly snapped out of daydreaming and looked at Jason.

"Uhm, sorry. I zoomed out."

He slightly shook his head and laughed.

"I said it's getting late and we should get going, don't you think?"

You looked over to Jay's phone and it showed 2:32. Crap! You have been here for over 3 and half hours and you have school tomorrow!

"Jeez, you're right!"

You helped Jason pack things away. And before he took you back to your room you kissed his cheek.

"Thank you Jay. This was a lovely date. And your cookies were amazing."

He smiled at you sweetly.

"I'm glad you liked it doll. Now hold on."

He took you back and helped you climb in to your room through your window. Jason leaned inside for a goodnight kiss when suddenly your room overflow with light. Not only that but your mother stood in the doorway.

"Y/N?? Where have you been? And... Oh god is that Robin?"

You looked back and forth between your mom and Jason with wide eyes. Well this is not how you planned for your family to meet Jason... Poor boy looked paler than ever.

"I.. Uhm.. Mom.."

"I was worried sick! You just... Disappeared! Your father is down at the police station. We thought you were kidnapped! Wait... Were you kidnapped?" she only stops to look at you and your boyfriend with worry. You shook your head. Gosh you feel so damn guilty!

"I am so sorry ma'am. It's all my fault. It was my idea to sneak her out and go on a..date.. " Jason spoke up surprising both you and your mother.

"No, it is my fault too and I'm-"

"Wait a minute darling. On a date? Aren't you dating a boy named Jason?"

You pressed your lips together into a tin line. Jason bit his lip uncomfortably.

"Well I.."

Your mother waved her hand.

"Sush, I understand. Please get inside don't just hang there with your legs outside someone's gonna think you wanna break in. I'll go call your father Y/N and when I come back I want to talk to the two of you." with that she exits your room.

"Oh god... I'm screwed." you sigh as you sit down on your bed.

"You and me both, baby." Jason responds getting rid of his cape."You and me both"

#jason todd x reader #jason todd imagines #jason todd one shot #batboys x reader #batboys fluff #batboys one shot #batboys imagines #alias imagines

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willow-salix · 3 years

Text

(Fluffember Prompt : Picnic)

Day 5 of Isolation on Tracy Island 2.0

“Are you going to eat all that yourself?” Gordon asked as he sidled up to me in the kitchen. I was making noodles, nice, simple, stir fried noodles, a little bit of chicken, some veg and a sweet and sour dippy sauce. Lush.

“No,” I answered. There was clearly far too much for me to eat alone, I had a Space Hubby around here somewhere… or possibly up there somewhere, it was hard to tell.

“Oh, cool, can I ha-”

“No.”

Cue the pout, the epic Gordo pout. I am immune. I never thought I would ever be able to say that, but I’ve grown stronger, more able to resist the bottom lip of doom. Just about. I remember that I tried that once with John, and his exact words had been “Don’t even try, that won’t work on me, I’m immune, I have two younger brothers.” I’d thought his confident speech had been all bravado and false hope, but he might have actually been telling the truth, my pouts rarely worked on him and the ones that the terrible two dished out never did. Was my man secretly a god? I mean, I thought so, I’d seen him with his top off, but maybe, just maybe he had hidden talents. Hmmm…

“You’ve got that look on your face again.”

“What look?” I asked, needing to clarify his meaning so I could decide if I needed to be insulted or not.

“The one you get when you’re staring at John or that guy from that old TV show, the Scottish one with the time travel.”

“Jamie Fraser is the most perfect of men, he is the ultimate in husband goals, he is…” I trailed off and shrugged. “I obviously have a thing for hot redheaded men.”

“Urghh,” he made a face similar to the one that Scott made when Alan shoved his shoe under his nose last week. Like he wanted to throw up but wasn’t sure which way to aim.

“Why are you in here anyway?” I asked. “Was it just so you could bug me and judge me? I’m busy here, I’m trying to cook.”

He snorted, a scoffing little noise that was quite rude.

“What now?” I sighed.

“Cooking isn’t that hard.”

“Oh really? Then why is it that barely anyone in this house seems to be capable of it? It’s not just a case of grabbing some random ingredients, tossing them in a pot with a prayer for luck and you’re good to go.”

He declined to comment and wandered off without another word. I should have been terrified, but my bean sprouts were trying to burn so I pushed it aside to worry about later. That was my first dumb move.

My second dumb move was to actually leave the comfort of the couch and John’s recently vacated warm spot.

“What the everloving crap was that?” I yelped when a loud crash sounded from the kitchen below us. I poked John gently when he failed to react. “Did you hear that?”

“Since I’m not deaf, it would have been impossible for me not to,” he casually swiped something away on his tablet and started reading again.

“What did they do?”

“And since I do not, in fact, have the ability to see through walls, I don’t know.”

“Go and find out.”

You’d have thought I was asking him to go shopping with me again.

“I don’t think so, you go.”

“They’re your brothers.”

“You’re the one that cares.”

“They’re your brothers,” I repeated.

He gave me that look of his that promises retribution as I rolled sideways to let him get up, rolling back to steal his spot the second he moved. I dragged his blanket over my knees (I’m feeling chilly today) and stole his tablet to watch videos on as he walked away.

I got so engrossed, having fallen down a hole of cute hamster videos, that I didn’t realise for a full twenty minutes that John had failed to return. I had sudden and very detailed visions of my poor boy hogtied and left baking in the sun or some such nonsense. I unwrapped myself from my blanket burrito and started my very slow and reluctant walk towards the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” I yelled the second I rounded the corner, entered the room and saw the scene before me. They all froze guiltily, including John, who was at that very second groping blindly around in the pantry. And when I say blindly, I mean it literally, he was wearing a blindfold that by the looks of it, had been made by them tying my shawl around his head. I don’t know what they were thinking, if anything I’m a little surprised that I’ve never seen smoke coming out of their ears when their two remaining brain cells rub together to give them an idea.

The other idiots were all standing around in various places, standing guard over small piles of produce like dragons over their gold.

“What the hell is going on in here? And how the hell have you roped him in?”

“Hang on, he’s got twenty more seconds yet,” Alan told me, clicking a button on his comm again. “Go!”

John resumed his digging around, knocking over two jars of mustard and an open packet of pasta which poured out like a carby waterfall. He ignored it.

“Gordon?” I turned to the likely culprit.

“Why are you picking on me?” he asked innocently. "Why do you always assume it's my doing?"

“Are you honestly trying to tell me that you had nothing to do with this? Whatever this actually is.”

“We’re having a picnic,” Virgil told me.

“It’s blindfolded kitchen shopping,” Kayo elaborated. I switched my glare to her, she was involved, I could tell, mostly because she still had one of her workout head wraps around her neck and had her own pile of goodies on the counter in front of her.

“It was Scott’s idea,” Alan piped up, throwing his brother under the bus. “Time!”

John dropped the item in his left hand, retaining the one in his right and backed out of the pantry. He pulled off his blindfold and gathered up his treasures, a bag of donuts, a can of whipped cream and in his hand a tin of spaghetti hoops.

“What was Scott’s idea?”

“Well, when you told me that cooking was easy-”

“I said no such thing. I told you that it wasn’t as simple as just bunging some ingredients in a…” I trailed off, I could already see where this was going and I wasn’t impressed.

“Exactly, throw some ingredients together and make food. Easy.”

“Not easy,” I insisted.

“So I happened to mention it to Scott, who said that he agreed, you can make anything if you’re creative enough-”

“You should not be learning from the Grandma Tracy school of cookery!”

“The rules are simple,” Gordon continued as if I had never spoken. “One minute to select three ingredients, all of which must be used in the finished dish. You’re allowed to add two more ingredients to aid the construction but that’s all. You can do whatever you want with what you have, be as elaborate or as simple as you like. You must taste your own dish, as does everyone else when everything will be shared as a picnic.”

He looked so damned proud of himself, the little snot.

“How did the rest of you numpties get involved in this?” I sighed, knowing I was beaten. No one answered me. Giving up, my blanket nest calling me, I retreated towards the door.

“Do you want to join in?” Virgil asked innocently.

“No, I really don’t.”

“Do you not have as much faith in your cooking skills as we do in ours?” Alan teased.

I paused in the doorway.

“Dare you, unless you’re scared,” Kayo threw in, just to stir the pot.

“Dammit!” She knew exactly what she was doing, I can NEVER resist a dare.

“Gimme a blindfold.”

Alan tossed me his, which I think was a football sock, but I didn’t want to look at it too closely, I just prayed it was clean. I tied it around my head and Scott checked to make sure I couldn’t see anything. I don’t know what he did, because obviously I couldn’t see anything, but it made a few of them snigger, so I’m obviously suspicious.

Alan started the timer and I groped my way around the table to the fridge.

“Forty-five seconds!”

Crap! This was actually pretty stressful. How did you pick something without seeing it? I decided to stick to one place and hope for the best, open the fridge, feel around, grab some bits, done! Right?

Easier said than done when you have recently gone shopping, the fridge is packed to bursting and you can’t tell what anything is.

“John! Grab this!” I demanded as Alan happily started counting down from twenty as my time ticked away. I grabbed something small and weird, no idea what it was and tossed it over my shoulder in what I guessed was his general direction, hoping he caught it.

I fumbled around and selected something round and cold, that I hoped might be a tomato and held that out too, then in desperation I yanked out a random box just as Alan called time.

I pulled off my blindfold and looked at the things John was holding for me, which turned out to be an apple and a tiny radish. I was holding a carton of eggs. Could have been worse.

“Let the food prep begin,” Gordon declared. “No helping each other.”

Sighing I got to work. Obviously, eggs would be my main ingredient, I cracked four into a bowl and whisked them together.

“Do we have to use all of the ingredients we picked out?” I asked.

“Yes, every one.”

“No, I meant do I have to use the entire apple or the entire box of eggs,” I clarified.

“Oh, no you don’t, it just has to have them in there.”

“Cool, OK, and we get two extra ingredients of our choice?”

“Yep.”

“Cool.” That was me sorted then. I grabbed a grater and shredded a quarter of the apple and less than an eighth of the tiny radish. I wasn’t a big fan of those spicy little buggers, I don’t like pepper and they definitely have a peppery quality to them, but I was hoping the sweetness of the apple would balance it out.

I opened the fridge again and selected some cheese which I shredded and some ham, chopping it up quite fine. That would do.

I set a pan on the stove top and waited for it to heat up.

“Do I get to use any kind of oil or something to stop my food sticking?” I asked.

The ringleaders, Gordon and Scott, looked at each other, obviously indulging in some kind of non-verbal conversation I wasn't privy to before making their decision.

“Yes you can,” Scott graciously allowed.

“Thank you.” I dumped in a generous knob of butter. Quickly I sloshed the eggs into the pan, and fluffed them up a little with a fork before I turned the heat down a bit and let them sizzle.

I glanced over at Alan who was constructing something with jam and a pile of cookies. Scott was wrestling with a can of tuna and Gordon was opening a carton of custard.

I sprinkled a little of the apple on top of the egg, then a tiny dusting of radish, followed by a large handful of cheese and ham. I eased the sides of my omelette away from the pan, making sure it wasn’t sticking and checking it was cooking.

John, I noticed, was doing something weird with a lettuce leaf that he had procured from somewhere, it was not one of his blindfolded items so he must have gotten it after. He had the leaf stretched over a small bowl and was spooning a tiny amount of the tinned spaghetti into it. Sometimes I wonder why I agreed to marry into this family. I must have been drunk.

I carefully folded my omelette in half and turned the heat off, letting it rest and continue cooking a little.

“I’m done,” I declared, turning around to survey the chaos that had become our kitchen. Oh the humanity. I would NOT be cleaning this up.

Alan, it transpired, had blindly chosen cookies, cheese slices and curry sauce left over from some McDonald’s nuggets I got a few weeks ago, bringing them and other goodies with me in the space elevator. His extras appeared to involve pilfering a few of the McVities digestive biscuits that I’d brought from home the day I arrived that Kayo had chosen in her blind scrabble around the snack cupboard.

He’d proceeded to make a weird stacked thing he was calling a cookie burger which consisted of a cookie base, a layer of jam on top of that, the digestive and lastly a slice of cheese with a drizzle of curry sauce on top.

Gordon was constructing something very elaborate, involving a bowl and lots of layers. His random items appeared to be the custard, half a vanilla sponge cake and a tub of left over chili. My mind was boggling.

Scott was hacking at a rather stale looking half loaf of bread that John said he found in the rarely used bread bin, I don't know how he'd managed to open the bread bin without seeing it, but apparently he had. He'd also blindly chosen a can of Tuna and a packet of fruit gummies.

Virgil, the adorable chonk, had managed to choose a package of cocktail weenies, a tin of peaches and a few sticks of celery. He had stared at his bounty for a good few minutes, before giving up and wandering over to the pantry. He'd stared into that too, like he was looking into a black hole or contemplating the mysteries of the universe.

Eventually he'd chosen a pie crust from the baking shelf and had begun to assemble his creation. He tipped the peaches into the pie dish, chopped up the celery and cocktail sausages and dropped them in on top. He'd looked around, rather desperately I thought, and reached over to steal John's can of whipped cream, squirting a generous amount on top of his frankenpie and called it good.

Kayo appeared to have more sense than the others, she had been the one to find my stash of digestive biscuits and, after Alan had liberated a few, proceeded to crush them into crumbs which she lined the inside of a bowl with.

"What are you making?" I asked, because it didn't look too awful.

She continued to construct her…whatever it was…adding some cake pilfered from Gordon, some grated carrot mixed into cream cheese that was one of her chosen extras and topping it all with strawberries. It kinda…vaguely…could be a cheesecake, if you tipped your head to the side and squinted.

I turned to John, my man, the one that I was supposed to trust with all my heart and soul…he was…I don't know how to describe it. He'd taken the donut and hollowed out a little bit more from the middle hole, then he'd gathered up the sides of his lettuce leaf/ spaghetti hoops thing and had made it into a little parcel, twisting the end closed. He then popped that inside the hollowed out donut. I have no idea why. He'd finished by decorating the top with whipped cream and sprinkles. What was it with them all thinking that whipped cream was the answer to all their problems? Because three of them had done it so far.

Gordon had sprinkled in a handful of peas, actual peas, on top of his custard layer, then added cream on top. I honestly don't know.

Scott had moved on from his bread and taken some of John's lettuce, insisting it was his first, and put a leaf on the stale bread and topped that with Tuna and sweetcorn, which actually had the potential to taste OK. Time would tell. He'd used the fruit gummies to decorate the plate with, I'm not sure if that counted but since he and Gordon seemed to be in charge I assumed it was allowed.

I slid my omelette onto a plate and vaguely wondered if I should grab a few sick bags before the picnic portion of this weird event started.

They all looked incredibly proud of themselves, why I had no idea, no one should be proud of the mess they had made, this was not food, this was barely a step up from mud pies in the yard.

They all took their food offerings and trooped outside, setting up camp on one of the picnic benches near the edge of the beach and settled in.

One by one they presented their masterpieces. Here are the reactions.

SCOTT’S

“This bread’s hard, very hard,” Alan said.

“It’s very fishy,” Gordon said, although we don’t know if it was a bad thing or not.

“Not bad, I could eat it if I had to,” Virgil allowed.

“I don’t like the sweetcorn on it, it keeps rolling away,” John frowned. He was always a bit funny with tinned sweetcorn anyway, he prefers it on the cob.

“That isn’t just hard bread, that is rock bread,” Kayo complained.

“It’s edible, with fresh ingredients I’d eat it again,” I said, trying to be nice. Honestly it wasn’t that bad, I’d definitely eaten worse over the years.

“It’s almost exactly like the subs we made in college,” Scott said, popping the rest in his mouth and chewing happily. He’s weird, that one, he pretends he’s not, he offers the illusion of being the capable, responsible older brother, but it’s all an act.

ALAN’S

“Erm…” Scott hedged, spending at least a minute turning the thing in his hand looking for a way to attack it.

“I don’t know what to do with this, Al…” Virgil was even less sure.

“Give it here!” I had less issues and snatched it away from Scott. I ripped off a bit of the curry sauce topped cheese slice, licked the sauce off the cheese, popped the cheese in my mouth then took a bite of the sweet stuff. It was hard to get my teeth through all the layers of biscuit, but I managed it. It was actually OK, separating it was the way to go. “That’s actually quite nice.”

John copied me exactly, because I’m the sensible one although he’d never admit to that. “You’re right, it’s not bad.”

“Wimps,” Gordon bit straight through it, cheese, curry and all. Then he gagged.

Kayo took the cheese off her’s, ate the sweet stuff first then finished with the cheese, an unconventional method but it wasn’t like any of this was normal. She made a noise that could have been approval but could just as easily been a whimper of surrender.

Virgil took the whole thing apart and ate everything separately, one piece at a time, declaring it to be, “Not bad.”

Scott glanced at me with that look in his eye that said he was about to do something stupid… He reached for the curry sauce pot…

“Scott, no!” I warned him.

He ignored me to tip the rest of the curry sauce on top of the cheese and threw it in his mouth. Immediately he let out a noise that sounded like a mixture between a gag and a burp. He chewed frantically then swallowed. We waited to see what would happen. “Not deadly,” was his verdict.

VIRGIL’S

“I’m sorry, no, I’m not eating that,” I told them, flat out refusing. “I’m semi allergic to peaches, they give me migraine headaches and I’m not risking it. I’m out.”

“I’m excused because she can’t eat peaches and I won’t risk cross contamination,” John said, leaping on my statement as a way to get out of it.

“That’s a flimsy excuse!” Scott accused, he knew it, John knew it, we all knew it. John didn’t care.

“You’re just mad that you can’t use it,” John said, squeezing my leg under the table in thanks for my weird kinda-allergy. I patted his hand in solidarity.

“No one has to eat it, I did my best,” Virgil winced, knowing that his was likely to be the most disastrous yet.

“I’m in!” Gordon declared, picking out a cocktail weenie and dunking it in the cream before popping it in his mouth. He chewed frantically as he scooped up a spoonful of pie crust, peaches and a slice of celery and shoveled that in after the weenie. He kept chewing, his face registering at least six different emotions, none of them pleasant before he finally swallowed. “It could have been worse.”

Kayo copied Gordon and picked out a weenie which she ate first, on its own. That’s where she got smart, washing it down with a mouthful of water before continuing. She spooned up some pie, peach, celery and cream concoction and tasted it. “Not bad like this, the celery is a slightly weird addition, but it can be ignored.”

“I feel sick,” Alan said, having shoved a large mouthful in.

Scott, the brave boy that he is, shrugged and cut a whole slice, lifting it carefully to his mouth.

“He’s a madman…” Alan whispered in awe.

“A brave man…” Gordon added.

“A stupid man…” I sighed.

Scott bit into it, chewing slowly, rolling it around his mouth. “It’s fine.”

I stared at him in utter shock.

Virgil nibbled on a corner, made a face and pushed it away. “No.”

GORDON’S

“What the heck is this?” he of the iron stomach and nuclear powered taste buds asked.

“It’s that thing they did in that show,” Gordon answered, yet Scott still looked bemused, as did we all, blank faces all round.

“Which show, babe?” I felt the need to ask.

“The one with the friends in the coffee shop.”

“You mean ‘Friends’?”

“If that’s what it’s called,” he shrugged. “It’s a meat trifle.”

Cue horrified gasps all around.

“With a few modifications, obviously, since I had to use chili,” he hurried to explain, although it was anything but reassuring.

John pushed his fork into the center of the dish, looking more and more scared the deeper it sank.

“Don’t eat it and just say you did,” I side whispered to him, worried about his stomach since he usually lived on simple and non perishable food in Five.

“I heard that!” Gordon accused as he spoons up a big bite, determined to prove it was edible, and chowed down. “Huh…” he kept chewing, “not bad…”

“Not bad?” Scott goggled. “Are you serious?”

“The chili is good, the custard is good, the cream is nice, the peas are a bit weird but overall it's OK.”

Virgil was the next brave soul to scoop up a tiny forkful and I did the same getting the smallest amount I could onto my spoon, mostly trying to get just custard and cream, although I think I did spot a lurker pea in there.

Kayo and Alan both scooped up a spoonful and shoved it in their mouths, obviously figuring that getting it over with was the best way to tackle it. Kayo spat hers out instantly, Alan managed to chew and swallow his. Virgil got his down but there was a fair bit of gagging.

“It tastes like a foot,” Alan declared.

John took a small bite and reacted almost like a cat with a hairball, his body shuddering, neck stretching as he silently gagged. I handed him a tissue and he gratefully spat it out, sagging against me as if he was about to die.

I looked at Scott, who nodded in return and dug out his own small amount. “On three?”

Scott nodded and began the count. “One...two...three!” We both stuffed our spoons into our mouths. Scott made a face but managed to get it down, my plan had worked and, while the pea was indeed lurking and rather weird, it wasn't that bad a bite and I swallowed without issue, pleased to have survived.

MINE

“This doesn’t look too bad,” Scott said assessingly.

“How dare!” I gasped. “Cheek of it, it looks tasty.”

Virgil cut himself a small portion, being cautious, since everything else has been questionable at best, downright disgusting at worse.

Gordon cut himself an actual slice, a godsdamned slice of my omelette and lifted it up like he would a piece of pizza then wondered why we were all staring at him like he’d lost his mind.

“What?” he asked, genuinely confused. John just shook his head in utter despair at his dingus brothers and cut a more sensible sized bite.

“I’m sure it will be edible,” he says diplomatically, it’s never good to insult the wife’s cooking even when it is so obviously crap.

Alan, disaster child that he is, cut a bit with the side of his spoon like a damned savage and spooned it up.

Kayo helped herself to a small fork full and got ready.

I reached over and broke a piece off of Gordon’s mega slice.

“OK, good luck my friends,” I offered as I popped the eggy weirdness in my mouth… it was interesting. Nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be, the cheese and ham had mostly drowned out the spicy kick of the radish and the apple had added a weird sweetness to it, but at least it was edible if not to my tastes. I managed to chew it and swallow without choking.

“That’s oddly nice,” John said, chewing slowly, thoughtfully.

“Well, you are the person that likes baked apple pieces on your pizza,” I shuddered in revulsion at the memory of his birthday meal.

“What a man chooses to put on his pizza is his own business,” he told me.

“Not when it’s that weird.”

“It’s no weirder than pineapple on pizza.”

“He’s right,” Scott interrupted, “this is strangely OK.” He took another bite to make sure.

“I don’t like it, it’s too sweet,” Alan said, making a face. “ I like sweet, but not mixed with savoury like this.”

“I agree,” Virgil said, setting his aside, “it’s too sweet, but you did your best.”

Gordon didn’t say anything, but he was steadily munching through his piece, I watched him, oddly fascinated.

“It’s edible, that’s all I can say about it,” Kayo told me, which for her was a compliment.

“Well? Verdict?” I asked Gordon when he eventually finished.

“I don’t know. I don’t like it or dislike it, it just is.”

“You’re being philosophical over a weird omelette?” Scott laughed.

“Had to happen some time.”

“How? How did it have to happen?” John asked, utterly bemused, looking like his brain was going into a meltdown. “Who says to themselves ‘one day I will have to say something deep and meaningful about a randomly concocted omelette’? How do you even assume that?”

“I never say never,” Gordon shrugged, not caring to explain any further. Personally I don’t think he knew what he meant either but was just brazening it out by that point.

JOHN’S

I picked up his donut creation a little gingerly, because I saw what he’d done to it and I was wary. He obviously saw my hesitation because he lent closer to help.

“Just be careful with it and follow my instructions,” he whispered in my ear under the guise of being romantic.

One eyebrow rose in response...I mean, what do you say to that?

He continued, still whispering. “Bite down gently and try to avoid the sack,” he dropped a kiss on my neck before sitting back in his seat. Smooth, boy, very smooth. My other eyebrow lifted to join its sibling.

“I’m just trying to help,” he assured me.

“You’ve said that before.”

“And you listened then and look how well it turned out,” he said as if that was all the proof I needed.

I heard a snigger from Gordon who was obviously eavesdropping.

“I was referring to the fact that you often use the excuse of just trying to help,” I sniffed.

“Oh...well…” he tried to look innocent but failed, flashing me one of those devastating grins that just melted me on the spot. “Just taste my damn donut.”

I debated the wiseness of listening to him but decided that, as trust is supposed to be the cornerstone of any good relationship, I should probably pay attention.

“OK, here we go,” I bit down carefully, right at the edge, trying to measure the distance between where my teeth were and the no go zone. I think I brushed the edge of the lettuce leaf but managed to stick to just the donut which, though ever so slightly stale, was still good.

“That’s nice,” I allowed, trying to keep my cover as I passed the donut over to John who took a bite in exactly the same way and therefore stayed safe.

He passed it on to Kayo, who had been watching us intently, studying our moves with her usual mix of suspicion and calculated plotting.

“You’ve got some cream on your lip,” I was told and sat still while he wiped it away with his thumb.

“What do you think, Kay?” Scott asked.

Kayo, having executed a perfect bite from the other side of the donut nodded before passing judgement. “Edible.” She was now fully on board with our trickery and would never rat us out as she passed it innocently on to Alan.

Alan, trusting baby that he is, bit blindly into the donut, hitting the lettuce sack which exploded, squirting spaghetti hoop juice into his mouth.

“GAAAH what the…” he yelped, gasping in shock, dropping the demon donut with its hidden core of evil.

Scott picked up the donut, the spaghetti sauce now leaking out freely and soaking into the dough. Uncaring he takes a bite. “Not gonna lie,” he mumbles around his mouthful, “it's not great.”

Virgil relieved him of the donut and studied it from all sides. The artist in him wants everything to look appetizing and pleasant the whole time, this did not. “This looks hideous.” He nibbled a corner. “Disgusting,” he declared, offering it to Gordon.

Gordon reluctantly accepted it and bit down carefully. He chewed, swallowed and shook his head. “Nope, gross.”

KAYO'S

Kayo pushed her bowl over quite proudly. “Dig in.”

It didn’t look that bad, and since I’d seen a lot of what she used I knew the ingredients wouldn’t be that bad when mixed. Hopefully it wouldn't be the obnoxious assault to the tastebuds that some of them had been.

I slammed my spoon confidently into it and scooped out a mouthful, popping it in my mouth before I could back out.

“Humm…” I chewed thoughtfully, what did I actually think of it? I couldn’t decide so I just spoke my thoughts as I so often do. “It's quite nice. I mean, biscuit, cake and cream cheese is nice, I don't really like the carrot mixed in but it doesn't ruin it to the point of being disgusting. I like the strawberries, so I guess it’s a win.”

John followed my lead, digging his spoon in. “That's pretty good.”

“I really like that,” Scott dipped his spoon in for some more. “The carrot is different enough to not bore me but the rest is normal enough to make it nice.”

“It's too sweet for me,” Virgil said, putting his spoon down after his first taste.

“I'm not liking the carrot but the rest is good, I could eat it,” Alan said, his usual aversion to vegetables or anything healthy rearing its ugly head.

“It's all good. I don't mind the carrot either,” Gordon said, agreeing with Scott.

Kayo, obviously emboldened after using us as test subjects, risked tasting it herself. “Not bad.”

Well, we've tasted everything,” I said, glugging down some of John’s water in an attempt to cleanse my tongue a little. “Was there an actual point to all of this?”

Scott and Gordon both shrugged, not that I was that surprised, there is never much point to anything that any of these idiots do when bored.

“Not really,” Scott admitted.

“I wanted to prove you wrong,” Gordon told me, “and I think we did.”

“How? How did you? Some of this was disgusting, it clearly didn't work. How can you honestly think that you proved my wrong in any way, shape or form?” Seriously, the mind boggles with these guys.

“It showed that it can be done,” Gordon insisted.

“It shows nothing!”

“Just let it go, love,” John soothed, obviously trying to save what little sanity I have left.

“You joined in!”

“So did you,” he countered.

“I give up!” I yelled, throwing my hands up in frustration. “It’s like talking to monkeys, you’re all mental.” I climbed awkwardly off the bench and headed back to the house.

“So, did I win?” I heard Kayo ask as I rounded the corner, leaving them alone.

Stupid competitive Tracys! I should never have left the sofa, hell, I should never have left England. I knew this would be a mistake. I’d be insane by the end of it.

I stopped off in the kitchen to make myself a coffee, hoping it would take some of the taste away. I grabbed a few abandoned cookies and a non Johned donut and retreated to the sanctuary that was the couch and my blankets, which would be lonely without me.

I settled down, retrieved my book (I’m re-reading Outlander, which might be contributing to my Jamie Fraser love right now, all the best husbands have J names, fact) and got comfy, might as well make the most of what little peace I’d get before the chaos found me.

“Move over.”

I stayed where I was, maybe if I ignored him he would go away.

John, being John and refusing to be either insulted or put off by my rejection, simply lifted my legs and settled in their spot, dropping them back down over his lap.

I looked over my book at him as he reached for my coffee cup and gulped down half its contents. He offered me the mug and I put my book down to take it.

“Thanks,” I said because what else could I do? I sipped the coffee then put the mug down on the little table next to the couch and picked up my book again.

John took that as a sign that he was welcome to stay and started making himself at home, stealing some of the blanket and shifting to stretch out beside me. I moved over to make room, letting him settle his head on my chest as he found his tablet among the cushions.

OK, maybe there were a few good reasons to be here instead of alone at home, but I’ll never admit it outloud.

#Isolation Island #Thunderbirds in isolation #fluffember #thunderbirds #thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderbirds 2015

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wkemeup · 4 years

Note

Drabble ideas / things I’d love to see for I’m With You: first date, first Christmas, how Bucky asks her to be his gf, how Bucky’s relationship with Becca turns out, do they get married? Kids? I can see them returning to the airport they met at 😭😭😭

Let’s start with a first date, huh? 😉 (the other questions will hopefully be address in other drabbles!)

I’m With You - Masterlist

“Listen, we’ve got a jam-packed day today so I’d move a little quicker if I was you!” Bucky called from the other side of the door as you rushed around your closet-sized studio apartment in search of your shoes. You could hear him tap his forehead against the door. “We’re on a schedule here, Y/n and it’s been a full week since we landed back in the city and you haven’t let me see you since. It’s a real tragedy, you know? Plus, you’re making me step foot in Queens and I, for one, am—”

Still without your shoes on, you unfastened the locks and held open the door abruptly, only for Bucky to lose his footing and fall right into you. You steadied him on his arms and he was laughing as a blush crept up his cheeks. In his hands, a bouquet of pink and white flowers he must have picked up on the way over. He extended them to you, a new nervous energy around him now that the door was there to act as a shield.

“You didn’t have to do that,” you sighed, though you accepted the flowers. They smelled of fresh air and sweet florals; something you didn’t find often in the city. When you glanced up at Bucky again, you found him smiling at you adoringly.

“It’s first date protocol, doll.”

Bucky shrugged teasingly, making his way into your kitchen and going through the cabinets until he found what he was looking for. He set a vase on the counter and gestured for the flowers back.

“You seem to have a plan for everything. Flight cancellations, first dates...” you observed, handing him the flowers and watching as he trimmed the stems and unwrapped the plastic. He set them into the vase, not completely satisfied with their height, and pulled out a few to trim another inch off the bottom. He stepped back with a grin when he was finished.

It must have been the first time he really got a look at you because he pulled his lower lip into his mouth, eyes trailing down your dark wash jeans with frayed holes at the thighs, the oversized sweater hanging off your shoulder, and your noticeably bare feet.

“You look beautiful,” he said simply and you wondered if your heart might beat out of your chest.

He crossed the room, attempting to pull you into his arms kiss you, but you skirted out of his hold. He pouted as you held up a finger at him.

“First date, right?” you started, finally locating your shoes hidden under the blanket by the couch. You slipped them on as you held onto the armrest for support. “We have to do this in the correct order, Bucky. Be normal with me, will you?”

“Nothing about us has been normal, doll,” he chuckled. “Can’t we just lean into it?”

“I want that proper first date, Barnes,” you teased, pinching at his shoulder. “You promise me a walk in the park and an Italian street vendor. Don’t think I forgot about that.”

“Where do you think I’m taking you, sweetheart?” Bucky had a hand on his heart, feigning offense, and you swatted his shoulder.

He offered you his hand on the way out the door and you took it without hesitation.

It only took a twenty-minute walk from your apartment before you reached the garden he’d been telling you about. It was quiet, away from the clusters of tourists taking pictures down by the bridge, and surrounded by beautiful brick archways. You paused at the entrance, surprised to find such a small, intimately beautiful Edan you hadn’t known existed so close to home.

But that wasn’t what stilled you in your tracks.

At the center of the open space was a blue and white checkered blanket, a series of wooden woven baskets, and a small speaker playing soft acoustic music a few feet away.

“Worthy of a proper first date?” Bucky asked, noticeably watching your expression with a grin matching the surprise on your face.

“When did you— How did you do this?” you gaped as Bucky tugged you along to the picnic blanket. You sank down to the ground, hand brushing over the plaid cotton and then to the basket. You opened it, curious, to find it filled with plates and napkins, but no food. You laughed, sitting back on your heels as you eyed Bucky. “I think you forgot something.”

“Did I?” he asked cheekily before he nodded to the entrance of the garden.

A short statured man with rosy red cheeks and a prominent frown emerged from behind the brick archways. He was wearing a white apron stained in grease over his red t-shirt, had a slight limp in his step, and was carrying a plastic bag full of food wrapped in tin foil.

“Gianni, my man!” Bucky greeted and the man carrying the food seemed to light up instantly.

“Ah, Booky, s’a good to see you!” Gianni set the food on the blanket next to you and engulfed Bucky in a hug tighter than he was prepared for. Bucky coughed a few times before Gianni let up and eventually let him go. Bucky handed him some cash and patted him on the back.

Gianni turned to you, wide eyes flashing in recognition. “This mus’ be your airport girl!”

“Be cool, Gianni!” Bucky hushed, pushing at Gianni’s shoulders as a heat flushed his cheeks. You started to laugh, though you spared his ego as you distracted yourself with unwrapping the food and the smell of mozzarella, garlic, oregano, and basil flooded your senses.

Bucky ushered Gianni away and finally came back to the blanket, dropping down in a huff before he met your eyes nervously. He took a deep breath.

“Is this okay?”

You raised an eyebrow, taking a bite of a garlic knot that tasted of heaven. “Okay? Bucky this is amazing. You really didn’t have to do all this for me--”

“Will you stop with that?” Bucky teased, shaking his head as he unwrapped a slice of pizza. “You deserve all of this and more, alright? I know you’d be happy sitting on the couch watching TV and ordering takeout, but you have to let me do this every once in a while, doll. I gotta prove to you and the surrounding Brooklyn area that I’m still a romantic at heart and a damn good boyfriend!”

You swallowed, staring at him and you realized he didn’t seem to notice what he said. He was contently eating his pizza, chewing mouth fulls of bread and cheese as he settled in beside you.

You pursed your lips, leaning down to rest against your elbow. “Boyfriend, huh?”

Bucky froze instantly. Like stone. Though his face was beet red.

“We did skip several steps, didn’t we?” you added, giving him some relief from the panic undoubtably coursing through his veins. He nodded slowly, apprehensively, though he was still stiff. You laughed, reaching over to run a hand down his arm in hopes to loosening the tension. “I think the idea if you do.”

He chewed on his lip, blue eyes flashing at you enough to twist and pull at your stomach for decades. “Yeah?”

You nodded, heart racing. “Yeah.”

“Think you’d let me kiss you now?” Always the charmer.

You shrugged. “Only if you’re okay with a little garlic.”

“Little? You ate four garlics in the span of two minutes,” he grinned, though he was closing the space between you. His nose brushed yours, his smile reaching up high into his cheeks and you decided this was where you wanted to be, always.

He brushed over your lips, teasing you before pulled back enough to give you a full glimpse into the ocean blue of his eyes. “I will take every opportunity to kiss you, sweetheart.”

And he did.

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes one shot #marvel

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