#the queue is… probably three digits now

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

I need to do my homework. I need to do my homework. I was sick for a whole week and I’m so behind and i need to do my homework. I need to do—

if you don’t feel like getting up, try lying in bed and staring at your phone for an hour! it won’t help 👍

[kabr0ztrousers]

I fucking love when you do Portals, if you’re not bored already with this topic may i ask another? i’ll be waiting in your queue🥰🫦

Kabr0z Writes episode 92: Communion

Find the rest of the Kabr0z Writes anthology here!

CWs: Portals; freeuse; CNC; religious mentions and ceremony; public sex; exhibitionism;

A/N: I was actually struggling for inspiration today... Whatever would I do to make sure I'm not retreading old ground. Thankfully the algorithm came to my rescue while scrolling for inspiration. Is it blasphemy? It's certainly not respectful.

########################################

These were rapidly becoming your favourite underwear. After the coffee shop? Then that "issue" with tuning them between connections? Best sex of your life. The only issue is, after all that, however would you top it?

That's the question that plagued you as you walked into town. You were wearing your portal undies, because of course you were, but what can a girl do to transgress some social boundaries on a Sunday morning?

Wait. It's a Sunday. The beauty of rural Wales is the massive proportion of churches to people. You barely had to walk half a mile and you found one. Open doors, organ softly playing as the occasional person slid through the front room to the main church. A quick selfie, posted to just the right website along with a freshly-generated session code. A tap, a swipe, and the app locked. Four hours on the clock, that's long enough for a church... Session? Worship? You wondered what the actual verb for attending church is as you took a pew and the bloke in the robe took the pulpit.

God he was boring. Something Jesus, something heaven, something repentance. You were just about to get up and leave when it started. The metal disc in your underwear buzzed insistently, then the portal opened.

For a moment, nothing happened. Cool air passed over your pussy, before being replaced with hot breath. A finger traced your entrance as you sat there, trying not to show off that something was interfering with you. The soft touch was easy to pass off. Sure, whoever this was felt good, but after what you're used to with these, this wasn't hard to hide.

What was harder was when the finger pushed in. Maybe the setting was getting you more hot and bothered than you thought, or maybe you just needed this. The gasp was hard to swallow, especially as another two fingers joined in. The three fingers filled you, turning and angling themselves in ways no lover would be able to without a magic portal fleshlight on the other end. You pulled your phone out of your skirt pocket to check the app, who's connected?

Who else. It's WolfDaddy again. You put the phone back before anyone spotted you. At least, you hoped you did. The sounds of him stirring your cunt were soft, almost drowned out by the droning cleric as he went on and on. He was saying something about interpretation, how sins change over time so some things that might have been sins once, aren't now.

Those fingers curled inside you. You felt yourself blush as you suppressed a twitch in your legs. This was still probably a sin.

You clenched your cunt against those fingers, gently pulsing it to try and send him a message: "fuck me already"

His fingers kept hard at work, rubbing and stroking as your body fought you, trying to gasp and moan, whine and wriggle at the invading digits. You couldn't. All you could do was sit there and drip, feeling your juices flow from you in rivers. He brought you to the very edge, then stopped. The fingers pulled out just as you threatened to crest the peak, letting you slide back down for a minute or two before pushing again. If you got closer, he'd leave you for longer. If he took a little while, you'd get the next edge a little sooner.

You ached so badly by the time the priest was done lecturing. The rest of the church got up and into the aisle, but they weren't leaving. You half-remembered something about sacraments? Eating the body and drinking the blood of God to get closer to him or something?

Sounds kinky.

You got up and joined near the back of the line. The fingers felt you move and withdrew, letting your pussy squeeze in vain. A blunt tip replaced them, pressing gently into you. The first inch slid in, fully hard and leaking that lupine precum all over you. Then he pulled out. Over and over you'd get just enough to get excited, but not enough to get you off. Your whole lower body hurt now. The constant teasing of your leaking, drooling hole was taking its toll on you.

You reached the front of the church. Kneeling in a line before the altar. Maybe kneeling made your body move a certain way? Maybe he could just tell you weren't upright any more. Either way, it earned you another inch. You clenched again, trying to keep a steady rhythm to encourage him. You got another inch. Then another, then another.

The priest was moving down the line. First a small biscuity thing, then a sip from a jewelled cup. One by one the other churchgoers were seen to. Whoever WolfDaddy is, he had a good handle on how long this took.

Six people to go. He fucked you harder. Cock pushing up to the very edge of your cervix. Five people, a pair of fingers joined in, rubbing your clit as you began to squirm. Four, the cock was faster now, hammering into you as the lupine on the other end of the portal rewarded you. Three, you bit your lip. The feeling of climax building in you, coming towards you hard and fast as you dug your nails into your palm

Two, the cock hilted into you. You could feel the knot starting to inflate. One, cum spurted forth, the cock throbbing and twitching as jet after jet flooded into you.

Just you left now.

The pastor said something, you opened your mouth, feeling your eyes want to roll back in your head as you begged a present from church.

"Take this, my body" A flavourless wafer landed on your tongue

"And this, my blood" a sip of acid-tasting wine

"T-thank you father" you stuttered out, mouth watering and body burning. You felt it coming. You looked in his eyes. He could tell. You could see he could tell. You suppressed a scream as you fell off the cliff.

You clenched every muscle to try and stop yourself shaking, tried to suppress a scream of triumphant release, instead it emerged as a long squeaking wait as your jaw slammed shut around it. Your eyes rolled, defocusing until there were two vicars in front of you, then back to one, then two again.

There's no way he didn't see as cum started to leak from you. No way he didn't notice as the portal cut off how suddenly there was a damp puddle where a worshipper was so recently sat. You could smell the cum on you, dripping from your oozing cunt.

You took a seat on the pews again. Reassuring wood to lend you stability. The church cleared. You saw the vicar step into a booth at the other end of the church. Dark wood and varnished to within an inch of its life.

You walked into the other side. A wickerwork screen and a small slot were between you and the man you'd just came in front of.

"F-forgive me father, for I have sinned"

Who knows, you might get more fun out of this yet

#########################################

Never fear about requesting a portal fic from me. Easily one of my favourite kinks of all time.

Especially when I get to couple it with monster cocks

[gargoyleandgremlinpress]

I'm declaring it the week of the pamphlet bind, because this is the second of three I've got in my backlogged queue of fanbinds to share.

Sometimes, a vaguely ridiculous idea gets ahold of you and won't let go.

When I discovered that there were not one, but TWO short MDZS modern AU fic with the incredibly specific meet-cute premise of "character A encounters a swarm of bees, and character B is the beekeeper who rescues them," I decided I needed to bind them. Together. And they were both short, so a quick pamphlet bind was the perfect solution.

I think I did this two summers ago, and would probably do a bit better with the text placement on the cover now, but I stand behind all the bee theming in the typeset unreservedly.

There must be something about the Twin Jades of Lan that not one, but TWO authors looked at them and said, you know what? Beekeeper.

So here we have, both with awesome titles, Save the Bees (Ride a Beekeeper) by @ariaste and Covered in Bees by @scarlettohairdye.

Public domain images, cardstock cover, sewn with some orange crochet cotton, because god knows I have enough random thread around. To make up for the disreputable cookie sheet used for an atmospheric industrial space background in my last post, this one is photographed on the orange and yellow stripes of a rainbow plain-weave tablerunner I wove out of the accumulated scrap basket at the weavers' guild.

And lovely authors, if either one of you would like a copy, I would be happy to make you one, or share the digital files with you.

[homestuckreplay]

do you have any theories about gG? Since there are 2 white haired characters (rose and dave) I wonder if they'll have black hair like John? Or maybe something else.

aahhhh thank you so much for this ask!!

I think you are absolutely right about the black hair - now that we have three characters fairly well fleshed out, it's easy to predict how GG might complete that square. a lot of my speculation is based on that, for example:

based on current gender identities we have two boys and one girl, so GG is probably a girl

key family members of characters are a dad, a mom, and a brother, so GG probably has a sister who's important in their life

John is into movies, Rose into literature and Dave into music, so GG might be into visual art, comic books, or television (perhaps sitcoms or cartoons, purely based off their vibes)

more generally there are a lot of parallels between John and Dave's interests (specific video games and webcomics) so we might see the same with Rose and GG -

Rose and Dave have 'needlekind' and 'bladekind' strife specibi (sharp weapons) while John has 'hammerkind' (blunt weapon), so GG might have something like 'crowbarkind' or 'ladlekind'

Stack/queue, tree, and hash map are all relatively common data structures, graph seems to be another fairly common one, so GG might have a graph fetch modus

John and Dave's houses are decorated with clowns and puppets (sharing a circus/performance theme) while Rose's is decorated with wizards - GG's might be full of a different magical being, for example mermaids, fairies, or vampires

all three characters are associated with disguise and concealment, John's more physical and Rose and Dave's more emotional - GG might have makeup or face paint among their interests

we meet John when it's clear and sunny, Rose when it's dark and stormy, Dave when it's blazing hot, perhaps we'll meet GG where it's freezing cold and snowing?

John and Rose play fairly 'standard' classical instruments (piano and violin) while Dave is into beats and remixes and modern music technology - GG might be a songwriter/lyricist to match that creative aspect, or might play a more modern instrument like a synthesizer or electric guitar

John and Dave both attempt to create digital things (failed coding files and weird blogs/webcomics) while Rose creates physical things (knitting projects) so GG might have an interest in painting, collage, model making, rube goldberg machines, etc

John's shirt symbol is a similar color to GG's text, so GG's shirt might be a dark blue like John's text. Also, John and Rose both have Creatures on their shirts while Dave has a record, so GG might also have a music/technology based symbol, perhaps a cassette tape?

I've noticed that all the characters have four letter/one syllable names so far, so GG probably does too. All three names are fairly common, and Rose is nature themed, so GG's name could go down either route. Based on their personality, some options I like could be Beth, Fern, Elle, Skye or Sage.

But if I was picking their name, I'd go for Evie - it's two syllables, but its biblical allusion would make sense with the story's themes so far and the username gardenGnostic.

if anyone else has any GG theories, either based on the text or wildly speculative, I would love to hear them!!

[symphonicsoul]

|| Okay so let me try to explain things better than I did last night because whoo boy my head space was shit last night. Focusing just on the problem at hand (ba-dum-tiss dumbs in the background) my hands are crap.

I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel in both wrists on 6-6-24 and as we're well aware tenditious in my right hand 5-11-23.

I've done OT last year for the first pop up and now I am seeing a lady that works for my company as a work benefit that is helping me with stretches and stuff but is not OT. So I am not seeing a therapist for this (yet) no one has referred me to one.

The medication urgent care gave me for my hands lasted as quick as it came. I had about three to four days of relief and it all came roaring back just as fast.

My hands are both in pain and numb at the same time. Typing hurts. Writing this hurts. Doing my job hurts. (I'm custodial) Writing by hand hurts. The only thing that doesn't hurt too bad is drawing but that's only through digital means and because I have a squishy thing on my tablet pen that makes it so I don't grip very hard when I hold my pen.

Even after long periods though my wrists / hands / fingers ache. (feel jammed and won't crack)

My hands and arms are going numb from too much use and not the migraine kind of numb.

It rests in the knuckles of my hands on both sides (right side more) and pain meds only last for so long. I am getting shock like pains in my hands and wrists. I have told the nurse lady that works for my company but alas no real relief.

She thinks nerve damage as been done.

Regardless the pain slightly subsides once I am on my days off (tues-weds) but getting to them is hell. I have been cleaning the entire campus alone because my boss just got back from vacation and my other co-worker injured his knee and was out last week and is still out this week.

So I have been back to doing much more of the work load than I normally would. My hands are not happy about it.

So I am slow to do anything if not just for pain but the brain fog the pain is causing. I apologize for this. I promise I am not ignoring you, but the pain is triggering my depression since I cannot create / draw / write like I normally would.

please continue to be patient with me. I appreciate the understanding. I don't know how far along my carpal tunnel is but I have been fighting with this kind of pain for most of the year - it just got near unbearable at the beginning of the month. I want to avoid surgery if possible, but I also don't want to lose the use of my hands.

I will get things out as I am able but for now, writing is for breaks at work because i write on my phone or the days I have off because my hands have had time to rest. So I doodle a lot.

I will probably keep putting things in queue for my own sanity because it makes me feel more productive if it's rolling in constant posting.

So I promise I'm not ignoring you and I want to write with you.

Things are just complicated right now.

[tf2-plus2]

Hi there! Welcome to the pinned post!

So what's this blog for? It's where I get to share my silly and non-silly headcanons, ideas, theories, and OCs for Team Fortress 2! I will have at least 2 OCs in the cast, but that number may grow (... maybe, they'll probably be NPCs if I actually make any more...)

So let's lay some ground rules and basic info, yeah?

Is this an ask, RP, or fanfic sort of blog?

Yes. Just yes. I've been running blogs like this for a literal 10 years at this point that are part story driven, part RP with other peoples' muses, and part ask. It's my bread and butter lol.

Are you games or comics based?

A bit of both, mostly comics based because I'm coming in super late and the comics are silly and I love the shenanigans in them

Silly? Angst? Absolutely batshit nonsense?

Generally a mix of all three. This series is based in nonsense, but has potential for angst (which I'm a big sucker for). So expect half a dozen of one and six of the other.

Is there a story here or?

Much like the two above questions, yes and no. I'm more or less inserting my own characters into the lore and sharing how I feel that affects events in the way I understand them. To that end, there's really only a Team RED and a Team BLU, but I may make mention of other teams aside from Fortress (given they're mentioned in the comics, it isn't a stretch!). And I have an idea for handling how I think the comics would have ended, but we'll get to that in time.

Rules?

Be respectful. Remember that I am 25+ years old (yeah, yeah, I'm old), and I'm honestly iffy on many minors interacting here (if I post any NSFW writing, it'll be tagged, but that's a BIG IF), but I can't control what others do. This is actually one of 2 big fandom project blogs I run, with the other being on an unannounced hiatus, and I will draw for this blog occasionally but that does take time.

Also we will have no hate here, cringe or not, this blog is to have fun, either for me or for those interacting. This is the only blog to this account and I am not shy about using the block button. That said, I am friendly, I am down for sharing my steam to queue up every now and then, and I do play games aside from TF2 that people might want to join me for. Remember the first rule and it'll be good! ^^

Who's on this blog?

Mostly, just the 9 Mercs and my two OCs, Retriever and Assassin (hence the blog name!) But, I am a sucker for writing multimuse and I'm sort of sharing a storyline, so expect others to pop up such as Pauling, Saxton, NPC OCs, the Mann Bros, etc. I'm getting a handle for the characters, so bare with me, but it's fun for me so far!

Shipping?

Yes. Refer to the rules about no hate. Specifically two OCxCanon ships with RetrieverxSniper and AssassinxScout, and I'm a HeavyxMedic shipper. That's what I have so far, and that list may grow over time as I get more of a feel for how I write these characters (also later there will be ZhannaxSoldier).

And who are you?

You can call me Cherry, or Cherena. As said, I am 25+, she/they pronouns (interchangeable), and a self taught artist who primarily uses traditional mediums (I'm branching into digital, slowly). If asked, I may share my main and other big project blog. And honestly? I've learned to just be cringe and free, so yes I know and I don't care (edit; I forgot to tag my main, it's @cherry-blxssxm-chaos)

Anyways, have fun! Be respectful! Remember to use common sense, and don't shy from asking questions or interacting!

[rkpathology01]

No Needles at the Clinic? Welcome to the Lazy Genius’s Guide to Blood Home Sample Collection!

Let’s be real for a second—getting a blood test sounds simple, until you remember it involves waking up early, skipping your coffee, going to a lab, waiting in a queue, and getting jabbed in the arm… all before breakfast. Sounds like the beginning of a bad day, doesn’t it?

But hold on. What if we told you there’s a magical new way where you can skip the lab drama and get your blood test done while still in your pajamas? That’s right. Blood Home Sample Collection in Durg is now a thing, and honestly, it’s the upgrade we never knew we needed.

Whether you're a busy bee, a serial snoozer, or just someone who doesn’t want to deal with lab slippers, this is your moment to shine.

Wait, They Come to Your House?

Yes. Yes, they do.

The world may not have flying cars yet, but you can definitely get a certified phlebotomist (a.k.a. the superhero who draws your blood) to show up at your door. No need to chase auto-rickshaws with a fasting stomach or sit next to someone coughing out loud at a diagnostic lab.

Now you can just book a blood home sample collection in Durg, roll out of bed, smile awkwardly while pointing them to your arm, and get it done—without even changing out of your SpongeBob PJs. Bliss.

Who’s It For?

This fancy home collection stuff isn’t just for celebs and the ultra-busy. It’s perfect for:

👵 Elderly people who prefer avoiding travel

🧸 Kids who are terrified of clinics

🏃‍♂️ Working professionals with no time to breathe, let alone visit labs

🤷‍♀️ Everyone who just hates early mornings and queues

If you’ve ever googled “Can I skip going to the lab?”—this service was designed for you.

What Happens During a Home Collection?

Step 1: You book online or call your lab Step 2: A trained professional arrives (usually in a lab coat, not a cape, but close enough) Step 3: They draw your blood with sterile equipment Step 4: You go back to sipping chai or scrolling Instagram Step 5: The results come straight to your phone. Boom.

Some labs even give you a free doctor consultation after the test—because nothing says “adulting” like reviewing your vitamin levels before lunch.

But Is It Safe?

Oh absolutely. If you’re thinking, “Hey, inviting someone to poke me with a needle at home sounds sketchy,” we hear you. But modern labs ensure:

✅ Licensed phlebotomists

✅ Sealed, single-use equipment

✅ Proper sample storage and transport

✅ Zero contamination risks

In fact, Blood Home Sample Collection in Bhilai is becoming super popular because of how safe, clean, and convenient it is.

And no, the person coming over isn’t going to judge you for still being in bed at 10:00 AM. Probably.

The Bhilai Boom: Why Everyone’s Doing It

If you’re in Bhilai, you’re in luck. The whole city’s catching on to this genius blood test hack. Whether you're at home binge-watching crime documentaries or stuck in back-to-back Zoom meetings, Blood Home Sample Collection in Bhilai is a game-changer.

Labs in Bhilai are offering:

🏠 Home visits as early as 6 AM

📱 Easy online booking with WhatsApp support

💰 Budget-friendly packages for everything from cholesterol to full-body tests

📃 Reports delivered digitally, with zero paper cuts

Basically, it's like Swiggy—but for your blood work. Only less spicy.

Still Not Convinced? Here’s Why You’ll Love It

1. Sleep-In Bonus

You no longer need to wake up at 6 AM just to reach a lab. Now, the lab comes to you. While you're still dreaming about your Goa trip.

2. No Travel Drama

No more rickshaw rides with a fasting headache or hunting for a parking spot near the lab.

3. Perfect for the Shy and Socially Awkward

Introverts rejoice! Minimum talking, maximum convenience. You can even point silently to your arm while sipping water.

4. Family-Friendly

Get everyone in the house tested in one go. Yes, even your dad who insists “he’s perfectly fine” despite three sneezes and a limp.

Types of Tests You Can Get at Home

Now, we’re not saying you can get open-heart surgery done at home (don’t even try). But you can get a wide range of lab tests without stepping out:

💉 CBC (Complete Blood Count)

🍩 Blood sugar (Fasting/Post Meal)

❤️ Lipid Profile (Cholesterol check, not butter check)

🛢 Liver & Kidney Function Tests

🧬 Thyroid Profile

💊 Vitamin D & B12

🧪 Urine and Stool Analysis

🫀 ECG and more (some labs even do it at home!)

You can go from “Hmm, I feel tired lately” to “Wow, I have low Vitamin B12 and a mild cholesterol issue” without even starting your car.

How to Book a Blood Home Sample Collection

It’s as easy as ordering pizza (but better for your heart).

Pick a trusted lab: Look for NABL-accredited ones or those with good online reviews

Choose your test package: Most labs have pre-set or customizable options

Book online or by phone: Select a convenient time slot

Sit back and relax: And maybe hide your dirty laundry if you're feeling fancy

Pro tip: Most labs offer discounts for online bookings and combo packages. Get your partner, parents, or best friend to test along with you and make it a… blood bonding experience?

The “Oh-No” Checklist: What Not to Do

❌ Don’t chug coffee before a fasting blood test. You’ll just mess up your results and lose your caffeine fix.

❌ Don’t wear tight sleeves. Your arm needs breathing space too.

❌ Don’t book the test and then forget about it. You’ll be brushing your teeth when the lab tech rings the bell.

❌ Don’t ignore the results. Check them. Google after you’ve spoken to the doctor, not before.

Final Thoughts: Why This Might Be the Best Thing Since Instant Noodles

Blood tests used to be this boring, time-consuming thing we all avoided until absolutely necessary. But with Blood Home Sample Collection in Durg and Bhilai, getting tested is now easy, fast, and totally non-dramatic.

So go ahead—book that test. Do it for your future self. Do it for your peace of mind. Do it for the joy of not changing out of pajamas.

And remember: Your health isn’t something to put off, like that gym membership or cleaning your cupboard. It's the real deal.

[chirpsythismorning]

Hi.what make you believe byler is endgame and how do you think The Duffer will make them endgame?

There's a lot of different factors for why I believe byler is endgame. If it was only one or two or three or a single digit amount of things, then I'd probably be more skeptical. Instead it's so many things that I don't think I can even quantify with any number?

Long post ahead so queue for later if you must!

I used to ship milkvan back in the day, and that's probably because I watched the show once and fell for the whole boy meets girl trope as peak romance, without even thinking about it? Like my first time rewatching the show pre-s3, I remember only focusing on their scenes and even going as far as to skip entire episodes in s2 without them in it, so it's really no wonder I missed details that might have helped me understand the full picture.

I also don't get queer-baited, like ever. I have watched shows like Teen Wolf where fans loved sterek, and even though that show had a gay show-runner, it was obvious to me they were never going that route, despite kind of feeding fans over the years with banter between them. The problem was the details weren't pointing to them being endgame, they were pointing to stydia. With stydia, they were using color coding in their costumes and had the fucking red string of fate in the frame with them multiple times and they were having entire plot lines built up around sort of their feelings for each other. Then there's all the other shows out there like Supernatural and Sherlock, and to me, it just felt like two guys that had chemistry that fans read as romantic and were having fun with it, only for the writers to try to profit off of that hope fans had, just sort of fucking with fans for years without really going for it literally in the text of the story.

And even if they did (albeit extremely subtly) that's when you would see shows tend to kill off the characters. Because after years of queer-baiting, the only solution is to kill at least one off, after tricking a sector of your audience for so long. Because unfortunately, no, they're not going to end up together, so we just have to get rid of one of them to make it clear that it won't happen.

While I don't vividly remember the moment I dropped Milkvan and picked up byler, I do remember watching s3 for the first time and feeling like something was off. And then to humor my confusion, I went online and came across an analysis for the end of s3. Even though it did really made me think like 'woah.. what was that?', in the moment, I was still in a position to not want to fall for it because of all the queer-baiting out there. I'd never fallen for it before and I wasn't going to start now basically.

And then I didn't read any more theories after that, I just basically jumped into rewatching the show for fun again, without really thinking about it even, and without skipping this time. And I vividly remember the shed scene definitely had some romantic undertones going on. When the camera was focused on Mike talking to Will, we didn't get any reaction shots in between of Joyce and Jonathan. Whereas when Joyce and Jonathan talked to Will, we got Mike's reaction and both Jonathan and Joyce's kind of reactions to each others speeches in that moment, which was to obviously convey the familial bond going on. And so in contrast, seeing Mike's monologue to Will be isolated, without any cuts to the others reactions during, with intense close-ups of Mike and Will, with Mike literally having one by one teardrops falling down his face and him repeating softly you said yes, you said yes... That... Like it made me really start to consider it in that moment, based on my new potential understanding of the end of s3 and based on what I had found upon rewatching that time.

Even still though, I didn't let myself believe it. And maybe in large part it was bc I did like the idea of byler I guess? And so that made me want to be more cautious? Other times when I came across fans shipping queer pairings that weren't canon, it felt like harmless shipping to me, where like I got the appeal, but didn't like feel genuine intentional slow-burn chemistry? It was always a thing that at most I liked merely as fanon. And so I guess I was trying to prepare myself for that inevitable disappointment that it wasn't going to go any further than what it had?

Maybe it was also because I was holding onto this idea of milkvan I had at the beginning? An idea that in large part contributed to my ability to get hooked with the show in the first place? Boy meets girl is like the most universal trope in our society and it was easy to just go along with it when everyone else was.

But more than anything I do think it was because I thought it just had to be queer-bait like it's always has been. At best I thought maybe it would continue very vaguely in the subtext in s4, with like 1 or two scenes at most hinting at attraction? But we all know that's not what happened..

S4 promo dropped, and I remember being like well here goes. It had been over a year, almost two since I'd been exposed to the possiblity of byler, though I was going into it prepared to see Mike and El being perfectly in love and that they were just going to act like nothing had ever happened between Mike and Will.

But then that Cali poster dropped. And that had me reeling. I remember sending a text to my sister like 'QUEER-BAIT?' and she was like yep queer-bait. But that's also because she's in the mindset of someone that hasn't seen anything outside of watching the show, and while half paying attention at that. This is the first piece of evidence she is being presented with and so of course she is viewing it from a don't hope or assume that could ever happen bc it never happens lens.

Even that I took as maybe a reality check, that this meant nothing, but also at the same time, this is the Duffer Brothers? They're smart? Why would they apply the if boy is pointing his feet at you he is in love with you rule via New Girl, with Mike and Will in the Cali poster, for shits and giggles? When the whole point in those posters is to hide foreshadowing?

Regardless of how much it genuinely shocked me they were appearing to really play with this concept of Mike having romantic feelings for Will, I still didn't fully let myself think about it too much...

And then as s4 got closer and more stuff dropped and there was like a lot of promo hinting Will having feelings for Mike, that's when it really kicked in for me. And that's when I went back and rewatched and holy shit it suddenly became clear as fucking day. My excitement for Vol. 1 was insurmountable because I was just about to have all of these recent built up theories confirmed or denied.

When Vol. 1 finally premiered and it turned out Mike couldn't say I love you to El? And Will very clearly had feelings for Mike, staring at him constantly when he wasn't looking and conveniently with Mike's POV missing by comparison? There was just too much at play that perfectly set-up byler.

Mike having a hard time telling El he loves her, while also having a best friend beside him who is in love with him, like, that's sort of what makes it clear that this is them trying to create a conflict that easily transitions into this revelation that the reason why Mike couldn't commit to El was because he was struggling over repressed feelings for his best friend.

And then that doesn't even include all the details along the way that support it. Like closet scenes for example weren't able to be harmless anymore post-s3, they just weren't. That scene at the end with El and Mike in Will's room established this idea that Mike is in the closet, and s4 did not let up on that idea whatsoever.

We were being bombarded with very basic film techniques that any filmmaker would be thinking about to establish the story and setting and create a feeling to convey a message through all of that.

They did not need to have Mike sitting in front of his closet at the very start of s4. They did not have to have a one way sign pointing to it. They did not have to have two dudes with muscles on his walls while most of the other guys either have stuff completely unrelated to the human form or bikini clad woman. They did not have to show Mike in focus more while staring at Eddie fondly as he talks about DnD and getting out of Hawkins. They did not have to have Mike go searching for DnD replacements in the wrestling room and the art room followed by saying, I hate high school.

The I hate high school line is viewed by most of us as a throw away comedic sort of line. But it really isn't. In fact it's arguably as deep as without heart we'd all fall apart, which is why they literally had that be Mike's quote alongside that one being Will's quote for the season.

Mind you, all of this shit in 4x01 is happening after Mike just episodes ago, in the previous season, sort of treated playing DnD like it was something kids did and told Will he felt this way, by essentially saying he assumed they'd be getting girlfriends and moving on from this idea that they can play games for the rest of their lives.

So Mike in s3 went from I want to grow up and have a girlfriend and stop playing dnd bc it is childish, to in s4 Do you want to play with me? I will literally settle for an absolute stranger rn, literally anyone? No? Uh. I hate high school aka I don't want to grow up. Now he thinks that he's the childish one when really, it doesn't have to be, if he just opened his mind to it.

Watching s3-4 back to back is actually so real bc it's showcasing Mike's complete shift, a shift that basically got flipped from s1-2 to s3 to s3 to s4, and it's directly related to his relationship with El and Will (along with his parents who all of s2 punished him by taking away his toys when he acted out bc of trauma/called his toys hunks of plastic and to essentially be used as collateral bc he's going to need to grow up eventually anyways). And we see how that is conveyed when he shows up to Cali unlike his true self, he just reverts right back to trying to be someone else like in s3. Only now he's trying to pull off a Cali look on-top of it, wearing sunglasses as he mumbles an incoherent sound, something like, 'eahauw' as he rushes up to kiss and hug El, putting the flowers between them so he had an excuse to separate sooner than later, followed actually voicing words to will, moving his duffel back out of the way to hug will properly, w/out sunglasses, visibly very happy to see Will, only to not even be able to hug him by cutting it short. AND for Argyle to confirm our suspicions by calling him a knock off?? NOW I'M REALIZING IT'S TOO MUCH YELLOW? Come on!?

That's another thing, the end of s3 hug between Will and Mike literally ends with Mike looking like he is in physical pain. Like dude looks like he was burned. He looks like a mixture of angry and heartbroken. And so having that, followed up with Mike barely even being able to properly hug Will properly 2 episodes later..? Gee I wonder why?

And then it just spirals from there.

The entire season Mike is by definition emotionally cheating on El, assuming that they are even technically still together atp. There's a reason they had her say From El, and it's so that there was this sense of maybe they were technically broken up now or even just on a break rn, since they wouldn't see each other for who knows how long? Maybe never again? And so that was a writing choice made in large part to allow all of these moments between Mike and Will throughout the season to feel romantic coded and for us to comfortably view them as such. Same with how they did that with Jonathan and Nancy in s2. They create conflict that is near breakup territory, without outright saying I want to break up, and then they throw them with their other love interest and create tension.

When it comes to like how I think s5 could go down with byler, I have a few different thoughts about how that would play out. Obviously I love byler but there's a lot of other stuff going on so this would just be one aspect of the greater overall story. But for the sake of this post I'm going to focus on Byler possibilities.

Them holding off until Vol. 2, literally 2 weeks exactly after the premiere, to have Noah officially release a statement saying We now know Will is 100% gay and in love with Mike, that is them clearly knowing the gravity of revealing stuff too soon to an audience that might not be ready for it. They saw the reaction to s4 and they waited and then they made that choice to discuss it the way they did. That was the point they decided they were willing to tell the truth of the situation, including Noah admitting for the first time, that they've been hinting at Will's feelings since s1, and so he had to always be vague about things to avoid spoiling the Duffers surprise. And while they're doing this, when they talk about Mike's feelings about the situation, it is always that he has absolutely no idea.

There would be no justifiable reason to hold off on admitting Will's feelings for Mike outside of canon, only to admit they've been hinting at it since s1, if there wasn't actually something yet to see be revealed, making this revelation so late in the game, justifiable.

The main thing that we get from Mike being oblivious of Will's feelings, is that if Mike doesn't know, then technically he hasn't rejected Will yet. Because how can he have rejected Will if he has no idea? Answer, he can't!

And so now there is one season left and they are choosing to hold off on Mike's knowledge about Will's feelings? After they just finally admitted after 4 seasons that they've been avoiding telling us about Will's feelings, despite hints from the beginning because they didn't want to ruin the surprise?

What surprise though bro? Slow-burn unrequited love??? There isn't any such thing. Because that wouldn't be satisfying!

It takes us right back to the line Will makes in s3 (mid-series) to Joyce about how he's never gonna fall in love. It's not that he doesn't want to or even hasn't yet at all, it's that he doesn't believe experiencing mutual love with the person he has feelings for is in the cards for him, bc odds are, that person is going to be straight.

But... How is it satisfying to hold off on even admitting Will's feelings for Mike until the second to last season, only to hold off on Mike's POV of the situation until the last season, just to say at the last minute, Well, Will, you were right!...? Like, no.

And so I genuinely think the same thing they did with Will is happening to Mike in a sense, in that by sort of dancing around the situation with answers that don't even allow you to answer the question, by saying Mike is clueless, they can avoid delving into what exactly Mike would think. They can just say Oh of course he will accept Will and leave it at that.

The thing is, if I'm supposed to be rooting for Mike and El, these choices that they've been making, to practically infect all of their scenes with Will in the frame looking like a kicked puppy, it's not giving endgame, it's giving I should be praying for this kid to get a happy ending who is fully convinced that he won't get it.

The main question I have, is are they going to hold off the slow-burn for as long as they can, or are they going to do something unprecedented and make it happen sooner than anyone expects?

I guess for now I think that it's the most likely they will hold off until 5x07 for like the big obvious endgame moment? Slow-burn tends to thrive in it's true form, aka slow-burn until the very end. So it would make sense to have these barriers in place that prevent Mike and Will from truly realizing they have mutual feelings or something of that nature, and then acting on it. That doesn't mean the audience wouldn't be clued in on those feelings earlier in the season, but I think them both accepting those feelings and coming together and choosing to be together is something that won't be like established fully until the end.

THOUGH I will say there is one scenario I could see them manage to have Mike and Will realize those feelings sooner than we think and it's because of the satanic allegations... If Will and Mike were to ever get caught in a precarious situation, by someone in the town already accusing these kids of being the cause, specifically Mike as a member of Hellfire and specifically Will as the kid who has been connected to all of this, it would be sort of visceral seeing how that could play out with them being viewed as like a symbolic indicator of the incoming apocalypse.

Though then again, they still might not get together until like episode 7, bc with the last couple episodes being like 2 hours long, it's possible the homophobic/satanic aspect of it could come into play around then. I think it would be really critical to see other peoples reactions in the story to them getting together, including their family and friends, but also potentially the community bc that would go full circle with what went down in s1 and how like the whole community had an opinion about Will's sexuality even as a kid.

Early s5 is a big indicator of how everything will go down though. I don't think that they'll get separated and be apart the whole season, bc they made a point to convey in s4 that they want to make sure to give the audience a lot of groundwork to root for them and so I think s5 has to be much of the same for it to end in a way that has most of the audience full-on rooting for them and just screaming at their screen for them to kiss already.

However, I do think it's possible we could see them get separated for like 1 episode, maybe 2 but probably not 2 full episodes, I think the reunion would happen sometime at the end of 1 or 2 episodes.

I think Will is likely going to be targeted by Vecna, arguably already was at the end of s4, and then there's birthdaygate to address. Maybe he gets forgotten by everyone as a result of the memory/time trickery that Vecna has going on. And so we could see that play a role in them being separate for a bit while that is resolved, which would likely be early s5, to sort of mirror early s1. But then I think they would reunite by like the 3rd episode and work together most of the season as a team. And we will probably be aware of Mike's feelings in these moments because we would've just presumably gotten a bunch of parallels to s1 and considering Mike and El are broken up, it's going to be difficult to see Mike be so up in arms about Will after all of that romantic subtext, only to be with him and be looking at him like he hung the stars and shit. Even if Will isn't doing the same bc he's like convinced himself at this point Mike doesn't like him back, that would just make it even more clear bc it would be them finally showing us Mike's POV, after hiding it so much in s3-4. It would also sort of wake up those fans who had insisted Mike couldn't feel the same bc there would be no reason to do all of that for nothing.

Another way I could see it going down is by Mike basically somehow making 'a deal with god' (Vecna) that takes him instead. Maybe it's about saving Will who is trying to sacrafice himself already. Or maybe it's a way to save Max and it's sort of a last minute thing that is intended to cause them a lot of grief. Bc we know Vecna loves fucking with them. This would fit into the whole without heart we'd all fall apart, and the whole how am I gonna survive a whole week w/out you guys and Mike getting out in the DND game at the start of s4, along with like the whole theory about how if a paladin breaks an oath they basically have to go on a mini self discovery journey and can essentially be reinstated and forgiven by a cleric (Will). That would fit very very well into the imagery we got of Mike sitting down on Jonthan's bed with the upside down tapestry behind him, followed by Will sitting down beside him + Mike sitting down on the upside down couch at the cabin, followed by Will sitting down beside him. Meaning basically Mike would end up in the upside down and Will would follow behind him.

And I think in that scenario we might be seeing some things from Mike's POV that we have overlooked before, or maybe even things they have deliberately kept from us for the sake of saving it for later. Maybe that unused footage of him crying biking home after they found Will's body, or maybe they re-contextualize the cliff scene in a way that sort of frames Mike as feeling like he deserved to die that day bc after everything that happened with El, maybe he doesn't feel like he deserved to be saved by her, like Vecna just overwhelms him with the guilt that's been piling up for years, which led him to that failed monologue.

Also I think there is a very specific reason they chose to not use the song Time After Time in Max's memory of the Snow Ball in s4, and that's because they're saving it for s5. Every Breath You Take was regarded by most the fandom as a Milkvan song, and if anything it fit with all of them dancing more than it did specifically with Max's memory from that day. So them bringing that back for s4 felt like a combination of the Vecna foreshadowing and also them refusing to use Time After Time quite yet... Time After Time started playing right when Lucas asked her to dance, they easily could have used that song instead and left Every Breath You Take for s5 for a milkvan montage, hell Time After Time even would have fit well with the whole clock theme going on in s4.

But, I genuinely think it's because they're holding off on fully, in canon, re-contextualizing our understanding of that Snow Ball scene when it comes to Mike and Will's perspective of it. And how that song would fit into that revelation is a little to perfect to pass up, again on a show that has made a big deal about clocks and also has connected Will/Mike to the clock in Starcourt with the Yellow and Blue hands ie you say go slow I fall behind-- the second hand unwinds is fucking clock coded bro???

They are 100% saving that clock ass song for the end and that just tells me byler has to be endgame bc that song literally ended right before El entered the gym, it has no association to them, only to either Lucas/Max, Dustin/Nancy, or Mike/Will. That's it.

And so arguably the build up of Mike and Will is the only way to satisfyingly bring that song back full circle.

I guess I'll keep it simple and say that I think one of them are going to go missing/dissapear/be taken (something along those lines) early s5, and the other is going to find them and they're going to be a team basically. I think there could be 1-2 episodes of them alone sort of in the pits of the UD (Hell vibes). Maybe there's an almost kiss in those moments, or maybe even an official one bc them being alone finally is what grants them the courage to do what they haven't been able to do in the real world without the fears of the real world stopping them?

Though I do think that they will reunite with the others after 1-2 episodes alone. And so most of the season will be them teamed up with the og party and also having interactions with other characters along the way as well.

I do think a Murray/Byler confrontation is inevitable. I do think a Will & Robin confrontation is inevitable. I do think it's possible Mike could be exposed to the idea of having a gf then a bf (and vs) by Vickie in the case that Mike finds out bisexuality is real and an option. Bc tbh it's still something people today don't know about. So I don't think Mike Wheeler in 1986 Hawkins, Indiana would, though again maybe an interaction with Vickie could change that. Either that or Robin, Vickie and Steve are going to see Mike call Fast Times overrated and they're all going to share a look and that's when we'll know...

I do think that Will is going to have a hard time believing Mike could feel the same, even when presented with evidence? Not only does he have his insecurities in the way, but he also views El as his sister now (hell she might even actually turn out to be his twin). Even though Mike is his best friend, he's going to want it to be crystal clear that El supports it before Mike ends up being in their family via them being partners at some point. That's just who Will is as a character. He's just going to assume he is wrong for wanting that considering everything that has led up to this point.

And i think El is the kind of character that, no, she wont be like ecstatic about how this all played out and how she didn't need to get her heartbroken, but I don't think that feeling will last forever. I think they might have a little sibling talk about lying, assuming she finds out about the painting and what he said to Mike about her commissioning it. That would be a good parallel to her and Will at Rink-O-Mania when he chastised her for lying to Mike? Essentially an Oh how the turntables moment? Even so, when it's all said and done, she's going to make it clear to Will that she supports him fully.

And I think the same applies to Mike who also is going to want closure that they are okay and still friends and love each other as friends/family.

I think how all of this plays out would be very intricate, yes, but largely keeping in mind that they want us to like this ending and not be bitter about it, and so they're going to have to convince us that we want to fully let go of Mike and El and to root for Mike and Will.

This so called love triangle doesn't have equal stakes to the stancy/jancy one because we're dealing with an audience that has been completely left in the dark, now being bombarded. They have to try really hard to convince the audience to be on board with this, and also avoid homophobia in the process. They're going to have to make it very, very clear there are no more romantic feelings for Mike and El happening. Especially since we're ending the show with them in a sibling dynamic because of their relationships with Will. It would be gross to have this level of well maybe one day he could change his mind I mean he did that once before. Nope. It would be okay to have that sort of left unanswered with the stancy/jancy parallels bc we're not dealing with people being related to each other and swapping back and forth. That's why it needs to be clear in their situation.

And I do think that's why they did the whole I love you 9 times with Mike's monologue. Because it can't go up from there, there is nothing left for them to do after going all out like that, only to reveal Mike meant it deep down platonically? I mean what could they possibly do to backtrack? Have him give her another love confession where he says it 20x and adds no but fr this time?? No. They had to go all out like that to give those viewers what they wanted, the most they could possibly get and then say, sorry it's not happening. It essentially made it impossible to hope for it bc there's nothing left to hope for.

When it comes to byler and like these major moments that are bound to occur between them, I am genuinely most looking forward to them hugging again for the first time since the end of s3. That to me is going to be even more exciting than a kiss honestly (not saying I don't want a kiss but you know what I mean). And it's bc from a hug alone, I think we'll be able to tell that what's going on between them isn't platonic and that will in turn add so many layers to past seasons. I think it's also likely we'll get an almost kiss or two before the inevitable, and that would then make the slow-burn stretching until the end worth it, to me at least? Because just throwing them together never works when the formula has always been to hold off.

And that's also why the show has to end now. We can't have 6,8, 10 seasons of slow-burn, it would be exhausting. 5 seasons is the perfect amount. And having all of that angst and tension and heartache lead to a happy ending is going to make all of those moments in between that fans fought over for being critical of, sort of just dwindle to epic angst that was necessary to appreciate the happy ending.

[maple-seed]

Loki Fic Recommendations

For those who don't know, I have a side blog where I post fic recs, @maple-seed-reads

However, I haven't had much time recently to read, I've been focusing on writing instead. Therefore the queue on that blog is currently empty.

I've been feeling a little guilty about that so I decided to make a post here highlighting my favorite authors. I'm linking my favorite stories but you should check out their blogs/masterlists because they all have a variety of stories, if you don't like my suggestion there's probably something else there that you will.

Some of these authors have 18+ content, please respect their tags/notes.

@maiden-of-asgard is currently on hiatus. Her story Frostbite (18+) is widely known but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention it just in case. I'm also in love with the in-progress It's Rotten Work.

@grufflepuff-writes-stuff has a series of soft fics called Loki's Lullabies, which currently has 251 entries. Yes, you read that correctly, 251. Three digits. If you put a gun to my head and asked me to choose a favorite I would still have to change my mind a dozen times, so I'm going to say Cast the Shadows Away and leave it at that. Rest assured, virtually any sweet, soft flavor you are craving can be found somewhere in that series. (Also, those looking for 18+ recommendations should read Catch Fire, Burn the Stars)

@writingfics-passingtime and @just-another-blog-of-fluff, JJ and Jessa, are the dynamic duo of tickle fics. Even if you're not particularly into tickling (I'm not) you should check them out. Their stories are well-crafted and definitely worth the read. Very fluffy, sometimes a little serious, always sweet and wonderful. Favorite from JJ: Understanding Favorite from Jessa: A Startling Realization (I just realized both of those recs are 10k+, if you want shorter fics they have those too.) BONUS: Last year they collaborated on a Christmas fic, A Reason to Celebrate

@munsons-maiden has shifted focus to Eddie Munson, but her Loki fics are still here. You may have to fiddle with the url due to blog name change but it's worth it and not difficult to do. Favorite: Like He Does

@michelleleahhh has an incredible enemies-to-lovers slow burn called Broken Crown (18+) that's filled with mystery and intrigue.

@give-me-a-moose is also on a writing hiatus. You should check out her series, By Hook or by Crook (18+), I am so in love with how in love those two characters are.

@cake-writes has a couple spicy in-progress series that I'm excited for. Dutiful Disaster (18+) is one I recommend if you want to see a couple dummies who think they hate each other but actually obviously don't.

@sarahscribbles has many fics worth reading but my current favorite is Dancing With the Devil (18+), it is a wonderful blend of sweet and spicy.

@silver-tongued-bby - I don't typically read AUs where Loki isn't an Asgardian god, but something about her fic Trouble (18+) drew me in. If you're looking for something different she has several AU fics to check out.

That's all for now. If you think you know something I'd like based on this feel free to drop it in the comments. One day I'll get around to reading again, lol.

[x0401x]

Jeweler Richard Fanbook Short Story #13

Feel free to message me about possible corrections, and please consider supporting the creators by purchasing digital copies of the official releases: Novel || Manga || Fanbook. In case anyone is feeling generous: Ko-fi | PayPal. ( ╹◡╹)っ’･*

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Ramen Story

The voice of the owner as he said “welcome” turned into a mutter at the end, fading away. I could understand how he felt. With a light, cut-and-sew jacket draped over him, a blond, blue-eyed man had come inside, standing behind another man who quite literally had the air of a student. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to wonder if he was an actor. But we were just a party of two.

“Two people,” I indicated with a peace sign. We were guided to a table seat. There were no other people around. While we were at it, we gave them the meal tickets that we had bought from the vending machine outside. A couple of negi ramen.

“What a surprise. There’s always a long queue for this shop. So that’s how shops are like right after they open in a student district?”

In this shop, currently reserved to our exclusive use, I talked without restraint about all sorts of things – about the layout of the classroom building in my campus, about the hideout-like garden in the university’s premises, about my friends and even about my teachers. The shop’s atmosphere did that to me. The man who could well be the best listener in the world let me talk as much as I wanted, occasionally making an exasperated face.

“Here, sorry for the wait. It’s hot, so be careful.”

“Thank you, thank you.”

“You too, Mr. Foreigner. This is ‘hot’.”

As Richard replied with a “thank you, madam”, the old lady laughed fickly.

Now for the ramen.

Its soup was salt-based, warm steam wafting from it. That being said, it wasn’t as if there was anything special about it. We hadn’t added any ingredients, so it was a simple one. Fermented bamboo shoots, dried seaweed, fish cake and a large helping of green onions.

We silently put our hands together to thank for the meal, taking the chopsticks and parting them with a snap. I took the dwindled noodles, then opened my mouth wide and filled it with them. I tried to make as little noise as possible.

Delicious.

This shop’s ramen was simple, but it was a strong ally for a student’s cold pockets and quick-to-get-hungry stomach. It stayed steadily in your belly, resolutely reminding you for about three hours that you had eaten ramen today. And above all else, the animalistic joy of eating without thinking was more irreplaceable than anything else. Tasty food was great.

By the moment I was done with my very-IQ-lacking monologue of “thank you, o ramen; o ramen, thank you”, there was only a little bit left of the contents of my bowl. Still eating the green onion ramen without a sound, Richard looked at me with upturned eyes from his bended posture. Those blue eyes made me seriously wonder if there weren’t gemstones inserted in them.

“Hey, you got a moment?”

“As you wish. Whatever you please.”

When I prefaced it with, “This is serious talk – super, super serious talk”, he made a face that screamed, “You’re being too long-winded”, so I went straight to the point.

“I didn’t think you’d actually come eat ramen with me.”

I hadn’t imagined that the day would come when I could eat a bowl of ramen for 450 yen at a historical, cozy ramen shop in the student town with this beautiful man who usually only wore suits. I hadn’t at all. Even now, another side of me was still tilting his neck somewhere within my mind, wondering about “how things came to this”.

Ever since around the time I had started working part-time in Ginza, I had no sense of reality. Not even about the fact that I would later be going to Sri Lanka. No, of course, I was fully ready and had a Visa, so I was in a phase where all I had left to do was get on the plane and I was making the oh-so-busy Richard help me out with that, but...

Richard took a sip of the salt-based soup with the china spoon, then glanced at me. “So you were not expecting anything from me, is that it?”

“No way. On the contrary.”

When I said that I just didn’t think he would give me the OK, Richard’s lips curved in the shape of an arc, and after looking for napkins on the table, he realized that there weren’t any, so he took a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his mouth.

“I value the accuracy of your palate. It is obvious that, if you have a shop you like, I would want to try eating there.”

“Thank you. And for remembering about it too.”

Soon after I had started working part-time, I was introduced to a stone called chrysoprase. I once laughed my butt off when I learned that the etymology of the fresh green-colored stone included the meaning of “leek” or “green onion”. The topic then changed into ramen, and we, the shopkeeper and part-timer who subtly had not yet thrown off reserve with each other, talked about liking green onion ramen, what kinds of toppings we preferred, and other such things. I had kind of thought that “it’d be nice to go have ramen with this guy someday”. Back then, to me, Richard was someone as far-off as the moon and stars that shone in outer space. Of course, he was still as resplendent as the moon and stars even now, but he didn’t feel as distant.

Once I was done drinking the soup up to it’s last drop, I heaved a small sigh. “That was delicious. Last time eating Japanese ramen and this one for a while, huh.”

“How about putting instant ramen in your suitcase?”

“I ain’t used to making those. I’m the type that goes out to eat ramen rather than making instant ones. But there’s curry roux inside. Weird story, isn’t it? I’m going to a curry culture zone, yet I’m taking curry with me.”

“Analyzing Indian and Sri Lankan curry by Japanese curry standards can cause serious stomach problems. Beware.”

I puffed out my chest, saying that I had properly prepared myself for this because he had already told me about it before, to which the beautiful man gave a little sigh.

“May I also talk about a truly serious topic?”

When I told him that didn’t mind it at all and that I wanted to hear it, Richard looked at my face directly. It made me nervous. What was he going to tell me, I wondered.

“I did not think that you would actually invite me out for ramen.”

“Me?”

“Yes. I honestly did not.”

“Why?”

As I kept on tilting my neck at that sentence, which you wouldn’t think would come from someone like him – who looked like just breathing was enough for him to get invited to eat out –, Richard spoke to me reticently. He told me that people were quick to come towards him, but there were also those who surrounded him from a distance, watching him without trying to shorten the distance between him and themselves. So this kind of thing also happened?

Looking back, I was also from the keep-a-distance group at first. But I sucked at giving up, and whenever something that made me happy happened, I would be overjoyed no matter how many times I remembered about it, so every time I recalled the chrysoprase talk, I would find myself thinking that I should invite him out for ramen. It just so happened that the desire for this “someday” had amplified as the number of times that I thought about it increased, and I had finally voiced it this spring.

The shop was tiny and had a bit of a mysterious scent, but it was truly delicious. It would be closing this spring. I was concerned about what to do if he declined it with an awkward face, but the response I got after speaking up was a “When will it be?” without a moment’s delay.

“Was it okay to have invited you?”

“What do you think?”

“Well, I was just thinking I was glad that I invited you, but...”

The reply was a short-range smile. That slightly tired face with no sense of uneasiness to it was bad for the heart. But I was gonna get used to it. I had to.

“Still, was it really all right? That I was the one you had a meal with for the last time at a shop that you have fond memories of, I mean. Would it not have been better to do so with the friends that you always ate with?” Richard asked.

Hmm. So he was gonna bring that up, huh?

“Well, well, thank you very much for your superb consideration. But I’m glad it was with you.”

“Is that so?”

“I’m glad it was with you. Not anyone else; with you.”

I had learned many lessons even in just four years of university, such as that things were shifting, everything kept changing over and over, the green onion ramen shop would be gone, I would be leaving for Sri Lanka in the near future and there was no telling how my life was going to be from now on. But this jeweler was a man who knew very well how to cherish a memory.

Only to people like that did I entrust the things I didn’t want to forget.

Bidding a courteous farewell to the elderly shopkeeper and old lady employee, we exited the shop. Cars rushed on the Yasukuni Avenue. Kasaba during holidays was so quiet that it felt like a different world. As the wind softly blew, the cherry trees planted along the street shook and their pale pink petals scattered about.

“That was delicious, huh~. You got any plans for later?”

“I am going to help Saul with chores. We are not boorish enough to engage in business talk after just eating ramen.”

I stole a peek at his profile as he started chewing on a mint gum. The beautiful man brushed cherry blossom petals off his golden hair. He offered me one of the white gums, asking if I wanted to eat it.

I probably wouldn’t forget this sight. Even if that ramen shop was gone, even if my address was no longer in Tokyo.

Richard tilted his head a little, as I was still staring at his face even after accepting the gum. “Anything the matter?”

“Aah, sorry. Your beauty was like you’ve come from another world, so I spaced out.”

I then changed the topic, saying I was going to think about what to have for dinner or something. There were still lots of shops that I wanted to visit while I was still in Japan, though they were all set-meal and chain ones. I didn’t think I was able to hide my melancholy, but he’d probably act like he didn’t see anything. I was grateful for that.

In the middle of our walk to the train station, I looked back at the cityscape one last time and wordlessly offered a moment of silence to it.

Thank you for everything; I’m off!

[meltwonu]

| caffeine |     [chapter 8]

pairing; fratboy!wonwoo x female!reader

this chapter’s notes; usage of toys in public, overstimulation, oral(female receiving), anal play, forced orgasms 🥴🥴 we r back everyone! 💕💕 thank you to everyone who’s been so patient since we took a one week break from updates!! 💕💕💕💕 let’s get it!! 

chapters; 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - x - x

Wonwoo gets accepted to go on his archaeology trip next semester which doesn’t surprise you at all but does leave you feeling a little sadder than you anticipated.

And he tells you in the midst of eating you out, hands gripping your thighs as he laps at your clit.

“W--wait, Wonwoo--mmh!”

Your fingers tug on his short hair just as he sucks on your clit; a garbled moan spilling out of your lips as your thighs threaten to clamp shut with his head between them. But he feels you tremble, shooting you a look before he pries your legs open further, holding them still as he continues to eat you out on top of the study table.

“Wuh--wait! So, that m-means you’ll be leaving in like t-two months?” He moans against you, flicking at your clit with the tip of his tongue before he licks his lips clean.

“Yeah, maybe a little bit sooner depending on what prepwork needs to be done.”

“Hmm… ‘m gonna miss you kinda. Maybe just your dick but kinda you too.”

Wonwoo chuckles, adjusting his glasses for a second before he brings his index and middle fingers to his mouth to wet them.

He pops the digits out of his mouth when he deems them wet enough, bringing them to your entrance before he slowly sinks them into you, curling them upward until they tap your g-spot.

“I’m gonna miss your pussy too, sweetheart.”

“Hey, can you put this book down on the third shelf to the right?”

Wonwoo hands you a book to reshelf and you wonder how he even managed to convince you to stick around after he went down on you. Most often than not, it was a quick rendezvous and you or he left. But you think maybe part of you is feeling a little sentimental now that you know he’s going to be gone for a while.

“Right here?”

“Mmhmm.”

The cart of books grows smaller and smaller as the two of you continue to put them away, small idle conversation helping to fill up the otherwise quiet space.

“Any big plans before you leave for, like, three months?” Wonwoo ponders for a second, turning to face you.

“Well, the guys wanted to go to some 21+ beer festival-thing next weekend. You should come with. Maybe you can help me handle them all.” He laughs lightly, a genuine smile plastered on his face when he thinks about the others.

“Are you gonna miss ‘em?” This time Wonwoo scoffs, jokingly rolling his eyes before he walks over to the nearly empty book cart.

“Are you kidding? I’m probably going to have some peace and quiet for the first time in my adult life. I'll be more concerned about having to come back after three months.”

The festival day comes up sooner than you expected; having filled up the time with finishing projects and helping Mingyu not fail his.

You wait in front of the gates, a little uneasy since it was all of SVT House and yourself.

What if someone sees me and thinks I’m the SVT House whore or something, fuck. You panic unnecessarily for a second, wondering if there’s a way for you to escape but you hear Mingyu’s voice calling your name, turning to the side to see the entire group. Too late.

“Hey, ‘Gyu.” You meet him in a hug, Minghao coming soon after until Wonwoo steps in front of you. The others coo at the two of you, jokingly calling you the ‘lovebirds’ before they start walking to the ticketing kiosks, leaving you and Wonwoo alone.

“You know how they are.” “Mm, yeah unfortunately.”

You chuckle, walking with Wonwoo to the ticketing kiosks where he pays for your ticket. “Hey, what the fuck? You never buy us anything!!” The blonde one you’d seen in passing screeches. Soonyoung.

Wonwoo rolls his eyes, handing you your ticket which you thank him for. “She’s the only girl here, I’m trying to be a gentleman.” You can’t help but blush at his words, walking with the rest of them through the security check. Mingyu sends you a greasy smirk, just as you quickly flip him off.

All of you get through security with no issues, Seungcheol doing a headcount to make sure everyone’s there before he starts leading the way into the festival grounds. There’s a few amusement park rides thrown in the mix of game booths and alcohol stalls as well and you’re semi-glad it’s a 21+ event only; something was telling you things could get messy.

Wonwoo tugs on your elbow not a second after, curiosity plastered on your face when you turn to face him. “Before we… get started, I have a gift for you.” He smirks, pulling out a small box from his pocket before placing it in the palm of your hands.

You barely open it for a split-second before you quickly put the cover back on, cheeks hot as you stare up at the fox-eyed male. “How the fuck did you get this through security!?” You whisper harshly. He chuckles quietly, pulling the remote from his pocket as he spins the keychain loop around his index finger.

“Dunno, guess sex toys don’t make the sensor go off.”

He tells the others that the two of you were going to head to the restrooms really quick, telling Seungcheol to text him their location while he waits for you.

The blush eats you alive when you slip into a restroom stall, hiking up your dress slightly to pull down your normal panties to replace them with the vibrating panties that Wonwoo had somehow gotten through security. You could already feel yourself getting slightly wet; the thrill of him controlling your orgasms in a public place suddenly extremely hot. And the toy sits directly on your clit, a small shiver running up your spine as you adjust it before gathering your things and leaving. Wonwoo meets you outside, eyebrow quirked as he grins. “Let’s give it a try, hmm?”

The vibrations hit you hard and fast, a choked noise all you can muster in the three seconds he turns it on and off. “Oh, seems like it's working well.”

When the two of you meet up with the rest of the guys, they’re at a game booth trying to win some stuffed animal.

You feel mildly on edge now that you knew Wonwoo could turn the toy on at any second, a cold sweat on your skin as you stand in between Minghao and Wonwoo. “That took you awhile. You guys weren’t… doing anything unsavory were you?” You grit your teeth; Wonwoo having turned on the toy on its lowest level just as Minghao finished asking.

“No? We’re literally here to eat and maybe get a little drunk. Cut me some slack, ‘Hao. When have you ever seen me acting out in public?” Minghao nods slowly at Wonwoo’s words, eyeing you before he clears his throat.

“Ok, I mean… Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

Wonwoo shifts the vibration intensity higher, your legs twitching underneath your dress. You can feel your body tensing up, pussy clenching around nothingness as the toy assaults your clit. “Don’t you have anything to say to defend yourself?” Minghao jokes, jabbing you with his elbow.

“W--what? N-no… I mean, I just, I--I needed to use the restroom. There was a line and y-yeah...” You blabber, hands clenched into fists on your sides. Wonwoo eases up, turning the toy off just as your body slumps forward slightly.

“You okay, though? You seem tired.” Minghao’s voice is filled with worry as he places his hand on your shoulder. “Yeah! I’m good, just slept kinda weird last night so I might seem a ‘lil tired today!” He buys it, thankfully, turning his attention back to the others just as Seungcheol wins the stuffed animal.

“For the sweet lady.”

Seungcheol winks, handing you the small stuffed bear just as Wonwoo sets the vibration to the maximum level, forcing an orgasm out of you in a matter of seconds just as you choke out a small ‘thank you’ towards Seungcheol.

You grit your teeth hard, nails digging into the poor stuffed animal you were gifted. “What’cha gonna name it?” You meet the eyes of Seokmin, a cheery smile on his face. Wonwoo turns the toy off again, a soft chuckle fluttering by.

“I don’t know.”

Thankfully you do manage to have fun; momentarily forgetting about the toy. And Wonwoo seems to forget about it for a bit too, enjoying the drinks as you all stop at stalls to grab different beers to try in between all of your conversations.

One of the younger ones, Seungkwan, suggests getting on one of the rides; queueing up in front of the merry-go-round near-by.

“This is supposed to be, like, a wine and cheese festival but we have beer and children’s rides. Who even came up with this?” Vernon asks, genuinely curious.

“Broke college kids who can’t afford wine and cheese but can afford cheap beer and free rides and need escapism.” Everyone nods sadly at Jeonghan’s words, unfortunately very true. 

And much like you expect, the small vibrations come back; Wonwoo having set it on the lowest setting while you all waited in line. “We should go sit and eat for a bit after this. My feet are kinda killing me.” Jun complains, but everyone agrees, deciding to take a little break after the ride to finally eat something.

“Yeah, honestly, I’m full of beer, I need something to eat.” Joshua whines.

Wonwoo turns the vibrations up a level, your thighs rubbing together under your dress as you sneakily shift from one foot to the other. He calls your name loud enough to get the attention of everyone else, their eyes on you as you mentally curse at him.

“What do you feel like eating? We should let you choose.” The others nod, a sly smirk plastered on his features. “Geez hyung, you’re really trying to put on that gentlemanly charm, huh?” Chan teases. You laugh awkwardly, a bead of sweat trickling down your temple as you wipe it away.

Gentleman, my ass.

“I--um, I--I saw a pretzel stall we p-passed by, it se--seems like it’d go well w-with drinks…”

The others agree just as you’re all let onto the merry-go-round, sitting on one of the horses next to Wonwoo. The ride starts soon after; the others laughing and cracking jokes almost immediately as they all sit in front of you. Wonwoo’s eyes glint with mischief when your eyes meet, your hand covering your mouth as you let out a choked cry.

At the angle you’re sitting in, the toy presses harder against your clit and almost like Wonwoo knows that, he sets the toy to the highest level again. And this time, you can’t help but grind against it, thankful that you could mask your movements on the god-forsaken ride. “W-Wonwoo…” You whisper. He barely catches it over the ride’s music, smirking as he only mouths the word ‘cum’ to you.

A shiver runs up your spine when you finally cum this time, toes curling in your sandals as you bite your lip to hold in any noises. You sit up pin straight on your horse, your entire body twitching at your second orgasm. But it doesn’t last long, much like your first one. Wonwoo turns off the toy again, just as the ride starts to come to a stop and you release the breath you didn’t know you were holding.

“Need some help down, m’lady?” This time it’s Mingyu offering his hand which you shakily take, palm clammy when you place yours in his. “Jesus, are you okay? Why is your palm so sweaty?”

“Yeah, m’fine, I think the beer is getting to me.” He pouts at you, rubbing your back slightly as he ushers your wobbly body off of the ride. “You know what’ll fix that? More beer but also some food, finally.”

You and Mingyu fall into idle conversation; Wonwoo giving you a break that you deserve after forcing two orgasms out of you. And eventually you find the pretzel stall, thankful that there’s empty tables around as you all find a seat.

You sit at a table with Wonwoo by your side, Jihoon and Mingyu sitting on the opposite side.

“We’ll go in pairs or something, so we don’t lose our seats.” You nod at Seungcheol’s suggestion, just thankful you can finally sit and catch your breath. Mingyu and Jihoon get up first, leaving the two of you alone again.

“Having fun, sweetheart?” The tone in Wonwoo’s voice is provoking, your head tilting slightly to look at him and glare. “You’re actually the devil. Gentlemanly, my fucking ass.” You whisper harshly. The stuffed toy in your hands gets squeezed hard again, Wonwoo prying it out from between your iron grip.

“Don’t cuss in front of our child.” He smiles sickly sweet at you, smoothing down the toy’s faux fur before he places it in front of you again.

You’re about to open your mouth to retort but you notice Jihoon coming back, placing food and a cup of beer right in front of you instead. “Hey, uhh, I paid for your food and drink. Hope that’s okay. You seemed tired.” There’s a faint blush on his cheek just as he shyly looks away.

“O-oh. Thank you, Jihoon, that’s really sweet of you…”

“Um, mmhmm, I’m gonna go get my own food, I’ll be back.”

Wonwoo scoffs when Jihoon walks away, plucking the remote from his pocket again. “Isn’t that cute? Everyone’s treating you like a little princess. Doting on you while you cum because of me. So spoiled.”

You blush, choosing to ignore Wonwoo’s words as you focus on eating the food Jihoon had so kindly gotten for you. Eventually the other two come back, leaving Wonwoo to get his own food as he leaves you with them. “Jeez, couldn’t even get me anything, Mingyu?”

“Sorry bro, only one pair of hands!”

The three of you laugh, delving into conversation as the tall male leaves. “Anyway, you guys aren’t dating right?” Mingyu asks. You nod. “We’re not. Why?”

“No reason, just checking in to see if anything’s changed.”

“Since you’re not dating, d’you wanna come to my studio?” You choke on your food, eyes bulging as you stare at Jihoon. “I--what?” He places his food down, taking a sip of his beer before he replies.

“Nothin’ sexual, just could use an outside opinion on some music stuff. We’re all art kids to some degree, y’know? Sometimes I need an outsider’s opinion.”

“But--but what does that have to do with me dating Wonwoo?”

“Nothing really. I just didn’t want to ask just in case he got the wrong idea.” Wonwoo walks back in mid-conversation, setting his things down as he looks at Jihoon. “Wrong idea?”

“I asked her if she’d come to my studio to give me an opinion on music stuff. Nothing major.” Wonwoo glances at you before he takes a sip of his own beer. “Jihoon’s really good at producing. You’d be lucky to hear what he works on. ”

“I’d love to come by whenever!” You smile at Jihoon, hurriedly finishing your food. The other three take their time, discussing various topics just as you see Wonwoo slip his hand towards his pants pocket again. Oh no.

This time he wastes no time, already setting the toy to the middle setting as you try your best to not lurch forward over the table top. Your body is already extremely sensitive from your past orgasms and you find it hard to keep in the noises you so badly want to let out.

“We should go to a few more game booths and then maybe hit up the rides before we leave.” Mingyu says with a mouthful of food. “Mm, yeah, they set up a cool arcade area on the north end of the grounds, we should head over there when the sun goes down.” Wonwoo adds.

You find it incredible that he can sound so normal in this situation and you almost feel jealous. Fucker.

The three continue to chat about the day’s plans just as your orgasm begins to crest quickly, Jihoon’s eyes landing on you when he asks for your opinion. You almost feel bad that you’re cumming while staring Jihoon straight in the eyes but you figure it wasn’t the first time today that had happened anyway.

The wetness between your legs feels horrible when you come down from your high; panties sticking to you like a second skin as you rub your thighs together.

“Yeah, sounds g-good!”

Wonwoo lets up, letting you enjoy the rest of your day in peace for the most part.

The sun eventually goes down and all of you head towards the arcade tent; everyone splitting up to go do their own thing for the time being. You stick with Wonwoo however, walking around quietly and looking at all the arcade cabinets with him.

“Tired yet?”

“Why? Think I can’t keep up with you?” You quip, a little on edge. In truth, you were a little tired. But you also wanted Wonwoo to fuck you already and you weren’t even sure if he’d give in.

“Oh, no, sweetheart. I know you can keep up with me. Just wondering if you were wanting one more orgasm before the night was over.”

Oh.

“Yes.”

You reply before you can even really think, body suddenly on fire at the thought of his hands finally on you. And just like you expect, Wonwoo turns the toy back on, setting it to its lowest level. “Let’s play a game.” He offers, walking you towards one of the zombie shooter games.

“If you win, I’ll fuck you however you want me. If I win, I’ll fuck you however I want you. Deal?” You nod feverishly, not caring about the outcome. If it resulted in him fucking you, there was no real losing. “Okay, sure. Let’s do it.” Wonwoo leaves the toy on as he puts the quarters in the machine, already flying through the intro screen. “I hope you’re ready to lose, sweetheart.”

And lose you do, but you feign disappointment for his sake, setting the fake gun back into its place just as Wonwoo raises the vibration level of the toy. “F--Fuck!” And this time, your voice is drowned out in the crowd of people and arcade noises, small cries and moans spilling from your lips as you lean up against the arcade cabinet. “Pl--please, Wonwoo I can’t w-wait any longer, I don’t care i--if you fuck me here, please!”

Wonwoo laughs, his hand wrapping around your wrist as he drags you out of the arcade tent. “We’ll save that for another time.” He leads you towards the restrooms, although in a much emptier part of the grounds.

“Wait, what if someone… sees us?” He scoffs just as he begins to walk into the restrooms, pulling you in behind him. “Please, this is a 21+ event with booze, I’m sure someone’s fucked in here before we have.” Wonwoo pushes you into one of the stalls, locking it behind him as he fishes for the toy’s remote.

“Let’s get you a little wetter, baby.”

“No~ I’m already so wet, please Wonwoo…” You face one of the restroom walls, pressing your ass against his crotch. His cock is already from what you can feel as you start to grind against him. “Fuck, please, you’re already hard, please just fuck me!” You cry, dropping all of your things to the grimy restroom floor before placing your hands on the wall in front of you.

“I won the game but here you are begging me to do what you want. So so spoiled.” He turns off the toy, placing the remote in his back pocket before he grips the hem of your dress, flipping it up to expose your ass to him.

He helps you slide down your soaked panties, pocketing the material as well before starts undoing his jeans and underwear. “Don’t you want me to eat you out? Get you nice and prepped for my cock?”

“No, fuck, I just want you to fuck me, please! I’m so w-wet I--you could just… slide right in…” The thought alone has you drooling; squirming when you feel the head of his cock sliding through your wet folds.

“What if I wanted to fuck your ‘lil ass, hmm?” You can feel your pussy throb at the prospect. “I--Wonwoo… fuck, I’d let you!” You moan out.

Wonwoo smirks behind you, positioning his cock at your entrance before he slowly eases himself in. “We’ll also save that for another time… But I’ll give you a little taste in a bit.” You groan in response, thanking the heavens when you feel his thick cock inside your pussy. And it takes everything you have to not cum as soon as he bottoms out, cock already prodding at your cervix.

“Ngh, fuck…”

The sound of skin slapping and moans bounce off the restroom walls and you don’t even care if anyone can hear or see what’s going on. But Wonwoo takes his time; slow but hard thrusts that have you whining and clenching hard around him as your body jerks in his hold.

“You were so good for me today. Cumming and not even letting any of them know.” A warm feeling floods your senses at his praise. “And here you are, still taking my cock after you’ve already cum so many times. So good for me, sweetheart.” 

You let out a sharp breath when you feel his thumb circling your puckered hole. 

“Wonwoo... p-please...” You meet his thrusts, fucking yourself on his cock as he lets a glob of spit land on your hole, his thumb using it as lubrication before he slowly eases in the digit. 

“Oh g-god, I--fuck, please, please, please!” You mumble, feeling even more full than you ever were. 

“Hah, you’re so cute. Next time we’ll have to use some new toys, hmm? Get all you nice and filled up.” 

“Fuck, yes!” 

Wonwoo fucks you faster, keeping his thumb in your ass as he chases his orgasm. Your body jolts in his hold, already feeling your own orgasm starting to build as well. “Won--Wonwoo ‘m close already...” You mumble, sensitive body already beginning to slump against the dirty wall.

“Cum with me then, sweetheart.” 

You nod shakily, pussy getting tighter around his cock as you feel yourself tipping over the edge. And Wonwoo follows suit, groaning when he cums inside of your pussy, fucking his cum deeper into you as your walls flutter around his cock when you cum with him. 

“Fuck, Wonwoo!” 

You feel yourself drooling as you cum, eyes clenched shut as the pleasure washes over you. Your orgasm seems to last longer than your previous ones despite how exhausted you feel afterwards, but you’re sure it’s because of Wonwoo and not because of some toy. 

“Sweetheart, are you okay?”

“H--Huh?” You head feels muddled as you turn your head to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of him. 

“I’ve been asking you if you were ok for the past minute. You zoned out.” 

“Oh... m’okay... tired...” You whisper out, oversensitivity setting in when he slides his cock from your swollen pussy. 

“Let’s get you cleaned up and then I’ll get you some water, okay?” 

You can barely stand up straight when you try to exit the restroom stall,  Wonwoo offering to piggy-back you back to the arcade tent where everyone else is waiting. 

He keeps the vibrating panties but lets you put you regular panties back on. 

“I was smart to put ‘em in my bag...” You tell him sleepily, nuzzling into his neck as he carries you. 

“You’re lucky you did or else I’d have to put the other one back on.” He grins, re-adjusting you on his back as he sees the others standing in front of the arcade tent. 

“Okay, see, now I know you two were up to no good.” Minghao tuts, arms crossed as he looks over your tired form. “God, and here we thought you were one of the good ones, hyung.” Chan adds, dramatically shaking his head as they start walking towards the amusement park rides. 

“You might’ve gotten whatever sick thrills you wanted but we still wanna go on the rides so you’re gonna have to come with us now!” Soonyoung screams before running ahead, Wonwoo turning with you still on his back. 

“You gonna be okay? Or do you wanna ditch them?” You tighten your grip around his neck, sleepy eyes watching as the others chase Soonyoung. 

“I’ll be okay, let’s catch up with them before they lose Soonyoung.” 

[blizzardfluffykpop]

M&M’s

Summary: Need a tutor? Well, you’ve come to the right school, we have just the one for you. And he’s attractive too. 

Do or Not Series

Fluff 

Word Count: 2,346

Hongseok X Reader

Of all my time at school, I never thought I would need tutoring. I was an A+ student when I started failing my classes. My grades were in the trash, and I had no idea how to improve or even raise them. How do you even study? Why is college structured like this? UGH! So now here I am sitting in the Dean’s office listening to them preach about how I need to learn from this person to pass. That they won’t hold it against me if I pass because of this tutor. All I have to do is pass the exams, and if I pass. I will move up to the Sophomore year. How am I supposed to pass a class that I’m not participating? And who is this person they are setting me up with? As if to answer my question, they say, “He should be here any moment.” 

Like on queue, the door opens to reveal a rather attractive guy. They expect me to be able to study next to him? Oh god, I am so screwed, even worse than I was before. Okay, (Y/n), put your game face on and act like he does not affect you. “This is your tutor, Hongseok, and Hongseok this is (Y/n). I think you two will do well together.” We exchange a polite ‘hello’. Then the Dean tells him what the expectations are for the both of us. And I cannot help but feel my anxiety spike at each time he mentions ‘study’, ‘quiz’, and ‘pass’. What happened to cruising through school? Why is it no longer easy to pass? What did I miss when I was younger?

I was missing the old school structure. That I was memorizing what they said to forget it later. Because back then, as long as I knew the basics, I could pass. It wasn't like those classes were hard either. They repeated the same things over and over. So it was easy to remember, Hongseok had explained to me at our first meeting in the library. He wanted to know why I was failing and what made me remember best. I shrugged and said, 'probably repetition and listening' I wasn't sure, but that was the best guess I had. I never thought of ways to study because I never needed to beforehand. He grinned, “I know you wouldn’t believe it, but my first year here, I didn’t study. I didn’t know how or what worked for me or how I even learned. It took me to the last semester to realize what it was. Once it clicked, it was too late, and I barely passed my exams. To make up for me failing everything else, they asked me to tutor someone.” While I couldn’t believe my ears, something in my gut told me he wasn’t lying. Thus I decided that he was my best bet to make it into my sophomore year. 

The following Wednesday, we are stuck inside the library again. When we get settled in our seats, he pulls out two packages of m&m’s. “What are those for?” I ask, and he shrugs and says, “You’ll see.” I pull out my books, a pencil, and a notebook. I’m worried he will look down on me for not having any past homework or past tests. But I threw them all out in exhaustion and frustration. I couldn’t deal with that massive amount of failure. But rather than saying anything, he pulls out some flashcards and a calculator. “Let’s start with math.” 

Every time I got a question right, he gave me an m&m. My stomach growled at me every time I would get something wrong and lose out on an m&m. Not that I couldn’t reach in and get one, but the m&m's are rewards for whenever I get something right. Plus, he would give me his charming smile every time I got something correct, so I strived to get them correct. 

It wasn’t until we finished math and science and we were walking out together. That I noticed, he was catering to the way I learned. Repeating steps with me or asking me the questions out loud and going through the steps with me. Whether it be an example or how to fix my mistakes, my heart skips a beat as he asks to walk me home. 

"So, do you like university other than this?" I shrug, "It could be better, but generally I like it. Everyone I met is kind, like my roommates Changgu and Yanan. Like you're kind and sweet, I wanna thank you for helping me out." He grins, "You're helping me out too. I don't think either of us wishes to repeat Freshman year." I laugh and agree, "What about you? Do you like it here?" He shrugs, "It's okay. I don't have a roommate, but I have quite a few friends. So it helps, plus once you know how to study, it makes it so much easier." I laugh, "Yeah,... if I ever get to that point." When we reach my dormitory I tell him, "This is my stop." As I head inside, he yells, “I’ll see you this Sunday for History and [Subject].” I yell back my agreement and walk up the stairs to my room. I thought this would drag and not want to show up. But he makes me look forward to studying with him. Throwing my finished m&m bag away, I walk to my dorm with a proud smile on my face. 

Like clockwork every Wednesday and Sunday, I spend the whole afternoon studying. And he would ask me to study for little quizzes that he would give me on Thursdays. They are over everything we have ever been over together. With each test I passed, my confidence grew, and so did my feelings. 

Out of all the days that I spend with him, Thursdays have to be the hardest. With each test, I take the harder they become. I feel like my soul almost leaves my body every time he grades them. How his face turns up in cute ways, trying to figure out my process. Or when I get something right, he sends me a beautiful smile or his pout when I miss a question. His faces make my heart flutter while my stomach wants to throw up from fear of failure. Between the two, I can never seem to stomach Thursdays. 

While I have learned my study pattern, I still have to pass this course with him or I fail. While I’m taking a quiz, three Thursdays before my exam, he tells me. “I can already tell you that you are going to succeed with flying colors. So if you fail this quiz, take it with a grain of salt. You have to fail sometimes to succeed.” The first page was easy I knew all the answers without a problem. I rushed through them, and the next page was a little harder. When I got to the eighth page, I was starting to question whether I was studying. What does the eighth number of pi have anything to do with this course? I wish to cry as I take my best guess, which is all I can do when I reach the tenth page. I sigh in relief, it’s the last page it can’t be that hard, can it? Oh, yes, yes it can. “If you take the 4th number of the last answer. [Which I am positive I did not get right, considering that I only gave a two-digit answer to the last question]. Exponentially expand it by twenty-two. What is the number you get?” And that is the first part of the ten parted question. My brain craves a nap and a family-size bag of m&m’s. 

By the time I finish the last page, I am running on one brain cell. That is running around, throwing all the files in my brain into a shredder, and giving up. How did I not know a single answer after the third page? His face is in a pout after the second page, and my heart breaks. I don’t want him to disappoint him. I should study harder to make him proud of me. I groan internally, this is going worse than I expected. “Out of thirty questions, you got seven right!” He says in a cheery tone, and my heart falls out of my body, and my soul has ascended. 

“Remember what I said when you started taking the test?” I rack my brain for answers and find nothing. I shake my head 'no', and he pouts, “Aw,... Well, I said take it with a grain of salt. Maybe some quizzes are made impossible.” My jaw drops, “You did that on purpose--!” He shrugs, “Did I?” He makes me rethink what I said, and I pout and cross my arms over my chest. He hands me a pack of m&m’s, “Maybe study harder.” He winks, and I push him to the side when we get up to leave the building. “You know you passed the hardest question on the quiz, right?” My eyes nearly pop out of my head, “What?” He grins, “None of your work made sense, but in the end, you answered four on the last question, and that was the right answer.” I smile, “Sometimes taking your best guess works. Also, four happens to be the professor's favorite number, so if you aren’t sure, guess that.” My jaw drops open again as he ruffles my hair, “You did pretty well, (Y/n).” I brighten at his words and hug him. “I promise to study hard! Two more quizzes before the final test!” He laughs and hugs me back telling me, “You got this!” 

--

It wasn’t until the last study session that I realized how much I would miss Hongseok’s presence. It hit me like a ton of bricks, and when I got to my room, I was bawling. I wanted to see him more. I wanted to be around him and get to know him more. It took me a few moments, but I realized I fell for my tutor. How could I not? When I had a tutor like Hongseok,... Based on all calculations, I have a crush on him. I wonder if he likes me back, but there is only one way to know. Do I have enough courage for that? I’m not sure. I sigh and wipe my tears, saving them for a less important day. I need to study and pass these four exams. 

--

I spend hours studying for tomorrow, although I know my study method. It did not make studying any less boring. I missed Hongseok, who would crack a joke or grab us a snack. He made this so much easier studying five hours with him felt like two. Ugh, now five hours of studying feels like fifteen. At the sixth hour, I call it a day and pull the covers over my head, and dream of failing the exams. 

When my alarm clock finally rings, I’m happy to be up and away from those horrid dreams. With a brave face, I get ready for my exam day. I check my phone and see it’s Hongseok. He texted me, “Good luck on your exams! Fighting! You got this!” I smile and text him back, ‘thank you'. I got this, I keep reiterating to myself, but I can’t help but hear the doubtful voice in the back of my head. I am taking all my exams in one instance. So that means five hours of taking four different tests. While I know all the study sessions were preparing me for this moment, I want it to be over and done with already. 

--

Of course, none of the tests were easy they each pulled at my wit's end. I sit there for another thirty minutes waiting for them to grade my tests. Preparing myself for the worst news, I think about Hongseok’s encouragement. If he thinks I’ll pass, maybe he’s right. If it wasn’t just my grades on the line, I wouldn’t care as much. But when it comes to Hongseok, my heart is grasping at the hope that I made it above passing.

The professor looks up at me as I turn a page in my book. I set it down with a bookmark. They smile at me, “Your lowest is an 87,” I gulp, no way, “Your highest is a 99.” My brain is no longer processing words as I rush out of my seat to see my results. “Congratulations, (Y/n). You passed with flying colors.” I smile and shake their hand, thanking them, and skip out of the building. I passed. I really passed! Is this real? I'm not dreaming again, right? I pinch myself and let out a small ‘ouch’ definitely real. I skip out of the building and see someone wearing a blue sweatshirt sitting on the fountain. As I come up closer, I recognize them as Hongseok. I run up to him and hug him. He whispers, “Did you pass?” And I shake my head 'yes'. He runs his hands through my hair, “I knew you would! I’m so proud of you.” Hearing him say that my heart pounds, “Um, Hongseok,...” I pull away from him a bit, my arms still wrapped around him. He nods for me to continue, “Would you maybe,... possibly want to go on a date with me?” He smiles, “I was gonna ask you that!” We both laugh as he hands me a family-size pack of m&m's for us to share. We head over to my dorm, and that is the start of our new beginning. 

While we still study together, you can find us lying on the floor while watching the tv and throwing m&m's at each other. Making different kinds of foods together, making an even bigger mess in the kitchen. So yeah, if given the opportunity, I would fail my classes all over again. If it meant I got to meet Hongseok.

[hana-bean]

Close to you (4/7)

On the days of tears and on the days of smiles I will be by your side

---

“Wow, looking sharp, boys!”

Within the decorated front garden, already filled with aristocracy and guardians milling about, Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako strode up to the three men dressed up in suits—Seiya in red, Taiki in yellow, and Yaten in light blue. Each man tugged at their jacket and re-adjusted their tie to settle into the new tailor-made outfits.

“Yeah, these aren’t bad.” Yaten moved his shoulders. “I never would have thought blue was my color.”

“Psh, of course, it is. I chose the outfits!” Minako raised a hand while tittering in victory. “You’re welcome!”

Makoto pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “Are you all thirsty? The queen went with strawberry mojitos this year for her birthday cocktail!”

“That’s okay, we’ll wait for the waiters to come around—what happened to your thumb?” Taiki lost interest in the liquor once he noticed the brunette’s scratched-up, bruised digit, and furrowed his brow in concern.

Blushing, she covered it up with her other hand while muttering, “Oh uh, just… playing a game of thumb war…”

“And losing,” Ami smirked as she took a sip of her drink. Though her own thumb didn’t come out of the war clean either and was bandaged up.

Rei rested her elbow on Minako’s shoulder. “So, Seiya, how’s your leg doing?” She eyed him up and down, hungry for a snack already as she was three mojitos deep.

“It’s okay. I took a pain pill this morning and it’s just kind of a dull ache right now.”

“So like, if you took another pain pill later, you’d be able to move around a bit more? Like in the hips… area… place?” She gestured her hand over her pelvis

“I mean, sure… if I don’t get too drunk and not feel either of my legs.” He chuckled.

“Oh yeah, no… right… can’t have that!” Rei shook her head vigorously. “Gotta have you feeling at least one leg tonight.”

Seiya’s laughter trailed into nervousness, wondering if Yaten was onto something thinking they wanted to eat them.

“Please direct your attention to Queen Serenity, the first!”

The atmosphere filled with confusion in the form of a dull murmur as everyone turned toward the source of the announcement to watch the queen enter the garden area clad in her standard white dress and platinum crystal crown.

“Is she finished with the parade already?” Ami looked to the other women, receiving only shrugs for an answer. Nevertheless, everyone curtsied or bowed in succession as Serenity passed until she approached the main group.

“Gentlemen, you look great!”

The three men came up from their bows with smiles on their faces. “Thank you, your highness!”

When Rei came up from her curtsy, she caught eyes with Serenity, who stared at her for several moments looking apologetic, but then quickly averted her gaze to Seiya.

“How’s your leg doing?”

“It’s good!” He patted his hip. “I should be able to survive the day.”

“Good! Does that mean you’d be able to ride in the parade with me?”

“The parade?”

“Yes, further in the city! I ride in a motorcade and just kind of wave to people… thank them for coming out and getting drunk on my birthday.” She giggled. “Usually my husband rides with me, but I was hoping you’d be able to since he’s away this week. And also you’re a guest of honor.”

Taiki and Yaten looked at each other feeling like chopped liver.

There was no need to ask him twice. Seiya’s mouth curled into the most genuine and honored smile. “Yes, of course, your highness.”

“Wonderful!” She bounced with excitement. “We have to leave now, though.”

Ever the gentlemen, he pivoted on his good leg and held out his bent arm, enjoying every half-second of the feeling of her hand grasping the crevice of his elbow. They then began their saunter through the crowd and toward the driveway at a waiting car.

Rei had to pick her jaw up off the ground and turned toward Minako to commence in some harsh whispering. “That dirty little liar!”

“She totally has a thing for men with canes.” The blonde shook her head.

She growled before downing the rest of her drink. “I’m splitting Yaten with you then.”

“Uh, excuse you.” Minako locked her hand on her hip and waved around a finger in protest. “Split Taiki—there’s enough of him to go around.”

“I can’t climb that, I have a bad back!”

---

As the car came to a stop once it reached the parade queue, the top retracted to expose the two passengers to the afternoon sun of the young summer.

From his position sitting across Serenity, Seiya shifted on the leather seat. “So do I have the king’s blessing to be riding with his queen?”

“You do, actually.” She smirked. “In fact, he requested it.”

“Did he?”

“Well… not you… specifically… but he wanted me to have a chaperone.”

“And you choose the most injured out of the three of us?”

Her face glowed red. “Uh, well… I didn’t… see you as that… there are a lot of bodyguards around us anyway…”

It was too entertaining to see her stumble over herself, but Seiya had to keep in mind she was still royalty, and he shouldn’t get too comfortable. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help sending her a wink.

“If I have to put my cane to another use for you, I will.”

Serenity took a few moments to look away, her stomach erupting in a swarm of butterflies. And then the mimosas began to talk.

“I just feel very comfortable and safe around you.”

“It probably helps that my real job is to protect a princess. So this is very familiar territory.” He didn’t want to give himself too much credit.

That’s not what she meant, but it was probably for the best that he didn’t know that. She humored him. “Even after ten years?”

“The guardian purpose never leaves you.”

“That’s very true. I still carry around my transformation brooch.”

“Have you had to transform since Galaxia?”

“No, it’s been relatively peaceful. Just the normal societal problems—bar fights… illegal aliens…” Serenity’s heart sighed in relief to hear him laugh at her joke.

“In all seriousness, I’d be scared of you too if I knew you defeated the greatest enemy of the universe.”

Visibly flattered, she touched her shoulder to her cheek. “I’m surprised anyone even knows that.”

“Everyone in the known universe remembers Galaxia. Her reach was vast. And rightfully, so is yours. We were very excited to come here.”

“Really? Did you expect to meet me?”

“No.” His shoulders shook as he chuckled. “But everyone talks about how nice Earth is. It was actually really hard to sneak in. The security is tight.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. We had to time it perfectly to shoot in during a fireworks festival. Took us weeks to figure it out.”

“Well then, I’ll have to assign you to border security since you know all the tricks.”

He waited for a punchline, only to realize she was serious. A grateful yet regretful grin spread across his face. “That’s kind of you, your highness, but whether we find our princess or not, we must move on.”

Her face dropped while her brow furrowed. “Even after you find her?”

“Yes. Our ultimate end goal is to return to Kinmoku.”

“Right… right, of course.” The sinking of her heart was apparent through her darting, descending eyes. “But are you sure?”

“We want to go home. We’ve been away for so many years and that’s where we belong.”

“You belong here, too…”

While touched, he was more confused by her words than anything. And it must have been written all over his face in flashing letters since Serenity cleared her throat and tried to smile through the seriousness.

“That’s if you want to, of course—I’m hungry. Are you hungry?”

“Um…” He breathed out a laugh. “Since we ate about two hours ago, I’m—”

“Great! Let’s get some food!”

“Do we have time to eat? The parade is about to start.”

“We have plenty of time to scarf down a box!”

“A box?” Pure dread drained the color from his face. “Of what?”

A bodyguard on foot had already approached the vehicle at the queen’s verbal summoning. And then a few seconds later, he was jogging further up the road and disappeared into the distant crowd.

“My favorite vendor is not too far away.” Serenity shook her shoulders in anticipation. “You’re going to love the dumplings there. Their pork and red bean fillings are heavenly.”

“Pork and red bean? Together?”

“Separate!” She giggled at the face he made. “They have savory and dessert ones.”

Her assurance helped Seiya’s slight appetite return and helped him relax. “I’ll only eat them if they look exactly like the ones on your head.”

“Maybe… They get more creative every year. It’s become a tradition for people to eat them on my birthday.”

“That makes sense. They don’t call you ‘Queen Odango’ for nothing.”

Her blue eyes rolled back in her head with a jaded groan. “Even in royalty, I can’t escape the nickname.”

“It’s cute. It suits you.” He tipped his chin toward her head. “What are your odangos filled with?”

“Secrets.” She giggled.

“Are you sure they can all fit up there?”

“The odangos are adjustable. That’s why my hair is so long.”

“Well, if you run out of room, I can always keep one for you.” He winked.

Unable to speak from the suggestive comment, Serenity’s blush extended down to her shoulders. They both sat in silence for a few moments until the queen felt her phone vibrate with a text notification. Her eyes widened in surprise once she looked at it, piquing Seiya’s curiosity.

“Is everything okay?”

“The database has a hit.”

---

---

Please note if you would like to follow this story, I will be updating the rest of the chapters under the tag: hana-bean closetoyou and other iterations of the spacing. I love you all!

[helloprettybb]

wips

i have a lottttt, in queue so this is just a little preview of some things that are finished and will be posted within this or next month and things that are still being written.

captain idiot

pairing: steve rogers x reader

word count: 2.4k

status: completed and will be posted soon

You’ve had a massive crush on Steve ever since you joined the team. Actually, you liked him even before that, when you saw him on TV for the first time. You were only sixteen at the time, but seeing people like you saving New York inspired you. All of your life, you’ve been ostracized and cast out for your abilities. While your parents tried to be supportive, they still held some fear. You don’t blame them, especially after you accidentally split the house in half with a tree.

You were only seventeen when you first met Fury. He offered a position on the team. You wanted to attend college, so you declined, but you kept in touch. After graduating from university three years later, you decided to join the team. Tensions between the team were high as Steve, Natasha and Sam just rejoined the team and the Accords were dropped. But gradually, strain eased and the team seemed back to normal. Tony started talking to Steve and Bucky even joined the group. Everyone lived in harmony, until today.

“I don’t know how to say this, so I’ll just be blunt.” Steve states his intense eye contact piercing into your soul. “I like you. More than just a friend.”

You try to remain calm, but you can feel the childish joy rise in your chest. Steadying your tone, you reply, “I like you, too.” For some reason, Steve doesn’t smile but looks more serious.

He sighs and asserts, “I was afraid you’d say that.”

slip of the tongue

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

word count: 1.9k

status: completed and will be posted after captain idiot

Bucky makes it back to the Compound, but the pain is getting worse. Stumbling inside, he heads for the labs to look for a medkit. But of course, since it’s his lucky day, you’re there, too. You’re probably finishing the project that you were talking about for the past few weeks - something about particles accelerating, but Bucky didn’t care enough to ask. He hopes he can slip by unnoticed, but the gaping hole in his side draws attention to him.

Your head snaps up from your work and you see Bucky hobble by. “Heya Buck,” you start in your usual playful manner. But when you look at the state he’s in, your attitude changes immediately, “What the fuck happened?”

“It’s nothing.” he grumbles. You look down and see that he’s holding his side. His sweatshirt and fingers are covered in blood.

“Bullshit.” you say. Moving around the lab, you quickly find the medkit. “Sit down.”

“I don’t need your-”

“Shut up and sit down.” you interrupt.

vanilla

pairing: steve rogers x reader

word count: 2.1k

status: completed and will be posted after slip of the tongue

“Why do you think I’m boring?” he asks.

“Sorry?” you furrow your brows, confused as to why he randomly showed up at your room and by his question.

“I heard your conversation with Natasha.” Oh shit. “You said sex with me would be boring.”

“Steve, I’m sorry. That was just meaningless talk.” you apologize quickly.

“So you didn’t mean it?” You don’t want to lie, but now that Steve is in front of you, it’s hard to tell him what you really think. You stay silent and Steve seems to understand. “I see.”

You can’t tell if he’s hurt, so you apologize again, “I’m sorry. Honestly, I shouldn’t even think about having sex with my coworkers. That’s weird and I’m sorry to put you in this position-”

“I’m going to prove you wrong.” he interrupts.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m going to prove that sex with me isn’t boring. If the only reason you don’t want to date me is that you think the sex is boring, I’m going to show you you’re wrong.” You can’t believe what you’re hearing. Steve Rogers is offering to have sex with you.

“Steve, you don’t have to do this. If I hurt your ego or something, I’m sorry again, but-”

“It’s not just about my ego. I’ve thought about this for a long time. Not like this, but I have.” Steve just confessed that he liked you. “So, if you want, I can prove you wrong. If you don’t want me to, I can leave and pretend that none of this happened. But I don’t want you to have that misconception in your pretty little head.”

all i see

pairing: steve rogers x reader

word count: 1.4k

status: completed and will be posted after vanilla

He consumes your thoughts all day and night. You hate yourself, truly. You resent your heart for allowing a man to have such a grip on you, but here you are, leaning against your apartment balcony with a cup of tea in your hand. Your tired eyes glance down at the city beneath you. For being the city that never sleeps, New York is pretty quiet at 3 a.m. The cars zooming below you are mostly semi-trucks with the occasional sports car.

You should be asleep, too. But every time you close your eyes, you dip into a dream about him. America’s golden boy, the ultimate patriot, Steve Rogers, your unrequited soulmate. You’re a rather closed-off person, but Steve made you believe it didn’t have to be like that.

“You know you can tell me anything?” he says randomly. It was late and you were at Steve’s apartment with an empty pizza box and a couple of beers. It’s become a sort of routine. Although the food and drink varied, the company never did.

“Yeah, Steve.” You smile, “I know that.” He smiled back at you as if he knew you didn’t completely trust your words.

“I know you’re not really open to people, but I just wanted you to know that,” he adds.

“Thanks, Steve.” you reply and you mean it.

warm me up

mystery of love

pairing: draco malfoy x reader

word count: 1.9k

status: in progress

“Hi, Draco,” you start, knowing it’s him without even looking up. Looking up from your book, you look at Draco for the first time and the smile drops from your first. He does not look good, especially since he seemed to be doing better lately. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he says.

“Are you sure?” you ask.

“I said it’s nothing!” he snaps. Red. All you feel is red, hot, burning anger. But you sense a hollowness to it. His anger is strong, yes. But there’s something else to it.

You furrow your brows and read his body language. His shoulders are hunched and his hands are shaking.  

“Can I hold your hand?” you ask.

“What?” A confused, sneer written on his face.

“Draco, you’re shaking. Just let me hold your hand.” you add, “Please.”

enticing

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

word count: about 800

status: in progress

Bucky’s big arm is wrapped around your side and with the blanket strewn across your laps, you’ve never felt more content. You lean your head against his chest and Bucky kisses your forehead. It’s nice and domestic, until a scene starts. You’re thankful that Bucky is behind you and can’t see your widened eyes. The characters are ripping clothes off one after another until they’re practically naked. The man hovers over the woman and cages her between his arms. You can’t help but imagine that being you and Bucky. You feel your face start to heat up as lustful thoughts cloud your mind.

You must be squirming a lot because Bucky asks, “You okay, doll?” You nod against him and continue to watch the scene. Your jaw drops as the characters begin to simulate sex. It’s not the first time you’ve seen a sex scene, but you’ve never watched one with your boyfriend while he was practically wrapped around you.

As you continued to watch, you felt yourself heat up, undeniably turned on. It’s so embarrassing! Here you are trying to have a nice movie night with your boyfriend, yet you can’t control your horniness.

“Buck,” you say quietly.

“What is it, honey?” he asks nicely.

“Can you kiss me?” you ask meekly, like you're scared he’s going to reject you.

tongue so mean

pairing: draco malfoy x reader

word count: about 400

status: in progress

“I hate you.” Draco looks at you with a hard look in his eyes. He has the same frustration and annoyance as when you receive higher marks than him, but something’s different. The usual intense, angry passion that comes with your rivalry is tinged with a different kind of heat. One that equally terrifies and intrigues you. “But I can’t stay away from you anymore.”

You try to hide your surprise, but a small gasp slips out. “Draco?”

“You consume my thoughts. You are first on my mind when I wake and last when I sleep. And I don’t know why, but I can’t live like this anymore.”

“What are you saying?” you ask, even though you know the answer. You just need him to say it out loud.

“Don’t make me say it.” he looks away as if he’s disgusted with his own feelings.

“No,” you move closer, the gap between you two getting smaller. “Say it, Draco.”

Draco scoffs, “You already know.” He’s so close that you can smell hints of his cologne. Traces of musk fill the air, adding to the alluring atmosphere. You’re breathing heavy. His words shouldn’t have that much of an impact on you, but you can’t deny the pleasant images that fill your head as he speaks.

“No, I don’t” you reply, feigning innocence to tick Draco off. “I think you need to be more clear.”  

warm me up

pairing: steve rogers x reader

word count: about 600

status: in progress

“Hey babe, warm my dick up wontcha?” Steve asks right when you walk into his office. You look up from the file that you were sent to give him. Usually files were sent digitally, but since Steve was so terrible at technology, everything was given to him in paper form.

“There are nicer ways of asking that,” you lightly reprimand, walking over to his mahogany desk.

“Can you please sit on my lap and slide that pretty little pussy onto my cock?” Steve asks lowly. You can feel your face going red and heart beating faster. Just last year, Steve wouldn’t be caught dead saying those words, but now it comes so naturally to him. He can sense your flustered reaction as he gently removes the file from your hand and places it on the desk.

You move to straddle his waist and slot each leg over his thighs. Sitting down, you can feel that he’s already semi-hard. “I don’t know. You have a lot of work to do, honey.” you tell him and spare a glance at his desk, which is covered in numerous files. “I think I’d just distract you.”

Steve furrows a brow at your reply, “I won’t be distracted. Promise.” If you weren’t so close to him, you’d laugh at the neediness your super-soldier boyfriend displays. This man, who can rip logs in half and run 13 miles in half an hour without breaking a sweat, is nearly begging you to sit on his cock.

There are some more, but these are the main ones i will be focusing on.

[wtf-yoongi]

“Let me play you what I have.”

pairing | yoongi x reader

summary | yoongi asks for your help with a song

genre/warnings | you’re both musicians (even though you don’t work in the music industry) so musician fluff i guess?

words | 1,648

note | i’m not even kidding at this point i think i’m in love with yoongi and i’ve never been more serious in the entirety of my life

“Mine was never this glamorous,” you joke as you stare into the high ceilings of the ground floor of the building. “This place is gigantic.”

“Well, it is fancy and over the top,” Yoongi agrees and shrugs as if he’s 100% indifferent to it all. “But this is just to impress visitors.”

You look around, trying to take in as much as you can while you follow Yoongi to the elevator area. Everything seems to be made of either glass or marble – well, the best glass and marble money can buy. The attention to detail is remarkable and you can’t help but agree with Yoongi: this is a little bit over the top.

“I thought you had seen this the last time you were here.” He looks at you now, taking turns between staring at your face and your hands. You can’t do it here where the walls are made of glass even if he’s wearing a cap and a mask, but you know his fingers are twitching.

“Not really,” you correct him and shake your head lightly. “First time I was here was before the tour. You gave me a ride and we took the elevator straight from the garage.”

“Oh…” Yoongi nods. He remembers now. “I should have showed you the place that day, sorry. We were in a rush.”

There’s a soft sound, signaling one of the elevators has finally arrived. Yoongi impatiently taps his right foot on the ground like he just wants the doors to open faster. You know he’s a little apprehensive from the moment he calls you to come around earlier, but you didn’t think you’d find him like this. 

You just want to calm him down somehow.

As soon as you’re safe inside the elevator with the doors closed, you extend your hand to him and his fingers stop fidgeting immediately to take yours. “You didn’t have to come greet me downstairs,” you comment casually, but there’s gratitude in your eyes.

“I know, I wanted to,” he says, taking his mask off and putting it in his pocket with his free hand. “And I needed to get out of the studio a little bit.”

“Something wrong?”

“Just a song that won’t come together, the usual,” he mocks and smiles to the ground. “This one is going to be stubborn, I just know it. I’ve been playing with this idea for days now and I don’t think I have a full verse yet.”

Yoongi’s voice is tired and passionate at the same time. Even if he’s complaining about it, you know he likes this sort of struggle to accomplish something he’s happy and satisfied with – the reward may be as grand as the effort. He’s always hoping for that. Artists are always hoping for that, you know it all too well.

“I was actually hoping you’d help me, if you don’t mind.”

He brings it up quietly and casually, but when you turn your face to him he’s not looking directly at you, deciding to keep his stare into the ground. He isn’t exactly comfortable with that idea and doesn’t know if it’ll work, but he’s happy to try.

You’ve talked about doing something together, working on lyrics or melodies or whatever came to mind, but never put much thought into it. Like that old group of friends who keep on saying you should meet sometime, but never actually do. You’re not mad if it never happens, somethings aren’t supposed to happen anyway.

Yoongi finally raises his head after he doesn’t hear it from you for a while, eyes expecting a positive reply so he doesn’t have to pretend that never happened somehow. Inside his mind, he’s already thinking about ways he can make it less awkward.

“That’s why you asked me to come?” You ask in a curious tone. 

“Well, yeah,” Yoongi laughs lightly and presses his left hand to the back of his neck, scratching it a bit in a nervous habit. “It’s ok if you don’t want to, though. It’d be good to just hang around and do nothing as well, I’m just waiting for some papers I have to sign and we can go somewhere if you want. It’s probably good to give the song some time as well, since…”

“We can try something, yeah,” you interrupt before he runs out of air. “I’m a little rusty, though, I don’t really know if I’ll be able to help with anything.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it.” Yoongi shakes his head and his hand follows. “I want you to listen and give me your opinion, that’s already enough for me. And I highly doubt it.”

You don’t have time to question him what the last part is about. As if on queue, you arrive on the 21st floor and it’s really not as fancy as the lobby, just like you remember, but you can see someone was still thoughtful enough to add fresh flowers to the vase in the corner. The people in charge of running the building are not sleeping on the job.

Yoongi is silently dragging you around the corridors and you can see the directions on the wall, but not for long enough to make any sense of them. A dozen more steps and you both stop in front of a door, Yoongi quickly tapping the keyboard on the right. There’s a beep before it opens.

He reaches inside to turn on the lights, but ultimately lets you in first. The room looks just like the last time, simple and straightforward in furniture and color, but not in music equipment. You can see he upgraded the digital piano to one that looked more like a real one, but still plugged to the wall. Maybe it makes him feel better knowing it’s a little similar to the real deal?

“New piano?”

“Yeah,” he assents, closing the door behind him. “These keys feel a little better, you know?”

Yes, you know. You can always tell when the keys just feel better under your fingertips. Playing becomes easier, practicing technique feels less like a pain. You nod.

“Let me play you what I have.”

You sit on the couch in one corner while Yoongi sits on his own chair, moving his magic mouse to light up the screen in front of him. You can see there are many layers on top of one another, but definitely not as many as you would expect coming from him. 

You’ve seen him working from home well past midnight, shirt half dressed with headphones on, keeping quiet so he doesn’t notice you behind him. Making music is intricate, but Yoongi likes it even worse, adding one thing on top of the other, filter after filter, until it feels like it’s too much and he can finally recognize what is standing out in a bad way. Then he mutes and saves the ones he likes for another time.

He makes some quick adjustments before pressing the spacebar, turning slightly so he can see your reaction. The beat you hear is nothing out of the ordinary – it’s a 4/4 time signature major key song, exactly how most happy pop ones go.

However, in true Yoongi style, there’s something else to it. The bass line tricks your head into some sort of rhythm and, despite having the poppiest of beats, you can hear an acoustic guitar streaming in the very background, almost unnoticeable. More bars pass and you can now hear a piano playing some sort of arpeggio – simple, but effective. It grows into what you feel is a chorus and then Yoongi is hitting the spacebar again.

“That’s all I have,” he confesses and shrugs, looking at you from under his eyelashes and trying to figure out your puzzled expression.

“It’s good, I like it,” you start and he’s soon looking at you incredulously, waiting for the real response. “Yeah, it needs work, but you made it sound like you had nothing.”

You’re both chuckling softly now and Yoongi lets his body fall into the chair completely, covering his face with his hands.

“Tell me what I have to do!” He begs with a muffled voice. “I hate this song already.”

All of a sudden, you feel like you should have done this earlier. His busy schedule kind of gets in the way all the time, but not really all the time. You wish any of you had enough courage to bring this up earlier, to stop being that group of friends that say things with no real weight to them. 

Musicians are sometimes overprotective of their work or scared to stick their noses into somebody else’s, but Yoongi falls into his normal self too fast – too comfortable, no sign of nervousness anymore. He’s not scared to show you his unfinished and imperfect work. It feels like you’ve been doing this for ages.

“I told you I’m a bit rusty, I…”

“Oh, don’t say that,” he interrupts with a smile, letting his hands show his face again. “You’re a classically trained pianist, 15-plus years of music classes under your belt, three years of being a trainee with top marks in songwriting. You can’t say you’re rusty when I hear you playing my piano at home. You’re not. At all,” he emphasizes as you continue to laugh at his reaction.

“Yeah, but I have almost zero experience in music production. And I also gave up being an idol so…” You try to argue, but he’s not having any of it.

“I bet you my new piano you have at least 13 ideas for this, I just feel like you do.”

There’s a smirk on his face now you can’t resist.

“Where are the lyrics you wrote for this?” You ask and Yoongi soon hands you a notepad with many lines scribbled on the first page. “Can you hand me that pen?”

Read more ›› masterlist

[one-boring-person]

I Trust You.

Marko (The Lost Boys) x Chiraptophobic!reader

Warnings: very vague mention of abuse, but they do not apply to the reader necessarily.

Context: The reader suffers from chiraptophobia (the fear of physical human contact/touch) and has somehow found themself in a friendship with Marko, who has somehow managed to understand how to not constantly need to touch his friend to show affection, until they take a ride on the Ferris wheel.

A/N: This was interesting to write, so j hope it's turned out alright. I guess I took a little inspiration from Death Stranding's Sam, but I thought it would be fun to do which it was. I hope it's enjoyable!😊💛

Masterlist

It took Marko weeks to finally figure out why I always shied away from his advances, why I'd stared uncomfortably at his offered hand until he withdrew it when he'd tried to shake mine in greeting, why I always wore gloves even in the suffocatingly hot summer air (despite him doing the same), and why I wouldn't go near people I don't know personally, often doing my hardest to steer clear of others in general. Rather than ask, he tried to work it out for himself, observing my behaviour and mannerisms for hours on end, though he still couldn't get what was up with my actions. He'd had to ask for some help from the others, though only David and Dwayne could offer any plausible reasons as to why: maybe I'd been abused in my past and was now averse to unfamiliar human contact, or maybe I was a germophobe. When the young vampire had asked me about both, I'd quickly denied them, thinking that it is unlikely he'd understand the real reason for my odd behaviour. It was only when he saw another person try to shake my hand that he finally noticed the emotion passing through my eyes at the prospect, at which point it all clicked into place. I was afraid of the contact.

Explaining to him what chiraptophobia is was surprisingly easy, though he was a little disappointed by this fact, being a very touch-driven person when around others, even when not in a relationship, though he did manage to take it in his stride, taking time to inform the boys of this as well, in case one of them accidentally made me uncomfortable. He'd nearly ripped Paul's head off when the taller vampire tried to wrap his arm around my shoulders, only letting up when I told him it was alright, that there was no harm done, despite how uneasy I felt afterwards. Since then, Marko has become almost like a bodyguard for me, making sure no one ever comes into my personal space, all while keeping his distance, too, respecting my limits.

We became fast friends, so much so that he eventually told me his secret, revealing his true self to me on one of the nights we chose to hang out together, alone, on the beach, a night I'd never forget. Naturally, I'd been shaken by this revelation, but soon grew used to the idea, knowing that my friend would never hurt me, not intentionally. After a few months, I finally felt comfortable enough to let him touch my gloved hand, though it still made me feel a little uneasy, the sensation of another person's fingers on mine unfamiliar and disturbing to me, but it made the vampire unbelievably happy, a bright smile plastering itself across his face for the rest of the night. He tells me he had to fight off the urge to hug me, for which I'm very grateful - touching a covered hand is very different to being enveloped in an embrace. Since then, he's taken any chance he can get to hold or touch my hand, always beaming like a beacon when he does so, my discomfort in the contact fading a little over time, though I'd soon found that it was only with the curly haired blonde that my body reacted like this, having asked Dwayne to try at some point, to see if it improved overall. Having come up negative in this test, I gave contact one last try with David, who never seems to take off his gloves, only to find that his touch made me uneasy as much as Dwayne's had, despite the two layers of cloth between our respective fingertips. The memory still sets me on edge, though I am well aware it has nothing to do with either David or Dwayne, rather my own mentality.

A shiver goes up my spine as I feel a hand slip into mine, though I quickly recognise the young vampire stepping in beside me, my stance relaxing again when my body realises whose touch it is, though my arm still remains a little tense, out of habit. Reassuringly, Marko swipes a thumb over the back of my glove, glad that I haven't rejected the contact yet, meaning I'm doing better than normal.

"Hey Stranger." He greets, grinning widely at me.

"Hey Blondie." I reply, smiling back at him in return, before casting a quick glance around for the others, "What'd you do with the other three?"

"They're around. Not sure where." The young vampire shrugs, dismissing the question quickly, "How was your day?"

"Not too bad. I didn't get much work done though, I was too preoccupied."

"Preoccupied? With what?" Marko inquires, raising an eyebrow at me in confusion, though his lips are still quirked up into an amused curve.

"That's for me to know, and for you to figure out." I chuckle, tapping the side of my nose secretively.

"Challenge accepted." He smirks, eyes lighting up at the prospect.

I smile at him as we walk, knowing he'll figure it out eventually, the answer being a little closer to home than he thinks.

"Anyway, how'd you sleep?" I question him, eyeing the Ferris wheel off to the side of the Boardwalk.

"Better than usual, actually."

"Oh yeah? How come?"

"Paul didn't snore so much for once, and David wasn't muttering in his sleep either, so it was pretty quiet, altogether." He explains, smiling when I laugh at the mention of David.

"Wait, David talks in his sleep?"

"Yeah, but you can't tell anyone! And especially don't tell him that I told you, or I'll have my ass kicked to the moon and back." Marko grins, biting his thumb as if nervous, though I'm aware that this is one of his signature mannerisms.

"That's a lot of ass-kicking. Probably quite impressive to watch. " I muse, noticing his arm lift slightly, as if to give me a playful slap on the arm, as he normally would've done with someone else, only to briefly squeeze my hand instead, shaking his head in mock exasperation. I grin at him, before turning my gaze back towards the Ferris wheel, admiring the glittering lights in the black night sky, wondering what the view is like up there.

"Wanna take a ride?" Marko interrupts my thoughts, eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Huh?" I blurt out, not having heard his question, quickly snapping my eyes back to his.

"Do you wanna go on the wheel with me?" He repeats, gesturing with a nod of the head to the great circular structure a little way away.

"I would love to, but I don't have any money on me tonight. I forgot my change." I say, somewhat remorsefully, using my free hand to pat my pockets to check for any loose coins, though I'm well aware I have none, having spent it all on food earlier in the evening.

"Who said anything about you paying? Come on, it'll be fun!" The blonde vampire promises, pulling me into the crowd, which parts around us thanks to his reputation (and choice of company), meaning no one comes into touching distance. At one point, my arm brushes past some surfer's bare bicep, which sends uncomfortable shivers and goosebumps through my body, the bitter, irrational fear that comes with it soon biting at the back of my mind, my pulse picking up slightly in response, my muscles turning rigid under my clothes. Marko notices this, briefly stopping to make sure I'm ok, before turning to memorize the surfer's face, most likely intending to take it up with him later, before we continue on, swiftly reaching the shortening queue for the Ferris wheel. Beside me, Marko fidgets and shifts in place, clearly eager to get on the rotating structure, his thumb between his teeth as usual, doe eyes focused on the ticket booth.

"Calm down, Blondie. The wheel isn't going anywhere." I laugh, watching the people around us as they amble to and fro, inching out of the way as a group of made-up girls push past, wincing as I brush against Marko, only to feel surprised when I don't feel the usual discomfort rising up in me from the contact, setting a train of thought into motion. I barely notice as the queue diminishes, only really returning to the present when we reach the booth, at which point Marko buys two tickets and leads me into one of the seats. An attendant comes over to help us secure ourselves, but Marko quickly stares him down, doing the job himself with efficiency.

Not too long after, we've reached a decent way off from the ground, our feet swinging gently in the air as we watch the Boardwalk from above, grinning and joking with each other as we take it in turns pointing out random individuals, making comments about them until the other laughs. At one point, the young vampire manages to spot David, Dwayne and Paul, making some sort of remark about how the leader's hair "looks like a pineapple from the top", before comparing the latter's to a mop. I do my best to hold back my laughter, but it only results in me nearly choking as he starts pointing out more and more likenesses between his friends and everyday objects, tears threatening to spill as I struggle to contain myself. It is only in this moment, that I realise one thing, but it takes me a couple more minutes to act on the thought that has sprung to mind.

Slowly, I pull off my left glove, teasing each finger out of their designated space with a deliberate hesitation, wriggling them a bit once I've exposed them to the air, enjoying the sensation of the light breeze around my heated digits. Marko makes a point of ignoring this, turning his gaze up to the star-strewn sky instead, only to snap his eyes back to mine when he feels a single finger touch the skin of his hand. Gingerly, I trace it over his knuckle, expecting to feel a rush of discomfort, my movements careful and calculated, knowing this is the first time in years that I've had deliberate contact with another person's skin. From my fingertip, it feels as if an electric shock has travelled through me, butterflies suddenly appearing in my stomach. Biting my lip when nothing bad happens, I continue this movement with the rest of my fingers, cautiously slipping my hand into his, enjoying the feeling of his icy cold palm against my warmed one, my eyes finding his shocked ones as our fingers intertwine. In them, I find a tonne of questioning, though he makes no move to actually ask, instead remaining quiet, carefully tightening his grip around my hand as he tries his best to feel as much of my soft skin as he can, the calluses from the handlebars of his bike rubbing slightly.

"What does this mean?" He eventually queries, elated that he can finally hold my hand without a glove being in the way.

"It means that I trust you. I've had no reaction to your contact, and I think it's because I enjoy being with you, and also because you've increased my confidence levels a lot since we first met. I've been trying to figure out why I'm ok with you touching me and no one else all day, which is why I was too preoccupied to work, but I finally worked it out." I inform him, telling him part of the truth - in reality, my trust goes a lot further than wanting a platonic friendship.

Marko is quiet for a moment, as if not quite understanding what I've told him.

"You trust me?" His voice is laced with disbelief, eyes fixing on mine again.

"I do."

Eyes widening again, he smiles, his other hand coming up, as if to try and wrap me in a hug, but the awkward positioning of the barrier, as well as the reminder of my usual discomfort, stop him in his tracks, his hand tightening around mine instead .

"I'm really glad you feel that way, (Y/n). Not many people do." He chuckles, referring to the naturally predatory air he gives off, being a vampire and all, still surprised that I let him touch me.

"I feel safe around you because I know you're my friend, but not many people can have the same claim." I point out, watching the view a little, enjoying the sight of the many glittering lights sprawled out before me, admiring the tiny orange specks of fires on the beach, as well as the rapidly moving headlights of a train passing through the outskirts of Santa Carla, most likely heading out towards the Bridge.

"Fair point." Marko agrees, still staring at our joined hands, which he continues to do until we reach the bottom of the wheel again, at which point he has to let go in order to remove the barrier from our laps. As soon as we're back on the Boardwalk, however, I slip my hand back into his, a small feeling of warmth welling up in me as I see the bright smile splitting his face, clearly happy that I've willingly made contact with him again.

A whistle behind us draws our attention, the sound belonging to a grinning Paul, who approaches us, along with David and Dwayne, who are both smiling at the sight of us, the latter more so than the former, though both seem glad to see their friend happy. As they come closer, I make eye contact with Dwayne, who lifts an eyebrow in questioning, a smirk making its way onto his face when I silently give him a nod, knowing he understands what it means.

I've fallen hard for the blonde vampire who's helped me get over my fear.