#there is an actual explanation and it is that after breaking my head over choosing representative top 4 i watched the fucking.

[moishecampbell]

is it okay to post this over half a year after we were doing these. Yes (top 4 episodes letterbox'd after maze @/clairewolf's text post<3)

[rroseselavyyy]

tattoo - myg

pairing: yoongi x female reader

warnings: smut, prone bone://///

Under wet lashes adorned with tears as clear as the crystal sky, your eyes always found a way to betray you when they lingered on his figure with deep longing. Min Yoongi always made you feel elephants jump in your stomach, hurting the butterflies that used to tickle you all over with the feeling of how much you were head over heels for him.

He was infatuated with the wings of those butterflies. So infatuated that he waited for them to be repaired, only to broke them again and again.

It was cruel of him to make you weak at the knees by smiling so beautifully.

How could you look away when he was the object of your affection? Even if it meant breaking your heart into a million pieces at the sight of him, giving all his attention to someone he had only met a few minutes before.

Counting minutes had never made you feel pathetic before. But here you were, waiting for him to finally realize how broken you were.

It was not rocket science to understand that Yoongi wanted you to suffer. In fact, he wanted you to suffocate in your own despair.

After all, it was the price you paid for choosing your best friend over him, you should have known better. There was no better way to give you a taste of your own medicine.

But what once started as a game between the two of you became something that was killing you inside. You had to put an end to it before you lost your mind.

You gulped down your drink when you felt you couldn't stand the sight before you. The alcohol coursing through your veins made you feel tipsy enough to care about the consequences, which helped you gather your courage before making your way to him.

"I need you-" You wrapped your hand around his wrist, causing him to turn his head away from the conversation as if your touch had burned his skin. "Can I borrow you for a second?"

He looked you in the eye as if looking for any sign that you were actually talking to him. Contrary to the worst scenarios you'd imagined in your head, he made no attempt to protest. Instead, he followed you with your hand around his wrist, as if someone had put a spell on him.

You dragged him into the bedroom at the end of the hall before locking the door behind you. Yoongi stood with his hands crossed on his broad chest, as if waiting for your explanation, when you finally found the courage to look into his eyes.

"What do you need me for?" The loud noises from below were enough to fill the silence you shared, but he whispered as if trying to tell you a secret in a crowded room.

You bit back a whimper as he looked intently into your eyes. "I can't bear to see you with someone else." Yoongi tilted his head with a slight smirk on his face. He made you step back as he made his way towards you until you were trapped between the door and his firm body.

You didn't realize you were crying until his thumb traced a path across your cheek, stained with the mascara ruined by your tears. His eyes never left yours as he sucked his thumb, as if your tears were as delicious as the declaration of your undying love for him.

"You just have to be a fucking crybaby to get what you want, don't you?" Your heart was ready to burst from its cage as he nudged your legs with his knee. His minty breath lingered on your lips as his gaze darkened on your face with an expression your dizzy brain couldn't fathom.

"How did it feel to be faithful to your boyfriend while thinking of me between your legs?" He whispered above your ear before a hard slap on your thigh made your breath catch in your throat.

"You can't blame me for giving Hoseok a chance. After all, you made it seem so easy to forget me." It was getting harder and harder for you not to cry your eyes out with every word he said to you. Even though you wanted to silence him by kissing his soft lips, all you could do was look at him with eyes filled with pain. "You don't know how much it broke my heart to see you holding hands with lover after lover, each one claiming to be the love of your life. I thought I could forget you as easily as you did."

It was true that life was easier when you were tangled up in your sheets. His embrace was the only thing that kept the nightmares away on those nights when you couldn't sleep. Ironically, he was now the one trying to make your life a living nightmare.

You were perfectly fine with it until you realized that you were developing feelings for Yoongi, which made you distance yourself from him. It was also true that your stubbornness got you both into so much trouble. The possibility of being rejected by him scared you more than losing him. In the end, the two of you parted ways without a second thought.

You didn't realize you needed Yoongi in your life until you lost him.

His slender fingers brushed your hair from your face as his gaze softened with a spark of adoration. At that moment, he didn't really need to tell you how much you meant to him, for you could already read his eyes like an open book.

"You shouldn't have run to my best friend in the first place. Now everyone will say I stabbed my best friend in the back."

"We've already broken up, for your information." He giggled as you wrinkled your nose in frustration. His eyes trailed down your face as if studying it, and you felt blood rush to your cheeks as he pecked you on the nose. "That doesn't make us saints either, silly."

He grabbed your waist with his veiny hands and nuzzled your cheek affectionately. You finally took the initiative and tangled your fingers behind his neck. Having him close to you after such a long time made you want to hold him tighter.

You mentally thanked the alcohol for melting your cool exterior, which had made you hide your emotions from him all this time.

"Baby, all I could think about was you. I thought I would go crazy without you." His fingers brushed gently over your thighs, you couldn't stop moaning under his touch. His breath lingered hotly on your neck as his kisses exchanged subtle licks on your skin. "Please let me make love to you. I've missed you so much."

"On one condition," you put your hand playfully on his chest. "I don't want you to see any other girls." He grinned wickedly, his amused expression showed how much he enjoyed making you jealous.

Without warning, he wrapped your legs around his waist, making you squeal as if you didn't expect him to carry you as light as a feather. You instinctively clung to him as if your life depended on it as he carried you to bed. "Then you must stay away from my friends, princess."

"You have to convince me that you will not ignore me as well." He fell onto the bed, his body on top of yours. You were a mess, giggling as he nibbled at his lower lip with hooded eyes. His beautiful features, lit by the moonlight, made your heart ache even in the heat of the moment. He whispered as if in pain. "Because I can't let you go after getting so close to you."

He pressed his rough hand to your stomach to stop your hips trying to meet his crotch, while his other hand slid your panties off your legs. Desperate for some friction between your legs, you let out a moan as he unbuckled his belt.

"I didn't know you wanted me to fuck you so badly." You wondered how strong it was as he positioned you on your stomach like you were nothing but a ragdoll. "Didn't your boyfriend fuck you well enough? Is that because why you missed me so much?" You were naked as he removed his clothes. Your cheek pressed against the mattress, you waited in anticipation as he placed a pillow under your stomach to lift your hips slightly. "My beautiful baby, I'm going to make you feel so good."

You shivered as he teased your wet folds with the head of his cock. You found it increasingly difficult to breathe as you felt his skin brush against yours. The only thing keeping him from collapsing on top of you was his strong arms encircling your body.

"Fuck-" He whimpered at the feeling of your heavenly walls sucking him in. His chest was pressed against your back as his breathing accelerated with each thrust. "I wanted to hate you for every single day you kept this pussy from me."

"It was your fault, Yoongi-" You let out a sob as he planted wet kisses on your neck. He encircled your legs with his, his hips slamming against your ass with rhythmic thrusts. "I wasn't the one chasing girls."

He clung to your sides as he chased his high, as if he couldn't get enough of you. Your moans and whimpers coming out of your mouth were like a song to his ears, making him want to get down on his knees and worship you until the end of time.

"Don't worry about that, angel. I have no intention of letting you go this time." His words sent shivers down your spine, even as your body melted under the heat radiating from his body. "I just want you to know that no matter what happens to us, I can't stop loving you. It's like you're stuck on me like a tattoo."

You couldn't hold yourself back from cumming when he finally declared his devotion to you. It was sweeter than any dessert, one taste of it was enough to make you feel like the only girl in the world. Your sweet moans and clenching around him made him cum right after you.

As he enjoyed the sensation of his cock nestling inside you, he nuzzled his nose against your neck. Inhaling the sweet body wash that lingered on your skin, he sighed with pleasure. He was sure that nothing could ever compare to having you underneath him, fucking his cum into you like he had all the time in the world.

He tucked your exhausted body under the sheets before taking his place right behind you. He rested his cheek on his hand as he took a moment to admire your beauty. Even though you were cuddling on a bed that was not yours, you felt strangely safe in his arms. You brought your hand to play with his hair, slightly damp from his sweat. "I want you to be mine, Yoongi. Your love has never been enough. I'm done playing games." Your heart pounded in its cage, making the loud music from downstairs sound like nothing more than a hum in your ears. He looked at you with a beautiful smile on his face as he took your hand and intertwined your fingers with his. "I'm yours, kitten, as long as you have me."

[sylusjinwoon]

{ 140 }

love letter of flowers.

jinwoo sung x florist.fem!reader

lately, there has been a handsome young man who frequented at your flower shop.

he was well dressed, always appearing within the cozy confines of your quaint little shop while in a pristine suit. with his ebony locks of hair falling across his features in gentle waves coupled along with grey eyes that seemed to shine beneath the sunlight, perfectly mirroring his emotions...

you found that you couldn't look away from him, even if you tried.

he had been visiting your shop daily for roughly a month now, with him buying the most extravagant of bouquets for someone you assumed that he loved a great deal. for some odd reason, just the thought of him already having a lover made your chest ache.

despite the bouquets he had purchased being chosen and crafted by your own loving touch, it made you yearn for a type of love this man and his beloved had. truly, the he had to be absolutely crazy about his girlfriend to buy her such gorgeous bouquets every single day.

as you were caught up in your reveries, you find yourself breaking out of your daydreams when the sounds of chiming bells alerts you to an incoming customer. as you trail your eyes toward the entrance, you felt your heart skip beats once more, seeing him again-

sung jinwoo.

he greets you with a kind smile before looking over at your collection of bouquets. curious as to what he was going to choose, you steadily head over to your cash register and keep sneaking glances at him.

after a few minutes of consideration, he chooses the bouquet he was going to gift, which had to be the most expensive one yet: a rainbow bouquet of roses consisting of bright petals shaded in a variety of colors.

your throat seems to close up in response to this man's dedication, ringing up the bouquet while tying a neat bow against its cellophane wrapping.

"your girlfriend must be lucky to have you." you find yourself telling him casually, trying to hide those stupid emotions that were felt bubbling within your chest.

"excuse me?"

hearing the absolute confusion within his voice makes you freeze and do a double take. gathering your courage, you look back up at him with a tilt of your head.

"you come in here every day to buy a bouquet... isn't it for your lover?"

after hearing your explanation, you felt your cheeks turn hotter in response to the sounds of his laughter. your assumptions seemed incredibly amusing to him, as he spent the next several minutes laughing all while trying to catch his breath.

"hahaha, y-you're so funny, haha..." you watch as jinwoo wipes the tears from his eyes, finally calming down before confessing to you.

"all of these bouquets are gifts for my mom... she..." he trails off, appearing shy all of a sudden as he rubs the back of his neck with a hand. "she was a victim to the eternal sleep disease, and she woke up not too long ago. i didn't want to take her for granted anymore, so i decided to spoil her whenever i could now that she's awake and well."

a sense of guilt was felt coursing through you, and you felt incredibly selfish for actually feeling envious over this whole ordeal. this man standing before you was not only incredibly beautiful on the outside-

but perhaps more so than that was the beauty he held on the inside, with you knowing that he had an unconditional kindness settled deep within his heart and soul.

as if he could read your thoughts, jinwoo gives you a lazy grin. "was there a reason why you brought this up?"

"n-no! no reason at all!" you take his debit card then and insert it into your card reader, taking his payment for the bouquet that had always been meant for his mother. you really hoped that jinwoo didn't catch on, or had any suspicions to your words-

but something about the look in his eyes made you think that he had probably known all along.

wanting to do something to make up for your asinine assumptions, you call out to jinwoo just as he held the newly purchased and precious bouquet within his arms.

"if you could wait a moment, sir, i- i have something for you."

jinwoo stops walking and gives you a gentle nod. as you go back to the aisles of your shop, your eyes finally land on the single bloom that you had been looking for:

a red carnation, to convey how much i admire him.

holding the red carnation gingerly within your hand, you tie a slender white ribbon over its stem before giving it to jinwoo.

"here, this one is on the house, just for... you know, your daily visits, and the fact that you're sweet enough to buy a bouquet for your mother every single day and all."

were your eyes playing tricks on you, or was it due to the lighting of your shop? because you swore you saw jinwoo's pale cheeks take on an almost rosier hue the moment he accepts your carnation.

"t-thank you. i'm not doing much, but i do want to make my mother happy."

giving him a nod, you wave goodbye to him the moment he leaves your store, letting out a dreamy sigh as you kept your gaze on him, never once straying away from him until the moment you could no longer see his retreating back.

{ ... }

it wasn't until much later that you realized just who sung jinwoo truly was-

and such realization came in the form of his supposed fans waiting for him to arrive to your flower shop as they seemed to linger outside of its periphery.

in fact, even jinwoo himself was caught off guard by those people who considered themselves a huge part of his fanbase. he seemed hesitant, and although the voices sounded muffled, you could hear bits and pieces of the conversation as you understood the gist of what was going on.

those people were absolutely smitten with jinwoo.

deciding to do a quick search of his name, you figured that he would be some minor celebrity due to some charity work he had done (because even the heavens know that the man has the heart to do so!)

so when his name popped up, and you saw his title as being yet another s-rank hunter within korea, you felt your mind go dizzy in response.

this explained how jinwoo was able to afford purchasing a new bouquet for his mother every day, with his card never seeming to decline. in fact, s-rank hunters were practically considered celebrities here-

and you felt your courage in admitting your feelings for him shrivel up in response to this newfound fact.

because you knew that you would never be able to bask in the same world as him, being labeled as a mere civilian who had no special abilities that could even survive the gates that would randomly appear, let alone fight in them.

so you continue watching the fans as they surround jinwoo with a sigh, yet, it seemed as though their interactions had taken on a bit of a stranger tone. jinwoo kept his hands upright, shaking his head at every phone and notebook that was pointed at him. he keeps gesturing at you and says a few words to them.

and oh, if you only knew that you were most likely going to have one of the busiest days of your life.

immediately, his haul of fans rush into your shop, taking bouquets and singular flowers alike as they lined up to purchase what you had to offer. despite how overwhelming the sudden influx of customers were, you were able to accurately sell the bouquets and flowers jinwoo's fans had purchased.

this went on for a few hours, and once the last of your customers had left, you were left looking at how your sales had practically doubled thanks to jinwoo. by the end of it all, your hair was left in a bit of a mess, with those loose strands falling out of your ponytail.

as you were trying to catch your breath, you hear the sounds of jinwoo's rich chuckles as he slides up towards your counter, this time with a simple bouquet of white lilies in his hand. you give him a look of suspicion, your chest practically heaving up and down in tune with your labored breaths when you shakily ask, "w-what did you do?"

a wide grin paints his handsome features as he lets out a hum while saying your name. "i don't know what you're talking about."

you purposely arch an eyebrow at him in response. "you're telling me that you had nothing to do with the sudden influx of people that nearly purchased my entire stock?"

jinwoo scratches at the tip of his nose in response, completely amused by the feign accusation in your voice. "well... i may have told them that i wouldn't take a selfie with them, or sign their notebooks if they didn't buy at least one item from your shop."

a sudden warmth was felt spreading across your chest when you ask with a bit of a tremor in your voice, "isn't that... kind of illegal?"

he hums and shakes his head, "i don't think so. after all, they were all loitering in front of your shop waiting for me... and i couldn't allow them to cause such an inconvenience to you without doing something about it."

"after all..." he suddenly leans closer to you, with his hands softly brushing back your hair as you felt your heart skipping beats in response when he tells you, "it was all my fault... they came here waiting for me, so... i took advantage of the situation to help you out, instead."

you were left speechless, unable to say a word when jinwoo hands you his debit card once more. as usual, you ring up the card and wrap another ribbon around the bouquet, and this time, you already had in mind what flower you wished to give him as a simple gift.

a pale pink ranunculus, as proof of how much i am enchanted by the sheer radiance of him.

you find the perfect bloom still settled amidst its sisters, happy that your patrons hadn't touched such a uniquely beautiful yet simple flower. giving him a shy smile, you place the pastel pink bloom on top of his bouquet of white lilies, basking in his smile.

he gives you another wave goodbye, promising to see you again the next day as you found your heart racing with anticipation.

when he leaves was when you allow your smile to disappear, turning solemn as you thought about how slim of a chance you had with him. despite how you knew that your heart was turning soft with feelings of love for him, you didn't wish to acknowledge such emotions-

because someone as bright and brilliant like jinwoo would never even spare you a second glance.

yet despite how deep down you knew you would never be able to admit your feelings for him, that didn't mean that you would stop conveying them to him-

after all, the least you could do was give him a love letter of flowers each time he came by.

{ ... }

jinwoo couldn't bring himself to allow the single flowers you had given him to die out. using his own hidden abilities as the shadow monarch, he manages to keep them in perfect condition, placing each colorful bloom within a large vase that was filled with water colored a gentle, violet hue.

he keeps such flowers separate from the extravagant bouquets he gives his mom, not even telling her or jinah of their existence. ever since he came across the beautiful woman's quaint little flower shop, he was quite enamored with her.

he would never admit such a thing to those closest to him, but he actually had a silly, ulterior motive to buying bouquets for his mother every day-

and that was to see you again, the beautiful florist who managed to capture his heart with your kindness and curious gaze.

with sigh, he spends the next hour or so simply admiring the single blooms you had given him, allowing his hand to gently caress at each petal, imagining the feel of your lips being just as soft.

"my king, if i could please have your attention."

jinwoo trails his gaze over to igris, one of his most loyal and trusted soldiers. he blinks at the former blood-red commander and gives him a nod, "what is it, igris?"

igris clears his throat while reading a book that had a picture of flowers on them. "may i ask what flowers your beloved has given you?"

"w-what- she's not my-"

"i apologize for the bluntness of my words, my king, but i must know. will you tell them to me?"

jinwoo sighs and carefully takes the precious flowers out of the vase while placing them on his desk.

a red carnation-

pink ranunculus-

pale pink carnation-

red chrysanthemum-

purple tulip-

a pink bluebell.

a deep chuckle was heard from igris as his chest seemed to puff out with pride.

"my king, if you look at the marked pages of this book of flowers and their meanings, you will come to realize that such blooms were were meant to signify that woman's love and devotion to you."

his eyes became wider, and the young hunter could feel his heart pounding from within his throat as igris places the book into his hands. sure enough, as jinwoo read the pages, he was able to piece together the hidden meaning from within each flower.

a red carnation for a deep admiration,

pink ranunculus as proof of someone's enchantment,

pale pink carnation for a new love

red chrysanthemum for a passionate love

purple tulip for a perfect love,

and a pink bluebell, to signify an everlasting love-

jinwoo quickly looks at the time before closing his eyes, searching through the consciousness of one of the soldiers he had placed with you as he saw you locking up your shop while standing on the sidewalk.

"exchange."

before igris would even utter a word, beru was left settled at the desk where his king once sat. the former ant king gives his colleague a look of confusion from suddenly reappearing within his king's room, causing igris to simply shrug in response.

"it seems as though our king has been caught up in the throes of love. we should let him be and wait for his return... with his queen."

{ ... }

you felt a sudden shift in the air the moment you left your shop, shivering slightly when you turn around and was met with the sudden appearance of jinwoo himself.

"wha- jinwoo?!"

he seemed unfazed by the look of panic in your eyes, dressed casually in a white t-shirt and sweatpants. you saw that he now wore simple converses as he takes casual steps closer to you.

upon closer inspection, jinwoo seemed to be blushing, becoming so prominent as even the tip of his ears was flushed as well.

"how did you get here... were you always here?"

jinwoo swallows thickly, running a hand through his hair before letting out a sigh, "you could say that... but, that's not what i'm here for."

before you could ask him what he meant, he goes straight into it while telling you, "those flowers you had given me these past couple of days- you know, as little 'gifts?' yeah, i...i finally know what they all mean."

you froze completely when he mentioned the free flowers you had given him and how he knew their meaning. moving your hands up and down your arms to stave off the sudden chill you felt, you act completely oblivious. "w-what? i don't know what you're talking about. i mean, those were j-just pretty and cute flowers that i gifted for you!"

"a deep admiration..." jinwoo begins to speak in a bit of a trance, "feeling enchanted by me; a new, passionate and perfect love- an everlasting love."

you found yourself waiting with bated breath, not able to move even when he approaches you, placing a hand on your cheek while softly caressing at your skin. "that was the message you wished to convey to me this whole time...?"

your heart was racing once more, feeling your gaze narrowing at him when he inches closer to you. "y-yes... it's true..."

"hm..." he trails off, yet you could see the wide grin that spreads across his lips when he places a hand against your chin, keeping you still as his hot breath was felt tickling at your lips.

"i'm glad to know that you feel the same way. and don't get me wrong, i have every intention of taking you out on a date while claiming you as my girlfriend. but first-

i really want to kiss you right now."

your eager nod and the way you let out a dreamy sigh was all the confirmation jinwoo needed to press his lips against yours in a perfect kiss, making you feel grateful that your love letter managed to reach him after all-

(regardless of the fact that jinwoo needed some help to finally understand the message you were trying to convey 💐)

a.n. - it’s about time i wrote a full on fluffy oneshot that doesn’t have much angst in it for jinwoo 🥹

all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.

[ts1m1kas]

Original Ask: i saw that you’re opening requests for f1 drivers.. can i request angst to fluff with seb vettel where him and reader are dating but he breaks up with the her to focus on the wdc (set in 2013) and she ends up rebounding with fernando which makes seb really jealous,, anyways after winning he publicly confesses his love for the reader or something, u can choose whether the reader gets back with seb or stays with fernando idm teehee ❤️❤️ love youu (anonymous)

Word Count: 1095 words

(author's note: another longer one !! i did think i was going to have to postpone it but i managed to get it finished for you all 🩷)

Sebastian always knew he wanted to be a World Champion. Ever since he was a little boy in his racing kart, he knew he wanted to be one of the best racing drivers the world had ever seen. He also knew that he would sacrifice anything to achieve his dreams, but he never thought it would actually get to that point.

It was mid-way through the 2013 Formula 1 season and Sebastian was one of the strongest contenders for the Championship. His girlfriend at the time, Y/N, couldn't be more proud of Sebastian, especially since she knew how hard he had worked to get to his current position.

However, after a meeting with his strategists, team leaders and various other important people, Sebastian's perspective of his relationship had been tainted and darkened. Somehow the meeting had managed to brainwash him into thinking Y/N was a distraction. An enemy. An obstacle; preventing his Championship dreams from coming true.

The next step in Sebastian's Championship chase was a heated argument with Y/N in his drivers room. Insults were hurled, every single one out of anger, not one of them holding any truth. And then came the final devastating line;

“I'm done. We're over,” Sebastian said. His gaze was cold as he stared at Y/N, eyes void of any emotion.

Her lip trembled as she nodded, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Y/N turned on her heel and headed towards the door. As her fingers grasped the handle, she hesitated.

“Good luck with the Championship. I hope it's worth it.”

With that, she opened the door and walked out.

Eventually the season came to a close. Sebastian Vettel was World Champion. Again. But something wasn't right. He should be happy, right? He had gotten what he wanted all along.

Wrong. All Sebastian felt while holding his trophy was guilt and regret. The pit in his stomach deepened even further when he saw Y/N in the crowd with a man's arm wrapped around her waist. His eyes moved to the face of the individual and he did a double take when he realised who it was.

Fernando Alonso.

Sebastian had been too caught up in training and strategizing to see that Y/N had moved on. He saw the adoration in her eyes as she looked at the man next to her. He knew that look all too well, because that's how she used to look at him.

Maybe they were just friends? Sebastian's brain was thinking of every possible explanation. He hadn't actually seen or heard any confirmation they were dating. Although he had been too caught up in his own life to even notice anything or anyone else.

Before he could realise, he was being forced into an interview on stage.

“Sebastian!” The interviewer began, “World Champion again, how does it feel?”

“Uh- yeah it feels great obviously, it's always been my dream to be up here, winning as many times as possible.”

“Do you have anything you'd like to say to the fans in front of you?”

“Well, thank you for all your continued support, it means the world to me,” He said smiling at the crowd, “But most of all, I want to say sorry to one person in particular. Y/N, I wish I could take back everything I said to you all those months ago. This victory feels hollow without you to celebrate it with.”

The interviewer looked stunned and so did the crowd.

Y/N's face dropped when she heard Sebastian's improvised speech. As she felt the weight of thousands of eyes on her, she began to move through the crowd. Pushing through bodies, she desperately tried to escape the masses of people. Fernando was hot on her heels, not wanting his girlfriend to be alone.

Sebastian saw her rush off through the crowd and he knew he had royally messed everything up.

"Y/N, wait! I'm sorry, just wait please-" Sebastian thrust the microphone he was holding into the interviewer's hand and scrambled off the stage. He shoved his way through the fans frantically, following the footsteps of his ex-girlfriend.

He eventually found her (and Fernando) outside the Ferrari garage. Y/N's face was pressed into Fernando's chest as she sobbed. Sebastian watched from afar, realising what he had actually done. He knew he needed to speak to Y/N, but he didn't know if she would want to speak to him.

Sebastian eventually mustered up the courage to walk over to the pair. Fernando spotted him first, his face twisting into one of disgust.

"What do you want Vettel? You have your Championship, come to ask for my girlfriend too?"

"No! I just- I wanted-"

"You were so bold a moment ago? Spit it out, don't you think you've done enough damage for one day?" Fernando spat.

"Look, I know what I did was wrong, and I want to apologise.”

Y/N moved away from her boyfriend's chest and looked up at the blonde man infront of her.

“I'll meet you in your drivers room Fernando, I'd like to hear this.”

The Spaniard nodded, pressed a kiss to Y/N's forehead and walked off.

An awkward silence fell over the pair.

"So, you and Fernando? When did that happen?"

"Why does that matter? We broke up months ago, Sebastian. I moved on, you clearly didn't."

"Look, I'm glad you're happy now. If I knew about you and Fernando I never would've made a scene, I promise. I just realised that all the Championships and celebrations have meant nothing without you.”

"Too little too late Sebastian. I wanted you to win as much as you wanted to win yourself. But you couldn't see that. You were blinded by your ambitions, and I couldn't compete with that.”

"I'm sorry.”

"I know you are.”

Y/N stared at Sebastian pitifully. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him gently. He was taken aback, but he accepted the embrace gratefully.

"You'll find someone else to celebrate with, you're Sebastian Vettel.”

"It still won't be the same without you.”

The pair finally broke out of the hug and tears glistened in Sebastian's eyes.

"Fernando's waiting for me, I should probably go. Goodbye Sebastian.”

"Goodbye Y/N. I hope you can forgive me someday.”

"I've always forgiven you Seb, before you even knew you were sorry."

With one last shared look, Y/N turned around and headed off to find Fernando, leaving Sebastian standing alone. He had achieved his dreams and more, but at the cost of his future.

[noxemma]

Chapter 6 for my Hot Summer Art challenge fic

It's not a vacation without some relaxation. The group comes back to the house for late night movie night to relax after the case.

Tags, Rating, Word Count, AO3 link, etc. at the bottom

Beside Your Side

Fic Summary: Dean convinces Sam to look into a potential case where people are going missing from a New Jersey beach town. Of course, they have to bring Cas and Eileen along, just in case it's not a monster. Dean is excited to get the case over quickly and enjoy a well-earned vacation with the people he loves the most. Nothing ever seems to go the way Dean plans it though, and this case is no exception.

Chapter 6: Ready for Relaxation

Cas

"Cas, I-"

“Are you guys going to stay out here all night or are you going to come in and join movie night?” Sam demands, cutting off whatever Dean had been about to say.

“Dude, what is wrong with you? I know I raised you better than this,” Dean sighs in defeat leaving Cas like he's been all night, utterly confused. “Yeah, we’re coming.”

Dean holds the door and gestures for him to go in first, but he hesitates, curious as to what Dean had been about to say before Sam had interrupted.

“Don’t worry about it, like you said, we’ll have plenty of time to talk.”

Despite Dean acting normal as he and Sam make popcorn and grab beers for everyone, Cas can’t help but feel like something has changed and he doesn’t know how or why. He tries to shake it off though as everyone else appears to be enjoying the chaos.

“What’re we watchin’?” Dean shouts, mouthful of popcorn, swiping the remote off the side table.

“My vote is for Fellowship,” Eileen declares, claiming a seat on the couch before taking a sip of beer.

“Hell yeah!” Dean enthusiastically agrees before going still with mock seriousness. “Theatrical version or extended edition? Choose carefully, Eileen, this may just make for break our friendship.”

“You’d have to pry the extended edition from my cold, dead hands before you could get me to watch the theatrical version,” Eileen responds with equal solemnity.

They stare at each other, stone-faced for a few more seconds before they both burst out laughing.

“Sam, I want you to know, if you two ever break up, I’m taking Eileen’s side. She’s obviously your better half and she has the correct opinion of the theatrical version."

“Dude, that was one time! And I never said I didn’t like it or that it wasn’t the better version, but we’d been up for thirty plus hours and-“

“Excuses, excuses,” Elieen calls over Sam’s continued attempts to reason with the two of them. He finally gives in and takes his place to watch the movie.

Sam and Eileen end up nestled together on the couch, Cas sits in one of the armchairs, and Dean sits on the floor, propped up on the pillow Sam had eventually thrown down for him.

The movie starts.

Cas watches diligently, enjoying Dean’s comments and easy smiles more than the actual film, at least for the first portion of the movie. While watching parties and wizards talking hadn’t really held his attention, he finds himself watching with rapt attention as the fellowship is formed and the party begins losing members and facing dangers as they travel.

“Whaddya think so far, Cas?” Dean leans down to ask him, handing him another beer.

“I know the general premise, but I wasn’t sure if I liked it at first,” Cas starts, rolling his eyes when Dean places a hand to his ‘wounded’ heart, “but I find myself enjoying it more now it's not just a lot of walking.”

“And who’s your favorite character?” Dean asks, but he’s looking over his shoulder.

“They all have interesting nuances and flaws but I have to say that Aragorn is my favorite,” Cas says after thinking for a moment.

Eileen and Dean share look before bursting out laughing again, bringing themselves to tears.

“What? Dean, I don’t’ understand. What’s so humorous about that?” He looks to Sam for explanation, but he just shakes his head.

“I knew you were going to be an Aragorn fan,” Dean wheezes when he finally stops laughing, “nothing wrong with it. It means you’ve got good taste, Cas. He’s one of my favorites too.”

 “Hey Dean,” Sam barks, suddenly siting up on the couch. “Why is it that you always complain about my hair, but you don’t complain about Aragorn’s or Legolas’s?”

 “Well, first off because it's high fantasy not the real world, Sammy. They don’t need to really worry about a werewolf or a ghoul or something yanking them by the hair or having it get in their eyes while fighting.  Legolas I would complain about more, except that he wears it tied up in a way that kinda makes sense.”

“Ooh! Sam, I could try braiding your hair for a hunt,” Eileen joins in on the ribbing.

“No!”  Sam yelps with a hint of fear, causing Dean to go through another bout of giggling. He waits for them to regain control before challenging Dean, “And what about Aragorn? His hair is usually down.”

Dean crosses his arms defensively before shrugging in a lackluster attempt to remain unflustered. “It’s Viggo Mortensen. I’m not gonna complain about him, just like I’ll never complain about Dr. Sexy. Now can we get back to the movie; We’re missing good stuff.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Sam chortles and Cas gets the feeling he means more than Dean getting upset for an interruption Sam caused.

They continue watching the movie. Cas with great interest as Metatron's information dump could never have quite lived up to the nuanced characters, the moving music, and the breathtaking views.

They’re about three-quarters of the way through the film when, after yawning and nodding off for at least ten minutes, Eileen and Sam excuse themselves to go to bed. Dean pauses while they say their goodnights.

“Goodnight. See you both in the morning,” Eileen murmurs, giving Cas a pat on the shoulder and waving at Dean before heading up the stairs.

“Beach day tomorrow,” Sam says stifling a yawn, excited despite his apparent exhaustion. “Still weird to think we’re actually going to be on vacation.”

“Yeah, it’s long overdue,” Dean agrees.

Sam smiles and heads for the stairs to follow Eileen. He makes it up a few before he steps back down and call softly, “Hey, do you guys mind if Eileen and I go out for breakfast? I think it might be a nice surprise for her.”

“Go for it! She deserves a nice date.”

Sam ducks his head but can’t hide the beaming smile as he continues up to their room.

“Gah, he gives me a toothache when he’s sweet like that,” Dean grins at Cas who smiles in agreement. “You wanna take their spots on the couch?”

Cas takes a moment, not sure if he should trust himself to be in such close proximity to Dean, but the way Dean’s smile falters a hair at the hesitation ultimately makes his decision. He forces himself to move from the armchair to sink into the couch next to Dean who somehow made if from the floor to the couch faster. Cas makes sure to situate himself carefully toward the outside edge of the sofa so as not to crowd Dean and Dean does the same, apparently having a similar idea to Cas.

He hits play and Cas is sucked back into Middle Earth. He’s so absorbed in the craftsmanship of the storytelling that he doesn’t realize how close he’s gotten to Dean. Somehow, they’ve both shifted until their legs and shoulders are pressed together, until Dean is able to turn his head slightly to whisper into his ear.

“So, Viggo Mortensen actually broke his foot when they were filming him kicking the helmet after thinking Merry and Pippin are dead. That’s why his scream sounds so good, they decided to keep that take for the final cut.”

Cas stares at him, once again reminded why he loves the man so much. He loves that Dean wants to share his favorite movies, wants to know which characters Cas likes, wants to whisper pointless trivia because he thinks Cas might appreciate it. He misses the next few scenes just watching Dean happily consume media he’s probably seen several times. 

I wish we could do this all the time. Sit close to each other and watch movies, go to bars and grab drinks, just enjoy each other’s company, Cas thinks, his insides turned back into gooey, molten happiness.

He sighs and leans his head back against the sofa, so content that he nods his agreement when Dean silently asks him if they should start the next one.

Not even twenty minutes in though, he finds himself yawning frequently and his eyes getting heavy and tired, despite having slept most of the day away with Dean.

I’ll be sleeping with Dean again tonight. The thought momentarily distracts him from both the movie and his weariness as the memory of Dean leaning over him breaks loose from the box he’s forced it into. He closes his eyes and tries to keep his breath even against the phantom sensation of Dean’s erection pressing into his leg. It was nothing. Just a normal reaction to sleeping practically on top of another person.

Eyes still closed, Cas vows to keep to his side of the bed tonight. To not give Dean a reason to avoid his gaze or act awkwardly; to not give himself haunting visions of the man he can’t have.

“Cas? You asleep?” Dean whispers in the silence, apparently having paused the movie at some point.

“Yes? I mean no. Sorry, I was just resting my eyes for a minute,” he responds, his body feeling too heavy to move, even with the promise of laying down again with Dean.

“We can stop if you want, finish the rest tomorrow night?”

Dean

Cas takes a long time to respond, and Dean has a moment where he thinks he might have to carry the angel to the bed. The idea is not wholly unappealing, but he’d rather Cas get into the bed of his own volition, just to reassure Dean that he actually wants to be there.

“No, I’m good, really. We can keep watching for a few more minutes.”

Dean’s skeptical but lets the angel have his way, playing the movie again. It only takes a few minutes for him to feel Cas’ head fall to his shoulder for a short while before jerking back up again. He wants to tell Cas that he can leave it there, that he’s more than welcome to rest on him, but he keeps quiet, hoping if he doesn’t bring attention to it that Cas might let himself do it again.

His patience pays off and the comfortable weight of Cas’ head is back, hair tickling his bare neck a little. He lets Cas stay like that for far longer than he should, enjoying the way the man is tucked into his side too much to do anything. Eventually, his conscience gets the better of him and he pauses the movie one final time. He rewinds twenty minutes, so Cas doesn’t feel too bad, then taps his shoulder lightly with his opposite hand until he feels the angel stir.

“Cas? Cas sweetheart, it's time for bed.” The endearment slips out so quickly that all Dean can do is suck in a breath and hope that Cas doesn’t notice.

“’s the movie over?” Cas asks groggily.

“No, but I paused it. We’ll finish it later.”

“But I like it here.” It’s the closest Dean has heard the angel get to a whine, but he doesn’t have time to find amusement in that fact because Cas is nuzzling closer, nose and lips brushing up against his skin.

“I like you here too, Cas,” Dean says bravely, taking a half-step toward telling Cas he loves him, “But take it from me, the sofa might seem comfortable right now, but you’re back will be cursing you tomorrow.”

Like what you read? You can find the whole fic here on AO3

Rating: Explicit

Chapters: 6/? (hopefully 9 😂)

Chapter Word Count: ~4,100

Tags: Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Case Fic, Established Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Beach Case, Cannon when convenient, Mutual Pining, Idiots in Love, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con (Dean and background characters), Non-Consensual Touching (Not between Dean and Cas), Hurt/Comfort, I promise it's not as dark as it sounds, Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, clueless Sam Winchester, Chick-Flick Moments, Cannon typical misunderstandings, Angst?, One day I'll learn how to tag, WIP, JackieDeeArt's Hot Summer Art 2024 (Supernatural), Hot Summer Art, Greek Mythology if you Squint, No Beta, Everyone is bad with words, Except Eileen who is the only emotionally stable person for miles, Dean Winchester Loves Castiel, Castiel Loves Dean Winchester, Angel Grace Dysfunction, Poor Coping Mechanisms, There was only one bed

[delacruz-writ-344]

LEGO Ninjago And Trauma

LEGO Ninjago is a series created around ninjas in their hometown of Ninjago. There are a total of 5 ninjas, left to right it is Kai, Jay, Lloyd, Nya, Cole, and Zane. But I am going to only cover Kai, Lloyd, Jay and Zane.

I want to talk about their traumas and how serious this kid show is.

Kai

Kai is the older brother of Nya. Their parent ran a blacksmith business as one day their parents left and never came back. Without any explanation Kai had to step up and run the store and Nya. She became his world. As long as she was with him and safe he was okay. Though he was a temperamental hot head, usually the immature one of the two, he deeply cared for his sister. Until one day she got kidnaped by a skeleton gang and he lost it. This is when their sensei, Master Wu found him and trained him to be a ninja.

Though he saw more in him, Kai's only focus was saving the last bit of family he had. Later we find out that Kai and Nya have elemental powers, fire and water respectively. While we don't actually see Nya's powers develop for a while, Kai was loving the power. Yet, all he could think about was saving his sister, it felt like it was less for her sake and more for his. He was always moody and irritable, rightfully so as his sister is in danger. After he rescues her, he still can't let go. She has to tell him that she is a grown women and that she doesn't need his constant protection, but he can't let go until later on in the series, also when we find out that his parents disappeared after fighting the fight that saved Ninjago city and that his parents were the elemental masters of fire(father) and water (mother)..

Jay

In this series he and Zane endured the most trauma in my opinion. Jay came from a small family as an only child of parents that owned a junk yard. However, during this series he found out he was adopted after he discovering he had the elemental powers of lightning . And it took a toll on him, as it would anyone if all your life became one big lie. Though his parents loved him deeply they couldn't answer all his questions. This made him doubt himself. Meanwhile the girl that he was in love with, Nya, was choosing his friend, Cole, over him all because a machine told them that Nya and Cole would make a good couple.

Then there Nadakhan. he prince of djinns. He captured all the ninjas except Jay and married Nya. This was so he could give himself unlimited wishes, and Nya looked like his lost love. Jay had to witness it as it was him that set off the chain reaction by making the first wish. But after watching Nadakhan rebuilt Djinjago in place of Ninjago, he used the last wish to reverse everything and free the ninjas and Nya. These wishes are how he found out he was adopted, the first was who his parents are, followed by him finding his bio dad's home. All this was a trap by the dijnn. It was with the last wish he undid everything.

He also had to deal with his love and future yang (wife) dying in his arms. I could keep on going but I'm not trying to write a book.

Zane

Zane is the ice ninja. Master Wu found him and he found his way to the temple and trained as a ninja. However, everyone noticed that Zane was different. He didn't under stand jokes or sarcasm too well. And he was often told that he was almost robotic with the lack of expression. Later we find out that Zane was a android, or nindroid as the rest of the characters call him. His story was quite tragic.

His creator couldn't have a son, so he built one. He raised Zane like a regular kid. He was loved so much by his dad. He even built a bird that syncs with and watches over him.

However, the one flaw that his dad realized was that Zane doesn't age. So as his dad aged, Zane never did. The dad ended up dying but because he wanted him to live a fulfilling life he turned off his memory right before he died. After Zane flips the switch when he finds his blueprints and having a break down finding out he wasn't human. He becomes more human than before, all the pain was also followed by the unconditional love of his father.

Lastly,

Llyod

I am going to simplify his because I could write an essay on him alone. He was the son of Lord Garmadon, a villain that the ninjas fought. Llyod was always trying to follow in his absent father's footsteps as when he was young. Though his dad wasn't always there for him at least he was there. His mother left completely. But, later he joins the ninjas and during one battle his life completely changed. The ninjas were turned into children and they were able to defeat the villain with Llyod's help. There was a potion to age up the ninjas again and since Llyod was next to them he got caught in the magic. He suddenly ages up dramatically so. Now instead of being a kid, around 11, he is now at least 17 years old. He completely missed out on being a child, and a teen. He was shot up to be basically an adult and the green ninja. A title of a person who is meant to save the world and basically have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. But he was surrounded by a healthy family now and guided in the right path. But at what cost.

[whoslaurapalmer]

character ask meme: carmelita spats

How I feel about this character: you know, carmelita has grown on me over time?? she's so perfectly annoying (and kids can be annoying! kids can be horrifically cruel to other kids!) but when you really think about her as a character? she's shuffled around by the adults in her life (and by extension, by vfd) just as much as the baudelaires are, she just has an entirely different attitude about it, because she's a different character living different circumstances. she's almost living the reverse of them. she's not (as far as we know??) an orphan when she meets esme and olaf, she's not kidnapped, she chooses to go with them (although she's also definitely convinced by them to do it), to leave her (relatively normal!) life behind for something else that appears to be cooler. she puts her trust in esme and olaf bc they're all operating on like a really surface wavelength of self-important, selfish desires, and they praise her and give her what she wants. because she's just a spoiled child. and she's also living the reverse of isadora and duncan too, again she's not necessarily kidnapped like they are, she's present in esme and olaf's schemes instead of hidden in them, she probably overhears a lot of terrible things like isadora and duncan did but bc she has a different relationship with esme and olaf she's not like, categorizing them as terrible things.

but she IS just a child, in circumstances she hasn't yet realized are difficult and definitely actually traumatizing, and she's going to be stuck in a hotel while it's burning down because of esme and olaf. and i think she's going to struggle a lot after. i think it's going to take her a long time to break out of her spoiled and self-centered mentality and that it's going to be something she'll like, almost violently cling to after the fire as the whole entire new world she was living in with esme and olaf is destroyed, but because she's so young i think she can definitely acknowledge it eventually.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: no one!! not really!! i do not especially ship the kids with any of the other kids, just not something i'm all that interested in thinking about for them

My non-romantic OTP for this character: i don't think i have one!! i think her interacting with the kids post-canon would be interesting but i think it would take a lot for all of them to get there so i'm not sure about like, potential good friendships for her........

My unpopular opinion about this character: idk i think in retrospect the cake sniffing scene in netflix was bad. i don't think we needed an attempt towards an explanation of cakesniffer as an insult, like it can stand on its own as just some silly kid insult that doesn't have to really make sense or have context, and to see her like. sniff the cake and get sugar on her face was like. uncomfortable

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: hmmmm!! i'm not sure. off the top of my head i can't think of anything specific i wish had happened

[rabbiteclair]

actually fuck it, rambling about the plot because it's 1:30 AM and I need to wait for my hair to dry and my head to clear from the MYSTERY FUMES I was exposed to before I try to sleep, so let's fucking go

various unanswered questions as of the start of day 49 (this is gonna be like nothing but late plot spoilers so you've been warned):

what exactly is A trying to do here? You can see the general shape of what this is all about, but it still isn't clear if A is sticking to Carmen's original plan 100%, and if he is, what exact form it takes. got a Seed of Light involved, that's for sure.

even if A is following Carmen's plan to the letter, to what degree is this actually a good or helpful thing? Clearly everybody loved her, but she's mostly just shown to be charismatic and passionate. looking out over a cyberpunk hellscape where starving people are getting dragged off on meathooks for organ-harvesting and going 'what's wrong with the world is..... people don't, like, believe in things anymore, you know?' this might just be me being cynical, but everything about Carmen is filtered through A's memories so I feel a need to compensate. And even then she's shown being cool with human experimentation up until she killed a child.

is Angela in fact planning to sabotage this? I mean, on one hand, I have no reason to believe that Benjamin "If I could suck A's cock I would never brush my teeth again" McHokma was lying to A. On the other hand, it is unclear if B gave his warning at the same time we heard it happen. for all I know Angela recorded it and is playing it every loop days later as a 5D chess move. On the other other hand, at this point I would be surprised if day 50 isn't essentially Angela elbowing her way through a crowd of As like 'OKAY YOU IDIOTS HAD YOUR CHANCE, NOW IT'S MY TURN TO STRANGLE THIS BASTARD, FINALLY.' I don't even need any explanation beyond the fact that he's A

I assume that the voice in the black screens toward the end of morning cutscene times is the Bucket/CARMEN'S DISEMBODIED NERVOUS SYSTEM FLOATING IN A TANK BECAUSE A IS JUST A REAL COOL DUDE WHO MAKES GOOD DECISIONS but, like. Goddamn. okay this one isn't a question.

okay but where did Burrowing Heaven come from. Like Bloodbath and Snow Queen could both come from lots of people who were close to Carmen I guess, but I can't imagine there are many people who are like 'the innermost expression of my spirit is a monster that represents obsession with Carmen and angst over the fact that Carmen is now a DISEMBODIED NERVOUS SYSTEM FLOATING IN A TANK.' I don't actually expect this one to get answered but it's fun to think about. Since all of the weapons Gebura uses in her suppression seem to be callbacks to stuff she had when she was alive, this would also suggest that Burrowing Heaven popped up pretty soon after Carmen's death.

exactly which parts of Angela's behavior come from the Script, which parts are her improvising to fit the Script while going "for fuck's sake A, I'm not a babysitter", and which parts are actually Angela doing the things Angela wants to do? this is another one I expect no answer to but which is fun to think about.

what exactly was the thing that made B finally slink off and leave A alone? It doesn't seem to have been the whole thing with dissecting Garion's brain (while making her watch. as you dissect her brain. because A IS JUST A REAL COOL DUDE WHO MAKES GOOD DECISIONS.) B seemed to be a willing participant in that. The breaking point seems to have happened before the Sephirot were created or the time loop fun times started. but even ruling those out, there are so many cool and ethical options to choose from! Was it the decision to butcher Carmen's corpse into a DISEMBODIED NERVOUS SYSTEM FLOATING IN A TANK? was it creating Angela in Carmen's image while her corpse was still cooling and then immediately turning around and going 'WTF THIS IS JUST A MACHINE, IT'S NOT CARMEN. I HATE HER'? Was it keeping all of their friends' corpses heaped up in a closet somewhere for future use? was it the continued disastrous human experimentation while callously ignoring everyone dying around him? gosh I love A. don't at all wanna see him fall into some kind of industrial grinder.

Angela's whole thing about how A is dead and she's one of the people who killed him--I've been assured this isn't literally true, but I'm also not yet trusting that it's just a high-level 'oh well you're kinda dead because you see this time loop isn't really living' metaphor either. Oops this one also isn't a question

probably more but I should've been in bed 70 minutes ago

[liminal-zeitgeist]

Tips for writing from dreams

When I was a child, I found out how to wake myself up from dreams I didn't like. I'd focus really hard on some obscure detail - the first time it was the pattern on the floor, an ugly tan, brown, and grey diamond design. After focusing for a while, I'd get a headache and the pain in my actual body would wake me up.

My dreams didn't like the fact that I could choose to wake up at will - perhaps it's a health thing to try to get you to sleep for longer? My brain still wanted me to process my negative emotions, and I wasn't having it. So it tried a new tactic I was helpless against - compelling storytelling.

I wasn't willing to bear terror without cause or pain without a source. But give it a meaning? Tie that meaning to an overall narrative that was immersive and complex, keeping me guessing the whole time? I'd endure just about anything to find out how the story ended.

Here are some of the more complex and interesting things the dreams used to keep me engaged:

Present the story out of order. One of my most complex dreams gave me scenes at random that only made sense when I woke up, wrote them all down, and pieced them together.

Have side characters act contrary to how their feelings are expressed. Make them seem unsympathetic to a cause in word, action, and body language and have them join anyway, even though it puts them at a disadvantage. The cognitive dissonance gets readers engaged as they try to come up with a narrative that would make sense of such an action.

Use symbolism without explanation. Even better if the symbols may or may not be only in the head of the main character - the unreliable narrator trope is all the more useful if it might give clues as to the character's thoughts.

Have the main character act in ways that can't fully be explained by their current knowledge. Have them be calm when something that should rock their worldview comes up - see 9.

Switch perspectives, or have characters that are deep enough that you could switch perspectives and the story would be just as interesting, if in a different way. Every person has a story, even if they're playing one specific role in this particular narrative.

Have the characters be chasing information or one specific thing and continue to hold it just out of their reach. Especially compelling if it's a race against a superior power, and even more so if you've set the precedent that the main character does not always win. A lot of my dreams follow this format. As an important side note, the side characters must be multifaceted for this trope to work. In the end, your character either will or won't succeed, but most importantly, what effects will this have on everyone else around them that the reader has grown to care for? What will it mean for the underlyings who've been racing the main character to give them over to certain death at the hands of the villain? Why are they following the main villain and can they be swayed?

Have the precedent set for how your background characters interact with the main character and then break it. Background characters are the best when they leave the background.

Time skips are fun, especially when the main character is uncertain how much time has passed.

Have characters that have history, but don't explain that history. Have it influence decisions and give the characters resolve at weird moments. Include seemingly unrelated flashbacks. Scatter puzzle pieces, just enough where they might not understand. And then, either use that history to make a monumental shift in the plot, or never assemble the puzzle pieces and leave them guessing. There was one dream that ended with an inscrutable gaze at the opponent pounding on the outside of a mirror, unable to enter. Something about it bothered me after I woke. Then I realized that while the two courtesans had passed through the mirror and merged with their best selves and the rebel leader was standing next to them within the mirror, the king's reflection wasn't there. And he couldn't pass through, so he hadn't merged with his reflection. I remembered the main character feeling a cold certainty that he never would. And then it hit me. The rebel leader was directly under the king. I thought back, mind racing. I'd only ever seen and heard the rebel leader when the king was hunting me through a maze of dimly lit rooms and halls, when the main character was mourning the loss of the rebel leader. In this story, there was some history between the main character, who used to be a key part of the resistance and who the king wanted for an army general, the king, a cold and callous man, and the rebel leader, kind, competent, and tragically no longer around. Dead? Missing? It was never explained. I'd figured it was extreme grief causing hallucinations or repressed memories to rise. In the end, the answer that made the most sense was that the main character, who I was, had been lying to me the whole time. Talk about a chilling but compelling story. I thought about it for days.

I have had many dreams where I died but stuck with it as a new character because I saw the villains growing and changing, and because I wanted to help the side characters. I have had dreams where the side characters urged me to leave them and wake up, destroying their world, so I wouldn't die. It's crazy how creative my dreams get, trying to prevent me from breaking the flow of unconsciousness. Might as well take advantage of it to work on writing skills, right?

[erabundus]

@wendeiwisp &&. said... you don't have to tell me, if you don't want to.

the  wanderer  is  tragically  more  expressive  than  he  truly  wants  to  be.  though  he  has  NO  HEART  to  wear  upon  his  sleeve,  his  moods  are  as  noticeable  as  the  weather.  misery  seems  to  hang  about  him  like  a  dark  cloud  —  blotting  out  the  sun,  wreathing  him  in  a  layer  of  thick  shadow.  the  bard's  voice  calls  out  from  behind  him,  and  ren  gives  no  visible  indication  to  acknowledge  the  offer.  (  though  it's  obvious  that  he  hears  him  nevertheless.  )  he  merely  stares  out  over  the  buildings  of  mondstadt  from  the  rooftop  he's  perched  upon  —  no  rhyme  or  reason  to  his  presence  there  beyond  the  WHIMS  that  all  too  often  guide  his  wanderings.  if  there  is  a  subconscious  explanation  why  his  steps  have  brought  him  to  the  city  of  freedom,  he  chooses  not  to  acknowledge  it.  probably  not  for  the  WINE,  no  matter  what  the  case  may  be.

a  quiet  sigh suddenly  breaks  the  silence  that  has  settled  over  them  in  the  wake  of  venti's  words.  there  are  few  gods  in  this  world  he  does  not  view  with  suspicion  and  contempt  alike  —  and  if  nothing  else,  he  has  proven  himself  WORTHY  of  being  among  them.  he  cares  for  those  ren  holds  most  precious  in  this  world,  after  all.  there  is  no  faster  way  to  gain  his  RESPECT.  

❝  ...  ❞  although,  it  is  perhaps  for  that  very  reason  why  he  may  actually  be  able  to  UNDERSTAND  what  eats  away  at  him.  long  lived  beings  such  as  themselves  are  no  strangers  to  suffering;  it  is  a  natural  consequence  of  existing  in  this  world  —  and  existing  for  even  longer  than  the  norm  merely  opens  one  up  to  additional  PAIN.  ❝  i'm  not  upset.  ❞  ren  finally  says.  it  both  is  and  isn't  the  truth.  it  takes  but  a  glance  to  see  that  something  troubles  him,  yet  as  far  as  the  REASON  is  concerned ...   ❝  i'm  actually  pretty  happy.  ❞   and  he  is.  the  past  year  has  been  filled  with  BLESSINGS  —  more  than  the  wanderer  is  accustomed  to.  he  has  a  family.  he  has  a  fiancé.  friends  who  have  (  for  some  reason  beyond  his  comprehension  )  diligently  stuck  by  him  —  despite  ren's  best  efforts  to  push  them  away  at  every  turn.  he  even  has  a  purpose  to  keep  himself  occupied  —  the  missing piece  he  has  HUNGERED  endlessly for, since  the very  moment  he  was  able  to  comprehend  his  own  agonizing  lack  of  one.

❝  ...  despite  how  that  may  sound,  it's  not  a  good  thing.  ❞  he  pulls  one  knee  to  his  chest,  resting  his  chin  upon  it  —  as  if  trying  to  huddle  his  entire  body  beneath  his  kasa.  ❝  i  know  how  this  ends.  it  isn't  exactly  pleasant.  ❞  death.  betrayal.  the  taste  of  ash  coating  the  back  of  his  throat.  he  has  so  many  PRECIOUS  THINGS  now  and  that  is  absolutely  terrifying.   ❝  i  can't  exactly  enjoy  the  moment  when  i'm  bracing  for  some  inevitable  tragedy  that's  bound  to  rear  its  ugly  head  sooner  or  later.  ❞  the  only  real question  is  what  FORM  it  will  take.

THINGS    MY    FRIENDS    MUSES    HAVE    SAID.

[yeonban]

Send my muse “👀 + a question” and they’ll have to answer with 100% honesty.

@shinanai​  asked:  👀  +  do  you  ever  worry  about  your  relationship  with  fei?  do  you  think  you'll  last?

Worry  about  their  relationship?  Although  Shalnark  prepares  for  many  a  circumstance  as  soon  as  the  concept  surfaces  in  his  mind  (  regardless  of  its  actual  chances  at  occurring  as  something  other  than  a  mere  hypothetical  scenario  ),  he  doesn’t  think  he’s  ever  pondered  on  this  side  of  his  and  Feitan’s  relationship  enough  to  grade  it  with  a  ‘rate  of  success’  as  he  typically  would’ve  for  a  plan  of  action.

Transmuters  are  whimsical  and  fickle,  he’s  well  aware  of  that  trait  (  one  so  easily  noticeable  in  each  of  the  troupe’s  transmuters,  but  in  Feitan’s  case  even  more  so  ),  yet  it  had  never  brought  forth  a  question  of  whether  it  could,  one  day,  be  the  knife  that  would  cut  their  bond  until  now.  Would  Feitan  get  tired  of  him,  eventually?  Bored,  maybe,  after  he’s  seen  and  experienced  every  side  Shalnark  could  offer  them?  The  look  on  his  face  is  blank  for  a  single  moment,  dragged  out  for  the  suspense  rather  than  genuine  anxiety,  before  he  chuckles,  and  subsequently  bursts  out  laughing.   ❛   Sorry  about  that  !   ❜   He  barely  manages,  dramatically  wiping  away  the  tears  born  out  of  laughter  with  a  cheerfulness  that  doesn’t  even  hint  at  the  fairly  depressing  topic  at  hand.

Feitan  was  whimsical  indeed,  more  than  Shalnark  could  hope  to  be  in  his  entire  lifetime  (  and  they  couldn’t  be  more  different  on  this  front  ),  but  he’s  never  truly  seen  it  as  a  bad  thing,  as  something  that  could  destroy  anything  of  true  value.  His  boyfriend’s  fickleness  shows  best  in  the  readiness  with  which  they  pick  a  target  on  impulse  alone  &  with  no  logical  explanation  behind  it  (  not  one  that  Shalnark  can  comprehend,  at  least  )  or  in  the  easiness  with  which  they  depart  without  a  word  spoken  to  the  others,  without  a  care  in  the  world  about  whether  they’d  require  his  help  or  wish  for  his  presence  in  their  vicinity  (  although  that’s  not  quite  correct  either  -  he’s  always  told  Chrollo  that  he’d  be  heading  off,  like  all  of  them  tend  to  do,  and  for  a  while  now  they’ve  been  telling  Shalnark  regularly  as  well  ). 

A  hum  escapes  the  blond  as  he  recalls  the  nearly  endless  list  of  examples  that  had  taken  place  during  this  past  year,  and  not  a  single  one  has  posed  a  significant  threat  to  a  concept  or  person  Feitan  holds  dear  (  neither  to  the  spider,  nor  to  him  )  that  couldn’t  be  effortlessly  avoided  with  the  minimum  amount  of  thought  or  instinct  involved.  Feitan  doesn’t  jeopardize  what  he  believes  to  truly  matter,  and  Shalnark  is  more  than  certain  of  that;  if  not  from  instinctual  belief,  then  from  being  shown  as  much  during  the  extensive  periods  of  time  they’ve  been  around  each  other.

He  could  wonder  if  it’ll  happen  sometime  in  the  future,  if  the  saying  ‘there’s  a  first  for  everything’  is  as  legitimate  as  others  have  made  it  out  to  be,  but  he  doesn’t  see  the  point  in  getting  worked  up  over  an  imaginary  situation  when  the  proof  of  otherwise  stands  before  him  again  and  again,  without  fail.  And  truth  be  told,  if  they  ever  got  to  a  point  where  Feitan  was  dissatisfied  enough  with  him  that  not  even  candidly  talking  it  out  &  making  amends  could  fix  their  relationship,  Shalnark  himself  would  rather  they  break  up,  at  the  expense  of  his  heart  as  it  might  be,  if  only  to  see  Feitan  happy  again. 

Feitan  is  known  to  choose  his  well-being  above  all  but  the  spider,  and  if  he  were  to  ever  genuinely  believe  he’d  be  happier  without  Shalnark  than  with  him,  the  manipulator  would  agree  to  take  the  route  most  accommodating  for  Feitan  instead  of  the  one  he’d  personally  prefer,  with  little  to  no  thought  spared  to  his  own  feelings  or  wishes  on  the  matter.  They  are  that  important  to  him,  regardless  of  whether  what  he’s  come  to  recognize  as  love  &  the  vulnerability  that  it  entails  will  prove  to  be  a  strength  or  a  weakness  in  the  end.

The  thought  brings  a  mild  and  foreign  ache  to  his  chest  for  no  longer  than  a  fleeting  moment,  but  Shalnark  smiles  through  it  nevertheless;  seemingly  unbothered,  and  deep  down  he  supposes  he  is.  He’s  proud  to  say  he  knows  Feitan  better  than  this,  knows  where  they  stand  better  than  this,  and  he’s  convinced  that  had  Feitan  not  wanted  this  to  last,  their  relationship  wouldn’t  have  even  began.  They  had  been  the  first  to  confess,  the  one  to  start  what  they  currently  have,  and  while  they  may  prefer  to  act  on  impulse  whenever  possible,  the  stakes  of  this  particular  idea  are  high  enough  for  even  Feitan  to  have  thoroughly  considered  before  delving  into  it.

Shalnark  isn’t  a  stranger,  nor  is  he  a  new  toy  they  could  simply  toss  aside  with  no  repercussions  after  losing  interest,  he  is  a  fellow  spider  that  will  continue  to  be  there  for  as  long  as  he  lives,  and  although  many  may  expect  them  to  act  before  thinking,  Feitan  is  far  smarter  than  most  tend  to  give  him  credit  for,  a  fact  Shalnark  is  conscious  of,  and  so  he  is  confident  that  Feitan  understands  what  they  both  stand  to  lose  if  either  of  them  treats  this  as  a  mere  game  instead  of  the  relationship  it's  supposed  to  be.

There’s  no  shred  of  doubt  in  his  mind  about  his  lover’s  intent  to  help  this  relationship  blossom  further  instead  of  crushing  it  under  his  heel  though,  and  it’s  hard  for  Shalnark  to  even  imagine  a  point  in  time  in  which  either  of  them  would  want  to  break  up  or  act  in  a  way  that’d  force  the  other  to  want  to;  and  if  the  issue  wouldn’t  stem  from  one  of  them,  it  most  certainly  wouldn’t  stem  from  an  exterior  force,  no  matter  how  hard  it  may  try  to  intervene. 

As  objective  as  everyone  -  himself  included  -  considers  him  to  be,  Shalnark  acknowledges  how  illogical  he  acts  whenever  Feitan  is  involved  (  whenever  they  ask  something  of  him  or  do  anything  to  him  )  and  what  a  wide  range  of  previously  unknown  emotions  Feitan  is  capable  of  stirring  in  him  at  the  drop  of  a  hat,  something  that  no  one  else  has  ever  been  able  to  do  nor  will  in  the  future  as  far  as  he’s  concerned;  and  thus  Shalnark  doubts  there’s  anything  in  this  world  or  the  next  that  could  prompt  his  feelings  to  fade  away  or  for  him  to  choose  someone  else  over  Feitan  as  long  as  Feitan  himself  doesn’t  decide  to  end  it.  And  it’s  safe  to  say  he  won’t,  not  when  they  gravitate  towards  him  so  naturally  whenever  they’re  in  the  same  location,  not  when  he  trusts  him  enough  to  show  him  the  sides  of  himself  no  one  besides  Shalnark  has  ever  been  privy  to,  and  not  when  every  interaction  they  share  seems  to  leave  the  both  of  them  even  more  enthralled  by  each  other  than  they  previously  even  thought  possible.

The  questions  posed  need  to  receive  an  answer  though,  he  eventually  muses,  not  because  of  the  effects  this  suspense  may  have  on  his  audience,  but  because  he’s  wasted  enough  time  contemplating  a  scenario  that  probably  has  even  less  chances  of  happening  than  the  entire  troupe  getting  annihilated;  and  it’s  well  about  time  that  he  moves  on  to  spending  his  energy  on  something  more  worthwhile  than  this.   ❛   I  don’t  plan  on  cutting  it  short,  that’s  for  sure,  and  I  don’t  think  Fei  has  any  plans  to,  either,   ❜   But  it’d  be  too  time  consuming  to  repeat  everything  he’s  thought  about  in  the  past  few  minutes,  aloud  now,  so  instead  he  simply  opts  to  summarize,  blatantly  disinterested  in  whether  the  answer  will  be  satisfying  for  the  other  party  or  not. 

❛   Things  have  been  going  well  for  us,  and  I  can  tell  Fei  thinks  the  same,  so  there’s  no  point  in  worrying  about  our  relationship  now,  is  there?  Fei  isn’t  the  type  to  hold  back  his  frankness,  so  I’m  sure  he’d  bring  it  up  if  something  was  wrong,  and  we’d  both  work  to  fix  it.  Same  goes  on  my  end  as  well.  We’ve  had  a  few  rougher  patches  here  and  there  before,  but  as  long  as  our  feelings  don’t  fade,  there’s  nothing  that  can  really  make  us  think  about  breaking  up,  not  as  far  as  I’m  aware,  at  least.   ❜ 

Another  chuckle,  and  Shalnark  remembers  he’s  supposed  to  meet  up  with  the  very  person  at  the  center  of  this  discussion  in  a  few  minutes  (  &  he  can’t  help  the  curiosity  that  springs  up  at  the  notion  of  how  Feitan  would  react  to  these  queries  ),  so  he  hurries  to  wrap  it  up,  prepared  to  leave  &  offer  no  leeway  for  any  more  questions  to  ensue.   ❛   And  well,  I  guess  you  could  say  I  have  a  hunch  that  nothing  like  that  will  ever  happen,  anyway.   ❜ 

[beninparis]

Blog Submission 3

I remember vividly the moment I realized we had a week left. I was sitting in my bed looking at the schedule and how many days we had left, when the realization hit me. I’m not sure I could call it a full on cry, but I did shed actual tears in that moment. Even if I were able to somehow see everything, I still don’t think I would be ready to go back. There’s something different about Paris. It’s all of what I stated before, but there might be something else that I can’t identify until after the fact. A few times now, I have considered making my return be a goal, either for another few weeks or even moving in for a good chunk of my life. I can’t guarantee it would be the same or better than this, but it’s probably worth a try.

Bastille Day was a bit of rush in the last few minutes, partially because of me. Aiden said “We were going to take the metro to the Eiffel Tower.” I said “We can watch from the Seine dude.” That we did. It was crowded, we had to walk for miles, and we didn’t really get the best view. Then again though, this was probably better so we didn’t have to take the hour walk home at 1 am.

The hill to MontMartre offered the second best view of Paris, with the third being the Arc De Triomphe. The kind of view that makes Paris seem smaller while simultaneously reminding you how big it is. I would say it’s fitting that the church be put here to remind Parisians of God’s position above them, but that metaphor gets ruined whenever you remember the church isn’t the highest thing in Paris. With that being said though, it’s one of the best and most grand churches I have seen in Paris. I don’t know if it’s the best church (I wish Notre Dame were open for me to compare) but I do know it’s the one church we went to that compelled me to pray beneath one of the statues. Something about the kind of power that the building has. The rest of the street is glorious too, but in a more secular way. The readings describe the hill as devoted to art and pleasure and that can be seen in the many artists at work and the various restaurants.

I went to the sewers. They stink. They're also probably cleaner than my old highschool’s bathrooms. It was fascinating to see how the city handles its water and to see another portion of Paris’ underground “city”. Honestly though, I think I was more fascinated by the rat monster, a weird chimera involving a rat, a mantis, and a scorpion. It just appears in one of the tunnels and is even acknowledged in the gift shop, but has no context or explanation. I tried Googling the thing and I think even Google is drawing blanks. I’ve become a character in a sci-fi B movie because I need to know more about the creature and its origins.

I don’t think anything is going to match Atelier des Lumieres. Even after the readings, I still didn’t know what to expect. I was presented with one of the most immersive presentations of art, history, and life I have ever seen. It’s presented in a way that surrounds you and becomes the only world there is for a moment. Firouzen insisted we watch from the railway upstairs, which was a nice break. Yet, I feel like there was just as much, sometimes more magic in standing below and facing the walls head on. Almost like you’re part of the exhibit too. Also, someone please recreate this kind of thing but with quicker animations and house music. That would be my kind of rave.

Now who could pass up a chance to graffiti a wall and not get arrested for it? Fortunately, I got to do that and have my first try and spray painting. We went over the basics first: lines, filling in shapes, and gradients. We had to choose a word or phrase for the workshop, something that would sum up Paris and our time with it. One of the first things that came to my mind was Lee Ann Womack, who said that if we had the choice to sit it out or dance, she hoped we would dance. I think the rest of the class were on the same page, whether they knew the song or not.

Of course though, I wasn’t going to end my trip to Paris without a certain stop. I mentioned the third and second best views previously. Here’s the first.

The tower was packed and I managed to get on in time to watch the sunset as I ascended. The fire of the sun was the warmest as it left the sky, dipping down below the city in an orange ball of light. The tower soon became as golden as the streets would become while the sky darkened from blue to black. It’s probably best that I did this in the last week, so that I have a little bit more of a relation with those golden streets. Despite the place swarming with people, nothing was going to take away from the climactic view. Except maybe the champagne price. Seriously, 46 euro for a glass? Either way, this view felt somewhat sacred, the thing that my applications, planning, travel, and classwork all built up to. The moment the sky blackens and the streets become gold is the kind of fantasy that so many movies and tv shows sell Paris on. Only it wasn’t a fantasy. It was Monday night.

Versailles was a decent follow up, not as impressive but still with its own charm. As an occasional hunter, I personally think an uppity lodge surrounded by gold is an insult to the earthy nature of hunting, but the royal family was wired differently. So differently that the queen thought make-believing as peasants with life sized playhouses was a normal thing to do. Either way, it was a lovely place and row boating was one the best things to do on a day like that. I also learned something about myself. I am not very fast.

I think my biggest concern is, who will I be whenever I come back home? Will I be better than I was or as I was? I’m told by Nancy that travel changes me and I sincerely hope she’s right. The closest I can think of to a change is in writing. I still remember the comment Nancy made to me after my first blog post and what it made me feel. I also remember the comment she and Herman made about the follow up post. They seemed like they were a little surprised with me and that made me surprised in return. It also made me write a bit more than I probably would have otherwise. I wrote in Cafe de Flore for extra credit and I wrote about the church where the concert was. Nothing earth shattering, just what I saw and what I felt and I tried to dress it up as fancy as can be. I know I shouldn’t seek validation and doing that can be a danger for many artists, but damn does it feel nice. If they have a knack for it, then I might go even further.

When people say that Paris is a city of love, they usually mean a romantic love. To me, it’s a love of life.

Tips:

Get to know your breakfast options, most of the time it’s just Boulangerie goods, but you can find other options if you look enough.

Learn how to work the transit system. The metro at the very least.

If the cheese has mold in it and its blue cheese specifically, you can eat it. If there’s mold on the rinds, avoid the rinds. In fact, avoid most rinds.

Be prepared for blisters. Blisters are inevitable.

Dance.

[graftisms]

JOSH & MALI — DAY THIRTY

location:   night / terrace

featuring:   @inquixotic

JOSHUA

"don't get any ideas," he warns her with a look, though the smile on his face shows he's kidding. "i know we were trying to get away from those two, but... i kinda wanna see if frankie immediately dumps him or not after this." taking a seat on the terrace bench, he glances down at the rest of the group, where frankie is still beatboxing like a four year old. 

MALI

the terrace is...certainly a decision on his part, given his words, and she gives him a look, the smirk tugging at her lips amused. "what was that we discussed, about mixed signals?" it's teasing, though they do choose to sit next to him rather than across, so she can peek down over the wall at the group. "no chance she does, right? isn't this the kind of thing she eats up?" the girl joked about looking like larry king, for fuck's sake. "she had to build a pillow wall, you know," she whispers. "don't tell miles, he hasn't broken me down yet."

JOSHUA

"we can go back downstairs if you want," he tells her, hating when she says that. mixed signals. he's really not trying to... at least, he doesn't think so. "if you want to walk into the middle of that, be my guest." but she is right about this potentially being something frankie would like, grimacing to himself. "apparently. she is from florida." josh uses that one fact to attribute everything to why frankie is Like This. "he told me," he snickers, "but i think they're gonna do it tonight. i don't think she'll be able to hold back two nights in a row. well, unless he falls on his ass right now."

MALI

"no, i like miles, i'd like to keep it that way. i'll keep my hands to myself." they're folded neatly around her drink, too. she really is trying to keep her smile friendly, not flirty. "i suspect this is better enjoyed from a healthy distance." florida's a good enough explanation for her and she nods. "what's his excuse then?" for being Like That, she means. "did she use the break her back like a glowstick line on you, too? it was quite creative, i'm keeping it in my arsenal." she'd love if they fucked. "she's bringing him back, right? their chemistry is so good."

JOSHUA

he has his drink in his own hand anyway, taking a sip as he watches from above. "got hit in the head with too many footballs?" josh guesses, shaking his head. "i don't know, i think he's just a weirdo. small town mentality, maybe. they are kinda perfect for each other though, aren't they?" he ships it so bad. "no, what?" he laughs, turning to mali. frankie's such a freak. "oh, she's definitely bringing him back. i'm a little afraid to know what's gonna happen after that, but no part of me thinks she won't bring him back." otherwise josh might actually bring miles back himself.

MALI

"it is weird, though, i'm used to athletes being...different than he is, you know?" worse, she means. he's just a goofball, she always expects something like jamie tartt from footballers. "they're real well suited," she agrees, smiling. "he deserves something good. i hope the fall out isn't too intense." callie and frankie seemed very intense on screen, so she does worry a little. especially if neither she or phoebe go back, too. josh being his only friend wouldn't win him many points with the others, she suspects. "she told me she wants him to break her back like a glowstick," she repeats, still hushed but pronouncing slower. "i really think she likes him, you know? why else would she admit that out loud?"

JOSHUA

"uh, yeah. i know what you mean." josh means to smirk, but instead there's somewhat of a fond smile on his face instead. he can't help it—he's really liked getting to know miles, probably better than anyone else here. (gay.) "you'd be surprised, though. not all athletes are as cool as me," he jokes, looking over at her. "yeah, same. i love frankie, but... she's not always consistent in what she does." or what she wants. josh really thought she wouldn't have moved on from her girlfriend so quickly, considering how gross they had been. he pulls a face at the words echoed back at him, not something he needed to hear. "because she's gross?" he guesses, but he can't help but add, "yeah, i think she likes him too. i mean, she has to." he motions to the two of them on the ground once more.

MALI

"oh, you're cool, are you?" she turns her gaze back to him with a teasing smile, eyebrows raised a little. "and here i thought hockey players were the sweet ones." she nods slowly, her lips pursed with a little concern for her friend. she likes frankie, too, but miles is the one that'd be hurt here. "do you think her girlfriend is cracking on?" she asks, curious to hear his thoughts. she's honestly dying to know what the others are doing in the other villa. "it does paint a vivid picture," she giggles, shaking her head. "they really knew what they were doing when they sent him in, huh."

JOSHUA

"really, is that what you've been told?" he grins. that is a new one for him, usually used to people treating him being a hockey player like they do him being a frat boy. josh would tell her that he's sweet, but that's definitely not something he could do with a straight face. "honestly? i have no idea. i don't exactly talk to her." because he's pretty sure callie hates him, thanks to dylan. "probably not, if i had to guess. they were like... crazy attached at the hip since frankie first got in. kind of like those two now," he nods down towards miles and frankie, "but, like, if their hands were always on each other. they really knew what they were doing with all of you, i think," he gives her a look, mouth twitching to try not to smile. "you're all pretty decent bombshells."

MALI

"yes, is it not true? i thought you lot were the charitable ones." they feel like with hockey players, they've heard more about the reading programs, encouraging children to play, the do good of the sports world. "i think you're sweet." she can't keep a straight face at that either, though, so josh isn't alone there, there, the small grin sneaking on before they were done saying it. "god. i hope she doesn't kill miles." she doesn't think she's the violent type, but who could be sure after they let dejan stay for so long? if it was anyone, she thinks callie or naomi. "god, so frankie has self control with miles?" she can hardly believe that, for how belligerently they flirt. "pretty decent," she scoffs, her eyes rolling, though she's clearly amused. "darling, i'm your worst nightmare. it's okay, you can admit it. i won't tell the others."

JOSHUA

"as opposed to what, soccer players who are greedy?" he laughs. it's not like he'll complain about the compliment sent his direction, although the way she immediately grins after calling him sweet makes him scowl playfully. "wow, now say it like you mean it," he drawls, eyes rolling at her. "who, frankie's girl? nah, i doubt that. she is dylan's sister, after all." and dylan isn't exactly the confrontational type. "yeah," the way she says that makes him laugh, "believe it or not, this is frankie with self-control. a lot of it, i'd imagine." hence the pillow wall. "i wouldn't say worst nightmare," he scoffs, turning to face her better. "you're definitely the bombshell brought here to fuck with me, that's for sure. but you're not as... bad, i guess, as you think. even if you did seduce me night one," josh smirks.

MALI

"i don't know about footballers, but baseball players certainly are selfish," she snorts, knowing firsthand from past relationships. they nudge his knee with hers, forcing her expression into something resembling a straight face, though they're clearly fighting a smile. "you're very sweet, darling." it's a feat, but she manages. she tilts her head, confused at that assessment. "the twins seem to have very strong morals," she says, in lieu of bringing up any past situations — the luke thing had seemed confrontational to her, but perhaps it was editing. "so she's worse than this usually. wow," she breathes out a laugh, amused endlessly by that concept. they thought those two were bad, she wonders how much she wasn't seeing on screen. she's got a small smile, up until he says she seduced him and it widens into a grin, mock outraged as she smacks his arm. "i did no such thing," they argue. she absolutely did. "you touched me. how am i meant to resist that?" it's a joke, mostly, but she's trying to seem like she believes herself, too, for the delusional edit. "some would disagree with you, though, on being bad. i've been told to stop saying i don't care about getting back to the villa probably three times?" she giggles a little, looking over at him with out of the corner of her eyes. "can i ask you something, though? promise it's not a line." 

JOSHUA

"that seems like a generalization," he points out, chuckling. "what has a baseball player ever done to you?" josh nearly holds his breath to keep from laughing at the look she gives him, shaking his head. "christ, you look like you're gonna hurt yourself. i think i like it better when you're laughing at me," he jokes. he wants to make a comment about dylan not having morals when he stole naomi from him, but he holds himself back. realistically, josh knows that dylan hadn't stolen naomi, but it's hard for his mind to not go there, when it's the story he had told himself for days now. "you know you did," he laughs, making a show of rubbing his arm where she did him. "i touched you because you were half naked crawling next to me on the couch. where else should i have put my hands?" josh grins, finding it easier to joke about it now. he knew what he was doing when he invited her into bed with him, but she was the one who had come to him to begin with. "you don't care about being brought back to the villa, what?" that's news to him. josh has a feeling he's not going to like whatever question she gives him, but what else is he supposed to say? "alright, shoot."

MALI

"quite a bit," she says, a note of suggestion in her tone, laughter in her eyes. "but not nearly as much as i'd have liked." now she does laugh, though, leaning just a little away from him, creating a few more inches of space for her own sake. "it's easier to laugh at you." they shake their head vehemently, the smirk betraying that she knew what she did, though. "that was absolutely not what happened. i was a perfect angel, i was just trying to keep you company." their head drops back onto the edge of the pillows, rolling her eyes not feeling dramatic enough for this. "i was just in my pajamas! you invited me in," she points out, giggling. "it would have been rude to say no." a look of surprise flashes across her face, followed by confusion. "i thought i had mentioned — my goal isn't to get brought back to the villa, no," she confirms, raising her eyebrows. "if i make a good connection, sure, it'd be nice, but i want something good before all else. the...show portion does not matter." despite his apprehension, she presses forward, a rare flash of sincerity in her face. "if not for the show, if we had met outside of all this, do you think we would have got on?" she asks, tilting her head. "do you think you'd have liked me?"

JOSHUA

"why do girls love baseball players so much?" his eyes roll at her. "it's such a lame sport. anyone can do it." lame compared to hockey, obviously. "yeah, i've heard that before." watching her laugh makes him smile though, realizing with a pang that he's actually going to miss her when they eventually leave casa. maybe she has another relationship with one of the other islanders he doesn't know about, so these aren't the last days of seeing her. "well usually when people sleep in another room, it's because they don't want company," he points out. "stop acting like you weren't in your sexiest pajamas. i saw what you wore last night and it was not that." when she reminds him, josh does remember that she had told him that before, although that's not really what he had thought she meant. it doesn't matter what he thought she meant, though. "oh, yeah," he nods, before stalling at her question. he knows what he wants to say, but-- "can i answer that freely, without you accusing me of mixed signals?"

MALI

“they have all their teeth?” it’s a joke, a dig at him for playing hockey of all things. but he’s not wrong. she practically falls asleep at baseball games. “because you’re such a funny guy,” there’s a touch of sarcasm in it, settling back comfortably. maybe she would miss this sort of chat when the week came to an end. “you enjoyed my company just fine, though,” she does laugh at that — their way of helping that clearly did no good. “what, are you saying my night shirt wasn’t sexy?” it was more of a negligee, really, still very sexy. “i swear, i will not even tease you about what signals you’re giving.” she gives a tiny smile, her eyes showing it more than the rest of her face. that’s kind of an answer in and of itself.

JOSHUA

"fuck off," he laughs, before showing off his pearly whites. "look at that—the gang's all there. i still have my wisdom teeth and everything." it's honestly a miracle josh has all his teeth, considering how much he's been knocked around on the ice. "well, i didn't say i didn't," josh smiles slightly, choosing to ignore the comment about her pajamas last night. he's not exactly looking to point out that he remembers exactly what she wore before she went to bed alone. "somehow i doubt that," he chuckles a little, hand rubbing the back of his neck a bit. "but no, honestly? i do like you. i thought mixed signals aside, that was pretty obvious. if we had met on the outside... i definitely would be the one grafting you. really, if not for the fact that i want to see where things go in the other villa with someone else, this would be really different." he would've brought her back, josh knows, if things had ended the way it did with jenny, and naomi was still not in the picture. some part of him is still tempted to bring her back anyway, because he doesn't entirely trust naomi to be coming back single, let alone for him. "i don't want you to think i don't like you," he tells her, holding her gaze. "why, on the outside, do you think you would've given me a shot?"

MALI

"swear they're not dentures?" they know they make those! they've seen them get popped out. she's pretty sure she'd know after their night together, though. "and, clearly, you're still looking, if you know what i wore last night." light and teasing, sparing a glance down to miles and frankie's show to avoid seeing whatever flash of discomfort that call out causes for him. they're not trying to make it easy on him, but it's a lot harder to act like this when she can tell he doesn't want her to. grafting here is hard, she should really just be focusing on an easy target, like maddox. she looks back to meet his eye as he explains, and they nod slowly, a sympathetic smile on her face, but a little surprised frankly. "you know i am mostly teasing you about the mixed signals, right?" they ask, raising a single, perfect eyebrow at him. her smile's gone a little rueful, though, as she adds a nod. "if you're this charming normally? easily, yeah." it doesn't require any thought on her part. it may have taken more effort from him rather than her, but she's just glad to hear it isn't just her. she doesn't hold his gaze for longer than it takes to say that, though, glancing back down at her drink. "lie to me instead?" she asks, with a soft laugh. "tell me you'd never go for me."

JOSHUA

"they are not," he laughs, making a show of rolling his eyes. "i don't remember what you wore last night," josh lies, but he's smiling, knowing he's already been found out. "i don't remember anything sexy." by now josh has forgotten about the reason they've come up there, eyes watching mali as she glances away from him to only look back in his direction. "i know," he chuckles, still a little sheepish, "but i know there's some truth there, too. i feel bad. i know everyone thinks i'm some giant dick, but i do like being on the same page with people." meaning girls he dates, even though he wouldn't call it dating on the outside. josh prides himself on letting girls know that a relationship they have isn't serious, unless he wants it to be. mali calling him charming feels like it should be sarcasm—he's used to it being that in the villa—but by now he knows she doesn't mean it like that, flashing her a smile. "you want me to lie to you?" he laughs. "fine, but answer me this: if we're both single in six months and i slide into your dms, will you block me?"

MALI

"then how do you know it wasn't as sexy?" there's a triumphant smile, at his denial, poking at his arm. "maybe they were worse, for all you know. if you weren't looking." they do have worse pajamas with them, ones even he'd probably not be able to resist now, but not that they'd pull out without very good reason. their head tilts, at his more genuine...not apology, exactly, but admission. "everyone's wrong, then," they frown a little, meeting his eyes again with her own, a little surprised but brushing the off quickly. she'll have to lay off those jokes, maybe — she's not looking to make him feel guilty, or like he's some prick. that feels a little too serious to say though, and they lick their lips. "they're exaggerating. you're a perfectly normal sized dick." she adds, an attempt to lighten the mood a little. "you're not taking me back, so i think it'd be nicer if you didn't like me," she smiles at him in return. "if you're single in six months, i will be very surprised," he'll have fumbled hard here if that's the case, with how many girls he's got wrapped up in him. "but you can send me a text, yeah. i can make up some business in canada."

JOSHUA

"shut up," he laughs, pushing her lightly in her shoulder. obviously he was looking. it's rude of her to try to get him to admit it. "did you really pack worse than what you wore that first night? because damn." in short of something she'd be wearing to the hideaway, he guesses. josh really hadn't said that everyone thinks he's a dick in a sympathetic way; surely she'd been on twitter regarding the show, and plenty of people were his antis. he had enough in the villa, god only knows what the viewers looked like. so he never really knows what to do when she argues against them, though the comment about his dick does make him laugh. he's tempted to reach for her, but knows that wouldn't really help their situation out. honestly, she probably only thinks so highly of him because it's been three days. if he did bring her back to the villa, she wouldn't think so well about him for long. "fine, then i hate you," he smiles, shamelessly. "you don't have to come to canada, we can meet somewhere in the middle. europe, maybe? spain?" josh laughs at his own words.

MALI

"i'll wear it tonight if you promise to look," she quips, knowing good and well he will look regardless, but never agree to that. she might wear it anyways, as a reminder of what he's choosing to miss out on. his stronger reaction to her words makes her laugh, her eyes rolling now. it definitely did not help when he smiles alongside the words, but she'll take what she can get. "hate is such a strong word, darling, please," they give him their best  🥺 eyes, as if genuinely hurt, turning out a good performance. "i suppose i can let you go, if you truly don't like me." she snorts, shaking her head. "what, so you can reject me again? i don't think so," she teases, touching his forearm lightly. "how's greece sound? i hear santorini is lovely in the spring."

JOSHUA

he gives her a look. "you know i'll be looking anyway." and not just because now it'll be on the forefront of his mind to look. since being in casa, mali has become the one that his eyes find first in the room. well, that or miles. maybe he should be considering bringing her back, but josh knows himself, and he knows that doing that wouldn't end well for anyone. besides, he really doesn't want to give mali mixed signals. "what do you want me to say then?" he smirks, impressed at how quickly she can turn the eyes on him. "i think you'll be just fine when you get out of here." josh prays to god that maddox or bash isn't bringing her back. "stop," he laughs, nudging her. "i can do santorini. i've been once before, but don't remember much of it." too blackout.

MALI

that's more than she was expecting and gives him a pleased, if a little surprised, smile. "i know. but i like to hear you say it." it's part of what's so frustrating about naomi being such an unknown — without her in the picture, this would be a sure thing, they're so confident in that with how josh looks at her, like he does now, like it's a given, that she knows it as well as he does. "you can give me the good old i just think we're better as friends line," she suggests, a little smile sneaking in. "what, are you that confident you're not breaking my heart here?" mali's teasing is still all smiles, light and unserious. she's confident she won't be going back at this point, anyways. she leans in a little bit at his touch, undoing the distance she put in between them earlier as a safe guard, perhaps stupidly. "too much to drink or too young? the beaches are to die for, especially if you can manage a private one." her smile turns more into a smirk at that, planting ideas of being alone again.

JOSHUA

"i don't want to be your friend," he deadpans. no point lying about it. "but if you want me to lie, i can do that." only then does josh flash her a dry smile, meeting her eyes. "i'm pretty sure you'll live, yeah." it's not like either of them can pretend that she'd ever be heartbroken by his ass. even josh knows that mali is too good for him—and if he needed a reminder, her talking about her private beaches doesn't hurt. "we get it, you're rich," he rolls his eyes, before flashing her a teasing smile. "nah, just too much to drink. went for spring break one year with my frat brothers. and before you ask, yes, it's exactly how it sounds." a lot of booze, a lot of girls with faces he doesn't remember, some of them speaking an entirely different language than him. "but the beaches are fun, for what i do remember. we did a booze cruise, which i remember liking too. if we end up going, we can do something a little more low key."

MALI

"then what do you want?" she asks, raising an eyebrow at him. it's not like they don't know, actually, what he wants from her. it's been made very clear, and she's probably his personal nightmare for casa, but she wants to pull it out of him anyways. "yeah, i will. i can live without you, darling, but i can be dramatic about, if you want the screentime." her smile brightens with the joke, teasing. they would genuinely miss him, though, they think. in another universe, maybe they got something more serious out of this. "hotels have private beaches, too," she slaps his arm gently, playful, mock outrage on their features but a twinkle in their eyes. "that tracks, for a frat boy like yourself." it's not like her trips there have been any better, though, probably just as messy, if not more so. "skip the booze cruise, but rent a sail boat or something, maybe. bring a bottle of wine and a picnic, go to one of those little islands they've got?" perhaps a bit too romantic for a former frat boy, but come on. she has standards.

JOSHUA

that's a good question, and for a moment he can't think of what to say. "fine, we can be friends," he finally relents. "but not, like, best friends. friends made from this weird ass experience that might hang out in greece together in six months, pending other obligations." the way he makes it sound like a business transaction is purposeful, though he flashes her a playful smile to show he's joking. "please, don't be too dramatic," he groans, unable to help himself. josh already knows that he's going to get his ass kicked for sleeping with mali, and the last thing he wants is for mali to play into the dramatics to completely ruin his chances with naomi. but he can't exactly blame her for that. "do you know how to sail?" his eyebrows raise lightly, "or are we renting someone to steer for us? that sounds like a very love island date. i think i can swing it. it's the least i could do."

MALI

she can't help the laughter that bubbles out at all his qualifications, nearly snorting it surprises her so much. "god, you sound like a lawyer. deal." his dramatics make them smile now, a little disappointed that he doesn't want more of a show, but they nod with a purse of her lips. it'd only make his time here worse, she's sure of that, but it'd be fun to give him some more attention in the mean time. though, truthfully, she can't believe this experience has gotten him a better edit. "you keep making fun of me for being a rich girl, and you think i can't sail?" a hand goes to her heart, shaking her head a little. "no faith in me at all, darling. but it's a date. i'll see you in six months, pending your other obligations."  the way they say it makes it sound like work, because it certainly will be for him. there's a moment of comfortable silence for her before she pushes herself up, realizing she doesn't hear the beat boxing anymore, assuming they've since moved on to something else. "i should go find the others, don't want them getting the wrong idea," they say, hesitating a little. part of her wants to kiss him once more, since she knows in the next day or two, he won't be bringing her back and she likely won't get the opportunity again, but instead she leans over and presses a gentle kiss to his cheek, closer to the corner of his mouth than she probably should, but it's kind of like her way of saying goodbye. she shouldn't make it more difficult on him if she genuinely wants to see him again in a few months, should he and naomi not work out. "good night, darling. behave yourself with layla, or i might be a little miffed."

[schleckermaul]

( 🍭 unprompted valentine's! )

"Well," he says with an air of approving finality, stepping back to behold the fruits of his labor. There's flour still on one of his too-big t-shirts, a smudge of chocolate on the frame of his glasses, but the treats he's prepared look pretty good, if he has any say in it! Definitely not perfect, but by no means bad. Just perfectly edible, though Break's already done the honors of investigating that himself. "I think these are all ready to be handed out. Thank goodness they all came together... I can cook, but baking is another beast entirely."

He flicks a smile to his guest made part-time sampler.

"I realize there's little surprise left in the gesture, but some of these are yours, too." Then, his brow knits, lopsided and sheepish. "Although, you did sample them plenty. I'd turn my back, and you'd already have made your move for the batter..."

Regardless, Zhilan invites him to the counter. There are star-shaped suckers molded from chocolate, both white and milk, and cupcakes, vanilla and chocolate, laid out on wax paper for Break's choosing.

"Since you're here already, though, you get to take your pick. So! Chocolate or vanilla?"

Happy Valentine's!

— @archaictold

' OH! THEY'RE PRESENTS? ' break hadn't actually connected those dots. for somebody who's spent a lot more time than expected learning about valentine's day and all its traditions, actually seeing the gift preparation happen in action didn't quite click for him. for a moment, he's genuinely surprised, swaying back and forth with both of his hands on the counter, enjoying the stronger scent of chocolate over here. then, realizing how silly he must look, his mouth loops into a small, smug smile. ' i thought they were for me! i suppose i can share them with other people ... the spirit of the holiday, and all, correct? '

   he's very clearly lying, if only for the obvious fact that xerxes break would never willingly share. right after, though, his head tilts once more in what is now real consideration. this choice is very important to him. can't mess it up and have somebody else get the better taste option. in the end, it's fairly easy— with all the talk of chocolate, he's sure he'll have plenty of that, in the coming days.

   ' vanilla!, ' he beams, pointing at one of them. but before zhilan can actually hand him one of them, break is already turning, abandoning the counter in favour of jumping over to his coat, still slung over one of the chairs, alongside with the attached bag.

   it should be subtle enough. zhilan is smart, but nobody else could tell him about this particular tradition from break's world, so it should be fine. he has no real reason to be worried, and yet, break overcompensates, giggling with mischief as he dances back over, valentine's card in hand.

   ' i can barely believe mine has more surprise to it than yours. ' fast learner, and all. zhilan was there for the making of this card. it's his own handwriting, that break asked him to put on it, enjoying the small fluster he'd gotten in response. he'd allowed himself to be a bit more relaxed about its design. on top of a soft, green background, he'd doodled loosely shaped vines and flowers, some of the colours not exactly matching the lines, zhilan's name in one of the corners. in the middle, there's a scribbly, yellow circle, with barely visible rays of sunlight extending from it.

   and above the sun, there rests a small addition he hadn't put on any of the other cards, acquired after their crafting session was long over: a small, blue feather, attached to a thin, silver chain, wrapped around the entirety of the card.

   ' it's only fair that you get yours, as well, ' he chirps, one hand behind his back, waiting for zhilan to take it. it's only a moment, but break struggles to not burst out with more explanations, trying his best to keep his voice relaxed. ' it's not actually a necklace, though you can certainly use it as such. but ... you see the small ring? i thought it a nice addition to your bracelet, if that's something you can see yourself wearing. '

   and then he is blushing, the smallest bit, but he hopes the cheeky grin on his face distracts from that particular fact. zhilan might hate it, still. he's got to play it a little cool.

   ' you're welcome! '

[randomshyperson]

Liberal Arts - Chapter 6 - Wanda Maximoff x Reader

thanks for the gif @abimess

Summary: A new job at New York University should be a fresh start. Things don't go as planned when you fall in love with one of your students. || Request by @ecruzsalaz

Warnings: (18+), explicit language, smut, dom!reader and bottom wanda, heavy angst with happy ending, cursing, secret/forbidden relationship, teasing, romanticism, legal age gap.

Words: 7.115k

A/N: I can't believe it's almost over! By the way, most of you were really focused on the blackmail issue, it wasn't my original idea that was that relevant (it was just one of the factors in their break up), but that will be resolved! I hope you all are satisfied with the ending.

All Works Masterlist || Series Chapters || AO3

--/--

Chapter Six - Pictures of Sports, Runners and Happiness

You were in the middle of an explanation about light and shadow when you started to daydream in the middle of class.

This was becoming more common than you would like to admit.

Maybe it was a stubborn way your brain found to keep Wanda in your thoughts, even though it had been weeks since you last spoke to her.

Your attempt to sink into work and ignore the small promise you made to Nat to keep trying, proved to be very ineffective.

Because Wanda seemed to occupy your head twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

"Professor, you are doing it again." The voice of one of your students brought you out of your mind, and the class let out a few giggles.

"Sorry guys." You muttered quickly. "Where did I stop?"

Fortunately, you were able to finish that class without any further interruptions.

And you were packing up your materials to leave for lunch when one of your students approached you at your desk.

"Hi, professor, how are you?" She asked a little uncertainly. "I know it's none of my business, but you've been acting strange in class. You get that dreamy, silent look on your face every time."

You felt your face heat up. "I'm sorry, Miss Bishop. It's some personal problems, I'll try not to do that anymore."

"No, no I'm not angry!" She quickly clarified half-heartedly. "It's just that you are my favorite teacher and I was wondering if you were sick or something. Not that I was watching you or anything, I'm not one of those stalkers. And I don't mean to be nosy either! I just-"

You cut in with a laugh, shaking your head. "It's okay, Kate. Thank you for worrying. I promise I'm not sick."

"That's a relief." She mumbles with a short laugh. Then she lets out a little exclamation. "I, uh, wanted to ask you something actually."

You raise your eyebrow in confusion.

"It's okay if you don't want to, but um, I kind of need an academic mentor, and well, you're the only teacher who doesn't hate me."

You frowned. "None of the teachers hate you, Miss Bishop."

She shrugged. "Don't worry, I don't care about that. I even give them a reason, after all I have set fire, accidentally of course, in the teachers' lounge once." She comments quickly and you look at her in surprise. "Was that before you came in? Well, anyway, that's all in the past. What I mean is, I'm going to participate in the sports nationals next week, but I just learned that I need at least one subject to put as a reason on the forms. And a mentor."

You heard about that. The vast majority of students choose math or English subjects as their title. You didn't understand exactly how the applications worked, but you knew that the math teacher kept complaining most of the time about the amount of students she was going to have to mentor.

"I understand that this was short notice, but I didn't think I needed it. And it's okay if you have another appointment, I can find-"

"No, Kate, I accept." You interrupt with a smile. "Actually, it's really cool that you thought of me for that."

She lets out a relieved laugh. And you finish putting the books in your backpack, starting to move outside, with her at your side. "Really"

"Of course." You say. "What do I need to do?"

"Just sign my application forms." She clarifies, still flustered by the fact that you had actually accepted the invitation. "And well, accompany me to the competition."

"Sure, no problem." You say. "When is it going to be?"

"Next week, at Kensington."

"How fancy." You joke, making her laugh. "Let's keep in touch about that, Kate. See you next class."

She thanks you one more time before you go your separate ways in the halls.

--//--

You kept Natasha hanging on about Wanda.

She kept bringing it up, trying to get you to make a decision, and you always made up some excuse and changed the subject.

And when Kate's competition came around, it must have been the first time you were leaving the house for anything other than work.

Because it was such a beautiful day, you decided to take your camera.

And of course Kate made a comment about this as soon as you arrived at the hall where the event was taking place.

They set up courts and gyms, but until the event started, you had the entire golf course area to enjoy. And the food was delicious.

"The camera suits you." Kate commented with a smile.

"Same for you and the bow." You return as you notice the equipment she was holding. "How did I never know you practiced that?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "Well, I have no pictures using it."

"This is a great opportunity to change that, then." You joke, and she smiles in agreement.

As a mentor, you had to sign some things, and answer some questions. But at least you got a special badge and stayed in an air-conditioned tent.

There were many sports included in the competition, and you told Kate to feel free to go and talk to her friends and opponents, and that you would get to know the other people.

You really tried.

There were teachers from all over the world, as well as guests from far away countries. You think you saw celebrities, and there were lots of journalists.

You started to feel bored in a short time, though. The event was quite similar to those in galleries.

So you tried to distract yourself with your cell phone, and sent a picture of your bored expression to Natasha.

"Where are you, fancy girl?" she typed shortly after.

You quickly answered the place, and watched the three little dots of typing appear and disappear a few times before Nat finally answered.

"Don't panic, okay? But, I'm pretty sure Pietro is in that competition. And well, that means Wanda is too."

You widened your eyes, and were calling her the next second. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Nat sighed on the other end of the line. "Well, he's a runner, did you forget? This event is pretty big, there are people from all over NYU. Professor T'Challa mentioned he was going to London to mentor Pietro a few weeks ago."

"Why didn't you tell me that?"

"Because every time I try to talk about Wanda you change the subject!" She returns. "Y/N, breathe, okay? You two are living in the same city, and you work for the same company. It's not like you're never going to see her again."

"But I didn't want to do that today, Nat!" You return looking around. "Shit, do you think Kate will notice if I hide in the tent until the event is over?"

Nat laughed on the other end of the line. "I swear to god, you're worse than my students. Bring it on, girlfriend! What's this? You need to handle this like an adult."

"I'd rather go home."

"I bet you would." She jokes. "Look, I need to go. The time zone is horrible and I'm exhausted. Call me tomorrow and tell me how your gay panic ended."

You mumble a curse before Nat hangs up.

Okay, your mission now was to avoid meeting Wanda at this event.

Your chances were high, after all, there must have been over a thousand people in this place.

//-//

You found Wanda in thirteen minutes.

Luckily, she didn't see you.

You, on the other hand, seemed to have seen only her and nothing else.

Stumbling over your own feet, you bumped into a waiter, who knocked over the drinks he was carrying and attracted the attention of half the surrounding guests.

You narrowly escaped the curious stares after muttering many apologies, and hid in the back of the main building.

Taking a deep breath, you tried to put it all together.

The announcement that the competitions were about to begin made you let out a disgruntled grumble.

The Archery Competitions were after the Swimming Competitions, but took place at the same time as the Weightlifting Competitions.

You had a little free time to avoid Wanda before you slipped into the mentoring tent and didn't leave until Kate started.

Then naturally, you bumped into Pietro on the way back.

"Y/N? Wow, how incredible to see you here!" He greeted with wide eyes.

You giggled awkwardly. "Yeah, incredible."

"We haven't spoken in so long, how are you?"

"Good, I think. And you?"

"Nervous as hell." He returned with a laugh. "I'm going to compete in a few minutes, I was just going to the locker room. I didn't know you were into sports."

"Not really." You say. "I'm here for work."

He looks at the camera in your neck, and you shake your head quickly. "Not photography. I'm mentoring one of the archery participants."

"Oh, I get it." He says. "Well, Professor T'Challa is around if you want to revisit your old co-workers." He jokes and then makes almost a grimace. "And there's someone else around too, outside, I think."

You swallow dryly, and look down at your feet. "Yeah, I... I don't think it's a good idea for me to talk to your sister right now."

He frowns, but the speaker announces the first call for participants, and he sighs. "Look I have to go. But, I think you should give it a try. Wanda is less tough than she looks, Y/N. And I'm sure she misses you."

"Thanks, Pietro." You mumble.

He smiles. "Anytime."

As he leaves, you turn toward the golf course.

But you hesitate at the second step, and make your way to the mentors' tent.

//-//

The Mentors tent was one of the biggest, and it had a good view of the other competition areas because it was on top of a small hill.

You could see where the Archery event was going to take place, and if you walked around a bit, you also had a good view of the makeshift tracks that were set up for the racers.

When Kate's trial started, you took amazing pictures.

It was strange shooting outdoors and in the sun, because it was nothing like your style of photography, but the result satisfied you anyway.

The most remarkable thing was Kate winning.

You took pictures of the gold medal, the trophies, and the smiling figure. And gave her an encouraging look when one of the Olympics judges came to talk to her.

The running competition started shortly afterwards, and you stepped away from the tent area to watch.

Using your camera to get a clear view, you smiled as you spotted Pietro running.

You also managed to photograph the moment he crossed the finish line, and hoped that you would be able to give the picture to him as he left the event.

And then you remembered Wanda.

Moving the lens, it didn't take long to find her in the crowd of people watching. Your breath caught. She looked so beautiful in her flowered dress.

You were so distracted that you almost dropped the camera when Kate came up beside you.

"Are you a race fan, Miss L/N?" She asked curiously. You laughed awkwardly.

"No, I'm not into any sports." You muttered. "But the pictures of the kids running look nice."

Kate murmured in agreement, and you quickly moved to show her the pictures you had taken of her competition.

"They look beautiful." She commented while holding the camera in her hands. You stood with your hands in your pockets, looking at the landscape, waiting for her to finish. "Is this your girlfriend?"

You gasped in surprise and turned your head to Kate. "What?"

She handed over the camera, it had gone back to the beginning of the gallery, a picture of Wanda, from last year. You felt your face heat up, and quickly took the camera back, hugging it against your chest. "I-I..."

"I didn't mean to be nosy, Professor." Kate spoke immediately. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to."

You shook your head, looking at the running test again, and Kate put it all together.

"She's here, isn't she?" she asked and you sighed, nodding. "Is this why you get so distracted in class?"

You massage your forehead. "Kate, don't worry about it okay?"

"I think you should talk to her." She insisted with a smile. "She looked happy in the photo. If you're not together anymore, at least say hi in respect to how you both used to feel when that picture was taken."

You bit the inside of your cheek, and then smiled at your student. "Since when did you become so wise, Miss Bishop?"

She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "I've always been brilliant, thank you."

You laughed too, shaking your head.

A group of young men called out to Kate and she nodded. "I have to join the others now. And we'll celebrate after here. If you'd like to come, that would be incredible."

"Thanks, Kate, but I think I'll decline. I still have some things to do. But congratulations again."

She smiled and left after that.

You took a deep breath divided between what to do next. Taking one last look at the picture in your camera, you could only remember Wanda's words on the roof.

You couldn't push away the guilt that you took the smile from that girl in the photograph and replaced it with the tears she shed.

So you turned your feet and walked towards the exit.

//-//

Valky heard that you were at that event through a magazine.

It was Sunday, and you were making lemonade when she called you.

"And I thought we were friends. Please tell me you have some new pictures for me."

You laughed at her falsely hurt tone when she mentioned that she hoped that if you went to a public event, you would at least briefly mention it to your boss.

"I have a few things, but it was nothing planned, so I don't know if you'll be able to use it." You tell her.

"Your exhibition is coming up, it's your last chance to add something besides that one picture."

You bite your lips. What is this insistent last chance thing the universe seems to be bringing it up to you.

"Take a look at the pictures, Valky. If you like them, you have my permission to display it. But it was you who said that one photograph is enough."

"And I keep my word because that picture is flawless." She returns with a laugh. "But as I told you before, dear, so is all your work. Send me the photos, and I'll make a decision."

You sent the event photos as soon as you got back to your room, but Valky refused to give you an answer.

"Surprise will do you good." It was the only thing she said.

Agatha came back from the grocery store with purchases and you forgot about it for the time being.

--//--

Your exposure was indeed in short order.

Two weeks after that, you were checking your party suit in front of a mirror.

Agatha appeared at your bedroom door to let you know that the chauffeur of the limousine that Valky insisted you take, had already arrived.

"Should I have chosen a dress?" You ask unsurely, making Agatha smile.

"You look amazing, dear." She says approaching you to straighten your tie. As she does so she has an almost nostalgic expression. "Your mother would be so proud."

It is your turn to smile. "Her first exhibition was in Asgard too, wasn't it?"

Agatha nods in agreement. "That's where she met your father."

You murmured in understanding, and Agatha finished her tie, but held your shoulders. "I know you and him didn't get along, but he loved you in the way he could. And he would be proud, too."

"Sometimes love isn't enough, Agatha." You return. "Actions count more than what we say we feel, don't you think?"

She smiles, and strokes your cheek. "You are so grown up, Y/N. I hope you believe your words, and do something about your relationship with the woman you love."

You let out a short laugh. "Good move, Miss Harkness."

She walks you to the car, and you comment on how the choice of purple dress was perfect for her.

Agatha laughs embarrassedly when you say that she might end up meeting someone interesting at the party.

On the way to the gallery, Natasha sent several messages of encouragement, and said she missed you.

You sent her a picture of you and Agatha in party clothes and she typed that you looked like movie stars.

The gallery was very crowded.

Valky really made it big.

Journalists, special guests, and the biggest names in photography were there.

She liked to call it your return to the world of photography, even though technically you had never left.

But you think she believed that just because you were teaching now, that it was a kind of retirement.

"I'm going to start drinking before people start asking how old I am." Agatha warned as soon as you guys got out of the car, making you laugh. "See you around, honey."

She waved goodbye, and you noticed a few guests looking at her on the way to the bar. Agatha was in for a long night.

You made your way inside, politely greeting a few people and journalists, until you finally found Loki and Thor in the crowd.

"You look stunning, Y/N." Loki commented charmingly, moving closer to kiss your cheek. You just giggled awkwardly, complimenting the brothers.

Noticing that they were alone, you quickly asked about the dates you saw last time. Thor looked upset.

"Jane and I took a break." He recounted. "I think I rushed things too much."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Thor." You spoke, but he forced a laugh.

"Don't worry, I can fix it." He assures. "When I get back to the States, I'll ask her out again."

You nodded in understanding. "And Mobius?"

Loki took a long sip of champagne. "He's in Alaska."

You frowned in surprise, but Loki quickly clarified with a laugh. "We're not in a fight or anything. But he loves to ski, and there's some kind of competition going on right now. I said I wanted to be here to support a friend with her photography, and he went without me."

"And Loki is pretending he's not hurt." Thor sneered, and his brother grimaced.

"I'm not hurt!" He denied stubbornly. "We can stay apart."

The blond just laughed, sipping from his cup. You watched the interaction with amusement.

The exhibition started only when the gallery was considerably full, and most of the guests had a glass of champagne in hand.

Valky found you in the crowd, and led you to the center of the room where the first picture was displayed.

There was a curtain covering all the photos she chose to display, and you would pull the first one for the rest of the team to pull the others, starting the exhibit.

Everything was fine until you met Wanda's eyes across the room.

"Would you kill me if I changed my mind?" You whispered in Valky's ear, making her laugh.

"In front of three hundred reporters? Without any hesitation." She returns, but seeing your paleness, she squeezes your forearm gently. "Breathe, okay? The work is incredible. You just need to pull the curtain off and smile. And when they compliment you, say thank you."

You just nod, and Valky moves to announce the exhibition.

Y/N L/N's return to the world of photography is part of her speech.

You want to run away. Wanda is right there, a few rows away, wearing a gold dress and looking so beautiful you almost forget to breathe.

"Y/N?" Valky calls out, and for what seems like the second or third time. You blink out of your daydream, but the audience seems to think it's funny.

Swallowing dryly, you touch the handle of the curtain before announcing to the hall. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My first photograph was taken last fall."

You take a deep breath, and pull back the curtain.

Barely absorbing the loud round of applause and impressed sighs, you look down from the camera flashes.

The other curtains fall, and you see a photo of Pietro running, an honorable mention photo of your father, and one of your mother before you excuse Valky and leave the room.

As you walk out onto the terrace, Wanda freezes.

A couple greets her. "What was it like working with the incredible, Y/N L/N?

And there are journalists appearing next, and the flashes make her jump in fright.

Valky is stepping into the crowd and pulling her to the center in the next moment: "I wanted it to be a surprise, but you and Y/N are terrible with journalists I see." She whispers quickly into the girl's ear. "Just smile and wave."

But Wanda could barely react.

People continued to comment on the pictures, praising both the photographer and the model, and Valky tried to guide the whole thing.

"Please feel free to look at the next works, the buffet will be served in ten minutes." She announced at last, and Wanda could relax with the flashes dismissed.

Valky turned to her with concern, "I'm sorry, Wanda, I didn't know this would be your reaction to the photo. I thought you would be happy-"

"When did she give it to you?"

"A few months ago, I think. Why?"

"She didn't..." Wanda started and took a deep breath, trying to clear her head. "I never saw that picture before. She didn't tell me she was going to be exhibiting a picture of me, I didn't-"

"Hey, she asked me to keep it a secret." Valky spoke up, her hands on Wanda's shoulders trying to calm her down. "She almost didn't want to display it, she said it was the most special photo she had. It was when she showed it to me that I asked for your phone number, and said I'd love to work with you."

Wanda frowned in confusion. "So she didn't recommend me?"

Valky gave a chuckle. "Well, yes and no? I was interested in you when I saw the photo, all Y/N did was give the number I asked for and the link to your portfolio. The rest was all your talent."

Wanda sighed. "Do you know when she took that picture?"

Valky shook her head, and Wanda ran her hand over her face. "Look, I don't know what happened between you two, so I won't pry. But I think, something so beautiful, should be shown to the world. But I understand if you want to take it down..."

"No, Valky, that's not it!" Cuts the other girl off. "I was just surprised. It's her work, she can exhibit it if she wants to."

"Well, it's still your face." Valky returns. "And what a beautiful face you have dear."

Wanda shakes her head in embarrassment, and Valky comments something about her getting modeling jobs if she wanted, but Wanda is barely listening.

"I should try to quiet the gossip about Y/N running off in the middle of the event, so excuse me." That was the last thing the older woman said before leaving the other one alone.

There were a few people around, trying to get a better look at the main photo, and Wanda stepped back a little to allow that.

She stood there, trying to understand exactly what had happened.

The couple in front of her moved away, and she got a clear view of the photo again, and swallowed dryly.

She has no idea when it was taken, but she recognizes the university. It's just her, caught in the middle of a laugh. She thinks you probably took it from your apartment window because it looked like the front garden where she insisted on studying because she liked being close to you.

It's the perfect shot of the moment she giggles. The exact second her eyes light up with joy.

It is perfect not because it is her face, but because she looks happy.

Looking at the title, she chokes softly. In Sokovian, the name was described "Moya dorogaya: Prichina moyego schast'ya (My darling: The reason for my happiness).

Wanda felt her eyes fill with tears. She looked one last time at the picture before walking away, intent on finding you.

--//--

"Of course you exhibited a picture of me without warning me and just ran away."

That was the first thing Wanda said upon finding you on the terrace, and you jumped out of your seat in fright, mentally rehearsing your apology.

Angry was the last thing she was, but from the way she approached you, you figured she was furious.

"I know, I'm sorry, I should have asked." You started off clumsily.

"When did you take it?" Wanda interrupted your apology, looking at you intently.

You scratched the back of your neck absently. "Promise not to think I'm weird?"

"No."

You wanted to laugh, but just replied, "The day after we went out for the first time. I know I shouldn't, but I went out to get some air on the porch, and you were outside with your friends, and I thought it wouldn't do any harm." You tell and think it best to finish before you lose your nerve. "I just thought you looked as beautiful as the day I first saw you, and I promise that was the only one I took. I didn't mean to be a stalker or anything! I took it and ended up forgetting about it, and then we happened and that was the only picture I had, except it turned out to mean something completely different and-"

"What did it mean?"

You let out an incredulous sigh. "What do you think?"

But Wanda doesn't hesitate. "I want to hear you say it."

You took a deep breath. “It's about what you make me feel, Wanda. From the moment I laid eyes on you, it was like having light in my life again. That's why photography is so sunny, unlike anything I took before. It's about the happiness that I feel by your side."

Wanda swallows dryly, looking hesitantly at the floor. You think she is trying not to cry.

"You can't say what you want to say to me, can you?" She tries unsurely, and you let out an emotional laugh.

"I can, actually." You speak, taking a step toward her. "I love you, Wanda."

She raises her eyes with reddened cheeks, and you smile, shrugging.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to say it, even though I've felt it for so long." You say, and she shakes her head softly.

"Perfect timing." She murmurs, and then smiles at you, before moving closer and entwining her arms around your neck.

You hug her around the waist, and relax as you feel her sink her face into your neck, inhaling deeply.

"Please don't hurt me again." She whispers. You hug her tighter. "I won't survive."

"I promise I won't." You speak and find it best to look into her eyes, so you break the embrace to place your hands on her cheeks. "I promise I will make you as happy as you make me."

Her eyes sparkle from tears, and you smile at her. Wanda raises her hands to yours on her cheek.

"I'd like to go on a date with you." She says, and you let out a relieved laugh.

"Yeah, I'd like that too sweetheart."

Wanda smiles and moves closer to kiss your cheek.

As she pulls away, she removes your hands from her face, but keeps one of them entwined in hers.

She gives you a complacent look, and you really don't mind running away from the party to go out with her.

//--//

You end up in a small bakery.

It's much better than the last date, especially since you don't let go of Wanda's hand, and she smiles at you in a way that makes your heart beat fast.

You talk about everything and nothing.

And when you are sharing a sweet muffin, she comments:

"Why didn't you talk to me at the sporting event?"

You let out a clumsy laugh, stroking her hand on the table with your thumb. "Because I was in a panic."

"To speak to me?" She asked, confused and amused.

You shrugged clumsily. "I was embarrassed, I guess. I didn't think you wanted to talk to me anymore."

She shakes her head and places her free hand over yours.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you that day." She begins. "I wanted to hurt you.It was childish, I should have said I didn't want you to go anywhere."

You sigh. "No, Wanda, I deserved it. You had to get that off your chest. And now, we can move on."

"About that, I think we should take it slow." She comments and you nod in understanding. "It's just, we started so fast and burned out too. I don't want to go through that again."

"I agree, darling." You say and smile as you intertwine your hand in hers. "This time, we will make it work. I'll love you the right way."

She bites back a smile with flushed cheeks. She leans on the table with a mischievous look. "But it doesn't have to be so slow."

"Oh, really?" You return in the same tone, your eyes falling to her lips. "How slow are we going to move?"

"Kissing is allowed." She says looking between your mouth and your eyes. " Holding hands, cuddling."

You smiled mischievously, and moved closer. Wanda thought you were going to kiss her and closed her eyes, holding her breath in anticipation. But you diverted your mouth to her cheek. You kissed her skin and she sighed. You didn't pull away, whispering in her ear, "Is making you cum on my fingers off limits, then?"

She choked softly. "Behave." She warned breathlessly, and you pulled away with a low chuckle.

"I missed you, Wanda." You declare after a moment, as she normalizes her breathing and you rest your chin on your hand, watching her adoringly. "I missed us."

"Me too, you have no idea." She returned shyly. "Damn, I can't believe this is actually happening."

You smiled at the unexpected confession. "Are you happy?"

She nods quickly, and you think that's enough.

You spend the afternoon at the bakery, and it's the best you've felt in a long time.

Valky texts about the two of you disappearing and her having to deal with all the press by herself, but your cell phone is on silent.

It's late, and most establishments have closed by the time you two call it a night.

"Can I take you home?" You asked as you circled her waist while you both spun smoothly on the sidewalk, and Wanda threw her arms around your neck, making a thoughtful expression.

"It depends." She says, and you make a noise with your mouth. "Will you behave?"

"I always behave."

She laughs softly, and you kiss her cheek, once, twice, until she sighs and agrees.

You take a cab, and you are doing your best to behave as Wanda has asked, but it is very difficult when she keeps looking so beautiful just existing.

She is in the middle of a sentence when you kiss her on the mouth, unable to control your own impulse. She gasps, and kisses you back.

But you pull away the next moment, with a hoarse laugh. "I'm sorry, it's not polite to interrupt."

Wanda just stares at you with her eyes darkened, and her breathing out of rhythm. "Stop apologizing and kiss me again."

You smiled and obeyed. There are no words to describe how much you missed the feeling.

Her lips were soft and hungry against yours. And things were definitely getting too heated for the back seat of a cab, so you slowed the pace of the kiss, and let out a chuckle at Wanda's disgruntled grumble as you pulled away.

"Darling, we're not alone." You reminded her quietly.

"That never stopped you before." She returned in a husky voice, and you raised an eyebrow.

"What happened to behaving? Or taking it slow?" You teased, your hand against her thigh and your breath against her lips.

She sighed loudly, and sank her face into your neck, trying to calm herself. "Fuck, you're right."

She kissed your skin softly, and you squeezed her thigh, making her gasp. "Wanda?"

"Okay, okay, we can do this." She spoke as she pulled her face away from your neck. "But you need to stop kissing me like that."

You bit back a smile. "And how am I supposed to kiss you?"

"I have no idea." She confesses breathlessly.

The cab arrives at your destination the next moment, and you pay the embarrassed driver because Wanda can't even look at him from awkwardness.

"One glass of wine, and you're off." Wanda warns as she works with the keys.

"Yes, ma'am."

You don't even get to open the wine.

When you enter the apartment, you make a comment about her getting a really nice place. And she closes the door, leaves her purse on the floor, and takes off her shoes.

She walks to the kitchen, to get the glasses and wine, and you're unable to look away, watching the curve of the dress on her perfect ass and the way the hem rises a little when she leans over to get the glasses.

She was explaining about how she got this place with Valky's help, and that she was doing fine without her father's help because of the Asgard contract, when you can't stop looking at her mouth.

And Wanda realizes that, because she is losing track of the conversation quickly, until all that comes out of her mouth is a small sigh.

You bite back a smile."We're totally going to have sex now, aren't we?"

She just nods and you are already stepping closer, kissing her with passion as your hands hold her face.

Wanda melts against you, responding with the same intensity.

It's messy and passionate, and you gasp against each other's mouths, until your hands are reaching down and squeezing her ass, making her sigh. You grab her to place her on the kitchen counter, and the kisses don't get any more innocent.

Wanda entwines her legs around your waist, not parting your mouths, her tongue slowly and sensually moving against yours. Your hands go up the inside of her dress, scratching her thighs, and she does the same with the hair at the nape of your neck, pulling gently to gain more control of the kiss.

As you move up along her inner thigh, she pulls on your hair softly, breaking the kiss as she bites your lip and tugs, making you moan lowly.

"Bedroom." She asks in a husky voice, and you pull your hands away to grasp her waist and lead her through the apartment.

Wanda struggles to guide the way with you kissing her neck, and you end up in breathless kisses many times in the hallway until you finally reach the bedroom.

You lay her down on the bed, falling on top of her, and Wanda squirms under you, sighing with her eyes closed at the feel of your lips on her neck.

You tease the skin, kissing and sucking and applying pressure that will mark her, and Wanda does nothing but sigh deeply, pushing her hips against you.

Your hands come down, working on her dress. You can barely contain yourself, pulling the fabric hard and revealing her breasts.

Wanda chokes as you envelop her nipple in your mouth, the other in your hand, teasing the hardened tips with your fingers and tongue.

"You're wearing too many clothes." She complains, and she is right. You haven't even taken your suit jacket off.

And pulling away with a soft grumble to take it off, she takes the opportunity to look at you.

"Enjoying the show, darling?" You tease working on the buttons. Wanda doesn't answer, lifting her body to kiss you again, and you laugh softly at her impatience.

With your shirt half open, you kiss again with the intensity as your thigh fits between her legs.

Wanda flinches, choking in mid-kiss as she tries to increase the friction by pressing her hips against your thigh. You smile into her mouth, using one hand to lift her thigh and increase your reach, while your other hand wraps around her breast again.

"Baby, you're dripping against my jeans." You tease as you feel the wetness on your thigh. Wanda whimpers, forcing her hips in an unclenched rhythm.

"Just touch me at once please." She asks between kisses, and you move the hand that held her leg open against you up the inside of her thigh.

The material of her panties is ruined, but you tease her clit over the cloth, and she squirms with pleasure, her nails sinking into your lower back.

"Stop teasing me." She begs breathlessly, and you thrust superficially into her, smiling the way she chokes on a moan. "Please."

You kiss her softly, and Wanda sighs. Before she can even prepare, you move the fabric of her panties aside and you sink two fingers against her hot center.

You both moan at the contact. Wanda is so tight, warm, and wet against your fingers. You slip inside without difficulty. She digs her nails into your back, and you wait for her to get used to the sensation before moving.

It doesn't take long before she does, kissing you again as she moves her hips, urging you to continue.

You smile against her lips, removing your fingers only to sink them again, beginning to thrust them in a torturously slow and deep rhythm inside her.

Wanda becomes a mess of moans and whimpers within seconds. "God, I need..." She starts between one gasping moan and another. "Faster darling."

You shake your head gently, watching her with adoration. "No, baby. Didn't you want us to take it slow? I'm taking it slow."

"Fuck." She whimpered, trying to force her hips against your fingers. But you let out a hoarse laugh, holding her waist in place.

"Behave." You warned, pressing her clit with your thumb. Wanda threw her head back, moaning loudly. "You're doing so good, baby. Making a mess on my fingers."

You could feel the way she was tightening against you, her pussy clenching into nothingness every time you took your fingers out. The slow rhythm made Wanda squirm, whimpering for her release. You kissed her mouth again, sliding your tongue against her at the same speed as you thrust inside her.

It was enough for her to start to spasm. You bit her lower lip, and decided to speed up your thrusts, and Wanda moaned loudly against your mouth, unable to match any kiss.

She climaxed the next moment, arching her back with your name coming out in a muffled scream.

You almost cum just with only the image.

As she calmed down, you removed your fingers, and brought them to your mouth. Groaning softly as you tasted her on your tongue, Wanda watched you with darkened eyes.

When you made mention of going down her body, however, she grabbed your forearm.

You were about to ask what's wrong, but she kissed you with intensity, and spun you on the bed gently until she was on top.

"Let me make you feel good." She asked as she moved her lips away from yours to kiss your cheek, and then your neck.

Her quick fingers worked with the last buttons of your shirt as she kissed her way down your exposed chest.

You bit your lips, watching her curiously, but Wanda just kissed your breasts over your bra before continuing all the way where you needed her the most.

She kissed your stomach before pulling away to unbuckle your belt.

You wriggled impatiently beneath her, watching her smile.

"Don't tease." You warn, and she bites back a grin as she pulls your pants and underwear out.

With you finally exposed to her, Wanda gasps, kissing your thighs slowly.

You let out a groan, and bring your hands to her hair, gripping it a little tightly.

"Wanda." You warn, and she gasps with her eyes ajar, glowing with mischief. Her smile is sinful.

"Is not fun when it's with you, baby?" she teases and you clench your jaw, tugging at her hair slightly causing her to choke and clench her thighs together as she rests her hands on your thighs.

"Stop teasing. Last warning."

She nods and without breaking eye contact finally leans her face against you, and licks your pussy gently.

You gasp, the grip on her hair losing its strength for a second. Wanda repeats the motion, and you have to fight not to roll your eyes in pleasure.

"Go on." You guide with a husky voice, watching her. Her cheeks are red, but she licks you shamelessly. Tasting you, and sucking you like it's her last meal. "Damn, baby, what a talented mouth."

Wanda murmurs against your pussy, sliding her tongue into your folds, and you close your eyes, squirming against her.

"Fuck, that feels so good." You gasp with your eyes closed, feeling her work her tongue against your clit. "Don't stop baby."

She doesn't stop. Not even after you start trembling under her, and cum on her tongue with a throaty moan.

You have to pull the hair gently to Wanda to pull away from your pussy with an affected sigh.

"Come here." You ask and she climbs up quickly, landing her legs on each side of your hips as she brings your face closer to hers.

You moan softly as you taste yourself on her tongue, and Wanda is ready for another, rubbing her hips against yours.

"Naughty." You remark as you realize her intentions, holding her waist to control her movements, and drawing a soft gasp from her.

"Tired yet?" She tasted, making you chuckle. Your hands began to move her hips against you, controlling the speed, and Wanda squirms with a deep sigh, dripping against your belly.

"Baby I haven't even started." You tell her. It's your only warning for the long night you're going to have.

--//--

[hiphop-rap-and-basketball]

Ya lil’ Glasses | LaMelo Ball One Shot

Pairing: LaMelo Ball x fem!reader

Word Count: 2,588

Summary: You and LaMelo Ball both attend UCLA for undergrad. Of course he happens to be that hype kid the class that’s loud with his friends. You both get paired up to do a project together for the class. He’s kind of mean and pokes fun and although he gets on your last nerve, you may or may not find him just a little tiny bit cute. Maybe.

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, smut, mentions of sex, female and male anatomy, orgasm control, possibly cliche, M/F.

A/N: damn forgive me it’s been a while since I’ve written smut, butttt I’m on a roll with writing lately soo that’s not stopping me. Let me know what y’all think ;) enjoyyyyy and happy reading

•••

You cannot believe you were paired up with Melo Ball for the most important assignment of this course for the semester. Yeah, it’s UCLA but they really just let any good sports player in and you cared about your education. He did not. All he did was mess around and crack jokes

with his friends in the class. Imagine acting like that in college, couldn’t be you.

When it came down to finally finding a time to work on it together, you could not wait to get it over with.

The first time you met with him for the project was in the common hall. You both settle down in your chairs and you pull out your laptops. As soon as Melo pulled his stuff out, he hopped on his phone.

“Can we just come up with an idea and be done today?” You ask, not really in the mood to ask for his full attention.

He looked at you before clicking his phone off and licking his lips.

“Yeah sorry, sorry, I gotchu.”

You cannot help but roll your eyes. He sits there in silence for a moment and actually starts shooting out ideas. You start writing them down until you finally agree on one.

“I think that’s a pretty good start,” you say, proud you guys at least got something down.

“I think so too. What you doing after this?” He asks, running his hands over his curls.

“Track practice at 4, shower, hopefully dinner after,” you say as you close up your laptop.

“You run track? Running is gross,” he laughs.

“How you gonna say running is gross when all you do is run up and down the court?” You ask, a little too loudly, someone shushes you and you both crouch down and begin whispering.

“Basketball is more than that,” he shot back, “you wouldn’t know.”

“Oh here we go, you all say that,” you respond, flicking your wrist at him.

“You all?? What that mean?” He asks.

“As in all the basketball players,” you laugh.

“Yeah yeah, you let me know when track become a real sport,” he fires back.

“It is!” You slam your fist on the table and he smirks, as if he is happy to get you all riled up.

“Mhmmm,” he replies.

“Over this conversation,” you say, getting up and throwing your backpack over your shoulder.

“When you trying to meet next?” He asks calmly, standing up close in front of you. You were looking up at him now, him being more than a foot taller than you made you feel small.

“I’m free all afternoon Wednesday, my class ends at 12:45p.m.”

“You would know when your class ends, nerd.” He responded.

You cock a brow at his attempt at a roast.

“Shut up,” you responded.

“Wednesday at 2p.m. Your dorm. How’s that sound?” He smiles.

“That works,” you shrug. He smiled at you before walking away. You both go your separate ways.

Wednesday came around quickly. Your head hurts today, so you decided to put your glasses on instead of wearing contacts. Even though you knew that would not help you deal with Melo’s bs. He was extra unfocused today.

“How was your dayyy?” He asked as he walking into your dorm room. He looked huge walking through the door it was kind of funny actually.

“Fine, and yours?” You ask, feeling obligated to do so since he asked you first.

“It was alright, better now that we are here working on our project together bestie,” he jokes, plops himself down on your bed to make himself comfortable. You sat on your desk chair facing him.

You caught up with a couple ideas and worked on some your work, actually getting something done, for now.

You had to show each other your screens, so you awkwardly sat next to him on the bed. He sat up. The two of you now with your backs up against the wall and feet hanging off the bed. You sit in silence for a moment.

“I like ya lil glasses, can I try them on?” He asked, smiled and looking in your direction now.

“N-“ before you could answer, he already swiftly pulled them off your face and put them in his anyway. You roll you eyes.

“Do I look smart?” He asked with the cheesiest smile on his face.

“You look stupid,” you reply coldly, although you secretly kind of liked how they looked on him. They fit his face well.

“I think you’re mad they look better on me,” he replied with a scoff.

“You’re sooo annoying,” you reply. Surprisingly feeling yourself fight a smile. “Can you focus please?”

He does the opposite of focusing, eyes looking around your dorm room for a moment.

“Have you ever had sex with a guy? Are you even straight,” He asked, catching you off guard. You took full offense to his question. Not because of him questioning your sexual orientation, but rather him thinking that was his business.

“That’s a personal question,” you respond quickly.

“Seriously? You have this single dorm all to yourself. You don’t even use it to its full benefits. You know how many girls I’d be bringing over if I lived in a single,” he tossed his pencil up in the air and caught it as he spoke.

“I’m here for my sport and to learn, not everything in college is about seeing how many people you can have sex with, Melo.” You responded, typing away at your computer.

Melo slowly lifted your computer off your lap, placing it on the opposite side of him.

“Hey-“ you reach out your hand to it. The room suddenly feeling a lot smaller than it was now that his face was right next to yours and you had nothing to do to keep your hands busy.

“Have you ever even kissed a guy?” He asked, you loosen up at his tone, which oddly enough seems a bit more sincere now.

“Um, no, no actually I haven’t,” you responded quietly, looking down on your lap.

“I don’t believe that.” He responded. “Stop lyin.”

“It’s true,” you shrug, throwing your hands up in defeat.

“You’re so pretty,” he smiles, making your heart skip a beat or two, but you’re usual chatterbox brain was too nervous to agree.

“Beauty standards have nothing to do with the fact that I haven’t kissed anyone yet. I simply choose not to settle-“

He cuts you off by grabbing the back of your neck with his large hands and pulling you in for a kiss. It lasted for what felt like forever but it was only about 10 seconds. Although you were surprised, you did not want to fight it, and you even found you hands settling on top of his shoulders before he pulled away.

You stared at him for a moment, wondering what in his right mind made him want to do that.

“Anyway, I’m ready to focus now,” he smiled, got up and sat in desk chair you were sitting in first.

You sat there eyes wide, trying to process what just happened.

“Um.. yeah… yeah okay,” you say slowly.

You sat there and decided to not acknowledge what just happened as well. Trying to focus on your work, you could not help by to continue replaying that moment in your head. The kiss on repeat for a while. A couple days even. You saw him in class and he was so nonchalant about it. It started to bother you.

It took everything in you not to ask him about the kiss. Not wanting to seem desperate but at the same time what the fuck. That caught you off guard completely.

The next time you too worked together, you worked in his dorm. His roommate was in there with you guys, engaging in the occasional conversation with the two of you.

This time, you actually cared about how you looked, wearing a little make up and wearing a floral sundress that stopped midway on your thighs.

When you walked up to the door, Melo looked you up and down for a moment before letting you in. He had shorts on with no shirt. His athletic build made your cheeks turn hot and look at the ground quickly.

“Welcome in,” he gestured. You walk in and it looks just as you thought a guys dorm room would look like. A damn mess.

You watched him with his back turned as he stood by his closet of clothes, muscles taut as he pulled a new shirt over his head.

You shuffled to get your stuff of your backpack out before he caught you staring and got to work.

His roommate was cute, and you did not care that you were flirting it up with him right in front of Melo. He kissed you with no explanation. You were determined to figure out why.

“Alright, I’m heading to the gym,” his roomie stated and you smile.

“Have funn,” you reply. You watch him walk out the door, looking down at your lap to flatten your dress then look back up at Melo. His face very clearly annoyed and unamused.

“What?” You smirk, asking in an oh-so innocent tone.

“It’s nothing,” he shook his head in response.

“Oh yeah?” You ask. “You sound a little pressed.” You push, big smirk on your face as you spoke.

“I’m good,” he replied coldly.

You confidently put your hand on his shoulder and replied. “Okay,” in a sarcastic tone.

He was not fucking with that. He pulled your arm down from his shoulder and pulled you into a kiss, this being your second time feeling his lips on yours. This one was more intense. You remember thinking of his lips and how they felt from the last kiss. Feeling them again made your heart pound with excitement.

“Shut up and don’t make me admit to jealousy,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m not giving you the satisfaction.”

His hands gripping the back of your hair and he spoke, eyes bouncing from your eyes and lips.

“Hmmm, I think you just did,” you nod your head and shrug your shoulder. He was not having your sarcastic tone. He pulled you closer to him, this time he was laying down and you were sitting top of his lap. He refused to break the kiss, hands from down your neck to your lower back.

In your mind, you were strategically making sure you were right on top of his dick. His lips felt so good to feel again. You were so lost in the heat of the moment now, as he began using his tongue in your mouth, you let out a small moan for the first time.

He let go of the kiss for a moment and smirked.

“I wanna hear your beautiful moans,” he admitted, voice deep and full of lust.

He flipped you over and now your body was underneath him on his bed. You lied down flat on your back. He hovered himself over you.

Kissing you a couple times more, before kissing his way down your neck and stopping at your breast.

“You knew what you were doing wearing this shit,” he stated sternly.

You roll your eyes, “shut up.”

“You gon stop giving me that smart mouth,” he replied, smirk on his face before making his way down further. Your heart beating even fast now. He lifted up your dress to find you only in a thong.

He quickly looked up you with a smirk on his face, shook his head and carried on. Yanking your panties off, his lip made their way to your clit like a magnet.

You moaned softly at the pleasure, in fear that someone might hear the two of you.

“What if he comes back?”

“I don’t give a fuck, he could watch,” his voice low and eyes hooded, way too focused at the task at hand to even look at you.

Licking and teasing at your folds, you feel yourself getting closer due to all the tension you had built up since you arrived to his dorm, your mind flashing the sight of him when you walked when he was just no shirt on. His dick print very clear through his shorts.

As you felt yourself getting close to the edge, he stopped, and looked up at you.

“Whyyy,” you groaned put your hands over your face in frustration.

“Because, you was talking all that shit,” he said with one finger in your folds as he rubbed it slowly.

“Please,” you said and his surprised eyes look into yours.

“Nope,” he smirked. Now you were not having it.

You reach down to his shorts and very clearly feel his hard member. You looked up at him with pleading eyes as you began to rub it slowly.

He leaned down and started kissing your neck. You and him both knew he did not want this to stop, and he was fighting with every ounce in his bones not to rip your dress off and fuck you right then and there.

But you knew how to get what you wanted.

“Then it’s my turn,” you smile, pushing him off you and getting down on your knees on the side of his twin sized bed.

Knowing you have never done this before, you were slightly worried you would not be that great at it. You moistened your mouth as you pulled his shorts down, you did not have anything to compare his size to, but you were guessing it was bigger than average.

You admired it for a moment before taking it into your mouth. You heard him suck in his teeth as you took a few licks.

“What’s the matter?” You ask innocently looking up at him through your lashes while you swirled your tongue around the tip.

He bit bottom lip threw his head back, you knew that no answer meant that shit was hitting.

“Keep doing that shit with your tongue,” he groaned quietly.

You keep going at it for a while, and stopped when you felt him starting to thrust into your mouth.

“That’s it,” he groaned as he pulled you on the bed, you watched as he began to slowly push himself inside of you, wincing at the pain, he went slow and you warmed up. He looked so good while he stroked you. You started to feel better and better. He watched you as you took all of him now and proudly.

“I told you to stop talking all that shit,” he groaned.

“I don’t regret it,” you smirk.

“You bout to,” he stated as he began to speed up the pace.

You moaned louder as he continued to thrust into you. You could not believe this moment was actually happening. Him giving into it fed into your pride.

You watching at he admired every ounce of body, gripping and tugging at your soft spots. He held your hips as he picked up the pace.

He pulled out and finished himself off on your stomach. You lay there feeling a mess, he gets a towel and you guys get yourselves together throwing the occasional smirk at each other.

“You look so pretty taking this dick,” he stated, grabbing your neck and kissing you slowly. You smiled into the kiss.

“I’ll do it again,” he confirmed, both hands holding your face as he kissed you hard, tonguing you down.

“Chillll,” you laugh. “Let’s get this damn assignment going already.”