#there is someone out there who is the funniest person ever whos like oh my god ash finally played signalis. yeah.

[archivebottles]

finally free from not being able to draw the past two months omg..to celebrate here are some elsters from last week...i like her

[loaksky]

— 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 & 𝒊 | 𝒆. 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒔

mean neighbor!ellie x sunshine fem!reader, angst / fluff / hurt + comfort, modern!au warnings: language / 18+ content (mdni!), wc: 5k

you have a hot new neighbor…too bad she doesn’t want a thing to do with you!

tagging those who commented / liked my previous interest post!: @loversreligion , @tahni-04 , @parrotpeggy , @acnologiasgf , @maybe-cece (happy birthday gemini queen ! <3)

an — first time writing for ellie ! content warnings include oral (r!receiving), fingering (r!receiving). not my first time writing 18+ content, but my first time posting eeek. i apologize for the person ellie has turned me into lmaooo. feel free to send me more ideas, blurbs, hcs, etc.

neighbor!ellie who moves in on a hot sticky july day.

ac’s busted in the common areas, elevator hasn’t worked in weeks, and she’s moved into a unit on the fifth floor.

neighbor!ellie who’s admittedly too far gone and incredibly irritated because jesse keeps fucking around and they almost drop her flat screen on the third flight of steps.

neighbor!ellie who finally gets most of the boxes and furniture settled and doesn’t even get to collapse on the couch for .2 seconds before someone’s knocking on the door.

yanks the knob so hard, the door rattles on its hinges.

eyes narrow when she sees you, all neat, not sweaty, dressed in an outfit definitely not indicative of a night in. only makes her even more annoyed because she just wants two seconds of peace.

“yes?” her tone is sharp, gaze bored because your lips part thrice before the words are spilling out.

“i know it’s miserable out, and this building can be a piece of shit, so i made some blackberry tea!”

neighbor!ellie who gives the glass, beaded with condensation, a brief glance before crossing her arms over her chest.

“i’m allergic to blackberries,” ellie says flatly.

your round eyes widen impossibly before tucking the glass behind your back.

“oh fuck, i’m so sorry,” you babble. “i have peach! or maybe mint? i—”

“i’ll pass.”

neighbor!ellie who doesn’t beat around the bush and makes a move to close the door because she hadn’t even checked into the conversation.

“if you ever need anything, i’m right next door!” you chirp. “i’m-”

“yup, yeah, got it. good night.”

and the door is shutting in your face.

neighbor!ellie who’s trying to sleep in because she stayed up all night playing tekken 4 with jesse jolting awake when she hears three soft raps against the front door.

has an inkling of who it could be so she’s only mildly surprised when she sees you standing on the welcome mat that says ‘no weenies allowed’ because jesse thought it was the funniest thing (ellie’d been only slightly amused).

“morning,” you smile.

you have a plate covered in foil in your hands and ellie gives you a brief onceover to find that you’re dressed to the nines again (admittedly it’s just a simple sundress, but the red and white ginham cuts at the meatiest part of your thighs and she has to remind herself to keep her eyes up).

“it’s…” ellie trails off, glances at the clock on the oven to find that it’s not even 9am. “…8:52am on a saturday morning.”

“it is,” you agree, extending the plate to her. “i, uh, hope you’re not allergic to pancakes?”

“…i’m not.”

you beam.

“great!”

you’re shoving the food in her hands before she can decline and ellie finds that the ceramic is still warm.

neighbor!ellie who awkwardly holds the plate up to you as a silent thanks and shuts the door in your hopeful face.

“i gotta give it to you williams, didn’t think you’d pull within 24 hours,” jesse mutters groggily from the couch he’d helped her lug up the stairs yesterday afternoon.

“oh fuck off,” she huffs, tearing the foil from the plate to find a five-stack of fluffy pancakes with two cute little strawberry-shaped containers that has butter and syrup respectively.

“who’s it from?” jesse asks, even though he knows the answer.

“girl in 5a.”

first bite in and ellie’s eyebrows raise because wow, that’s damn good.

jesse swipes a bite despite ellie’s protests and they polish off the matching plate that she puffs a laugh at because there’s a strawberry bandit painted in the center and in shoddy lettering says, “this is a strobbery”

neighbor!ellie who surprises you by washing and returning the plate later that evening, muttering out a quick thanks before ducking back into her apartment without another word.

she leaves you blinking, staring at the space she was previously standing in a moment prior before you smile and shut the door because god ellie is so hot.

neighbor!ellie doesn’t expect it to become a routine, but more often than not, you’re knocking on her door at any given hour with snacks and she’s surprised when, a week and a half in, she’s had to do minimal grocery shopping because you’re always feeding her.

little does she know it’s because you’re looking forward to the brief moments that she’s unintentionally banging on your door to return your plates and dinnerware.

neighbor!ellie who’s a mechanic and brings your goodies to work sometimes and gets teased by the other mechanics because they think she has a girlfriend.

neighbor!ellie who after revealing she works in a garage starts opening up her front door to little reusable bags with cute notes and food puns if your schedule’s don’t line up.

neighbor!ellie whose schedule does end up frequently aligning with yours and you end up taking the same elevator down.

“morning, ellie,” you greet, smiling softly at her despite being up at the asscrack of dawn.

neighbor!ellie who yawns, takes the lunch you made for her gratefully and walks with you to the elevator.

“morning, 5a.”

neighbor!ellie who could get used to only seeing you in the fifth floor halls, however, after a few weeks, you stumble upon her in different circumstances.

you’re usually out on your balcony in the early mornings to water your plants and drink your tea or coffee, but today’s been exceptionally rough at work (you’re, surprise, a café owner) so you step out to take a deep breath late in the evening after your shift.

you definitely don’t expect to find ellie perched on a stool flicking the ash from a blunt over the railing.

“‘sup,” she hums, taking a long pull.

“hey,” you sigh.

“long day?” she humors you.

the two of you don’t really have much conversation because ellie’s always finding ways to cut interactions with you short.

and it’s not particularly because she doesn’t like you, but she’s caught the vibe you’re giving off and she doesn’t want to give you any unnecessary hope, especially after such a messy break up with the last girl.

(it’s definitely not because something about you makes her nervous).

so she doesn’t really expect you to spill, but one moment you’re debating whether or not you should divulge and the next you’re talking a mile a minute about how draining the job can be especially when employees end up being unreliable and the customers are impatient.

ellie’s gone through the entire joint and you still haven’t stopped talking and she doesn’t want to be mean, especially because you’ve been so nice to her since she’s moved in, but the high is wearing off because she’s too focused on finding an out of the one-sided conversation.

“you should come by,” you say, once you’re done babbling. “to the café, i mean. bring your friends, i’ll stay open a little later for you guys.”

that catches ellie’s attention after she’d zoned out.

“i— you don’t have to do that,” she says. “and i mean, we’re all pretty busy and—”

“no, no!” you say sweetly. “i insist! i wanna test out a few new seasonal recipes and i’d love some opinions!”

ellie’s wracking her brain, but you’re looking at her so hopefully and you look too cute with a few strands of hair falling from your updo. she really doesn’t want to give in, so she gives a lukewarm response instead.

“i’ll, uh, get back to you, i guess.”

you’re grinning.

“try to clear saturday night!” you tell her. “sometime around 9:30!”

ellie opens her mouth to give one last protest, but you’re standing from where you’d been leaning against the railing.

“it’ll be fun!” you tell her. “night, ellie!”

neighbor!ellie who really doesn’t want to go because she feels like it’ll only add fuel to the fire.

the beginning of the week rolls around and you decide that this’ll be the week you’ll finally ask ellie out.

you figure that ellie’s just really quiet, isn’t the one to really put herself out there, so you wanna take initiative.

you’re thinking of all the different recipes you could try because you really wanna wow her and her friends.

little does ellie know that you’re lowkey agonizing over saturday and it’s all you can think about: what you’ll wear, what pairings you want to present, how you’ll decorate the cafe.

meanwhile, ellie’s trying to find a way out of it and jesse’s not any help because he keeps teasing her about how she must be broken for not wanting her hot neighbor who has a glaringly obvious crush on her.

everyone on the whole floor, possibly even the whole building knows. hell, even the doorman knows (and it’s definitely not because you stop to chat with him frequently when you walk your little beagle, apple, and ellie becomes a frequent topic of conversation).

neighbor!ellie who starts avoiding you because she fears that her being receptive to your kindness is giving you the wrong idea (definitely not because you’re growing on her and you’re becoming a part of her daily routine).

neighbor!ellie who sees you twice the entire week, doesn’t answer the door when you knock, stuffs your cute little post-its about saturday somewhere in the back of her junk drawer, smokes her blunts on the roof to avoid running into on the balcony.

neighbor!ellie who spends most of her time at the garage with jesse and her coworkers in efforts to get home after you do.

you figure that maybe she is really busy and you shouldn’t have been so pushy about the tasting, but you’ve grown to really like her and you can’t give this up without officially giving it a shot.

neighbor!ellie who ducks out of her apartment when she knows you’re out on saturday and leaves her lights off, so you’ll know she isn’t home.

neighbor!ellie who spends the day with jesse and his girl and gets invited to a kickback on the otherside of town.

neighbor!ellie who’s about two joints in and a couple shots out, so she’s crossed by nine and you completely slip her mind.

you’re on the other side of town, about a block from your apartment, waiting in the cafe for ellie.

you made such a pretty spread of lavender matcha cookies and lemon muffins. used your special espresso roast to brew a delicious batch of coffee to make a few lattes.

you’d even bought flowers from next door, decorated the table and light a few candles.

it’s 9:45 and you think that she’s gonna be late, but time’s passing and the pastries are going stale, the coffee going lukewarm.

it’s 10:30 when you start losing hope.

probably 11:30 when you blow out the candles, box up the treats and throw the espresso in the cooler for some iced coffee tomorrow morning.

you should’ve seen it coming, really. she did say that her and her friends were typically busy. and she hadn’t officially confirmed it with you either so you were being rather presumptuous anyways.

you decide that maybe you’ll just drop them by her place tomorrow and ask her to lunch!

it’s about midnight when you walk up the sidewalk and see that her LEDs are on in her room. it vaguely smells like weed so you figure she’d been smoking a little.

you don’t wanna bother her so late at night so you enter your own apartment, set the box on the kitchen island before padding into your room to get ready for bed.

you should’ve seen it coming, ellie standing you up, but what you don’t see coming, or hear, for that matter, are the muffled moans through the paper thin walls.

you’d been used to hearing ellie cuss at her video games, heard her getting better at playing the guitar, bickering with jesse over who got to be who during smash bros, but this was new.

you’d never heard the voice before, pitched and whiny.

your cheeks warm because whatever ellie’s doing must be good. you can’t even find it in yourself to be relieved that ellie was interested in girls. you’d initially been scared that maybe you were reading into it all wrong.

regardless, obviously you’d read everything way way wrong because ellie’s mouth is filthy and there’s no misconstruing the fact that she’s fucking someone six ways to sunday and you can hear every gory detail.

your stomach is churning because it’s been weeks and you couldn’t even get ellie outside the fifth floor’s hallway.

it’s obvious they’re thoroughly enjoying themselves and the hurt and envy that kindles is an ugly sight to see.

you end up sleeping in the living room that night.

neighbor!ellie who chases the girl out the following morning after a nasty hangover and finally coming to terms with the fact that she’d brought someone home last night.

neighbor!ellie whose stomach drops to her ass when someone knocks on the door a few minutes later and she thinks it’s you, but it ends up being jesse.

“jesus, did 5a do that?” he asks, referring to your apartment number in regards to the fresh hickies blooming up the column of ellie’s throat.

“god no,” ellie says. “how many times do i have to tell you, that’s never happening.”

neighbor!ellie who would never tell a soul that she’d been imagining a certain someone the night prior.

neighbor!ellie who doesn’t want to think of anything more than being your neighbor because she’s locked in this lease for the next two years and she’d prefer to not shit where she sleeps.

(yeah, that’s totally it).

“dude why not? she’s obviously so down bad for you,” jesse chuckles, pushing past ellie.

she huffs a breath, defensive.

“god, i don’t know how she isn’t embarrassed, it’s fuckin’ pathetic.”

oh—

you’d heard jesse’s voice, then ellie’s, and figured you could give her the pastries you worked so hard on last night.

you’d always thought that ellie was just naturally aloof, kept to herself often, but last night was the coffin and this morning was the nail.

in the stillness of your apartment, jesse and ellie’s voice carries through the thin walls.

“i mean, you could just fuck her a couple of times, get it out of your system?”

“god, look at her, there’s not a casual bone in her body.”

“you can’t run away from her forever, yknow?”

neighbor!ellie who thinks to herself that she’ll try anyways.

neighbor!ellie who doesn’t have to try, because you become an enigma after that.

it’s the middle of the week and she hasn’t had to even try avoiding you once.

you haven’t knocked on her door since the week prior and it makes her brows furrow.

neighbor!ellie who starts feeling bad for standing you up, but feels infinitely worse when she goes to dump some of her trash and finds the carton of pastries you’d baked.

they have your café’s name emblazoned on the logo and she vaguely remembers you chattering about trying lavender in one of your recipes.

she sees the purple food coloring and her heart sinks because why are they in the trash? :(

realizes that she’s fucked up and that maybe she should just be completely transparent with you.

neighbor!ellie who hesitantly knocks on your door and waits patiently for you to answer.

hears shuffling on the other side, but you don’t open up.

neighbor!ellie who tries to convince herself that you’re just busy! work is stressful right now and you’re keeping to yourself.

but you two end up bumping into each other on the elevator (she’d been lurking), and you give her a curt greeting because you’re polite and you realize that ellie doesn’t owe you anything.

“apple’s got a haircut,” she observes, leaning down to pet the pup.

“yeah,” you hum.

“she looks cute,” ellie compliments.

“thanks.”

neighbor!ellie who’s not used to you icing her out, so she takes the leap.

“hey, i wanted to apologize…” she trails off. “about saturday. i shouldn’t have flaked.”

“s’okay,” you say simply, watching as the numbers painfully descend. “you were busy.”

a blanket of silence.

“i’m sure the pastries were great,” ellie tries again. “we could always—”

the elevator dings and the doors part.

“have a good day, ellie,” you say softly, tugging apple by the leash to leave the lift.

neighbor!ellie who swears she hears you sniffling on the other side of the wall later that night, but tries to convince herself that you’ve just got allergies.

neighbor!ellie who thinks of every excuse in the book to try and talk to you, but she ends up freezing because fuck, have you always been this pretty?

neighbor!ellie who buys a succulent and puts it on her balcony. she tries to catch you in the mornings when you’re watering your plants, but it seems like your schedules just don’t align anymore.

neighbor!ellie is frustrated as fuck because she’d been avoiding getting attached, but you don’t knock on her door to deliver snacks or talk her ear off anymore and it drives her absolutely nuts.

neighbor!ellie who gets teased infinitely more at work because her coworkers are now convinced that there’s ‘trouble in paradise’.

“jesus christ, you’re actually pathetic,” jesse rolls his eyes over breakfast one weekend.

“dude, she just…” ellie lets out a frustrated sigh. “i just—”

“you miss her,” he fills in.

ellie turns red.

“fuck you, i don’t—”

“it’s okay to admit it, yknow?” he says. “she’s a lot different from your exes. she’s genuinely sweet, in it because she really likes you.”

ellie swallows, lips pursing.

“you’re soft around her,” jesse observes. “you think that if you give in, she’s gonna uncover parts of you you don’t even let me or joel see.”

“fuck you—”

“for someone who likes bitches you—”

ellie groans.

neighbor!ellie who goes home and rolls a joint because this limbo is stressing her out.

and FINALLY! you’re watering your plants on your balcony when she slides the patio door open and slinks outside.

you don’t say anything to her, just continue watering.

she slumps in her folding lawn chair, kicking her feet up on the railing to feign nonchalance, but you haven’t blinked an eye at her and she’s annoyed.

“been doing alright?” she asks finally.

you freeze for the briefest of moments before glancing at her.

you’ve got bags under your eyes and your lips are pursed and ellie’s heart squeezes.

“yeah,” you answer simply. “fine.”

ellie hums.

“how’s work?”

“same old,” you say, turning your back to her to tend to the plants housed on the other side.

neighbor!ellie who doesn’t know what to say. who’s so used to trying to break conversation, not make them.

neighbor!ellie who fidgets because you’re making her nervous. you’re usually so sweet and smiley, but this side of you makes her gut churn.

neighbor!ellie who bites the bullet.

“i’m…i’m off on sunday…” she says, scratching the back of her neck. “if you wanted to— i dunno.”

your back straightens and she thinks you’re gonna bite, but you glance at the sidewalk below and shake your head.

“you don’t have to pretend, you know?” you say softly.

it’s like a punch in the chest and ellie’s scrambling.

“no! it’s—” she realizes she’s shouting. “it’s not like that, i—”

“i’m a big girl, ellie,” you tell her, that stupid little strawberry-shaped spray bottle squeezed tight in your hand. “if i was annoying, you could have just said that.”

and god she feels so fucking awful because this entire time, you’d just been trying to be nice to her. it was a harmless crush and—

“i don’t think you’re annoying,” she argues weakly. “can you…can you look at me, please?”

your head tilts up and ellie realizes that you’re trying to stop yourself from crying.

“god, i really am pathetic,” is your watery whisper.

ellie’s crossing the balcony, fully ready to climb over the railing onto your patio, but you’re quickly dashing away the tears and throwing the sliding door open.

“goodnight,” you tell her, and you’re sealing her out in the humid air.

neighbor!ellie who’s in knots because living next to someone she used to see everyday fucking sucks now that all the two of you are reduced to is straining extra hard to hear your shuffling from the other side of the walls.

neighbor!ellie who stands in front of your door sometimes, wanting to knock, but feeling like she doesn’t deserve closure with you because it’s all her fault.

neighbor!ellie who realizes that the very awkwardness and discomfort she was avoiding to begin with could’ve been avoidable had she just been up front with you.

you were sweet and you were understanding…mature. you would’ve probably taken better to honesty than ellie blowing you off and lowkey being an ass to you.

neighbor!ellie being scolded by jesse after a couple of days pass because he’s beating her ass at smash bros without even trying and it’s hurting his ego.

“are you seriously gonna keep moping over 5a?” he asks after the fourth round won.

“i’m not moping,” ellie grumbles.

“oh c’mon dude,” jesse moans in annoyance. “you and 5a have this dad with four kids who doesn’t want a puppy but ends up loving the shit out of the—”

“i do not love her,” ellie barks.

jesse smirks.

“that’s all you took from that, ellie, seriously?” jesse scoffs.

“i mean, it’s not like there’s much that can be done, anyways,” ellie grunts, tossing the video game controller onto the coffee table’s surface. “she fuckin’ hates me and i don’t blame her.”

“5a does not hate you,” jesse sighs. “her feelings are just hurt, but you can fix it.”

“and how’s that?” ellie crosses her arms over her chest.

“you’re a smart girl, you’ll figure it out.” jesse grabs the discarded controller from the coffee table and shoves it into ellie’s chest. “now put your all into this next round, i’m still gonna beat your ass.”

neighbor!ellie who’s never felt more nervous in her life.

who’s standing a block away from the café you own with a little gift bag and a bouquet of flowers.

neighbor!ellie who’s used to effortless relationships and casual situationships.

neighbor!ellie who’s scared shitless that she’s making the wrong decision giving in like this, but maybe jesse’s right and you’re just what she needs.

neighbor!ellie whose hands shake the entire walk up to the café.

she sees you with your back turned towards the door, probably doing closing inventory or something of the like with the way you scribble quickly against a clipboard.

you look so in your element with your apron tied tight around the narrow of your waist and perhaps now’s not the appropriate time, but your work pants look exceptionally great spread over the—

“i’m sorry, but we’re closed for the evening,” your voice sounds when ellie opens the front door and the chime tinkles against the glass.

“i’ll make it quick,” ellie says quietly, paper wrap around the flowers crinkling as she shifts on her feet.

you whirl around with wide eyes, almost dropping the clipboard when you find your neighbor standing in the middle of your café.

she looks so good in a fitted brown button up rolled to the elbow to reveal the whorls of ink decorating her forearms and skinny jeans that are way too good at highlighting the muscles of her thighs.

“ellie, what are you doing here?” you ask, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

“i was, er, in the area?”

one of your eyebrows raise.

“well, is there something i can help you with?” you ask, eyeing the flowers and the giftbag in what ellie can only read as disdain.

it’s like the day you two first met all over again but the roles are reversed. her lips gape once, twice, then three times as she tries to find the words. but ellie’s never been good at talking about how she feels, at being vulnerable.

“i have to close up,” you prod, tone tired. “and whoever you’re visiting after this is probably waiting.”

the words after are a silent insinuation.

god knows i did.

you’re turning on your heel and ellie knows she’s losing you.

“i like you.” she says suddenly.

you freeze, fist tightening mercilessly around your clipboard.

“that’s not funny,” you say stonily. “you don’t have to make an ass out of me for having feelings for you, ellie. i get it, it’s hilarious that your dorky neighbor has a crush on you, but you don’t have to drag it. i’m—”

neighbor!ellie who’s always thought that you talk a tad too much and sets the gifts on the nearest table before crossing the distance between the two of you.

she’s towering over you and you’re looking up at her with furrowed brows as she pries the clipboard from your fingers and kisses you without another word.

“wait, wait,” you whisper, pulling away from her momentarily.

her lips chase yours, one hand splaying over the small of your back as the other cradles your chin.

“i’m sorry,” she says quietly. “i didn’t—”

“i don’t understand,” you admit. “you…you and your friend were—”

ellie shakes her head vehemently.

“i was being stupid,” she says quickly. “it’s—” she sighs. “it’s a long story.”

“but the night of the tasting,” you start. “you brought someone home…i heard you.”

ellie closes her eyes in defeat, rolls her lips as she presses her forehead against yours.

“it was a mistake, you have to believe me,” she pleads softly. “i was drunk out of my mind and high as hell and—”

she stops talking when she sees the expression on your face, notices the way your fingers hover.

“you have every right not to entertain this,” ellie swallows. “and i know i’ve been awful to you, but i…i really like you 5a.”

your head tilts down and ellie’s leaning forward in an effort to keep the eye contact.

“i’m not good at stuff like this,” she confesses. “obviously.”

you breathe out an involuntary laugh.

“but you’re different, really different,” ellie says. “and you make me feel so fuckin’ weird—”

you flinch.

“a good weird!” she assuages. “it’s good. and i really wanna try things with you if you’ll let me.”

you look hesitant, but ellie’s hopeful and you’ve always been a sucker for green eyes.

18+ BONUS

neighbor!ellie really wanted to take things slow with you after officially winning you over, but she can’t really help herself.

she takes you out a week after your heart-to-heart in your café, a nice restaurant you’d chattered about during your elevator rides to the lobby, and she’d been so close to making it through dinner and keeping it appropriate, but the dessert the two of you ordered had strawberries.

needless to say, when you’d taken a bite into the candied fruit and the juice curved down your jaw and slithered between your cleavage, ellie threw a wad of bills onto the table top and dragged you out of the restaurant.

didn’t make it far, ended up at the edge of the parking lot in the back seat of her car with two of her fingers knuckles deep in your heat while she swallowed your moans whole.

neighbor!ellie who takes you to hers after you cum twice and she tastes you for the first time.

“fuck, angel,” she whispers against your clit. “pussy’s too good.”

the sight is a devastating one, your skirt bunched around your waist and your top discarded somewhere on her bedroom floor.

one of your hands bunches her sheets in your fist, the other threaded through her brown hair as she eats you out like she’s absolutely starved.

“that’s it, princess,” she eggs you on, stuffing her fingers and curling against the walls of your spongy cunt. her tongue is sloppy against your little bud and your dulcet moans are buttery soft, absolute music to her ears.

that night seems to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back because she can’t get enough of you.

especially not when you wear that red and white gingham sundress you’d worn the second time the two of you met.

neighbor!ellie who spends so much time in your apartment now, likes to especially when you’re baking because you wear that stupidly tiny dress in your stupidly tiny kitchen and it takes every ounce of self control to keep her kisses on your exposed shoulders appropriate.

you start kneading the dough and she can’t keep her hands to herself, hooking her jaw into the crook of your neck as her fingers dance under the hem of your dress and ghosts the seam of your thighs.

“y’look so pretty,” ellie hums, tongue darting to lave at the juncture of your jaw and your neck.

“wait, ah!” fingertips trace over your mound and a semi-giddy, semi-disbelieving laugh rumbles from ellie’s chest when she finds you aren’t wearing any panties.

“you’re a dirty girl, angel,” she bites, one arm securing around your waist, the other toying with the slick coating your inner thighs. “what happened to getting work done?”

all you manage is a breathy cry when ellie skips the formalities and taps your clit roughly.

“el—ellie!” you whimper, one of your flour dusted hands wrapping around her wrist as your back arches and your ass presses into her hips.

your body stutters when you feel something nestle between the pert cheeks of your ass.

you throw a surprised look over your shoulder and ellie’s already grinning lazily at you as she continues kissing all over you.

“surprise,” she whispers.

neighbor!ellie who’s so gone. who still constantly gets teased by jesse and her coworkers. who wasn’t willing to admit it at first, but wants absolutely everything to do with you.

neng © 2023

[hopelesslyromanticshark]

⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚ So American (Grecian)

content: jason grace x greek demigod! reader warning: language, i think authors note: AHHHH THIS HAS BEEN LIVING RENT FREE IN MY MIND FOR LIKE A WEEK AUDHIUFBIEUFBEIUR IVE BEEN WANTING TO WRITE THIS FOR SO SO LONG UGH I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT OLIVIA RODRIGO YOU ATE GIRL also tbh its kinda short

everytime someone asked jason grace about his girlfriend, that first words that always left his mouth were, "she's so greek!"

which was very true. every you couldn't deny it. jason had once seen you win a fight through biting your enemies forearms which caused them to drop their sword, a tactic that had his roman brain struggling to compute. you were unpredictable, ever changing, and never still. and jason loved every second of it. it was a nice change of pace for him, sneaking out to prank other campers and watching you fight in ways he never would have thought to.

the next thing that would always fall from his mouth as a blush coated his cheeks was how much he loved it when you wore his clothes.

you had a bad habit of thinking every day was a bright summers day. even as fall was creeping around the corner, you'd tug on your denim shorts and a tank top that would have jason drooling. but as you shamelessly shivered from the cold breezes that, despite jason's best efforts, didn't stop coming, jason'd tug his sweater off and gesture for you to let him put it on for you. with chattering teeth and a beaming smile, you'd let him gently tug the sweater over your head and slid your arms through the sleeves that were far too long for you. and you'd snuggle into his side and he'd blush, admiring the way you looked better completely drowning in his sweater than with your tits on display for him. but, then he'd be thinking about your tits again, and decided that's the better view, like any sane man.

somewhere in his ramblings about you to the poor person who asked, jason would find a way to mention that you're the funniest person he's ever met. and he knows leo. and percy. and, still, you give them both a run for your money.

"man, this is embarrassing, we can't keep meeting like this," you once winced as you walked up to jason, your hands shoved into your pockets and rocking on the heels of your feet. jason gave you a fond look, but was slightly confused.

"what, princess?"

"one of us is gonna fall in love with each other if we keep meeting like this," you sighed, over exaggeratedly, trying to keep your smirk off your lips. jason breathed out a laugh, reach forwards and setting his hands against your hips.

"too late."

"you'll never take me alive! unhand me, good sir!" you cried, fighting against his hold. jason laughed as he wrapped his arms around your wiggling body. somehow, you managed to escape his hold and went running away, shooting a beaming smile over your shoulder as your hair went blowing all about.

"get back here! you owe me a kiss!" jason called after you, quickly running to catch up with you. you squealed, turning around to run faster.

"help! crazy roman boy after me! he's gonna kiss me, oh no!"

you were everything jason needed - his balance, kept him on his toes. he could talk about you for hours, but at some point, the poor victim of his lovesick rambles would make up some excuse and scamper away. he'd sigh at the lack of opportunity to keep talking about you before going off to find you, the apple of his eye and the object of his affections. he'd find you, talking to some new camper in the strawberry fields. and he could tell you were talking about something you loved from the overexaggerated movements of your hands and your beaming smile to match the gleam in your eyes. he moved a little closer, eager to hear what was making his girl so happy.

"and he's so so roman!! i swear to the gods, he marches to go to the bathroom. it's adorable, truly. he's such a gentleman, insists on opening my doors and grabbing me food and all of that. and the way he kisses me is just divine. otherworldly, i swear. i could talk about him for hours. my roman empire on a level like never before!!" you giggled with the girl, getting lost in your thoughts for a few seconds as you thought about your boyfriend.

"ugh, i want a boyfriend like that," the girl huffed and you set a comforting hand on her knee across for you with a soft smile.

"you'll find one. c'mon, you're so pretty!! trust me, i never thought i'd find a boy like jason. but, gods, im gonna marry him if he keeps this shit up," you added and jason felt his heart hammer against his chest, thudding so loud he was surprised you didn't hear it. because he knew he wanted to marry you too.

"i hope youre talking about me and not some other roman named jason," jason finally spoke as he tried to calm his racing heart, your eyes darting to him with a smile you saved only for your boy, which only made his heart race more.

"oh, this is my side piece, the other jason i was telling you about. the not-so-cute one," you joked with the girl across from you, who giggled into her hand. jason rolled his eyes, scooping you up into his arms as you squealed to get out of his hold.

"youre breaking my heart here, baby," he pouted and you laughed as he put you back on the ground, instantly wrapping your arms around his.

"awwww, my poor boy, lemme make it up to you," you mused, sliding your hand to his cheek before pulling his lips down to meet yours. jason hands found a home against your waist, fiddling with the hem of your shirt and sliding a few digits under to press against your skin.

"better?" you asked in a whisper as you parted and jason beamed a soft smile as he nudged his nose against your gently.

"perfect, even," he murmured before pulling your lips back to his. he could feel you smile into the kiss, which was something that happened a lot. you were just a smiley girl, his smiley girl.

"you're the only roman guy for me, ya know," you hummed once you parted again, looking up at jason with all the admiration you could muster.

"and you're the only greek girl for me," he replied, pressing a quick peek to your lips with a smile that rivaled apollo's sun.

when a crazy greek girl falls for her perfect roman boy, you get a love story that will stand the test of time. simply because they will yap the other into legend.

[shanastoryteller]

Happy holidays! Dealers choice?

a continuation of 1

The young Lord de Bois returns with the same uptight lord as before and a young dark skinned man who’s grinning like this is the funniest thing he’s ever seen. They disappear into the blacksmith’s home along with several other men and Mrs. Cole, who’s husband’s been dead for thirty years and who apparently remembers a time two lords past when things were handled differently.

They don’t emerge for the rest of the day, candles bright in the cracks of the shutters to show that they’re working through the night. It’s almost noon the next morning when the village assembles to hear what’s been decided

Merlin still isn’t allowed to look, but he sneaks glances anyway. He wishes he could get a better look at Lord de Bois, but there are several people in his way, almost deliberately keeping him from view. He wonders what his mother promised them to get them to do that.

“My father,” Lord de Bois sighs, “has decided that if I’m old enough to complain about how things are handled then I’m old enough to handle them myself. Ealdor is now under my purview and authority, which means we’re going to have to turn a profit here if it kills me.”

Great. How does he expect to do that here? He might as well just execute people now if he’s planning on starving them slowly. He’d seemed to know better, before, but now that it’s his neck on the line he’s apparently a lot less sympathetic.

“And it might,” says a new voice, probably the dark skinned man Lord de Bois has brought along.

“Shut up, Elyan,” Lord de Bois says, just for a moment reminding Merlin that they’re nearly the same age. “We’ve worked up a new plan for mining for ore and replanting the fields – the soil’s exhausted and it’s all too far from the river. We’re going to have to set up an irrigation system as well.”

They know that. They’ve always known that. It’s just that there’s nothing to be done about when the time lost to start again would mean they lose out on a whole season of crops, since the ground is too cold to do much of anything in the winter and they don’t have the people do any of that and get food in and out of the ground.

There’s stirrings of discontent and it’s Will, of course, who shouts, “Who’s going to be doing all that? We need to eat ourselves, not waste time feeding you too!”

“You little,” hisses the lord from before and there’s again the sound of a sword being drawn.

“Enough, Gregory,” Lord se Bois snaps before addressing them. “Unfortunately, I am now required to put my money where my mouth is. I’ll be covering your taxes this year to the king and providing grain to make up for the lost food while we work out these changes. Your debt now is not to the king, but to me. I’ll be coming back frequently to check on your progress.”

Merlin pinches himself, sure he’s dreaming. Who does this? It’s crazy. It’s ridiculous.

It might actually work.

“You can’t just let them take and get nothing in return,” Gregory says angrily. “Don’t be stupid about this.”

“Too late for that,” Elyan says. “Why don’t you take someone to work at the castle? Their wages can be put to the town’s debt.”

Lord de Bois sighs. “Why would I take someone useful from here when I’m trying to get all this done?”

“Take someone useless, then,” Elyan suggests.

Oh no.

“Alright then. Who here is useless?” he calls out, clearly mocking.

Merlin’s ears burn as he feels the weight of far too many people’s gazes. It’s not his fault! His magic just makes things – complicated.

“Wow,” Lord de Bois says, laughter running through his voice. “Move aside then. Show me this useless person.”

His mother tenses at his side as people shift and then Merlin is staring down at a pair leather boots that are probably worth more than everything he’s ever touched combined.

“Who’re you, then?”

He’s not supposed to move or speak or look at anyone, but surely his mother can’t expect him to ignore a lord. “Merlin.”

“Look at me when I’m speaking to you, Merlin.” He snaps his head up and is immediately caught up in the brightest blue eyes he’s ever seen. “Are you useless?”

His face burns and he shrugs.

“He’s young, my lord,” his mother says carefully, and Merlin can’t help but feel guilty over the way her voice wavers.

Lord de Bois’s face softens. “You’re his mother, then?”

She dips into a curtsy. “Hunith, if it pleases my lord.”

“Hunith,” he says, “don’t worry. He’ll be fine at the castle. Being my servant isn’t that difficult.”

His what?

“Your servant?” Gregory sputters. “Every time your uncle assigns you one, you fire them for incompetence!”

“Well,” Lord de Bois says, “then he’ll at least be in good company.”

Elyan walks over and claps Merlin in the arm hard enough that he stumbles. “Good luck.”

Lord de Bois rolls his eyes and Merlin considers how his he should really be careful what he wishes for.

He’s going to get plenty of chances to look at Lord de Bois, apparently.

~

His mother lectures him over and over again about keeping his magic to himself, about how they’ll try and control him and abuse him and turn it into something terrible and dangerous if they know what he can do. He really can’t do much of anything, but he nods and agrees and lets her kiss his face.

They don’t have a horse to spare, so he rides with Elyan. Gregory takes the lead, angrily muttering to himself the whole time and Elyan leans over and whispers to Lord de Bois, “We could just make him walk back. He might run out of steam by then.”

“We’re not going to get that lucky,” he sighs.

The ride is shorter than Merlin had feared, which is good because he’s not used to riding. They enter the city just after nightfall and they pull the gates open as soon as they catch sigh of them. Several people brighten and wave when they see Elyan and Lord de Bois, although they duck away from Gregory.

There’s an actual castle. Merlin is being taken to a real castle. It feels fake and he’s walking inside one.

“ARTHUR!” a high pitched, childish voice yells out as the sound of small feet come running.

“Excuse me, my lord,” Gregory says, beating a hasty retreat.

“Is he running from a little girl?” Merlin asks, too surprised to keep silent like he’s supposed to.

“She doesn’t put up with him like we do,” Elyan answers.

What?

“Arthur! You’re back!” shouts a girl who can’t be older than six with brown eyes and curly brown hair.

Lord de Bois scoops her up in his arms. “I told you I would be.”

“You lie,” she says promptly, wrapping her arms around his neck. Merlin finds himself pinned by her narrowed eyes and understands Gregory a little better. “Who’s this?”

Lord de Bois – Arthur, apparently, since now there’s more than one Lord de Bois to keep track of – says, “This is Merlin. He’s going to be my servant. Merlin, this is my cousin, Amabel de Bois.”

Before Merlin can figure out how to greet a child lady, she says, “Hi Merlin. I’m a witch.”

Uh.

Arthur rolls his eyes. “Stop telling people that.” Merlin relaxes. “You’re going to be a sorceress, but only if you study very hard and listen to your mother. You don’t think she became a high priestess without listening to her tutors, do you?”

Merlin tries very hard to not make any sort of expression at all.

“Yes,” Amabel says promptly.

 Arthur makes a face. “Well, maybe, I wouldn’t put it past her, but you have to listen. You haven’t even stabbed any of them with a sword, I don’t know why you’re going through so many.”

“She lit the last one on fire,” Elyan says. “Honestly, between the two of you it’s a shock that any of them are willing to step foot in the castle.”

He shrugs. “Well, my aunt and uncle are very scary. Dad’s not, but that’s what he has them for.”

This is so much worse than he’d feared. Keeping his magic a secret among a bunch of nobles was going to be bad enough, but a high priestess? And a kid training to be a sorceress?

Merlin has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.

[theweasleytwinsownmyjuicyass]

Wait for you Pt.2 | L.N.

Lando Norris x reader

Summary: Nothing can stand between true love. But what if said love is taken from one's memory?

Warnings: angst, fluff:3

Word count: ~4.9K

A/N: Hello hello! I have finally got aroud to finishing this piece! Hope ya'll enjoy it <3

Lando could not concentrate, not for more than a sentence before his mind was once again playing you as his favourite movie.

Your smile, your eyes it all felt too good to be true and lord… the kiss. Lando had to physically restrain himself every time his mind went there. All he wanted was to run out of this room full of people talking about plans for the upcoming race and just run to you.

His skin was itchy and on fire from waiting for your touch. Now that you’ve given him a dose, given him hope, he was hooked with anticipation for more.

After the conference everyone dispersed into their own rooms except for Lando who followed Oscar to his driver’s room.

“Oscar you will not believe what happened!” Lando giggled as he closed the door.

Thus began the recollection of the touching moment on the roof top with you.

“- and then I asked her out and she said yes, and even gave me a kiss on my cheek before I entered the conference room! Can you imagine that Oscar?! She kissed me!” excitement was pooling around Lando’s lower lash line.

Oscar had forgotten what a truly happy Lando looked like and no matter how tired he was now, he did not want to be anywhere but right here on the uncomfortably tough sofa, listening to his friend talk about his love, especially because that love was you.

“Well that sounds like good news mate, where are you gonna take her by the way?” Oscar watched the life drain from Lando’s face as the excitement for the rendezvous converted to pure stress of the situation.

“Oh my God?! Where am I going to take her?!” Lando started pacing around the small room in circles making Oscar feel positively dizzy just from following Lando with his eyes.

“HELP ME OSCAR!” The older male pulled at his own hair out of sheer desperation for someone else’s input.

“Well just take her where you’ve taken her before, it’ll help her jog the memory,” Oscar answered calmly, rubbing his eyes. Lando’s pacing really did make him dizzy.

“Wait, that’s actually a really good idea. She loved our first date, she was never tired from talking about it,” Lando‘s eyes sparkled with the memory of your hands wrapping around his every time you told someone about your first date. Those were the moments when Lando understood just how deeply he felt for you and how you loved him just as much.

“Exactly. Everything is gonna work out, I can feel it,” Oscar laid an encouraging hand on his teammates shoulder. If reassurance was what Lando needed, Oscar will be there to provide.

The next few days at the paddock were filled with shy glances and giggles as the date spurred the two to secure their connection. Your laughter was never ending as so were Lando’s bright smiles. It seemed that every sentence Lando could think of sounded like the funniest joke to your ears.

While Oscar explained their upcoming race schedule to Lando, comically unbeknownst to him, Lando’s eyes were trained only on one person, as for all his attention too.

“What do you think about that Lando?” Oscar looked into the eyes of his friend only to find his point of attention trained behind himself rather than at him.

As he turned to find the culprit of Lando’s attention, he found no one else but you perched on a counter, lit up by the golden evening sun. Lando giggled as you waved at him and lifted his hand to wave back at you, both of your blushes ever-growing.

“Oh c’mon man, we’ve been through this!” Oscar’s eyes rolled back into his skull.

Damn these two love birds. As much as Oscar was thrilled for his friends once again being together the shy-giggly faze is just as annoying as it was a year ago.

You winked at Lando and he almost lost his stance.

“Really?” Oscar signs.

“She’s flirting with me!” Lando became defensive clutching his chest.

“Mate she’s literally your girlfriend…”

“Yeah, but she doesn’t know that,” Lando’s smile never left his face as he watched your eyes focus back on the book that lay rested on your thighs.

In that moment something clicked for Lando. Life is truly as good as it can get. All uncertainty has been washed away by hope. It truly felt like you were healing him with every single glance. Perhaps it was just Lando’s imagination but whenever he met your eyes they were yours, he knew those eyes and for the first time in a long time Lando could let himself cry out of happiness when thinking of you. The clouds have dispersed, with each passing day you remembered more and said things that would make Lando stop in his tracks.

Lando no longer needed to look for you, because you were already there…

The over-packed luggage bag fell out of your hands at the sweet sight of a white fluffy bed. Lord knows you wasted no time jumping into the bed after kicking your shoes off at the door.

“Ughhh, this is heaven,” your voice was muffled by numerous pillows, but Lando still heard it clearly.

“I’m gonna set up my sim here, okay?” He asked, unsure if you wished for him to leave or stay. After all sleep was what you favoured over anything.

“Yeah it’s no problem, you know I don’t mind you being around,” you lifted your head slightly and shot him a smile.

“You’re the best!” Lando smiled in excitement and in a few minutes the desk area of the hotel bedroom became a sim racing corner.

“cute,” you admired the man only loud enough for yourself to hear.

It felt like only a couple seconds had passed before Lando was once again calling your name.

“Y/nnnn, are you sleeping?” His eyes met your half lidded ones. Gosh you looked cute, all sleepy… and so kissable.

“I am now,” you yawned the words out, eyes not yet fully open.

“Good, you better not be sleeping, I need you to see me win this,” his concentration in the game never faltered even with you on his mind.

“Don’t worry I’m awake,” you yawned once again making Lando chuckle. “You know, you could just wake me up when you finish and tell me the result?”

“Nooo,” he whined, “I need you to watch me win. Are you watching me?” He turned back for a second just to make sure you were behind him.

And you were. You were sitting there wrapped in a blanket, eyes big and oh so soft. You were there with him and that was all he ever needed.

You climbed out of the bed and stood behind him, hands in his hair and a kiss on his temple to which he let out a satisfactory sigh. ”You’re going to win Lan, I know you can.”

“I’ll only win if you’re by my side, love.” He crossed the finish line and turned around kissing you deeply before you could even congratulate him. His hands were quick to hook under your thighs, your warm skin tickling his fingers. He picked you up effortlessly, nestling the both of you into the bed that had already soaked up the scent of your floral perfume. It’s the same one he gifted you on your last birthday.

Your hands tangled around him, pulling him closer until you breathe the same air. His eyes were glossy, pupils dilated to a point where you could barely see the storm of green and blue. Your fingertips draged across his soft skin and to his silky curls. He was everywhere and you hoped it always stayed that way.

You’re still drunk on quality sleep when the morning light pulled you out of the peaceful slumber. Your hands instinctively reached out to the other side of the bed ghosting over the empty mattress, “Lan?”

A pout formed on your lips as you found the bed empty and void of any and all warmth.

Suddenly your eyes shot open but then again closed up, pain of the bright lighting residing in your retina.

You turned to your left side. Empty bedside. No Lando.

You felt yourself swimming in confusion. Your memories mixing with moments unseen before.

Was I dreaming? Dreaming of Lando in my bed? Quite puzzling indeed. 

But what puzzled you most was that you were in Spain, but Lando was not in your bed.

That revelation, for some unknown reason, did not sit well with you.

Overwhelmed you sat up on the bed, trying so hard to understand why for the love of god you were looking for Lando in your bed.

Why would Lando be here? Why was he in my dream? Was it really a dream?

You got off the bed and started looking for any clues that the dream was not actually a dream but reality.

Although the only thing you found is yourself feeling something for Lando Norris you had not felt before.

Dream or reality? This only served to confuse your heart further.

Your eyes caught the clock on the wall, a clear sign that you should hurry as the slender black arrow was about to meet the number seven.

Today was a free day for the grid. That meant that you were to meet Oscar and Lando in the hotel gym and later head for a complimentary breakfast with the two.

Hanging at the gym with them was not as fun as most imagine. Without their active energy being aimed at making jokes it was easy to get bored since you were not in a mood for a workout.

After walking around for a good five minutes you ran into Alonso.

Ever since you first came to formula 1 Fernando fit right into your life, kind of like a father figure at most times and sometimes as an older and much wiser friend.

For that very reason you were now sat at one of the many leather benches talking the older man’s ear off about everything that had been going left instead of turning out right.

“Every day whenever I’m left alone it just gets so annoying, like I truly have nothing to do, but I have nothing I want to do. Like I’m just trying to sit somewhere and relax but it somehow feels too bland,” a heavy sign exited your lungs making Fernando put down his weights and put all of his attention on you now.

“Take them,” he was clutching a plastic earphone box lightly in his left hand, extending it towards you.

“Don’t you need them?” you lifted your eyes out of curiosity but did not dare take them just yet.

Fernando was quick to brush your question off, “Ech, I don’t like these wireless things, I always loose them.”

Your eyes locked on the case. Do I even like listening to music?

“Don’t worry these are unused, I got them from PR this morning,” he let out a chuckle, unnerved by your silence after being surrounded by your voice for so long.

“Are you sure?” you were uncertain but Fernando thrust the case into your hands and ruffled your hair as you smiled up at the man. “Thank you Fernando.”

“It’s all my pleasure sweetheart, it’s about time you started listening to your music again.”

Fernando walked away before you could inquire him about your taste of music, and how he knew so much about it.

There it was again, that uncomfortable feeling. You felt as if you were behind in class, like everyone knew what was going on and which formula to use for a certain problem, but you did not.

Everyone around you seemed to know things about you before you got to discover them yourself and that did nothing but make you uncomfortable in your own skin.

That is where the spiralling set in.

All of a sudden the world shifted off its natural axes and you were no longer there. Your words seemed to get stuck in your head, your movements too slow and every time you tried to pay attention your mind was engulfed in a thick cloud.

It was all messing you up to further close in on yourself.

Lando noticed. Of course Lando noticed. Even if it was only a week, Lando noticed…

There was one thing Lando actually paid attention to and it was you. But once again his great attraction to you was beginning to pain him, little by little scratching at his heart. With each cold shoulder and weak smile he could feel it, he could feel you moving further from him while he was stationary, just a few steps behind you, nonetheless too far than he’d like to be.

Lando’s eyes drifted around the white ceiling of his driver’s room as he tried to trace his steps back and see what might have caused you to stray from him. Was it something he did? If it was he’d better fix it before it became too late. But what could he have done?

You had the date about three weeks ago, that was fine, great even, and he hadn’t had you so happy and respondent in months. Then there was the free week before Spain which he spent with his family while you went to Australia with Oscar, but you texted and called every single day, most days it was you who initiated the calls and reassured him that he was not keeping you from sleep as the two of you were separated by many, many hours.

Then there was the night you landed in Spain. Lando had waited in the airport for hours, wishing he was the one to take you to the hotel and surprise you with your favourite flowers.

He remembered Spain last year. He could never forget, it was your first time at a race as a couple, the relationship still fresh as a wildflower. Lando was hoping for a win, and he felt he could win with you by his side, like he did the night before on the sim, only because you were there watching him with your soft loving and undeniably sleepy eyes…

He expected to jog your memory with the help of the familiar Spanish scenery however it appeared to blow up right in his face the next day.

He picked you up at the airport and you were happy. Right? Yes. You jumped into his arms, you held his hand and even let a tear escape your eye as you held the flowers close to your chest. On the ride to the hotel you talked so much, excitedly telling him about all kinds of aussie adventures you, Oscar and his girlfriend Lilly got up to. He listened all through them with a pearly smile, even if he had heard the stories before from Oscar, asking you questions while knowing the answers to them only because he knew you’d feel cared for and appreciated if he asked. And to end the short but splendid night you kissed goodnight after he walked you to your room. It was meant to be a thank you for his kindness but the real thank you for him where your eyes.

Your eyes were his weakness since day one.

But the next day your eyes were not your eyes anymore… They were not yours ever since.

Was this it? Is this how life is going to be now? He will work and work to get just a bit of you for you to forget it all the next day.

He had heard about such a thing from doctors how some amnesia patients have clear sky days when they become who they were before but even a slight factor can alter that and not an hour later they can forget all that happened before.

Does this mean you will never remember him?

What if you never love him again…

“Lan get up you muppet we have a race starting in 20,” Oscar yanked the older boy awake from his daydream and watched him return to reality. “Everything okay mate?” he observed the tired eyes of his friend.

“Yeah… let’s go.” Lando trained his gaze away from Oscar and left the room first. As much as he needed to talk about you now, he just couldn’t do it, not to Oscar, not again…

Your fingers mindlessly wrapped around your ring pulling it on and off constantly before your skin started burning, but that didn’t stop your behaviour.

Thanks to your mind running faster than an F1 car you’ve figured out a few things this week.

First. You liked Lando Norris. And that’s great.

But dreaming about him being your boyfriend? Now that’s a bit too much.

Second. You liked music. More than you initially thought you did.

Third. You liked cornflowers. The blue ones.

You didn’t know that before. You couldn’t really think of a flower you liked before…

Fourth. You had no idea who you were.

There it was again, that unshakable feeling out of alignment. Like the whole world had tilted and you were no longer on the same axis as before. Was it only a few degrees off but you felt worlds apart from the days before.

Your heart was racing again, lungs refusing to take in the oxygen, though it was all around. It was easy and natural to breathe, something no one needed to think about to control, it just happened and for some reason you were once again stuck unable to control your own self, just as you were unable to calm your pounding head.

You entered the garage where Oscar and Lando stood listening to one of their engineers explaining something to them animatedly. The earbuds in your ears were almost unnoticeable, even with the melodic tune, until you made eye contact with Lando’s clear blues did the familiar tune follow.

But I knew you,

Dancin' in your Levi's,

Drunk under a streetlight,

I knew you.

All of a sudden it hit you quite literally like a truck full of bricks. And the world completely swung off its axis.

The memories spun as a wind whirl in front of your eyes.

It played like a movie.

Your eyes filled with tears before you could turn away and leave the crowded space. Too confused and much too overwhelmed with what you’ve just remembered.

There was Lando, and he was everywhere. He was holding your hands and he was kissing you and he was sleeping in your bed. But you didn’t understand where all of this came from, when just moments ago you were trying to figure out if you even like the man, now you felt such a tremendous pull towards him, it scared you.

Lando had watched your small smile fade into a look of confusion and your eyes filled with tears. Your last look was it. Eyebrows pulled together, eyes glossy. Something he had not seen in months now. Your whole face was contoured with memories of you two together. And he could see that, he could see it from your eyes, the eyes that recognised him once more, only they were not glistening with love but with salty tears.

She remembered me. She is crying.

Panic ran Lando’s blood cold. He wanted to chase after you but before he could take one step in your direction a firm hand on his shoulder held him back.

Lando looked at the hand before lifting his eyes to meet the concerned eyes of his teammate, “Lando I know what she means to you, but you have a race starting in 5 minutes. We need to get in those cars.”

“But she’s crying Oscar, something is wrong.” Lando’s voice was demanding and rough, if he needed to push Oscar down to get to you he’d do it, no matter how much the thought of hurting his friend displeased him.

Oscar registered the fiery gaze that made home in Lando’s eyes and he did not want to see what followed but he had no thought of letting him go.

“You have to make a choice Lando. It was never going to be easy.”

As much as it hurt Oscar to say those words to his friend, all he wanted was for you and Lando to be together again.

But Oscar saw you this week. And he saw Lando this week. And neither were sights to marvel at.

You were always an extension of Lando and he poured all he had into the girl he loved. But you were different now, and that was changing Lando, although not always in a right way.

By the end of the day if you did not remember loving him and if their labour proved fruitless Lando would have nothing left. No you, no him. For now Lando at least had F1 and Oscar knew that the only thing he could do is help his friend protect his precious job because he had no call in your mind or feelings.

Only a month ago Oscar felt how everything would work out, but maybe working out meant you two finding your happiness apart and not together. Healing separately and moving on from what had passed. As disturbing as that sounded, it looked like the only solution for both of your wellness.

“Boys, cars, now!” a voice boomed, directing them to take their positions.

Oscar and Lando shared one last glance before Lando pulled his helmet back on and settled into his seat.

It’s gonna be a tough race. Oscar thought.

As expected the race was unlike no other this year, 3 crashes, 5 DNF’s all while Lando drove with the concentration of an eagle, his eyes on the road, but your eyes in his mind.

Lando was rethinking everything, he quite literally had the time, almost two hours before he’s allowed out of this car and can finally see you, he needed to be ready for what was to come in the future… or if there was any future for the two of you left.

What if it is the end?

What if you don’t want him anymore?

A couple of tears travelled down his hot cheek and mixed with his sweat. His eyes were burning, his chest was burning but he pushed and pushed himself unafraid to perform a dangerous over-take with the car in front of him. Mere seconds later a loud cheer echoed through his ear.

“P1 LANDO! YOU ARE THE WINNER LANDO!”

“I won?” He repeated while finishing the cool-down lap, complete disbelief soaking his words.

As soon as he stepped out of the car it was all cheering and flashing lights.

I need you to watch me win. Are you watching me? His own voice resonated through his ears, the memory of your eyes before him.

That was the last thread before he broke down crying next to his car.

Everyone cheered even louder. They thought he was facing the high of his life while he felt like rotting in hell.

He needed you to see him when he won. Now he did win, but you were not watching…

He knew you. He knew you so well. When you told him you’d be there, when you kissed his cheek, when you watched the night sky with him, when you held his hand. He knew you’d come back to him. He knew he’d get to hold your hand again and watch you smile all thanks to his wit.

Only he did not know it would be temporary…

Air got caught in Lando’s throat, it was suffocating being encaged within the helmet.

While Lando stood on the podium accepting his award not once did he look down at the crowd before him. Keeping his eyes on the trophy or the other men sharing the podium with him.

But never down, never to the left corner where from the side of his eye he could see that cluster of bright papaya, never to the very front of that gate, never to where you were supposed to be standing.

Because inside he knew that you were not there, but if he never looked back there then there will be no confirmation, so the theoretical possibility that you might just be there was all he could get and he would hold on to it for dear life.

If he never looked down, he could just let himself imagine that you were there, watching him win…

“See boy, you can’t win everything, but when your time comes, you get all that you want. And Lando, you very well deserve this,” it was Fernando tapping the younger boy on the shoulder, expressing his congratulations.

yeah… I won a race but I lost my love.

Sadness encapsulated his heart and the last thing he wanted now was to pretend to celebrate a long awaited win. Before anyone could get their hands on him he disappeared to his driver’s room.

He opened the door and locked it behind himself. He needed to be alone now.

“Lando,” your soft voice greeted him.

“I knew you,” your eyes were ablaze, “I don’t know how or where it came from, but I knew you and I loved you.” You tried your best to calmly express all feelings that came crashing down on you mere hours ago.

“Loved?” Lando breathed under his nose, he was shattered beyond repair as your declaration made him take in a large gulp of air. Lando could feel himself getting mad. This is so fucking unfair.

“You’re so mean.” He slumped down on the couch, his eyes directed away from you.

“What? Lando I’m trying to-“, you stepped closer to him, instantly regretting that decision.

“AND YOU DON‘T THINK I AM?! I’ve been trying for months now, all alone, while you wanted nothing to do with me. You didn’t even know me, while I had to live around you, still in love with you. It’s so unfair, SO FUCKING UNFAIR ALL OF THIS!”, his hands waved with inner rage. He knew he wasn’t mad at you, it was not your fault, but he was mad at something and he needed to let that out. He needed you to finally know how he felt.

“Lando I am sorry, I-“, you tried to interrupt before Lando completely broke.

“IT’S SO UNFAIR THAT YOU WEREN’T THERE, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO WATCH ME. SURE YOU DON’T REMEMBER, BUT I DO, I REMEMBER, YOU PROMISED ME YOU’D WATCH ME WIN! AND YOU DIDN’T! YOU LIED!” With each word his voice became louder and louder, he was letting his emotions out for once, tired of holding them in for the sake of everyone else but himself.

“I know Lando! And I did watch you,” you tried to keep your mind levelled and let him let his frustrations out.

“NO, NO YOU DIDN’T, YOU RAN OUT BEFORE THE RACE COULD EVEN START, Y/N I SAW YOU!”

“I. WATCHED. YOU.” You’re the one to raise your voice now, getting close to his face. You needed to show him that you could hear him.

“We were here in Spain a year ago and you were sim racing before the race, you told me to watch you race, because you wanted me to see you win and you did win. But when we woke up the next day I had caught a cold and could not watch you race out on the circuit. You lost and you were crushed. I know Lando. I was there. And I am here now, only this time I was here too, I watched you race and I watched you win.” Your own voice glazed in assertiveness just to make him listen.

Lando’s eyes were in tears, his hands in tight fists unable to understand how something like this could have happened. All of these emotions crashing down on him, he didn’t know what to do, he did not know how to react, he was lost.

Your gentle touch worked to unwrap his tight grip and relax him before placing his palms on your tear stained cheeks.

You’d show him a way, the way you always had.

“I remember Lando. I remember everything. I am so sorry. I’m so sorry for leaving you alone for so long. I’m sorry it took me so long to come back to you. But we can fix this we can work on this together right?” you pleaded with your eyes, attentively searching his own for an answer.

Lando’s first instinct was to pull you into a crushing hug, breathing you in like you were his oxygen.

Lando finally felt at home. It was and always would be your touch, your presence that could ground him.

“You came back to me. I will do everything to keep you close, Y/n,” He whispered into your neck, the hot air tickling your skin making you giggle.

“You came back,” he held you even tighter and your hands were just as firm grasping him.

“I‘ll never leave you again,” you ran your hands through his soaked curls, letting the memories of your life before take over each one of your cells and fill you, “I’m sorry for taking so long my love,”

“Don’t be.” Lando broke the hug so he could look into your eyes again.

Now he saw his true prize. It was your eyes, your rosy cheeks, your glistening lips. You were back and you still loved him,“ I’d always wait for you.”

^^

Tags: @goldsbitch @cmleitora @mickslover @darleneslane @queenofmanydreams @ujws5

[mamawasatesttube]

one of the funniest aro traits i have is that i NEVER notice people i know being romantically into each other. they can be the most obviously pining couple in the world flirting ridiculously hard right in front of me and ill just be like wow, look at us three besties all just hanging out :) and then they'll be like btw we're dating now! and ill go WHAT???? oh that was romance??? WHOA. like yay happy for you!!! i just didn't clock it at all whatsoever!!!! (part of this is that im just an affectionate person with my friends and ill happily flirt with my besties and physically lay all over them with absolutely no romantic intent. so i forget that sometimes people are flirty or always concerned with each other for romantic reasons. like. EVERY time it's just oh YEAH... i forgor again...)

anyways, i like to hand this to bart allen, aroace extraordinaire. guy who just straight up forgets romance is real and not something they made up for video games with romanceable companions. he's happy for his friends when they say they're dating someone, bc they're happy so yay! but until they come out and say it he will NOT clock any sort of romance going on.

now i also like to imagine that when the gang are all like in their late teens to early 20s, there's some RIDICULOUS lesbian drama going on. cassie and cissie have been kinda sorta dancing around each order for ages, but then after kon's death and resurrection cassie got distant and cissie and anita started spending more and more time together, and cassie isn't proud to admit it but she maaaay have gotten jealous and fucked rose about it, and now cissie is giving her the cold shoulder. and rose keeps flirting with cissie even though she and cassie keep having unplanned hookups, and anita just asked cassie to be her plus one to a wedding and cassie is shocked she didn't ask cissie and what's going on?! is anita hitting on her??? omg??? wait but what's going on with cissie?? and....

anyway, all of this to say cassie is going the fuck Through it and it's a mess that she keeps bemoaning to kon while languishing on his couch and eating all his ice cream (kon is listening wide-eyed like "wow. if i ever need romantic advice, i'll ask you and then do the exact opposite of whatever you say.") this whole ridiculous affair is going on for months.

until one day there's a core four sleepover and kon is like soooo is it the time of night where we start unpacking the latest developments in cassie's love life? and cassie goes AUURGHGHRHH!!!! yes but oh my god shut up don't say it like that auugghhhh

and bart just looks at her and tilts his head like a puppy dog and asks "wait. you have a love life?? since when???"

silence.

cassie gawks. kon looks positively gleeful.

and then tim starts laughing so hard he doubles over and accidentally slams his head into the corner of the coffee table hard enough to get a mild concussion. bart's aro swag claims yet another victim

[the-banana-0verlord]

hellou <3 this is my most personal request maybe :') , hdcns for the dorm leaders (separatly) with a fem reader who accidentally ends up making them laugh (maybe she says or does it is very random I don't know) leaving mc like a clown 🤡. .. although mc doesn't understand why they're laughing because she doesn't think it was a big deal ksjkdd well in summary: mc intentionally becomes the clown of the leaders ;u;)/

Thank you for the request!

Also a special thank you to @cup1dt3a for helping me with Riddle and Vil's part, very appreciated! :D

How the dorm leaders would react to the reader reacting to them laughing at something the reader said

Notes: Fem! reader but can be read as gn, since the only pronouns are You/your. All credits to the artist of the cover picture! Also some parts are shorter than others.

🥀🥀🥀

Riddle Rosehearts

🥀You were studying in the library, a habit you've picked up very quickly as Riddle was a study freak(affectionate).

🥀He couldn't help but giggle everytime you mispronounced a word. However, he never felt the need to correct you so you had no idea why he was laughing.

🥀And Riddle isn't the type to laugh out of the blue, so you were even more confused.

🥀You quickly catched on as he explained to you. You then started to mispronounce the words voluntarily.

🥀At the end of none of you had learned a thing.

🥀He has a lingering feeling of guilt, because his mother would have never let him laugh like that during study time(which was practically always).

🥀Yet he couldn't stop himself for waiting hastily for your next study session, just to goof off with you again.

🦁🦁🦁

Leona Kingscholar

🦁If there's something you know, it's that Leona practically never laughs except sarcastically.

🦁But the way he laughed as of now... It felt real, and it was so unbelievable you could think he was mocking you.

🦁"Why'd you stop talking, Herbivore?" He asked as you stared at him mouth agape.

🦁Cute, he thought as you regained your spirits and blabbered akwardly an apology for staring.

🐙🐙🐙

Azul Ashengrotto

🐙You just have some way of speaking... It instantly brings a smile to his face everytime.

🐙He chuckled just thinking about it.

🐙When he looked up, he met your eyes that were sending "???".

🐙"Is something the matter? Are you admiring my beautiful face?

-Nah, just, why did you laugh at me?

-Laugh at you...?"

🐙Ah, he must have caused a quiproco with his laugh.

🐙"Worry not, it wasn't you I was laughing at.

-What, then?

-That is my little secret~"

🐙You would have made him swallow his smirk if he wasn't so pretty.

☀☀☀

Kalim Al-Asim

☀Well to be fair, he is laughing at everything you say because he thinks you're extremely funny.

☀But for the first time it happened, you were caught off guard. His laugh is loud and it resonated in your ears.

☀When he realised you were looking at him weirdly, he asked you what was the matter.

☀You brushed it off, and he was so oblivious he accepted your explanation.

☀As time went on, you learned it was just a joyful habit of his.

💅💅💅

Vil Schoenheit

💅Without realising it, you were the funniest person he knew. You would always drop snarky remarks that caught him off guard.

💅He snickers everytime, but he'S the only one to do so because he's the only one able to catch your subtilities.

💅Or maybe you're more prone to laughing to someone's jokes when you like them, who knows.

💅Anyhow, it took you long enough to realise he wasn't laughing at you, but at your jokes.

💅When the light finally switched in your head, you were glad to know someone appreciated your puns.

💅You wouldn't think someone like him would appreciate puns, but it's still nice.

🎮🎮🎮

Idia Shroud

🎮Oh he'd be caught dead if he ever made you think he was laughing at you.

🎮He'd be caught dead simply for looking at you, but I digress.

🎮Anyways in a world where it does happen, you're not even mad because his laugh is so wonky you start to laugh as well.

🎮Yeah he's the clown now.

🎮He immediately starts to whimper in embarrassement and you have to calm him down.

🐉🐉🐉

Malleus Draconia

🐉He wasn't really listening to what you were saying, he was too busy looking at your beautiful face. He thought about how lucky he was to ahve you, and chuckled.

🐉you, however, who wasn't living in his head, had no idea why he was laughing. Your dumbfounded face only made him laugh harder.

🐉It was his turn to be confused when you seemed upset. He hadn't imagined his actions could cause you pain.

🐉you forgot about it rather quickly, but Malleus didn't. He followed you like a lost puppy for weeks trying to be forgiven.

***

Hope you enjoyed!

Have a good day/night!

[alittletaste]

SKIN CARE & AWARD SHOWS

↳ In which Harry uses a face mask before the Brits and has a deep conversation with y/n

Warning: sweet sweet fluff and a little article at the end! Please reblog and show some love if you enjoyed, i appreciate it! Anyways, have fun reading :)

-

It was no secret that Harry took care of his skin, from the very get-go, the first concert he ever had to perform, the night before, he stood in front of his mirror applying his face mask. And now ten years on, he was sitting on his bed, his beautiful wife sat opposite him, slathering his soft skin with a layer of creamy goodness.

“Harry, stop wiggling!” She whined, trying her best to smooth out the cream all over his perfect face. Harry smiles, listening to his wife, but not before cheekily sticking his tongue out and licking her hand that was hovering over his lips as she applied the mask to his nose.

“Oi!” She giggled, playfully slapping her annoyingly handsome husband on his thigh causing him to let out a belly laugh. “God, you’re so annoying”

“You love it though” he smiles, “it’s why you married me” Y/n rolls her eye, as she works on applying the face mask onto his forehead. She appreciates the headband Harry put on earlier, to keep his unruly locks out of her way.

“Is this the pore cleanser one?” Harry asked, looking at his wife, he was in awe of her. To him, his wife was the most beautiful person to ever grace the earth. To him, she was his everything. Harry often finds himself saying that he would be lost without her, he wouldn’t know what to do. Apparently, y/n keeps his head screwed on, she grounds him and sometimes humbles him. It’s what a man needs, he says, someone to not only love you but to keep you sane and make sure your ego doesn’t inflate too much.

“Mhm, it also calms the skin, helps any breakouts. I know you get some before a show, so this is perfect” y/n says as she finally applies the mask to his chin. She knew it’d be a good time to bring this mask out seeing as the Brits were approaching. The Brits meant a lot to Harry, his whole family would be watching and as he was opening the show, y/n knew he’d hate for a breakout to start right before.

“So thoughtful” Harry hums softly and a smile tugs on his face as his wife pulls back, inspecting her work. “Done?” He questions, earning a nod from his partner.

“All done” she smiles. “Just got to wait until it hardens now” she says.

“Whilst the mask hardens, I’ve got something else for you that I’m sure would harden up in a second” he smirks, eyeing his own junk, and y/n rolls her eyes as she realises what he’s referring to

“God, you just had to go and ruin the moment, didn't you? You can’t help yourself mister” she giggles and Harry laughs.

“It’s hard to contain myself around you, you’re m’everything. Y’know that, right?” Harry smiles, tucking y/ns hair behind her ear as he tugs her over towards himself.

“Be careful!” She warns as Harry ends up on his back, y/n now straddling him. “Don’t want to ruin my masterpiece” she spoke, referring to the face mask.

“Oh no! Would never want to do that, what a tragedy that would be” sarcasm thick in Harry’s voice. It was one of the many things y/n loved about him; his humour. It was very British, but also very funny. To y/n, Harry was the funniest man on the planet, but she didn’t dare tell him that, why boost the ego of a man who had millions of people going crazy over him any more than it already was? To y/n, Harry was also the sweetest, the best thing to happen to her. He came into her life and made it so much better, God what would she do without him and his humour to get her through the day?

“You’re so adorable” y/n speaks, her hands on Harry’s chest as she took him in, some parts of the facemask were now hardening, like the part around his nose and beneath his eyes.

“That should be my line” Harry jokes, “but thank you, baby. You’re not too bad either”

“You’re such a meanie” she pouts and Harry reaches up to carefully pull her lips towards his own, there was no doubt that some of his face mask had transferred onto y/ns face but she didn’t mind.

“I’m only kidding baby” he says, pulling back, “I was serious before y’know that? You’re my everything, my most favourite person. Sometimes, it blows my mind, like I actually found my person you know?” He ponders.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it? I’m glad to be your person, I love you so much” smiling, she leans in for another kiss.

“I love you so much too, I’m happy to call you my person” Harry says, gently squeezing his wife’s side, happy that he found his lifelong companion and soulmate, happy that he knew he’d wake up to the same person by his side every day for the rest of his life, something he thought would once be impossible. You proved all his inner thoughts wrong and he couldn’t be happier.

And he certainly showed his appreciation when he won his four Brit awards, thanking you in each and every speech.

-

A CLEAN SWEEP FOR STYLES! HARRY STEALS THE SHOW WITH HIS BIG FOUR WINS

The former one direction star won all four Brits he was nominated for, including best album and best artist.

It was no surprise when Harry opened the show with his hit song, As it was, which later went on to win song of the year. Fans were, as expected, chanting the anthem back at him.

Styles looked absolutely amazing tonight, sporting four different looks for this occasion. Onlookers went on to say that although he looked absolutely stunning tonight and did have his fair share of jokes with the crowd, he made it quiet obvious that he is a happily married man.

During his acceptance speeches, Harry didn’t fail to recognise and shout out his wife, Y/n Styles, going on to say that she was his “forever muse” and that he would be “no where without her”

He also thanked his mum for pushing him to audition at x-factor, claiming that he “wouldn’t be standing here” if it weren’t for her. One thing we all know for certain is that Harry is a family man and we love him for that.

Even during his post award show interview, Harry was seen thanking his wife with a kiss on her lips before talking about how she was “always there for him” and this “album would be impossible to make without her” so cheers to y/n for these bangers.

He also mentioned how he was planning on “having a drink” so we hope he has a great rest of the night! A true champion like him deserves that.

[mydarllinglover]

Stars Collided || Four

Previous

It was late, Lovisa was staring out of her balcony, dressed in an pale pink nightgown, wearing a matching sheer robe, with a fluffy hem and cuffs.

She missed her parents, she had regrets, and truthfully, she was scared.

Was there really someone out there who wanted to kill her? She didn't want to die, especially for politics.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in!" She called, from outside, she was surprised why Ahsoka would be knocking, normally, she just walked in as she pleases.

But who she wasn't expecting, was to see Anakin Skywalker walking in.

She turned around to face him, her elbows leant on the balcony as she stared, taking him in.

Seeing Anakin again, after all those years, it did something to her, something she didn't like.

He was incredibly good looking, which made things a lot more complicated, she knew for sure she was attracted to him, but he was a Jedi, and they follow a very strict code, it's why she didn't like him, she hated wanting things she couldn't have, and yet, it was always the things she desired the most.

He was also funny, and charming, and actually had an personality, unlike the other men she was forced to spend her time around.

"Hi, Princess." He greeted, walking towards her. "I wanted to check on you, make sure you weren't murdered, or at least still in your room."

"How did you know where my room is?" She asked him, her brows furrowing in curiosity.

"Padme showed me, my rooms just down the hall." He met her outside, and she turned back around, as he also lent on the railing.

"Oh..." She looked down, obviously his room would be near hers.

Silence surrounded them for a bit longer.

"Uh... I- I wanted to uhm, thank you.." She started, picking at her fingers, why did she feel nervous, Princess Lovisa Amidala was never nervous. "...For saving my life, a lot, today."

"Your highness, it is my duty to protect your life with my own, nothing will happen to you, as long as I can help it." He studied her face, as he licked his bottom lip.

"Oh, right." She looked away from him again.

"Princess, did I say something wrong?" He asked.

"No, you've done nothing wrong." She sighed.

"Then what is the matter?"

She weighed the question in her mind, but eventually, in normal Lovisa fashion, she dove in head first, not caring for consequences.

"Is my life only important to your job?" She asked, and she wanted to kick herself, as soon as the words left her mouth, but she looked back, keeping her eyes on his.

It took Anakin a few seconds to remember that he could speak, but he still could not find the words.

"Of course not." He said, shaking his head as he tried to think of what she said, and then what she meant. "I- Princess-"

"Don't" She held her hand up to him. "Talk to me without my title."

She wanted, no, needed him to care for her as a person, not as an Monarch, not the way as everyone else.

"Lovisa, I do value your life, regardless of who you are, and I do not wish to see harm brought to you, no matter how cruel or exhausting you have been to me, today." He said, truthfully.

She laughed, thinking of what she had really spent the day doing to him, how he had carried her through the village on his shoulder, how he had carried her so effortlessly.

"You have a beautiful smile." Anakin said, enjoying the sound of her laughter, it made him want to become the funniest person in the world, just to hear it.

"What?" She asked, even though she heard what he said, she just wanted to hear it again.

"You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen." He corrected himself.

"Please don't say things like that to me." She rolled her eyes, remembering herself.

"Why not?" He bent his head, as he looked at her.

"Because..... I don't like the way it makes me feel." She blushed.

"It makes you feel bad? Me calling you beautiful?" He was growing more confused.

"No." She whispered, as she looked up at him, her eyes darting to his lips, before back up to his eyes. "The opposite."

She saw how his own cheeks reddened, and so she turned her head from him, looking towards the horizon, at the waterfall, the large span of grass.

"How did you become a Jedi?" She asked, changing the conversation.

"I was discovered, in my home town." He answered. 

"By who?" 

"Master Qui-Gon."

"I met him before." Lovisa nodded. "Where are you from?"

"Tatooine. It's not well known."

"I've heard of it, my father told me about that place, it's very far from the Kingdom." She said, as if he wouldn't already know that.

"Yes, it's a very sandy place. I don't like sand. It’s coarse, it’s rough, and irritating, and it gets everywhere." He said, with disgust.

"Well, I can imagine." She laughed, "But your family, they are here, yes?"

"No, princess." He shook his head. "My mother is still back home, and I never had a father, I haven't seen her since joining the force, ten years ago."

"Oh..." She looked at him, sympathy swimming in her eyes. She loved her mother dearly, she couldn't even think about being so far away from her, for so long. "I presume you miss her terribly."

"Everyday, but the Jedi way, is to have no attachments, no fears, it can cause weakness, but the Jedi code, it's very outdated."

"Yes, I think it is." She nodded.

"So are the rules of being royal, I'm beginning to see."

"Very outdated." She pouted, as she looked away, an annoyed look on her face. "I have no role in life, no job, except to make the King and Queen look good, to be a back up for the throne, in case anything were to happen to the heir, or to marry wisely."

"Marry wisely?" He asked.

"Unlike you, I'm not forbidden from love, but, slim pickings. I can either marry to further my wealth and power, or I can marry for alliance, and neither of them interest me, very much."

"How come?"

"I don't care much for politicians" She waved away. "It's all rather stupid, and so are they, mostly. I'd like to marry someone who I got to know, someone who see's me as someone they can love, not just a step closer to a throne they will never get to sit on. I want to be married to a husband who wakes up everyday and thanks the universe that he was placed on the same planet as Lovisa Amidala, not Princess Lovisa, of Naboo, and the idea that one day my father will ship me off to some foreign land to marry a king, for the sake of the kingdom, terrifies me."

Since he was a child, Anakin had been thanking the universe, everyday, that he was placed on the same planet as the girl who had came to the temple, and told him how bored she was, that her father was in meetings, who had beat him in a spar, and laughed at the fact that she was a few inches taller than him, who had told the other Padawans and younglings to leave them, as they were having lunch together.

Anakin placed a hand on her cheek, his thumb swiping at her soft skin, his blue eyes locked on her hazel ones.

She was staring at his lips again, and he involuntarily licked them.

Every warning in their heads were going off, loud, but they both shut it off, no one was here now, telling them that this was wrong.

Anakin bent his head, grazing his lips across Lovisa's.

She gasped at the touch, and she nodded her head, making it happen again.

“Anyone would be lucky to have your love and devotion, I know I would.” He whispered. “You’ve been on my mind every single day since I’ve met you, Lovisa.”

And then they did it again.

“I missed you, incredibly much, Anakin.” She whispered back to him.

Anakin finally kissed her sweet lips, it was a taste he wanted on his own lips, forever.

The hand on her cheek moved to intertwine in her hair, and the other moved to hold her waist, under the robe.

Lovisa pulled away, leaning her forehead against his.

"Ani..."

But he lifted her head, and she fell, again, closing the gap between them.

Once again, realisation had kicked in, and she hated herself more and more.

"Ani, we can't." She whispered. "You’re a Jedi, and I'm a princess, we have our codes."

"Who cares about that?" He told her, the hand in her hair slightly tightened, before he let go, running his fingers through the dark curls.

"Everyone does. It's- this is forbidden."

"You always break the rules."

That she did, which is why she let him kiss her in the first place, but it was too good to stop, and she didn't want to break her own heart by following her rebellious tendencies, loving something she could never truly have.

"We can't do this." She sighed, "We would both be in incredible amounts of trouble."

"No one has to know, it'll be our secret."

"I don't want to have to hide you, we could never go past just this, secret kisses in the dark, there's nothing else for us, but this."

"And it's not enough?"

"Not from what is expected from me."

“I won’t give up on us.” He promised, his jaw clenched, as his eyes held hers, “I won’t throw what we have away, for stupid rules made hundreds of years ago.”

“Ani, there is no point clinging on to wishes and desires, it won’t change the trajectory of what is real.”

“But this is real, you can feel it, Vis, you know something is there, and I can too, there’s a reason we were brought together again, after all this time.”

“Because someone wants me dead, Anakin, and you are a Jedi, I don’t see that as fate.” She snapped.

“But I do, this is my first solo mission, there are lots of Jedi to choose from, much that are far older and wiser than I, and yet, I was picked for this, that doesn’t feel like a coincidence.”

“The more we lean into this, the harder it will be to come back from it.” She huffed, fed up with his stubbornness.

“Then I will leave the order.” He said.

“Anakin! You cannot! Do not say such foolish things.” She waved him off.

“It is not foolish, Princess.”

“It is, you are the chosen one, you are meant to bring balance to the force, to exceed expectations, you can not be so selfish as to leave for me, besides, you hold no other title, and I doubt you have much wealth, my father would never accept you.” She was being blunt, she knew it was harsh, but he needed to hear it, to come out of his delusions.

“I suppose you are right, your highness” The muscles in his jaw tightened, and she could see how his eyes swam with anger, but he remained steady, presenting himself as calm. “But nevertheless, that does not change how I feel for you, which is deep.”

“You hardly know me.” She scoffed.

“I’ve known you since we were children, and from the moment you pointed me out, you have held my heart in your hands, my heart beats for you, and I didn’t even know your name. I woke up every morning, your face being the first thing I saw in my mind, I waited and hoped that I would be greeted with your presence, once more, and now that I have had the chance to be this close to you, that I have you back in my life, I will not throw away this chance. The universe has finally answered my prayers, and I will not waste the opportunity. I won’t give you up, Lovisa, and I beg that you don’t disregard what I know you feel for me. My very soul yearns for you, and I hope that the kiss we shared will not be the last, that it will not become a scar on my lips.”

Lovisa felt dizzy with his confession, no one had ever spoke to her like that, bared themselves so raw, like this, it was all so new, and so sudden, and she never expected the first boy to properly confess his love for her, to be Anakin Skywalker.

But he was right, she did harbour strong feelings for him, she had never felt this way, it made her nauseous, she quite frankly hated it.

She placed a hand on his cheek, and he leaned into it, and his eyes fluttered shut, he was beautiful, how could anyone possibly compare to him, how was she ever going to move on from this boy, to someone who would never match to any of his qualities?

“I wish things were different, Ani, I wish that there was a life for us, out there, but we live in a reality where it is not, nothing we can do will change that, and it’s time you face it, I’m sorry.”

Then she walked back inside, to hide in her bathroom, for him to leave, as she willed for her own heart to stop racing.

Next

[theactualsunshinechild]

Fontaine archon storyline still has the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever and try to make Mr. "Genocide on a Whim" Childe a Christ figure by somehow trying to sacrifice him to the primordial sea for the sins of all of Fontaine

That's definitely not the plan, but it would be very funny. I love the concept of making completely un-christ-like characters into christ stand-ins.

I just keep thinking about how much opportunity they have to pull off something very biblical here with the whole "born with sin" "flood to cleanse sins" "literally building Noah's ark" "statue of the seven technically holding a cross" "passing final judgment only belongs to one entity" shit they have going on.

The entirety of Fontaine so far is so full of Christian references, whether intentional or not, that they could absolutely Christ-ify Childe if they wanted to! They're like, halfway there, they just need to sacrifice his ass and bring him back to life and they'll check off bingo.

I would be so grateful if they literally killed and revived him. can you imagine how much extra MC level Angst TM they could stuff into this man?

I love giving my most pathetic meow meows the hardest battles.

plus the added moral quandry of "is it right it to kill one guy to save our whole country even though he is not Fontanian and is blessed(???) by the primordial sea whale thing (pure of their inherent fontanian sin, kind of a son of god equivalent moment)? Is it right to do even if he isn't exactly a good person?"

And then of course the fact that the vast majority of the people affected by this decision would probably say yes, hesitantly or not. Like, if it were a guaranteed fix to the prophecy, there is no doubt in my mind that Arlecchino would be willing to nail Childe to the metaphorical cross herself AND cover it up to his family.

Neuvillette would probably consider it unjust, but could maybe potentially be swayed by the weight of just how many lives would be saved vs One Dangerous Criminal argument. (A Christ and Pontius Pilate reference? Childe WAS arrested and tried and found guilty for a crime he didn't commit by a guy who was unwilling, but forced to pronounce him guilty).

Wriothesley would be against the idea of sacrificing someone legally under his care, but if it's that vs everyone else in the fortress??? He would rather it was himself, as hell bent on fixing issues thrown his way as he is, but the man doesn't even know if he's Fontanian or not, he doesn't have the same circumstances surrounding him as Childe does to even offer to stand in his place.

Basically, if it is a guarantee, sacrificing him is simply the most practical choice that most people would make. In fact, out of all the characters we have in Fontaine, I think only the traveler might even bother truly standing up for him to the very end, because everyone else is very Personally affected, since it's their own lives on the line as well.

And that would be heartbreaking

The ANGST of Childe looking around him and seeing no one in his side in the face of impending sacrificial execution would shatter me into pieces.

Oh god, can you IMAGINE a cut scene of Childe being the first person to be sentenced to death in Fontaine in over a century and desperately looking around and meeting the traveller's eyes and we fucking grit our teeth and look away? Can you IMAGINE?!

That would break me.

Anyway, I don't think they'll do it since that's just not how Genshin writes, but it sure would be a missed opportunity.

[pansear-doodles]

its time i talk about the person who left a dent on me

the worst part of my trauma when it comes to it being connected to people i was once close with is that my perspective of what makes of them reminders of them (i do this to anyone im close with- whether it is a symbol or a certain appearance or trait or event)

little bit of serious talk here folks, so i apologize for the unexpected. hope you have the filters.

for most of my internet life, it was almost only me. completely unfiltered. came to deviantart first. became popular at an early age because of what i was doing in the fnaf fandom- it was not good for my mental health.

my groomer has a sona that never changes by design. he's always depicted as an orange fox with black long hair, black beanie and striped jacket. he likes fps games, especially the resident evil series- having associated me with Mia from resident evil 7. he likes fnaf (we met through fnaf... while i was like 14 i think- while he was 9 years older than me). he draws well... i guess. in pokemon form, he would be a jolteon. i would be a pansear. he would be the fox. i would be the rabbit.

as a child i was very impressionate, overly emotional, and cringe (ofc). i would be best friends with my groomer after finding out we shared many common interests and kept talking to each other about it- and then later fess up i have romantic feelings for him.

this would have been the opportunity for him to back up and say no.

but he didn't say no.

we continued off and became a couple. not many people batted an eye on how questionable it was for a 15 year old to be in a relationship with a 24 year old. almost nobody, save for a few concerned friends (and one stranger on Transformice) who i ignored unfortunately, talked it up with me to leave him. i held our relationship as a sort of defense mechanism. i relied on him to make me feel happy. i did a lot of things with him, and including those of the unsavory before i became of age. (i ever regret doing them- but how would i have known- i wasn't the adult here. he was.)

oh and have i mentioned he said the (un)iconic "you're pretty mature for your age." to me

you know whats one of the funniest weirdest shit about our relationship events was? he would show me this club penguin vid where there is a troll making crude remarks and harass someone (presumably a kid). that brotherman bill cp video. he would recite and memorize the song while blindfolded. ironic how he turns out to be in the end.

the wake up call was when he retweeted nsfw of an underage fictional character. seeing that purged my stomach.

yes. it was nsfw of a fictitious minor that was the nail to the coffin. nothing else. i was so delusioned. so troubled. i couldnt see anything else problematic until that happened.

it was so hard for me to let go of him. thankfully i had friends who comforted me and stuck with me through the whole way through. i was on my bed crying.

we've been in close contact for 5 years. i was convincing myself to stay on a doomed relationship because i didnt know what to do- i was already broken and unwell. i was very co-dependent (and i think some of those negative traits still follow me to this day- learning how to get out of that though). my groomer has left a large gap of my mind when we broke off- i revolved so much stuff around him.... and i forgot a lot of memories because of the trauma- taking even the happy unrelated to him ones with it.

i cared too much. and as someone who draws fast- you can imagine how much ive done.

my old files are infested with his likeness. i know i can just delete them but theres so much. so many. it is utterly revolting to see it all and the memories that come with it.

but as time went on, im starting to care less and less about what has happened between us. i am still traumatized of course and a lot of the negative things followed me, but i am healing somewhat and thats what matters i think. most of the things ive associated with him- the connection is fading. i have separated fnaf from him. i no longer associate orange foxes with him. i am comfortable drawing characters in black beanies.

if there is anything i should be grateful for, is that im no longer with him and im happier with someone else. im thankful for the friends who have helped me cope out of that shitfest.

if you know who this person is, i advise you not to witchhunt and harrass him. i dont know what hes doing and honestly i dont give a fuck on how he's doing. he should get help honestly. it is me, myself the victim, who has the say on the matter- and my say is to leave out of his sight.

if you are a minor and someone older than you does these similar things to you, please let your parents and friends know immediately. please be safe.

if my groomer ever reads this, somehow, then to him i say: i am not afraid of you and i do not care about you anymore.

thank you for reading.

[pixxyofice]

hey main tumblr. I've been normal. (Has not been)

Making ocs for the main party is super fun, especially if you like thinking a lot about the dynamics of it. Which I have! A lot!

This is Melodie! They/Them, maybe also drae/draer if I want to be obvious about them. Paper type.

Loop doesn't know who they are...

The funniest backstory ever I have for them is like. In the Hypothetical Reason They Are A Party Member is that in the pre-game canon game, like if it was normal, is that Melodie would be an EXTREMELY missable party member. If you don't talk to a random NPC early in the game they don't pop up later to be talked to and then recruited by Siffrin. In their first appearance in the game they haven't shaved that side of their hair yet.

Their backstory goes like this. They're from the country. you know the one. it's the reason i tagged this as spoilers. They were out of the country for a brief trip in Ka Bue, probably either a study program or to help out with something else. Undecided. On the day they were to return, something... happened to the boats, and they ended up on the continent Vaugarde was in.

A very young teenager, at most, spending time wandering alone. don't think too much about it! haha! this results in them being a lil' awkward, flip flopping between too quiet and too loud in a way that causes them to move on too quick. And then they are 23 (they think), and someone with white hair and an accent kinda like their own approaches them, and... they're with some people they've seen before, they think, the saviors?

and Melodie get introduced. and they want to travel with them more. and they open up. Melodie's still quiet at times, but it's so much easier to open up when people are encouraging and don't hound you for forgetting things that are supposed to be simple. Not in a mean way, anyway.

So by the game's start, they're... a little loud, but in a nice way. Creative. A lil' rambly (a bit much, but always nice to listen to, even if the points go in a bit of circles).

Oh, and, of course, i've thought about THE PARTY DYNAMICS.

Melodie and Mirabelle would be light novel fans together. They make silly poses together to make their lives better and to pose out what the characters are described doing. they laugh about it. They would get into discourse about their favorite characters.

I did mention Melodie was creative, right? Melodie writes some stuff in their spare time, and as one third of the book club, Melodie sometimes is like 'i could use this in my book' and when they say it out loud without meaning to once, Odile takes interest, and now Melodie and Odile have life experiences talk that Melodie can take to adjust things in their lil projects! and also Odile can be the contstructive criticism person.

One thing that helps Melodie out of their shell is that Bonnie is there. to vaguely remind Melodie of some people they can't remember. and be annoying with. And when everyone laughs about it, Melodie does it a lil more!! and bonnie actually does appreciate it! just... not all the way. (reminds them of their sister, too.)

... and...

hi guys i have normal thoughts about these three in particular. many thoughts that get crushed into paste whenever i even try to describe them. Um. I can try though.

Siffrin and Melodie are like. We're similar, but different in ways that makes us seek the other out for company. Our white hair, the way we form words, the small ways we mumble. Melodie breaks out of their shell with a shout, shaking and smiling, while siffrin slides out so slowly. They sit together, and they chat about things they know the others won't get. They remind each other of things forgotten if they remember but the other forgets. they love puns. Siffrin mastered making them, Melodie mastered understanding them and laughing along!! and, of course, the slowly approaching crush that both of them have been festering but have been COMPLETELY ignoring.

Melodie and Isabeau are shopping buddies. Melodie, as a way to get out of their shell, has been getting slightly interested in fashion, and Isabeau is so, SO eager to help out! Along the way this turned into 'get them some new experiences' and 'we make each other better we think about each other all the time we'll encourage each other until our dying breaths.' Melodie started getting used to touch due to Isabeau touching them casually and shouting at him to keep their hand there, and that spreading to the others. Isabeau calls Melodie Mel, and it... hasn't quite spread to the others yet. (Melodie wonders why.) Isabeau admires Melodie for the way they subtly change and Melodie admires Isabeau for the way he has Changed and... of course... the crush they have on him. which is 100% totally unrequited, because he likes Siffrin, and they just HAD to get a crush on someone who already liked someone else!

melodie knows odile is the one isabeau goes to for his own crush. so like, why not follow suit, right? it's not like isabeau likes them back, so it's totally fair. Odile would understand. (odile is the Sufferer)

the most hilarious and fucked up dynamic of three people all in love with each other of all time, i think. (siffrin unaware of both crushes, melodie only aware of the isabeau one, and isabeau aware of both. melodie is also aware of isabeau's crush on siffrin. help them)

I have more I want to say, but... um... getting embarrassed so this is all for now!! um! yay!!! posts this in the tags and flees

[copperbadge]

Re: your Shivad calender,, I hadn't realized that Twelve Points happened so close to Lady and the Tiger. There's something really funny about Alanna and Jerry being like "we're engaged now" and then Eurovision National Finals is happening the Next Weekend. Caleb's life is in crisis and the Duke and Duchess are in the background looking like a settled long-engagement couple. asjskshsk

YES. It wasn't intended at first, but someone pointed it out to me when I was posting Twelve Points and it's super hilarious. If they were ever to turn the Shivadh novels into a tv show or miniseries, every episode would have at least one scene where something hugely dramatic is happening in the foreground while in the background Jerry and Alanna are just there, out of focus and poorly lit, wreaking havoc of some kind.

There's a bit in Twelve Points where Alanna refers to Jerry as her boyfriend, while he's been calling her his fiancee, which makes sense mainly if you understand that they got engaged two hours after first sleeping together and that was like. Four weeks previous. And Alanna is having a perfectly proportionate reaction while Jerry finds it funny to insist they're on the verge of marriage. :D

I actually lampshade the whole situation briefly in Royals/Ramblers:

"I don't mind being married, though. I mean if your grandparents are on you about it," Jerry said. "And maybe you want the big fancy wedding, you know, Bride's Big Day."

"Not really. Do you?"

"No," he said, looking relieved. 

"Then no wedding for now," she said. "Besides, we can always elope."

"Funniest way would be to call each other our fiance our whole lives and then elope when we're seventy," he said. 

"I'd never really thought about it until Eddie brought it up one time," she said, "but as he pointed out, you are really dedicated to the bit." 

"At least I manage to commit to something," he said.

Part of it is funny because I'm deliberately playing into some tropes there, both in romance and in real life -- the protagonists who fall in love super fast, but also the way that royalty have traditionally had of becoming engaged very quickly once they've found a "suitable" match. Alanna and Jerry are incredibly "suitable" for each other -- they're of the same age, education level, and peerage rank, and they both bring significant personal wealth to the marriage. Neither of them want to lean into that life, but they keep getting punted into it by fate. :D "Oh no, I accidentally fell in love super fast with someone my aged relatives will approve of. We are inadvertently going to join two ancient dynasties into one. We got engaged and THEN started dating."

[archivalofsins]

Oh yeah the funniest shit ever-

Mahiru being entirely disinterested in Shidou-

2023/10/24 Shidou's birthday

Mahiru: Shidou-san, you have a family...right? Having family, having children, how does it feel...?

Shidou: ...Yes, it's a wonderful thing. Children are... Well, they're hope itself. When you have children, growing older becomes enjoyable. The more you age, the more your children grow.

Mahiru: Ah...how wonderful. It was my dream to become a bride. It may be a little old-fashioned but, I wanted to make it come true...

Shidou: It's not too late. I will keep you alive, Shiina-kun. Let's get out of here and make that dream come true. ...You still have your whole life ahead of you.

Meanwhile, with Futa-

2024/01/17, Mahiru's birthday

Futa: ......Hey, Mahiru. Are you...doing alright? Isn't there any way you can get better...?

Mahiru: What's wrong, Futa-kun? Yeah, I'm not feeling great... But Shidou-san has been taking care of me all this time. I'm sure if I keep getting treatment like this, I'll get better...

Futa: I see. Continue the treatment, huh... How can you truly be saved, I wonder?

Mahiru: Saved...?? Are you worried about me? ……That's nice of you, Futa-kun. Just thinking that way... Mahiru feels saved already.

Despite Shidou constantly helping her- She has a more positive response to Futa showing concern for her. When he tries to give encouraging words with an undertone of flirting. Since he said let's get out here and make that dream cone true crickets. Again probably because he's not her type and she's stayed this.

20/06/08

Mahiru: Shidou-san…… you’re really good-looking. Personally, I think you’d be better if you ate a bit more, but you’re slim and tall and well put together to boot…… You must’ve been super popular up until now, right?

Shidou: ……yeah, that’s true…… I did my share of fooling around in the past.

Mahiru: Oh~? That’s not the sort of answer I’d expect from you. I’ve got it! Somebody told you that if you replied like that people wouldn’t resent you so much, right?

Shidou: Haha, I’m surprised you guessed. ……it seems that no matter what guise I put on, it’s meaningless against a woman’s insight.

You know who's good with kids reportedly liked by Amane? Mahiru. You know who is a good communicator and on good terms with most in the prison? Mahiru. You know who was able to guess that what Shidou said was due to advice from his wife that helped him because he's usually careless when it comes to personal matters- Mahiru!

"Let's get out of here and make that dream come true."

Meanwhike despite that clear come on when Futa shows comcern someone whom she complained about as no good for being a bully. Well, she started really giving-

"I’m going to start relying on you if you’re kind to me, so please forgive me, thanks!"

Energy if I'm being honest.

"That's nice of you, Futa-kun. Just thinking that way... Mahiru feels saved already."

Meanwhile, Shidou proposing to start a new family like there's still time. Their are lives that need saving mine. I've accepted I can't bring back the dead but maybe I could just start a new family. Meanwhile, Mahiru is just here like "Sorry, I like reciprocity. I want to receive too. So, no... You're still too thin for me on top of that. Meaning I'm just going to politely ignore your advances." And going I already feel saved just from your concern alone to Futa.

These timelines have so many funny implications.

[readyplayerhobi]

Because, I Love You | 09

; Genre: Mild angst

; Word Count: 3k

; Synopsis: According to society, Jeon Jungkook should not be with you. He should be with a younger, hotter and thinner girl instead of wasting his time on you. It’s a good thing Jungkook doesn’t care what society thinks then.

; A/N: Sorry it’s taken so long! This one is from JK’s POV...and we’ll get to see his oh so lovely mom once more! Lemme know what you think by leaving a comment or sending an ask, and please reblog this so more people will get the chance to see it. I’d love to know what you think, and thanks for reading!

; Masterlist

-

Jungkook: I love you

Y/N: I love you? Where did that come from?

Jungkook: Just…wanted to say. Trying to remember that I love my mom too

Y/N: Oh dear

Y/N: What's she done?

Jungkook: I'll tell you later

He knew he couldn't tell you that his mom had invited his high school girlfriend to dinner without his knowledge. You might find it funny, but he was protective of you. The last thing Jungkook wanted was for you to feel hurt, which was silly because you were a grown woman who was even older than him. As you’d told him many times previously - you could take care of yourself. But his mom was his family, which made her his problem. Especially when she was so blatantly against him dating you.

It wasn’t something he’d had to consider previously, said high-school girlfriend had been the only one who’d ever met his parents. And, of course, they’d loved her. Probably because they were both young and innocent, with no real risk of him doing what his mom didn’t want, given he’d been only a teenager.

He’d come to dinner today at the request of his mom, and he’d been the one to suggest that you stay home. The last few times you’d both interacted had been enough to give him a headache, and he didn’t want to put you through any more of her snide comments. They weren’t even sly, some of them were just plain rude.

It had been a few months now since he’d moved out of his parent's house, so he’d just assumed that they were missing him a bit. They’d done the same when his older brother had moved out, so he’d agreed to come tonight to appease them. He should have known something was wrong when his mom had looked around him when he’d come in, the frown on her face unexpected.

And then he’d walked into the living room to see Ji-woo, the girl he’d dated throughout high school. His first love. The girl he’d broken up with because they were going to college across the country from each other, and neither wanted to limit the other. They’d made a promise to meet up again after college, and if there was still a spark then they’d try again as adults, older and wiser.

He’d forgotten all about it until his mom had started bringing it up a few weeks ago. Jungkook had ignored her, thinking she was just reminiscing in yet another particularly callous way. Now, he knew why she’d brought it up.

“Is there something wrong, Jungkook? You know I don’t like phones at the table.” His mom tuts, shaking her head at him admonishingly before scooping some spiced rice onto her spoon. If he wasn’t looking closely at her, then he wouldn’t notice the twitching of her left eye. But he is, and he does see it. 

She’s annoyed at him, that he’s texting at the dinner table. No, that’s wrong, it’s not that he’s texting. It’s that she knows who he’s texting.

Sighing deeply, he lets his head fall forward slightly and wonders how it had managed to get to this point. Why was his mom so against you? You were the sweetest, kindest and funniest person he knew. The absolute light of his damn life at the moment. He’d never loved someone so much in his life, he wasn’t even sure if it was normal how much he loved you.

The sight of you made his chest ache sometimes, and the sound of your voice made him smile instantly. You were the love of his life, but also his best friend. He genuinely couldn’t imagine life without you anymore, which might sound a bit extreme. So he was still in the honeymoon phase of the relationship, sue him, which made it all the more painful that his mom hated you. 

Why couldn’t she see the beautiful, smart and kind woman that you were? The woman who brightened his day just by existing?

For God’s sake, he’d read enough Reddit threads to know that this type of scenario often broke relationships. He didn’t want to be the mommy’s boy who couldn’t see the damage his mom was doing to his relationship, to his life. But he also didn’t want to cut his mom out of his life.

He loved his mom, too. Even if it was hard to remember that right now.

“Did you know that Ji-woo is in med-school now? She’s aiming to be a paediatrician.” His mom says with a bright smile, looking over at his ex with genuine happiness. Ji-woo looks back with a shy smile, bowing her head to hide her face from his mom’s praise. She’d always been sweet and humble, so it wasn’t surprising that she wasn’t flaunting her achievements right now.

“Oh, that’s cool. Well done, you always said you wanted to be a doctor. I’m glad it’s working out for you.” Jungkook says politely, not wanting to come off as an asshole. He has no ill will towards her, and he certainly doesn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable once she realises that she’s being a pawn in whatever fucked up game his mom is playing. But he also doesn’t want to make it seem like he’s interested.

Because he’s not.

“Thanks, I wasn’t sure I was going to get into med school after college. I came back once I graduated and…well I delayed a year before applying. Took some time to decide what I truly wanted and…here I am.” Ji-woo smiles at him, and he takes a moment to look over her face more carefully. It’s been years since he’s last seen her, and he marvels at how she’s grown into her face and her body in that time.

No doubt it’s the same for her when it comes to him. But there’s a difference between them both. He can practically see the subtle hope in her, that he’ll finally come back and make good on his promise. Jungkook knew that she was interested in him, he’d seen the way she’d looked him up and down, focusing on his tattoos and his face. A new interest - he sincerely doubted she was still in love with him after all this time.

Or, he hoped so anyway.

“Well, I’m glad it’s working out for you.” Jungkook said politely, filling his mouth with curried chicken to avoid having to talk more. Didn’t work, of course.

“Your mom said you’d gone into video games, right? An animator? That’s really cool, you always were really passionate about games.” There’s an awkward pause as Jungkook gives her a neutral smile, before turning his gaze over to his mom. Narrowing his eyes at her, and wondering how long she’d been in contact with his ex.

He didn’t even want to think about what she’d been feeding Ji-woo, and he scowled at his glass of water. Why did she always have to be messing around like this? She was just making his life complicated at this point.

“Yeah, that’s right. Moved companies a few months ago. It’s not nearly as interesting as it looks, trust me. This is really nice, mom. Did you see it on one of those Facebook recipe pages again?” He asks, trying to deflect the conversation away from himself. Jungkook felt awful, but he just didn’t want to talk to Ji-woo, especially about himself.

“Oh, it’s from Ji-woo’s mom! We’ve been talking a lot lately and reminiscing about when you were both teenagers, and how cute you were together. She’s been experimenting with food lately and swore this was something she thought you’d like. I’ll let her know that you enjoyed it, she’ll be so happy.” His mom smiles brightly at him, before looking over at Ji-woo and giving her the same bright smile.

Jungkook just grips his fork even tighter as he internally curses. She was talking with Ji-woo’s mom, and about the past?! For fuck’s sake, he couldn’t deal with this. All this goddamn meddling, was she trying to piss him off and alienate him?

Something about his expression must have given away his feelings, and his dad had obviously picked up on it as he clears his throat. It almost makes Jungkook laugh at how clearly awkward he looks, but he appreciates the attention being taken away from him. His dad knows how tense things are between him and his mom, alongside his mom clearly doesn’t like you. Jungkook feels sorry for how his dad has to feel like he needs to act as an intermediary between everyone, though he is thankful for it.

“It is good, dear. Make sure to eat up, Jungkook, otherwise your mom will chew my ear off later about you not eating well. I’ve put some of the leftovers into a tub for you to take back to Y/N, as well. I’m sure she’ll like it, too.” 

Jungkook swears he can feel the air freeze in the room at his dad’s words. His mom glares at him, her lips pressing together and cheeks flushing slightly. It makes Jungkook’s hands go clammy at the sight, knowing that she’s angry. He never liked it when his mom was angry.

“I will, she’ll love it. Let me just text her and let her know not to make anything for dinner. Thanks, dad.” He smiles at his dad, nodding slightly and noting the slight nod in return. It’s not lost on him that his son’s girlfriend isn’t here and his high school ex-girlfriend is, nor that his wife has been chatting up said ex-girlfriend’s mom.

Glancing back across the table, Ji-woo looks exceptionally awkward as she eats a piece of broccoli slowly. Any sense of pleasure he had at seeing his dad taking his side disappears as he remembers how she’s just being a pawn in his mom’s shitty game. It wasn’t her fault this was happening, and Jungkook felt guilty for her being stuck here.

He looks directly at her and gives her a reassuring smile.

“Sorry, Y/N is my girlfriend. She was busy so couldn’t make it tonight.” He tries to say it in a friendly tone, keeping his voice light to not make it seem like he’s rubbing it in. If his mom is any indication lately, he wouldn’t have put it past her to make up that he was wanting some kind of star-crossed lovers reunion.

Sure enough, Ji-woo looks startled at his words and she glances at his mom. There’s a slight quiver in the hand holding her spoon, and Jungkook remembers her facial expressions well enough to recognise the signs of hurt. Dammit, he didn’t want to hurt her, even if he also didn’t want anything to do with her anymore.

“She wasn’t invited anyway,” His mom says, her voice surprisingly simple compared to her cruel words. “I was hoping this might spur something between you both if I’m being honest. But that’s clearly ruined now.”

“Mom!” Jungkook blurts out, his eyes widening in shock at how blatantly rude she’s being. She ignores him, though, and just glares at his dad. Wincing slightly, Jungkook knows that he’s in for a tough time tonight for ruining her carefully laid plans. Though what she thought was going to happen, is beyond him.

Did she think he’d meet his ex and just break up with you instantly? Maybe she thought that he’d cheat on you or something. Whatever she thought, she was clearly out of her damn mind.

“Mom, stop it,” Jungkook looks over at Ji-woo and gives her a strained smile, shrugging slightly. “I’m really sorry, Ji-woo. I didn’t even know you were gonna be here. I’m so sorry, I can’t even imagine how awkward this must be for you. In case it wasn’t obvious, my mom doesn’t like my girlfriend, though I didn’t think she’d do this.”

Now he looks back at his mom and glares, shaking his head in disgust.

“Seriously? I was willing to leave tonight and just try to forget whatever the hell this was, but not now. Not when you’re being so damn mean. I love you, mom, but I don’t love this version of you.” Standing, Jungkook takes his plate and stalks into the kitchen.

The Tupperware of leftovers that his dad had made was cooling on the side, its lid not fully closed to let it cool quicker. Glaring at it, which was stupid because it wasn’t like it had done anything to him. It’s just the principle of it all, and he needs someone to be angry at right now. Or something, rather.

Scraping the remnants of his dinner into the bin, and cursing the fact that he’d only eaten half of it, he doesn’t even hear the footsteps as they come into the kitchen.

“Jeon Jungkook, you are being very rude right now. There is no need for you to be acting like this, you’re a grown adult. I thought it would be nice for you and Ji-woo to catch up, you were so good together in high school and she’s doing so well in life, right now. Her mom thinks highly of you, too.” His mom has no sense of self-preservation, though he can’t exactly blame her. He’d always been the pinnacle of a good boy whilst growing up, so she’d never really experienced him being angry or annoyed.

Clenching his jaw, he ignores her as he moves past and heads over to the sink. It’s ridiculous that he’s stood here, washing his damn plate whilst his mom gives him whatever version of a self-righteous talk she’s conjured up to justify her behaviour. But he knows that if he just leaves without cleaning the damn thing, then she’ll just use it against him. At least this way, she won’t be able to hold this over his head.

He’s being a good son, even if she’s not being a good mom right now.

“Jungkook! Look at me when I’m talking to you.”

Placing the dish on the drying rack, he wipes his hands clean before letting them rest on the counter and lowers his head. He loves his mom, he does. 

“Mom, please stop. Just…please. I don’t want to argue right now. Hell, I don’t want to argue full stop. Just…I’m going home. Don’t say anything, don’t try to convince me to stay or anything.” Turning around, he looks down at her and shakes his head in disappointment.

“Jungkook, wait.” She reaches out, her palm towards him and he avoids her touch before skirting around her. Grabbing the Tupperware, he locks it before heading out the door and to the hallway. He’s in the process of shoving his feet into his shoes, his jacket already on when Ji-woo shuffles in from the dining room. She looks so awkward that he almost wants to hug her, just to make her feel a bit more comfortable. But that would be a dumb thing to do.

“I’m sorry you’ve been dragged into this. I’m happy you’re doing well, and that you’re in med school and all that, I am. I’m sorry we didn’t keep our promise after college, and I’m sorry for whatever my mom has told you. I don’t know what that is, but I can guess. I have a girlfriend, we’ve been together for over a year and we live together now. My mom doesn’t like her, because…I don’t know. She’s not a bad person, she’s my favourite person and I love her. I’m sorry you’ve ended up in the middle of all this, I can only imagine what my mom was thinking was gonna happen. I hope you don’t take this personally, but as nice as it was to see you…I hope I don’t see you again. Not because I don’t like you, but…it’s too awkward and clearly, my mom will not be able to act normal if we became friends again.” He trails off, feeling unsure of what else to say to get across his feelings.

Jungkook doesn’t want to hurt Ji-woo, but he doesn’t want to give her whatever false hope his mom has been whispering into her ear. She deserves a lot better than whatever shit show was going on here.

For a moment, Ji-woo says nothing. Standing awkwardly with her shoulders hunched and one hand on her elbow, he feels even worse about this whole situation. Which is ridiculous, because he didn’t engineer it.

But then she surprises him by taking a deep breath and straightening her shoulders, tilting her head up and giving him a small smile. Any traces of that teenage girl he’d once loved are gone, and he’s glad to see confidence in her. He did love her at one point, after all.

“It’s okay, I’m sorry for…well, being a part of this. I’m clearly in the middle of something and I don’t want to be. I had no idea you have a girlfriend, and I would never want to try and lead you on. You were always loyal, and I can only imagine how great she is if you’re serious about her. I hope you’re happy.” Moving towards him, she reaches out and rests a hand on his arm. There’s nothing weird about it, and he lets her do it. 

“Thanks…I hope you are too. It was nice, if awkward, to see you again.” He laughs, rubbing the back of his neck before smiling and grabbing the Tupperware.

The sight of his mom coming down the hall makes him rush out the door, unlock his car and jump into it as fast as he can. It’s not lost on him that this is your car, given you’d been blocking him in on the driveway. 

Jungkook wasn’t sure if you were going to laugh at this whole situation when he tells you, or roll your eyes. Maybe you’d even get angry. At the very least, he’s got some curry to bribe you with.