#they call you out but it raises both counters XD

[firebirdsdaughter]

klh;kszugfh i;awealsghrlkqw

You can boop yourself.

[vasyandii]

Hi :P

(Fun storytime: I was actually drafting this when I received your ask hahahahah)

I like Nak (and her relationship wih Krueger) a lot <3 and your drawings always make me smile, you have a great sense of humour, the way you colour is very warm and inviting, and how you portray those two sillies always crack me up

Had some questions!

1- Is Nak superstitious?

2 - Does Nak every cook for Krueger? Do they cook together? Do they cook each other food from their respective cultures? Do they enjoy it? (is Krueger useful or useless in the kitchen? :P)

3- Does Nak have a favourite insult/swear word?

I'll come back for more for sure :P keep it up, love!

Hiiiii Thank you so much for the Ask and the kind words!! I'm really glad that you like how I portray the two! I'll try my best to answer the questions!

It makes me really excited to get asks about Nak or KruegerNak, keep them coming >:33!!

1.) Is Nak superstitious?

Yes! She doesn't believe in like western superstitions (knocking on wood, etc.) Because she isn't raised on it. Nak is, however, more superstitious in terms of her culture; she doesn't like people's feet being near pillows, covers Krueger's mouth when he's whistling at night. She's not scared of many things but she's TERRIFIED of ghosts and spirits so she feels that doing these things will attract them to her. (Literally clinging onto Krueger while watching Thai scary movies)

2a.) Does Nak ever cook for Krueger? (I'll split these into multiple sections so it's an easier read :3)

Nak is usually the one who cooks for the both of them! She enjoys cooking and domestic work as a stress reliever, plus she likes taking care of him by making him food, it makes her feel cute to be taking care of someone :D

2b.) Do they cook together?

Nak cooks in a way that doesnt need much help; clean and quick. She prefers that Krueger isn't in the kitchen (maybe watching her over the counter) while she cooks because she doesnt want to get distracted with feeding him little bits and pieces of the meal as it's getting made; doesnt want him to get full quickly. Krueger helps with taste testing occasionally (he sneaks bites) so they're both involved with the cooking process in a way

2c.) Do they cook each other food from their respective cultures? Do they enjoy it? (Is Krueger Useless in the kitchen?)

Nak has tried Krueger's cooking before and honestly? She doesn't know how he's not dead from sodium overdose. He's not...bad at preparing and chopping, however he tends to over season or under season things. He makes a killer Apple strudel, though; Nak likes it, not too sweet.

-Calling over the kitchen counter, "You good over there or do I need to bring out the fire extinguisher?"

-"All good."

-"Make sure too not put the heat too high."

- "Relax, I got this. I'm finishing up anywa-" The smoke detector started blaring, followed by a series of curses as Krueger ran over to shut it off.

As for Krueger.. This man eats so much Lao food living with Nak he might as well be Lao himself. Nak tries to cook seperate meals for Krueger of stuff he's used to but ultimately stops when he kept stealing food off her plate even if it's too spicy for him.

3.)Does Nak have a favorite insult/ swear word?

Nak goes through phases of favourite swear words, but she likes Russian or Arabic swear words alot since alot of people in Allegiance speak Russian or Arabic xD

☆If you made it this far you've made it to the end of the post! Thank you so much for reading my brainrot :D

<3 Asks and reblogs are always appreciated!

[ikeromantic]

You already know I can't resist making just one celebration request so Could I pretty please with a cherry on top get Sasuke, Beauty 🥰? Thank you in advance, and congratulations on 1k followers (lol I said subscribers on my other ask, like your blog is a literary otome magazine 😆) Cheers to another 1k followers!

Hehehe you know I didn't even catch that. An otome literary fanzine would be pretty cool though. There probably already is one and I just don't know about it xD Well, anyway, here's some adorable Sasuke being too sweet for approx. 800 words.

Sasuke pushed aside another branch and waved away the cloud of gnats that flew into the gap. This trip was turning into quite the hike unexpectedly. But the road he intended to take was washed out and now he and Mai were forging their own path through the valley. On a map, it looked like a shortcut but in reality, it was kilometers of thick undergrowth that took a lot of time to navigate.

“Are we there yet,” Mai called from behind him. She was breathing hard but still smiling, her cheeks red with effort and the heat of a summer afternoon.

“It depends on what you mean by there,” the ninja countered. 

She laughed and stopped for a moment, leaning against a tree. “That wasn’t philosophical.”

Sasuke’s lips twitched into the ghost of a smile. “Oh? Well if we’re being literal . . . I guestimate another hour of this before we’re around the blockage and back on the road. Maybe two.”

“Ugh. Well, it’s not like we can call an Uber. I just hope there’s a bath and a really soft bed at the other end of this.”

“The odds of both are high.” Sasuke let her pass under the branch he held and then let it go. He hoped he was right about the town they were headed to. It was technically a work trip, so amenities were not a guarantee. If the facilities were lacking, he would make it up to her, he thought. 

Spoiling Mai was one of his favorite hobbies. Right up there with hanging out with his BFF and fanboy-ing the warlords. He knew all of her favorite foods, the bands she liked (but couldn’t listen to anymore), tv shows (same), colors, fabrics and . . . other things.

“Hey. Why are you smiling like that?” She glanced at him over her shoulder, catching him in the middle of a naughty grin. 

“No reason.” He pushed his glasses up on his nose and sped up to walk in front again. The smile stayed put as he navigated past thorn bushes and found paths around clusters of brush. 

They found the road again just as the sun began to set. It looked like they would arrive in town just after dark. Hopefully early enough to get a good meal and that bath he knew Mai would want. 

As they stepped out onto the smooth, packed dirt, she went a little ahead of him. Mai stretched up on her toes, reaching toward the blushing sky. Her hair hung in a braid, with the loose bits sweat-stuck to her forehead and the nape of her neck. A few leaves and twigs stuck out from her hair and clothes, and mud stained her hem. Sasuke was certain he’d never seen a more beautiful woman. 

“You are giving me a look again.” She dropped her hands to her hips. 

“Can’t help it.” The golden light set off the tint of her skin and made her eyes glow. He still couldn’t understand how a woman like her fell for a man like him. But he was so glad she had. Sasuke closed the distance between them in a few steps. “I can’t take my eyes off you.”

Mai blushed, staining her cheeks an even darker hue. “You’ve been spending too much time with Shingen. Are you going to ask me if I’m a thief next?”

“A thief?”

“Yeah, because I stole your heart.” 

Sasuke laughed. “No. You can’t steal something when I gave it to you already.” Which was also probably something Shingen could say. Well, you couldn't top the flirt-master. He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. “I love getting to look at you every day.”

“Even when I’m filthy and sweaty and probably covered in bugs and dirt?” She raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Especially then. You’re like a wild forest fairy today. Though, I don’t believe in fairies. But the fairy is an accurate comparison, as a literary device to denote -”

Mai kissed him, silencing the lecture with her sweet, salty lips. When she pulled back, she tapped him on the nose. “Sometimes you explain too much. You can stop at ‘fairy’.”

Sasuke felt his heart skip a beat at the love in her eyes right then. He chuckled and nodded. “Noted.” His thumb stroked her knuckles on the hand he still held. “Can I kiss you again?”

“Hmmm. I don’t know. Let’s weigh the pros and cons.” She nibbled her lower lip thoughtfully. “Pros, you are a really good kisser. And I like being kissed. That about covers it. Then cons. The cons are -” Mai paused. “Well, actually, I can’t think of any cons.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” When he kissed her again, he felt as if he were flying. All of his tiredness disappeared in the softness of her lips and the feel of her in his arms.

[wolfgirl-valentine]

Dreamling Week 2023 Thursday 8 - Jealousy / One Night Stand

(EDIT: I make a HUGE mistake when writting this, but I’m going to leave it like that xD)

This wasn't the White Horse, nor the New Inn, but it was an interesting place on its own; ever since their relationship has evolved into a romance, Hob has insisted on taking him "on dates", a proper courtship, even if he had insisted it wasn't necessary.

But he would be lying if he said he didn't like it, even if he wouldn't admit out loud he was a romantic at heart, and he finds it sweet that Hob chooses carefully places that may be interesting for him.

Sometimes though, Dream asks him to take him to places that he had enjoyed in the last years, wanting to experience the same things Hob did in his long absence.

They have talked, about Dream time in Fawney Rig basement, about Hob wild years thinking he have ruined everything between them, so Dream can see what Hob was trying to find in a place like this, and even if a spark of guilt still make his core shrink on itself, Hob insisted that this place had positive memories for him.

"Sometimes you need someone to hear you out, sometimes you need to let everything go, and this place have always been a safe zone to take unsafe decisions" they were at the bar, nursing drinks with lewd names under neon lights, the music loud enough to make everything else disappear, but not enough to not hear each other. 

This wasn't the bar to come and pass the time with your friends with beer and greasy food, this one was the kind of place you come to let yourself go for a while, forget the everyday problems and maybe found a dalliance for a night.

“And you come here to drink yourself unconscious because I was an arrogant fool the last time we saw each other” he didn't want to let that out, but it seems that since he began to ‘communicate’ his feelings to Hob he was unable to stop.

“Hey no, we talked about that already, all forgiven, and you weren't responsible for my poor decisions anyways.” Hob takes his hand over the counter and Dream grasps back.

Just as he was about to talk again a voice interrupted them.

“Ronnie? is that you??” A tall pale man clad in black approaches them, a big smile on his black painted lips.

“Oh, hey, it's been a while…” Hob seems unable of hiding his confusion

“You don't remember me right?” 

“...no, sorry mate” Hob gives the man an embarrassed smile

“ouch” the man didn't seem upset thought, more amused than anything “Hoped I left a more everlasting impression, you certainly did” a frigid sensation crawled up Dreams back, making him sat straighter, he didn't like the man flirtatious smile “name’s Julian, thought you called me something different that night”

That statement seems to give Hob some clarity, his expression tuning from surprise to realization “Oh! yes! I remember now, it’s really been some time, 5-6 years?”

“Something like 7, damn! you don’t look a year older, you lucky bastard”

“Good genetics lucky me!”

The ugly beast that has taken residency in Dream chest chose that moment to let itself show.

“Excuse us, we were having a conversation.”  The glacial tone makes the sentence impossible to pass as polite.

Hob looks at him amused, which only makes him frown, the man, Julian looks at him with curiosity, before his expression turns to surprise.

“Oh is this…” but Hob interrupts him

“This is Dream, my partner” he looks back at Dream “And this is Julian, we meet here years ago”

“Wait” the man sounded confused “That's his actual name?” as Dream glares at him the man raises his hands in a placating gesture “no offense! I just thought that it was a nickname” Dram looked back at Hob, a raised eyebrow in obvious question.

“I’ll tell you the whole history later love” this placate him, a little.

“Well I’ll let you at it” The man smiles a last time at both of them “It was good seeing you again!”

“I’ll say the same but I don’t want more trouble than the one I’m already in” They both chuckled before the man walked away.

When Hob looks at Dream the dreamlord is glaring at the poor man 

“Stop that please” the glare redirects to him “What?”

“You had sex with him” a statement

“Yes, years ago, a one night thing, nothing serious”

“He wished it would been serious”

“As cute as you are being all jealous, yes you are, stop glaring at me it doest work on me, as I said, as cute as you are being right now, it means nothing, I didn't even remember the poor guy name, he doesn’t deserve whatever you are planing”

“I’ll determinate that”

“Dream” Hob put his hand on his check, making him look at his eyes”Didn't you notice?” at Dream confused expression he continues” Tall, thin, pale, all in black? I have to admit he had a wilder hairstyle back then, hair tips in all directions” 

As Dream eyes clear in understanding Hob continues

“That night all those years ago, I was drunk and lonely, missing you like a lost limb, I see him in the multitude and decided that pretend was enough, the reason I don't remember his name was because I never said it,  I was physically with him, but my heart was with you, which sounds horrible but he knew what I wanted back then and accept it, honestly I think he was more jealous of you”

“As he should be” Dream said, placing his hand over Hobs

“You are unbelievable ” Hob chuckled again, moving forward to kiss him, Dream met him halfway, reciprocating enthusiastically, hoping the man was still watching, knowing he would never have Hobs heart, as it belongs to him.

[tiredassmage]

1 & 2 for tyr!

Literally probably the most deserving and in-need of being rolled up into a pile of blankets like a burrito. Give him a raise. Assign him a nap. (Wholesome oc questions) Maybe it's not therapy, but, hey. xD

1 - What is there go-to comfort food?

Food questions are the bane of my picky-eater existence, lol, fun fact. (Additional bonus, don't take me out unless I can order chicken tenders lol). Anyway! I couldn't call him particularly culinary-inclined, but I think there remains much to be said for the gentle ritual of a slow-cooked stew. Possibly influenced by coming home from work tonight to the crockpot on the counter. Half of the almost ritually calming part of this endeavor would be having the time to make it himself, tbh. He's such a stubborn bastard to convince to take time off, but... it's nice. Once you convince him, you've won the real battle. The rest is just enjoy getting him out of his work for as long as possible, lol.

2 - Give them a warm drink of your choice, what would it be? Would their choice differ from yours?

Handing him hot chocolate. I'm not particularly into alcoholic beverages - one part effort, time, etc, into cocktails/mixed drinks and mostly just because I don't partake often enough to sink time and ingredient holding into the things I enjoy when I go out, so my offering is likely to just be the general classic. Those like. ones you melt down in your cup though with the chocolate and marshmallows are amazing and half the fun is melting and stirring yourself (bonus for starting with chocolate milk? I like my chocolate, okay), so that'd be my choice.

Tyr's more likely add a little extra kick if serving himself. Something like an Irish Coffee, maybe? Or just spiking the hot chocolate, tbh. Cutting alcohol though, I could also see him going for a warm cinnamon apple cider. That, we could both get behind.

There was this one local place when I lived in the northeast 'States that had BANGING cider and I MISS IT SO MUCH.

I can be wooed by things containing rum, it seems, if he's interested in luring me instead though, lol. That seems to be the common culprit in my mixed drink preferences.

We'll not speak of how many tabs these took me to answer lknaldsfndsalkfnlsdf. (I'm not counting them, you can't make me)

[minachan95]

And it seems that Mina has too much fun on current WIP xD

Yup, Shiki embarrasses Akira. And it's amusing to see facepalming Akira like "This is why we cannot have nice things.... Can't have this shit in Detroit,-er, in <insert any city they are currently staying>"

So, here's a quick preview of incoming chapter:

-------------------------

Another hour has passed. Finally, these travelers arrive at local hotel. More importantly, fortunately for them, there is even a small shop close to it.

Perhaps that might be a good place to settle for a few days or at least until Shiki’s scar will heal and it would be safe to remove the suture. That’s why even if Shiki would try to change the location, he can be easily restrained or take down before he’ll calms down. Or so Akira thinks to himself as he fixes the collar of his coat and opens the door.

Just by the fancy, old traditional styled interior, which was common before the war only in highest quality hotels, and the atmosphere alone, it’s obvious that cheap criminals nor average citizens can afford even to stand in such place.

For now, Akira slightly shruggs and addresses the dark-haired man “We should leave. There is no way we’ll be able to stay here without getting questioned”.

Shiki only closes his eyes and replies “Hmph. You worry too much.”.

The silver-haired male only watches how the arrogant man approaches the receptionist table. “Don’t blame if I didn’t warn you, you idiot.” Or so he murmurs.

Meanwhile, the receptionist is genially concerned about his safety and life as he notices that both sketchy incomers openly carries a dangerous weapon. It doesn’t help that one of them is freely approaches him as it’s his own home.

Therefore, despite raising fear, the trembling man remains polite and holds his hands “I’m terribly sorry to inform you, sir. Unfortunately, we don’t have vacant rooms.”.

It seems that his warning is useless, and the red-eyed swordsman slams his hand on the counter and stares at him.

“Sir, I may ask you to leave. If you resist, I may also have no other choice than call the security.” Or so the poor worker adds. While forcing himself to smile, the receptionist’s one hand moves under the counter. Yet, he hesitates to press the alarm button.

After Shiki picks something from his pants’ pocket, he tosses it on the counter “How much do you want?”.

The bewildered man’s heart suddenly drops to heels as he stares at the thick pile of bills. At the moment, it’s impossible for him to comprehend what just happened and how he is still alive.

“I won’t repeat twice. Give us the key to our room.” Or so the dark-haired man briefly demands.

In the meantime, Akira only facepalms “You fool… Was that really necessary?”.

Yet, Shiki remains unhinged and snaps the keys to their new room from the receptionist, and turns his head toward the blue-eyed male.

As Akira rolls his eyes, he walks towards the counter and nags on the delighted swordsman “Was that all really necessary? You should be glad that we’re not kicked out.”.

“Now you have a place to stay. So, don’t complain.” Or so, the dark-haired man backfires.

In the end, Akira only sighs and before leaving the reception room, he nods and silently apologizes for Shiki’s behavior.

[emperor-palpaminty]

A 27 with drunk Hunter please, if you don't mind. XD

I assume this is a giggly kiss, but i also posted a different prompt which would have made this a "seriously, I love them?" moment. so let's do both!

You weren't always comfortable with the energy at Cid's joint. The nights were always too active for you, lights too bright, and you were constantly worried about Omega wandering off or getting lost among the patrons.

You took another sip of your drink, glancing at the crowd gathering in the place. Omega was in bed, and Wrecker and Echo had already gone to bed. Tech was assisting behind the bar, while Hunter... Well...

"Hey," The soldier leaned on the bar, a smile slipping on his face. A cup was gripped in his hands, and one- just one- sleeve of his civvie shirt was rolled up. "Have I told you- oh, sorry-" He apologized after setting down the drink too hard.

"Who are you apologizing to?"

"This." Hunter tapped on the counter. You sputtered a giggle behind your cup as Hunter continued talking. "Anyways, have I told you how pretty you are?"

You watched him, observing him. Being as sensitive as he was to everything, he got tipsy too easy and drunk easier. You glanced down the bar at Tech. "Tech, cut him off."

"Already did," The clone called, and Hunter snorted. "Don't listen to him, dear, darling," He tried to stand on his own and over corrected, half-stumbling, and grinned. "He's jealous."

You grinned at him, turning in your stool. "Of you?"

"Yeah, cuz you're my gal." He leaned in, close, smiling, and sighed happily.

You pressed a hand to his forehead and pushed him back gently, standing. "Let's get you to bed. And a shower."

Hunter grinned, letting you tuck an arm under his shoulders. "Mm, I love ya,"

"Ahh, keep it down-"

Hunter shushed you back, raising his voice. "My gal is the PRETTIEST in the GALAXY."

"Mmkay, go to bed, and you can tell me again tomorrow. Quieter." You walked him through the back, smiling apologetically at Cid, who whispered for you to keep him shut up.

"He's gonna run off all my customers."

"Sorry, Cid. I'm working on it." You tugged your boyfriend up towards the backroom where your crew had settled.

You set Hunter down on his bunk, where he was leaning up, lips puckered, and you sighed, finally leaning down and pecking him. His lips were warm and still tasted like the whiskey he must have chugged downstairs. Probably just a couple of shots.

Lightweight.

You tugged back, sighing as he leaned up for another kiss. He was your lightweight, at least, you laughed and pecked him. "Come on. Let's get you to bed."

Your hands pulled at his shirt and Hunter gave a strangled cry. "No," He pushed at you gently. "You're nice, but I just, I'm..." He stopped, glancing away, and then looked at you, drunken courage filling his eyes. "I am a taken man."

A laugh escaped your throat. You leaned your head back, stifling your cackling with your hand. This was you man, the love of your life, sitting here, defending his virtue from the likes of you. "Oh, do you?" You tugged a shirt from the military trunk at the end of his bed. "What's she like?"

"She's... Perfect." Hunter smiled, eyes drooping as he slumped back. There was silence for a moment and you tugged a pair of loose breeches out for him. "I'm gonna marry her," He finally breathed.

Your head whipped back to him. "Are you really?"

"Yeah." He paused, running the thought in his head, and then nodded again, a soft laugh escaping his lips as he rolled over. "Yeah, I am."

You watched him fall asleep and you smiled, leaning down and kissing his temple, watching him ease into a deeper sleep. That was just the drink talking... Right? You kind of hoped not. You decided to leave the clothes out on the edge of the bed for him to change into when he woke up and you left him on his own, electing to go sleep with Omega in her bunk.

Hunter had a heart attack the next day when he saw his clothes out, hoping you hadn't found the small pouch with the small ring he had carved and sanded down himself.

[x-reader-theater]

Would you be able to write Aaron Hotchner x male!reader where the reader is super oblivious to real flirting and still somehow has many innuendos, relatively formal/innocent on the outside but a complete ho on the inside and has bad daddy issues ?

Points if Hotch gets angry/frustrated after a while...

Since I don't write NSFW requests, this is going to be a fade to black. Also, not comfortable with a daddy kinks so I'm not sure how the daddy issues came across. @mystic-writes still edits for me even with shit like this XD love you even more for that tho

Warnings: Depictions of making out, pre sex, and some lewd remarks.

"What's a guy like you doing in a place like this?" you hear someone behind you ask. Turning around, you see a tall, blonde man with blue eyes leaning over you, and you gulp.

"I-I uh, my friend- he-" you start to say but the words get caught in your throat.

"So, you don't have a boyfriend?" he asks and you look around, slightly scared. "Because I can show you a real good time…"

"Babe! Who's this? Is he bothering you?" you hear someone say, and your heart stops in your chest. He has to be the most attractive man you've ever seen, at least ten to twenty years older than you, and you feel yourself already reacting to just him coming to your rescue. His hair is as dark as his eyes, and each strand is perfectly put into place. He's wearing a pressed suit that fits him perfectly, hugging everything just right, accentuating what you assume to be perfectly sculpted muscles. Even for his age, he looks fit and extremely attractive. In fact, his age only adds to that.

"I thought you said you didn't have a boyfriend?" the man asks, anger tinting his voice as he leans over you even more.

You whimper and lean into the man playing your boyfriend when he puts an arm around you. "He never said that. Now get away from my boyfriend or we're gonna have problems."

You shiver and his words go right to your groin. You lean into him even more and the blonde man huffs and stalks away. You sigh and turn to your savior, smiling as you say, "Thank you."

He takes his arm from your shoulders and sits down next to you, ordering a beer for both himself and you, before saying, "It's no problem, really."

You nod and smile as you accept your beer and take a small sip. "So, what are you doing here?" you ask and the man frowns. "I just mean, you don't look like the typical bar hopper." You gesture to the throng of club-goers all dressed in mesh and neon and short shorts, and you look back at the man in his amazingly handsome suit.

"You don't either," he says with an eyebrow raised and you look down at your jeans and t-shirt.

"Oh- uh, well, I didn't really want to come, but my friend convinced me and…" you look out at the crowd of people as you say this and you sigh when you don't see them, "it looks like they ditched me. They were my ride…" you mutter.

"Maybe I can give you a ride home?" he asks, and you look up at him, feeling your face heat up and your eyes widen as he says this. He places a hand on your thigh and leans in, whispering, "And maybe I can help with that problem you seem to be having?"

You look down and blush when you realize your pants have tented and you look at the man, eyes wide. You grab the sides of his face and kiss him, hard, and he wraps a hand around your middle, pulling you into his lap. You feel he's just as excited as you are, but you pull away when someone slaps the bar next to you.

"If you're gonna do that, find a hotel or something," the bartender says and the man places a twenty on the counter, before standing up, his arm still around your waist as he leads you outside. When you reach what you assume to be his car, a black SUV, he pushes you up against it and starts kissing you again. You moan into his mouth and grind against him, causing him to moan as well, but pull away.

He places his hands on your hips and says, "Naughty, naughty. I didn't know you were such a slut."

You whimper and he pulls away, unlocking the car. You run around to the other side and hop in, waiting as the man slowly gets in, making you wriggle in your seat.

"I don't even know your name," you whisper and he smirks.

"Call me Aaron."

You nod. "Okay, Aaron," you say, testing out his name on your lips. You see him stiffen as you say this, then reach across the center console and place a hand on your thigh.

He squeezes it and asks, "And what about you?"

"[Y/N]," you practically whine out.

His breath hitches, but he doesn't say anything else the entire ride back to your apartment, the only sounds in the car being your directions and the low hum of the engine and wheels rolling on the old pavement.

When you get home, you practically drag him up to your place, and Aaron learns that night that you are loud.

[iclaimedtobethebetterbard]

Ooh, for the thing you just posted, maybe Moceit and snow?

hell yes hell yes hell yes hell yes—

i like this prompt can you tell XD also!! fun fact!! i have only experienced snow once ever in my entire life, so if any of this is like, weirdly inaccurate, that’s why lol.

this is a human au; all the sides are friends who met in college and have since moved on to different careers and homes all across the country, but they make a tradition of always renting out a cabin for a week every winter and vacationing together. this takes place during that week one year!!

also. i do already somehow have an analogical piece in mind, taking place later in this au, despite having only come up with the au at all after you sent this ask. so. if u want me to write that lmk lol. it would contain implied/referenced past ~spiciness,~ as a heads up.

-

The front door of the cottage opened and closed, bringing with it a swirl of cold air. “I hate everyone,” Janus grumbled, tugging off his boots and depositing them in the boot tray by the door.

Patton turned from the pots of warm beverages—hot chocolate, spiced apple cider, and chai—that he was preparing on the stovetop, and was faced with the sight of his fiance, bundled up in a big puffy coat that made him look even tinier than he was and a beanie with a pom-pom on top, his face and hair and shoulders covered in large clumps of snow. “Aw, did you find the twins’ ambush fort, honey?” Patton asked, trying very hard to sound sympathetic rather than amused. Something like this happened almost every year, and yet it always managed to take Janus by total surprise. It was a source of endless amusement for the twins and much loud complaining for Janus.

Janus pouted. “I hate snowballs.”

“Mmhm, I know. C’mere.” Patton offered his arms.

Still pouting, Janus allowed Patton to wrap him in a hug and brush the swiftly-melting snow off of him as best he could. Patton pressed several kisses to Janus's forehead and nose. “Better?”

“I hate the cold,” Janus muttered, but he leaned his head to rest it on Patton’s shoulder. “Yes. Thanks.” 

Patton hummed happily, rocking them both gently forward and back, dropping more kisses all along the side of Janus’s face. “Do you want a cup of something to warm you up?” he asked after a minute.

“Mulled wine?” Janus suggested sweetly.

Patton laughed and poked the tip of his nose. “That’s for after dinner. Nice try.”

“Fine,” Janus acquiesced with a gusty sigh. “Chai, then.”

“For sure! Can you get out all the mugs? I bet everyone else will be wanting something soon, it’s been a while since most of them went out there.” Patton himself had participated in the gleeful games out in the wide snowy yard of the cabin for an hour or two, before retreating back to the kitchen to prepare for when everyone else was done.

Janus whined as Patton released him from the hug to turn back to the stovetop and stir the various pots, but he obediently began pulling out mugs from one of the cupboards on the wall, standing on his very tip-toes to reach the bottom shelf they were kept on. “I want the wine mom one,” he announced, still pulling mugs out and setting them on the counter beside Patton.

“I know you do, honey,” Patton said, reaching for the mug in question and ladling it full of chai. He ladled another mug full of the same, for Logan, two hot cocoas for the twins, and a mug of spiced cider for Virgil, before spending a few moments waffling between cocoa and cider for himself. At last he went with cider, to make the distribution of drinks more even.

Janus, who was now leaning against the counter taking slow sips from his mug, watched Patton with a delightful soft look on his face. “Do you want me to call in the others?” he asked, when all the mugs were full and steaming.

“That would be great, thank you!” Patton said, providing Janus with a peck on the lips for his efforts.

Janus grinned. He went to the door and leaned out onto the little raised patio it opened onto. “Hey, you lot! Patton’s made—”

His words cut off abruptly with a soft thump, a loud, angry squawk from Janus, and peals of laughter from voices further outside. “Roman, I am going to kill you, just wait until I get my hands on you—” Janus, covered anew in snow, rushed back inside, pressed his half-full mug into Patton’s hands, and jammed his feet into his boots before speeding back out the door. “Get back here, you little shit, stop laughing at me—” He broke off with another shriek. “Virgil!”

“Oops,” Virgil’s voice said, not sounding sorry at all.

Patton, smiling in spite of himself, stepped out onto the patio. “If you’re all quite done tormenting poor Janus, your drinks are getting cold,” he called.

This prompted a scramble for the door, the collective quest to cover Janus’s entire person in as much snow as possible forgotten for the moment.

Soon after, once boots and coats and snow pants had been stripped and put in their places, they all piled into the living room with their drinks. The twins and Logan pulled out Monopoly—which never ended well for any of them, but was deeply entertaining for the whole group—and set it up on the coffee table. Virgil curled up in the armchair with a book and offered snarky commentary on the game. Janus, still sulking over all the different ambushes he had been subjected to and pouting and turning up his nose at the others, curled up in Patton’s arms. The pair of them settled on the sofa near the fire, wrapped in a blanket, trading soft kisses every now and then until Virgil told them to “get a room,” and Janus flipped him off without even stopping kissing Patton.

Maybe it was a little bad of him, but Patton couldn’t exactly bring himself to be mad about all the snowballs the others had thrown at Janus when this was the outcome. A lapful of soft, warm, cuddly Janus was something he would never complain about; something to cherish and lavish with kisses.

And he did just that.

-

[send me a prompt and get a small fic!]

[theramseyloft]

9/3/21

In a spectacular service fail, Cheeto knocked my meds box off the counter yesterday, and it slid under the fridge.

Patron: "hes whatever the opposite of a therapy bird is"

He's a cat. XD

Calling Tandy's older nestling Bruce.

I was not able to get the Batman imagined by an underwear model pose he was doing, because the younger sibling climbed over him.

Patron: "'Batman imagined by an underwear model' god I wish I could see that"

Leaned on that right wing, chest thrust out, head up, but angled like a god looking down his nose at you through hooded eyes, waiting for you to do something interesting.

Raised the camera, and the pied sibling tried to climb into the nest box, but fell backwards onto Bruce and decided that snuggled up with them was the best place to be.

Came in to grab a drink, and found Cotta waiting for his Dad to get home.

Got fucking DAMMIT, Amiga!!

Looks like she freaked out and shredded another hatchling.

And I do literally mean shredded. Bowels and crop both torn open. (Under the cut))

Here's hoping her sister, Dolly, does better.

With a performance like that, I can't even let her be a foster mom.

She has already been retired.

That just drastically limits her prospects for adoption.

Patron: "She's shredding her own hatchlings?"

She nest-dances on them to hunker down tight when she's upset and ALL her siblings came into this world with feral levels of anxiety.

If she freaks out, the peep gets shredded under her claws.

Once peeps hatch, Thistle takes a wide stance so he can brace without hurting a peep.

Dolly is fantastic thus far!

Her peep is fed, she sits tight without crushing it, and stances wide to box me away.

Wess is an irritating little bitch.

Now that the peep has hatched, he just kinda stands beside it and stares instead of covering it?

And he absolutely will NOT quit trying to start shit with Nobu and Leela over a nest his wife couldn't use right now if she wanted to.

Their peep is getting covered in tussel scratches, but it's 8 days old and Nubu and Leela are good at getting Wess TF out.

If he doesn't quit that shit, it's an automatic retirement.

We spent $94.80 at Chewy.com on 3 50lb bags of Versele-Laga classix blend 15% no corn ($29.15 x 3) and tax ($7.36)

Bringing our PayPal Balance to $5.00

[corysmiles]

IT'S HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRREEE!! The longest oneshot so far! XD Hope you like it

cw: general themes of hunger, blood, semi graphic description of violence. Be warned!

-----

Phil decided to visit early today, entering the cave and waving at Techno, who immediately recognized him. He moved closer and, while still hesitant, grabbed him and moved him at eye level. It was nice. A bit unnerving, but nice. Phil laughed and hugged two of techno’s fingers before he put him on the counter.

They spent most of the evening sharing stories and getting more comfortable with touch. They even made some progress, techno’s hand not shaking as much when he wrapped his fingers around Phil!

It would be an hour still before Wilbur and Tommy came. So Techno figured it was time to shrink to human size if he wanted to spend some time with them after dinner as a giant. He went and reached the shelf with the bottle. Phil simply whistled and looked around. He stopped and turned when he didn’t hear any drinking sound. Techno was frozen and he looked horrified.

“Are you alright, mate?”

“It’s empty.” Techno said.

“Oh. Well, looks like today is a stay-giant kind of day-”

“No.” Techno put the thing back. “How could I have missed it?? It’s not supposed to happen…” He swallowed and looked back at Phil, worry clear as day in his eyes.

They stared at each other, Phil trying to read the unspoken words of his friends, but nothing came. “What is it? You often stay at your real size during dinners, what’s up?”

“... I haven’t hunted in days.” He admitted after a couple more seconds of silence. “I don’t have any food for tonight.”

“Oh shoot.” Phil took a couple steps towards techno, reaching the end of the furniture. “That’s no good.”

“We’ll have to cancel the grouped dinner tonight.” The giant looked at his small friend. “I’m sorry, but I have to- I know we all usually look up to these gathering but I can’t- I”

“Hey, it’s okay, no need to panic, mate.” Phil tried to reassure. He only gained a loud whine from techno, that he could feel in his bones. (quite literally, the vibration almost made him shake.) “I’ll tell Wilbur and Tommy.”

Techno stared, unsure, before sighing and letting his arm fall. “Alright, go tell them.”

Phil pulled up his phone, sending a message to both his friends. As he pressed sent, he looked back at techno. He did say he used the potion for food, primarily, but surely he dealt with it before.

“Do you want to go now, or…?”

Techno shook his head. “No. Not right now. Plus you’re still here-”

“Oh that’s no problem” Phil waved off. “I can come hunt with you.”

At that, Techno made a…. cringed, sound? Embarrassed perhaps, Phil couldn’t quite name it, but he was definitely uncomfortable with the idea.

“I don’t… it’s quite… You don’t want to see it.” he put his hand on his face, covering his expression.

"It's alright, mate. You know I'm okay with you being a tall boy." He laughed

"No- I mean… I mean it, Phil. It's gross."

"Well then I'll stay here until you come back."

Techno lowered his hands to look at the human, almost annoyed. He groaned and hid his face once more before the sound became much louder, Phil stumbling a little. "There's no way you're giving up on this, is there?"

"Nope!" Phil said, jumping down and being caught by the giant in a panicked movement "Please learn to warn me when you do that, my heart can't take it" he laughed.

"Wilbur told me to do it like this. Says it's more fun."

"Of course he did."

They stayed in the abode a bit longer, watching the sun setting through the window. Techno at one point decided to try and play his violin again, trying to improve to play with Wilbur one day. And even though it was…. Improvable, to say the least, it wasn't terrible either.

Phil clapped at the end of each song, earning a small laugh from the giant every time. He even tried to dance to one. Fortunately, they were the only ones to witness the carnage that was Phil's stumbly move tied to Techno's cacophony. It ended in unstoppable laughter that shook Phil's entire body.

Phil paced around the table he was now on as the laughs died down. He toyed with what he assumed was a home-made pen, turning it around and moving it like it was a spear. He stopped dead in his tracks, shaken by a loud growl that resonated through the entire room.

He turned around and watched his friend put his hands on his stomach, face red, violin now on the floor.

Phil put on an amused smile. "I think now's a good time to go hunt."

"I-" Techno did not have time to object before another grumble was heard. He shut his eyes and opened them, surrender in his expression."Yeah. It- might be good."

He stood up and offered a hand to Phil. "The hunting area is quite far, though. You might wanna take the ride for this one."

The blond gladly hopped on the hand and Techno brought him next to his chest, fingers curling protectively around his friend who watched the road through the space between the fingers. And so he began to walk.

It was the first actual time he traveled with a giant like that. It was nice. And he was glad he took the offer when he realized how far from the abode it was.

The walk ended up being quite long, Techno's stomach growling a lot during it, seeming almost painful at times by the way his face twisted. And everytime, it felt like the giant wanted to just run away and hide from view.

"You don't have to be embarrassed because you're hungry, you know?"

"I- no, but it's- it's so loud and" another rumble cut him off "it's… a hungry giant is not a good sight. It's scary."

"I don't know about that." Phil replied "you're just Techno, who happens to need food. I don't see any problem with that." Techno snorted half in disbelief, at the naivety of his peer.

"You know my soft side too well. I should start to act scary around you more." Phil bursted out laughing at that.

"Yeah, I know you too well. You wouldn't hurt a fly even if you tried."

Techno hummed

"Except if one of us was in danger. I feel like that's the one scenario where you would go apeshit."

"Yeah. Yeah, probably."

The rest of the ride ended up in comfortable silence (apart from Techno's hunger manifesting in numerous loud gurgles). Techno took a breath of fresh air and looked at his friend. He finally lowered his hand and Phil hopped out, on the grass. He took the view around him. "So this is your hunting spot."

Techno nodded. "I'll need around 15-20 adult preys. Don't really care if it's a deer or a wolf or whatever. Once you're done, meet me here."

Phil nodded and took out his bow "alright. Be careful!" He waved goodbye and only heard his laugh as he dived deeper into the forest.

---

The hunt ended up being nearly two hours long. Phil was surprised by the amount of animals here. It made sense, though, since it was so far away from everything, and the only known hunter of the area only stepped by occasionally.

As he brought back the last body near the pile, he noted that it seemed quite little for his friend still. He frowned. Was his friend trying once again to limit himself, so that he doesn't scare Phil?

He visualised his friend, standing up, and then looked back at the pile.

Of course he was.

He groaned and pulled his hair "oh my god- I TOLD HIM IT WAS FINE- JESUS! What kind of tool do I need to use to hammer the idea down his head right?!?" He sighed. It's not like Techno had a small appetite. Everytime they gathered around, he was the one with the fullest plate. But he always was so much shiftier when at his real size. Even though Phil couldn't blame him, it pissed him off.

And so the hunt ended up being longer than anticipated. But he ended up gathering a pile he judged big enough for his friend. And so he headed back.

As he approached the meeting place, he called out "Techno? You ther-"

He stopped. Dead in his tracks. And watched his friend, sitting on the ground, rigid as a statue, hands placed on the ground, holding something he realized were different cows and sheeps and deer.

"What is he doing?" He murmured to himself, not taking a step closer. There was a few more minutes of silence, during which more creatures climbed on his hand, before the large body shifted.

Phil flinched at the sudden movement. The hand raised higher and higher, too quick to let the animals jump down before his mouth opened, jaw wide, and-

Crack.

In a single motion, all the bodies in his hands were chopped down, their other halves between the giant's teeth.

Phil's body was frozen, and he witnessed wide eyes, as Techno dived in and took the rest of his meal sitting in his hand. It was… animalistic, to say the least. After scratching for every little crumb, he lowered his hands, allowing his bloody jaw to be visible.

It was understandable he didn't want his friends to witness that, he realized.

But Phil blinked out of his trance and stepped in like nothing happened.

"Hey, mate." Techno flinched and snapped his head toward the human, who laughed. "Sorry, should've warned."

"It's... it's alright, Phil." Techno said, licking the blood off his face, trying to hide the previous instance. "Uhm, have you been here for a while?"

"Nah" Phil lied "I just came back."

"Good! Good." He stood up slowly "Can you bring me to the ones you hunted down?"

Phil nodded and turned back, getting to said spot. It was almost comical to see Techno taking a small step everytime Phil made ten long ones, but they arrived quickly.

Techno sat down and his eyes widened when he looked at the pile.

"... that's more than 20." He pointed out. The pile was 3 times Phil's size. There were at least double the amount.

“Yeah.” Phil admitted. “You seemed rather hungry so I thought you might have needed more.”

“I mean, you were not the only one hunting,” Techno laughed. “But I appreciate the sentiment.”

Phil smiled, but it died down a little when Techno shifted, apprehensive. He turned to the blond, a nervous look on his face.

“Mh… Can you- perhaps…. uh… Turn around, maybe?”

Phil gave him a sympathetic smile, before closing his eyes and turning around, sitting legs crossed.

He could only hear the giant, but by the sounds of it, the poor boy was actually famished. He stuffed as much food as he could and chewed fast, and the heavy swallowing sounds made him twitch. Bones were crushed and flesh was torn apart like his life depended on it. Maybe it was morbid curiosity. He did see what it was like earlier after all, but he couldn’t help the silent temptation to turn around and look at the giant in such an intricate, taboo moment.

But Techno trusted him to not do it. Trusted him in this vulnerable moment. One he felt shameful and embarrassed about, and only time could ease this silent pain inside the giant. So, with quite the self control, he kept his eyes shut.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when the frantic sounds came to a stop. He furrowed his brows. Still nothing.

Suddenly, he felt a pressure on his head, ruffling his hair. A surprised sound escaped his lips and he laughed as he tentatively opened an eye.

“You good, mate?”

“Yeah” Techno said. “It’s good now.”

Phil turned around and took a small step back when he realized the giant was closer than he thought, hands making a barrier around him, which would be cute if it wasn’t for the crimson red tainting them up until above his wrists. And his face was also covered with blood. He had an almost panicked look as he moved his hands closer. He was panting.

“Hey.” Techno said and gulped, his hands even shaking slightly. Phil could read his thoughts clear as day.

‘Is he scared?’ ‘My hands are so bloody’ ‘Is he gonna run away?’ ‘I probably look like a mess-’ ‘He asked for it, but is he still okay with it?’

‘Is he still okay with me acting like myself?’

Techno was scared. So scared that showing more of him would push him away… But Phil knew better.

And so, to this new side techno showed him, Phil said.

“Hello, mate.”

----

They ended up going back not too long after that, Phil sitting on Techno’s shoulder to avoid the disturbing smell his hands bore. On the way back, Techno let it slip that he hadn’t eaten at all the whole day, hence his need to hunt. Phil scolded him for a good part of the ride about that. But eventually, it ended with smiles and laughs (and a promise to be more careful about techno’s diet. “Well, it’s been in shambles for quite a while” “You are not helping your case here, mate.”)

They entered techno’s abode and next thing Phil knew, he was grabbed gently and placed on the counter. He blinked and saw his friend grabbing a towel and a water bucket.

He chuckled, watching his friends wash away the blood he almost forgot about.

Once clean, techno sighed and turned to Phil. “I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”

He laughed. “I mean, it’s the middle of the night. Kind of late for me to go back. Mind if I sleep here for the night?”

They stared at each other for a while before techno hummed and opened his palm in front of Phil, who hopped into it easily.

He was grabbed and held onto a bit of a squeeze, not sure why until he felt techno falling straight on his bed, not controlling the arm holding phil that much. He screamed at the sudden sensation of falling, but noticed he was fine once the movement stopped. He sighed. “You could warn me about that next time.”

a rumbly “mmhhsorry” was the only answer he got. He laughed as he watched the exhaustion hit his friend. The grip lessened and, slowly, he allowed himself to relax, the heartbeat and deep breathing of the giant soothing him into a good night of sleep.

No, techno was not always soft. Technoblade was not a man of manners. Technoblade could be harsh. He could be intimidating, violent and raw…

Technoblade was kind as much as he could be cruel. Philza was aware of that reality more than anyone else.

And he would not have it any other way.

You’ve done it again, please send love to @melissa-s23 for this awesome fic 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

Cant wait for more of the potion au :]

[cosmalumi]

“It has a lemon!” the unicorn corrected, much to Nox’s amusement. “And this isn’t homework. I’m writing my weekly report to my superiors and preparing—”

 “Relax, Smiles.” Nox took a sip of his whiskey. “Take some time off and do all that tomorrow. It’s Friday!”

Quick Tie only sighed, tired and not in the mood to argue. “I… suppose it could wait until later,” he said as he started rolling up the parchment. He added under his breath, “even though I’d much rather finish it now,” he added under his breath. The unicorn hid the paper away in his cloak and turned to look at the other pony. “Why am I here, agent?” he asked, gesturing at his surroundings. “Surely you have other ponies to drink with. An hour ago, you didn't even know my name.”

“Well,” Nox said, tilting his head this way and that, thinking of the right words. “All of my usual drinking buddies are either on assignment, on the other side of the world, or both. So I figured I'd make a new friend, and your smiling mug was the first one I saw. You were free to say no!”

Quick Tie smirked. “Honestly... I thought Director Brass Tacks needed something. I probably wouldn’t have agreed if I had known that wasn’t the case.”

“Well, you’re here now!” Nox chuckled and too another sip before he put down the glass and nudged his companion. “C’mon, what's your poison? There’s gotta be something!”

“Ricin,” Quick Tie said flatly, pulling away from the other.

“HA! A mage with a sense of humour!” Nox exclaimed. “Good, good, we'll be great friends, you and I.”

The unicorn snorted, looking at the other in disbelief. “You’re so sure we’ll be friends.” Sure, Quick Tie enjoyed talking to ponies, but he would never go up to a total stranger and call them friend. Not sincerely anyway. This one was a bigger fool than Quick Tie thought if he handed out his trust so easily.

“Hey, it’s good to have a lot of friends, especially in the capital, and I like to think I’m pretty good at making them.”

“Right…” Quick Tie shook his head. “Well, agent. I’m afraid I’m not too fond of the taste of alcohol, so I make for a rather poor drinking companion.”

“Why that’s not a problem at all!” Nox waved at the mare behind the counter. “Hey bartender!” He shouted. “Get my buddy here a cosmo! Dry.”

Quick Tie scrunched up his nose. “A what?” He craned his head to watch her pull out a glass and a bottle of some sort of clear liquid.

“A cosmopolitan! It's a classic,” Nox said as he took another swig of his drink. “I think you’ll like it. Better than that glass of tap you have there.”

Quick Tie chuckled at this. He figured he had nothing to lose here. Worst comes to worst, he’d spit it out. When the bartender eventually placed the drink in front of the unicorn though, he raised a brow and peered at it curiously.

“Why is it so pink?”

“It’s the cranberry juice. Try it! You’ll be surprised.” Nox replied, raising his glass. “Cheers!”

Quick Tie lifted his as well, and said with a grin, “Here’s to a long lasting friendship, Agent. May it weather the ages.”

Clink.

He does end up liking it by the way XD

[honeypirate]

Why You Should Never Eavesdrop

AHHH it’s my first ever Naruto fic!! Don’t hate me if it sucks

Kakashi x female reader.

I will soon branch out to write for like Genma and Izumo but I had to make my first fic for Kakashi since he was my first ever crush ever XD. I’m going to write a part two because this is a terrible place to end it. I just got excited and wanted to post this now lol

Naruto Masterlist

Of course you went after him. You wanted to see if everything was okay, he was your friend after all and you cared about him. But when you got lost in the trees looking for him, this was the last thing you expected.

You were a Jonin, masking your chakra was second nature and something you always did, which is why you were able to quietly and accidentally sneak up underneath them. Kakashi with his student, Sauske, in the tree, “you’re a little late to the game” you froze, should you run? Should you speak up? You held your breath so they wouldn’t hear you as you debated what you should do. You didn’t mean to eavesdrop but part of you was glad you were when you heard the words that came out his mouth next “everyone I care about is already dead”

You disappear quick after that, realizing it wasn’t a conversation you should be listening to. Also realizing that he didn’t think you were as close of friends as you did. You know about his past, his history, you know about it all, but you thought, stupidly, as you now realize, that you could be someone to him. “Ridiculous” you nutter to yourself as you take to the trees, running through them as far as you could go, far away from Kakashi.

Far as possible without leaving this village, was to the trees by the gate, it was always nice here, the clouds easier to see because it’s where there was the tallest tree and you loved to sit at the very top. You were disappointed in yourself, you were a shinobi for crying out loud! you never got so invested in your feelings before. You will not let your feelings interfere with your life. You needed to think and this was where you came when you needed space.

Kakashi didn’t even come in to your life until recently, you got back from a mission that lasted a few years, protection of a political family, now you were home after so long and just when you thought you’d be given a little time off, the Hokage told you he wanted you to be a sensei to some new young Genin. That’s what brought Kakashi into your life.

You knew him growing up, had mutual friends in the academy, but you’ve never talked to him directly. Until after one especially long day with your rowdy eleven year olds you decided to go get some ramen and de-stress. The only chair open was next to Kakashi at the bar, who wasn’t even eating anymore, he was reading his icha icha book while Naruto rambled on next to him about Sakura.

He knows when you arrived, felt you sit next to him, but he didn’t show any signs. He had a crush on you in school and when you were in ANBU at the same time, you never looked his way so he didn’t think you even knew about him. That was, until tonight.

You’re so fried right now, bags under your eyes from the missions you’ve been sent on and from teaching, plus, you don’t remember the last time you slept more than three hours a night. Given that, your filter when speaking to people is basically nonexistent.

You wait for your ramen to cool a little before eating it and your eyes wander over to the words on the page you can read over his shoulder. “This part was my favorite” you say “then the part at the end as well. Have you seen the poster for the new movie?” You ask and then turn your tired attention to your ramen, taking slow bites so you could enjoy it.

He’s glad his blush is hidden by his mask, “I’ve seen it” he says and you nod “I thought you would have. You’ve always loved those books” you say and then smile content with your ramen. “It looks like it’s going to be good” you say and he nods.

When you finish your meal you turn in your stool towards him, Naruto has been distracted by someone else he knows and so you’re not interrupting anything, “i liked that book the best” you say and push your empty bowl forward, leaning your elbow on the table and leaning your head on your hand to smile at him. You talked together about icha icha books and the movies, sharing your favorite parts and ways you thought it could be better. You talk so long that by the time you leave Naruto had already left.

He wouldn’t lie about the fact that your smile always made his heart race, no, he wouldn’t lie, but he wouldn’t tell the truth, either, if he was ever asked about it. “Goodnight y/n” he says and does his cute closed eye thing where you can tell he’s smiling. You feel your cheeks warm up in a blush but you don’t look away you place your money on the counter before hopping off from your stool “I’ll see you around Kakashi” you say and shove your hands in the pockets of your pants and walk out of the shop.

He watched you leave, a curious smile on his lips under his mask, you surprised him today and now he’s curious to know more about you. After that you somehow ran in to him every time you had ramen, and you talked every time for sometimes hours, before you knew it you grew close with him. You trusted him and believed he felt similarly to you.

It’s been a year since then, you felt like he was a good friend now and didn’t even consider it wouldn’t be the same for him. You were both called into the Hokage’s office for a mission together, you were hyped, it was going to be easy peasy, you’ll be back in three months and you’ll have more time with Kakashi. You were walking back home when you saw the fight on the roof of the hospital which led you to wanting to find Kakashi since you knew how he felt about his students, which led to you here, now in the tree tops, trying to get over your feelings and hide them like a true shinobi.

“There you are” a voice said behind you, a voice you knew well, “here I am” you said and made your face neutral before you turned around to look at him. “What’s going on?” You ask and meet his eye, tilting your head a little. You wanted to pretend nothing was wrong and act normal but you felt cold. Inside and out.

“We’re supposed to be leaving tonight?” He says and furrows his eyebrows. “Shit. I’m sorry Kakashi I lost track of time. Give me five minutes I just need to grab my pack” you say before disappearing, running back to your house to grab your bag that’s already been prepared, cursing under your breath for being so stupid for a second time today.

You’re glad that he’s never made you feel like you have to talk, you can run though the trees with him in silence and not be awkward. “Did you hear me? Y/n?” You finally realized he was talking to you and you looked over at him “what was that?” You said and he came to a stop, you following suit and stopping next to him. “I said we should stop for the night. We’ve been going for hours now. it’s probably after two am” he says and you nod “sounds good” he knows something is off but doesn’t press it “there should be a cave up ahead we can stay in” he says and takes off, you right behind him.

“I’ll take the first guard shift. Get some rest” you say as you finish setting up your bed, standing up and walking over to the entrance of the cave, the whole time not really even paying attention to Kakashi or anything he’s saying, if he’s even said anything you don’t really know. You sit at the entrance, your back to him as you keep your mind aware of everything out in the woods and unaware of the man behind you who’s staring at your back, the book in his hand forgotten about, as he keeps wondering why you’re acting weird.

After your guard shift is over you quietly make your way over next to where he’s sleeping, you place your hand on his shoulder and he wakes up instantly, his eye looking into yours. His hand reaches up to grab yours that’s still on his shoulder “oh sorry” you say and try to take it away but he doesn’t move his hand. You look back into his eye and raise your eyebrows, wondering what he was thinking, wondering if he’ll ask the question you can see in his eye. He seems to make up his mind when he releases your hand and looks away, he goes to sit up and you clear your throat “like fifteen minutes ago I felt something off over to the east, but I couldn’t see anything with my Kekkei Genkai. It could be nothing but just in case” you say as you lay down on your back in your bed, using your arm to cover your eyes.

You’ve been on the road traveling for about a month now, you almost made it to your destination and once you were there you would deliver your message and then take a package back to the Hokage. You successfully shoved every feeling back into a tiny jar in your heart, now easier to pretend you never had them to begin with, although you acted a lot like you did when you were an ANBU. He’s noticed, of course he’s noticed, he notices everything about you, he has since you punched him once in the Chunin exams when you stole his scroll. He watched you now out of the corner of his eye as you run through the treetops, he missed how you used to laugh so easily with him.

You’re walking now, him a bit ahead of you, the sun has been down for a while “We can rest here since it’s a bit late or keep pushing until we get there, we could stay at an inn and have our meeting in the morning.” He matches your pace before he responds “second one is my choice” he says and you nod “we’re only about an hour out I’d guess” you say “yeah I’d bet you’re right” that was the last thing said for the rest of the walk. The lights of the city coming into view, your stomach growls for the first time in all these weeks when you pass by a ramen shop “come on” Kakashi says and walks through the door, you thanked every deity you could think of in that moment and then followed him in.

“Yummmm” You hummed over your steaming bowl, you felt like this was exactly what you needed. To warm your soul and let the unknown go. So what he doesn’t care about you. He’s just being a good Jonin and shinobi. It was fitting that it was ramen that helped you release your pent up emotions.

Kakashi was sitting across from you in the booth of the nearly empty restaurant, it was probably around 10 pm now and the only people in here other than you both were a few drunk men at a different table. “After we eat let’s get a room and a bath and we’ll meet the Kage in the morning” he says and you nod, your mouth full of noodles and your heart happier than it’s been these past few weeks. You were going to be yourself and be his friend no matter what, because you cared about him and that was all that mattered. ‘Everything will be fine.’ You think to yourself as you finish your bowl and meet his eye, smiling warmly at him. That just confused him even more. He was sitting here the entire time wondering how to talk to you about what’s going wrong and you just turn around and act normal again. What the hell. He’ll talk to you more about it later tonight.

“I’m gonna get a room at the inn down the road and then head to the bathhouse, you eat and we’ll meet up after” you say as you place enough money on the table for both of your meals before slipping out of the booth and out into the chilly night air. ‘Yea’ Kakashi thinks to himself ‘I’ll definitely have to talk to her about this later’

“Lucky you!” The person at the front desk says “it’s the last room” they hand you over your key and a string of curses go through your mind, you let go of your pent of feelings but that didn’t mean you wanted to be thrown right into intimate moments with him. You couldn’t do much about it now “do you have an extra mattress? I have a friend who needs a room as well and we might have to share” you say and frown, to which they chuckle amusedly at your unhappiness “yes we do! We’ll have one sent to your room” you nod “thank you. Where is the bathhouse?”

The cold night air is calming, you look up at the moon as you walk slowly down the road to the bathhouse, grateful to the inn keeper for the directions. Your hands in your pocket and your footsteps practically silent, just like your thoughts, surprisingly quiet for the first time in weeks. You felt a weight off your shoulders, like physical evidence of your letting go of your hard feelings. Finally coming to terms with your heart. You felt so relieved and you can’t wait to sink into the hot water so your muscles could feel the same kind of relief.

Strings of even more harsher curses run through your head as you read the sign on the bathhouse. It was co-ed. Open to all. Which means you’ll probably have to share a bath with your ninja partner. Just great. You took a deep breath and steeled your nerves before walking into the establishment. Maybe Kakashi would take his time or maybe he’d find another inn and go to bed right away. You sigh, knowing he’ll be here soon.

Luckily the bath was empty as you entered, you lowered your body into the hot water and sighed in happiness. You considered hurrying but now that your body is in the water you know you’ll stay as long as your body wants, no matter who showed up. You laid your head back and took a deep breath, feeling the hot water release the tension you’ve been holding, which was almost immediately replaced with new tension when you heard the door open.

Even though you knew who it was, you raised your left eyebrow, causing your eye to open lazily as you looked through the steam at the silver haired man. He gave you a slight nod before you closed your eye and focused on steadying your breathing. You’ve seen him shirtless before, but you knew if you saw him in this setting you’d have a heart attack and stop breathing. He’d never let you forget that either so you couldn’t let him know the affect he had on you, sure, you’ve accepted you’d never be anything more than work friends but that didn’t mean you were blind.

His body couldn’t relax in the hot water, he had no room and now he had to share a bath with you. How cruel could the universe be? The wet glint off your shoulders that peaked out of the water, your wet hair stuck to your neck, the way you looked so relaxed in the hot water, it all drove him wild. What done him in though, was the way you looked at him when he walked in, ‘sooo cute.’ He thought. This was exactly like a scene from his favorite book, it was everything he could just to keep his boner at bay. So

The sigh that left your lips as ran the warm wet washcloth over your neck, made his heart race, he couldn’t help but watch you. You don’t know what has happened, something in you snapped the longer he watched you wash your chest and shoulders, something compelled you and you didn’t fight it, you embraced it. “You want to help me wash my back or are you just enjoying the show?” You ask, your eyes still on the washcloth as it passes across your skin. His heart beat is hammering in his chest, that was the last thing he expected you to say but he couldn’t resist from moving slowly through the water and over to you, sitting behind you he reaches down and takes the cloth from you, slowly running it up your arm and over your shoulder.

Your heart is pounding in your ears, you sigh softly and your eyes flutter closed, tilting your head to the side as the cloth passes over your shoulder and neck. You pull your hair all to the front of your shoulder so your back was completely open and you hum contentedly as he begins to wash your back slowly, you lean forward when he gets midway so he could go lower if he wanted, your knees up on the side of the seats and your arms wrapped around your knees.

When you’re satisfied with his work you look over your shoulder at him with a smile before turning around to face him, looking into his eye as you take the cloth from him, you run the warm cloth up his arm starting from his wrist, when you get to his shoulder he breaks eye contact to turn around to allow you to wash his back as well. You wash his strong shoulders, leaving the cloth on one of them as you begin to massage his neck, kneading your fingers into his skin, working down his strong shoulders, kneading out knots and smiling every time he lets out of a relaxed, soft, moan. You massage down his back, working the muscles near his spine massaging in small circles with your thumbs to his lower back before running your finger tips up his back and across his ribs before grabbing the cloth and finishing washing him now that you were satisfied with how relaxed he looked. You set the cloth down to the side, softly running your finger tips across his shoulders before placing a feather kiss to the back of his neck. “Thank you for your help ‘Kashi” you whisper, finally breaking the silence, “if you don’t have a room, I’ll get another mattress and you can stay with me. Room 23.”

He was so relaxed he didn’t know you were gone until your words registered, who knows how long it’s really been, he thought he felt you kiss his neck but part of him believes he dreamed it. The longer this mission went the more confused he got.

[kuiinncedes]

dreaming like we'll live forever

@gleeadvent day 4: dough :D very very late lmaoo but it's all good 🤪

so this is likeee in my kurt and the phantoms au i guess?? i didn't give too much thought to the timeline tho so idk if i'll end up like keeping these details in that main work, but i did just make a series for it to add this to lol 😋 but yeah like it might not actually align with the main work as "canon" i guess if that makes sense hgjlkdf

you don't really need to read the main work to read this, all you probably need to know is that blaine, sam, and tina died and came back as ghosts and are in a band with kurt who is not a ghost :] if you've seen jatp i think this kinda takes place uhh like after flying solo ish in the show timeline 🤪

[ also, a scrapped line that came to me while i was struggling to think of something for this prompt but i didn't know how to write the context for lmao: “Tina’s about to storm Netflix headquarters with a spatula and a bowl of cookie dough,” Puck says. "And I'm right there with you," he assures hurriedly when Tina's nearly murderous gaze fixes on him.

i had One thing on my mind when i was trying to write for this prompt XD the vision was that nd is all like hanging out and tina's making cookies bc why not and they're chilling and someone's like OH SHIT JATP GOT CANCELLED and they're all pissed at netflix bc they all watched it together <3 fuck netflix for cancelling their best show and also taking glee off <3 ]

title from "now or never" from the jatp soundtrack and it starts with d yay :DDD

warning for a small mention of kurt's mom's death, i think that's the only thing ?

1413 words, read on ao3 or under the cut <3 !!

A thud breaks Kurt’s focus on his homework; he jumps and looks up to see Blaine across the table from him, having just poofed in, probably -- which would explain why Kurt didn’t notice him -- and slapped his hands down on the table. “Hey,” Blaine says, with a cheeky grin and bright eyes.

Kurt puts his pencil down, a smile pulling at his lips. “Hey. You scared me.”

“I’m a ghost, that’s my job.”

Kurt raises a teasing eyebrow. “Didn’t think you were that type of ghost.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” Blaine says, both eyebrows raised. His arms are crossed in front of him on the table, and Kurt mirrors his position, leaning forward.

“You’re perky,” he remarks. “So then are you the type of ghost who just likes to distract students working on homework? Or did you actually need something?”

“I’m here to tell you to stop studying so hard,” Blaine teases, but then he bounces up from his seat. “It’s Sam’s birthday today. I was wondering if we could make something for him?”

“Like…?” Kurt raises an eyebrow. “You remember you guys can’t eat and, like, can barely touch things.”

Blaine exhales, pouting a little. Kurt restrains an almost-smile at his expression.

“I know,” Blaine says. “It’s the thought that counts?”

He sounds like he’s trying to convince himself, but Kurt just shrugs; he doesn’t have too much to do for tomorrow. (And maybe he wants to spend more time with Blaine.) He’s bored. “I’m down,” Kurt says. When Blaine’s eyes immediately light up, Kurt can’t help but smile with him.

--

Three ghosts face him from the other side of the kitchen counter, looking probably all too eager considering the fact that they can’t really… do much. Blaine called the others in through their weird telepathic link or something that Kurt definitely does not understand and has not bothered to understand, since the whole ghost thing is just weird anyway. There’s a whole ghost thing in the first place -- the ghosts having some kind of internal bond is the least of his concerns.

They poofed in and -- after Kurt’s hesitant clarification of “I’m just… making cookies for myself, then?” -- assured him that they would be fine with more or less just watching him bake, and especially Sam looked so genuine and wistful at the idea of just chocolate chip cookies, they were my favorite that Kurt had to cave.

“And this way these two can’t eat all the cookie dough before we do anything with it,” Blaine says pointedly, giving Sam and Tina a look to which they respond with playful laughs and a light shove to Blaine’s shoulder. He rolls his eyes, muttering, “Surprised you guys didn’t die from salmonella first.”

“It’s cookie dough, Blaine!” Sam exclaims, Tina wide-eyed and pointing at him in agreement. “What were we supposed to do?”

“Wait until it was baked , maybe?”

Kurt laughs and watches as they bicker and fall into their familiar dynamic that he definitely doesn’t fit into, but is starting to understand a little more. He still feels hesitant to do this, but… they’re the ones who can’t eat the cookies, and they’re the ones who initiated it, so the blame isn't really on him if they end up regretting it.

And yeah. He doesn’t think he could stand up to their collective pleading faces again. He grabs a bowl from the cabinet. At least he gets cookies out of this.

--

Apparently, being dead and mostly unable to touch anything does not deter ghosts from being annoyances, extreme at times. At least these three ghosts.

Kurt does enjoy himself, though, and it seems like they do as well, admirably avoiding why they can’t touch what they so want to touch, and instead giving that topic a wide, wide berth and just messing around. And they do have an impenetrable dynamic at times, but Kurt doesn’t feel excluded at all, even if only because he is the one who has to do everything.

Blaine tries to give him tips and Kurt laughs and emphasizes again that he’s made this cookie recipe many times, and Tina swings her legs from her perch on the counter, and Sam leans in close beside Blaine, who wraps an arm around his shoulders and kisses his temple, and Kurt looks down with a small smile and hears him whisper, “Happy birthday.”

Tina hops off the counter and hugs both of them from behind, also expressing her own birthday wishes as Kurt puts the cookies in the oven, finally.

“Happy birthday, Sam!” Kurt says too when he turns back to them. “I just wish I could do more for you, get you an actual cake or present.”

He wishes he could take that back, suddenly realizing it might be too close to the d-word topic, but Sam’s bright smile doesn’t falter. “It’s okay! Watching Blaine make cookies was always almost as good as having them.” Kurt laughs, a bit disbelieving but he is glad to hear it.

“You’re already the best part of our afterlives,” Blaine assures him. “I think every day we’re here is a good enough present for all of us.”

“No wonder you’re the songwriter and lead singer, with those cheesy words and the looks,” Kurt quips back before his brain can catch up to his mouth. Heat rushes to his face and he hopes against all odds that it doesn’t show, but he knows it’s pointless with his pale skin. It is a little better when he sees that Blaine’s face flushes dark as well.

Sam and Tina look at each of them and at each other with growing grins, clearly holding back laughs and Kurt ignores them.

“Pretty sure I’m bringing people in with my looks,” Sam says after an awkward moment of Kurt trying not to make eye contact with Blaine.

“Sure,” Tina drawls, grinning. “Isn’t it ‘Kurt and the Phantoms’? Isn’t Kurt the one bringing our audience in, since, you know, we’re literally invisible half the time?”

“Most of the time,” Kurt corrects teasingly.

Tina nods. “So it's all Kurt. Our looks don’t even matter.”

“Pretty sure it’s actually just all Tina,” Blaine argues. Unanimous agreement rings from the rest of them while restraining wide smiles and bursting laughs.

“And you put me behind the drums!” Tina exclaims with pretend outrage, crossing her arms. “Imagine the success if I was in front.”

They’re all laughing and keep joking about rearranging the band to maximize their “success,” which turns into deciding who would be worst on each instrument, because apparently Blaine is some sort of musical genius, beyond his incredible melodies and lyrics and into proficiency in almost every common instrument they manage to name. Except drums, which Tina seems to take some sort of pride in.

Kurt takes the cookies out of the oven when the timer goes off, setting them aside to cool, and is surprised when the ghosts include him back into the conversation seamlessly, like wordlessly pulling him into an intangible group hug. They do have their own incredibly close relationship, forged from probably many years of knowing each other, that Kurt both admires and envies fiercely -- but this makes Kurt feel like he could be a part of it.

And he wants to be a part of it; he doesn’t know what it is, but like it felt right to let them stay in the studio, like it felt warm and right to jump into the performance with them and agree to join a band with them, he feels that warmth now, spending this time with them, and at the prospect of keeping them around, spending more time with them, growing and continuing as a band.

When his mom died, he couldn’t think about the future -- not a future without her in it. He could only take it day by day, hour by hour, couldn’t let his thoughts go down that road. So it startles him a little now, to realize that he wants this band to last, wants it in his future, can envision this in his future…

But there is the problem of them being ghosts. And he’s suddenly unsure and unstable all over again, about if there is a future this way.

He pushes the thoughts out of his mind to join the others in laughing and cheering at Sam’s body rolls, back to proving his “true frontman potential!” as the uneaten, unable-to-be-eaten birthday cookies fill the air with sweetness and home.

[justatiredpotato]

Set Me Free | Chapter 1

Chapter List

Pairing: hybrid!Yoongi x human!reader

Genre: Angst, fluff, coffee shop AU, hybrid AU

Word Count: Chapter: 6,000~  Total: 40,000~ (I’m sorry xD)

Updates daily at 10pm MST

Warnings: violence, discrimination (against hybrids), mentions of injuries and blood, anxiety, panic attacks

Summary: Yoongi, a cat hybrid, has been hurt time and time again by a world that would have him believe he’s worthless. One day he finds himself in your protective care, and gets a new family to boot. But is it really that easy to escape the past and embrace a new beginning?

Author’s Note: I love writing reader inserts but I just can’t write Y/N. It feels weird to me. So in this fic the reader’s name is Yeoji. I hope this isn’t too confusing for anyone! This is my first time posting my work so I appreciate any support it gets!

You raised the blinds just high enough to let a sliver of pre-dawn light in, but low enough that you wouldn’t be blinded when the sun crested the buildings across the way. You peered through the sheer fabric onto the square outside. The area had seen a lot of development in the last few years. Trendy little shops now lined the street. The coffee shop you owned and operated was tucked between a couple of over-priced restaurants with laughably tiny servings. 

While you weren’t thrilled with the increase in your overhead costs, you couldn’t deny the recent boost in business. There was a steady flow of customers through the whole week, not just in the early morning or on weekends. It had even become necessary to hire a couple of part-timers to keep the place open longer. Not that you minded. You were actually glad for the opportunity to give your friend, Jungkook, a job. 

The rabbit hybrid was nervous by nature despite his imposing appearance; he stood at least a foot taller than you. Your brother, Namjoon was fiercely protective of him. Jungkook came into your lives in your final year of college. The police brought a battered and terrified Jungkook to Remedy shelter, which was run by your friend Jin. They hadn’t seen what happened to him, and he wouldn’t say. As far as you knew, Namjoon and Jin were the only people he ever told.

Your eyes focused on the patio before you, as the very bunny you were thinking of appeared at the door. One of the boys came in on the weekends to work alongside you and help with the rush. The square was usually packed with couples on dates, window-shopping and listening to musicians that busked along the sidewalks.

“Morning, noona!” Jungkook chirped with his wide bunny grin.

“G’morning Koo,” you said, attempting to match his energy level despite the early hour. He laughed sweetly at the nickname. You were the only one he let call him that since he turned seventeen.

“Did you have your coffee yet?” He asked. You shook your head no. “Waiting for your favorite hybrid to make it for you?” 

“Don’t let Jimin hear you say that. You know he’ll take any opportunity to pout,” you said. 

Jungkook chuckled at that. Jimin was the shop's other part-timer. Many hybrids were affectionate, but the ragdoll hybrid took it to another level. He spent every possible second with his arms wrapped around his nearest friend. You were counted among his friends from pretty much your first meeting. When the chance to work at your shop had opened up, he thought it would be a great chance to have some independence. 

Jimin had been rooming with Jin for years. Despite his desire for independence he simply couldn’t stand living alone. So he shared an apartment with Jin and Taehyung, a sweet tiger hybrid. Taehyung had been hard to adopt out because despite his good nature, he was an exotic breed, and a predator no less. Few wanted to risk taking responsibility for him, and those that did had less-than-good intentions for him.

Life was scary as a hybrid. Between the massive industry of underground fighting rings, sex trafficking, and abuse in even seemingly decent homes, any adoption was a gamble. Jin tried his best to vet each family, but he couldn’t catch every red flag. You and Namjoon knew better than most how that haunted him.

Several years ago, the two of you stopped by the shelter. Neither of you could reach him on the phone and you were starting to get worried. You finally found him in his office, passed out over his desk with several empty bottles of soju scattered around. Namjoon tried to rouse him, but all he could mumble was ‘dead, dead, dead’ between hiccuping sobs. The next morning you learned that a hybrid he’d helped earlier that year was found dead in a seedy part of town. The couple that adopted her were being investigated on suspicion of hybrid trafficking. 

He wasn’t the same after that. He got back to his usual smiling self, but he was slower to trust, and slower to laugh. Every time a hybrid left the shelter for their new home there was a flicker of sadness and fear in his eyes.

“Noona? What’s wrong?” Jungkook asked, breaking your train of thought. You turned to look at him, blinking to stop your eyes watering at the memory.

“It’s nothing Kookie, just thinking about this sad movie I watched last night.” You and Namjoon both agreed that it was best to keep the more tragic events from the shelter quiet. Jungkook had been through enough in the past, and you didn’t want to hurt him further by bringing up old memories. Jungkook frowned at the response.

“It must’ve been really sad,” he said, sniffing lightly. His frown deepened and he searched her eyes. He seemed to debate pressing it further. You knew that his hybrid senses were telling him you were lying. But he seemed to decide it was best to let it go, instead holding out a hot cup of your favorite coffee, a soft smile returning and making his eyes scrunch.

You took it, grateful for the coffee and his letting you evade the question. You set about your morning tasks, laying out chairs, brewing coffee for the self-serve station, and checking that there was creamer chilled and ready. Sunlight sparkled in the air, reflecting off the morning frost. 

It was supposed to snow that night. You shuddered. You hated winter for forcing you to pay for heating, if nothing else. Whenever your friends got together at your house—a tiny one-bedroom apartment above the cafe—Jimin whined about the cold temperature. But you refused to pay for anything beyond what would keep your pipes from freezing. It was expensive enough to own a building in your area already. Instead you wore layers and piled blankets on your bed. Jimin wasn’t really upset anyway, he loved any excuse to cuddle. Movie night usually ended with him and Taehyung asleep on either side of you.

“You actually going to turn on the radiator tonight?” Jungkook teased.

“I have my radiator on! It’s just… turned down,” you said.

He chuckled, knowing you were too stubborn to waste money on ‘luxuries.’ He turned away at the jingle of the door bell. The first customer of the day came as no surprise. A familiar, slouching form appeared, dropped a couple of equipment cases off at the side of the door, and shuffled up to the counter. The young man had black hair that hung down and nearly covered his eyes, which flicked up to meet hers. His lips twitched in a hint of a smile.

“Good morning, Yoongi” You said with more than your usual morning cheer. Jungkook scoffed and you threw him a dirty look. The young man in front of the counter didn’t seem to pay attention, his eyes determinedly focused on his beat-up boots.

“Morning,” he mumbled, glancing up to briefly meet your eyes.

“The usual?” you asked, trying to hold his gaze.

“Yeah,” he said. This time offering you a genuine smile before he looked away again. He busied himself looking through a well-worn notebook while you relayed his usual order to Jungkook: cheese toast and a small hot americano. You returned to the counter and accepted his punch card. He practically filled one every other week, since he was in nearly every day. 

“Performing in the square again today?” you asked. He was one of the buskers that was a regular in the area. He nodded. “You should put on a coat. It’s supposed to snow later. You’re going to freeze if you’re out there all day like that.”

You looked over his clothes. The hoodie he wore was ragged at the sleeves. He had the hood up, cinched a bit against the biting wind. His signature beanie was just peeking out from under it. He scuffed his feet, uncomfortable under your appraisal. 

“I’ll be fine,” he answered shortly. He looked up at you, eyes wide as he realized how curt he sounded. “I stay warm when I’m performing.”

You weren’t sure how standing behind a keyboard and laptop could keep you warm, but you didn’t press the issue. You handed back the punch card and gave him his total. He rummaged in his pockets before frowning and looking up at the menu.

“That’s wrong,” he said.

“Hm?” you asked, though you already knew what he meant. He pointed to the menu over your shoulder.

“Your prices went up, but this is what it always costs.” He pulled a jumble of crumpled bills and coins from the pocket of his hoodie, counting through them. A couple of coins fell and clattered across the counter.

“I gave you the regular customer discount,” you said. Jungkook chuckled as he joined you at the register with the completed order.

“That’s not a thing,” Yoongi said as he finished counting out his change and handed you the total with the new prices.

“It’s my shop. I’m making it a thing,” you argued, pushing the money back toward him.

“Please, Yeoji-ssi. I don’t need a hand out.”

“I didn’t mean that you need it, I just wanted to,” you finally stammered after an awkward pause. Now you were embarrassed, and you felt bad for unintentionally insulting him. Yoongi cursed quietly under his breath. Beside you Jungkook’s ears twitched, and he sniffed curiously; no doubt sensing something you couldn’t.

“I know, I’m sorry. That’s very generous of you,” he said as he gently pushed the money back toward you. Tucking his toast into the backpack and taking his coffee he hurried back toward the door. He fumbled for a minute, trying to carry his equipment and the hot beverage. As he finally got his things together and went to push the door open, you called after him.

“Hey, drop by if you get a chance to take a break and warm up.”

“I’ll try,” he said, turning around and flashing another soft smile as he pushed through the door.

━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━

You thought about Yoongi a lot through the rest of the day. Jungkook noticed and teased you all day. You couldn’t scold him for it though, you’d teased him plenty about his first crush.

As long as Yoongi had been coming to the cafe you’d been curious about him. He was quiet, handsome, and talented. You’d heard him perform in the square before. He played the keyboard but also produced tracks that he played from his laptop, blending the simplicity of the piano with a full-bodied studio sound.

You often wondered why he wasn’t working at a studio, producing for idols. He could have been an idol himself with the good looks he hid behind a beanie, hoodie, and bangs. The more you learned about the boy, the more you wanted to know. On your break, you googled his name and found a few YouTube videos of performances at clubs and underground rap battles. Apparently he wasn’t just a musician, he was a talented lyricist and rapper as well.

“Doing some research on your boyfriend, I see?” Jungkook said, resting his chin on your shoulder. You jumped, turning to swat at him as he quickly danced away.

“Don’t read over people’s shoulders! That’s rude,” you scolded. You could feel your face turning pink, and it irritated you to know that he could sense your embarrassment. “He’s not my boyfriend. And I was just curious about his music.”

“Mhm, right,” Jungkook said dismissively. “You’re seriously browsing Google? Come on, doesn’t this guy have an Instagram?”

“Not one that I can find.” Your tone made it clear that you had made a thorough search and failed.

“Wow, really? No social media presence at all? Maybe he has Twitter.” You shook your head. “Facebook? LinkedIn? MySpace? AOL?”

“AOL did IM and email, you dork,” you interrupted, cracking a smile. “And no, I can’t find him on any platform besides YouTube. He doesn’t seem to have his own channel…”

“Weird…” Jungkook said. “Are we sure this guy really exists?” You snorted. “I’m serious! For someone to be completely off the grid on the internet is like, unheard of. Maybe he’s hiding from the law! Or in witness protection. Noona, what if your boyfriend is a drug dealer!”

You swung at him again, this time successfully landing a smack on his shoulder. He ran back out front when the door chimed.

“He’s not a drug dealer, stupid!” You called after him. “And he’s not my boyfriend!”

━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━

Namjoon picked up Jungkook after closing that evening. They were having a boys night at Jin’s house.

“Are you sure you don’t want to join, noona?” Jungkook asked, pouting a little bit to try and convince you.

“We really don’t mind, noona. Jimin and Tae would love it if you came,” Namjoon added.

“I appreciate the invitation, but I’ll be fine Joon. And Koo, you know Overwatch isn’t my style. You have fun with the boys. Make sure to let them win a few times,” you said, getting on your toes to ruffle Jungkook’s hair affectionately.

“I will,” Jungkook said, leaning into your hand for one last ear scratch.

You waved off the boys and set to cleaning up for the night. After mopping and turning out the lights in the front you went in the back to wash the dishes. Through the door leading out into the alley, you heard shouting. Listening for a minute, you shrugged it off. Probably just college kids from a local frat house. You often heard them as they stumbled home from the local bar. It was Friday night after all.

That explanation left your head quickly when you heard a scream. The sound nearly made you drop the mug you were washing. That wasn’t a scream of young men goofing around, it was a cry of pain and fear. Before you could think better of it you shook the water off your hands, grabbed your  phone, and raced for the door. 

You burst out into the alleyway struggling to stay upright on the thin layer of freshly fallen snow.

What you saw made your stomach turn. A group of four young men were crowded around the dumpster. Something, or more likely someone, was crumpled in the corner between it and the wall. You couldn’t see much, just rumpled fabric and a couple of bags laying around. The bags were opened, the paper and garments they had contained tossed around the alley. 

The men took turns throwing brutal kicks at the person in the corner, who was now curled so that the only thing you could see besides the snow-soaked hoodie was his hands clutching something to his chest. 

“You thought you could fool everyone? Thought you could scam a buck out of us?” One of the men sneered.

“Too bad. We know what you are. Just because no one wants you doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want,” another said

“You’re just a toy that someone threw away. What were you thinking trying to pull something over on real people?” another said, punctuating his point with a kick to the ribs that sent the victim sprawling onto the snow.

“Hey!” you shouted before you could think better of it. You hurriedly lifted your phone to dial the police. It was dead. Panic shot through you as the four guys turned to you. Thinking quickly you put the phone to your ear and started talking. 

“Hello? I need the police. I’m in the alley behind ***********. There are some young men here and I think they’ve hurt someone.” One of the men took a step toward you, further illuminating his face in the dim security light. You took a step back. “Hey, I have all of this on CCTV! Your faces are on it!” you warned before returning to the imaginary phone call. “Yes, the cameras run 24/7. Everything should be on there…”

The guy closest to you stepped back into the shadows, cursing.

“Let’s go,” he said, turning to walk away and nodding for his friends to follow him. One of them turned to spit on the figure in the corner before walking away.

“You’re lucky, freak.”

You kept talking until the group disappeared around the corner. As soon as they were gone you rushed to the person in the alley. The person flinched away as you approached, tucking in on himself. You stopped, listening as he said something. It was muffled by his arms, which were held up in an attempt to protect his head. 

“What did you say?” you asked, moving a little closer.

“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry…” he repeated over and over again. The man’s voice trembled to the point it was hard to understand him, but his voice was undeniably familiar. As you came within arms reach you got a clearer view, and your blood ran cold. There bundled in a thin, soaked hoodie, was Yoongi. The snow that had melted over him from his body heat was quickly refreezing. He shivered so badly you could hear his teeth chattering.

“Yoongi?” you asked in a choked whisper.

He looked up at you then. One of his eyes was blackened, almost entirely swollen shut, with a cut through his eyebrow dripping blood onto his eyelashes. His nose was bleeding, possibly broken. The split in his lip lined up with a quickly darkening bruise on his jaw.

“Oh my god, Yoongi! What happened?” you asked, reaching out for him.

“Please,” he said, more of a whimper than a word. You froze. He was scared you were going to hurt him.

“Yoongi?” you said, more softly this time. “It’s okay. They’re gone. I’m not going to hurt you. Would you please let me help you?” The panic in his eyes seemed to clear a little, and he seemed to really see you when he met your eyes again.

“Yeoji-ssi? I shouldn’t be here. I’m sorry. I’ll leave,” he mumbled, wincing as he tried to stand.

“Woah, hold on.” You reached out to steady him. He flinched at the sudden movement, but didn’t pull away this time. “You aren’t going anywhere. Come on, let's get you inside before you freeze.”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. It’s really not worth the tro-“ he started.

“Yoongi,” you said in your older-sister voice. He seemed to realize that that was the end of the discussion, because he sagged against you as you slung his arm over your shoulders. His free hand was still clutching something to his chest. You glanced at it and your eyes widened. A tail. You looked up at him with a clearly shocked expression. He let out a kind of tired, resigned sigh.

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. Like I said, I can just go. You can leave me. You probably don’t want me here.”

“Why would you say that?” you said, immediately regretting your tone. He shrank into himself, curling his shoulders in to make himself smaller, even as he winced at the pain of moving.

“Sorry,” he repeated meekly, pulling his arm off as if he expected you to shove him away. You grabbed his hand and settled it back over your shoulder.

“I’m not mad at you, Yoongi. But why would you think I would leave you here?” you said. As you limped toward the door into the café he couldn’t meet your eyes. He’d embarrassed you, again. Of course you’d want to get rid of him. He hung his head and obediently followed you inside. His heart broke as he saw his bags, open and empty, strewn around the alley. His notes littered the floor, already soaked and probably illegible. He glanced around, seeing the edge of his keyboard where it had been shoved under the dumpster in the scuffle. Turning, he realized his backpack—containing his laptop, important papers and notes, and what little money he had saved—was still lying in the corner where you’d found him. 

He turned to you to say something, but found you were already at the door. As soon as the door closed behind him, what little strength he had left him. You eased him to the ground as best you could. He grunted, muffling a whimper of pain. He already felt pathetic enough.

“Okay, I’m going to call the police and an ambulance,” you said, tossing your dead cell phone on the counter and hurrying to the landline. Thank god you hadn’t hadn’t got around to cancelling it yet. Yoongi’s eyes widened and he lurched forward, trying to stand. He only made it one step before he fell, yelping in pain and landing on his hands and knees on the tile. You rushed back to his side.

“Don’t,” he begged through gritted teeth. You stopped short, thinking he didn’t want you to touch him. “No cops. No ambulance,” he got out before lowering himself to lay on his side. You quickly moved to lay his head on your lap instead of the cold floor.

“Yoongi you’re hurt. And those boys should be arrested! Besides, I’m sure someone is worried about you. Don’t you have a…” you trailed off, looking for the right word.

“Owner?” Yoongi said, disgust clear in his voice.

“I was going to say guardian. That’s what most of my friends call their arrangement.” 

“You have hybrid friends? Or your friends own hybrids?” Yoongi asked.

“I guess both, not that my hybrid friends are anyone’s property-“ you cut yourself off. “Yoongi this isn’t important right now. You need help.”

“No. The hospital will call the police, and the police will put me in a shelter.”

“You’re alone?” you asked cautiously.

“Yeah. I’m better his way. If I can just sleep here, I’ll be gone in the morning. Please,” he said. His voice kept getting quieter, losing its bite the more he spoke.

“No,” you said firmly.

“I’m sorry, I know you don’t want me here. I’ll be gone before you wake up. I won’t touch anything. You can just forget all of this.”

“No, Yoongi. I meant I’m not letting you leave like this. I’m getting you help and you’re going to let me.”

You took off your sweater and put it under his head so you could stand and get the phone. Yoongi moved to protest, but you threw him a look and he surrendered. You dialed and watched as Yoongi’s eyes fell closed despite his best attempts to fight it.

“Noona? What’s up?” came the answer on the phone.

“Hoseok, I need your help,” you said, not wasting any time. You could hear the sound of video games and trash talk pause in the background as the other boys asked Hoseok what you called for.

“Shut up a sec and let me ask,” he said to the younger boys who were no doubt hovering around the phone trying to eavesdrop. “Sorry, noona. What do you need? It’s late. Is everything okay?”

“I need a doctor.”

“Are you okay?” he asked immediately, his voice more urgent now. You could hear a whine on the other end already, probably Jungkook, already worried.

“I’m fine, Hobi, but could you take this conversation somewhere more private?” you asked, not wanting to expose the younger boys to any unnecessary trauma. There was shuffling and complaints on the other end of the line, then the sound of a door closing.

“Talk. What’s going on?” Hoseok demanded. The door opened and closed again and you heard Namjoon’s voice.

“What’s happening? Is she okay?” he asked. “Are you okay?” He repeated more clearly, evidently sharing the phone with Hoseok.

“Yes, I’m fine! But I have an injured hybrid here. He doesn’t have a guardian and he’s too scared to let me call an ambulance.”

“What happened to him?” Hoseok asked. He was a doctor specializing in hybrid medicine at the nearby hospital. He often helped out at Jin’s shelter. You felt some relief as you sensed he was in what Taehyung liked to call ‘doctor mode.’

“Some kids beat him up. It’s bad. He’s passed out on my kitchen floor right now. Drenched from the snow too. I can’t carry him into my apartment myself and it’s way too cold in this kitchen.”

“I’m on my way. I’ll have to grab some supplies from the shelter.” 

You heard the door opening again, and a bunch of voices throwing questions at Hoseok and Joon.

“Jin-hyung, shelter keys?” Hoseok requested over the noise.

“I’m going too,” Namjoon chimed in. There was more arguing and shuffling noises as coats were grabbed and shoes were put on and everyone insisted they were coming. You were distracted by a soft murmur from Yoongi, still on the floor behind you. You stretched the phone cord and returned to his side.

“What is it, Yoongi?” you asked, pulling the beanie off to brush some of his fringe off his face. His soft black ears were flattened against his head, and you gently smoothed over them too.

“My bag,” he mumbled, eyebrows creasing even in unconsciousness.

You interrupted the arguing boys on the other end of the phone.

“Bring the boys,” you said.

“Are you sure about that?” Namjoon asked, knowing that you, Jin, and himself all agreed it was best to protect the three maknaes from this kind of situation when it was possible. 

“They can’t come in and see him, but I have a job I need them to help me with. Make sure they dress warm,” you said.

“If you’re sure,” Namjoon said, deciding not to question you. 

“We’ll be there in twenty minutes,” Hoseok said. “Do your best to keep him warm until then.”

“Okay. Please hurry.”

As soon as you hung up, you quickly ran into your apartment in the back. You pulled as many extra blankets as you could carry out of your closet and rushed back to Yoongi. You debated for a minute before pulling off the drenched hoodie, only to find that the black t-shirt he wore underneath was no drier. You weren't confident that you could get the garment off without further hurting him, so instead you piled blankets on top of him. You filled a couple of hot water bottles and tucked them around him; then filled a couple more and tucked them into your bed so that it would be warm when the boys carried him in.

You returned to the kitchen, where Yoongi was barely visible for all the blankets he was packed in. Glancing at the clock, you saw that only 10 minutes had passed. It felt like you’d been waiting for hours. The time crawled as you alternated between watching the seconds tick by and watching Yoongi’s chest rise and fall.

You jumped when the knock finally came at the door. They’d come to the back, the front door to your apartment, and you ran to let them in. Hoseok immediately slipped past you and headed to the kitchen. The others moved to follow, but you stopped them.

“I need you guys to help me with something,” you said. “Those thugs trashed his stuff threw it all over the alley. Joon, can you take the boys and go gather what you can and see if any of it can be salvaged? I know he said his bag is back there. It seemed important to him.”

Namjoon nodded and quickly herded the boys around the building and into the alley. You pulled Jin inside.

“I need you to help Hobi and I get him inside.”

“That bad?” he asked, frowning. You just nodded. He followed you back to where Hoseok was already taking stock of his patient.

“You did good, noona. Seems like you staved off the shock. Move him, and then I’ll dress these wounds.”

You carefully pulled the blankets away.

“Be careful, he was really protective of his tail. I think it’s injured somehow,” you warned before Jin and Hoseok picked him up. They exchanged a glance as they moved toward the apartment door.

“What?” you asked. “Is something else wrong?”

“No,” Jin tried to assure you, though his tone wasn’t comforting. “It’s just… Hobi, I know he isn’t a big guy, but is it normal to be this light?”

“No,” Hoseok answered grimly. “Definitely not.”

Now that your attention was drawn to it, you noticed how slight Yoongi was. His ribs were clearly visible through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. You felt a lump in your throat and looked away, hurrying to open the door.

“You can put him in my room. I put some water bottles to warm the bed.” They nodded and quickly settled him on the bed.

“Do you think we could cut away this stuff?” Hoseok asked, gesturing to his clothes. “It’s all trashed anyway.”

“I don’t know if he has much else…” you said, hesitant to ruin his things.

“I just don’t want to risk further injury trying to get them off intact. And we can’t leave him in these, he’s already nearly hypothermic,” he said.

“We can replace them,” Jin suggested. “I brought a change of clothes. It’s in a bag on your coffee table, noona.”

“Right, great,” you said. “I’ll go get them.”

You hurried out of the room to get the bag Jin mentioned. When you came into the living room you found Jimin, hovering by the door.

“Noona, there was a keyboard by the trash and papers everywhere. Are they his? Should we get them too?” he asked, shifting from foot to foot. His nose twitched, and you realized he could probably smell the anxiety and pain in the air. You sighed.

“Yeah, grab everything you can. We can sort through it in the morning, and see what we can save.” He nodded and turned to leave.

“Chim,” you called and he turned. You wrapped him in a comforting hug. “Thank you.”

A purr echoed in the boy’s chest, even as you heard him sniffle. You knew this whole experience was hard for him. He was one of the volunteers at the shelter the day Jungkook was brought in. That experience still haunted him. It’s why he stopped working at the shelter and took a job at the coffee shop. His tail curled around your waist as he hugged you back tightly.

“He’ll be okay, Chim,” you said, stroking his hair. “We’re going to help him.”

A pained groan came from the room behind you, and you pulled away from Jimin.

“Go back out and help the boys. Once you’re done, leave the stuff in the living room and go to the cafe. Tell Jungkook I said everyone needs a hot chocolate,” you petted his hair one last time and guided him out the door. A shout echoed out of your bedroom, and you couldn’t tell if it sounded pained, angry, or scared. Snatching the bag off the coffee table, you dashed back into the room.

“Get off me!” Yoongi shouted, tail clutched to his now bare chest. Jin stood back, hands up in surrender as Hoseok tried to calm the panicked cat. 

“Look man, your clothes are soaked. We’re risking hypothermia if we don’t get you into something dry.”

Yoongi looked down, seeing what remained of his ratty t-shirt cut open and in the trash. The right leg of his jeans was sliced along the outer seam up to his mid-thigh.

“What the hell did you do to my clothes?” He shouted again. He winced and swayed from the strain of sitting upright.

“Yoongi,” you started softly. Yoongi turned to you, eyes wide with panic. You approached slowly, not stopping when he spat at you to leave him alone, hurling threats and nonsense at you. As you sat on the edge of the bed he shrank back into the bedding around him and refused to meet your eyes.

“Please,” he said, his voice so quiet you hardly heard him. “Please just leave me alone. Please don’t hurt me.”

“Yoongi,” you said again, “I want to help. You’re safe. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.” You reached out to gently take his hands. “I swear, I’m going to protect you. Please let me. These are my friends, and they’re trying to help.”

He drew a shallow breath, wincing at the pain in his ribs and nodded. You stood and moved to leave, trying to spare him some privacy.

“Wait!” he said, stopping you. “Please don’t leave me.”

You turned back to him and took in his face, still chapped from the winter wind. You couldn’t leave him. So you stood with your back turned, awkwardly rocking on the balls of your feet as Jin and Hoseok helped him change.

“That’s much better,” Hoseok said, evidently satisfied that his patient was no longer at risk for hypothermia. You turned to find Yoongi with his ribs already wrapped and Hoseok working on dressing the wounds on his brow and lip. The flannel pajama bottoms Jin had brought were much too big for him, you might’ve giggled at how cute he looked if the situation were different. Without the dark hoodie and ripped jeans, Yoongi was undeniably adorable.

“I brought my clothes since I wasn’t sure what size would fit. I guess we should’ve borrowed Jimin’s instead,” Jin said with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

“Thank you,” Yoongi said, bowing his head in thanks.

“It’s no problem. I’ll bring by something that’ll fit you better tomorrow.”

Yoongi glanced from you to Jin to Hoseok, then back to his hands in his lap. He focused on Hoseok’s hands, which were now busy setting the break in his tail.

“Don’t worry about it, I probably have something in my bag I can wear…” He trailed off, remembering the state his belongings were in the last time he saw them. “I’ll go clean up my stuff as soon as it’s light tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’ll be out of the way before you know it.”

“Yoongi,” you said, trying her best not to sound frustrated. Yoongi’s ears flattened and you knew you hadn’t succeeded.

“I’m sorry. I can leave now if you want,” he said, tail curling back around him as soon as Hoseok released it.

Your heart, already cracked from all the events of the night so far, finally broke completely. Hoseok stepped aside to make room as you came to sit beside Yoongi again. He was shaking, and you realized that he was terrified. He genuinely believed that you wanted him gone; that you’d throw him out in the snow right then and there.

“Don’t leave,” you said, your own voice trembling now. You reached out and lifted his chin so he’d meet your eyes. He did, and you found they were shining with tears of pain and fear that he was desperately trying to hold back. “Please don’t leave. I want you to stay.”

His shaking hand came up to rest over yours, which still cupped his cheek. He leaned in to the first gentle touch he’d felt in years, and the tears finally fell. You pulled him into your arms, and he let you. He buried his face in your neck and cried as you pulled a blanket over his shoulders. 

Eventually the sobs quieted. His breaths came in little gasps now, as he tried to catch his breath despite the pain in his ribs. You leaned away after a while to look at his face and saw he’d fallen asleep. 

You looked back to find that Jin had gone to check on the boys. Hoseok sat quietly at the end of the bed, not wanting to interrupt. He gave you an approving smile, and you thought his eyes were a bit wet too. It took you a moment to notice Namjoon standing in the doorway. Hoseok helped you ease Yoongi down to lie comfortably, and you carefully disengaged herself from his arms. The two of you exited the room as quietly as you could.

“You were great with him, noona,” Hoseok praised. Namjoon beamed with pride before pulling you into a tight hug.

“I’m proud of you,” he said, planting a kiss on top of your head.

“Thank you, Joonie.” Your voice broke and you finally felt all of the emotions hit you. Your shoulders shook and you struggled to stay quiet as you sobbed into Namjoon’s sweater.

A/N: So so so much thanks to my beta reader @sunshineboysbts​ for helping me create and edit this whole fic! She’s been listening to my ramblings for actual months while I worked on this. Love you, girl!

[psychedelic-ink]

caffeine.

Pairing: Sanji Vinsmoke x gn!reader

Genre: fluff + suggestive (but just a tiny bit)

Word Count: 756

Warnings: none!

Summary: You want to surprise Sanji Christmas morning and bake him sourdough bread, but due to poor planning you need to wake up extra early and knead the dough. 

A/N: I was planning on posting this yesterday buuut oh well, Merry Christmas everyone! also this is called caffeine because I’m obsessed with the song by Kiro Akiyama at the moment if anyone wants to listen to the song xD

The sunlight barely made its way through the window as you tiptoed into the kitchen. It was still fairly early and you were happy you managed to get out of the warm confinements of your shared bed with Sanji. It was Christmas morning and you were planning on surprising him with breakfast and a loaf of freshly made sourdough bread. 

You’ve never made the bread before and you’ve been slaving over it since last night. With your poor planning skills you had missed the fact that making the bread took almost thirty six hours, so you had to do a bit of extra work by staying up late and waking up extra early to roll the dough a couple more times before it went in the oven. 

You took out the dough out of the fridge and peeled the cloth you’d put over it the night before, it had almost doubled in size and you were happy by your creation. Placing it on the counter you started to knead the dough, it was much tougher and the coldness of it made your already cold fingertips even colder. You shivered. 

“How on earth does Sanji do this all the time?” you muttered, contemplating if you should go wear another jacket or not. 

That’s when you felt something warm pressing against your back. 

“How do I do what, love?” 

You flinched when you heard his groggy voice, he placed his head on your shoulder and you slightly turned your head so you could see him. He was looking at the counter with half lidded eyes, it was clear that he was still sleepy. A soft smile formed on your lips. 

“Sorry,” you muttered. “Did I wake you up?” 

“I actually got up to go to the toilet and noticed that you were gone,” he replied smiling, now looking more awake, he stared at the dough you were attempting to knead. “Are you making sourdough bread?” 

By the sound of it the cook was certainly intrigued by your attempt, you turned your gaze back to the counter and continued to knead. 

“Well, it was supposed to be a Christmas surprise for you but yeah I’m making sourdough bread.” you said and followed with a chuckle. “The dough is so cold though! My fingers might fall off any second.” 

You gasped when Sanji placed his hands over yours, in comparison your hands seemed small like a child's, your pulse quickened as his fingers were intertwined with yours. Slowly he started to knead the dough with you, suddenly you felt as you were burning up, his fingers were much more precise in doing the job compared to your amatour ones. His chin was still placed over your shoulder, you could hear him humming “baby it’s cold outside” as he made the job seem so effortless. You couldn’t believe you were struggling so much before, your freezing cold hands warmed up as you both kneaded the dough. 

The way you could feel Sanji’s breath on your skin was just intoxicating, a warmness throughout your gut as you shifted your legs. Sanji raised an eyebrow  as his smile grew wider, he placed a small kiss on your neck and chuckled when you shivered. 

“You seem to be restless,” he teased. “Are you okay?” 

“Y-yeah,” you swallowed. “It’s just that you’re so warm.” 

Sanji hummed at your response. 

“Is that so?” 

He placed another kiss on your neck, his facial hair tickled you and made you giggle. Everything about this moment made you so happy that you wanted to engrave it into your mind forever, the way your fingers intertwined as you kneaded the dough, the way he stood behind you his body warmth seeping into you, the way he was purposefully making you giggle by kissing you in a way that his facial hair touched your skin. 

Just the pure essence of him made you happy. 

“I think that’s enough for now,” he said suddenly, his voice raspy. “Let’s let in rest for another hour and we can put it in the oven.” 

“Okay…” you replied, your disappointment showing. 

Sanji’s hands slid to your waist and gave your love handles a gentle squeeze. He nuzzled your neck. 

“Why disappointed?” he asked, clearly knowing the answer. “This doesn’t mean I’m going to stop kissing you, it only means I’m going to kiss you in the bedroom. For an hour.” 

“That sounds promising.” you replied, smiling you let him drag you towards the bedroom. 

Indeed, he made you the happiest person to walk this earth.