#thinks about Loop. thinks about Loop. thinks about Loop

[lucabyte]

even dogs pass the mirror test

[alexispunkkk]

sleepy & spoiled

little blurb about my favorite brothers because i don’t feel like writing anything else unfortunately

It’s late afternoon in Jackson, the community being dragged together for yet another meeting regarding the most useless things to you. Crop rotation, rations, who’s going out for patrols and when. Too bureaucratic for your interest.

You don’t normally bother to attend meetings, but Joel convinced you. He sweet talked his way in with a soft “c’mon, won’t be so bad, baby—jus’sit with me.”

You end up curled up next to him in the front row, legs tucked under you and the blanket that he convinced you to bring in hopes that it’d get you to come with. Soft pink fuzz on your thighs and his shoulder touching yours. It gets your eyes real heavy.

You’re trying to be good, but your eyelids keep drooping, lashes touching your cheeks with each hefty blink that lasts a bit too long. Joel notices.

“Go on, baby.” He whispers, shifting closer and speaking right up into your ear for only you to hear. “You can rest. I got you. Nothin’ important for your ears, anyway.”

You let out a soft hum and a nod of defeat, succumbing to the exhaustion that normally comes around 2 pm on a Sunday.

His big palm finds your back, slowly rubbing up and down, thumbs tracing circles into every knot he can find between your shoulder blades. Every so often, he’ll switch to carding his fingers through your hair, lulling you into a mindless sleep.

The world dulls on you, leaving you only with Joel’s touch. And you don’t notice Tommy’s gaze on you from the front of the room.

He’s up at the podium, trying to work out with the townspeople the week’s current patrol schedule. He catches sight of your drooping head—and Joel’s obvious enabling—sighing.

“Don’t you let her fall asleep.” He mouths to his brother, seemingly exasperated by the sight.

Joel gives him a subtle shrug, definitely not one of guilt, and focuses back on you. He presses a soft kiss to your temple.

“She’s tired.” He mouths back to his younger brother, grinning like it’s obvious. It is, though. To him, the meeting holds much less value than your beauty sleep.

You’re out cold by the time Joel gets called off, leaving to handle something outside. Normally, you’d stir at the absence of his hand on your back and head, but you’re too sleepy to notice him leave.

He didn’t want to wake you, pressing another little kiss to the crown of your head and tucking your arms under your head as a makeshift pillow.

The meeting ends and you’re still slumped over, drooling, blanket beginning to slip from your lap. Your lips are parted, soft hair framing all around your face messily. Adorable.

Once everyone is cleared out, Tommy steps down, beelining straight for your seat.

He kneels beside your chair, brushing some loose hairs back and smiling to himself. Oh, you’re so beloved by the two. He whispers your name, gently shaking your shoulder.

“Time to wake up, sweetheart.” He coos, voice honey-warm and so sweet, watching your eyes slowly come back to life as they open and blink down at him.

“There you are, angel. Went out real hard durin’ the meeting, huh?”

Before you can respond, he gets on one knee, pulling your body to him until you’re straddled over his thigh. From there, he scoops you up into his chest, grabbing the backs of your thighs to wrap them around his waist while your head falls to his neck lazily.

His grin makes it evident he doesn’t mind this one bit. You loop your arms up around his neck, attaching yourself. And he carries you the whole way home, pressing kisses to your forehead and cheeks each time you stir in his grip.

“Joel’s gonna owe me for this one.”

this came to me in class and i thought it was sweet—aftermath of me constantly thinking about these two. oh to be sandwiched between the miller brothers on a lazy sunday afternoon💔💔

[em1i2a3]

Signs

Pairing: Bob/Robert Reynolds/The Sentry/The Void x Thunderbolts!Fem!Reader

Summary: You haven’t been able to sleep for the past four days, you’ve tried everything in the book, but tonight Bob has come to your room to offer you some help.

Warnings: Semi-Spoilers for Thunderbolts because Bob is involved and there are mentions of his past (that aren’t really explored completely in the movie but hey…It’s just in case lol), Fluff-ish, Hurt/Comfort (Kinda), Mentions of Past Drug Use, Mentions of Readers Past Traumatic Experience, Established Friendship between Reader and Bob.

Author's Note: Hey y’all, I don’t know if I can somehow recover the darn request but this was a request from an Anon, if it was you thank you for the ask! This one was fun to write! Can’t wait to keep chipping away at the ask list! Hope y’all enjoy :)

Word Count: 7,338

You and the ceiling in your room had taken on a strange sort of companionship.

You’d memorized every crack in the plaster, every faint shadow that was casted by the bustling city outside your window, every blemish that faded across it–remnants of the last person who stayed in this exact room, someone who liked to put little glow in the dark stars on their ceiling.

For four nights you had found yourself in the same position. Sleepless, yet exhausted. Your body was begging for rest, but your mind just wouldn’t allow it.

You had tried everything under the sun to induce sleep.

You tried herbal tea–chamomile, lemon balm, even the “Sleepytime Knockout” blend that Yelena had smugly handed you like it was a modern day miracle, which you had proven it was not. You tried an array of different white noises–whirring fans, tv static, waves, but it only made you feel nauseous. You took warm baths, wore flannel pajamas, you even bought a weighted blanket–which now lays on the desk across from you because it felt like it was suffocating you. You even tried mint scented melatonin pillow spray, and that didn’t work–although it did leave your pillow smelling quite fresh.

Even with all those attempts at trying to resolve your insomnia, your thoughts just wouldn’t let you go. They clung to you like burrs in fabric–small, sharp, and impossible to shake off once they made themselves at home. They weren’t loud–not always. Sometimes they whispered, and other times they just echoed–half finished sentences, things you didn’t say when you should’ve, flashes from old missions that blurred at the edges like fog on glass, and regrets that you just couldn’t shake from your system.

You were tired in a way that felt cellular–tired of the stillness, of fighting your own brain, of crying every little thing you thought about in silence. Your chest felt tight and full. Like your body had been holding its breath for too long and didn’t remember how to let go.

The longer you stayed still under the thin white sheet you had pulled on top of you, the heavier your thoughts became. They didn’t scream, they just looped in this quiet, methodical way–cruel in how convincing they were. You thought about things that you had ruined by your own hands, people you had killed, innocent civilians that suffered the shrapnel of your actions. You were guilty of so much, and sometimes during these nights you felt like you had blood on your hands–real, warm, and sticky crimson blood that sunk under your nails and stained your skin.

It was a quiet kind of drowning, where you just allowed yourself to sink, thinking whatever was weighing you down would let you go so you could break the surface again, but it was never that easy.

You turned your head to the side, letting the cool cotton of your pillow brush against your cheek–damp from the heat trapped underneath the covering. You’d flipped it three times already tonight, hoping the fresh side might grant you sleep, but it never did.

Your fingers curled loosely around the sheet like they used to hold something, someone, once. Your knuckles ached, even though you had taken a break from training because you were too exhausted–Bucky had told you it was phantom pain, something he had experienced with his arm.

The air in your room felt used. Like it had been breathed in and out too many times, like it couldn’t carry comfort for anyone anymore. You wished, suddenly and without warning, for something as simple as a breeze to blow through your room, just something to reset the air. Something to prove there was still hope for sleep.

Instead, there was the occasional honk of a car too far away to care about, and sirens that distantly cried through the dark like tired wolves. It all passed you by. Out there, the world kept turning on its axis, but here–in your bedroom–everything was slow and suffocating, like you were drowning in molasses.

You closed your eyes tightly, and saw things you didn’t want to see.

The face of a boy whose name you never learned. The tremble in your own hands after pulling the trigger. A woman screaming. The echo of silence that followed. You brought your hands to your face, and pressed your palms over your eyes like maybe darkness could cancel out darkness, but it only made it worse. All it did was give the thoughts more room to expand.

You remember the moment you let someone die–not because you had no choice, but because you hesitated. You remember the blood that splattered on your face.

Even now–years later–on nights like this, those moments still felt fresh. You shook your head a little like it might scatter them, and curled in on yourself under the weight of it all, knees drawing up to your chest and arms tucked close like you could press yourself into sleep with the pressure alone.

Then, you heard a sound.

It was faint, almost imperceptible, but your brain was so trained to be on edge that you noticed those little noises. There was shuffling. The subtle creak of a floorboard. A soft rustle of fabric, then the nearly soundless click of a door opening from the room next door to yours. Bob’s.

You could feel your heart stutter at the noise when you realized he was awake too, but your ears tuned in more sharply now.

You could tell he was walking carefully–barefoot, you imagined, moving down the hallway like he was trying not to disturb anyone. His weight shifted gently, like he knew exactly where the creaky floorboards were, like he’d done this many times before. You slowly opened your eyes, staring up at the ceiling, heart pressing tightly in your chest, squeezing and contracting like it was struggling to regain its rhythm. You didn’t move, nor did you call out…Because what would you say? “I heard you. I’m glad you’re up too? I’m a mess and I wish you could fix it but I’d never let you try?”

No. Because you didn’t want to bother him.

Bob was kind. Gentle. The kind of man who offered you the last slice of pizza with a shrug like it didn’t matter to him, even though he was still hungry, the kind of person who always held the door just a second longer than necessary, the kind of person who would fight to give you the world even if it meant he needed to sacrifice something from himself to do so.

He was your friend, and you liked the friendship too much to chip at it with things he didn’t ask for. You kept the nightmares that plagued you to yourself. The sleepless night. The guilt. The ache.

You had to.

Because if Bob ever saw that part of you–the part still bloodstained and shaking–maybe he’d stop looking at you the way he did when it was just you and him. With eyes soft and full like you were something gentle and special to him, instead of something that was broken into millions of pieces.

So you stayed quiet, and let him drift down the hallway like a ghost. Maybe he was just getting water, maybe he had a nightmare, maybe he was sleepwalking and wouldn’t remember any of it in the morning.

And maybe…Maybe that was better.

Because some people in the compound had already caught on to your issues. Early on, after you joined the team. Yelena had raised an eyebrow the first time you turned up at breakfast with the bags under your eyes heavy enough to pack for a weekend trip. Walker had made a joke about you needing depuffing cream. Ava had noticed too, once–her voice casual but precise when she’d asked, “You sleep at all last night?”

You always gave the same answer. A shrug. A smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes. “I’m fine. Just a long dream.”

And somehow, they let it go.

But Bob–

Bob had never asked.

Not because he didn’t notice, you suspected. But because he respected your quiet. Because he waited for permission.

And that? That made it worse in the best way.

Because you could feel how much he wanted to ask. On the days he’d hand you your coffee and hover an extra beat too long. On the nights he’d walk you to your room after training and say, “Sleep well,” with a voice that felt more like a hope than a goodbye.

You kept listening to his movements though. There was a soft rummaging sound from the kitchen, the slow creak of a cabinet opening. The unmistakable clink of ceramic–just one, like he was pulling out a mug, not a glass. Then, quieter still, the dull metallic sound of a pot.

Your brows furrowed, glancing over at your clock to see that it was 3:21 AM.

You thought it was super late for him to be cooking something for himself, but then again he had mentioned in passing that after he received the Sentry serum it caused his metabolism to spike, and it made him feel like he was starving at odd times of the day–enough to put him on the brink of pain if he didn’t eat properly.

You heard a soft mutter, barely a whisper, but you couldn’t make it out–oftentimes you’d catch him talking to himself when he assumed he was alone, and this seemed like one of those times. Then came the hum of the fridge opening. The gentle click of a cap twisting loose. A drawer. A utensil. A quiet clink-clink of metal tapping ceramic.

He was definitely making something.

But you couldn’t piece together what it was, there were too many confusing sounds.

So you just sighed, and turned over slowly, the sheets rustling faintly beneath you as your gaze fell on the window.

The city beyond the glass was still awake, and buzzing with energy surprisingly. A few lights blinked in neighboring buildings. A plane cut silently through the sky in the distance, red lights flashing against the black. Clouds moved slow and soft, brushed in pale grey, like smeared charcoal across paper.

And behind them–stars. Only a few. Faint. Distant. Struggling against the glow of the skyline. But they were there. You stared at them for a long time. Let yourself trace imagined constellations. Let your breathing slow just enough to pretend your thoughts had too.Trying to give yourself the illusion of calm, even as the memory of his voice–not the words, just the sound of him–lingered in the hallway air like warmth that hadn’t faded yet.

Whatever Bob was doing in the kitchen was done now, at least that’s what you thought because the noise had halted. He was probably back in his room, probably eating at his desk, or curled up beneath his sheets, trying not to do what you were doing–thinking too hard, wanting too much, or hoping for something that would never be offered to you.

Minutes passed. You weren’t sure how many. Maybe five. Maybe twenty. It stretched and folded in on itself the way time always did when it was so early in the morning–when sleep was out of reach but everything else felt a little too close.

Then you heard it…Tap Tap.

Two knocks. Gentle. Hesitant. Like punctuation at the end of a sentence you didn’t know had been written for you.

Your body reacted before your mind could catch up, and you turned over quickly, the sheet slipping off your shoulder, pooling around your hips as your eyes landed on the door.

There was a shadow there. Still and uncertain. You could see it through the sliver of light spilling beneath the frame–two bare feet planted quietly on the hardwood.

Slowly, you pushed yourself up and out of bed. The room was cool, and your skin prickled under the change in air. Your loose, worn Stark Industries t-shirt that hung off your shoulder, the hem brushing the tops of your thigh. A pair of navy flannel sleep shorts clung gently to your hips and your legs were bare all the way down to your toes, which curled instinctively against the cold of the floor as you moved toward the door.

You reached for the handle, hesitated–just for a breath–and then opened it.

And there he was.

Bob, standing in the soft halo of hallway light, looking every bit as fragile and gentle as the moment deserved. His hair was tousled–bed-tousled, like he had also been tossing and turning a dozen times tonight as well. Soft light brown waves of hair hung over his forehead, catching the light, almost like it was emoting a crown of sorts.

He wore a familiar dark red hoodie, the sleeves were shoved up around his elbows, and the cotton was warped at the seams from how often he picked and fidgeted in it. His plaid pajama pants were rumpled and hit just above his ankles.

And in his hands, cupped with a kind of gentleness you had seen countless times before, was a simple white ceramic mug.

Steam curled up from it in delicate swirls, spiralin in the stillness between you. The smell hit you softly–milk, warm and rich, and a sweet hint of honey. The scent wrapped around you, caressing your skin.

Bob’s eyes met yours, and you saw the surprise in his face at the fact you had even gotten up to open the door. His lips parted, like he was going to say something but his eyes kept going over you, distracting his brain from saying what he wanted to.

”Hey.” You whispered, rubbing your eyes with your knuckles, before returning your gaze back to his, “You okay?” Bob flinched like your voice startled him. Like he’d been standing there for longer than he meant to, lost in thought, and not expecting you to say anything first.

He looked down at the mug in his hands, then returned his gaze to yours, his thumbs shifting nervously against the ceramic rim.

”Y-Yeah,” He said, his voice scratchy with sleep, and soft around the edges, “Yeah, I’m good…I just…I just heard you.” You didn’t say anything–just tilted your head slightly, brow furrowing. He cleared his throat, eyes flicking briefly toward the shared wall behind you.

”Through the wall I-I mean. Through the wall. I–I didn’t mean to. I just…You’ve been tossing a lot the last few nights, and I wasn’t sure if…You wanted me to do anything but tonight it just…” He looked down at the mug again, then shrugged a little, awkward and quiet, “I couldn’t lay in there anymore…Felt wrong.” Your heart thudded in your chest–not from panic, but from something warmer. Softer. Something dangerously close to comfort. Bob shifted again, like he thought maybe he should start walking away, like maybe he overstepped.

Bob swallowed thickly, like the nerves were caught somewhere behind his tongue, and with a small, careful motion, he held the mug out to you.

”It’s…It’s just warm milk with some honey…No-Nothing fancy or anything, just…Just something my mom used to m-make me when I was really small…” Bob rarely mentioned his mother, once in a blue moon he would say something in passing, and it was always about something she used to enjoy, but he never spoke about anything further than that. You never pushed, you knew the history, you knew his file like the back of your hand actually, so you understood what was off limits for conversation.

“She…Used to say that it worked b-better than anything else..I guess I was hoping maybe…Maybe it could help you too.” He wasn’t looking at you anymore. His eyes had dropped to the mug in his hands still, or maybe to the floor–anywhere but your face, as he waited for you to take it, still rubbing anxiously at the rim like there was a stain you couldn’t see.

You reached out, your fingers brushing his as you gently took the mug. The ceramic was warm, and the steam curled softly under your chin. The scent wrapped around you like a memory you’d never had—soft, homey, achingly kind.

”Thank you,” You whispered, so quietly you weren’t even sure he heard it, but then he nodded. You glanced up at him again, “Do you want to come in?” Bob hesitated for half a second at your invitation, caught off guard by the offer.

”…Only if it’s okay with you…” He replied, and almost immediately you stepped to the side, motioning for him to come in. He stepped past the door frame and into your room, his bare feet making almost no sound against the hardwood floor.

Your room wasn’t messy exactly, but it had the unmistakable signs of someone who lived inside their own thoughts too much–stacks of books were on the nightstand, a half-folded hoodie draped over the office chair in the corner, a mug with a plant sprouting from it on the windowsill.

The shelf across from your bed was lined with board games–stacked neatly but densely, as if you collected them slowly over time, favorites worn down at the corners from use, or from age. There were also tiny figurines lined up beside them–small, whimsical things that looked hand painted. There were also a few vintage snow globes from places you’d never been but had always meant to visit. It was little pieces of nostalgia and comfort that made the space feel like yours.

Bob didn’t say anything right away, but you noticed the way he gravitated toward the shelf, his eyes scanning the games in the darkness with an unmistakable curiosity. He crouched a little, careful not to touch anything, just reading the spines.

”You’ve got Clue…” He murmured, almost to himself, “T-The good version…With the m-miniature weapons…” You smiled softly at that and returned to your bed, setting the mug down gently on the nightstand before slipping beneath your sheet again. It barely warmed you, but it was just to cover yourself up a bit. With Bob being there the air already started to feel different–less used, less still. Like you could breathe just a little bit easier, even though your chest still felt tight.

“We can play something if you’d like…” You said gently, watching the way his fingers hovered near a box labeled Codenames before pulling back. You reached over and picked the mug back up from the nightstand, cupping it in both hands as the warmth seeped into your skin, bringing it up to your lips before taking a small sip–just enough to taste the gentle swirl of honey at the back of your tongue. It was soothing. Sweet. A kind of simple comfort that felt foreign to you.

”You sure you’re up for it?” He asked quietly, still looking at the shelves.

”Positive, besides…It’ll probably take a bit for this to work.” You said, motioning to the mug even though he wasn’t looking over at you. Bob’s fingers hover over a couple of boxes–Ticket to Ride, Bananagrams, even a battered-looking deck of Uno–but eventually settled on Scrabble. His hand lingered on the side of the box, thumb brushing over the worn cardboard like he was trying to gauge how many games had been played on it before.

”Scrabble okay?” He asked, moving to the side slightly so you could see the box, as a small smile tugged at your lips.

”Sure.” Bob slipped the box out of the pile and stepped toward your bed, careful not to knock into anything in the low light, and then out of nowhere you pointed toward your desk.

”Just turn on the salt lamp, it’ll be easier on the eyes than the overhead light, and we won’t go blind trying to read the little tiles while we play.” Bob gave a small nod and padded softly over to your desk, careful not to disturb the stacks of paper and stray pens scattered across the surface. He bent slightly, fingers brushing the dial of the salt lamp, and with a gentle click, it bloomed to life.

A soft amber glow filled the room-like the last light of day spilling across hardwood and skin. It curled into the corners, brushing gold over his cheekbones and catching faintly in the strands of his hair. The shadows no longer felt sharp, just softened edges fading into the warm orange hush.

As Bob straightened, his eyes flicked–almost unintentionally–over the contents of your desk. Notebooks flipped open to half-finished thoughts. Old mission reports, some with ink smudged across the corners where you’d rested your palm. Paperwork from the Thunderbolts med team. A few loose pages caught his eye–your handwriting sharp and slanted, trailing off into sentences he couldn’t quite make out. But the word “decompensating” was there. He didn’t linger though. He looked away just as quickly, like he hadn’t seen it at all.

He made his way back toward your bed and set the Scrabble box gently down between the both of you, careful not to make too much noise. He lowered himself carefully onto the edge of your bed, tucking his long legs beneath him and sitting criss-crossed on the sheets like a tall child. The salt lamp’s glow warmed the fabric of his hoodie, casting a faint orange hue along the planes of his face and deepening the shadows beneath his lashes. His posture was relaxed, but the tension in his hands betrayed the way he was holding himself still–like he wasn’t quite sure how close he was allowed to be.

You started setting up the board in front of you, drawing the tile racks from the box and arranging the letter pouch off to the side. You felt his eyes on you–not in a way that made you nervous, but in a way that made you feel seen. Quietly observed. Almost studied, like he didn’t want to miss a moment.

“How’s the drink?” He asked softly, voice still rough, like he hadn’t fully settled into being awake.

You glanced over at him and gave a faint smile. “It’s really good,” You said truthfully. “A little sweet, but…It definitely soothes. Or at least it feels like it’s trying to.”

Bob’s lips curved into something warm, the kind of smile you only get from someone who made something just for you and got it right.

“I haven’t made it in a while,” He murmured, eyes dropping briefly to your hands wrapped around the mug. “Didn’t know if it’d still be…I don’t know... W-Worth making.”

“It was,” You said, and then, after a pause, you leaned forward slightly, holding the mug out toward him. “Want a sip?”

His eyes lifted in surprise. For a second, he didn’t answer–just blinked at the offer like you’d handed him something much more important than a half-finished drink. But then he nodded, once, gently, and reached for it.

His fingers brushed yours as he took the mug, and you didn’t let go immediately. Neither did he.

The weight of the silence stretched between you, not heavy, but delicate. Something balanced. Breakable.

Then Bob looked down, brought the mug to his lips, and took a small sip–barely anything, like he was trying not to take too much. When he handed it back to you, his thumb lingered on the handle just a beat longer than it needed to.

“It’s…Yeah,” He said, voice low. “S-Still good.”

You didn’t reply, just gave him a quiet smile as you settled back, placing the mug carefully on your nightstand again. He straightened a little as you began to draw your tiles.

A few moments passed like that–quiet rustling of letter tiles, soft exhales, the hum of the city outside whispering beneath it all. Bob watched you with a quiet intensity–eyes soft, but wholly focused, like the flickering glow of the salt lamp had burned everything else out of view except for you.

You laid down your first word slowly, pressing each wooden tile into place with a soft click that seemed to echo louder than it should in the hush of the room.

“Still.”

He tilted his head slightly as he read it, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth like he thought the word was fitting in more ways than one.

You didn’t say anything. Just watched as his gaze dropped to his own rack of letters, brows drawing together slightly in concentration. His shoulders were curved inward, posture just shy of guarded, and his fingers fiddled with a tile between his thumb and forefinger, turning it slowly over and over in his palm like he wasn’t quite ready to play his move.

You could’ve looked away.

But you didn’t.

There was something about watching Bob think–watching the way he wrestled with something so small and inconsequential with the same care he gave to life-and-death situations–that made you feel like maybe nothing was inconsequential to him. Maybe that was part of what made him so easy to be near. He never treated anything like it was small, especially not you.

”…Why were you awake?” You asked, voice soft but clear, threading gently into the space between you like a breath that didn’t want to startle him. He didn’t look up immediately, but his thumb paused on the tile he was holding, and you saw his jaw tighten–just slightly, like he was sifting through what he wanted to say. Eventually, he set the tile down without adding it to the board, glancing up at you for a moment before looking down at his hands.

”S-Sometimes I get these…Muscle spasms,” He said, clasping his hands together slowly, “Uh…It started when I g-got clean. Back then…I chalked it up to j-just withdrawal symptoms or whatever…” He offered a small shrug, but it looked more like he was trying to take the weight of the memory off his shoulders, “But t-they never really went away…Even after the whole…Sentry serum thing.” You felt something inside you still at that–your breath, your hands, the thoughts that had been crawling under your skin just moments before. Bob had never talked about this, yes he had mentioned it in passing but he never went into details. Not with you, not with anyone in the compound as far as you knew. And he didn’t speak of it now with bitterness or shame–just quiet, exhausted honesty.

His fingers tapped lightly against his knee now, the motion faint but rhythmic. He wasn’t looking at you. Not fully. Just past you, like it might be easier to keep talking if your gaze wasn’t anchored to his.

“It’s not like–a c-constant thing,” He murmured. “Not always. But some nights…” His voice faltered for a breath, then gathered itself again, “Some nights it feels like my skin doesn’t fit right. L-Like something’s twisting underneath. And if I stay still too long, it gets worse. Hurts.” You stayed still, letting his words settle in the room like dust in a shaft of light. Not brushing them away. Not rushing to respond. You just…Let him be heard.

“And what about tonight?” You asked gently. Bob’s shoulders rose slightly at your question, like a breath caught halfway up his chest and couldn’t decide whether it wanted to stay there or fall. He didn’t answer right away, but you didn’t rush him. You just…Watched.

There was a fragility in the way he was sitting now–his tall body folded inward, arms loosely draped across his lap like he was trying not to take up more space than he deserved. The plaid of his pajama pants creased softly at his knees, and the hem of his hoodie had ridden up slightly where it bunched at his hips, exposing the edge of a thin white undershirt. He was swaying–just barely. That kind of instinctive motion people did when they were trying to self-soothe without realizing it.

And his hands–those quiet, trembling hands–were doing that thing again. Fingers laced loosely, thumbs rubbing in absent loops over each other like they were chasing comfort around and around.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low. Careful.

“It started in my thighs first,” He murmured, eyes fixed on the little wooden tiles in front of him like they might spell out a safer version of the truth. “Like this…C-Crawling pressure...”

You stayed quiet. Just listened.

“Then my back,” He added. “It always finds my back eventually. S-Sometimes it feels like–like something’s winding itself around my spine and pulling tight, and if I don’t move or stretch or…J-Just do something, it’s like I’m gonna shatter from the inside out.”

His voice broke a little on the last word, not from emotion but from the wear of speaking it aloud. He cleared his throat gently.

“I-I tried laying on the floor for a bit,” He continued, almost like he was narrating it to himself now. “It’s supposed to help sometimes. G-Grounding or whatever. I-I even tried counting backwards from a h-hundred, but I kept getting stuck on the same numbers…And I kept hearing…Hearing you t-tossing and turning.” Bob’s voice trailed off, and he looked up at you. His eyes were glassy in the amber light, not from tears, but from the kind of fatigue that went deeper than rest could fix. There was something raw in them–open and flickering with the effort of holding himself together. He gave a small, almost helpless shrug, like he didn’t know what else to do with the weight of what he’d said. Like the words had cost him more than he was willing to admit.

Then he glanced down at the board again, blinking like he was trying to reset his brain.

Silence stretched between you–but not the painful kind. It was the kind that wrapped itself around vulnerability like a blanket, the kind that said you’re allowed to feel this without needing to explain it.

You watched him as he shook himself a little–shoulders rolling back, breath catching in his throat like he was trying to brush something invisible off his skin. Then, without a word, he reached forward and laid his tiles on the board.

He pressed them down with gentle fingers, slow and deliberate, connecting to your word.

“Laying.”

Bob’s fingers withdrew slowly from the tiles, then settled in his lap again. You could still see the pink crescents of tension pressed into the skin where his nails had worried the edge of his thumb.

He glanced at you.

His eyes were steady now, but there was nothing sharp in them–just soft weariness. Mutual understanding. He looked like someone who had finally let a little of the weight slip from his shoulders, only to realize there was more to carry still.

“Can I–I ask you something?” He said, voice quiet but sure, like he didn’t want to startle the air between you.

You nodded, wordlessly.

“Why’ve you been…H-Having trouble sleeping?”

He didn’t ask it like a challenge. There was no tilt to his tone, no pressure to answer. Just a quiet offering of space. A question given without a demand. Like the mug he had handed you. Like the warmth in it.

You could’ve deflected. You could’ve lied–said it was the city noise or the caffeine or bad luck or anything else.

But Bob was looking at you like he’d listen to every word. Like none of it would make him turn away.

So, after a moment, you folded your hands in your lap, fingers tracing over one another like you were stitching the truth together slowly, gently.

“I’ve done…Pretty reprehensible things Bob…” His gaze didn’t waver. If anything, it softened.

You looked down at your hands in your lap, thumbs brushing over each other in a rhythm that didn’t calm you but at least kept you from unraveling.

“There are nights I can’t close my eyes without seeing it all. Not like a nightmare–those would be easier. You wake up from nightmares. These are… Flashes. Full-color, real-time, high-definition plays of everything I shouldn’t have let happen.” You laughed, just barely–a breath, really. Bitter at the edges. “Sometimes I think my memory’s too good. Like it’s punishing me for surviving when others didn’t.”

Bob didn’t speak. His silence wasn’t a void–it was presence. It was him listening the way only he could. The way that told you this space was yours to fill.

You pressed your palms together, trying to hold in the shake that had started at your fingertips.

“There’s this one kid,” You said, and your voice faltered for just a second, “–I didn’t even get his name. He couldn’t have been older than seventeen. He looked at me like I was going to save him. And I didn’t. I froze.” Your throat tightened. “I froze, and he died. I still see his face. Every time. Like he’s just waiting for me to try again and do it right this time.”

The silence between you grew deeper–but not colder.

“I know people say we all make mistakes, that we’ve all got blood on our hands in this job, but…” You swallowed hard, “But some mistakes don’t wash off,” You whispered. Then came a sigh–slow, worn-out, the kind that scraped the bottom of your lungs and left you a little emptier than before.

“Guess I just have to live with it,” You said softly, eyes fixed on the board between you. Your thumb dragged slowly over the edge of your tile rack, a motion that felt mechanical, just something for your hands to do so they didn’t shake. “You know? Make peace with the fact that some of the blood doesn’t come out, no matter how hard you scrub.” Bob was quiet for a long time. Not the kind of silence that asked you to fill it–just the kind that held things. The kind that made space for the ache in someone else’s chest.

His eyes stayed on the Scrabble board, but you could see his jaw shift, his breath catch on the edge of something he didn’t know how to say. And then he sighed–soft, almost soundless, but full of weight. Full of want. Of helplessness.

“…I–I don’t know how to fix that,” He said finally, and the words were almost apologetic. His voice was low and rough, like it scraped against his ribs on the way out. “I wish I could. I wish I had…I don’t know. A better thing to say. Or some way to–” His fingers twisted together tightly in his lap. “To take it away from you...” You looked up at him then, only to see he already had his eyes on you. His brows were pulled together. His lips parted. And his eyes–God, his eyes–were so heartbreakingly kind, even with all the pain swimming in them.

“But I–I don’t think you’re awful,” Bob said quietly. “I never have.”

Your lungs stuttered on the inhale. Like his words had knocked something loose inside your chest, and now everything you’d been bottling up wanted to come spilling out all at once.

You looked at him, really looked–at the way his lashes caught the salt lamp’s glow, at the way his mouth was pressed in a soft, worried line, like even kindness exhausted him when he meant it too much. And you wanted to say thank you, or that means more than you know, or please don’t stop looking at me like I’m worth saving–but what came out was smaller than that.

“Why?” Your voice cracked slightly as you spoke. He looked like he hadn’t expected you to ask for proof. He shook his head a little, as if you’d just missed the point completely.

“B–Because I see you.” He said quietly, and simply. You didn’t speak. You couldn’t—not when your throat felt like it was wrapped in wire, not when every muscle in your body was too tired to hold up all that guilt and all that tenderness at the same time.

But you held his gaze, and in the stillness that followed, something unspoken passed between you. Something that didn’t need to be named.

Bob shifted slightly, like your silence was something he was afraid to misread. “I didn’t mean that in some dramatic way,” He added quickly, his voice softer now. “I just… I h-have watched you hold everything in. I’ve watched you show up when it’s hard. W-When it hurts. And you don’t complain, you just carry it.” He blinked slowly, then smiled–just a little. “And I think… I think maybe someone should carry some of it with you, even if it’s just for a night.”

Your chest ached. You wanted to cry. But no tears came–just that deep, hollow breath that tried to make room for the feeling swelling inside you. You didn’t speak. Not at first. Because there was something so impossibly gentle in the way he said it–that he’d watched you carry it, that he wanted to carry it too–that you felt your heart stammer under the weight of being seen like that.

Not as a soldier. Not as an asset. Not even as a teammate.

But as you.

The person who lay awake four nights in a row memorizing the ceiling. The one who couldn’t scrub their hands clean. The one who still heard screams in silence.

And he still wanted to stay.

You looked down at the Scrabble board between you, and your hand hovered over your tiles for a second…Then dropped.

”I don’t think I can play anymore,” You whispered. Bob stilled completely.

You weren’t looking at him when you said it–your gaze fixed somewhere in the space between the board and your knees, your voice small and raw. You could feel his eyes on you, though, full of concern he hadn’t figured out how to put into words yet.

When you didn’t say anything else, Bob shifted slightly beside you. You caught the movement from the corner of your eye–the way his posture went from soft to stiff, the way he folded a little tighter into himself, his fingers fidgeting again like they were trying to untangle guilt from nothing.

“I–I’m sorry,” He said quickly, almost in a breath. “I shouldn’t have–I didn’t mean to push anything on you. If I made you uncomfortable, I can go. I didn’t mean to…”

You looked over at him then. His face was turned slightly down, his shoulders drawn up like he was expecting you to flinch away. The game between you had been gently nudged aside, but the distance left in its wake felt like something colder. Something afraid. Like Bob was already slipping back into himself, already preparing to apologize for wanting to be close to you at all.

You reached for him before you could stop yourself.

“Bob,” Your hand found his–warm and rough and trembling faintly beneath your touch–and you could hear his breath catch at the contact. “I don’t want you to leave,” You said softly. His eyes lifted slowly, hesitant and searching, as if he was still trying to make sure he’d heard you right–like maybe his mind had tricked him into hope again. But you didn’t look away. Your fingers were still wrapped around his, steady even if the rest of you wasn’t.

“I just…” You swallowed, the words pressing at the back of your throat like they’d been waiting for too long. “I just want you to lay down with me now, I think. And just hold me.”

You didn’t mean for your voice to come out so small, but there was no disguising the softness in it. The ache. The quiet want. You weren’t asking for much–just closeness. Just something real to rest your head against when the ceiling stopped being enough. And you watched it land in Bob’s eyes like it was something special.

“O-Okay…If that’s what you want…” He said gently, afraid the moment might shatter if he spoke too loud. He glanced down at the Scrabble board still sitting between you on the bed. Carefully, with hands that still trembled slightly, Bob reached for the box and began to collect the scattered wooden tiles, his fingers moving slow and deliberate. He wasn’t rushing. He handled each piece like it deserved care. You watched the way he placed them back into their pouch, then tucked it inside the box, closed the lid with a quiet thud, and stood.

Your gaze followed him as he padded back across the room toward your desk. He placed the box down in the empty space beside your half-folded hoodie, and then paused for just a second–like he was giving you one last moment to change your mind.

You didn’t.

Instead, you peeled back the thin white sheet over your body, slow and quiet, lifting the edge and waiting. The salt lamp made the folds of it glow softly, casting warm gold against your bare thighs, your Stark shirt, the rise and fall of your breath.

Bob turned. His eyes met yours, and for a heartbeat, you saw everything in them–his fear of doing too much, of being too much, and right beneath that, his need to be near you. The need to be wanted back.

He crossed the space in three long steps, slow and hesitant. His hand brushed the side of the bed, fingers curling lightly against the mattress before he eased himself down beside you.

He lay on his side, knees bent, close but not yet touching you. You felt the warmth of him, the faint scent of that old hoodie he always wore–faded detergent, sleep, and something that could only be described as Bob.

You turned onto your side too, slowly, until your back was to him. The sheet shifted with you, and for a second, neither of you spoke. There was just breath. The hum of the city. And the whisper of cotton against skin.

Then you felt it.

His hand.

Tentative at first–hovering like he wasn’t sure he had permission even now. But then it landed gently across your waist, his arm curling around you, pulling you just the smallest bit closer until your spine met the warmth of his chest.

You felt him exhale shakily behind you, and the sensation of it–his breath brushing the back of your neck, his chest rising and falling in time with yours–settled something deep inside you.

“Is this…Okay?” He whispered, voice so close to your ear now that it sent a shiver down your skin.

You didn’t speak right away.

Instead, you reached for his hand where it rested against your stomach. You found his fingers–calloused, long, warm–and laced yours through them slowly. Anchoring. Reassuring.

“Yeah,” You whispered back, your voice steadier than you expected it to be. “It’s better than okay.”

Bob let out a breath then–relieved, maybe, or maybe something more. You felt his grip tighten just slightly, like he was afraid you might slip away. But you didn’t.

Neither of you moved for a while.

Your fingers stayed woven with his, your back pressed to his chest, and you felt the weight of the night begin to shift. The quiet wasn’t heavy anymore. It was full. Full of warmth, presence, and safety.

He brushed the tip of his nose against the crown of your head–barely a touch, barely a breath. But it was there. A silent thank you. A soft kind of ache. A promise.

You let your eyes fall shut.

And for the first time in days, sleep didn’t feel like a distant thought.

[miiilowo]

in like 2017 i didnt have wifi at my house and all i had on my phone was mania by fall out boy & plague inc and id loop that album and play the game for hours at a time for days . and now whenever i hear any song off mania i immediately think about committing planetary genocide

[hrrtshape]

hiiii emma, can u talk about your process for awake shifting? does it differ from your anti-method? thank u angel!!

the anti-method. and awake shifting. and me. hi.

hi snookums !!!!! thank you for enabling me. i love when we enable each other. you've tuned into the exact wrong frequency to stay grounded. perfect. now we spiral.

yes i still use the anti-method. of course i do. i'm loyal. i'm traditional. i'm clinically suspicious of reality and emotionally attached to loopholes. the only difference is now i'm vertical. upright. blinking !!!

if you want to know more about it, do go ahead and read this post here.

　here's my process .

no prep. don't lie down, although you can. whatever. don't breathe deep. just be. wherever you are. nothing to fix.

get suspicious. notice how things feel a bit…... wrong. light looks weird. you can't remember what you did 6 seconds ago.

drop the question. what if i already shifted and just forgot? not a test. just let the idea sit. loop it.

let your brain scramble a bit. it'll try to anchor you. lists, memories, elbow pain. nod. say ok. but keep thinking, what if this is just leftover?

assume it's done. you're not "getting there." you already did. i'm here. i've been here. i just forgot.

stay there. don't wait for a feeling. just hold the assumption. walk, talk, scroll like it's real. like it's been real.

　bonus steps. when you're confident but your cr still looks like your cr

this happens. you've assumed hard. you're in the pocket. but your environment's lagging. you feel like you walked into your dr and someone forgot to switch the set.

what now?

drop the expectation of proof. you're not waiting for a "shift feeling." you're not refreshing the screen for signs. this is not confirmation-based. your job is to keep assuming - not to diagnose reality.

call everything static. your bedroom is leftover code. your phone battery doesn't count. your body feeling the same, that's an echo. if you still feel "here," say: that's just memory playing itself out. reality's just buffering. you already left. act like you're already there. this doesn't mean pretending. it means committing. do what you would do in your dr. text them. reach for the thing. change the language in your head. claim the timeline like you've had the keys all along.

double down harder. the more "real" this place feels, the more you assume it's not. if you feel resistance, that's your sign to lean in. "the stronger this place feels, the less real it is."

　bonus loop. use this as a mantra if doubt creeps in ,

　i've already shifted. this is just the afterimage.

　the environment doesn't update me. i update it.

　i'm already there. reality just hasn't caught up.

[summerforg]

pspspsps.. lil loopdile….

[superhoeva]

Tying a pretty lil pink ribbon around Abbot’s biceps <3 yes they’re just so scrummy!!! Maybe around both his wrists if the mood takes me :3

let's give him some credit... jack's trying. he really is.

...but the man is five seconds away from ripping this damn ribbon into broken strings of nothing with the way you're humping against his bulge. he's rock fucking solid and leaking a god damn lake through the tip of his cock, and there you are–agonizingly gorgeous... biting your lip through a smile at how pretty the pink looks against his skin.

"look..." jack starts, pausing to swallow because fuuuck. "i know you're havin' fun and all, but if you keep rocking against me like that, i'm gonna blow a blood vessel, sugar."

"i'd rather you blow a load inside me instead."

you're reply edges with a tease that he usually rejoices in. now, however, all it does is remind him of how many times you've slipped him in and out of you at a speed that feels quicker than light.

"oh, yeah?"

two words... those two words are all it takes for him to snap the cheap silk and grab you with rough palms. you squeal out a laugh but it softens into a long curse when jack spins you faster than you thought he was capable of and slicks himself inside you from behind.

“much better,” he groans aloud as his entire body sags onto yours. jack immediatley sets about with a weighty shove of his hips that causes your eyes to start watering. his chin finds home on your shoulder just in time for you to feel the hot breath that puffs out when he tells you, “that’s more like it, baby. s’posed to be nice and deep inside this pretty hole, not playing games… we both deserve better than that, don’t you think?”

a inkling of you questions how the fuck jack is still able to form complete sentences because you’d think he’d be closer to your state; sobbing and failing in your quest of trying not to drool all over the pillow beneath your head as he rails into you.

he’s relentless. keeping steady in the strike of the head of his cock into the deepest parts of you. arms trapping your figure and hips smacking messily against yours, jack’s eyes roll as he finally pleases the ache that’s been torturing the two of you since you looped the mediocre knot around his wrists.

“jesus, that feels good… so fuckin’ good…” he trails off, sinking into you in perfect time with the claps against your ass. 

“f-fuck, jack–”

“i know. i know, doll. lemme milk one out, then i’ll eat you nice and good, okay?” he murmurs, voice dripping with sweet, a gentle shush pushing from his lips when you whine. “ah, none of that, baby, ‘m just doing what you wanted, right? for me to blow my load instead of a vessel?”

is that what you said? you can’t remember–and don’t care that you can’t remember–because jack’s pounding into you with grunts that tell you he’s already closer than close. you’re pulsing and squelching with each flick of his hips, creaming a mess he’s itching to clean up with his tongue. like jack said, he’ll fuck you full and trap you to his mouth until you’re crying. then, he’ll wipe you down, kiss you dizzy, and go to buy some new ribbons that will be tied around your wrists next time.

and yes, it has to be tonight ‘cause robby’s coming over… and he’s a sucker for you in pink.

© 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐚

[infiniteglitterfall]

Disclaimer: I assume we're talking about shit like, idk, locker rooms. I don't even know where else people are "nude in public." Beaches? What are we calling nudity? So if this is a dogwhistle I'm not recognizing, please let me know.

There are a lot of excellent points in the notes. As well as a lot of people sharing about being treated like their existence harms the people who can see them.

But I think @a-mx-writer is kinda nailing it here.

Here's how I would explain the connection between that and fascism.

TL;DR: The idea that we have to protect [vulnerable group] by eliminating [unwanted people] has been used as a tool of oppression over and over and over and over again.

It has never protected anyone. It has never been shown to help anybody.

The only reason anyone ever thinks, "Some people might be harmed by seeing you be like that!" is that they've unwittingly internalized this trope.

Just off the top of my head: Eliminate being trans in public, to protect women and/or abuse survivors. Eliminate being a woman in public, to protect women. Eliminate being a Black woman in public, to protect white women. Eliminate being a Black teen in public, to protect white girls. Eliminate being an undocumented immigrant in public, to protect white girls and white women.

There's quite a pattern, isn't there.

Fascism is a mass political movement that emphasizes extreme nationalism, militarism, and the supremacy of the nation over the individual. This model of government stands in contrast to liberal democracies that support individual rights, competitive elections, and political dissent.

A democracy is about "we the people" being the government. We each have the right to vote for our representatives, to run for office, to talk to our representatives, to vote for what they do with our tax money and how they run everything.

How is this relevant here? A democracy inherently assumes its citizens have a right to exist. In public.

You can't participate in the system if you aren't allowed to exist in public. You can't vote, or run for office, or work a government job, without at some point existing in public.

(Even if you have a mail-in ballot, you probably need to take it to a drop box or your own mailbox or something.)

Fascism is the opposite.

Extreme nationalism: Fascist leaders believe in the supremacy of certain groups of people based on characteristics such as race, religion, ethnicity, and nationality.

Fascism explicitly treats the visible existence of other groups of people as dissent.

Fascism crushes dissent.

That extends to fascist leaders, too:

Cult of personality: Fascist regimes cultivate images of their leaders as great figures to be loved and admired.... To maintain this powerful image, Mussolini prohibited journalists from reporting on his age or health issues.

Even Mussolini couldn't be old, ill, or disabled in public without losing power.

And here's the biggest connection:

Popular mobilization:  Although both authoritarian and fascist governments are anti-democratic, leave little room for dissent, and strive to centralize power, the two types of regimes are not the same. Authoritarian governments want their populations to remain passive and demobilized. On the other hand, fascist regimes seek to energize public participation in society through government-organized channels.

Authoritarians are hoping people won't push back against their policies.

Fascists are encouraging people to carry out their policies at the individual level.

That's where we loop back around to the original post.

The idea that it harms other people to see how you look, or what you're doing, is like... the worst boundaries ever??

People can have all kinds of triggers. It's impossible to guess what might trigger someone else. Someone could be deeply triggered by seeing the same kind of car their abuser used to drive, or the same sweater their abuser used to wear.

Or they might not be triggered by anything of the sort. And instead get utterly T-boned one day by the sight of some kind of condiment or gesture they've seen a million times before. Because it just happened to bring up some big emotion/memory that was ready to come up that time.

NOBODY can control that stuff.

As the saying goes: Anybody who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something.

In this case, they're trying to sell you on letting them control your body. Or on helping them control other people.

What you do. How you dress. Who you date. What body parts you have. Where you have them. What color they are. What size they are.

The idea that we have to protect [vulnerable group] via laws eliminating [unwanted people] is a tool of oppression.

The idea that we should each be individually eliminating unwanted people - whether that's from view, from public life, or from existence - is a tool of fascism.

the people who go "we shouldn't be so open about nudity because it could trigger someone's dysphoria" are like two steps max removed from "fat people being fat in public could trigger someone with an ed". like peoples' bodies are not the problem here, trying to restrict someone else's body because of how you personally feel is indistinguishable from conservative praxis. i'm sorry if that sounds harsh but there is basically no interpretation of "we need to control the bodies of [demographic]" that does not fall down the slippery slope of fascism.

[goyardgoyangi]

planting evidence in street racer! sukuna's car

Sukuna’s car has always been untouchable—immaculate, brutal, fast. The kind of machine that mirrors him: sharp edges, no softness, no room for anyone else.

Until you.

Now there’s lip gloss in the cupholder and a scrunchie looped around his gear shift like some kind of silk flag staked in his territory. You started leaving little things behind, quietly, like you were planting evidence. Gum wrappers, a clip from your hair, even your iced coffee straw one day—left right in the side door pocket.

You expected him to toss it all back at you. Maybe with a grunt. Maybe with an eye roll and a muttered “keep your shit out of my car.”

But he didn’t.

He kept them there. Because you and Sukuna… you weren’t dating. No one had asked. There was no talk, no label. Just a long night that turned into a few more, then a pattern.

You, on the other hand, are more strategic. Conniving, even.

You don’t ask to be his girl. You don’t cling. You just leave marks. Subtle things. Things a hookup wouldn’t ever have time to leave behind. So that maybe—just maybe—if someone else ever got in the passenger seat, they’d know instantly: they’re not the first, and they’re definitely not the only one who rides here.

But no one else has. Sukuna hasn’t touched another girl since the first night he had you spread out across his sheets—back arched, lips parted, absolutely wrecked from round four. You were limp and glowing in the aftermath, falling asleep on his chest like you belonged there. And maybe you did.

He hadn’t cared to look at anyone else since.

That car used to be built for speed, for control, for the kind of thrill that made his blood rush. It was never about comfort.

But now? It’s starting to literally feel like a second bedroom. Like an extension of you—your perfume clinging to the seatbelt, a receipt from your favorite café crumpled in the passenger door, your earrings slipped into the little tray under the dash.

The backseat holds the imprint of your body, the curve of your hips pressed into the leather, a reminder of all the times he’s fucked you in his car—your legs spread wide as he drove you to the edge with each brutal, deep thrust.

Even the front, where your hand wraps around his arm as his fingers make you come undone, hitting a spot that drives you wild in ways only he knows, still carries the unmistakable mark that this seat—this car—belongs to someone else.

So when Sukuna rolls into the garage late one night—hair still damp from a shower, muscles loose from hours tangled up inside you, still half hard just remembering how you moaned his name—his fellow mechanics clock it instantly.

“Yo,” Mahito says, glancing up from under the hood of a stripped RX-7. “You have a girlfriend or somethin’? Your car smells like vanilla.”

Sukuna just grunts, shoving his keys in his pocket.

He leans against the hood, chewing on the inside of his cheek like he’s not thinking about you sleeping in his bed right now, curled up under his sheets in that oversized tee you always steal from him.

They take his silence as confirmation.

“You hear that, Suguru?” Mahito continues to instigate, smirking. “Sukuna’s got gloss on the gearshift.”

Suguru raises a brow from where he’s cataloging parts. “Damn. Didn’t think anyone could turn Sukuna into a personal Uber.”

That earns a laugh from the group. Sukuna doesn’t say anything, just lazily flicks his middle finger their way. But he doesn't deny it either.

“No wonder you leave work early so often,” another mechanic mutters, elbowing Uraume. “He used to hang around, talk engines, grab beers.”

They shrug. “Guess he’s got better company these days.”

Sukuna barely hears his coworkers gossip over the echo of your moans still ringing in his head. Because they’re not wrong—he has been slipping out early, ditching post-race drinks just to pick you up from work. Just to get you back in his car, where your legs fold up sweet and tight in the passenger seat and your hand always finds his without a word.

It’s routine now—his hand on your thigh the second the engine starts. He doesn’t even think about it. Just needs it. Needs the feel of you under his fingers, to squeeze the thighs he’s bruised a dozen times with his mouth.

And when you finally fall asleep, innocent and warm, lips parted just slightly?

He drives slower than he ever has in his life. Because the longer he keeps you next to him like this, the longer he gets to pretend you’re already his girl.

And he knows—he knows—you’re testing him with the things you leave behind. Waiting to see if he’ll clean them out. Waiting to see if he’ll hand you your lip gloss and tell you to stop marking your territory.

But he won’t.

Not when the vanilla scent lingers in the air. Not when the other mechanics glance at the cupholder and trade knowing looks because even they can see it—

The car’s not just his anymore.

[randominchident]

lucky kisses

⋆ 𐙚 ̊. charles leclerc x reader ⋆ 𐙚 ̊.

It starts with a nervous smile in Monaco and a soft kiss on the tip of Charles’s nose—just a little kiss for good luck. It becomes a habit. max version here

It starts in Monaco.

You’re leaning against the Ferrari garage wall, arms crossed and sunglasses on, trying not to look like you’re bursting with nerves. Charles is in his race suit. Half-zipped. Bouncing on his heels like he’s got Red Bull running through his veins.

He walks over, fiddling with his gloves, and gives you that crooked little smile—the one that melts you every time. His head tilts just slightly to the side. Butterflies still erupt in your stomach everytime he smiles like that. Even after months of dating.

“You nervous for me, chérie?” he teases, as if he isn’t just as stressed himself.

“I’m always nervous,” you reply honestly. You reach for his wrist, tug him closer to you.

He laughs and bumps his forehead against yours for a second. It’s all you need to press a soft kiss right on the tip of his nose, spontaneous and sweet.

“There,” you murmur. “For good luck.”

He blinks, surprised, but a cautious smile spreads across his face. “You think that’ll help?”

You shrug. “It felt right.”

Charles just grins, red tinting his cheeks. “Then I better win.”

He’s quiet for a moment, about to turn away towards the garage. He should go. But instead he turns back to you and whispers softly in your ear:

“Maybe I need just a bit more luck first.” 

The kiss he presses to your lips is soft, a feeling of complete devotion behind it. Then he’s gone. Being pulled away by engineers before you can even whisper goodbye to each other. 

He finishes second.

Not a win, but a clean race. A podium in his hometown. Smart overtakes. No mechanical failures. And—most importantly—a smile so wide it crinkles at the corners of his eyes when he spots you after the race.

He practically bounds into your arms the second he’s free from interviews, suit half-peeled off, hair flattened from the helmet, skin sticky from champagne, and absolutely glowing.

“P2,” he says breathlessly. “Not bad, huh?”

You grin, looping your arms around his neck. “I told you: my kisses are lucky.”

He kisses your cheek. Then your temple. Then rests his forehead against yours and sighs contently.

“Next time, I’ll win.”

The next race, you’re sitting on the pit wall bench when he approaches you in full race kit, gloves tucked under his arm.

He says nothing—just stands in front of you and raises a brow, expectantly.

You blink up at him. “What?”

He leans in. Taps the bridge of his nose. “I believe you owe me something.”

You laugh, cheeks warm. “Oh, we’re doing that again?”

“Chérie,” he says, deadly serious, “I need it. I promised you I’d win. The team says tire degradation will be bad. I’m starting P4. There’s no way I’m going out there without my good luck.”

You lean in, laugh breathily, and press a gentle kiss to his nose.

“There,” you say. “You're ready now.”

Charles closes his eyes like he’s soaking it in. “Mmh. Already feel faster.”

He opens his eyes again, lashes fluttering, and looks at you with that infuriating, devastating half-smile.

“You sure you don’t want to kiss the front wing too?” he teases. “Could use all the help we can get.”

You snort. “Tell the front wing to get its own girlfriend.”

Charles laughs, full and bright, and leans in for a quick kiss on your lips—just a brush, fleeting but grounding. Then he’s off, jogging toward the car with a kind of lightness in his step that hasn’t been there in a while.

This time, the race unfolds perfectly.

Lap after lap, Charles seems to move impossibly faster. He glides past his opponents with a practiced ease, pushes hard but stays smooth. The tires hold better than expected. The car responds like it’s alive, perfectly tuned to his every desire and move.

When the checkered flag waves, the timing screens flash his name first.

He wins.

You scream louder than anyone else in the garage. 

Later, on the podium, the crowd is roaring. Charles stands tall, champagne in hand, eyes scanning the sea of fans and cameras. Then, his gaze locks on you—your heart leaps.

With a mischievous grin, he taps the tip of his nose once—twice—then points directly at you. You're sure the internet will erupt in jokes and speculation about it later, but for now the moment is just between the two of you.

You press a kiss to your fingers and send it flying up to him.

That night, when you're wrapped in his arms and the soft hum of the city outside his bedroom window, you kiss the bridge of his nose again.

His eyes are still closed as you curl into his chest, his breath steady and slow. He holds your hand tight. When he finally speaks, his voice is low and certain.

“Don’t ever stop.”

And you won’t.

Because some things—like him—are forever.

requested by: @skz8riley (thanks for the request! i hope you enjoy!)

[dolceaspidenera]

Saw this and had to reblog to spread some love and appreciation for all the fics I stumbled upon that brought me some kind of comfort.

@surlydragon you already know it, but your series "In which Sylus..." is for me THE comfort fic. I never felt more seen and emotionally validated in my life. The way you voiced MC and the way you write Sylus taking care of her is incredibly comforting. Their dynamic and the way they love each other is beautiful. Seeing someone who is willing to put the work in, who is gentle and patient and loves you despite the hurt, despite the unlovable parts of yourself that still need healing is one of the most comforting things about your story. You have really written something important, I hope you know it and remember it every time you have doubts about whether or not you should share your stories (ultimately it will always be your decision but I wanted to let you know without a doubt that your writing is very appreciated and also I'm happy it made me "meet" a wonderful person, our conversations always bring me a smile).

@senualothbrok your stories about Aurora's healing journey (Progress and Promise) really left an impression. I still find myself thinking about them, and I really appreciate you for putting such vulnerable work out there. Plus, I think it was thanks to those stories that we really started talking, so one more reason to think back fondly on them.

@iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia your headcanons have brought me so much comfort and so many smiles. Thank you for everything you've written over the years. I have my personal favourites but I enjoyed seeing each and every one of your posts (Julian will always have a special place in my heart).

@linkons-most-wanted I think What The Cat Dragged In is by defenition the most comfort fic that could be made, and it found me on a day I really needed it. Also Double the Birthday, Double the Fun is another one of your works that somehow I find very comforting, and seeing the twins happy and being spoiled is always fantastic, they deserve it. Also, I have no idea what is wrong with my brain chemistry, but this line right here, "Sylus steps up quietly behind me, looping a hand around my waist and running a thumb softly over my ribs" makes me melt every time I read it. It's just those little gestures and body language that convey reassurance and closeness, a silent way of showing affection, of saying "I'm here," you know? Ugh, my heart.

@shenanigans-and-imagines, I Want It All was my very first BG3 fan fic I ever read so it definitely has a special place. Also, the ace!Tav x Astarion pairing was a breath of fresh air in the fandom climate at the time. Thank you for the positive and very empathetic ace rep.

@senseandaccountability, Blaze Me A Sun is one of my favourite fics ever. I just love the way you write, it inspired me to try writing something for myself, and I wish I had even 10% of your talent. You perfectly captured so many of the themes that are so important to me in bg3, especially when it comes to Astarion's story, what it means to live with trauma and scars, knowing that you didn't deserved it but it happened anyway, and the years you lost you’ll never get back, and yet life is still full of beauty and hope and you should still be kind to others. And then there are the developing feelings between him and Elnys, and what it feels like to find someone who actually sees you. Thank you for your incredibly touching prose and for addressing difficult themes with the care they deserve.

my dream as a fanfic writer is for one day, one of my fics to be someones comfort fic. like the fic that they reread when they don't feel good and want to be happy. i want my words to comfort someone one day

[crowithy]

More bird eating Sifrin

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Unexpected Surprise

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2k

Warnings: fluff

Summary: You up and leave your old life behind for a new job in a state you’ve never been to before. While on the plane, you meet a very interesting genius who has nothing but facts about almost everything. What you think is a cute date turns into something more when you see him at your new job.

Square Filled: "It's a success." for @mfbingo

Author’s Note: any and all comments are greatly appreciated <3

x

Never did you think you would pack up your entire life just to move across the country for a job. Yet here you are. On a plane going to a state you’ve never been to before to start a job you never thought you’d get. You applied to be the technical analyst for the FBI after being the tech girlie for the LAPD. The job was so far out of reach so when you got the job, you almost shit your pants.

They wanted you to start right away so you had to pack up whatever you could and move out there immediately. For the next few weeks, you’ll be flying back to California to get the rest of your things. There is a cute little apartment you were lucky enough to find, so you were able to get some of your things shipped over there.

During the flight, you try to calm yourself with some relaxing music but your thoughts are too loud to silence. Instead, you take out your laptop and work on some code you’ve been dabbling in for the past few months. You can create a lot of code with your skills, but you decided to focus on hacking and digging in places you shouldn’t be.

Perfect for the FBI.

Two hours pass by while you’re creating a theme for a website when you notice it. Out of the corner of your eye, you see that your shoelace is untied. Your tray is down, your laptop and a snack rest upon it, and your bag is by your feet. It’s a fucking shoelace, Y/N. Ignore it. You try so hard for five minutes before you feel the urge to fix it. Maybe that’s why you’re so good at what you do. You pick at the details until what you’re left with is a pretty picture that’s easy to read.

Fixing your shoe is a need, not a want.

You keep shifting, hoping to get your foot closer to you so that you can tie your shoe, but to no avail.

“Do you need help?” You lift your eyes to look into honey-brown ones. The man on the aisle seat next to you has a kind smile on his face. “I can tie your shoe for you.”

“Why would you do that?” you ask without moving your foot.

The stranger holds up his phone which has a black screen. “My phone died, and I’m quite bored.”

“Okay,” you giggle.

You lift your foot and he rests it on his thigh. His long and nimble fingers grab both ends of your shoelace and start to tie it.

“No one quite knows the first time shoelaces were used to secure shoes. In fact, most reports indicate that shoelaces are as old as shoes themselves. Archaeologists believe that ancient peoples used shoelaces for the same reasons we currently use them, experimenting with materials to influence comfort, fit, and even style.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah. They think that about five thousand years ago, during the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age periods, cavemen and women also used specific shoelace designs to distinguish between tribes. Most importantly, shoelaces kept early man’s shoes tight and fitted, accommodating their need to travel long distances for food, water, and shelter without causing severe damage to their feet.”

“You just know everything, don’t you?”

“I am a certified genius,” he grins.

“Is that so?”

“Quite. Did you know there are multiple ways to tie your shoe?”

“Please divulge that information,” you smile.

“First, you have the standard tie.” He ties your shoe using the most basic method that every adult knows how to do. “We have the famous ‘Bunny Ears’ way.” He unties your shoe just to tie it again using what children call ‘bunny ears’ since the loops look like ears. “Third, we have the better bow shoelace knot.” It’s like standard but he wraps the shoelace twice around his finger instead of once. “Finally, a classic, the double knot for extra security. See? It’s a success.”

“Who knew there were multiple ways to tie a shoe,” you smile.

“I did, and now so do you.”

“I’m Y/N.”

He smiles and sets your foot down. “Spencer Reid.”

“So, are you flying away from home or toward it?”

“Toward it. I was visiting my mom in Texas for a week. What about you?”

“Toward my new home. I’m from California, but I got a new job in Virginia. I’m kind of nervous about it. I’ve never done anything like it before.”

“What is it?”

“Tech work. I have a masters in computer science. I worked for the LAPD before, but I couldn’t pass up on this offer. I’m kind of nervous, to be honest. I’ve never even stepped foot in Virginia before. I don’t know anyone here.”

“You know me,” Spencer smiles kindly.

“That I do.”

The rest of the flight is smooth sailing once you and Spencer fall into easy conversation. You didn’t even know three hours had passed because he was that easy to talk to. Like the gentleman he is, he walks you to baggage claim and waits for you to get your bag even when he grabs his.

“When do you start your new job?” he asks.

“Monday.”

“I know this might be a bit forward, but I’d love to show you around Virginia if you’re not busy this weekend. I’m sure you have a lot of unpacking to do.”

“Not that much. Like I said before, this was sudden. All my things are still in California. I’ll be moving them in gradually for the next month or so. I can hang out tomorrow if you’d like.”

“It’s a date,” he smiles. His words suddenly register in his head and he starts stuttering and blushing. “Not like a date, date. I meant that I’ll see you tomorrow as in it’s confirmed.”

“Spencer, it’s okay. It can be a date,” you laugh.

“Okay,” he blushes more.

“You’re cute. I have to pick up my rental so I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After exchanging phone numbers, you part ways. Your apartment is thirty minutes from the airport and already has the necessary furniture you had shipped over--bed, couch, dining table, and two chairs. The other things will come when you have time to bring them over. There are a few boxes you had shipped that contain kitchen and bathroom items so you don’t have to go out and buy all new things.

Before, you were nervous about starting this new job. Now, you’re nervous about your date with Spencer. He’s very cute and charming, but you don’t want to mess it up. Even if he isn’t boyfriend material, he definitely has the potential to be a really good friend. Look at you, already thinking about him as a boyfriend. You really are in over your head.

The next day, Spencer picks you up without a car. He likes using public transportation and refuses to even let you drive. You two started out in a cafe to get something to eat before he took you sightseeing around Virginia. There is a beautiful botanical garden here that is his favorite, so that’s where you two are.

“So, genius, have any facts or tidbits about this place?” you ask.

“The idea for this garden came from Thomas P. Thompson, Norfolk City Manager from 1935 to 1938, and Frederic Heutte, a young horticulturalist. Heutte had a fondness for azaleas and thought Hampton Roads had a climate uniquely suited for growing the plants. Thompson and Heutte believed that Norfolk could support an azalea garden to rival those of Charleston, SC, which even during the depression years drew thousands of tourists annually.”

“Wow, you’re just a fountain of knowledge.”

“That’s not all. Within less than a year, a section of underbrush had been cleared and readied for planting. By March of 1939, four thousand azaleas, two thousand rhododendrons, several thousand miscellaneous shrubs and trees, and one hundred bushels of daffodils had been planted.

“In August of 1939, Representative Colgate W. Darden Jr. secured an additional one hundred and thirty-eight thousand, five hundred and fifty-three dollars for the Azalea Garden, and the founding of the Old Dominion Horticultural Society provided volunteer labor to assist the Garden. By 1941, the Garden displayed nearly five thousand azaleas and seventy-five landscaped acres that were encompassed by five miles of walking trails.”

You don’t know Spencer well at all but hearing him spew facts like he has them stored in his brain for later brings a smile to your face.

“Well, they did a good job because this place looks beautiful.”

Spencer looks at you and smiles. “Yeah, it is.”

You and Spencer spend another hour walking around the garden while he tells you facts about the different flowers and plants. Afterward, he takes you to get ice cream before bringing you home. He walks up the porch steps leading to your apartment building, and you stop before you can open the door.

“Would you like to come in? I don’t have a lot of furniture, though.”

“I appreciate the offer, but no.” Before your shoulders can deflate, he quickly adds, “It’s not because I don’t want to. I do, but I want to do this right.”

“Right?” you ask.

Spencer smiles and he leans in closer to you. You stay completely still because you don’t want to mess this up. You don’t want to kiss him if that’s not his intention. He does kiss you but on your cheek. Even when he pulls away, you can still feel the skin he touches tingling.

“Goodnight, Y/N. Good luck on your first day.”

“Thanks,” you whisper.

“I’ll call you tomorrow to see how it’s going.”

With that, Spencer leaves. Thoughts of him swirl around in your head for the rest of the night, are embedded into your dreams, and even when you wake up. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. You get dressed and drive to the BAU where you’ll be working. Their current technical analyst is leaving so she’ll be training you to take her place.

After signing in at the lobby and getting your badge, you make your way to the floor where the BAU is. Penelope Garcia is waiting for you outside of the bullpen, and she smiles when she sees you.

“Y/N, right?”

“Yes, you must be Penelope Garcia, right? It’s nice to meet you. So, you’re leaving the BAU?”

“Yes, sad story. I love this team but I got a better job opportunity to work overseas. However, I trust that you will be more than happy here. I know you’ll do a great job because I picked you, and I’m never wrong. Let me introduce you to Hotch and the team.”

She takes you to Agent Hotchner’s office who is stern but welcoming. “You’ll be shadowing Garcia for a couple of weeks.”

“Yes, sir,” you nod.

“If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I’ll leave you in the trusty hands of Garcia.”

“Come on, let’s find the rest of the team.”

You meet JJ, Emily, Tara, Luke, and Matt, all of them friendly and welcoming. The last person on the team is someone you never thought would be here. Spencer turns with a coffee in hand, and his eyes widen when he sees you. Not out of shock, but pleasant surprise.

“Of course, you’d work here,” you chuckle.

“Do you two know each other?”

“Kind of. We met on the plane ride over here, and he showed me around Virginia over the weekend.”

“Look, I understand if you don’t want to see me again outside of being professional.”

Ever the gentleman, Spencer is. “Dr. Reid, are you sad about that?”

“Yes, I am. I like you, and I’d like to see you again.”

A blush creeps up your neck but you try to keep it at bay. “Well, you’re about to see a whole lot of me because I am not going anywhere.” You smirk. “I’ll see you around, Dr. Reid.”

You and Penelope walk off but you turn back and give him a flirty smile. He chuckles to himself and smiles as he takes a sip of his coffee.

“I can already see it. You two will become the next Me and Derek.”

“I have no idea what that means, but I hope it’s a good thing.”

“Oh, it’s a very good thing,” she giggles.

You can’t wait.

x

Want to be tagged? Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[winisayswhat]

Who is secretly competing with you ? Why? [Short PAC]

This isn’t a prediction. It’s not therapy. It’s just a mirror,meant to help you pause and listen to yourself. If something resonates, hold it close. If it doesn’t, let it go. You’re the one in charge. Always.

God Bless !

Masterlist

Paid read

Customized moodboard

Customized moodboard part 2

Divider-@uzmacchiato

Pile 1

"This reading is just a quick peek into where you’re at. If something feels right, there’s probably more to know. A personal reading can give you even more clarity straight to the heart of what you’re dealing with. If you’re curious to see what comes up for you, I’d love to help you explore."

This person is probably close in age or just a little younger. They don’t come off as aggressive necesserily ,they may even act friendly ,but something’s off for sure. They’re the type to watch everything you do without saying much or letting other or you know . You might not talk often, but then they’re keeping tabs. They notice your wins, your moves, your style , new makeup , hairstyle , people you hangout with and they take mental notes.

Why are they competing?

There’s some kind of obsession here. They’re caught in a loop of comparison and it’s wearing on them. You seem to do well in areas where they feel stuck , or where they lack or are trying to succeed ,maybe it’s your confidence, your relationships, or how people respond to you.They’re not really thinking about their own path. They’re just trying to stay one step ahead of you, even in subtle ways. It’s exhausting to watch but they can’t help themselves. It's like a bad habit they've gotten used to .

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for being here ,it means more than you know!

if you’d like to support me, you can: ♡Book a reading (they're detailed, gentle, and full of care) ♡ Send a tiny donation even a little helps a lot ♡ Or just leave a kind comment or reblog , it really keeps me going

Whatever you choose, just know i’m really grateful. your support helps me keep doing what i love, and sharing magic with you 🌷🕊️

Sending you soft hugs and good energy always ♡

PILE 2

"This reading is just a quick peek into where you’re at. If something feels right, there’s probably more to know. A personal reading can give you even more clarity straight to the heart of what you’re dealing with. If you’re curious to see what comes up for you, I’d love to help you explore."

This is someone you’ve been close with for sure , a friend, maybe someone in your circle right now,collegue?. She’s confident, used to attention, and usually comes off strong. Around you, though, her energy shifts. She might act supportive, but it doesn’t feel real at all. She watches how people react to you and may try to outshine you without making it obvious.

Why are they competing?

She feels like you’re taking up space that she used to own. Maybe you’ve grown in ways she didn’t expect. There is jealousy she’s not talking about, and she’s playing little games. She might be very subtle with it ,downplaying your wins, bringing up your mistakes(secretly but infront of people with power , boos?lecturer?) , or trying to one-up you in conversations. She wants to stay in the spotlight, and you make that harder for her.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for being here ,it means more than you know!

if you’d like to support me, you can: ♡Book a reading (they're detailed, gentle, and full of care) ♡ Send a tiny donation even a little helps a lot ♡ Or just leave a kind comment or reblog , it really keeps me going

Whatever you choose, just know i’m really grateful. your support helps me keep doing what i love, and sharing magic with you 🌷🕊️

Sending you soft hugs and good energy always ♡

PILE 3

"This reading is just a quick peek into where you’re at. If something feels right, there’s probably more to know. A personal reading can give you even more clarity straight to the heart of what you’re dealing with. If you’re curious to see what comes up for you, I’d love to help you explore."

This person is very driven and stays busy possibly someone you work with or who’s in a similar field. They might be older or more experienced, but they’ve got their eye on you(INTENSE, like I felt it). They’ve built their life with discipline and effort, and while they don’t talk much about it, they’re paying attention to how you move. There’s some quiet tension there.

Why are they competing?

They’ve worked hard for everything they have, and it’s frustrating for them to see you doing well without what they consider the same struggle. To them, you come across as natural ! someone who draws things/people/opportunities in without trying. That makes them feel overlooked or ignore . They’re not out to hurt you, but they want to prove their way matters too ! and they’re using you as the measuring stick(Maybe people who used to approach them , approach you know ?)

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for being here ,it means more than you know!

if you’d like to support me, you can: ♡Book a reading (they're detailed, gentle, and full of care) ♡ Send a tiny donation even a little helps a lot ♡ Or just leave a kind comment or reblog , it really keeps me going

Whatever you choose, just know i’m really grateful. your support helps me keep doing what i love, and sharing magic with you 🌷🕊️

Sending you soft hugs and good energy always ♡

[sturniololuvz]

Hey! Could you write something where the triplets younger sister is a figure skater, and they’re hockey players, so they’re at the same rink and have practice at the same time. And then one day the triplets overhear their teammates talking about wanting their sister and stuff and they get all protective. And one of the triplets gets into a fight with a guy during a game, cause he said an inappropriate comment. Sorry, idk if that made sense, and if you don’t want to it’s totally fine just thought it could be a cute idea!

“Wrong Rink, Wrong Girl”

The rink was cold — the kind that numbed your fingers through your gloves and turned your breath to fog — but you loved it.

Figure skating had always been your escape. Your world. And even though your brothers ruled the opposite side of the ice in skates and pads and sharp elbows, you never minded sharing the space with them.

Until now.

You were lacing up your skates on the far side of the benches, earbuds in, when Chris heard it.

It was just after warmups. He, Nick, and Matt were finishing up drills when they skated past a group of guys laughing by the wall.

“Bro, you seen the figure skater chick lately? That little blonde? She’s got legs for days—”

Chris’s shoulders tensed.

“Y/N?” someone else asked, smirking. “She’s kinda hot for a baby Sturniolo.”

Chris stopped skating. Slowly. Stared.

But the guys kept going. “You think she knows how hot she is? I bet she’s tight, too. I’d give anything for ten minutes alone with her—”

“I swear if she wasn’t their sister—”

“Oh I’d still try. She’s always bending like that on the ice? You’re telling me she isn’t flexible as hell?”

The laugh that followed was loud. Gross. Arrogant.

And Chris saw red.

“Yo,” he barked, skating up.

The group turned, startled.

“You talk about my sister like that again,” Chris growled, “and I’ll knock your teeth into the fucking Zamboni.”

Matt and Nick noticed the tension and came over fast.

“Problem?” Nick asked, already catching the tail end of what was said.

Matt didn’t ask. He just narrowed his eyes at one of the guys — the one with the worst smirk.

“That’s our little sister,” Chris snapped. “You don’t look at her. You don’t talk about her. Got it?”

But the guy just shrugged, smug.

“Relax. Not my fault she skates around like that in front of everyone. I’m just noticing.”

And that was it.

Chris didn’t hesitate.

He dropped his gloves and threw the first punch.

⸻

The benches were chaos. The refs were blowing whistles. Yelling. Trying to drag Chris off the guy who was bleeding from the lip and cursing him out.

Nick was pulling Chris back by the shoulders. Matt was standing between them and the rest of the team, chest heaving.

“You don’t talk about her like that!” Chris kept shouting. “You don’t fucking talk about her!”

It took two coaches to separate them.

And you… you watched the whole thing happen from across the rink, frozen in your skates, heart in your throat.

⸻

It was quiet in the locker room afterward.

Chris was icing his knuckles. Nick was pacing. Matt sat with his head in his hands.

You walked in with your coat over your leotard, cheeks still pink from the cold.

“…I heard,” you said softly.

Chris looked up, ashamed. “I wasn’t gonna let them talk about you like that.”

“I know.” You crossed the room. “But now you’re benched for the next game.”

Chris shrugged. “Worth it.”

Matt stood. “You’re not just our sister, Y/N. You’re you. You work your ass off out there. You don’t deserve guys reducing you to—”

“I know,” you said again, eyes glassy. “And thank you.”

You sat down between them. Let them all sit close.

“Next time,” you whispered, “just… tell me what they said. I’ll land a triple toe loop on their faces myself.”

That got a laugh. Tired. But real.

Nick pulled you in first. Then Chris. Then Matt.

And suddenly, the rink didn’t feel so cold anymore.

⸻

[infiniteglitterfall]

The level of sarcasm baked into this tweet is positively epic.

I follow this guy, and a lot of other anti-Hamas Gazans, on Twitter. That's why I'm sure he's being sarcastic.

He's basically snarking, "[Hamas says] releasing hostages when PALESTINE calls for it is 'TREASON.' But releasing hostages to kiss Trump's ass (and Qatari monarchy ass) is 'RESISTANCE.'"

For those not in the loop:

Today, Hamas released hostage Edan Alexander, the only living American hostage it still held.

Hamas still holds about 59 hostages, more than half of whom are dead. About 25 hostages are believed to still be alive - maybe 24 now that Edan has been released.

The reason more than half of them are dead is that after October 7, Hamas took a LOT of dead bodies back to Gaza with it. Because that way, there would surely be a lot of people that Israel thought could maybe still be alive.

You don't have to feed a dead body. It's much easier to hide than a living person. It's not going to escape. You get all the benefits of having a hostage, without most of the trouble.

Plus, when most people hear that X hostages are still alive, they automatically assume that the others died in Gaza. Which gave Hamas the opportunity to claim that Israel killed all those hostages with its airstrikes.

I was really hoping that my friend Katy's hostage cousin was the American one. But no; it's Guy Gilboa-Dalal, whose birthday was two days ago.

Abu Mazen is a nickname for Palestine's President Abbas, who has finally reached the end of his rope, publicly called Hamas "sons of dogs" for inciting the war on Gaza, and PUBLICLY DEMANDED that Hamas DISARM and RELEASE THE HOSTAGES.

This is stuff he's reportedly been saying in private for quite a while.

This is also exactly what a FULL year and a half of protests from the people IN Gaza have demanded.

Over. And. Fucking. Over.

This is also exactly what would force Israel to end the war.

In other words, this is exactly what the pro-Palestine movement should have been demanding from the start.

If you want a litmus test for the integrity of this movement, for whether it truly stands for and with Gaza, this is it.

Just look at what any pro-Palestinian group is saying, and ask:

Are they talking about and coordinating with the protests in Gaza?

Are they platforming activists in Gaza?

If you only see general statements ABOUT Gaza.

Or if they never mention Gaza's protests, only something they vaguely call "the resistance."

Then they're just not there to help you support and engage with the people of Gaza.

My experience so far has been that the most visible, vocal groups would literally rather see everyone in Gaza dead than see Hamas return the hostages and disarm.

Even though that's the only possible way to reunite Gaza with the Palestinian government that Hamas kicked out 18 years ago.

Even though that's the only scenario where Gazans have a voice in their own government again.

Even though it's what Gazans want.

To be clear: I think the vast majority of non-Palestinian humans who support Palestinians would be thrilled to support whatever the people of Gaza wanted.

I think the vast majority of them would be thrilled if Hamas returned the hostages and fucked right off, and Gaza got to live in peace.

I think the pro-Palestinian movement has been driven by a loud minority that venerates Hamas, and is very confident in its disinformation.

And most people don't have access to the kind of information they would need to push back on it.

I think that probably a whole lot of people are pretty intimidated by the "let's trash the library in the name of Gaza" contingent, and have retreated to a quieter, "let's reblog fundraisers and attend big protests" kind of position.

And I'm hoping that, someday, maybe, enough of those people will hear from enough Gazans about their own movement that they'll join it.