#this would not be that odd except that it's a pretty long fic

[luvyeni]

ANGEL OF MINE ,, 박성훈

pairings ‎⸝⸝⸝ criminal!sunghoon x fem!reader wc. 4k

genre. smut

🦢◞ includes ... public sex, unprotected sex, oral ( m & f receiving ), car sex

「 authors note 𖹭 」 this was a prison break fic , but i ended up changing and just did criminal hoon!

❪ masterlist! ❫

most people could say you met sunghoon in the worst possible place possible; but growing up, your mother always told you that as long as you love each other it shouldn't matter where you meet the love of your life — except your mother didn't mean a prison like how you met sunghoon.

at first you thought it was odd; you were a well established college student, jobs lining up for you after graduation all thanks to your dads connections, many suitors waiting for you to finish your studies with the hope of marriage after graduation; even though you had no interest, a group of friends, much like you; and the best part, more money you could ever dream of… so the whole penpal thing was odd to you; why would you talk to some random person who is in prison nonetheless? that was until you started talking to sunghoon.

sunghoon was used to prison; he'd been there before, many times before and it's the same thing everytime, he'd try to keep his head down— he always failed , outside of prison he'd made a lot of enemies , so he did end up knocking a few heads around and he ended up spending the rest of his sentence in solitary confinement. this time he fucked up and he was facing a longer sentence; a much longer sentence. that was until he received a letter from you; little precious you, his saving grace.

the first letter was the just the introduction; and that was all he needed to become obsessed with you; he knew what you looked like because you sent him a photo , he also knew you weren't old cat lady; you were college student, he would've been a college student too, had he not taken the other route. he also knew that although you were extremely book smart; you were innocent in so many ways, and sunghoon loved that; he didn't need your money, he just needed your love and devotion.

by the fourth letter you were already telling him you'd wait for him and when could you see him; at first he told you a sweet thing like you didn't need to come to such a bad place and that all you had to do was be a good girl and wait for him.

by the sixth letter you were telling him you can't wait to see him and that you'd be there that next weekend; and for the first time ever since he'd been to prison, he was happy.

“park!” the guard yelled, making direct eye contact with him as he banged on the gate. “i can't fucking see you.” the boy hissed. “yeah well , get up.” he stood from his bed in his single cell; that he got after he went through the entire cell block of cell mates; everyone was too scared to share with him. “you got a visitor.” he said flatly as they opened the gate , they dragged him out of his cell and down the hall. “let's go.”

you nervously picked at your skirt; your mother bought it from her travels in some glamours country, maybe you should've worn jeans , would he like this? would he like your makeup? would he like you? for the past week that was all on your mind, sunghoon, this was your first time meeting him so your stomach was churning as you were waiting for him. “angel?”

you turned around to face the boy; the man who'd you think whenever you had free time, you no longer went out with your friends , instead you stayed home and waited for his call , writing multiple letters to, you were obsessed with him. “sunghoon.”

he sat down in front of you, taking in your outfit. “nice outfit angel, you wore that just for me?” he smirked. “do you like it?” you asked, waiting for his approval. “of course i do, finally something pretty to look at in this ugly fucking place.” you cringed at his foul language. “sunghoon, language.” he threw his hands up. “sorry angel.” you nodded. “it's nice to finally meet you in person.”

“angel i have thought about this day since the first time you sent me a letter with that pretty face of yours.” he surely had his way in charming you. “you’re too cute angel , what are you doing here?” you shrugged shyly , you definitely didn't belong here , but you wanted to be here , you want to be here with him. “i like you, i guess.” he smirked. “yeah?” turning around looking for the guard who was barely paying attention. “come closer then.” you nervously leaned in , your elbows now on the table. “good girl.”

“how much do you like me?” he said, his hand slipping under the table. “would you still like me if i tell you what i did?” he asked, hand now on your knee. “what if i killed someone?” your eyes widened. “you didn't, did you?” he chuckled , rubbing your knee. “no angel, no one died.” fortunately for him. “but i did hurt some people real bad,” he said. “not like they didn't deserve it angel.”

“what did they do?” you asked, voice shaking as his hand crept up your skirt. “don't worry about that right now angel.” he said, you nodded. “you still like me?” you nodded. “good.” he smiled , his hand cupping your clothes mound , you turn around nervously looking for the guard. “trust me dove they aren't worried about us.” he ran his finger up your slit. “you're dripping baby, you got this wet for little ole me?” he ran his tongue across his bottom lip. “sunghoon.” you whimpered , he put his finger to his lips.

“you gotta be real quiet angel , we can get in real big trouble if they catch us.”

he pushed a finger in, you bit your lip hard to conceal a moan. “look at you all cute , trying not to moan , if these guards weren't here i would take you right here , make you cum with my cock and not my fingers.” he added another, curling them inside you. “you wanna cum on my cock?” you nodded , your bottom lip was bleeding a little from biting it. “y-yes.” you whined. “i do.”

“when i get outta here dove , i promise, i'll make you cum as many times as this little pussy can give me.” you gasped , “sunghoon , i'm gonna cum.” you whispered , you wanted to kiss his perfectly plump lips , he was right in front of you , but you couldn't because of the guard who was standing a few feet away. “go ahead cum for me angel , our time is almost up.” your mouth dropped open , a silent moan came out of your mouth , as you came , he talked you through your orgasm , before pulling his fingers out of you. “he's coming over angel.”

“sorry miss time is up.” the guard said. “get up park.” they yanked him up. “see you angel , wait for me yeah?” you saw him bringing his fingers to his mouth as they dragged him away.

after that day all you could think about is sunghoon; not like it wasn't any different from before, but now you knew how he could make you feel; the way he talked to you about what he wanted to do to you when he got out; when he got out , that was the hard part, you didn't know the full details of his case , just that he was involved in some bad stuff and he ended up getting into a fight with a few guys and lets just say he came out looking a lot better than they did, and now he's sitting in a prison for maybe the next 3-5 years.

“what if i help you out?” you sat across from him the next visit. “what do you mean angel?” you shrugged. “help get you out of here?” he laughed, leaning forward. “angel i think you're watching way too much tv , it's not as easy as you think , to break someone out of prison.” you laughed , something he loved to hear , it was the only thing that kept him from going insane. “i didn't mean that silly.” he tilted his head to the side , his eyebrows lifting up in interest. “then what angel?”

“well daddy knows some people , in some high places.” you said , he folded his arms. “and maybe if i butter him up just enough, i could maybe get him to talk to some of these people.” he wasn't about to jump for joy, he didn't really want to have to owe your father one. “angel , your father is gonna take one look at my rap sheet and demand that those people keep me locked up just to keep me away from you.” he laughed. “i’m not necessarily a good guy.” he said.

“not if i butter him up first; buy him a new watch, get the chef to cook him his favorite food , tell him how much i love him , tell him that you'll do better if they just give you another shot.” at that moment sunghoon realized two things besides you being the cutest thing to ever grace his presence; 1. you were way more wealthy than he thought, and 2. your love and devotion to him could help him in the future. “angel you know that last thing isn't gonna happen.”

you pouted; of course you knew that. “well yeah, and although i'm not too happy with that, i want you out of here.” you whined , he smirked. “yeah and why is that?” you shied away. “because.” he leaned forward. “why angel?” you bit your lip , thinking about your previous visit. “is my precious angel thinking about dirty things?” you shook your head. “n-no.” but he wasn't buying it. “i think you are.” his words were now whispered. “want to me to fuck that little cunt so bad you're willing to do anything to get me out of here?” you nodded. “then go ahead angel , get me outta here.”

…

you knocked on the door of your father's study; you heard a muffled come in , before pushing the door open. “hi daddy.” you skipped into the room. “and i know that skip from anywhere, how much you need?” you pouted , sitting in the seat across from him. “actually i got you a gift.” you held out the small rolex bag. “a watch?”

“just a little gift to show my love, i also had the chef make your favorite; so if you'll just follow me.” you both made your way to the table. “this looks good doesn't it?” you sat down next to him , the chef leaving you both after you thank him.

“so.” you father finally spoke up. “you get me this expensive watch; pretty sure i’ll be getting the invoice on that soon.” you smiled. “you get them to make my favorite food , thousand and one compliments , i know what this means.” he said. “you want something , what is it princess?”

you sighed , you prayed for this to work. “you sure?” he laughed. “anything you want , you shall have , after this perfect night.” you decided to give it a go. “well you know that i've made a new friend.” you started , he moved in his seat; coughing uncomfortably, he was aware of your relationship with the prisoner, and he wasn't fine with it , but you were an adult and he couldn't stop you. “you know how i feel about that sweetheart.”

“i know and that's why you know i would never come to you unless i really needed to.” you said. “did he do something to you?” you shook your head. “of course not , he's a good boy.” your father scoffed. “he's a prisoner.” he took a sip of his whiskey. “daddy listen.” you held his hand. “please just help me get him out.”

“absolutely not.” he said , you whined. “he's a criminal yn! not once or twice; he's been in and since he was in highschool.” your eyes widened. “you checked his record?”

“of course i did , you know he's in there this time 3-5 years for assault with a deadly weapon, he almost killed two people.” well you didn't know that much. “he said they deserved it , they hit him first.” you defended him. “he has anger issues.” he said. “daddy he said he'd change , he promised.” you'd cross that bridge when you got there , you doubted he was gonna change. “you think he's telling the truth?”

“just ask?” you said , the best desperate face you can make; once you heard your father sigh , you had to force the smile down. “i'll make some calls and let you know what we can do for him.” you couldn't wait to tell sunghoon. “this is the only time i'll help him , he fucks up again and i'll make sure he gets the maximum.”

…

sunghoon was losing his mind in his cell; he needed you, he missed you , fuck that little taste he had of you in the visiting room — he couldn't think about anything other than that; you were better than any drug or alcohol he's ever tried. “park.” the guard banged on the cell. “get up!”

he grunted , getting up from his hard bed. “where to today paul?” the guard grunted , opening the gate. “let's go.” he was confused, his next visit with you wasn't scheduled until the following week , and it's not like his friends could just show up and visit him — most of them were probably supposed to be here right with him , so it couldn't be them and his family; those asshole completely washed their hands of him in the first place. “where are we going?”

he knew this route; he'd seen it many times before, but what he couldn't understand is why he was taking this route. “i know you dirty C.O’s like to play jokes , but this one is about to piss me off.” the cop threw him into the room. “asshole.” he growled. “undress.” the guard said. “you're going home.” he was confused. “what?”

you waited excitedly outside of your car, the driver waiting inside; you bounced as you heard the gates opening , the raven haired boy walked through the gate. “yn?” you took off, running straight into his arm. “it worked!” you laughed. “what worked angel , im so confused right now.” he said , you didn't answer him , instead you wrapped your arms around his shoulders , kissing him; you finally got to kiss the man you'd been talking to for the past 6 months. “my dad , he actually helped.” you pulled away. “you really talked to him?”

“mhm , he knows the judge assigned to your case, i asked him to put in a good word for you.” he grabbed the sides of your face. “this time , try not to get in trouble or at least don't get caught this time.” you slapped his chest. “angel.” he kissed you , holding you close; his tongue swiping across your lip , he nibbled down on , you moaned. “there goes those pretty noises.”

“is there someone in that front seat?” he asked. “my driver of course.” you said like it was normal. “angel , does that driver ask questions?” he smirked. “no , why?” you questioned. “because i can't wait until we get somewhere private.” he grabbed your hand , you smiled. “let's go , i never want to see this place for a long time at least.” you glared at him. “again angel , i meant again.”

you opened the car door; climbing inside grabbed your leg, flipping you over closing the door. “mrs?” your driver said , sunghoon was working his way down your neck , wrapping your legs around his waist. “my-my house.” you whimpered , neither one of you caring about the man in front. “don't you live with your family?”

“i have my own apartment.” he smirked , lifting your shirt over your head , you both were so into it , his shirt coming off , along with your panties , bunching your skirt up. “should i thank you angel?” he kissed your stomach , “eat your pretty pussy for getting me out of that hell hole?” you moaned out nodding. “pl-please.”

lifted your legs over his shoulders; your cunt on display. “so pretty baby , been thinking of tasting this pussy ever since that day in the visiting room. he kissed your cunt , licking a strip up your cunt. “so good baby.” you moaned out. “sunghoon.” he held your waist down , lapping at your cunt over and over , your hand coming up to his hair , the other one hitting the back of the seat. “su-sunghoon , im gonna cum.”

you groaned, feeling your grip his hair , cumming right into his mouth. “fuck angel.” he pulled away , letting out a dry laugh. “you taste so fucking good.” he moaned out , your taste alone made him go crazy , crazy enough he was willing to give up everything just to keep tasting you. “angel i need to fuck you now.”

luckily for the driver he pulled into your apartment complex right before sunghoon was about to take his pants off. “we're here miss.” sunghoon turned to you. “we've waited 6 months angel , i'm sure you can wait 5 minutes?” he handed you the shirt you were wearing. “get dressed for me love.”

you thanked the driver, sunghoon helping you out of the car. “wait dove.” he reached back into the vehicle. “you forgot this?” he smirked , pulling out your underwear, your ears heated up and you shied away. “oh angel , you let me finger you in front of 20 other prisoners and eat you out in front of your personal driver, i think it's time we drop this innocent girl act.” he pulled you close to him. “cause when we get up to that fancy apartment of yours , im gonna fuck you like the slut i know you are.”

the ride up to your apartment was innocent , sunghoons hand was under your skirt , toying with your clit. “pretty pussy is dripping , begging to be stretched out.” you moaned. “su-sunghoon the door is about to open.”

you finally reached your apartment; it was bigger than anything sunghoon would probably see in his life , but that wasn't his main focus as you guided him to your bedroom. “i wanna give you something.” you led him to your bed. “a welcome home gift.” you took your shirt off , sinking down to your knees. “you wanna suck me off angel?” you nodded , he cursed; you looked up at him with such innocent eyes , even though the current position is not so innocent. “naughty girl.” he smirked.

lifting his hips up, pushing his pants down to his ankles , the air hitting his leaky cock; he groaned. “come on angel , suck on it.” he guided your mouth to his cock. “open wide angel.” he guided your head down on his cock , he moaned , it had been a while , and you were working his cock like magic , your tongue running along his length. “fuck dove , i-i'm started to think you've done this before.”

“angel can you go deeper for me?” you hummed around him , vibrations making his eyes roll to the back of his head “shiiiiit , shit i'm gonna cum.” his hand came to the back of your head , pushing your head down. “fuck im cumming.”

he gasped letting your head go as he filled your mouth , spit dribbling down your chin along with his cum. “good girl , taking my cum like that.” you smiled , teary eyed.

he could've have gotten you on the bed quick enough, pushing your legs open , your cunt already bare for him. “you ready for me dove?” his hard length already prodding at your entrance. “pl-please fuck me hoon.” you felt his cock enter your body , you shut your eyes , hissing at the stretch. “to-too big.”

“i know , but you can take it angel.” he kissed your forehead , moving in and out of you. “good girl , take my cock.” he groaned , speeding up , your tits bouncing back and force. “been dreaming bout this cunt since the first time you came and visited me , remember dove?” his cock was now abusing your cervix. “you took my fingers during our first meeting.” you moaned and nodded. “i-it felt good.”

“i bet it did baby , that's how i knew right then and there you were mine.” he moaned. “my perfect angel just to turn into my perfect slut , just for me to fuck -shit- isn't that right?” you nodded. “a good girl letting a bad guy like me ruin you for other men , you like that don't you?” he rubbed your clit. “all mine right?”

“al-all yours , pl-please sunghoon.” you moaned out , the headboard banging against the wall. “I'm gonna cum.” your cunt fluttering around him. “yeah? gonna cum all over my cock?” you dumbly nodded. “go ahead angel , cream my cock baby for me.” his pace didn't falter , his thrust deeper even as you came. “fuck that's a good girl , came so much for me -fuck- im gonna cum dove, where do you want it.”

“i-inside , pl-please cum inside me.” you were gonna be the death of him. “fuck baby , such a perfect pussy.” he groaned. “fuck im gonna cum.” his hips began to falter , he was losing it. “sh-shit , gonna cum inside you angel.” he let out a loud moan , cumming. “fuck!” he cursed , emptying himself inside you. “perfect angel , perfect.” he slowly stopped trusting, pulling out of you , his cock resting on your abused cunt. “good girl.”

“you can stay here.” you said as you both laid in bed. “and do what? wait around for you all day?” he scoffed , his arm around you. “if you get in trouble i won't be able to help again.” you pouted , he smirked. “then i won't get in trouble this time.” you frowned. “i'm serious.” you said. “listen dove, if it makes you feel any better; i'll come back here every night , and hold you just like this.” he kissed the side of your head , because he really did want to be with you , but giving up this life he was so used to wasn't gonna be easy. “what about in the morning?”

“i’ll be right here to wake my pretty angel up by eating her pretty pussy.”

©LUVYENI

[silverskye13]

Ooooo it was so hard picking just one prompt, but for the Situation Game- Could you do #48? Enemy caretaker fic with Tanguish and Wels? Tanguish finds Wels unconscious and (against his better judgement) takes care of him until he wakes up. (Alternatively, you could do Helsknight and Tango, if that first prompt doesn't click. I've been drawing those two interacting so they've been on my mind lol)

He hadn't expected to find him there, was the thing. Tango had asked him to go check through Decked Out while he was gone -- some meetup with Impulse and Zed, it sounded like it would take awhile. Tanguish had heard rockets and wisely hid, and then the rockets left. He assumed someone was dropping something off, or maybe had planned to see Tango only to realize Tango wasn't there. And maybe that was exactly what happened.

The important thing was: Tanguish didn't hear what direction the rockets went. He didn't hear the Warden caged downstairs growl or shriek. He didn't hear a crash, or a scream, or any other indication that an accident had happened. So when he stumbled on Welsknight on the lowest floor of Decked Out, unconscious, it had been... Well it had been a shock. He hadn't even known it was a person at first. He saw a bundle of something on the ground, and he placed down the shulker box he'd been carrying and went over to investigate. When the pile of elytra and armor resolved itself into Welsknight, Tanguish froze, heart racing.

(He should leave him here.)

It wasn't a kind thought, but Tanguish was, rightly, he thought, terrified of Welsknight. If their situations were switched, and it was Welsknight walking up on Tanguish crumpled and unconscious on the floor, he was sure the knight would kill him and he done with it. Just one less problem to deal with. Simple. And while Tanguish was far from able to kill in cold blood -- or killing in general -- leaving the knight here would serve a similar end. Not his problem. He would wake up, or he wouldn't. Tango would find him, or he wouldn't. Whatever happened, it didn't have to be Tanguish that dealt with it.

Except, standing over Welsknight, Tanguish was struck by how much he looked like Helsknight. Their differences were unmistakable up close. He was an inch or two shorter, his hair a sun-gilded auburn, and even bruised he looked gentler, like the world had been kind to him. Their resemblance was brotherly, something about the build and the set of the jaw. But it was enough that Tanguish imagined Helsknight crumpled on the ground somewhere, and how terrible it would be to leave him behind. So, lanced with guilt that made no sense, but compelled to act on it regardless, Tanguish set to work making sure the fool knight didn't die.

Tanguish didn't have much on his person to help with healing, and even if he knew where Tango kept potions, it would be a long climb back up to the Decked Out storage room. He did his best to check for broken bones, looking for odd angles or swelling or crooked joints and finding none. He had to take off the knight's helmet to check for a head injury, found a pretty decent welt, but nothing that suggested blood or breaking.

Tanguish glanced around. They weren't really in the safest place. Beneath the unfinished game, scaffolding blocks and incomplete redstone lines cast long shadows where creatures spawned and congregated, and it wouldn't do to get them both killed by a spider or a zombie down here. Tanguish tentatively explored around, and managed to find a suitably defensible crevasse (a hole in the wall really, probably dug out while Tango was measuring something or other to do with the game). He circled his arms around Welsknight's chest and, as gingerly as possible, tried to drag him in that direction. Then less gingerly, when the knight barely budged. And then Tanguish slumped to the ground because, gods and saints, were people always that heavy? He knew he wasn't the strongest, but he could carry his own weight up the side of a building. Surely he could drag a knight a couple dozen blocks?

Tanguish huffed out a sigh and stared down at Welsknight thoughtfully. "You're more trouble than you're worth, you know that?"

(That was mean. Even enemies were worth saving, so long as they didn't do something mean to make him regret it after.)

Tanguish took another pensive look around, and content nothing was about to attack him for his efforts, knelt and began taking the knight's armor off. He had a little knowledge of all the different buckles and bracers and how they worked (he'd seen Helsknight take them on and off a thousand times). It took some fumbling, especially around the chest plate, where he had to gently turn Welsknight over and prop him up, and support his head because flopping around on his neck like that couldn't be good for him, and, gods, this was stupid and awkward and terrible. He really, really should've just left. But then he was done, and when he slipped his arms around the knight to drag him again, he actually managed to move him a few steps without his back breaking, so he took that as his sign from the universe to keep going.

Tanguish wanted the universe to know he tried to be gentle. He wasn't big and strong like Helsknight (and probably Welsknight too). He couldn't casually pick up people and carry them around, or throw them over his shoulders. And if Welsknight were conscious enough for a piggy back ride, Tanguish was pretty sure he would just fall over if he tried to take a step. So dragging the knight two dozen blocks to a little hidey hole in the wall was the best, safest, and really only option at his disposal. Once inside, he scurried out to his shulker box, snatched it up, and dropped it in the entrance to the hiding place so anything that might want to come in would have a harder time. He wished there was something useful inside. He had planned on mob proofing while Tango was gone, stringing around glow lichen so his double would have a safer time working on his game. He had a few snacks, some water, and about a stack and a half of lichen left. That was all he'd bothered to bring with him. Now he wished he had brought something actually helpful.

Tanguish weighed his options, staring down at the still unconscious knight. Leaving sprung to his mind first -- Welsknight was reasonably safe now. The chances of something finding him was relatively small, and if he hung up some glow lichen before he left, the light might ward off anything that did notice him. He thought about maybe bringing the knight to hels, where he might find some help. But that help would probably be Helsknight, and he didn't know how much he trusted those two together. He was... Reasonably sure Helsknight wouldn't kill his double while he was unconscious, but he had no idea what he would do when Welsknight woke up. And Welsknight probably wouldn't take kindly to waking up in hels anyway. He could try to get help? Wander around the server just hoping he stumbled upon Tango, alone? No. No he wasn't going to do that.

Tanguish sighed, rolled his eyes at his own powerlessness. After a few more moments of deliberation, he pulled out his water and a few clumps of lichen. He had a half-remembered thought from somewhere that lichen could be medicinal. He had no idea if this lichen was, but he at least knew it was spongy and could hold a bit of water. He made himself a little ball with the stuff, soaked it, and gingerly placed it against the lump on Welsknight's head. He knew his hands would chill it, and frost crept around his fingertips the longer he held his makeshift compress. He pillowed the knight's head in his lap -- it seemed the most comfortable for both of them in the combined space -- and settled in to wait until Tango came back, or Welsknight awoke, and he hoped the knight would either be too incoherent or too grateful to kill him if the waking came first.

Outside his little hideaway, Tanguish listened to the sounds of monsters crawling to life. The tip-tap-skitter of spider legs. The moans and grumbles of the nearly sleepwalking dead. The occasional croaking mutter of an enderman. He didn't hear creepers (He didn't think anyone could hear creepers.) They crept around on quiet claws, a breath of fur and dark, glaring expressions. One snuck up to his hideaway and peered inside, gazing at him with bottomless black eyes. It hissed, smelling or sensing him and trying, vainly, to threaten him. It couldn't come through the wall, and it didn't give off its tell-tale flashing. Tanguish narrowed his eyes at the thing and hissed back, a keening noise that sent a shiver down his spine, and echoed off the walls of his little hideaway like a sculk shrieker. The creeper lurched backward (most natural things feared sculk on an instinctual level) and it scuttled away into the dark. Tanguish snorted in the general direction of the fleeing creature, and looked down at Welsknight. He gently moved his compress, and felt some satisfaction at seeing the swelling had gone down.

"You know, you knights really are strange sometimes," Tanguish informed the unconscious Welsknight, as though he could hear. "All the armor, and the oaths, and reckless danger -- and you're just as mortal as the rest of us." Tanguish leaned his head back against the wall behind him. "Do you have tenets like Helsknight does? Stuff you swore to do? You've got to, right? That's what makes you a knight, instead of just a guy with a sword."

Tanguish's tail twitched thoughtfully. "You and Helsknight feel the same way about technicalities, so you probably can't truly lie. You just dance around the truth a little, like he does. Let people come to their own conclusions... You shouldn't do that."

Tanguish readjusted his compress. "It makes people feel patronized, like you think they're too stupid to figure out what you're saying. And it makes us feel stupid for trusting you. Like on the aqueduct. I didn't really have a choice but... I really did believe I was safe. It was... Cruel... To take that back."

Tanguish felt nervousness reignite in his stomach, a turning and writhing at the danger he was in, implicitly.

"That would be like me waiting for you to wake up, just to hurt you," Tanguish said quietly, his free hand dipping down to the dagger on his hip. The cold metal, the waiting intention the weapon held, felt almost electric and alive against his fingertips. "All this trouble and effort to keep you safe, discarded over something as petty as who the universe likes best." He thought about Helsknight, and the importance he placed on time. "What a terrible waste of time."

Tanguish sighed and studied the ceiling, tracing the textures in the stone overhead with his eyes. He could see the pickaxe marks where Tango had tunneled this out, long gouges and sharp-edged chips.

"I think I understand why he feels the way he does about you. About all of you. You don't understand what you have." Tanguish looked down at the knight, who, despite what had surely been a terrible fall, merely looked like he slept. "It isn't just death that's a mild inconvenience. Everything is. Eternity is sitting in front of you. Even the largest problems, miseries that could span decades, will be nothing in the blink of an eye. There is no such thing as wasted time. There is no discomfort in doing something badly, or even passably. There's just... The endless possibility to try again. Even my saving you right now is, at best, a very odd, kind gesture, because you don't have a limited number of times to come back. There's no fear in the universe deciding this time it will just swallow you. What I'm doing is meaningless, so meaningless it might not even change your opinion of me, unless it's impressive to you that someone who shouldn't have bothered, did. Impressive, and not terribly stupid."

(He was starting to feel terribly stupid, all things considered.)

Movement caught Tanguish's eye, and he sat quietly as some monster or another passed their hiding place, shuffling off in the dark.

"There's no urgency for change." Tanguish whispered. "There's no pressure for legacy. It's like building sand castles in the desert, with no waves to knock them down. There's no reason to find them precious, no urgency to finish before the tide comes, no cherishing the seconds before they're weathered away. They'll just be there tomorrow, or the next time you get around to paying them attention. It's a beautiful gift, and you have no context to appreciate it. I understand why. You've never lived anything different to give you perspective... But I also understand why he hates you for it."

Tanguish blinked out at the world beyond his little keyhole, where danger stalked, undisturbed and wholly uninterested in him.

"No wonder the universe makes us," Tanguish said. "Why else would you have any reason to change?"

Tanguish looked down at Welsknight again. He studied the knight's face, all the things about him that stayed steadfast and unchanging, uncaring that his existence weathered Helsknight away everyday. That he was a wave, and Tanguish and Helsknight and everyone like them were just sand castles waiting.

"You probably won't," Tanguish murmured, "but I hope someday you figure out how to love him. Love the parts of yourself you hate so much right now. Helsknight is terrifying, and overbearing, and too strong for his own good. He walks through the world like he wishes he could bully it into being fair." Tanguish let out a breath. "But he tries so hard to be good, and any goodness I've learned, I think I learned from him. In spite of him. Because of him."

A sadness washed through him then, and Tanguish spoke soberly. "Someday it will be just you and Tango. A month from now. Or a year. Or whatever our lifetimes amount to. When that day comes, I hope you'll look at each other, and somewhere, me and Helsknight will glimpse each other again. I hope whatever the end looks like, it isn't lonely."

Tanguish fell silent, waiting with infinite patience for Welsknight to wake. He must have dozed off, because he roused to the sound of a groan, and Welsknight slowly rolling over to reach the sore spot on the back of his head. Tanguish held his breath. He probably should have figured out what he was going to do when Welsknight woke up. He had no plan, no idea-- hels he was trapped in a confined space with him! Wait -- his coin. Right.

Welsknight's eyes fluttered open. He frowned first in confusion, then recognition, and then Tanguish's coin was in his fist and he was gone.

In hels, Tanguish leaned against the front door of the house, eyes closed, trying to calm his breathing. It really shouldn't be a big deal. Welsknight hadn't even had the time to threaten him. It was just the residual terror of past bad experiences, the adrenaline rush of realizing he was trapped in a room with a tiger. But he was home now, and he shouldn't be afraid -- didn't have to be afraid.

"You're home early," Helsknight said, sounding concerned, and very close by. He must have been writing at the table. In the time Tanguish had been forcing himself to calm, Helsknight stood and cautiously crossed to him. "Did something happen?"

(Did Welsknight happen?)

"N-no," Tanguish said unconvincingly. And further discredited himself by stepping forward, and hugging Helsknight. He could feel Helsknight's concerned frown in his posture, in the slow way he hugged him back, offering confused comfort.

"Are you... sure?"

"Just glad you're still here," Tanguish said.

"Ah." Helsknight hummed, as though he understood. His hug deepened a bit. "Still here. Are you?"

"I think so."

"Good. I guess I'm glad too, then."

[qwimblenorrisstan]

ParkRanger!Reader and Hybrid!141 Hc’s

This can really be interpreted as platonic or romantic, depending on how you look at it, but I just think it would be hilarious to be a fire lookout or one of those people who stays in the tall towers in a park for months on end.

Sure, maybe some of the wildlife was a bit too friendly, but that was just normal, right?

Like that burly bear that lived in a cave nearby, occasionally migrating, but never attacking you when you accidentally crossed its path. It got along oddly well with the other wildlife, well, except for the other male bears, who seemed to not respect its territory. You’d nicknamed it “Price”, because of how much money the park had to pay each year due to the bear mauling the electrical system sometimes.

Or the buck that would wander around sometimes, one of the prettiest deer you’d ever seen in all honesty. It was a wonder it hadn’t been devoured by some other animal yet. But it would sometimes let you give it secret little pets, even if the park discouraged any interaction with wildlife. You’d nicknamed it “Gaz”, because of the incident where it had gotten into a barrel of gas for your generator, and you’d had to rush it to a local vet.

The shaggy stray wolf that hung around was a bit odd, too. Blond fur hidden underneath grey and black patches, with keen eyes that you seldom noticed before it moved. It never let you pet it, but sometimes in the middle of the night, you’d be out on a trail, and you both would catch eyes. Or it would give little growls in warning to you, of whatever else lurked these woods. You’d nicknamed it “Ghost”, for obvious reasons.

And last, but certainly not least of your strange menagerie of animals, was the honey badger. It looked normal, other than some strange spots of hair sticking up that looked like some larger animal had tried to groom it. It snarled at anything, but as long as you didn’t get too close, it would happily trail behind you on whatever path you were taking for work. It was mischievous too, getting into your food and belongings in your backpack. You’d nicknamed it “Soap”, because, in the middle of the night, you’d woken up to find the thing in your tower, drinking some liquid soap. It had run before you’d gotten it to a vet but seemed fine a few days later.

Your odd little group of animal friends seemed weird, obviously, but you’d just chalked it up to them being exposed to park rangers and humans more often than normal wildlife. That was, until, one night you went out late to fix your generator that had run out of gas, only to hear footsteps crunching behind you, and whirling just in time to see a middle-aged man you’d given a fine earlier for setting off fireworks in the forest, holding a thick log, ready to smack you with it.

Rather, he was going to smack you with it, before he was tackled to the ground, and multiple fists began beating him into the dirt.

You stood there, dumbfounded, watching as four men, bare as the day they were born, slowly got off the unconscious man’s body.

One shorter man with a mohawk, one pretty one with browned skin, a taller one with a gruff beard, and the tallest, a grumpy-looking man who was built like a brick wall. They stared back, at least moving to cover themselves for your sake before the man with a mohawk and a stupid grin on his face spoke.

“Been wanton’ to bea’ his head in for a while.”

His chin jerked to the unconscious man, now bleeding everywhere in the grass.

You sighed, knowing that you were in for a long night.

(might write a fic for this?? lmk if I should)

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook

W.D.Y.W.F.M [Prelude]

Jungkook could've adopted anybody else, really. He's gotten to know a lot of hybrids left and right during his time at the carecenter and foster homes- low maintenance ones, friendly ones, ones that are easy to be around. So why would he want you?

Tags/Warnings: Idol!Jungkook, Hybrid!Reader, Fox Hybrid!Reader, mentions of trauma, Reader isn't cute & cuddly in this at all, manhandling (not the spicy kind), sort of brat-tamer Jungkook but not in the kinky way if that makes sense? This is set about four years back when he didn't have any tattoos nor facial piercings since this is a prelude to the main story

Length: 3.4k words

THERE IS NO TAGLIST FOR THIS FIC!

A/N: so many were upset I'm not writing any more hybrid jk stories so yum yum the appetizer is served hope you're hungry

-> Masterlist

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

Jeon Jungkook is stupid.

You don't like him, you don't like his staff running around, you don't like his managers eyeing you constantly like you're some serial killer waiting to strike. It's not like you've got any issue with him- you just don't like people like him, easy and simple. Idols have been at this shelter before, and all of them have simply taken some photos, played around with the toddlers or easy to handle hybrids, before they'd leave and take all the plus points for their image.

It's pretty much a running joke amongst more permanent residents like you are- because funnily enough, all Idols prior have all had some sort of scandal before they'd filmed here. From bullying allegations, to dating rumors or even drug scandals- you wonder what he's got caught up in to end here.

But honestly, what's it to you anyways.

You can see him look at you with his stupid round eyes, a caretaker next to him explaining something while motioning towards her neck. They're probably talking about your bright red collar that you have to wear whenever you've got visitors like him- a warning sign that'll hopefully keep him at distance from you, because you really don't want to deal with his shit at all. He's the first male Idol that's come here in a long time, so he might try and act tough- but god knows you won't let him have that.

You won't be used ever again.

Your look at him with an almost satisfied look when he's held back by the caretaker, his attempt at walking towards you denied by her as she shakes her head and leads him somewhere else. He's looking back at you, and there's an odd look on his face before he turns around and follows her presumably to the younger hybrids.

Good for him.

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

Turns out there was no reason for him to be here except pure curiosity on his part.

He's been apparently searching for a hybrid to take in for a bit now, and has decided on his own to improve the shelters reputation by not only donating a huge shit ton of money to it, but also by filming his experience in a more VLog style format. You can see the microphone he has had on his shirt gone at this point, and you're not sure why.

Won't his managers want to listen in on what he says, so they can monitor him?

You're pretty sure he's got his eyes on one of the pretty cat hybrids. Yumi is her name, and you can see why he'd want her- she's incredibly pretty and comes originally from a good home- only given into government care because her owner had to undergo surgery and couldn't take care of her any longer. She's nice- a bit arrogant sometimes, out of touch with reality due to her rather expensive lifestyle, but maybe it'll fit him. He's living the same lavish life as well, after all.

Luxury isn't something you know.

You watch as some hybrids outside play tag, and you wish you could join in. But you can't- you always play too rough the caretakers complain, and most importantly, you're not allowed outside without a caretaker present anyways. So you just huff to yourself, and watch from your spot.

"Do you want something particular for lunch?" Someone asks, and you snap your head around, not having noticed him coming so close. He immediately backs off a step with palms open, an attempt at trying to soothe you. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle youm" He apologizes.

You don't answer.

"Miss Kim wanted to know what you wanted for lunch?" He asks again, and you shrug silently. You don't care what you're getting. You stopped caring long ago.

"Dont care." You say, and he's got the audacity to laugh.

"I don't think 'don't care' is on the menu today." He jokes.

You don't react. He doesn't seem fazed. His joke is lame. Does this shit work usually for him? Probably, but they only laugh because he's got the money.

He takes your silence as your conversation finished, and so he just nods respectfully, before leaving you be again.

And at lunch, you notice that you've got a bit more rice than usual in your bowl.

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

Jungkook is loud.

He laughs a lot, plays with many hybrids without any sense of how he looks like, doesn't seem to be bothered by any of it. But he's also started to talk to you, and you honestly don't know if you like or hate it.

"Come on, everyone's got a favorite food." Jungkook laughs, having sat down with you today instead of the other hybrids. You're not sure why. The cameras aren't even running, he's not vlogging anything, no microphone attached to him. Or maybe that's exactly why he wants to interact with you now. Cause you're not pretty enough to be in one of his idol videos.

You shrug, not answering him. "..dunno." You mumble, before you look at one of the careworkers accepting the daily food delivery from a worker. "Chicken? Maybe.." You say, just so he can finally shut up and leave. But he doesn't.

He instead smiles, probably even fueled now that you've interacted with him. Well, fuck.

"Ah, I like chicken too." He agrees. "Very good choice. I think you're having Chicken for dinner today?" He wonders, and you nod, more or less to yourself, holding onto your tail. "How long have you been here?" He asks, and you shrug again.

"Dunno." You answer, yet again. "Long." You say.

"Never had been adopted?" He wonders, and you scoff.

"No one want's something like me." You say, picking at your tail. "Not when there's.. so many pretty cats and dogs around.. that don't tear up furniture n' stuff." You say with a pout, making him smile in sympathy.

The careworkers have already told him about you. Where you came from, how long you've been here, why you'll probably stay here- you came here very young from an exotic breeding program, stayed here because of severe behavioral issues. No one wants to deal with you- just like you said.

Jungkook himself however, feels different. You just seem a bit lost, out of place, unsure of everything. With a bit of work, a leading hand, and a good environment, you'd surely blossom into a lovely companion.

Though, hours later, he's confronted with what 'severe behavioral issues' can mean.

You're up in a tree.

It's by your own choice- you love being up here, where no one can do anything but watch as you're out of reach. It's a little moment of control you get, a tiny glimpse of choice- but of course, this stupid idol boy has to ruin that for you.

Most caretakers are either too old or too short to reach you- but Jungkook is neither of those things, as he grabs a small step ladder and reaches out to you. "Please come down, okay?" He says. "No one's mad-" he tries, but you don't let him.

"Bullshit." You scoff at him, moving your foot away from his reaching hand. "They're all pissed I'm up here." You huff angrily.

"No, they're all worried that you're up here." He corrects you. "We don't want you to fall down and hurt yourself-"

"I won't." You simply say. "I'm capable enough."

"I believe you." He says, making you falter a bit in your aggressive state. "But I also think that you should come down." He tells you.

"Well, and I think I'll stay up here." You deny, turning to climb even higher.

It's when his hand grabs your ankle.

"Hey!" You hiss, trying to pull away- but fuck, he's strong.

"I'm sorry, but you're not leaving me with much choice." He apologizes, before pulling, effectively getting you out of the short tree, pulling your body against his as he steps down from the ladder. He can feel something scratch his biceps- probably you, since you're actively trying as hard as you can to escape his grip. It's not the typical tamper tantrum a toddler would do- no. He knows this type of behavior.

It's fear.

So he makes sure to hold onto you even when back inside, making sure you don't just run off and possibly try and escape through the backyard again- caretakers closing the doors before he even thinks about letting go of you. It makes him think if you just simply aren't used to close physical contact at all- because you're trembling, while simultaneously frozen solid.

What happened to you to make you this way?

"I'm sorry, okay?" He tells you, but you don't answer- not that he'd expected you to. "Just wanted to let you know." He hums, before he loosens his grip, letting you instantly stumble away, hurrying out of everyone's sight and into one of the hiding tents set up for the more anti-social hybrids.

And he doesn't see you for the rest of the day.

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

The next day, he's not even properly in yet, when he's already being talked to about what happened yesterday- mainly cause the careworker probably saw him search for you amongst the tired hybrids waking up from their naps.

"She refused to eat dinner after you left." The careworker tells him as he puts his bag down, and Jungkook lowers his brows in confusion.

"Why?" He wonders, unsure. You're not very attached to him, rarely interact openly with anybody let alone him- and he's realized it might simply be because you don't like him and his rather bubbly personality that much.

"I think it might be self-punishment for what happened yesterday." She sighs, pointing to the large bandaid covering his biceps- your scratch no longer hurting at all, the cover just on it for hygiene's sake. "She feels guilty."

"But it wasn't her fault?" He asks, not sure why you'd take the blame for things so far out of your control. "I knew what I'd potentially get myself into when I offered to bring her back inside- and she didn't get me that bad anyways." He shrugs, and the worker nods.

"Well, she certainly doesn't see it that way." She says, giving Jungkook his name tag and vest so he can start his last week, cameras at this point no longer really filming much since they've got plenty of content to work with. "You did great, honestly- handled her really well, but she might feel embarrassed now that you've witnessed her outbursts on yourself rather than just from afar." She explains, and he sighs to himself. He instantly searches for you amongst the hybrids, greeting almost everyone fleetingly as his eyes scan the environment.

He spots you sitting in a corner, observing rather than joining in- just like you always do.

"Hey-" he carefully squats down a respectful distance away from you, casually patting his bandaid once he spots you staring at it. "-all by yourself again?" He wonders, and you just shrug.

You don't answer him, crossing your arms instead.

"Heard you skipped dinner yesterday." He asks casually, sitting down now to engage in conversation. He knows that you get antsy when confronted like this- but you have to learn somehow. Everyone just wrapping you in cotton won't help you long term.

"Wasn't hungry." You mumble, avoiding eye contact. Why does he have to talk to you? This is stupid.

"Lie." He chuckles. "You were talking about how much you liked chicken to me yesterday." He calls you out, and you just pull your knees closer to yourself, tail wrapping around them as well. "You didn't hurt me much at all, you know?" He offers softly after some time of just observing you.

"…still." You argue quietly, shaking your head. "Yumi is looking-"

"But I'm talking to you right now." Jungkook disagrees amused, keeping his attention on you. "You're not a bad person." He tells you, and you grow angry suddenly. Not at him- but at yourself, because why are you such a crybaby that you're crying about a simple sentence like that? He probably doesn't even mean it, he just says it for his stupid media-stunt he's pulling. "You wanna go eat breakfast with me?" He wonders, and you shake your head. "Too bad." He chuckles, reaching out his hand to touch your wrist, simply tapping his fingers against it. "Come on, up up, I'm hungry." He says, getting up-

But you don't follow.

"I don't want to." You deny, and he sighs, leaving you be. It's fine like this- you don't need him to play some sort of Savior for you, not at all. He can show off his kindness to his fan base or whatever, you don't really care at all. He's living his life, while you'll live yours- no matter how bland it might be.

A bowl is placed at your feet, another plate with a lot of food placed down as well. "Didn't know what you wanted so-" he explains, before sitting down again in front of you. "-I just got whatever I myself eat." He shrugs casually, starting to grab the first bite.

"Your microphone isn't on." You comment, pointing to the front of his shirt where it would typically sit.

"I know." He simply answers nonchalantly, continuing to eat. You start to lift your hand to bite at your fingers, and he reaches out without fear to gently pull your wrist away from your face, before pointing to the food. "Eat. Or do you want something else?" He wonders, but you shake your head.

You are hungry.

"…'m sorry." You tell him with a crack in your voice, and he nods at you with a smile.

"I know." He answers truthfully, reaching out to tap one of your droopy ears. "But you don't have to be." He shrugs, unknowingly surprising a careworker watching from the sidelines. You're pretty jumpy with contact- you hate fast movements, loud noises, sudden things you're not prepared for. He himself notices as well- the way you flinch on instinct as he reaches out to you.

But you don't immediately try and defend yourself against him, and that's new.

Jungkook has, up until this point, simply never given you any reason to fear him. He's not very careful, very fidgety, and a little loud whenever he gets excited- but he's also gentle, and doesn't hold any bad intentions.

Though that doesn't mean that you trust him- at least not yet.

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

"I don't wanna." You deny, as he holds out your bright red collar to you. "Go take Yumi." You huff, and he sighs, letting his head hang for a second before he picks himself up.

"I don't want to go out with Yumi, I wanna go out with you." He makes sure to emphasize, holding the collar out again. "So let's go outside." He offers.

"Outside is.." You look out the window. It's sunny, pretty warm, a light breeze. There's no reason to not go outside- except one. "I.. get too excited." You say quietly, shrinking in on yourself.

"That's what the collar is for." He gently tells you. "So we can track you if you get lost- though I'll keep my eye on you at all times." The idol tells you in a playfully warning tone, making you look at him.

"What if I bite you?" You ask, and he shrugs. "Or scratch you again-"

"Then that's on me." He says, putting the collar forwards again. "You're so scared of yourself, and I want you to see that there's no reason for it." He tells you.

"There's plenty of reasons." You start arguing.

"Okay, listen." His voice is suddenly holds a lot more.. authority, and it makes your ears stand up, whole body a bit tense. "Do you want to go outside, yes or no." He asks.

"I can-" You start, he shakes his head.

"Yes or no." He demands, and you look at him with ears down low now in clear submission.

"…yes." You answer, and he chuckles, not just because you're so cute, but because that small little thing he did with you pretty much tells him everything he needs to know about you. So he carefully reaches out and clips the collar around your neck, before he gets up to open the door, going outside with you.

And not even an hour in, he realizes what you meant with 'too excited'.

It's absolutely adorable.

You're chirping at the birds in the trees, ocassionally having to be reminded that no, you can't climb them, and other times you run off to hunt a stray squirrel or two- but you're not difficult to handle for him, really. Especially once he brings out a rubber ball to kick, you get absolutely hyper, running after it and kicking it back and forth with him, tail wagging and your laughter filling the garden.

But it's only after you both play tag, you running into him as you catch him, both of you lying in the grass with heavy breathing that he realizes that he's found what he'd been looking for. You're still so full of happy excitement that you probably don't even realize you're hugging him, clinging onto him with a wagging tail, and he's sure that yes-

you're the one.

You're perfect for him.

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

"Huh?" You ask, completely caught off guard.

Sure, you've both gotten closer overall during the few weeks he's been here- going outside, even going shopping together as some sort of 'desensitization activity', eating together- and yeah, you've grown to like him, actually. But he's talking about fostering. And fostering is the first step towards permanent adoption.

Why would he want you?

"I want to take you home with me. See how you'll like it." He simply says, leaning on his hands behind his back, casually giving you the news. "I'll have some schedules, so it'll be pretty much exactly how it'd be if I was to permanently take you home- and I wanna see if you're cool with that." He explains.

"But.." You start, unsure. "What if I-" You start, and he dramatically lets himself fall onto the floor.

"I've got insurance for my home, if you break something we'll fix it or replace it, if you bite me I'll bite you back, if you scratch me I'll put a bandaid on it, if you run off I'll tag you with my phone app. Did I miss anything?" He asks, and you look at him with furrowed brows.

"You'll bite me back?" You ask confused, and he laughs.

"Yep!" He simply says. "So?" He wonders, and you shrug.

"I can't.. really tell you what to do." You mumble, again not looking at him.

"Hey." He suddenly says, pulling on the tip of your tail- something that he knows isn't something anyone can do without risking a reaction from you. "Look at me." He demands gently, and you do, though it's slightly awkward with him laying on the floor like that. Still, he manages to make you feel his dominance- not physically, but different. Mentally. "Do you want to come home with me, yes or no. You know the game at this point." He chuckles.

"…yes." You softly answer, and he grins at that.

Instantly getting up to get all the paperwork ready.

[fandoms-in-law]

Seeing Through

Summary: Today, Steve is moving out and his parents choose now to have one of their random days home.

Author's note: Why does it feel like half these prompts are the same or similar? I need to reduce the amount of Steve songs prompts I put down.

My Idea for this Fic: 'I see Through You' - Taboo songfic - Steve moving out, saying fuck you to his parents.

/\/

They weren’t meant to come home. Steve had planned everything around his parents never being there.

Except there they were pulling into the driveway as the Party helped him load all his things onto Eddie’s van; and his father did not look happy.

“Quit groaning, Wheeler, or you’re unloading all the boxes alone later.” Eddie laughed as he and Mike carried Steve’s mattress out. His parents would assume that was theirs, that Steve was taking furniture they’d brought with him, but after injuries and fighting the Upside Down for so long, he’d replaced it, saved and spent his own money to have a better nights sleep.

“Steven!” His parents had gotten out of the car now, and the yell had anyone close enough hurrying out, concerned looks on their faces. “What is the meaning of this thievery?”

Steve glanced from them back to the house, and around at the people he called his family. “I’m moving out. Not going to leave anything I brought in your mausoleum.” He replied, measuring the space between them and how much slower than a demodog they moved.

After everything they’d fought, after finally moving out, there wasn’t much power his parent could swing over him. Also Hopper was probably just inside, ready to either come out or go to his room depending on how his parents reacted now. The likelihood they’d try to call, or at least threaten them with, the police was decent but Hopper would cut that off immediately if they saw him.

“That mattress-” His father began again, gesturing harshly before Steve cut him off.

“-I brought myself. Yours will be back on that bed frame by now.” That had been his request, whomever was bringing his mattress down put the old one on before bringing it out, and Eddie double checked it just twenty minutes ago.

A cold laugh came in response. “You expect me to believe that? With the crooks van you got to move your things in plain view.”

Steve bristled, glancing over to check Eddie wasn’t about to react for him. “That van and its owner have done more honest work in the last 6 months than you two have in your entire lives. They’re my family; you’re strangers who share my DNA”

“At least we aren’t common thieves.” Hello Mother, nice of you to join the conversation, Steve thought meeting her narrowed gaze.

“Of course you are.” He scoffed, “White collar crime, Nancy called it. Underpaying workers, dodging taxes. You’re crooks in pretty clothes but common enough. I’ve seen through the mask and I’m gone. No more son for you to forget about.”

“We don’t forget you and the destruction you’re doing to our name.”

“Stop twisting your reality to fit your views. This is me taking my life out of your hands in the sweetest goodbye. Actually you’re making it a bit bitter by your presence. How about you fuck off as you usually have done?” Steve had noticed his father focus more on the van again, and Mike stood near it while Eddie disappeared into the back of it. Baiting them would keep the focus where it needed to be.

Possibly not that much though, as his father took a step closer, “You aren’t leaving. What money do you have to-”

“Quite a bit actually. Or did you assume the jobs you forced him to get paid nothing?” Robin was at his side now, Nancy’s handbag under her arm.

“Odd accessory choice. She got one of them?” He quietly asked, knowing that Nance was still likely to have two guns in her bag.

He didn’t need her now before turning back to his parents. “Also Grandfather died. I know you were far too busy for the funeral but I inherited a far amount from him despite you never allowing him contact. Guess you never were god.”

His father tried to retort, but didn’t get a word out. His mother simply levelled a judgemental look at him, one he hoped nobody suggested was similar to looks he pulled, before heading into the house, “And that was your Grandfather’s failing, wasting funds on untrustworthy youth. I shall be ensuring none of our things are taken.”

Once his parents were inside, Robin and Eddie were leaning on each of his shoulder’s, nail bat left leaning against the doors to the truck with Mike. “Wait, did you really inherit from your Grandad?”

“Yeah, we wrote letters for a while. First did it after finding his address, half sobbing cause they’d abandoned me. So many tears cried over such worthless people.” Steve replied, “I found better easily.”

/\

“Steven.” His mother called, stopping him from climbing into the van, some letters in hand. “Why are all these utility companies saying they’ll be cut off from tomorrow?”

He blinked at her, continuing to sit down. “Because I saw through you. You tried turning them off ages ago just expecting me to pick the bills up, so I did. And now I’ve told them all I, the bill payer, will no longer be living here. They were very understanding.”

With the door shutting Eddie had them on their way to the apartment they’d gotten. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it would be far more of a home and a family than he was leaving.

[jesterofcringe]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE MAKE MORE ENDERMAN LOTTIE FICS OR AN AI BOT OF SOME KIND PLEASE PLEASE

See No Evil Enderman!Lottie x Reader

!!tw mentions of blood and implications of murder!! also sorry this took a while anon i've been busy with finals 😭 ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

★Have you ever tried to pick up a cat and force it to cuddle with you? Because Lottie likes to do that to you. A lot.

★She quickly learned that you couldn't sleep at night so long as she was around, so day time naps were the way to go.

★You would usually be going about some chores when you would feel her arms wrap around you and pick you up. Before you got the chance to say anything, you were being teleported back into your bed and Lottie was curling up against you.

★"H-Hey! I need to finish that- Lottie hold on a sec!"

★At first you would fight against her grip, attempting to wriggle free, but Endermen were strong and you slowly got used to it and just let it happen. Because of these typical shenanigans you eventually became somewhat nocturnal, tending to your chores at night and taking long naps during the day.

★Sometimes you forgot Lottie was a mob until she gave you a good reason to remember.

★One of these instances you were tending to the garden late at night [because your clingy ass girlfriend ruined your sleep schedule] when you realized you hadn't seen Lottie for a little while. This didn't really strike you as odd since Endermen had a tendency to just vanish. So you were minding your own business, and tending to your crops, perking up when your favorite mob appear behind you.

★As you spun on your heels to greet her, you felt your heart sink into your feet. Lottie was covered in blood, and acting abnormally nonchalant about it.

★"Holy shit! What happened to you?"

★At first you thought Lottie had gotten hurt and was now bleeding out as if that was totally normal. But then you remembered Endermen blood was purple, not the sickly crimson splattered across Lottie's clothes.

★You recalled seeing a death message from the server, but you hadn't paid too much attention to it. As you watched the blood slowly drip down her claws, you seriously wondered if you should have.

★"Lottie... what did you do?"

★She brushed past you and ignored the question completely, which made you all the more concerned.

★You grabbed her wrist [instantly grossed out when you felt the blood on your own hand] and forced her to stop moving away from you.

★"This is serious! What happened out there?"

★She huffed before pointing at her eyes and then your own.

★"What does that even... oh wait, eye-contact? They made eye-contact?" She nodded quick, and you couldn't help but to sigh with relief, "Ok, at least it was an accident and not out of some random murderous desire."

★As you said it, she kind of made a face and shrugged.

★"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN-"

★The reminder alone that Lottie was capable of being dangerous was a weird taste of reality. You knew she was a monster but... did you? It never fully processed in your mind. You knew she wouldn't hurt you though, so long as you were careful.

★Except you weren't careful, and you had accidentally made eye-contact with her. You were certain you would never experience something scarier.

★For what it's worth you had fought Endermen before, but something about seeing Lottie, a mob you were used to being completely peaceful, become totally hostile was absolutely terrifying.

★It happened because she jokingly took a tool you were using, and held it above your head so you couldn't reach it. You spun around too fast, looking up quickly without thinking about it.

★For a moment, all you could think about was how pretty her eyes were, until you watched her eyes go wide with shock. Her tail bristled up, and her jaw fell slack revealing sharp fangs you had never noticed until that point. Never noticed, likely for a good reason.

★Your hand instinctively rested on the hilt of your sword, but the moment you noticed her hands were shaking you knew you were screwed. You didn't even have your shield on you. Fuck.

★You did have something else in your inventory you could use. An enderpearl. You had acquired it a long time before you met Lottie, and you felt bad trying to get more since meeting her, so you had decided to save it for emergency. This seemed like as good of time as any to use it.

★Before you got a moment to calculate your throw and plan out your escape route, she lunged at you and caused you to fumble, tossing the pearl up and behind. Her claw grazed over your nose as you landed upside down in a tree branch.

★Endermen couldn't teleport up, and you were grateful for that. You decided you'd stay in the tree as long as you needed until she hopefully calmed the fuck down. That, unfortunately, didn't stop her from sitting at the base of the tree and staring at you from below, her tail flicking in anticipation.

★"Lottie I'm sorry!"

★">:("

★"I love you?"

★">:("

★"Ok-"

★You were in the tree for a while. You could see the sun peaking over the horizon when you heard her finally teleport away. You decided that was a good sign that you were safe as you slid out the tree.

★You didn't see Lottie until much later. Well, less see, more felt. Her arms wrapped around you from behind, and you reflectively jerked away from her touch. She seemed genuinely hurt by this, which is when you realized she was back to normal.

★Gently this time, she ran a finger over the cut that ran across the bridge of your nose before giving you a puzzled look.

★"That was you, don't you remember?"

★In all of two seconds her expression shifted from confused, to concerned, to absolutely guilt ridden. You felt kinda bad for reminding her.

★"I'm fine Lot, just a little shaken up is all."

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── sorry this one is a bit shorter i really do have to finish studying lol [tag lolz : @thedreemer-artrequestsopen]

[joeys-babe]

Joey B Imagines: You’re My Best Friend

————————————————————————-

Summary: You and Joe have been best friends for as long as you both can remember, but maybe it’s more than friendship.

Warnings: fluff

Pairing: Joe Burrow x reader

————————————————————————-

*No specific date for this fic!*

Imagine getting dumped a week before your birthday.

Lucky me I don't have to imagine.

I was stupid to think things had been going even a little good with the guy I was seeing but I just wanted to prove my best friend wrong.

My best friend since diapers that is.

Having Joe Burrow as your best friend should be a flex but it was a curse.

We couldn't go out in public anymore and I stopped going to his games since his rookie year because of a rumor that I was his girlfriend.

Joe was super apologetic about it but refused to make a statement saying that we weren't together.

It ended up being a huge argument that wouldn't be resolved til weeks later… but now Joe and I were neck-deep into another quarrel.

My friend from high school told me that my ex-boyfriend from senior year had a mega glow-up. I reached out to him and though he had matured looks-wise… he was still the same douche he was years ago.

I was bored so why not entertain it for just a little bit?

That was a big mistake because I ended up developing real feelings for him.

That's when Joe and I had our argument.

He told me that it was a bad idea, but I told him he didn't know what was good for me. Both of us ended up saying words we wish we hadn't. Now Joe and I haven't talked for three weeks.

Our families would get together regularly but if Joe found out I was going he'd say he was busy, and vice versa.

Today was my 26th birthday, oh and that's another thing about Joe. He loved bringing up that he was older than me.

I had invited him to the party today even though we were in the middle of a fight because it wouldn't be the same without him nonetheless.

Joe hadn't sent a message back or even reacted to the message, just left it on read.

There was a pretty low chance of him even coming, but I wanted him to have the option to come if he wanted.

——

I sat in the kitchen, looking through the window over the sink at the backyard decorated and full of people.

Except the one person I wanted here, wasn't here.

“Sweetie…” - your mom walked up behind you and squeezed your shoulder

“He actually didn't come, Mom. Joe hasn't ever missed one of my birthday parties. Have I gone too far?” - you

“You haven't done anything wrong, honey. Have you told him about Chad breaking up with you? That might make him a little happy.” - your mom

“Why’d that make him happy?” - you rolled your eyes

“y/n… because he didn't want you guys together for a reason.” - your mom smiled

“He just didn't like Chad.” - you sighed

“I don’t think you're reading into this enough. I've seen the way you guys look at each other, and it's not in a best-friend way. Don't you think it's kinda odd he’s always gotten mad when you go on a date with a guy or get a boyfriend? There's something there that isn't purely platonic, and it's not one-sided either, y/n. I think he feels the same way about you that you feel about him.” - your mom

The way I feel about him.

The feelings that had slowly turned from friendship to finding him attractive to having a full-blown crush on him. It didn't happen in just a month or even a year, this has been going on since OSU.

I've never even thought about confessing to him because it just felt like a one-in-a-million chance that he felt the same way. I'm his best friend or was, there's no way he likes me.

My mom ended up making me go outside to socialize with my family and close friends who were basically family… minus one.

——

There was a part of me that had hope that Joe was going to come but now that I had changed out of my party outfit and was helping my mom clean up, all hope was gone.

I had my back turned to the door taking the Happy Birthday banner so when I heard the sliding door I figured it was my dad.

“Hope I'm not too late.” - Joe

My heart stopped when I heard the last voice I expected to hear. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mom give me a wink before she walked back inside.

Turning around to face Joe, he stood in front of me with a tower of gifts in his hands.

“Parties already over Joe might as well just go home.” - you

“Listen… I had full intentions of coming but I was working out and l lost track of time. There was this pee-wee football team who all wanted pictures with me and I gave them a little speech. Anyway, the moral of the story is… I’m so sorry that I'm late and have been such a jerk the past couple of weeks. I hope you'll forgive me because it's not fun going a long time without talking to you. Happy Birthday… by the way.” - Joe

Without saying a word I took the gifts from Joe’s hands and placed them on the table I was cleaning off.

“I deserve th-” - Joe

Before he could finish his sentence I engulfed him in a huge hug.

“I missed you.” - you

Joe was tense at first but relaxed and cradled the back of my head against his strong chest.

“I missed you too… so much.” - Joe

“I’m glad you came.” - you mumbled

“Me too.” - Joe

We stayed there for a moment, way too long of a hug for ‘best friends’.

“I have something to tell you.” - you

“Me too, but can I go first?” - Joe

I nodded and Joe forged ahead, our arms still around each other.

“I’m sorry about how I acted about Chad, as long as you're happy then I’m happy, and if he makes you feel that way then so be it. Maybe you're right too, maybe he has changed. I shouldn't judge someone off of their past.” - Joe

“Joe I appreciate your apology but he broke up with me a week ago, that's what I was going to tell you.” - you

“Oh. I'm sorry… I hope it wasn't messy. Are you okay?” - Joe

“I’m fine. Just sucks that yet another guy has driven me closer to losing faith in the male species.” - you

“Maybe you're just not dating the right guys. There's someone out there who will show you true love, I'm sure of it.” - Joe

His words made me feel hopeful and sad at the same time. Joe believed that there was someone out there who was right for me, but I wanted it to be him.

“Thanks, Joe.” - you

“Mhm. He might be closer to you than you think…” - Joe

I looked up at him with a skeptical look on my face, but he looked serious.

“What do you mean?” - you gulped

Joe tugged at my waist and looked down at me with such a twinkle in his eyes.

“y/n… you're my best friend.” - Joe

“Mhm…” - you

“I need to tell you the truth then.” - Joe

“Joe… what?” - you

“I wasn't pissed off that you went out with Chad because I thought he'd hurt you… I was pissed because you wanted to go out with him.” - Joe

“Wh… what?” - you

“For as long as I can remember I've just been your best friend, the guy you go to complain about other guys, and I can't take it anymore.” - Joe

He tried to read my expression but when he got nothing, he dropped his arms from my waist and nervously played with his wristbands as he kept going.

“I know it sounds like a stupid Hallmark movie line… but I don't want you to keep getting hurt when there's someone who can treat you so much better right at your fingertips.” - Joe

“Who, Joe? You keep saying that but won't say who.” - you sighed

“Me! Me, y/n. I've been hopelessly in love with you for years while I just stood to the side and watched you look for love in the wrong faces. This might ruin our friendship but it's not fair if I don't tell you… I want to be more than just your best friend.” - Joe

My jaw dropped open as my heart rate rapidly increased. He felt the same way?

“You’re in love with me?” - you

“Yes, and I'm sorry if that makes things awkward… I just really want to show you that not all men are pieces of shit.” - Joe

I stood up on my tiptoes and crashed my lips into his. Joe was taken aback at first but kissed back with just as much passion.

Joe wrapped his strong arms around my waist and held me against him as we kissed. Neither one of us wanted to be the one to break away first.

In the end, I did. I needed to say those words back to him.

“Joe, I'm in love with you too.” - you

“Yeah?” - Joe smiled

“Have been for a long time, I just was worried you didn't feel the same way and it would ruin our friendship to confess.” - you

He flashed that perfect smile at me and laced his fingers with mine.

“Can I kiss you again?” - Joe

“Go for it.” - you smiled

Joe pushed me into him by my hips and my hands went to his chest.

“Everything okay out her- oh my!” - your mom

Though I'm sure Joe heard her just as well as I did, we didn't break away from each other and went on claiming each other’s lips.

When Joe and I finally did disengage from our kiss, we both laughed as he wiped his salvia off of my lips.

My arms wrapped around his middle and I laid my head on his shoulder.

“So I guess I can ask you what I've been dreaming about asking you for years.” - Joe

“Mhm.” - you grinned

“Wanna go out with me tomorrow?” - Joe

“As friends?” - you played dumb, just wanting to hear him say it

“I was thinking more of… boyfriend and girlfriend because we can skip the get-to-know-you stage right? Only if that's okay with you…” - Joe

I pulled my head away from his chest and kissed his soft, freshly shaven cheek.

“That sounds perfect to me.” - you looked into those gorgeous blue eyes you've come to be obsessed with

“Will you be my girlfriend?” - Joe

“Only if you'll be my boyfriend.” - you

“Sounds like a deal.” - Joe

Joe and I stepped away from each other before we shook hands in agreement, something we'd done to solve things since we were little.

We laughed together as we walked up to the back door hand in hand, happy that we'd probably resolved the arguing for the time being.

As we opened the door it revealed both of our moms standing there in a pose that looked like they had their ears on the door just a few seconds ago.

“Yes?” - you

“Can we help you?” - Joe

“What's going on with you two?” - Robin

“Yeah, what she said. What does this hand-holding mean?” - your mom

Joe and I exchanged a look and nonchalantly shrugged before he spoke up.

“We’re dating.” - Joe

“What?!” - your mom’s in sync

“How’d this happen? You guys have been fighting for weeks.” - your mom

“It just kinda happened.” - you shrugged

Robin and my mom looked at each other skeptically.

“Are you sure you guys aren't rushing things just a little bit?” - Robin

“Mom, I've never been more sure about anything else in my life.” - Joe

I looked at him with a surprised look on my face, he only winked with a wide grin and reassuringly squeezed my hand.

“Me too.” - you

————————————————————————-

Authors note: on the 7th day of Christmassssss y'all got whatever this is. I really wanted this to end in smut but I need to control myself. 💀

Request for this fic; thank you anon! 🤍

[wordsbyrian]

Not So Secret Girlfriend - Ona Batlle x Reader

Summary: Another Polyglot fic. In which everyone is suddenly very concerned with R's love life.

A/N: This was requested by someone months ago (I forgot to write down who it was because it wasn't an anon) and I finally got around to writing it. The ending isn't exactly what I wanted but alas.

The international break is something that you have conflicted feelings about.

On one hand, you get to see and play alongside your national teammates and represent your country at the highest level.

And on the other hand, you have to make two 9+ hour flights in two weeks and jet lag can be a real bitch.

At the beginning of your time with the national team, it was especially bad because not only were you jet lagged but you were also really nervous which affected the amount of sleep you were getting.

Now, more than three years since your first camp, you’ve got your place pretty locked in (even if you don’t start every game)  and some of your friends from the youth teams are here too.

You had previously thought it would be fun. Yet, you find yourself rethinking that considering you’re currently being harassed by Ashley Sanchez and Sophia Smith before you’ve even finished your coffee.

The source of the teasing is your phone which has chimed with a new text every 45 seconds since you’ve placed it on the table.

“Sophia, can you believe that Y/N/N just abandoned us to go play in Spain and now she’s too cool to even talk to us at breakfast,” Ashley asks in a tone that you are more than familiar with, it’s overly dramatic and you smile a little hearing it.

 “It’s crazy,” Sophia agrees. “Our little nerd is all grown up. Seems like just yesterday we were in France trying to get her to show off her language skills for the locals.”

“They grow up so fast,” Jaelin pretends to weep as she joins the three of you at the table.

Sighing deeply, you shake your head at them and reach for your phone only to end up glaring at Ashley when she snatches it away.

“Sanchez,” you say warningly, “It’s too early for this.”

“It’s too early for your phone to be blowing up like you’re the plug,” she responds before looking over her shoulder. “Naomi,” she shouts, “hurry up, we’re going through Y/N’s phone.”

“No, we’re not,” you say.

“Yea, we are,” Sophia and Jaelin say in perfect unison.

Sighing once more, you sit back and let it happen, focusing back on your breakfast.

It’s hard though because you’re practically forced to listen to their running commentary on the contents of your phone.

“All of her texts are in Spanish.”

“Makes sense, they’re all to her Barcelona teammates.”

“Nah, she texted us and Press too, those are in English.”

“And this one is from ‘Red Heart Emoji’ aka long-term secret girlfriend, but that’s in Spanish too.”

“It can’t be a secret if you four know about her,” you say not looking up.

“And yet, we know nothing about her except that she has brown hair and for some odd reason is attracted to you,” Naomi says, “Super cute, secret contact photo though.”

“Woah,” you say, slightly offended when the others chuckle. “I’m a fucking catch.”

“I’m sure mystery girlfriend thinks that,” Sophia starts, “But we’ve known you since you were 13 so we know better.”

“I should’ve found better friends when I had a chance.”

“You’d never get rid of us Y/N/N,” Jae says, “Here’s your phone back.”

Just as you reach for it another hand reaches out and grabs it.

You follow the hand until you see the face of the person it belongs to, and you can only shake your head when you see Kelley.

“Sup Baby Genius,” she says, “What’s this I’m hearing about a secret girlfriend?”

Standing up, you roll your eyes before taking your phone back from the veteran player and walking away.

“We’re not having this conversation,” you say, “See you at practice.”

“We will eventually Y/N,” Kelley shouts after you.

“No we won’t you,” you respond, making your way out of the room.

By the time practice comes around that afternoon, your love life has become a popular topic of conversation.

And much to your chagrin, it doesn’t seem like the other women plan on letting up anytime soon, every free moment sees you peppered with questions.

Luckily, or unluckily rather, your friends are more than willing to answer any that they can.

Their answers aren’t very satisfying considering they don’t actually know that much but it does get the others off your back for a bit.

The one question you do answer yourself though is because you’re slightly offended when you hear it.

“Do Christen and Tobin know,” someone asks.

And it hurts your feelings. The idea that you wouldn’t tell something this important to the two women who have become almost like surrogate parents to you.

“Of course they do,” you respond, “And before anyone asks, Mal does too, why do you think she isn’t asking questions?”

After that, the team mostly gives up on trying to get you to tell them who your girlfriend is.

Even Kelley leaves it alone although she does still make a show of moaning and groaning whenever she sees Sanchez and Sophia, upset once again that they didn’t tell her something.

But even that is nothing more than her usual playful whining which is great because it means that you can go back to focusing on how you're supposed to play against your girlfriend and club teammates at the end of the week.

You’ve played against them once before but that was years ago and you were only on the field for maybe three minutes.

Now though, you’re more experienced and Vlatko has already all but told you to expect to play the full 90.

This is why you’re not surprised when he asks you to share what you know about the Spaniards in the final meeting on MD-1.

“Well,” you say, looking at how the coaches think your opposition will lineup, “The most important thing is that they play a pretty positionless style, so don’t be surprised if you’re not marking who the lineup says you will be, hell, don’t be surprised if Mapi pops up as the CAM. And I know you think that stopping Alexia is paramount but Patri and Aitana can dribble around or through you with just as much skill if not more.”

“Thank you, Y/L/N is there anything else you care to tell us,” Coach asks.

“Athenea is fucking annoying,” you say plainly, much to the amusement of your teammates.

Vlatko, on the other hand, just rolls his eyes and continues with the meeting.

When it’s done and you’ve been released, you do your best to leave the room quickly but without drawing any attention to yourself.

It doesn’t work though because you’re stopped by the head trainer Mary.

“How are you feeling,” she asks.

“Good.”

“Jetlag gone? Sleeping well?”

“Yup, I’m ready to go,” you tell her, bouncing on your toes.

“Alright,” she says with a smile, “I’m done bothering you, go call your girlfriend.”

That stops you in your tracks and leaves you staring at the trainer with your mouth open and eyes wide.

“How did you know that,” you manage to stutter out.

“Well, one, this team can’t speak softly to save its life, and two,” she says, “I was 21 once too. Now go on.”

Shooting the trainer, you smile and rush off.

The next day, your pre-match routine goes off without a hitch. Morning meditation, headphones, and a vow of silence, sees you in the best possible headspace for the match.

You’ve done everything you possibly could to prepare for this but still, as you stand in the tunnel across from your club teammates, you can’t help but to feel slightly off.

It doesn’t matter though because before you know it, you’re in your spot on the field and the first whistle is blown.

You don’t touch the ball much in the first 15 minutes but in the 16th a quickly played pass from Sully sees you breaking down the wing with the ball at your feet.

It’s easy enough to get going at what is nearly full speed for you, your opponents not having expected you to take off rather than completing the give-and-go with Andy.

One of the people you get past is Athenea and you can’t help but toss an ‘adios’ over your shoulder on your way.

It’s a great run if you do say so yourself, but as you go to make the final cross into the box, you find it blocked by someone you are very familiar with.

You let out a curse as you trudge to take your place for the resulting corner but you can’t help but smile slightly as you see your girlfriend smirking at you.

No goal comes from the corner and the game continues.

Your next major involvement doesn’t come until the 25th minute and it’s because Patri tries to send a long ball over the top to get Athenea in behind. You manage to get the first touch to it, bringing it down softly. You even get a pass off sending it up to Sully but less than a second later, you’re laying on the pitch clutching your foot as the result of a late challenge from Athenea

It hurts really fucking bad but what it does more than that anything is piss you off. So you just get up and shake your head at her,

You know what face you’re making and your teammates on both sides of the ball know what it means: Athenea is going to be in for a long day.

For the rest of the half, you do your best to make her life a living hell, putting a little more force into your tackles and being slightly more annoying with your trash talk. And the ref, well she either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care because you manage to keep it clean even if you are toeing the line.

 Vlatko definitely notices though and at halftime, you get a very stern talking to about your aggression and making slightly better choices since some of your tackles put the ball right at Spanish feet.

You only sort of listen to him.

Your battle against Athenea continues into the second half but it’s not the only thing you have to deal with.

Part of Vlatko’s halftime talk included him wanting you to get forward more, putting the team in a 3-4-3 while attacking but keeping your standard 4-3-3 when you get back on defense.

This meant that you were doing a lot more running and that you had a lot more encounters with Spain’s right back, Batlle, in your attacking half.

It’s a lot of back and forth, especially with the game remaining scoreless. And the two of you can’t help but trade a few verbal barbs as well.

She tries and fails to body block you off the ball and you make a quip about how that might work against the WSL players but not you.

You over-hit a cross and she asks which of your veteran teammates taught you that.

In the 69th minute, when both teams go to make substitutions, you mouth the words ‘game over’ to her when you see that Sophia is coming on. She just shakes her head and points back to the sideline where you see Pina and Lucia Garcia standing by the 4th official.

Those subs do mean the end of your battle against Athenea but you don’t actually care about that since you’ll have plenty of time to annoy her during the next Clasico match.

The subs do have the desired effect though because, in the 79th minute, you manage to send in a through ball that finds Sophia’s feet before it hits the back of the net.

Unfortunately, the lead doesn’t last long because, in the 84th minute, Batlle gets an assist of her own by cutting the ball back to Aitana who rockets it past Naeher.

And the game ends that way, a 1-1 draw.

Immediately after the final whistle, you find yourself shaking hands and being pulled into hugs by your Barcelona teammates. 

There are a couple of jokes cracked and Mapi repeatedly asks what you kept saying to Athenea to piss her off but you refuse to tell her. Both Pina and Patri ask for your jersey but you tell them it’s already been promised to someone else. They ask who and you don’t tell them.

20 minutes later, you’re leaning against a wall somewhere in the depths of the stadium holding said jersey in your hand and waiting for someone.

You don’t wait for long, no more than five minutes before someone launches into you like a heat-seeking missile.

“Long time no see, Onita,” you greet, looking down at your girlfriend who has already buried her face in your shoulder.

Her response is grumbled into your shoulder and since you can’t really understand it so you just chuckle softly and hold her tighter.

The two of you stand there for a while holding each other and engaging in soft conversation. Nothing important is said, it’s just the two of you enjoying a quiet moment.

It lasts a while but not nearly long enough because suddenly there are voices coming towards you from both sides of the hallway.

From the left, a loud American you instantly recognize as Sanchez is trying to convince someone to make a bet with her about what you're doing. And from the right, another group, you vaguely recognize one voice as Leila, shouting in a mixture of Catalan and Spanish. That group is too hectic for you to make out what’s being said.

“Time’s up,” she whispers to you, trying to take a step back but failing when you don’t let her go.

“It’s fine,” you tell her, “Although Leila might give you the kicked-puppy look for a couple of weeks.”

A few seconds later, both groups stand in front of you with various looks of shock on their faces.

From the US, it’s exactly who you thought it would be, Sanchez, Sophia, and Mal, who barely waits half a second before pulling out her phone and texting who you assume to be Christen and Tobin. The Spanish search party consists of Leila (obviously), Pina, and Patri, who bursts out laughing like this is the funniest thing she’s ever seen.

A moment passes…

And then an explosion of noise as they all begin to speak at once, the languages mixing and overlapping in a way that’s impossible to follow.

Taking a deep breath, you separate yourself from Ona, giving her a quick kiss and passing her your jersey. Once no longer intertwined, you take a step forward, hold a finger up to your lips, and wait for the group to quiet down before speaking.

“I will be taking no further questions. Thank you,” you say once they do, immediately turning on your heel and walking away.

There’s another explosion of noise as everyone protests that and just underneath it, you can hear Ona laugh before she calls your name which makes you stop and turn back to her.

“Y/N/N, aquí, toma esto,” she says, tossing you her Spain jersey.

Catching it, you smile at her before turning back around and continuing to walk away.

You get maybe 15 steps away before you hear what sounds like a herd of bulls coming up behind you as your teammates catch up.

“Kelley is going to be so mad that we know who your secret girlfriend is and she doesn’t,” Sophia says, falling into step with you.

“It’s going to be great,” Sanchez grins.

“Just do me a favor and wait until I’m back in Spain to tell her that you know,” you respond, “I can’t deal with that backlash in person.”

“What do I get in return?”

You take a moment to think about it before answering, “A favor in return, no questions asked.”

“Deal.”

“Y/N,” Mal shakes her head at you, “You just made a deal with the devil.”

“Too late now.”

[writtenbymisunderstoodnerds]

Unconditionally, uncontrollably, undoubtedly (Rose Lavelle x Reader)

So it's been a really long, stressful few weeks, I lost my motivation/energy to write. However, I'm lucky enough to be in the same time zone as the world cup which has definitely given my motivation back. With my upcoming holiday and moving, sorry to say this is probably going to be the last fic I post for at least a month.

First time writing for Rose, hope you enjoy :)

Words: 1.1K

Between media, training, recovery and exploring with the girls, it had been an incredibly long week. You would think with how exhausted I was, sleep would be coming easy, but it wasn't. I missed sleeping next to my girlfriend. Knowing she was only a few doors down didn't help. Of course Rose and I still spent time with each other, it just wasn't as much. Tiredness and missing my girlfriend turned into grumpiness which became obvious to the team at training when I practically ignored everyone or gave one word answers. Even to Rose. 

Once training had ended, I skipped team bonding deciding to go float in the pool instead. It was relaxing and I knew no one would look for me there except maybe Rose. After maybe half an hour there was a disturbance in the water making me look over to find Rose crouching down next to the pool.

"Hey."

I swam over, leaning up to peck her lips, "Hey yourself."

"Glad to see you're not mad at me."

"Sorry about today, I was just grumpy in general not at anyone in particular."

"I noticed, everyone noticed actually. Do you want to come watch a movie in my room with me?"

"Can't promise I'll last a whole movie but I would love that. Let me go shower quickly and get changed, I'll meet you there?"

"Deal."

When Rose opened the door, I was met with a dim room lit only by fairy lights and the TV. There were flowers lying on the bedside table, my favourite pasta and chocolate waiting on the table. Rose stood next to me, playing with her fingers as a nervous smile appeared. It was understandable. While I had never really snapped at Rose because I was tired, I hated doing stuff when I was this exhausted. Preferring to either just watch tv or go to sleep with very little conversation. However, at this point I would do pretty much anything to spend time with Rose. My heart fluttered at the fact she had done this for me. I wrapped my arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "What's all this?"

"You get grumpy when you're tired or stressed. I know we haven't had a lot of time together and like me you're probably struggling to sleep. So I thought we were overdue for a date night. I know you don't li-"

"I love it Rose. I love you. You know me too well."

She smiled proudly, kissing my cheek, "I love you Y/n. Coach gave us permission to have a sleep over tonight since tomorrows an off day. He also said he doesn't mind if we do it more often as long as it's only on days off. "

"Really?"

"Really. When I said everyone noticed your grumpiness, I meant everyone."

"Thank you Rosie. I really needed this."

"I know. So did I."

Rose picked up the flowers, holding them out to me, "These are for you."

"They're beautiful, I love them. Thank you."

Rose took my hand, leading me over to the table. She had lit a few candles, spread a few rose petals over the table and set the table nicely with my favourite pasta, some garlic bread and a wine glass of cranberry juice. Maybe odd combination, but it was my favourite. I cupped Roses cheek, kissing her with as much love and passion as I could. I loved this girl more than I ever thought was possible. 

When we had first started seeing each other, I wasn't really that into her. She was nice enough, she just wasn't my type. My friend had set us up and really wanted me to at least try, claiming that we had a lot in common. It turns out the only real thing we had in common was our love for dogs and soccer, but Rose had actually been interested in hearing about my interests and learning more about them. It had been a long time since anyone was so interested try some of their hobbies from time to time what I was saying so despite not being into her, I had agreed to a second then a third date. To this day, 6 years later, that was the best decision I had ever made. The more we saw each other, the more I fell for her. Now I couldn't imagine my life without her. Turns out you don't need a lot in common with someone to be with them, you just need to be willing to listen.

After eating, we just sat and talked for a while. Something that we hadn't had much time for over the last few weeks. It was the most I had been able to relax since the world cup started. I knew there was still a long way to go, there would be more sleepless nights, less time together and stress, but it felt like a weight had been lifted and I could breathe again. 

One of Rose's favourite songs started playing quietly from my phone, making her smile widely. I held my hand out, Rose quickly taking it without hesitation. I spun her around, giggles spilling out as my arm wrapped around her waist, the other still holding her hand. Rose looped her arm around my shoulder, pecking my lips quickly. "You don't like dancing."

"Maybe not, but here, with you, it's my second favourite thing in the world."

"Second? What's the first?"

"You. No matter how many dogs we may get, it will always be you. 6 years ago, I made the best decision of my life when I agreed to go out with you. You've changed my life in a way I never expected. I can't imagine a day where I don't get to see your smile, hear your laugh or your voice. I look forward to the day when there's no more travel or nights apart, where we wake up and go to sleep together every single day. Those are my favourite times of the day, no matter what the day will or has brought, they never fail to bring a smile to my face. This isn't how I planned to do this. Actually, I didn't have a plan, all I knew was it would happen sometime during the world cup when the time was right. There's never been a time that's felt more right than now."

I pulled out the ring that had been accompanying me everywhere we went for the last month or so, just waiting for the right time. A hand covered her mouth, the other clutching mine. I dropped down to one knee, only letting go of her hand for a second to open the box before finding it again. 

"Unconditionally, uncontrollably, undoubtedly, I love you Rose Lavelle. Will you marry me?"

Rose fell onto her knees in front of me, holding me tightly, warm drops falling against my neck, "Yes, yes I'll marry you. What is it you said? Unconditionally, uncontrollably, undoubtedly, I love you Y/n Y/l/n." 

[jacks347]

(Is this stupid enough to be considered a crack fic?? Idk, we're going with it)

To say Hipswitch was surprised to see a woman sitting in his base next to Albus would be an overstatement.

Now, to say he was surprised to see said woman be so...dressed while sipping a cup of tea, that was accurate.

He'd never seen the demon bring back anyone who wore so many layers. Hell, now that he was really thinking about it, he hadn't really seen Albus bring back anyone at all. From the headscarf covering her hair to the skirt that brushed at her ankles and all the fabric and layerage of jewelry in-between, Hipswitch was getting warm just watching her.

The woman turned, smiling politely at him. She was rather pretty, warm brown skin with dark green eyes. Not necessarily someone he'd consider Albus’s type but everyone had their exceptions. "Hello there. You must be Hipswitch." Her voice was quiet and flowed like honey. She reminded Hipswitch of the ladies of the church in town, always speaking softly with inviting smiles. Definitely not Albus’s usual type. What, had he really gotten that bored?

"That I am. And who might you be?" Hipswitch took a seat across from the odd duo, eyes darting between the two in bewilderment. Albus huffed out a laugh, wrapping an arm around the woman's shoulders. "This is Faith. She a, ah, friend of mine." The woman, Faith, rolled her eyes with a small chuckle. "Mm, sure, friend. Let's go with that." She hummed as she took a sip of her tea.

Hipswitch nodded slowly, still going back and forth between them. It was very strange but he couldn't say he didn't appreciate the change. Hell, he welcomed it. Faith was polite, she was far more dressed than he expected, and she seemed very sweet. It almost brought a tear to Hipswitch's eye. "Well it's very nice to meet you. I've gotta say Albus, she's certainly a might better for you than the others from the whore house."

There was an audible beat of silence before it was broken by both a roar of laughter from Albus and a rather impressive spit take from Faith who was now coughing like mad as she tried to regain her composure while Albus was nearly doubled over in hysterics. Hipswitch was left rather confused, not exactly understanding why what he said had caused such a visceral reaction. "Did I say something wrong?"

The statement only made Albus laugh harder as Faith finally recovered, her cheeks flaming red and her face a heavy mask of embarrassment before kicking Albus in the shin. "Stop laughing! I've never been so mortified in all my life." She dropped her face into her hands, shaking her head before pulling herself back up. "How do I put this lightly..." Faith mumbled as Albus’s laughter finally petered off. "Oh Switchy, Faith is a sister paladin." He corrected, making Hipswitch raise an eyebrow in confusion. "A what?"

"A nun." Came a surprised voice, making Hipswitch jump as he turned to find the source of it. "Hey Doc, how long have you been standing there? Almost gave me a heart attack. And how do you know that?" The doctor leaned against the doorframe, staring at Hipswitch with a wide-eyed expression between shock and horror. "When Albus came on I decided to do some research on the medical practices of New Tennessee. Maybe there would be something there to help better treat Albus if I needed to. And well, most of the information was from or about the sister paladins. They're the main form of healthcare, they're essentially priestesses who learn medicine to take of the knight paladins. But they're known to treat anyone who comes to their temples." The realization slowly dawned on Hipswitch, his eyes widening as it did. No wonder she reminded him so much of the women of the church, she was one of them! Oh he fucked up. He fucked up bad.

"So, in case you missed it in that grand fucking speech, you just called a nun a hooker directly to her face." Albus clarified, though he really didn't need to. Faith sighed, the initial embarrassment fading into a kind of indignant rage. "Can I slap him?" Albus snorted a laugh, flashing a sly grin at Hipswitch. "Oo, watch out there Switchy. She's got a mean backhand and I'm almost willing to let her do it. You kind of deserve it." Hipswitch wished he could disappear. "I-I am so sorry ma'am! I would never think of implying you would be that kind of woman, I just assumed-" He spluttered an embarrassed apology, making Albus burst into another round of hysterical laughter as Faith cut him off with a shake of her head. "Don't apologize, I know you didn't mean it. You worked with what you knew, I can't blame you for that. Though I do still want to slap you. And you do kind of deserve it."

Faith got to her feet stiffly, fixing the layers of her outfit and narrowing her eyes at a still laughing Albus. "I think I've seen enough of Maya for one day. I've got to pick Kerano up from school." She leaned down to poke a finger into the warrior's chest. "Don't make me come back out here to check up on you. Had me worried sick for nothing." Albus’s laughter faded as he lightly smacked her hand away. "Gods, yes, I know. I won't, I promise." She nodded with a satisfied huff before turning to the doctor. "I'm glad I could help with your research, you know how to reach me if you have any more questions." "Of course! Thank you again, Sister. It's been very insightful having you here. I should go continue to look over those notes." He turned and headed back into his office as Faith turned to Hipswitch. "And you." Hipswitch gulped, expecting the worst. Maybe that slap Albus had warned him about. "Maybe actually talk to someone before assuming they're some kind of common hooker. I take my faith very seriously and even if I didn't, I'd be far outside of his price range." She smiled warmly before turning on her heel and heading for the door. "See you again boys!"

Albus’s head dropped back onto the couch with a snort. "Outside my price range, she's crazy." He muttered. Hipswitch quietly got up and moved closer to punch Albus in the chest, making the demon wheeze out a breath as his head snapped up to glare at him. "Fucking hell, what was that for?" "For not warning me! I made a damn fool of myself in front of a nun because of you!" "Well, she's not really a nun, she's a priestess." "Regardless! She's a woman of faith and I disrespected her in the worst way possible!" Albus waved his concerns off. "Ah don't sweat it. Give it a week, she'll be laughing over it. It was damn funny." "You're actually the worst, you know that?" "Oh I am well aware Switchy. You're not the first to notice." Hipswitch could only roll his eyes. Why did he have to care about this idiot so much? "Okay but tell me one thing." "Whatcha got Switchy?" "Have you actually slept with her?" "Would you be jealous if I said yes?" "Albus..." Albus chuckled lowly, shaking his head. "Sorry Switchy, this is one time I don't kiss and tell. That's up to you to figure out." He confessed with a shrug. "Out of all the escapades you've rambled on about, this is the one you keep quiet about?" "Faith is different, okay? She...she deserves to not have her story told. So I won't." He defended. Hipswitch sighed in defeat, stepping back. "I'll never understand how your head works." "Good, I don't either. So looks like we'll both be confused."

(...idfk how to end this so this is what you get. Yes I made this entire thing because there is a non-zero chance that Hipswitch would assume Faith is a hooker the first time he met her and that was so damn funny to me)

[blouisparadise]

Upon request, today we have a rec list of bottom Louis fics where either Louis or Harry has amnesia. If you enjoy our rec lists, please be sure to like and reblog this post to help spread the word. Happy reading!

1) Finding Thoughts | Teen & Up | 6,810 words

"Hi, my name is Louis Tomlinson and I suffer from short term memory loss."

2) Our Love Was Made For Movie Screens. | Not Rated | 8,106 words

Harry wakes up and doesn't know anything about anything and Louis is his omega.

3) Cause I’m Really Not Fine At All | Mature | 13,679 words

Louis Tomlinson, one of the famous members of One Direction, is involved in a car accident that caused him to have amnesia, wiping all the last five years of his life from the memory. The interesting part is he may not remember that he has a girlfriend now, yet his mind seems to think that he has been in a relationship with one of the members, Harry Styles. Harry is baffled and shocked at the situation that's thrown in his face. He finds himself learning how to be a good boyfriend for Louis. It has to be easy.. right?

4) Indestructible | Explicit | 24,243 words

“Hi,” Harry murmurs, and Louis hiccups out a sob. “Hi,” he manages, still clutching onto Harry’s shoulders. Harry’s fingers drift across Louis’ cheeks, and there’s something off about Harry’s expression, but Louis can’t figure out what it is. “I’m okay,” Harry says, and Louis is going to say something to that, even if he doesn’t know what, except Harry’s kissing him. Louis freezes.

5) The Way This River Runs | Explicit | 27,417 words

Louis is provided a chance to start over. He takes it.

6) Deleted Scenes | Explicit | 33,623 words

Agent Harry Styles was injured on the job a few months back, and gets roped in one last mission before he can retire prematurely: playing house with Louis, a widower who has amnesia. The assignment seems simple at the beginning, but soon enough Harry's twisted in a web of his own making, and can't get out anymore.

7) Just A Pretty Boy | Explicit | 35,614 words

The alpha in front of him wasn’t only tall, but used every inch of his body to look even more threatening. He looked as shocked as Joseph felt, in his eyes he could clearly see horror and anger mixed into an odd and painful mix. It was as if he just watched a ghost or a monster from a nightmare come to life.  “Louis…” he said with a low voice. It wasn’t a question, he was calling Joseph by that name.  The crease between Joseph’s brows deepened. “Who?” Louis and Harry were married until, one day, Louis passed away in a tragic accident. Years later, he is found alive and with a thousand questions plaguing his mind. The most important ones; was his husband involved in his disappearance? And, how long did it take Harry and his best friend to fall in love after his supposed dead?

8) The Things I’d Do To Wake Up Next To You | Mature | 36,109 words

AU. Harry wakes up to a pregnant Louis Tomlinson and a wedding band on his finger.

9) Strangers In Love | Explicit | 42,207 words

Louis wakes up to find himself in a marriage with the last man he thought he'd ever end up with.

10) Define Me Again | Mature | 54,385 words

He's never felt so frightened in his life before, so fucking terrified for himself. And Louis. He looked down at their hands, which seemed to have been connected throughout the incident. He looked at the ring on Louis' hand, for the nth time that day. His heart hurt so bad now, he was terrified. He wanted to do so many things, he wanted to check on louis, if he- if he- God he couldn't even think about it. "Louis," he tried to whisper, but nothing but air came out from his mouth. "I love you, Harry," whispered a voice. But it was nowhere near him. Visions attacked his mind, rapidly flickering through like one would do the pages of a book. He was terrified. His entire life literally flashed in his mind, vision growing more and more weak and he fought unconsciousness. Memories and the picture of Louis lying unconscious in front of him altered and flickered, so rapidly that he felt dizzy with how fast his mind was whirring. What happens when you die? God he was so, so, so, fucking terrified. All his senses gave out, last thing he felt was Louis' hand in his and then, everything went black.

11) Flash Back To Me | Explicit | 73,068 words | Prequel

Louis narrows his eyes, wanting more than anything to tell Liam to go fuck himself, but he can’t be sure, is the thing. As much as he knows for a fact that he would never date someone like Harry Styles, he has months missing from his memory. And it’s scary to think that, in that time, everything he’s come to know about himself could have changed so drastically.

12) Consequences | Explicit | 78,556 words

Two years ago Harry let his powerful family come between him and the love of his life, something he deeply regrets. Louis has tried to move on from their devastating break up. Sometimes, he even thinks he has. It only takes one moment to freeze them back in time.

13) Invisible String | Explicit | 84,726 words

Louis swears on his life that that man came out of literal nowhere and he thanks each lucky star for having good breaks in his car. This strange alpha also happens to be the most beautiful being Louis has laid his eyes on. For some unknown reason, the omega feels safe around the alpha. It might seem strange, but you can't always explain why or how things are the way they are. All you can really be sure of is that they happen for a reason. There's a higher power (call it what you want) that knows better and definitely knows more than you do.

14) The Dead Of July | Explicit | 117,446 words

Harry is Captain America, and Louis’ been dead for 70 years.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[villainessprefect]

title: Beauty is in the Eye of the Eel - [Floyd]

summary: ‘Beautiful’ had been your first word uttered when seeing the twins’ true form. You thought it had gone unheard but perhaps it didn't.

ship: Floyd x gn!reader

word count: 994

note: just a reminder that both can be read separately/the fics are not connected!

Read on AO3 || Jade’s part

Floyd hardly bothers himself with the smaller things in life. Hearing you call his true form 'beautiful' meant nothing to him. Not at first, anyway. The only thing on his mind at the time was wanting to squeeze you and your friends with his entire body. Because that was all that mattered.

But now, that one little word is coming back to haunt him. As if it's trying to get revenge for ignoring it for so long. It's stupid, really. He doesn't care about being called pretty or not. It's just annoying that it lingers in his mind because it came from you.

And he wants to hear you say it again.

The eel huffs and pouts. This odd feeling nags at him and he hates it. Rather than letting his temper simmer into a fiery rage, he decides to search for you. Floyd is intent on dragging that word out from you. And if you don't remember what you said those few months ago, he would make you remember.

"Shrimpy~!" His nickname rings out within the hallway as he spots your figure amongst the sea of students. A pathway is suddenly formed as he makes his way toward you. Long strides were taken so that the eel can capture his prey.

"Floyd?!" You squeak out his name as his steps sound like they're turning into a mad dash. You're given a clear view of him as he makes his approach. While you think to run, it's foolish. He's too fast and there is nowhere to hide. But the option is cast aside when you notice something different about him. His smile isn’t as wide as it normally would be- could he be in a bad mood? Usually, you could tell, but today it was a little harder to do so.

"Shrimpy," he whines out, arms slithering around your shoulders as he plops his head over yours. His hold is tight, yet not enough to suffocate you. "We gotta talk."

You know your place whenever he captures you. There is no choice no matter what mood he’s in.

"Alright, about what?"

"Hmm..." He hums, gaze drifting around the hallway. "Don't wana talk out here." And with that, he frees you from his grasp only to take your hand and drag you elsewhere.

You let out a yelp in surprise. Holding back a sigh, you resign to your fate. It’s something you’ve adjusted to. You were the one he could go to and wouldn’t fight back. Sometimes, you would with such weak protests, and other times you could make some fun deals with him. Regardless, it was always a win in his book as long as he could spend time with you.

"Floyd? Where are we going?"

You've gone through the mirror and into his dorm. The lounge is brimming with life and you think that maybe he's brought you over under the guise of getting you to work with him. Or use you as an excuse not to work. But when you keep walking, he ignores the tables and students and goes past the usual scene, then you begin to worry.

Floyd never gives you an answer. He leads you into a room that's further than you've ever been, one secluded from others. It's here that he finally frees your hand and he steps aside to let you take in the sight.

Half of the room seems to be submerged in water, mimicking a tank at an aquarium. It's spacious and held behind a layer of glass. It makes you feel as if you're walking on the ocean floor. Which, surprisingly, you have done before so you know the feeling. Except for this time, you're allowed to peer into the water and enjoy the calming sight.

Mesmerized, you don't notice the ladder in the corner of the room nor the eel climbing it. Only when he makes a splash into the tank do you come to your senses. Especially since the water had trickled onto you.

"Floyd?" You call out for him as you attempt to wipe off the water that touched your skin. You take a step towards the tank. He's in there, you know it, but where? The tank seems to be deeper than you initially thought. You place a hand against the glass, another follows as you peer into the depths of the ocean.

A familiar shadow appears and you try to find the caster. No matter where you look, all you can see is blue. Nothing else. You're about to give up and dive in when-

"Shrimpy!"

"Ah!"

Out of seemingly nowhere, Floyd appears. Pale hands with dark claws bang against the glass. The eel has his mouth open, smiling and showing off his teeth that now look sharper. Then there's the fact his legs are gone and replaced with a long, gorgeous tail. His skin color has lost its human color and reverted to its original green and white hues.

"Your face is priceless," Floyd laughs.

He watched you go from surprised to gawking in under a second. The change was so fast that he found it funny.

"Wh-What are you doing in there? Like that?"

"I wanted to see that look on your face again." He answers. He lowers his hand to meet yours, the stupid glass separating them. "Thought you liked looking at me when I'm like this."

Your cheeks turn red like Goldfish, but the color looks better on you. You struggle to get a response out and when no words come through, you simply look elsewhere. For a moment. You can't help but look back and have your eyes linger on such a beautiful creature.

And Floyd loves it.

Even if he didn't get you to say it, your eyes speak for you. The way they glisten and admire every bit of his body. All of your attention belongs to him. And he's intent on keeping it this way. After all, you’re his beautiful Shrimpy.

[02511213942]

I love your art style and the way you draw different body types and your username. Hello. Hi, just a fan. Also, do you have any favorite aftg fics?

🥹 THANK YOU!!! you're very kind!! ! i hope to get better at drawing different body types and i like my username too!!

i do have lots of fic recs, but i've been sitting on and incubating this ask for too long so here are just five that have been on my mind again most recently!

til death do us part by @alcego

We follow Neil's professional exy career, including the ups and downs, from beginning to end.

IF IT FEELS LIKE THIS FIC WAS MADE IN A LAB FOR ME IT'S BECAUSE IT WAS!! COMMISSIONED FROM THE BRILLIANT AJ :)) if you loved reading the games in the books u will looove this... sports-heavy outsider pov and media snippets, neil gets a concussion, andreil being odd and cute, kevin day is there. all is well in the world.

Signs of Life by moonix @annawrites

In which Kevin works the graveyard shift, Andrew is the witching hour cryptid, and Neil guards the ice-cream freezer.

if i were andrew i'd make out with neil in aisle ten too... kevin thinking about his breakfast sandwich and andrew needing to touch of the roots of his box blonde hair I LOVE YOUu....

burning with you by @seasy33

The crowd whistles and cheers. People on the dance floor start to pair together, pressing close and swaying. As the song really begins, Neil realizes he knows it and starts humming along, playing idly with the ring on Andrew's finger. Andrew's hand twitches. "You know this song." Neil nods against his shoulder, still humming. "You don't know who Aerosmith is, but you know Shania Twain." Neil shrugs. - Neil and Andrew go to a bar and end up sort-of serenading each other --with country songs. That's it, that's the fic

feral stick figure on all fours dot jpeg. whenever you're still the one or johnny and june come up on my spotify shuffle i think of this fic and my aura acquires a gentle pink glow. i love country music :)

Every Sinner Has A Future by OfficialStarsandGutters

Canon divergent Neil x Aaron. - Neil Josten. A shock of red hair and ocean blue eyes. Pretty faced, but nothing special. Except he makes a throwaway comment about Andrew being off his meds and it’s like everyone in the room forgets to breathe. Even Aaron, his body still and tense with surprise that he can tell them apart. Without even having met Aaron, he knew Andrew wasn’t him. That shouldn’t mean anything. Aaron rubs his sweaty palms on his skinny jeans and tells himself it doesn’t, it doesn’t, it doesn’t.

my fav rare pair and the fic ever for them 🥹 aaron minyard i've really come around to you and i'll even let you take my son out if you have him home by 10.

sunset, like survival by animediac @jaywalkers

The first time Neil dies is devastating. The second time is just as bad. The third time has them wondering if there’s a way out of this loop that doesn’t end with Neil dead. - Night, after night, after night. Baltimore isn't something that just happens once.

kandreil neil death time loop fic you are SO famous to me. on my mind again recently because róisín is very good at being a paramedic and knowing what really happens to the body when you are critically horribly injured, and i asked them what would happen if neil got hypothetically specifically tortured, and they did not let me down.

[forever-rogue]

your meddling steve fic got me thinking and what if it’s like a very similar concept where steve is trying to help you and eddie realize you like each other by being all extra touchy with you to make him jealous except he’s absolutely wrong. Eddie and you don’t like each other romantically but you do like steve!

AN | They’re fools, but they’re in love - but they don’t realize it, just yet.

Warnings | Language

Pairing | Steve x Fem!Reader

Word Count | 3.3k

Masterlist | Steve, Main

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

There was a smile on your face before you even felt him drape his arm around your shoulders. You’d felt his presence as soon as he walked into the coffee shop, always so in tune with him that it was ridiculous at times. You turned to look at Steve and he placed a chaste kiss on your temple, “I have a plan, babe.”

You turned to him with a confused expression, grabbing the coffees you had ordered for the two of you. He gratefully took the cup you offered him and took a long sip, “Steve….you and plans don’t go together. I mean, at least not well.”

“Quite frankly, my dear, I’m offended,” he let go of you and clutched at his heart, leading you over to the table you regularly occupied.

“Steve. You’ve been my best friend for almost sixteen years,” you reminded him, “when’s the last time a plan according to you has gone well? Plans are my forte.”

“Well, this is going to work!”

“Do you wanna clue me in to what this grand idea is?”

“I will not be doing that,” his grin was megawatt and you couldn’t help but sigh dramatically, “just have to know - how much do you trust me?”

“You know I trust you with my life,” you gently nudged his foot with yours under the table, the two of you grinning like fools at each other. That pretty smile still managed to make butterflies explode in your stomach, despite the years that you’d known him. In fact, you were pretty sure that you fell in love with him a little more every day still, “there’s no one I trust more.”

“Good,” he let out a relieved little breath, “me too. But for now you just have to trust me, and watch it all unfold. It’ll be like magic.”

“Alright Harrington,” you grabbed your cup and pretended to clink it against his, “you’re on. I expect to be fully dazzled.”

“Oh, you will be,” he insisted, pretty bambi eyes glittering mischievously, “don’t worry.”

Your heart felt like it was almost bursting with excitement and nerves. Was Steve finally going to tell you that he felt the same about you as you did him? Would he profess his undying love for you and finally kiss? You could only - dream - of that moment. 

You would just have to wait and see.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Bi-weekly movie and dinner night out with the grownups. You loved your younger little brood of children, but sometimes it was nice to go out with just the older lot. This found you, Steve, Eddie, Robin, Nancy, and Johnathan picking the most obscure movie to see in the theater, followed by a healthy, heaping serving of greasy dinner food. What could be better than that?

The movie had just finished, and to be honest, you’d missed about half of it. It was some gory flick that wasn’t quite up your alley and, needless to say, you’d hidden your face in your hands and Steve’s shoulder most of the time. 

As the six of you were leaving the theater, Steve reached for your hand and laced your fingers together, stepping in front of Eddie and Robin as you all walked down the street to the dinner. It wasn’t odd for Steve to hold your hand, even like this - you both were incredibly affectionate and touchy people. But still…it made electric shivers run up your spine and butterflies explode in your tummy. Something about tonight made things feel different. 

You couldn’t help but turn back to smile at Eddie and Robin, the duo smirking happily as they gave you the thumbs. They were, on top of being too smart for their own sometimes, incredibly perceptive, and it hadn’t taken either of them, the chaotic duo that they were, to clock in on the fact that you were absolutely in love with Steve. And that he was just as in love with you…even if he didn’t realize that just yet.

But this, this outward affection and display of gentle reverence had to mean something, right? And although Steve hadn’t explicitly mentioned anything, maybe he was finally coming around, finally realizing what the two of you had. You felt like a shy girl, trailing after her crush like a little puppy, nothing but stars in your eyes. Oh yes, you were a sucker for your pretty boy best friend.

But that whole evening turned out to be and feel different. Like everything was slowly falling into place. 

“You look so pretty,” he kissed your cheek before all of you shuffled into the booth and ordered your usuals. Your face flushed with warmth as you dipped your teeth and stared at the floor, “I realize I didn’t tell you earlier, sweetheart. And I just had to.”

“Thanks,” your voice was soft and small as you looked across and found Eddie beaming back at you. You put your hand on top of his, admiring how much smaller yours looked against his before giving it a gentle squeeze, “you’re really pretty too, Stevie.”

Even at the table exchanged knowing little looks that silently said finally. 

Finally the two of you had some sense and realized it was almost meant to be the two of you. You looked over at Steve and found him watching you with the gentlest of expressions on his face. Had he always looked at you like that?

He had. You’d just never noticed before, too busy looking at him just as sweetly.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Robin’s birthday came on a beautiful Saturday. Naturally, Steve had planned a huge party to surprise, along with your help. The way her face lit up when she realized it was not a party but a party for her had made it all worth it. Her face when she realized that Vickie was there was priceless….anything to help her shoot her shot was what Steve had declared. You couldn’t help but wonder when he’d finally seal the deal with you; despite his increased affections as of late, he still hadn’t officially made a move. All you could do was wait, you supposed. 

You were chatting with Eddie and the birthday girl herself when Steve decided to join you guys. He came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, resting his chin on your shoulder.

"Hey sweetheart," he practically cooed at you, causing your heart to skip a few beats. Eddie and Robin looked at each other and took long swigs of the beer in their red plastic cups. It was almost disgusting how in love the two of you were, "missed you. You look so pretty tonight."

"Steve," you couldn't help the giggle that naturally bubbled up, reaching up to touch his cheek, "you just saw me!"

"And it's been too long," he sighed dramatically before placing a few kisses to the bare skin of your shoulder, "hate being away from you."

"Okay lovebirds," Eddie shook his head in amusement before motioning for Robin to follow him, "we'll leave you two alone to do whatever it is you're doing and we're gonna smoke."

You watched them head upstairs and once they were gone and out of sight, Steve dropped his arms from around you. The loss of his warm touch felt a little harsh. You opened and closed your mouth a few times, wishing the racing thoughts in your mind would calm down for one second, "hey - can we go outside and talk?"

"Of course," he readily agreed, "good idea."

He held the way to the backyard, you trailing behind him like a lost puppy. Once outside and away from the loud party, things felt a little calmer. You looked at him, the pretty boy that had your heart for so long, unable to stop from smiling.

"Steve-"

"Babe, it's all going according to plan," he clapped his hands together, his whole face lighting up. Your brows knitted together in confusion as you just looked at him. He gently touched your cheek, his smile never faltering.

"P-plan? What plan?"

"My brilliant plan to get you and Eddie together," he sounded confused as to what you were confused about. Your entire face fell as your mouth opened in surprise. Needless to say, this was absolutely not what you had been expecting.

"Steve?" you felt the stinging of tears in the back of your eyes as you blinked rapidly to keep them from spilling over and running down your cheeks.

"My plan," he reiterated, wondering why you were having such a reaction. He was kind of thinking that you would be…happy, "you know, being all touchy and feely with you. So he would get jealous…which he did. It seemed like it to me anyway."

"Me and Eddie," you repeated, completely stunned and heartbroken. This whole time….Steve hadn't really felt that way about you. It was all some weird plan to get you with him. You felt like such a fool; you felt so stupid and pathetic. After all, why would Steve Harrington be in love with you? None of it was real and it had all been a beautiful lie. You wiped away the tears that had rolled your cheeks before attempting to brush past him.

"Babe-" but you were already back inside, making your way through the house so you could leave and go back to your own. You really wanted to be anywhere but here. It felt like your heart had just been ripped out and crushed into a thousand tiny pieces. 

Steve was so upset to see you upset. His heart constricted in his cheek as he went back inside. Maybe the man in question, Eddie, would be able to clear the air.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It didn't take long for Steve to find the two of them in his bedroom, looking more serious than he had expected. He didn't smell any weed and quickly realized the two of them were sober.

"Hey, I need to-"

"What happened to her?" Eddie cut Steve off before he could even get his sentence out. He swallowed thickly, "she was crying and almost ran out. What the fuck did you do, Harrington?"

"I…I thought I was doing the right thing," he rubbed a hand over his tired face, groaning at himself, "the plan…"

"Care to elaborate, dingus?"

"I was trying to get her with you," he turned to Eddie, who stared at him with wide eyes, "I thought I could make you jealous and finally get you to confess your feelings to her."

"My feelings?" Eddie repeated, looking at Robin in confusion, "what feelings? My…friend feelings?"

"Friend - no, you're in love with her," he insisted and the two of them snorted in amusement, "aren't you?"

"No," Eddie shook his head, "you are. And she's in love with you."

"So…she doesn't like you?" his voice cracked as he slowly came to the conclusion that he had made a big, horrible mistake. Eddie and Robin both shook their heads as Steve groaned, “and you don’t like her?”

"I mean, I like her duh, but only as a friend. Nope, Stevie…she's in love with you," he insisted and realization hit him like a train. Oh. Oh, “it’s so disgustingly obvious. From both of you.”

"I think you have somewhere to be," Robin cooked her head towards the door, "do go and apologize and get your girl."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You were still crying, but your tears had long run out. Instead it was just dry sobs that wracked your body as you curled up in bed. You felt so fucking dumb, and honestly so shitty. This whole time you thought Steve’s affections were real, and that you were both finally on the same page…turns out it was nothing but a game to him, a game in which he pawned you off to someone else. 

You heard the frantic knocking at the front door, but decided to ignore it. It was late and you were in absolutely no mood to be dealing with anyone. You pulled the blanket over your head and continued your little pity party - which was well deserved, thank you very much. 

But just as suddenly as the knocking had come, there was tapping at your window. You groaned as you tossed the blanket off your body, ready to yell at whoever was interrupting you. It was probably Eddie or Robin - the two of them had seen you practically run out of Steve’s. 

To your surprise, it was the very same man that had just broken your heart at the window. You frowned and shook your head, “go away. You’re the last person I want to talk to right now.”

“Sweetheart-”

“Don’t call me that,” you already felt your eyes burning again, fresh tears unfortunately brought back, “please. Just go.”

“I have to talk to you,” he insisted, “it’s important. Please - let me explain.”

“Explain what!?” you threw your hands up in frustration, “how I’m an idiot? How you didn’t mean to fool me into thinking that maybe you could possibly feel the way I do? No thanks.”

“Let me explain,” you could see that he had glossy eyes as well, and that tears had already run down his cheeks. Fuck. Why did he have to do that? You hung your head and sighed, “please, I’m begging you.”

Wordlessly, you closed the little bit of distance that was between the two of you and opened the window so he could climb inside. He landed ungracefully on your floor, breathing heavily as he gathered himself.

“Talk,” you insisted as you sat back on your bed and looked at him. He inhaled deeply before nodding, trying to gather up the courage to spill out his entire heart to you.

“I fucked up,” were the first words that tumbled out of his mouth and you just raised an eyebrow at him, “and I am so, so sorry for that.”

“You…Steve…I…” you stopped yourself, shaking your head before motioning for him to go.

“My plan, this stupid, dumb plan…I thought it was perfect,” he confessed softly, “I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“The right thing for what?”

“For you,” he breathed nervously, “it was supposed to be better for you. I thought that you - you and Eddie - really liked each other. I thought if I put on the affection a little bit he’d get the hint - he’d get jealous and finally ask you out.”

“Steve,” you wanted to be angry, but the boy had such a heart of gold that you found it impossible. He really did have the best intentions even if it all backfired, “I never liked Eddie that way. And he’s not interested in me. I don’t know why you’d ever think that.”

“I guess…I just thought that it would…maybe this is selfish too but,” he was waving his hands around as he did when he got nervous, “I thought it would help me get over you.”

“Well, it really didn’t work,” the fact that he’d basically just confessed his true feelings for you went over your head in the moment, “it just really ended up hurting me, Steve. I thought that you might actually feel the same about me as I do about you. Instead, it just makes me look like a fool."

"Sweetheart-"

"That whole time I thought it was real. I thought that maybe…maybe I was special to you," a few tears of anger and sadness rolled toy cheeks, "that maybe you loved me."

"Please, just let me-"

"Instead it turned out all wrong," your voice cracked, "and I'm afraid that we're never going to be the same. 'Cause now you know I'm in love with you. And you don't feel the same."

"But I-"

"Maybe I should have told you a long time ago but-"

"I'm in love with you." 

"And I - wait," his words finally settled in your bones as you realized what he said. You turned to Steve and looked at him, eyes wide and nervous as your heart beat wildly in your chest, "what did you say?"

"I said I was in love with you," his voice almost cracked as your face softened.

"Stevie?"

"I'm in love with you, honey," he repeated as you stood up and moved closer to him, "I have been for a long time. I, ugh, I didn't know you felt the same. Otherwise I would have…said this a long time ago."

"So let me get this straight," you held up your mind as your mind tried to process everything, "I love you and didn't think you loved me…and you love me and didn't think I loved you? So you tried to get over me by getting me together with Eddie?"

“I thought that maybe seeing you with someone else would finally get to me and I’d finally get into my head that you aren’t mine…you weren’t meant to be mine,” he avoided your eyes and looked at the carpet, studying it intently, “that you loved someone else.”

“Steve Harrington,” you put a hand under his chin and turned his face towards you, “you are a good, kind hearted person that always wants the best for others. But you are so blind sometimes. Steve, I’ve been yours…I’ve always been yours.”

He wrapped his long, slender fingers around your wrist, his thumb stroking the back of your hand as he looked at you intently, “do you mean it? Truly?”

“Yes,” you nodded, offering the pretty boy a teary eyed smile, “I realized just how much I’ve loved you that day you gave me your ice cream after I dropped mine. It was your favorite flavor and I remember how much you’d been looking forward to it. But you didn’t hesitate.”

“Honey,” he let out a small laugh, one filled with years of love longing, “we were ten. I remember that afternoon. But that was so long ago.”

“I know,” you nodded gently and Steve felt like his face was about to break in half with happiness. Every dream he’d ever had was suddenly coming true. 

You slowly pulled your hand back, but Steve’s hands settled on your waist as he pulled you into his frame. Everything about him was overwhelming and all consuming; the warmth from his body, his smell, the soft sounds that escaped his lips. He was completely yours and he’d never even realized; until this moment…until he’d almost lost you. 

He looked at you for just a moment before he leaned in and crashed his lips onto yours, kissing with a soft, but fervent passion. His kiss was saccharine but contained so much pent up love and adoration. He wanted to bathe you in it, wanted to make sure you’d never question his love again. Steve would have gone through hell a million times over before anything happened to you, before the smile left your face.

You practically melted into him, letting him kiss you until you were dizzied and drying for a breath of air. You looked at him with a happy anticipation, ready for him to take you back in his arms and kiss you until the end of days, “I love you, Steve. So much.”

“I love you,” he whispered before moving to kiss you again, “forever and endlessly.”

[drarrily-we-row-along]

Hey everyone.

Maybe some of you have noticed that my writing's been super sporadic since like June (if you haven't that's very okay) but I just wanted to write a little bit about what's been happening in my life because it's had a pretty big impact on my writing.

It turns out that I'm actually ace.

So, if you happen to notice an uptick in me writing fics with ace characters who still get to be loved, I'm just trying to process a thing.

Please feel free to skip the rest of this post if you're not interested in the harrowing journey of self discovery. I am absolutely giving too much information about my life, I'm just really working at processing everything and I'm hoping writing it out will help. And honestly, there have been some beautiful souls in the Tumblr community who have given me some beautiful encouragement (including but not limited to @basicallyahedgehog who answered an anon ask I sent them the other day with so much kindness and encouragement because I'd bawled my eyes out about one of their fics featuring ace Harry/Draco.).

(Anyway. If you want to read a ramble about all of the things I'm struggling with at the present moment, I'm gladly accepting advice and kindness at this time. Please read below the cut and chime in if you have anything hopeful to add.)

For most of my life I've pretty comfortably called myself a "picky bi" and in the past couple of years have labeled myself "demisexual" because I'm not sex repulsed; I've had sex, it was fine/good when it's with someone who I'm in love with. I moved on from the labeling, content with the label I'd given myself and whatnot.

It's been a minute (read: 8+ years) since I've been in a relationship that got to the point where I've considered having sex but I didn't really think all that much of it. In retrospect, I think this is largely because I've grown a lot in terms of self respect and honoring my own autonomy. Somewhere around 25, I started saying no when I didn't want something and if the other person didn't respect that decision they were not worth my time.

Anyway, it didn't really occur to me that perhaps going nearly a decade without thinking about/wanting to have sex with anyone (and without experiencing even vague aesthetic attraction to someone with only the odd exception here and there- some of you saw that post a couple of months ago, apparently just having the thought that someone is pretty isn't the same as attraction that allo people experience- so that panic now seems pretty unnecessary. It literally boggles my mind that people can just see a person they've never met and want to have sex with them. Anyway, I'm digressing.) Apparently, it's not a common occurrence even among demisexuals to go that long without thinking about sex if you have emotional intimacy with people (which I do). So fast forward to June when I went to a conference for lgbtqia christians and started listening to people talk about attraction.

To say that my experience of attraction and desire for sex is profoundly different than that of nearly all of the people that I talked to at that conference would be an understatement.

After that conference, I started talking to a lot of friends about their experience of attraction and their desire for sex (eventually this also included some new friends who are demi/ace) and have been a little flabbergasted by their responses. Suddenly, in light of the fact that my body doesn't interpret a lot of things the way that other peoples' seem to, a lot of things started to make sense.

I've been called a flirt (at best, and a [cock]tease in more unpleasant moments) my entire life because I always want to give people gentle physical affection; I love holding hands, touching people on the arm while we're having a conversation, playing with peoples' hair, hugging, leaning, the list is long- none of those things have ever felt like flirting to me. Every one of those actions was the end in itself, there was no artifice in my touches, no desire or even thought for more, but APPARENTLY that is not the thing that happens in a lot of peoples' bodies. It is incomprehensible to me that simple, affectionate touches are not something that everyone just wants to do to anyone that they harbor platonic affection for. This also applies to the way that I communicate with people. Again, I've been called a flirt, been told that I'm intense, been told that I'm trying to 'steal' peoples' boy/girl friends simply by being friends with them. APPARENTLY, showing "too much" interest in other peoples' lives and hobbies is flirting. APPARENTLY, getting really excited for people who are excited and doing cool things is flirting. Because (or so I have been told) the emotional energy I expend is too much to just be friends; surely, I have another angle.

Next, in terms of attraction, I experience attraction to beautiful things in nature in the same way that I experience it to people. If I'm being honest, nature makes my heart sing in a way that people usually don't. I can get caught up in the beauty of the world; the vastness of the ocean for literal hours, in the majesty of the mountains, the strength of trees, the way water carves a path through the rocks in glens and waterfalls. The world takes my breath away, it makes me weep just to exist in nature. Apparently, this in not everyone's experience of nature and apparently, many people who want to have sex don't think that trees, or bodies of water, or mountains have as much (or more, in my humble opinion) appeal than humans.

It's come to my attention that even the way that I have experienced heart break from relationships where I was "in love" and having sex is not the way that people typically experience heartbreak. All heart break feels the same to me; grieving leaving a job, grieving the death of a loved one, grieving horrible things that happen to my students, grieving the loss of friendships, and grieving the loss of a relationship feel like the same heart break. (Like some of those things hurt worse than others but the heart break over the loss of a relationship isn't worse.) One of my friends mentioned that I grieve the passing of summer into autumn (I fucking hate the winter) like the loss of a relationship and I wish I could say that she is wrong. I've been told my whole life that I experience my emotions too big and I just can't help but wonder if there is some sort of correlation there, but I digress.

The literal dream for my life is to have someone who wants to get in the car or on a plane and travel with me. Someone who I can make coffee for in the mornings and who wants to cook me dinner at night. Someone who wants to sit on the couch after a long day at work and talk about nothing, or watch a show, or just exist together. Someone who wants to dance with me in the kitchen, and hold my hand while we walk, who wants to smile at me while I ramble about nature. I want someone who wants to hold me when I cry, who wants to listen to me when I'm mad, someone who will remind me to take a break when I'm working too hard. The only thing that I actually want from a partner is just someone to do life with. It's not that I'm opposed to sex, it's just that it literally doesn't matter.

(So many things in past relationships, so many fights, so many of the reasons that I was left, so many things that I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND make sense now. Or at least they're starting to.)

So. In the process of understanding this complete fuckery, of trying to put all of the pieces that haven't quite made sense in my life into order, in the end of July my best friend told me that she's in love with me.

And on the one hand, I'm fucking over the moon, delighted, honored, speechless, crazy-happy. She's literally the best person I have ever known, she's the kindest, sweetest, most loyal, loving, amazing human being to ever exist. She loves me so well, so completely, like all of the things that I said above that are my dream; that is her. We road trip together, and she lets me braid her hair, and we snuggle on the couch and watch movies, and we talk for hours (literally hours, when we road trip we go for 7-10 days at a time and I like do not shut the fuck up for more than like 5 minutes total the entire day and she loves me; loves listening to me talk about whatever is in my brain), and when I'm going on and on about how pretty things are in nature she looks at me like I'm the pretty thing (when I say, 'oh my gosh. that mountain, tree, lake, ocean, etc. is so beautiful.' she literally says 'you're so beautiful' and I am deceased, my heart can't take it, I can't fucking stop smiling- I don't even want to), and she lets me info dump about whatever I'm learning, and she loves my brain and my stupid adhd, and she plays me sappy love songs and sings them to me (and she sings in my car, sings to me even though she doesn't sing in front of people) and and and... she makes me feel like I'm good. She makes me feel like I'm all of the things that other people have said I'm not.

And I am constantly terrified of hurting her.

There are a variety of reasons we're not planning on having sex (partially because it's not really something that I want) that I'm not going to get into but I'm afraid of being what I've been to other people. I'm afraid of her feeling like I'm pushing her buttons because I just always want to be touching her (very platonically) like just having our shoulders bumping while we walk, or putting my head on her shoulder when we're on the couch, or letting our elbows press against one another while we're in the car. BUT what happens in our bodies when we're touching like that is really different. Like I described above, for me any type of touch is really the end goal in and of itself (if I'm braiding her hair, it's safe to assume that that is all I want to be doing. If I'm leaning against her on the couch, that too is what I'm wanting.) But that's not always how her body wants to interpret touch, even if she logically knows that I'm not intentionally teasing (she would never say that she feels like I'm trying to tease her, for the record, it's just the easiest way for me to articulate what it feels like could be happening).

And I love her so much, like so much; I'd do anything for her but it's not the same kind of love that she feels for me. By which I mean that she is just really gay and actively attracted to me emotionally/physically but for me if she started dating someone else, I'd be actually fine with that. If she was dating/having sex with someone I wouldn't be jealous, as long as we still get to be friends. (And maybe her dating would necessarily change the dynamic of our friendship and that would be really hard but that's a different mental exercise.) This isn't the way that she feels.

She is so special and important to me but even the way that we are aware of the other person's presence is different. For me, if I'm in a group of people and she's there, I'm aware of that on some level but it's not at the forefront of my mind. My brain is always sort of 'triaging' the people around me when they're my friends; who's being too quiet? who has been going through a rough patch with work/family, etc? who has an exciting new thing they need someone to squeal about with them? who hasn't been included in the conversation in too long? (see the paragraph above about flirting. haha.) She's there but she often isn't the first person I'm thinking about because I talk to her almost every day, I get to love her every day, and odds are good that we either drove together or will talk on the phone our way home from the event- I see the other people there less, so my brain just prioritizes them since I have less time to love them. (This is actually really good, healthy progress for me in terms of healthy attachment and not forming a codependent relationship. My therapist and I are really proud of the work I'm doing, but I'm digressing again.) For her, though, she always knows exactly where I am. It is work for her to pay attention to other conversations, work to be in a different room. In most situations, I am the person she defaults to thinking about and wanting to be near and she has to actively choose other things if she wants to. (And I don't mean to sound like an absolute asshole, it's not like I ignore her or anything, and I'm delighted for us to be in the same conversations, it's just a different way that we engage with the world.)

I love her so much. And I'm afraid of messing everything up. Of hurting her. Of asking too much of her without asking for anything at all. I try to let her be the one to initiate physical touch (or I ask first) because sometimes it's too hard on her body and that's fair. I feel frustrated with the different ways that we experience love for each other because the way that she loves me feels so good and safe to me and it makes me feel so happy. I'm afraid that the way that I love her doesn't feel as nice for her, that it feels less than, that the way I express my love and devotion isn't as good. I'm afraid that the way she loves me is going to wear her out. She always says she knows I love her just as much as she loves me, it's just different. She says she's okay, she says that the way I love her is good for her and she's happy. But it's hard to believe.

I'm afraid that she'll fall in love with someone else who can love her the way she loves and I won't matter to her anymore (partially because that's been my experience of people who have said they're in love with me). I'm afraid.

Is it even fair to entertain the idea of maybe having a whole life together? (we're already entertaining the ideas, already daydreaming about 'what if we lived together', where we're going on our next road trip, etc. And I'm terrified.) Is it asking her to give up too much? I would spend the rest of my life with her. I'd be good and kind to her, I would love her with so much tenderness. But is it enough? Am I enough with just the things that I have to give? Is it actually possible for someone to love me for just me and not for the ways that I could contort myself to be something I'm not?

I recognize the irony in what I'm asking. I know that that's what all of these hundreds of stories I've written here say, it's what I want to believe. But is it even possible when it's reality?

I don't know. Does anyone have any good advice? Any ace people out there living with a person who's in love with them? Does anyone have something that's lasted?

[bratzforchris]

Hello! I hope all is well! If you’re taking requests at all, would it be okay if you could write you and Ashton telling fans about your guy’s secret relationship while you’re a famous actor? Much love!

Ours

❃

Summary: Above

Pairing: Ashton x feminine reader

Warnings: None! (tooth rotting fluff)

Word Count: 1014

A/N: Thank you for the request! I'm sorry it's a bit short--I think I burnt myself out a bit with that 7k Luke fic :') Hoping you all are having a very happy holiday season<3

❃

“Are you sure, Y/N?” Ashton asked you rather anxiously, looking on as you got your makeup done. 

You were currently backstage at the Oscars, getting your hair and makeup done for the evening. Your boyfriend, Ashton, was serving rather good, although slightly anxious, moral support. He was scrolling through the #Y/NATTHEOSCARS hashtag on Twitter, reading you various shows of support. 

“Ash,” You said firmly, but not unkindly while the stylist applied rollers to your long, blond hair. “I’m up for two huge awards tonight with pretty good chances it sounds like. I want you to share in my success, babe.” You smiled softly. 

Ashton blushed at your words, standing to kiss your cheek before scuttling back to his chair beside you when your makeup artist scolded him. “I just don’t want to get in the way of your career. A girl’s gotta shine,” he winked. “It’s Y/N’s world, I’m just living in it.”

Aside from your team and Ashton’s, no one knew of your relationship. It’s not like either of you had a reason to hide it from the public, but both of you being famous meant that hardly anything in your life was private. Luckily, Ashton had the exact same outlook as you and had agreed to keep your relationship quiet, except where needed. You blushed at your boyfriend’s comment, turning your face from side to side as the artist finished. 

“Are you ready?” he asked you, taking your arm. 

You nodded softly, gazing up at him. “I know we’re seated together, but I want to announce everything when I get my award.”

“I know, darlin’,” he nuzzled your cheek softly. “I’ll see you at our seats.”

Leaving your lover’s side practically killed you, especially when you had to walk to your seat alone, holding your golden gown up softly so that you wouldn’t trip. You easily found the seat that had a place card that said “Y/N L/N”, smiling when you saw it was next to Ashton’s, just as intended. You knew he was technically there as your plus-one, but as other A-list actors (most of whom were your friends) arrived, no one seemed to notice. 

By the time the guests were let in, you were shaking your leg up and down, anxiously waiting for Ashton to come sit beside you and calm your nerves, both about your news to share and about the awards, in his calming way. Before long, your boyfriend took his seat beside you, looking as impeccable as ever. 

“You okay, love?” he whispered in your ear, noticing your shaken state. 

You nodded, swallowing thickly. “Just…thinking, I guess.” You tried to put on a brave face so he wouldn’t worry, but Ashton knew you better than that. 

“You don’t have to, if you don’t want to,” he hummed. “I’m okay with being your dirty little secret.” Ashton chuckled when no one was looking, sneaking a hand onto your thigh under the table. 

“Ashton Fletcher!” You said, swatting his shoulder. “Don’t be dirty.”

You blushed when you realized other people had heard you, receiving some odd looks. Luckily, your embarrassment didn’t last long, for the host tapped the mic and began the show. Being at the Oscars was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but that was the furthest thing from your mind right now. If you received Actress of the Year, a whole new world would open up for your career. You were already famous in book terms, but you longed to be like the gorgeous movie stars you had adored as a young girl. Not only that, but you were ready to tell the world about Ashton. You were tired of hiding the man you loved so dearly from the world, just because of PR. 5 Seconds of Summer were at an all-time high in their career right now, and your win plus the announcement would only solidify that. 

A sentence spoken through the mic snapped you out of your thoughts. “And now, for Actress of the Year, our nominees are…” the host read off a list of incredibly talented, beautiful women who were just as deserving of this award as you were. “And the Oscar goes to…Y/N L/N!” she cheered. 

Your head was spinning as you soaked in the moment, only brought back to reality when you felt Ashton shaking your shoulder and cheering “Go up there!”. You flushed, hurriedly bunching your gown up in your hands and carefully walking up the stairs to the stage. You blushed again when she placed the trophy in your hands, realizing the goal you had set for yourself as a little girl was finally accomplished. 

“I just want to start out by saying thank you,” You smiled as you spoke into the mic. “To my mentors, to my parents, to my directors this year, to the fans, and to every colleague that has given me feedback over the years. None of this would be possible without you. But there is one person that I feel like I need to give an extra special thanks to. Ashton Irwin, would you join me onstage?”

Ash blushed, hunching his lanky frame as he walked towards you, but enjoying the attention nonetheless. As soon as he was beside you, he wrapped an arm around you, smiling cheekily. “Great job, Y/N. I’m proud.” he whispered in your ear. 

“I wanna give an extra special thanks to Ashton for being the best support system this past year. He’s seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Even though he’s a musician, he’s given me some of the best acting advice I’ve ever received. So thank you, Ashton, for being the best boyfriend in the world.”

Without another thought, you turned, kissing Ashton passionately as the crowd began to cheer. Despite the fact that the select few fans were up in the nosebleeds of the theater, you could hear them cheering the loudest for you. As you two spun around on the stage, kissing and lost in each other’s eyes, you knew that this had been the right decision all along.