#we’ll call this a little milestone post

[gardenofnoah]

“you’re going to hurt yourself like that, my love.”

you startle at the voice over you, having been nearly asleep.

“—uh?”

you turn your head to see Nanami looming over your side of the bed. if you were fully conscious, you would see the tiny look of mischief in his eyes as they roam your body, but you’re not, so you take it as his tendency to mother hen you.

and then he’s pushing you to the middle of the bed despite your whining, climbing in beside you. you try to settle in and find you’re still being moved—he’s on his back, shuffling himself down the bed and pulling one of your legs over his chest. you feel him turn his face into your belly in a move that feels suspiciously like nuzzling.

“what’re y’doin,” you slur, a little petulant at being woken up like this, despite it being well past the time you meant to rejoin the living and despite your own desire to seek out the warmth he’s emitting next to you.

“you’re going to hurt your hip, laying like that,” he says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. he runs a hand up the back of your thigh and over your hip, and you sigh a little bit, comforted by the feeling of him.

“i don’t know how you sleep like that,” he continues, absentmindedly dragging his fingers over your skin, making you shiver every now and then.

“feels good,” you grumble, face shoved into the pillow. talking about your bizarre sleeping position and maybe also the way the rough pads of his fingers leave a trail of warmth in their wake. you think you hear him chuckle softly, and you feel him press a kiss to the skin of your belly, right above the hem of your sleep shorts.

it’s soft, chaste—and then it’s not, and you suck in a breath when you feel him kiss you there again, feeling the tip of his tongue drag along the skin that stretches over your hip bone.

and evidently he hears your sharp inhale, because you feel a strong arm sneak around your lower back, pulling you closer to him.

“was still sleeping, you know,” but it’s lost all of its bite and you’re a little breathless now, fixated on the way his free hand slides up the back of your thigh to brush over the sensitive spot just under the curve of your ass.

“go to sleep then,” he says into the soft of your belly, pressing another kiss, opening his mouth a little wider to catch the skin of it between his teeth. he’s turned into you now, and despite yourself, you drag your leg up from his chest so it’s over his shoulder.

he moves to rest his head against your thigh that’s trapped underneath him, and distantly you think that it is more comfortable like this— his head squeezed between your legs having alleviated some of the pressure against your hip from laying on your side. that thought quickly becomes muddled in your head when you feel him latch on to the skin of your inner thigh that rests against his face.

you whine, hips bucking weakly as you squirm under tongue and teeth—both leaning into and trying to get away from the sting of his bite.

“my sweet love,” he coos, running his tongue over the fresh bruise, placating you. you shiver, pressing your face further into the pillow to try to breathe—to ground yourself despite the heat that curls up your spine. he stops, then, and you peak down at him to find that he’s staring back up at you.

“hi,” you whisper, fighting another shudder at the way his lips pull at the corners into a smirk that looks absolutely sinful on him.

“good morning,” he drawls, deep and far too awake. he rests his chin in the space between your hips, pressing a quick kiss above your pubic bone. your hips buck toward him a tiny bit, and his smirk widens when he feels it.

you bring a hand down to run it through his hair, tangling in the blond strands and scratching at his scalp. he closes his eyes and hums, deep in his chest, nuzzling into your thigh. it makes you smile, and it makes you ache.

“want you, ken,” you murmur, squeezing him gently between your thighs and reveling in the groan he lets out.

“i know, sweetheart,” he coos, hands coming up again to grope whatever skin he can reach and pressing a tiny kiss through your shorts, “i can smell you.”

[scarletslippers]

Nace Countdown to Christmas - Day 25

(From this post of relationship milestone prompts)

On AO3

Merry Christmas!! Thanks everyone who's been reading along - keep an eye out for a little bonus day tomorrow

raising their children together

The day is a blur, Nancy’s heart in her throat from the moment Tamura had called her to let her know Kate had gotten hurt. His voice had been genuinely gentle, treating her like a terrified mother, which had only made her more scared. 

After calling Ace and rushing to the hospital, Nancy holding Kate’s knee and Ace holding her hand as the doctor sets her broken arm, they stumble home. 

Carson welcomes them in, setting a warm dinner on the table and watching Nancy with a knowing look in his eye when she returns from putting the kids to bed. As if he knew how long she had lingered in their dark doorways, calming herself with each rise and fall of their breaths. 

She sits down to eat and picks up her fork only to drop it again. “How did you do it?” she asks Carson, a little desperately. 

“With practice. And patience.” He ducks to kiss her forehead as he dons his coat. “And a lot of love. Tell you what, I’ll come over tomorrow with coffee and we’ll talk it through, okay?”

“Thanks, Dad.” 

Ace slides into Carson’s empty seat, nudging a glass of something stronger her way, taking a sip of his own, matching drink. She looks up at him, frustrated to find a soft smile on his face. 

“How are you so calm right now?”

He takes another slow, amused sip, then smiles even wider. “Nancy, she’s you.” 

“So everyone says,” she grumbles. “I still don’t understand what’s so funny.”

“You have to appreciate the irony.” 

Nancy runs a frustrated hand through her hair, the swirl of fear and guilt still churning in her chest and stoking the fire of her anger. “Right. Haha. Teen sleuth gives her parents gray hair and pays for it with her own rebellious daughter.”

Ace finally frowns a bit at her words and reaches across the table to grab her hands. “You are not being punished, Nancy.”

“Then why do I feel like this is my fault?” She can’t look at him, still processing, but he gives her the silence, the space. “You can’t tell me you weren’t scared,” she says finally. 

“Of course I was. But you and Kate were also scared, and you needed me to be calm.”

“I don’t understand. I feel like I’m about to vibrate out of my skin and you look like this is just an average Tuesday. Don’t you hate this?”

He shrugs, then softens, regarding her carefully in that way she knows he’s weighing his words and thinking how they will affect her. “C’mere,” he says, tugging on her hands.

She obliges him, coming around the table to sit in his lap, sliding her arms around his neck, his palm on her thigh to hold her there. 

“I do hate this. But I also hated when you used yourself as bait for the Wraith. Or when you were burning in the feuris and I felt powerless to stop it.”

Nancy sighs, pressing her forehead to his temple. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. I hate it when anyone I love gets hurt, but don’t be sorry. I’ve gotten used to it.”

Nancy barks a laugh, watery and tinged with bitterness. “So I’ve put myself in danger enough times that this is just some fear threshold you’ve achieved? It doesn’t bother you anymore?”

“It bothers me. I’m just a little more experienced at handling it.” He kisses her cheek then smiles. “With practice, and patience, and a lot of love. But I would never want to change you. You’re you. And I love every part of you, even the parts that go charging into danger.”

Nancy laughs again, more wet and less angry. “And that’s how you feel about Kate.”

“That’s how I feel about Kate. Don’t you?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I do. After she got her cast, did you see how she lit up when she was retelling the story?”

Ace laughs, and smacks another kiss to Nancy’s cheek, pushing her off his lap and back in the direction of her dinner. “Now you know why I fell in love with you.”

[philhoffman]

This has been a really good PSH year :) We made it through February and I fulfilled a promise I made to myself a year before—in March, I ran the NYC marathon in Phil’s memory. He was with me every step, both figuratively and literally—his initials on my sneakers, looking down to see the name Willy (Loman?) carved into the pavement.

Over the summer, my aunt sent me a photo of myself at Disney World as a child and I realized I’d seen a photo of Phil at the same age, in the same exact spot. One of my favorite serendipities of the year—it’s nice to think we’ve always been connected in silly little ways.

In June, I visited Phil’s hometown of Rochester for the first time to see the new PSH statue and attend a screening of Owning Mahowny. One of the best experiences of my life. Tearing up just thinking about it because I can’t remember a time when I’ve been happier. I met Phil’s mom and sister and got to share what he’s meant to me, how he’s saved and changed my life. It was everything I could’ve hoped for and it only made me love him more, only made his loss harder to fathom.

Maybe it’s been noticeable and maybe it hasn’t, but the last few weeks I haven’t been as active here. I could give a few different answers, but I think the real reason is how scared I am of the upcoming 10th anniversary of his death. I may not be posting but I’m certainly thinking and feeling a lot. For some reason, being a decade away from Phil’s life—that specific milestone, a decade—is a very overwhelming and upsetting thought and excruciatingly painful. I’m having some trouble wrapping my mind around it, so I’ve been trying to avoid it instead. That only makes it more painful when I do come back around. It’s been a nasty cycle.

I don’t really have a neat tidy resolution to this. It’s the last day of 2023, 2024 is about to begin. I keep calling it 2014. That damn year has represented so much pain for so long and I’m frightened of going through it again. Many, many more people will be remembering Phil this anniversary, which is touching and wonderful to see, but also hurts in such an… ineffable way. The sudden intense emotional outburst, the way it vanishes the next day or week.

A few weeks ago on a run I had the realization that it’s always possible to make new memories. Phil’s death and absence are very real, but so is the way he’s still with everyone who still loves him. I look back at this year and he’s part of the happiest moments. I’ll never forget running through Times Square with his picture in my pocket or meeting Jess in person to watch Synecdoche or his family’s warmth and kindness in ROC or the feeling I got on Christmas morning, talking to him in the woods after my run, the sense of peace that washed over me, knowing we’ll always be tied together.

And next year, I’m running the NYC full marathon, once again in Phil’s memory. More memories to be had, even after a decade, even though the grief still feels like it’s ripping me in half as I type this.

I love you, Phil. More than either of us know. Happy new year, my beautiful friend ❤️

[hiddenwashington]

hello hello friends!! it is my favorite day of the year!!!! it’s somehow, once again, time for hidden’s annual positivity day! to continue our celebration of hidden turning a WHOLE SIX YEARS OLD!!! like how, literally how, i don't even know what to do with myself. we are going to be holding a POSITIVITY DAY TODAY, INSTEAD OF OUR USUAL MEME DAY! for those who are new, or need a refresher, the way to participate is by posting a ‘ ♥ ‘ on your blog under the ‘hw: meme call’ tag and your inbox will be flooded with love and positivity from your fellow members and admins! i promise you, you will receive messages and members, as always, you know, please send something to every single person even if you are not super close with them! please help us in celebrating this giant milestone in this group and spread love to everyone here, as we would have never gotten to this point in the group without all of you, without your love and support so we want to return that feeling to all of you today! also, as a little treat for all members (admins included) we’re going to be a little lax on activity this week, so you all do not have to worry about that while participating! if you have any questions regarding how positivity day works, please feel free to reach out and we’ll help you out!! otherwise, we cannot wait to see all of the love flooding the dash and watching this amazing community lift each other up during this amazing milestone!

[storymaker14]

Hey y’all. You may have noticed that I haven’t been posting a lot of updates on how the final draft (!!!) of The State of Our Union is going. This is for two reasons.

One, the going has been a little slow. My mood and emotional status have not been at 100%; very thoroughly distracting myself is a good way to pull me out of a spiral. Writing does not distract as much as I would like, especially when – see above – it’s slow going. So I’ve been distracting myself, and not writing much, which makes me feel down about myself, which means I need to distract myself more… and on and on.

Two, I’ve been writing the final draft in a bit more piecemeal fashion than I had anticipated. Like, Act I Scene I just flowed. I.II, I got wayyy stuck. So I worked on the Act I interlude, which was mostly doable, except for the bit that I really needed to write after I wrote I.II. So back to slogging through the mud and calling 200 words written in a day a victory. Yikes. Plus during all that, there’s a super short but important bit that comes much later in the story that just popped into my head and begged to be written, so I did. So, I haven’t really had the one-by-one milestones I had with the second draft, the easy points at which I can say “this bit is done! I’m at X words!”

All that to say this: I finally had a breakthrough on I.II, it’s not even lunch and I’m around 750 words today, and the whole durned thing stands at 13,501 right now. So it’s going, at least, even if somewhat slowly.

I have no idea how realistic it is right now to shoot to be done mid-April. The words might come trippingly, begging to ooze from my fingers onto the screen. The words might give themselves up only sparingly. I don’t know yet. But ideally, I’d like to be done by mid-April, just to say this thing did not take a whole damn year to go from the first serious notes about it, to the finished product.

So, just in case anyone’s interested, there it is. I think the next thing I’ll work on is that last bit of the interlude, now that I.II is in a good state. But we’ll see; we always do, don’t we?

EDIT, FOUR HOURS LATER:

Oh. My. God.

I wasn't done for the day. Not even close.

The bit of the interlude that needed to wait until I.II was written. It flowed. In fact, that's an understatement.

I don't want to get premature, because this final draft is more about tightening up and trimming down than expansion, but... I just fucking wrote it. Just like that. A bit over 1500 words, and it just sort of happened.

So, unless I write even more today, I can say that today, after so much mud and slog and all that... I wrote 2286 words, to bring my total in the final draft to 15,032.

More days like this, please.

[askamnesiamoonjumper]

Hey guys! Gonna give a lil update (both a mini life update and a update for the au stuff):

Tumblr is still messed up for me (currently posting this from pc) so I’m guessing it has to do with the bells they added to the dash considering that’s when it happened, so I’m assuming it’ll be back once they take them away, but if not I might have to go to staff or something we’ll see 

Anyway I got hat game on my pc for Christmas! but it sets my laptop on fire and runs very badly lmao so I’m probably gonna see if I can get a gaming computer for my birthday so I can play it properly 

Also sorry for not being very active lately, we went on vacation but I got sick afterwards and then a big snow storm hit, so just got a bit overwhelmed from all that happening one after another lol, I’m not sick anymore thankfully but the snow is still around 

In au related news as y’all know I’ve hit some art/writing block lately, so I’ve not started on the next prologue chapter just yet but thankfully I did get the plot of it figured out in a discord call, as I had been struggling to think of how it would play out bc it’s gonna be a A B plot situation, but I finally got a way for it to work out nicely ^^ so I got a little outline of the events jotted down, just haven’t started on the actual thing yet 

So after that chapter the prologue will be finished and so things can flow into the main fic, speaking of the main fic you’d assume I’d start working on chapter 2 after finishing the prologue and you WOULD be right, but I recently decided I want to go back and edit/rewrite chapter 1 just bc my writing improved so I wanna add extra scenes or better descriptions etc etc so it’s getting a revamp but not an outright rewrite just bc that thing is way too long to redo it entirely 💀

Also on the topic of writing i kept having the issue of thinking all the chapters outside of snatchers prologue chapter (heartburn) where all not the best writing, especially compared to aforementioned snatcher chapter that had way higher writing quality, I originally just chalked it up to being in the zone™️ when writing that one, but I realized I think it MIGHT be because it’s the only one not being adapted from a comic, all the others had comic or tumblr related things tied to them, but the snatcher fic was all it had going for itself, thus it had more descriptive words or spent longer on events etc because it didn’t have anything to go off of, where as the other fics ended up accidentally feeling more akin to scripts to me in how they did descriptions, ESPECIALLY forget me not because it’s literally just word for word event for event the same as it’s comic form, not sure if I’m making sense but what I’m getting at is that I’m glad that after this next chapter we are in completely new territory! No comics or ask blog stuff is tied to any of the chapters to come, so perhaps this will mean their writing will improve because they’ll only have the words to rely on, like I said idk if this little rant was necessary I just enjoy talking about my writing process is all 

But uh yeah tldr: next fic chapter will happen eventually, after that I’m going back to redo the first main fic chapter, and sorry I didn’t get to do any holiday art but maybe I will last minute do some doodles I dunno lol, OH, and I still gotta figure out a follower milestone event bc I’m super excited about it!^^ like I said of anyone has suggestions I’d love any ideas! 

Happy holidays! :3

[mkboys]

Hia, Isaac here. I made a long post and this blog originally was meant for me to kind of exist openly without Q’s fear of people who know us finding it. Although I’m sure, within a month or so, we’ll be out unless a therapist suggests otherwise. 

I don’t have many people to talk to, and I want to. It’s saddening, because I’m british-american. LOL that’s not where I was going with that. That’s obvious from the way I type innit? Sloppy. No, I am truly embarrassed to speak at times. I hold my tongue and speak inside the head, where I can get Quentin to speak on my behalf. My silence is not who I am or accurate to me in any way. It comes from the rejection sensitivity, Quentin’s fears overloading my ability to fully exist, but I am a person and I deserve to be heard when I’d like to be.  Anyway, welcome to my directionless, 3am nattering where the ADHD medication wore off long ago. For initial background on me, Quentin and I are a split from a host that was a writer, we have different tastes, I enjoy a good long story where as Q has 2 sentence poetry written in the fog on the bathroom mirrors.

I could crawl for love of another person, my knees burnt from the carpet, and my hands have those small pinpoint indents from the fibers. I had spent a year on the ground without meeting the surface we call the outside. For the first time I had collected memories. Stuffed under the cracked leather couches, stacks of little printed pictures smaller than my 4 fingers together displayed along my side. Learning in each memory, they were deemed unimportant. Finding these, after I let them set in, I took in what the body had wanted to forget. Wishing that all stay happy memories, that they are complete in front of me, but a capture cannot explain the full story. Positive memories that often are get let go of being because one, or a few of us, felt we didn’t deserve to have them. Childhood milestones, such as birthday parties at a roller-rink, I thought were all pure. Where they had first learned to skate and the music of the 2000′s blasted over the speakers, unknown to them that this was what being a kid should have been filled with. They had these memories in mind that they were so undeserving, one or two should have been disregarded as soon as possible. It evolved early into patterns of self mis-treatment, where one alter will repeat the angry words over a speaker (inside our head) echoing around the internal roller rink and the 10 year old in skates was left to sit in the dark. Those moments are here in these too, the fear that had followed in every photograph. Every smile had one of us behind the eyes, so clear to me how much they needed saving.  As a memory holder himself, Theo was too angry to hold onto these. He hid them here because most of us would not dare touch this couch. Before I knew of the dangers of this sofa in our sacred sanctum of sorts, I only went in here to get the ‘materials’ for upcoming projects, I discovered our memories aren’t filed or neatly captured in books, they were in paper and paint and mixed mediums, stacked, stapled, and spit on! Hoarded on the most unorganised desk imaginable. Holding them, not all, only these ones in this couch, I let them all wash over me and I determined what exactly I was dealing with. I’m not a overly intellectual guy, I know I was not significant to the system at first, I really was only the driver. In comparison to Moon Knight comics, I really was simply a Jake Lockley. Maybe that’s underestimating Jake, cause lad is up and about far more than my ass can be. Important point, it had changed drastically after this.  As alters, we don’t always understand ourselves or our purpose, and we don’t always try to be more than what we have been. But finding these tells me that we made small progress, because it did not hurt to have the laughter and tears from the few events that celebrated childhood. I know these are not my memories, but I can deliver them when they’re ready for them. For now I’ll keep them safe in my small locker in my room. If someone I have yet to meet comes in, then I have no problem giving these to them. If it’s not meant for me, it’s meant for them, and that’s how it has been since our system started. Origin stuff; Started at 7 or 8, ha. No, I try to reach, I meet Theo’s knowing gaze. Slowly I am taking in these memories from Theo, finding where he’s hid them, because a 20 year old should not have these. Quentin, who’s 25, is our host, but is not the host that experienced some of these memories, that is the one who is dormant. To give these to them would be like handing a flaming rag sitting in a mug of petrol. A complete disaster, not even close to a bloody molotov cocktail, because that’s how much I know better.  Often Q describes their frustrations with being unable to see the ‘inside’, our home, where we hold safety as a priority. I understand the frustration, however, there are places here that we have refused to touch until we are speaking with a professional who can see us as we are. Dislike the attempts to try to poke and prod without our consent. What happened after starting therapy was an accident. I wish I could have prevented it. Quentin had not known the extent of the trauma. Quentin did not know why they had drifted through life, never quite having a place, never connecting with family and friends, because they had yet to meet them. They had to follow the script in the middle of a scene, and though others saw them struggle, they assumed it would pass.  The memory that opened following that first session revealed how intense and dense the traumatic memories are covered. Quentin, must I explain again why you’re not connecting with the body you were given further than being trans, it is because they had a long time to decide to acknowledge us or not, and in that also tried to live as an individual, covering up their system. Several years passed and they had decided to not acknowledge, because they wanted to feel independent, quoting they needed some sanity for once. I understand Marc in a way of wishing it could be different, I understand that I wish I had my own life similar to how Steven feels. Quentin, too, has come to terms with this. Moon Knight has helped us greatly. This is the first, now 2022, for everyone in our system to accept the conditions and terms. A summary; We are a system. We are not afraid of one another. We are going to be okay.  Now with all of that off my chest, what is life? There’s been a minor discussion that Theo and I have, if Quentin and I integrated, what will happen? Though Q is nonbinary trans, I know Q is declining to transition. Unfortunate, as it will later impact us. I am talking about it here so I can organise my thoughts on it. Quentin won’t transition because the body is biologically intersex, but altered at birth, marked as female. The host from ages 3-7 was a little girl, who had no concept of identity. Then came ages 8-10, a boy named Charlie, who loved Pokemon cards, watched Naruto, and played with the rest of the boys. Then, as they aged, this push by parents and siblings to become a girl was so intense, so brought on by horrific mistreatment as well, that the last dormant host was considered female. Trauma had forced them to endure it. Because Quentin is unsure of themselves, and unsure of when we will ever have our final integration, they say that it is unfair to alters who are female. But for Theo and I, both male, though I am cis and he is not, we have to hold in our grief over this. When Quentin is insecure, they ask how we could help with this, and Theo and I turn to each other. Quietly we try to explain the origin of this issue with low self-esteem, that we cannot move past the fact we have access to transition care but refuse to, because of the fear Q has. What could happen in our interpersonal relationships, with our family? Q’s girlfriend who only dates afab and femine aligned people, all of these things in the list of chaos in us is so bleeding massive that with each new stressor we collapse. And Q still has denial of us on certain days, note this is common for systems, and they’re reaching towards me saying are you real? I am, I am real, this is real. It’s okay that I am real. You’re loved internally and externally. There is nothing wrong with having people internally look out for you, and not all of us do this, but that’s for another post. 

[adviserbabycom]

Graco Modes Nest Travel System Review

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Being able to switch between parent-facing and forward-facing modes is a valuable feature as your baby grows and becomes more curious about their surroundings. 3-in-1 Stroller Configuration The Graco Modes Nest Travel System offers three stroller configurations in one. It can be used as an Infant Car Seat Carrier, Infant Pramette, and Toddler Stroller. This versatility allows you to transition seamlessly from the early days with an infant car seat to the later stages when your child can sit up and explore the world around them. Expandable Storage Basket Having an expandable, extra-large storage basket is a practical feature for parents. It offers ample space to store essential items such as diaper bags, baby supplies, and personal belongings. This additional storage capacity is particularly useful for longer outings or trips where you may need to carry more items. https://youtu.be/-X1YzkJTEjA A Stroll with the Graco Modes Nest Travel System I remember the day my life took a turn for the simpler, thanks to a single click – the reassuring click of the Graco Modes Nest Travel System. I was a new mom, navigating the overwhelming waves of choices and decisions, each one feeling more consequential than the last. But this stroller and car seat combo became my steadfast companion on this wild adventure called parenthood. The Discovery It was an autumn morning when I unpacked the stroller system, the crisp air whispering through the open window. The assembly was intuitive, a welcome ease for my sleep-deprived brain. I marveled at the lightweight aluminum frame, sleek and promising effortless manoeuvres through the city's hustle. The Maiden Voyage The first outing was to the park, the stroller gliding like a dream over the leaf-strewn paths. The pramette mode was a cocoon for my napping baby, a snug little nest that seemed to whisper sweet dreams. The stroller's face-to-face option allowed me to drink in every giggle and gurgle, every curious wide-eyed wonder at the world passing by. Growth and Adaptation As my baby grew, so did the stroller, adapting and transforming. I raised the seat, brought my child closer, and watched as their perspective changed, eyes lighting up at the new vantage point. The car seat transitioned from the car to the stroller with that same satisfying click, a sound that came to symbolize security and ease. The Nitty-Gritty The extra-large storage basket became a treasure trove of diapers, toys, and all the paraphernalia that seemed to multiply with each trip. It even held my ever-present coffee cup, a small feature that felt like a personal nod to my caffeine dependency. Reflections The Graco Modes Nest Travel System wasn't just a stroller; it was a vessel that carried us through the early years. It was there for first words, for park picnics, for tearful goodbyes at daycare. It witnessed the milestones, endured the messes, and stood as a silent supporter of this journey. The Verdict This travel system, with its thoughtful design and life-adjusting features, became an extension of our family. It offered more than just a ride; it provided a bridge, closing the gap between the daunting world and the safety of my embrace. It was, quite simply, one of the best choices I made in a sea of uncertainty, a choice that made everything a little bit easier, a bit more connected, a bit more… home. Frequently Asked Questions about the Graco Modes Nest Travel System The Graco Modes Nest Travel System offers three modes: Infant Car Seat Carrier, Infant Pramette, and Toddler Stroller. This versatility allows you to use the system from infancy to toddlerhood. Yes, the stroller seat is reversible and can face either the parent or the world, providing flexibility and options for your baby's comfort and engagement. Yes, the travel system features a lightweight aluminum frame, making it easier to maneuver and transport. It also has a one-step, self-standing fold for convenient storage and portability. Yes, the system is designed with ProtectPlus Engineered features. It has undergone rigorous crash tests to help protect your child in frontal, side, rear, and rollover crashes. Recommended Stroller Guides on AdviserBaby Welcome to our recommended stroller guides at AdviserBaby. Understanding that every parent's needs are unique, we've carefully compiled various guides to help you make the best decision when it comes to choosing a stroller for your little one. Here are our top suggestions: - Best Luxury Car Seat Stroller Combo: Explore our luxury stroller guide which not only introduces you to the world of luxury strollers but also helps you find the best luxury car seat stroller combos on the market today. - Top All-Terrain Stroller: For parents who seek adventures and need a stroller that can handle all types of surfaces with ease, our guide to the top all-terrain strollers is a must-read. - Best Affordable Double Stroller: Having more than one young child shouldn't mean having to spend a fortune on a stroller. Check out our guide on the best affordable double strollers for options that won't break the bank. - Top Side-by-Side Double Strollers: If you're in the market for a side-by-side double stroller, look no further. Our guide offers a detailed review of the top side-by-side double strollers currently available. Take your time to browse through these guides to find the stroller that best fits your family's lifestyle and budget. Read the full article

[soulchick1-blog]

I posted 1,477 times in 2022

That's 1,477 more posts than 2021!

366 posts created (25%)

1,111 posts reblogged (75%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@thoughtkick

@perfectquote

@quotemadness

@thepersonalquotes

@quotefeeling

I tagged 69 of my posts in 2022

#youtube - 39 posts

#spotify - 15 posts

#tumblr milestone - 3 posts

#good morning - 2 posts

#oshunenergy - 2 posts

#shinebrightlikeadiamond - 1 post

#fire.. - 1 post

#sub 4 sub....mysterious one youtube.com - 1 post

#musiclover - 1 post

#7powersof africa - 1 post

Longest Tag: 72 characters

#if we wait until we’re ready we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I come from a village , here in the United States its called " The Villiage of Mineral Point. Little did I know then the reason I was landed there. Now I know we have what's called a Dike which is a water mass not made by man. That was OSHUN looking after us. Plus a railroad track next to a stream right behind my house.. I've always felt watched and now I know by who. Thank you Orishias! I love you!

2 notes - Posted March 3, 2022

#4

3 notes - Posted November 24, 2022

#3

Watch "Upchurch - Past The Stars (Lyric Video)" on YouTube

3 notes - Posted March 17, 2022

#2

4 notes - Posted October 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I'm a Godesses, so respect is fundamental!

4 notes - Posted November 16, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[socialwicked]

Sea of Thieves: How to name your ship

Be it the Queen Mary’s Revenge, the Traveling Dutchman, or the Golden Hind, an legendary pirate ship requires an iconic title. The arrival of Captaincy to   Sea of Thieves   provides with it the chance for players to identify their ships and commence creating intense reputations. Naming a ship is simple, but it comes at a charge (in far more approaches than one). We’ll stroll you through what we imply as we show you how to identify your ship in  Sea of Burglars .

  Naming a ship in Sea of Burglars  Naming a ship is straightforward the to start with time you do it and out there to any participant. On the other hand, you will need at the very least 250,000 gold in buy to acquire benefit of this element.

  Step 1:  Initial, you will have to acquire a ship. Only captained ships can be named, which usually means you’ll need to have the 250,000 to 500,000 gold necessary to make the acquire.

      Stage 2:  When you invest in a ship, you are going to be prompted to enter a identify.

       Stage 3:  Press the  Post  button and, if the title is satisfactory, it will be saved to the ship. Now anybody viewing your ship will also see its title.

       Choosing a ship identify  There are various vital caveats when it arrives to naming your ship: The name cannot be a lot more than 20 figures, can’t comprise numbers, commence or close with a area, or comprise particular special figures. They are also limited, so make guaranteed to input a little something ideal (or intelligent and inappropriate we will not explain to).

 Ship names really do not will need to be authentic, so you do not need to have to fear if “Sloop Dogg” is previously taken. It is a good area to be inventive, however. Some of the most effective ship names in  Sea of Intruders  we have viewed consist of:

  The IRS  Pier Strain  Plunder Mifflin  1995 Subaru Outback  Unsinkable II  The Alcoholic Albatross  Row V Wave    Renaming a ship in Sea of Thieves  If you never like the title you picked or you just want to change issues up, you can, but with a catch. You require to either commit ancient cash to rename your ship or delete that ship and get a new one particular. The previous expenditures actual-planet cash, even though the latter loses all development that the ship has made as a result of milestones and calls for you to spend the gold for a new boat yet again.

  Step 1:  To rename your ship, start  Sea of Intruders  and pick  Pirate emporium  from the main menu.

       Phase 2:  Navigate to the  Captaincy  tab.

  Step 3:  Choose  Ship renaming deed , and press the  Get  possibility. If you really don’t have ample historic coins, a pop-up will prompt you to order an historical coin bundle. The Renaming Deed expenses 499 ancient cash or $5.49 in true-lifetime USD.

                    Action 4:  Return to the primary menu and pick out  Engage in .

       Action 5:  Opt for both the  Journey  or  A pirate’s lifestyle  solution, then pick  My ships .

  Step 6:  Navigate to the ship you want to rename and pick the  Rename  option on the remaining.

       Phase 7:  A warning will pop up, informing you that renaming the ship will eat the Renaming Deed. Go on and the  Enter new title  window will pop up, making it possible for you to enter your recently picked out identify.

       Dismantling a ship  If you would alternatively just delete the old boat totally and start off new, you can. All development and cosmetics used will be absent, and you will require to front the whole rate once yet again to purchase the ship.

  Phase 1:   Navigate to the  My ships  display screen.

       Phase 2:  Select the ship you want to delete and choose  Dismantle  from the possibilities on the left.

  Move 3:  A warning will pop up, informing you that dismantling cannot be undone. Affirm that you want to dismantle, then affirm a 2nd time when prompted. Now you can get started a new ship of that dimension from scratch and title it utilizing the exact strategy from in advance of.

      Editors’ Tips

https://socialwicked.com/sea-of-thieves-how-to-name-your-ship/

[gardenofnoah]

all the times i told you

part 1

i’m thinking this will be a sweet little multi-parter about being so in love it makes you sick. featuring katsuki, obviously. i want to keep this going throughout the year, finishing next new year’s eve. real full circle with it. we’ll call this a milestone post for 1k ♡ wc: 1.3k. cw: gn reader, timeskip!bkg (time passed is vague), fluff

you think you should’ve listened to him.

the bar is loud, and you feel the beginnings of a headache at your temples. the arms that cage you in from behind are a comfort, and you lean your head back to knock against a solid chest.

“y’alright?” bakugou murmurs into your ear over the chatter. you turn your head to look at him, pouting a little.

“wish we would’ve stayed home.”

the smirk stretches slowly over his face and you pout harder at the way he cocks an eyebrow at you.

“didn’t y’beg me to take you out for new years?”

your eyes narrow at him and you press your head back into him, head butting his chest half heartedly. huffing when his grin widens.

“but i miss our couch,” you whine, eyes closing when you feel him bend down to press a kiss to your temple.

“let’s go then, crybaby.”

you perk up immediately, pulling a laugh from him as he grabs your coat from the back of your chair, holding it open for you to slip into. you pull him out of the bar and into the cold night without fanfare. his fingers tangle with yours and he pulls your hand into his pocket, squeezing gently. you feel like skipping down the sidewalk.

“slow down,” he grumbles, after nearly tripping from the way you all but drag him toward home.

“speed up,” you retort, grinning at him. you let out a little yelp when he jerks you backward into his chest by the hand you lead him with, putting you in a headlock. it’s all to make you laugh and you slip out of it with ease, darting behind him.

he groans when you climb up him and cling to him like a koala.

“now we’ll never get home.”

“hey!” you yell through your smile, flicking his ear. he grumbles but continues walking, hoisting you farther up his back with a strong grip under your thighs. you lean down to rest your head against his shoulder, and he turns to kiss your face. it’s quiet then—the silence is savored between you as bakugou walks. there are a few people on the sidewalk, but most are inside, huddled around bars or tv sets at home to bring in the new year. the more you think of it, the more ridiculous you feel for wanting to be anywhere but the home that you share.

you make it there after 15 minutes of walking and he carries you through the front door and to your living room, dropping you unceremoniously on the couch. you lay down and stretch out along the length of it, wiggling a bit to get settled, and he watches you in amusement. there’s a soft smile on his face that’s reserved for you, and it feels more like home than any place ever has.

a moment passes and he joins you, manhandling you a bit to wedge himself underneath you. with a fair amount of grumbling from you, he settles you onto his chest and you don’t admit that it’s comfier now, opting instead to splay your fingers out over the expanse of his chest and listen to his heartbeat.

“what do you think?” he asks after a moment, speaking over the quiet hum of the new years broadcast on your tv.

“about?”

“this year.”

you hum, considering the question. “you were a good hero this year.”

he scoffs, “course i was—what kind of shit is good? i was the best.”

you roll your eyes at that, laughing softly. it didn’t matter how far he was from his time at UA—the bravado would never leave him. the hero dynamight was a force to be reckoned with.

but when it came to matters of bakugou katsuki, the confidence wavered—however minutely.

“you were a great partner this year.”

“ah,” he sighs, pointedly looking at the tv and away from your gaze, “could’ve been better.”

“well sure,” you pause, feeling the length of his collarbone under the pads of your fingers. it strikes you as odd how fragile the bone is—even in someone as seemingly unbreakable as katsuki. “so could i. it’s a good thing we have another year to work on that.”

that pulls a huff from him that you know is a laugh. “thanks, smart ass.”

you both focus on whatever band is performing—outside in the cold—from the warmth of your spot on the couch. it’s quiet for another moment before you speak.

“i mean it,” you say, quiet, “you’re good to me, katsuki.”

you feel a warm hand at the small of your back, reveling in the trail of goosebumps it leaves in its movement to the nape of your neck. it settles there, and his fingers squeeze gently in an acknowledgement of what you said. you’ve developed your own sort of language over the years—you find that the little acts of affection from katsuki feel far more impactful than words ever could, most of the time.

but sometimes the words wash over you like a wave and you couldn’t fight it if you wanted to.

“love you,” he whispers, and you feel it everywhere. it makes you want to bury your face in his shirt, or maybe in his skin—to get a close as physically possible and then closer still, just to be near the heart that’s claimed you. to cradle it in your hands and keep it safe for him, because he’s trusted it to you.

but that would embarrass him, probably, so you just whisper a love you back to him and rub your hand over the spot where it lives inside him, content with the knowledge that it is yours, however far from you he may be.

basking in the fact that he is right here with you now.

“do you have any resolutions?” you ask, fully expecting something along the lines of to keep being the best god damn hero this country’s ever seen. something to cut through the weight of the feeling that hangs above you both. 

to your surprise, he’s quiet. he drags his thumb up the side of your neck and back down again a few times, before he takes a breath in.

“not really. i, uh—” another pause, another breath, “i want to start thinkin’ about what’s next. you know, for you and i, or whatever.”

you’re not really surprised—it’s been several years of you being together—but you’re endeared by the way he is so obviously nervous right now, despite that.

“yeah?” you ask, tilting your head to look up at him. it’s a moment before he’s able to look down at you and meet your eyes.

“yeah.”

the hand on your neck moves forward and he brushes a thumb over your brow bone, holding your face to where it rests on his sternum. his heartbeat flutters against your temple and you are overcome with the feeling that there could be no other place in the world crafted just for you like this one has been.

“do you have one?”

“hm?”

“a resolution.”

“oh,” you let out a little laugh, a little bashful at the way he smirks at you now. you haven’t really thought about it—neither one of you had ever really been big on resolutions, but it feels a little different now. like it’s less of a goal you have to set and more of a transition into something that’s already begun—the resolution, then, is just a way to lean into it. 

“I want to stay here with you,” you murmur, meeting his eyes again, “i want you to ask me that again next year.”

“not much of a resolution then,” and there’s a soft smile stretching across his face, “you were gonna do that anyway.”

“no,” you tell him, turning to press a kiss to the palm of his hand, “it’ll be different.”

he’s quiet then, focused on the arch of the curve above your lip, pressing his thumb to it gently.

“yeah,” he rasps, “it will be.”

read part 2 here

this fic belongs to me (@gardenofnoah). i do not allow anyone to repost, edit, or reproduce this work.

[forpeterparker]

everything changes | p. parker

summary: on your graduation day, you run into the one that got away.

genre: angst(?), almost lovers!au

pairing: tom!peter parker x reader

word count: 900+ words

a/n: don’t mind me, i’m just in my feelings. also, this doesn’t correlate with the movies. i just like using peter as a character :D for example, i mention a harry and it’s not harry osborn or anything LOL. idk if i like this...

And just like that, you finished another life milestone. After countless all-nighters, hours of studying, and many cups of coffee, you finally made it. You graduated from college.

While walking out of the venue, many thoughts were racing your head. When do you start paying back student loans again? Where were your parents taking you out to celebrate? Did all your siblings come to the ceremony? How were you going to find your family in a sea of people? What the hell were you going to do for the rest of your life?

You managed to walk outside and you were right. There were a ton of people. There was absolutely no way you were gonna find your family without some sort of direction.

You checked your phone and saw multiple texts from the family group chat.

Family

Dad: We’re so proud of you!

Mom: Call us when you’re out of the stadium! We need to take pictures so I can post them on Facebook!

Brother: *Attachment: 1 Image* Haha it looks like you’re picking your nose in this picture

Brother 2.0: Y/N, were you actually picking your nose? That’s nasty dude

Y/N: Disrespectfully, shut up

After sending the text message, you dialed your mom’s phone number while beginning to walk down the long flight of outdoor stairs.

“Hello? Mom, where are you guys?”

“Honey, we’re near the trees.”

“Mom, there are trees everywhere.”

“We’re near the main parking lot. There’s a white tent here.”

Stopping in your tracks, you squinted while looking into the distance.

“Okay, that’s useful. I think I see the tent, but it might take me awhile since it’s pretty far.”

“Okay, we’ll see you soon. Bye.”

Reaching the bottom of the steps, you ran into one of your good friends, Harry.

“Y/N!” he shouted while waving his hands.

“Harry! We finally did it!” you ran towards him and embraced him in a hug.

He broke away from the hug and held your hands, “I know. I’m so proud of you. Of us. We should make plans for the summer!”

“Yeah! Of course. Listen, I still have to go find my family. I’ll text you later, yeah?” you let go of his hands and started walking away.

“No problem! See you soon, babe!”

You laughed at the nickname.

It brought you back to your second year of college when you guys were fake dating because an awfully annoying and persistent girl wouldn’t leave him alone. Harry had to beg, knees on the floor and everything, for you to be his fake girlfriend. You finally agreed, but only if he agreed to buy you food every time he told the annoying girl that you and him were going on a date. The fake dating lasted nearly a year, but surprisingly, it solidified your friendship with him.

“C-congratulations, Y/N.” The voice didn’t belong to Harry, but it didn’t belong to a stranger either. You knew this voice.

You turned around and locked eyes with him. The person who was your high school best friend. The person who you studied and watched a movie with every Saturday night. The person who you fell in love with. The person who you envisioned you would spend the rest of your life with.

You cleared your throat and managed to put a smile on your face, “Thank you, Peter. How long has it been since we’ve seen each other?”

“Three years.” he replied, a little too quick.

Three years since you found out. Three years since you went to Aunt May’s apartment to hang out with Peter while you guys were on winter break. Three years since she asked, “Peter didn’t tell you?”

What Peter didn’t tell you was that he was transferring to MIT for the spring semester. He had to leave early to attend orientation and move into his dorm.

“Wow. It’s been awhile. Are you here for Ned? I haven’t seen him since before the ceremony, but I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.”

“Yeah, I’m here for Ned–”

“Peter? Babe, where are you? There you are!”

Before you knew it, a familiar tall girl interlocked hands with Peter, but you didn’t know who she was. You quickly teared your eyes away from Peter’s gaze to look at their hands before looking at her.

“Y/N, this is my girlfriend, MJ. She also went to Midtown, but I don’t think you guys knew each other.”

Your smile slightly falls, but you force yourself to smile more before reaching your hand out. “I’m Y/N. I used to be friends with Peter back in high school. I knew you looked familiar when I saw you just now, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. By the way, you’re absolutely gorgeous. I can’t believe you’re with Parker over here. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Y/N. Thank you, but I can’t believe how he ended up with me. It’s so crazy that we both were from Midtown and I just happened to run into him at orientation. ” she smiles back at you.

It makes your heart ache to see that the boy you loved ended up with someone so sweet. Someone who wasn’t you.

“Well, I should probably let you guys go find Ned and I still need to find my–”

“We should meet up and catch up sometime.” Peter cut you off.

You wanted to tell Peter everything and nothing at all. You wanted to talk to him and have it be like old times, but you knew it wouldn’t be like that. You were at different points in your life. You were far from being in his life and it was because of what he did. He didn’t deserve to know about you and how your life was now. He lost the opportunity to when he left you behind.

This time, you put a genuine smile on your face. “Maybe. I’ll see you around, Peter.”

[turtle-babe83]

A self-indulgent piece with myself and my wifey as the protagonists. I debated posting it, but @exovapor thought others might find the plot intriguing. Yes, there will be eventual smut. If there is enough interest, I’ll continue to post chapters here. Thanks friends. 🐢♥️💜💙🧡

Warning: Language

Chapter 1: Secrets

“Frosty’s balls, it’s fucking freezing out here!” Kassie complained, her breath creating a white cloud as she huffed down the sidewalk.

Valerie rolled her eyes, “It was your genius idea to move north. I wanted to move to the beach.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kassie muttered, pulling her coat tighter around her. “It’s not like you’re ever going to let me forget that.”

She grinned good-naturedly at her best friend. Val might complain about the weather and the amount of people in New York City, but she loved her job here and her roommate. About a block from their apartment building, Kassie hooked arms with the beautiful brunette for added warmth. They had gone out for dinner to celebrate a milestone Val had received at work, and while walking was not their preferred method of transportation, there wasn’t a cab to be had.

“So, tell me again why you think April knows the vigilantes?” the redhead asked to change the subject.

Val’s eyes brightened instantly. She loved her job at Channel 6 News. Research and fact checking, perfect for someone with her special computer skills. April O’Neil, New York’s favorite reporter, had quickly made friends with Valerie, and often called on her for help with certain news stories. Val liked her tenacity, but had her suspicions about NYC’s sweetheart.

“Some of the things she asks me to look into for her, well, they usually end up tied to some criminal activity. And the vigilantes always wind up making an appearance,” she explained. “It’s just a feeling I have in my gut, that she is working with them. And her cop boyfriend too.”

“Well, if anyone can find the truth about it, it’s you, babe.” Kassie stated. “Oh thank god, there’s our building!”

❄️❄️❄️

The next morning, Val sat at her computer, working on fact checking a special interest piece. A knock on her office door made her look up, and she smiled at April’s beaming face. April help up a small white paper bag and shook it slightly.

“Who’s your favorite reporter who brings you scrumptious pastries from the best bakery in Brooklyn? This bitch!”

Valerie laughed good-naturedly, holding her hand out for the bag.

“Alright, O’Neil. What do you need?” she chuckled.

“What makes you think I want something?" April asked innocently.

“Because you always bring me gifts when you're trying to butter me up,” Val replied, pulling a danish from the bag and biting into the sweet flaky goodness.

“Not true!” April exclaimed, in mock innocence. Val gave her a pointed look. “Okay, sometimes true.”

"Look, Casey has a new partner and we are going out to dinner with him tonight. Casey asked me to find someone to be Jared’s date.”

“Nope, no, uh uh, not a chance,” Val shook her head vehemently.

“Oh come on, Val! Help me out! It’s just one dinner.” April plead.

“April, I don’t do humans. I’ve told you this,” Valerie sighed.

“There’s no one else I can ask,” April whined.

Val finished off her danish while April sat across the desk from her, pouting.

“Alright, I have an idea. Let me call my roommate, Kassie. Maybe I can talk her into it.” Val shrugged.

🍩🍩🍩

“Are you sure you want me to go in your place?” Kassie asked for the umpteenth time.

Valerie rolled her eyes, “You know I don’t date humans.”

“But what if he’s not? What if he’s an alien hiding in a human meat suit, and underneath, he’s purple and really has like twelve tentacles?” Kassie teased, running the straightener through her hair.

“Then, you bring him and we’ll share him. That’s six tentacles apiece,” Val retorted.

“Touché. How do I look?” Kassie asked, doing a little twirl and ending with a vogue pose.

“Like you’re too hot for whoever this Jared guy is,” her friend answered.

“Yeah, well, this could be all yours but you pushed me off to the alien,” Kassie reminded her as she grabbed her leather jacket and gloves.

“Alleged alien. Bring me proof, and we’ll talk.”

Kassie laughed, then leaned over to kiss Val on the cheek.

“I love you,” she giggled. “Now behave yourself. No wild parties while I’m gone.”

“No promises!” Val called as Kassie went out the door. She settled down with her latest dark romance novel, notebook ready to jot thoughts, so she could review the book on her blog. Now, this was her kind of night.

📒📒📒

Wow, this guy is a total dick, Kassie thought to herself. He did nothing but talk about himself, bragging about all his achievements in the Academy. April had a fake smile plastered to her face. Casey had the decency to at least look interested. Kassie took another sip of her wine. Shooting April a look, she motioned with her head, announcing that she needed a restroom break. Thankfully, April got the hint and joined her.

“Oh my god, could he be any more full of himself?” Kassie groaned.

April grimaced, “Yeah, I honestly had no idea what he was like. Sorry to drag you into this, Casey just thought it would be a good bonding experience for them as new partners.”

“I can fake illness and you can ‘make sure I get home okay’ if you want out of this,” Kassie offered.

Suddenly, there was a fist banging on the restroom door. Both women startled, and immediately went into defensive poses.

“Hey Ape! We gotta run! There’s a break-in at the genetics lab and we’re the closest units!” Casey yelled through the door.

April threw open the door and bolted after him, Kassie hot on her heels. As they ran out the front door, April realized that she wasn’t alone.

“Go back, call a cab. This is too dangerous for you!” she called back over her shoulder.

“Not a chance! And if it’s so dangerous, why are you running to it?“ Kassie retorted.

April growled in frustration, “Because I’m a news reporter!”

“And I’m a writer, so I’m going too!”

April groused but there was no time to waste so she couldn’t stop her from tagging along. They raced down the sidewalks, cutting down alleys and dodging traffic. When they arrived at the building, Casey’s car was parked haphazardly on the sidewalk out front. The women slowed down and crept through the front doors. The genetics lab was on the third floor, so they took the closest stairs and climbed quietly, eyes peeled for intruders. Suddenly, there was a commotion up above, lots of shouting and things falling and shattering. The two ladies looked at one another and ran up the last flight of stairs. What met them at the top was utter chaos. The floor was littered with broken glass and unidentifiable fluids. Casey and Jared both had their weapons drawn, facing down a number of black clad characters. A smoke bomb had been set off and the air was still foggy.

Out of nowhere, the would-be burglers were yanked into the cloud of smoke. Jared shouted for the newcomers to show themselves, but Casey threw a hand out and stopped him from shooting. New voices were speaking but all that could be seen was shapes. Large shapes.

April and Kassie stood just inside the doorway, watching without entering the foray. April looked mostly unperturbed, but Kassie was filled with adrenaline. A mixture of fear and excitement had her limbs shaking.

“Who do you work for?” a deep male voice demanded.

“Hey, what’s that in your hand?” another male asked, voice much softer and lighter.

There was a clink of glass and then something came rolling past the women, a canister of some sort. It went far up under a desk. Kassie started that way when a behemoth flipped across the room and landed with a hard thud in front of her. She looked up into a green scowling face, a humanoid creature wearing a red bandana over its head and eyes. It was massive, and it looked pissed. Kassie’s eyes traveled all the way down to its two-toed feet.

“The fuck?” she muttered, poised to fight if this beast attacked.

“Kassie, it’s okay! He’s one of the good guys!” April called from behind her.

Kassie gave him a slightly skeptical look, then nodded, “Okay.”

She glanced at the desk, then looked back at the….what, a giant turtle man?

“You need whatever rolled under there? Well, you sure as hell won’t fit,” she snorted.

Getting down on her hands and knees, she crawled under the desk, and back further until she could reach the canister of green liquid. She slowly backed out, trying to maneuver blindly, when she felt two huge hands grasp her hips and pull her backwards and out. When she stood, she started to thank the big guy, and realized another turtle man had joined him. This one was taller and lankier, but still quite muscled. He wore a purple bandana across his eyes, and a pair of tortoise shell glasses. He held his hand outstretched and with a raised brow, Kassie handed it to him.

“Thank you, Miss…?” Purple asked. Ah, he was the owner of the softer voice from before.

“Kassie. And you are?” she inquired.

“Donnie,” a third turtle stepped up, this one wearing a blue bandana and the owner of the deep voice. “What is it?”

Purple, or Donnie, as you now knew his name, eyed the canister from several angles.

“I can’t be sure until I test it, but my theory? Mutagen.”

April joined the circle, Casey and Jared behind her. Kassie noticed that Jared had relaxed just a fraction, but still looked as wary as she felt. Casey bumped fists with a fourth turtle, orange bandana and a cheerful smile. Kassie liked him instantly.

“Where would they get mutagen?” April mused.

“What’s mutagen?”

Everyone looked at Kassie. Well, Red hadn’t taken his eyes off of her since he first saw her. He had yet to speak. She couldn’t help but wonder what his voice would sound like. For non-human entities, she could admit they were actually kinda hot. All those thick muscles were sexy, and Red’s intense gaze was more arousing than intimidating.

“Who’s this?” Blue asked April.

She sighed, “I suppose introductions are in order. Guys, this is Kassie. Her roommate is one of my co-workers, and a friend.”

Jared stepped forward, “And my date tonight.”

He tried to slip an arm around her shoulders, but she sidestepped him. Was that a flash of annoyance in Red’s eyes? Interesting.

“Yeah, date’s over, Casanova. I was just filling in for Val, anyway.” Kassie explained. “So, these are New York City’s mysterious vigilantes.”

April and Casey looked sheepish.

“Oh please, I’m not stupid. I can put the clues together,” she rolled her eyes.

“Alright, Nancy Drew,” Blue began, crossing his arms. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Who would believe me anyway? Don’t worry, I can be discreet.” she assured him. “So, I’ve met Donnie so far. Do the rest of you have names, or should I call you by your colors?”

Blue held out a three-fingered hand and she shook it.

“I’m Leonardo. This is Michelangelo, and Raphael,” he answered, motioning at the other two.

“Renaissance artists, huh? So, Donnie is short for-?”

“Donatello, at your service.” Donnie grinned, bowing low.

“Okay, so clearly Leonardo is in charge,” that earned a derisive snort from Raphael, “and Raphael here is the brute squad.”

A giggle-snort came from Donnie, “Nice Princess Bride reference.”

Kassie grinned. She definitely liked this one. “You’re the smart guy.”

“A real genius!” Michelangelo piped up. “And I’m the fun one. Ladies like to call me Mikey.”

“Know many ladies, do you?” she quipped.

Finally, Raphael laughed. Kassie looked up in surprise at the bellow of sound.

“She got ya there, little bro,” he chuckled.

Sexy Brooklyn accent, she thought. Wait, sexy? Well, she had to admit, he really was easy on the eyes, even if he was a large talking turtle. In fact, they all were.

“Val is going to flip her lid when she gets a load of you guys,” she mused.

“NO!” April yelled. Kassie’s head whipped around at the sudden outburst.

“You can’t tell her. You can’t tell anyone.” she continued, voice high and pitchy.

“What?! She’s my best friend. My roommate. MY WIFEY,” Kassie fumed. “We don’t keep secrets from each other.”

Mikey’s interest was piqued, “Wifey? You’re a lesbian? Good for you. I’ve never really met any before.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Kassie muttered, “we aren’t lesbians, we’re soulmates.”

Mikey leaned over to Raphael, “What’s the difference?”

Raphael’s expression was stormy, “How the hell should I know?”

Kassie stamped her foot, exasperated. “She’s my best friend, but on a deeper level, okay? I still like dick. Geez.”

“Look, it’s imperative that we keep the turtles’ existance a secret. For their safety, and because their anonymity gives them an advantage as ninjas,” Casey cut in.

“Ninjas?” Kassie asked, looking them over again.

She finally noticed the weapons strapped to their bodies. Oh. She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. Making her decision, she opened her eyes and addressed Leonardo, the leader.

“Alright, I’ll keep your secret on one condition,” she put her hands on her hips, “I want your story. I want in on…whatever this is that you do. Deal?”

Leonardo looked at the others. They all shrugged, and April gave him a thumbs up. He nodded his agreement.

“It might be dangerous,” he warned.

“Danger? Ha! I laugh in the face of danger. Ha, ha, ha.” she recited.

Donnie smiled wide, “Another appropriate quote.”

🐢🐢🐢

Kassie opened the apartment door as quietly as possible. Valerie had fallen asleep on the couch, book still in one hand, pen in the other. Kassie gathered her things and set them on the coffee table. Grabbing a big blanket, she covered her dozing friend. Pressing a kiss to her temple, she clicked off the lamp, and made her way to her own room. Tonight had been full of surprises. How on earth would she keep something this big and lifechanging from Val? There had to be a way to bring her into the fold without pissing off the mutant ninja warriors.

Mmm, and speaking of the devils, a certain pair of intense green eyes still haunted her thoughts. She always did have a weakness for thighs like those. Raph, as he asked her to call him, obviously never missed a leg day. She wondered if his plump lips were as soft as they looked. Her last thought before dozing off, was that he had really massive feet. There was a saying about guys with big feet…..

[hiddenwashington]

hello hello friends!! it is my favorite day of the year!!!! it’s somehow, once again, time for hidden’s annual positivity day! to continue our celebration of hidden turning five years old!!! i am still in shock about it pls leave me be. we are going to be holding a positivity day today, instead of our usual meme day! for those who are new, or need a refresher, the way to participate is by posting a ‘ ♥ ‘ on your blog under the ‘hw: meme call’ tag and your inbox will be flooded with love and positivity from your fellow members and admins! i promise you, you will receive messages and members, as always, you know, please send something to every single person even if you are not super close with them! please help us in celebrating this giant milestone in this group and spread love to everyone here, as we would have never gotten to this point in the group without all of you, without your love and support so we want to return that feeling to all of you today! also, as a little treat for all members (admins included) we’re going to be a little lax on activity this week, so you all do not have to worry about that while participating! if you have any questions regarding how positivity day works, please feel free to reach out and we’ll help you out!! otherwise, we cannot wait to see all of the love flooding the dash and lifting up this incredible milestone together! 

[sir-crocodile-smile]

Potion: An Elixir of Hurt/Comfort w/ Killer

I poured the ink into the concoction and it turned a lovely shade of jet black, much like the ink found in a Tattoo Shop AU! When you drink this, a few tattoos will surely bloom on your skin. They're temporary though so don't worry! They tend to last 5-7 days.

Hello @quirkyseastone​! Did I actually get this done in time? Technically no. It’s 15 minutes past midnight, but I’m really proud of this so I’m posting it anyway! Its suuuuuuuuuper long lol, it’s like a whole fanfiction.... this is what Killer does to me.

This surprisingly ended up being really emotional for me to write. I’ve recently lost someone very, very dear to me, and am actually planning to get some kind of memorial tattoo, much like the reader in this piece. So this ended up being very personal and quite self indulgent! I hope that you (and others) like it anyway. This hurt/comfort piece is heavy on the comfort lol. Congratulations on your milestone and thank you for organizing this lovely event!

“Tattooed Memories and New Beginnings” - Gender Neutral reader, Modern AU Tattoo Shop w/Killer

You could not have looked more out of place than you did right now, standing in the doorway of Victoria Punk Tattoos and Piercings. Everything about this place was intimidating as hell: black painted walls, a mural of a giant flaming skull on the wall, and there was even metal music being piped in through the speakers. The blue-haired man behind the front desk looked up at you when the bell above the shop door rang, and he gave you a confused expression. You obviously weren’t the kind of customer they were used to.

“Umm, are you lost?” The tattooed receptionist asked, looking a little worried for you.

“This is Victoria Punk, right? I’m [y/n], I have an appointment with Killer,” you replied. You had been messaging back and forth with Killer over Instagram for a few days discussing what kind of piece you wanted to commission from him, and he suggested you come to the parlor for a consultation and to see a few sketches. Your good friend Law recommended this place to you, as he got his tattoos done here by the owner, Kid. You trusted the doctor’s advice, but after looking at the different styles of the artists on their website, you liked Killer’s neat and crisp designs more than Kid’s. You had to admit, it made you a little nervous to be here.

“So you do…” the blue-haired man replied after checking the schedule. “Have a seat over there, Killer will be right with you.” You did so, looking around at the shop while you waited. God, it really was intimidating in here, maybe this was a bad idea… But just then a side door opened and out stepped a tall, muscular man with blonde hair down to his waist. He wore a cloth mask over the lower half of his face, but you could see a little bit of goatee peeking out. He scanned across the room, looking past you for a moment before his eyes snapped back to you and widened with surprise.

“[Y/n]?” He called tentatively, and you waved. You could see his eyebrows raise in surprise under his blonde bangs. Yep, you could tell that you weren’t the typical customer for these guys. They probably see other punks like them in here, or intimidating guys like Law. Still, the man composed himself quickly, approaching you and shaking your hand. “I’m Killer, good to meet you. Come have a seat at my station, and we’ll talk about the piece you want.” You shook his hand, offering him a smile, and followed him to take a seat at his station as he got out a sketchbook. “So this design, you said it’s a memorial?”

“Yes,” you replied, with a little sad sigh behind it. The loss still weighed on you. His sharp blue eyes flicked up at you, then softened.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” he murmured. 

“Thanks… getting this tattoo means a lot to me.” You lowered your gaze, half out of nerves and half just from grief. “He had a lot of tattoos, and I can’t think of a better way to honor him.” It had almost been a half year since he passed, but remembering him was still hard sometimes. You were determined not to cry in this badass tattoo shop in front of a stranger.

“Then I’ll make sure it’s perfect,” Killer replied, the surprising softness in his voice catching you off guard. He leaned forward a little in his chair, flipping open his sketchbook and getting out a pencil. “You’ve given me some details of things you want to include, but if it’s okay, I’d like to learn more about him. It’ll help me come up with the right design for you.” 

You nodded, and began to talk about your lost loved one, the connection you had, and special memories you shared. Killer was an excellent listener, and incredibly easy to talk to. You couldn’t see half his face, but you could see the corners of his eyes crinkle with a smile when you told him about a particularly funny memory. Despite your best efforts, you still teared up when you thought of the most important connections you had. Killer was quick to grab you some tissues, moving his chair when he came back so that he was facing you at an angle instead of right ahead of you. You thought it was odd until you glanced up over his shoulder and saw one of the other artists walking a customer back from the waiting area. He was using his large frame to shield you from prying eyes while you cried. How sweet of him, you thought to yourself, feeling a little smile creep up on you despite your sniffling. 

Eventually, the time for the consultation came to an end when the other employee from the front desk shouted at Killer that he had 5 minutes until his next appointment. “Shit,” he swore, looking at the time on his phone. “Went way over time… Sorry, hope you didn’t have anything to rush to after this. I’ll send you some sketch ideas over Instagram in a few days. Go see Heat at the front desk so we can schedule you for your first sitting.”

“It’s fine, I’m not that busy today,” you replied, standing up and offering him a small smile. “Thank you for taking all this time out of your schedule for me, I’m sorry if I talked too much.”

“I don’t mind at all,” he said, then he looked you up and down quizzically. “[Y/n], will this be your first tattoo?” You grimaced and looked at your feet, a little embarrassed to admit this in front of a hunk who had a full left sleeve of tattoos and probably more.

“Yep…”

“Hmm…” Killer pondered this for a second, thumb absentmindedly messing with his goatee. “We’ll have to split it into more sessions, then. You probably can’t be under the needle as long as most people who want a big piece like this can.” You agreed, not knowing what kind of pain tolerance you would have for this, and set up your next appointment with the blue-haired man at the counter.

When you came back for your first appointment, you weren’t so intimidated by the building anymore, but you were quite nervous about getting your first tattoo. When Killer brought you back to his station, he raised an eyebrow at you.

“You didn’t bring anybody with you?” He asked.

“No? Was I supposed to?” 

“Most people bring someone with them when they get tattooed, especially if it’s their first. It helps to have someone to distract you from the pain,” he explained, tying his long hair back and pulling his bangs back with a headband and a hairclip. “And to have someone’s hand to squeeze when it hurts.” You nibbled on your bottom lip, now even more nervous than before. What were you going to do? Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Killer move to grab something out of a drawer, and he offered it to you. “Here. I was kinda worried this might happen, so I picked this up just in case.” Sitting on his broad palm was a stress ball, shaped like a cute cartoon cat. 

“Really? Thank you… that’s really sweet of you, Killer,” you said with a small smile as you took the stress ball from him and gave it a few test squeezes. Killer rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.

“Just doin my job, lookin out for my client, that’s all,” he muttered as he messed with some papers, though you could swear you could see a little bit of pink creeping up above where his mask ended below his eyes. He clears his throat and gets out a pair of black rubber gloves. “You ready, [y/n]?”

You took a deep breath, settling in the chair and gripping the squishy cat in your other hand. “Yeah. Let’s do this!” 

Good god, tattoos are painful, huh? But you were a champ about it, staying still as Killer inked your skin and you mangled the squishy cat in your hand. He asked you to talk to him through it, reassuring you that if you were distracted by telling him about your week, you would hurt less. You don’t know if it helped, but hearing his deep voice hum in response or ask another question so close to you made you feel warm inside. You only cried once, and that was when the needle hit a particularly sensitive spot. You dabbed at your eyes with the tissues Killer left out for you, and his soft voice soothed you with gentle words. At the end of the session, as he wrapped your shoulder and gave you instructions on how to care for your tattoo over the next few weeks, he got out his phone.

“Would you mind if I gave you my number? It’ll be easier to get in touch with me that way, and I want you to be able to text me if you have any questions about how to take care of it, or if something goes wrong,” he explained as you gathered your things to get up from the chair. 

“Sure,” you said, as you put his number in your phone. His eyes widened in surprise when you sent him a text with your name right away, to make sure you had typed in the right number. You try to give him back the cat stress ball, but he won’t take it.

“Nah, just keep it. You’ll need it for next time too,” he says, waving you away to go see Heat at the front desk. You looked back at him while you were scheduling your next session, and you thought you caught him staring at you as he quickly looked away, drumming his fingers on the back of a random chair.

Over a number of weeks, you returned to Victoria Punk to get more parts of your tattoo worked on by Killer, and you got to know him and the staff fairly well. You found out that Killer’s actually been friends with the owner, Kid, since they were little kids. Killer told you some stories about the stupid things they did as teenagers, and even some stupid things Kid did last weekend. All the staff came around to say hi when you were in, sometimes to Killer’s annoyance, and the one who liked to stir up the most trouble was always Kid. Killer would huff under his mask and shake his head whenever Kid poked fun at him, but the moment Kid started to tease you, usually about being friends with Law, Killer would grab a towel from his station and whip it at Kid’s head with force. You laughed along though, occasionally poking back at them when you got the chance. You went from being out of place to feeling like one of their own. 

You and Killer had started texting each other occasionally between appointments too. It started out as Killer just asking you how you were feeling, or you asking a question about cleaning your tattoo, but eventually you started talking about other things too. You started looking forward to seeing a text from him, wishing you saw him more often than every few weeks. You definitely knew you had a crush on him (based on how often you lost sleep overthinking the punctuation in his texts), but you wouldn’t mind just being friends with him and the rest of the team at Victoria Punk. After all, it was nice for you to have more friends as you were going through the process of grief. But every time your phone lit up, you hoped it was Killer on the other end. Every time you saw the little squishy cat he gave you, your heart fluttered. 

The day of your last appointment finally came. When you walked in the door, Kid greeted you without even turning to look at you.

“[Y/n]! Knew you’d be coming in today,” he said with a smirk, putting some new piercings in the display case.

“Oh? You get psychic powers, or does all the metal in your face intercept text messages now?” You joked with a sly smirk of your own, watching Kid’s eyes narrow to a grumpy glare.

“No, dummy,” he grumbled, but his scowl couldn’t hide the glint of mischief in his eyes. “It’s just that Kil dresses nicer on days you’re coming in.” He didn’t wait for a reply, he just gave your bewildered expression a smirk and left, heading to the back of the shop as Killer came out early. You looked him over, and damn, maybe Kid was right. Leather jacket, collared shirt with a nearly scandalous amount of buttons undone, and distressed jeans; thank god you were already sitting in the chair at his station because your knees may have given out when you saw his piercing blue eyes focused on you as he approached. 

“Hey, [y/n]!” He called, a smile in the sound of his voice. “Last session, yeah? Bet you can’t wait to see the finished piece. Let’s get started.” 

A couple hours later, you were staring at your new and completed tattoo in the mirror, tears in your eyes but not from pain. No, this whole process had built up your pain tolerance like no one’s business. You were on the verge of tears because of how lovely the finished piece turned out. It was the perfect memorial to your loved one, something that would make you feel like he was always with you. It was everything you wanted it to be. 

“Thank you, Killer,” you said, trying to talk around the lump in your throat. “It’s perfect.”

“I’m glad you like it. From what you’ve told me about him, he would have liked it too,” he said from his seat beside you. You nodded in agreement. He slid a box of tissues over to you. “Take your time. Let me know when you’re ready to get it wrapped.”

Later, when he was covering your tattoo, the atmosphere was different. His movements were tense, and there was awkward silence hanging in the air between you. Since the tattoo was finished, you didn’t have a reason to come see him anymore… but you didn’t want this to be the last time you saw Killer. Your heart jumped when he cleared his throat to break the silence. “So… got any plans this weekend?” Oh no. This weekend was the last thing you wanted to think about right now.

“Well, not really. I would normally, but…” Your voice trailed off nervously. Killer caught it.

“What do you mean?”

“... Well, my birthday’s this weekend,” you sighed reluctantly.

“I thought you said you didn’t have any plans, though,” Killer pondered with a tilt of his head. You had to look away from the soft yet intense gaze he had as he studied your expressions.

“I… I don’t. I don’t know what to do. I always celebrated my birthday with [lost loved one’s name],” you explained, picking at your fingernails nervously. You tried to keep your breathing even. “This is my first birthday without him.” You couldn’t think of celebrating your birthday without him, so you put off planning for it until the very last minute, and now it was too late to do anything. You lived pretty far from your family, so visiting them was probably not an option, and you found out that Law was pulling a double shift this weekend. You would probably spend your birthday in your apartment, alone, missing one of your favorite people that was now gone forever. 

“We can’t have that,” Killer said, suddenly snapping you out of your sad thoughts. “You’re not spending your birthday alone, especially not now that you’ve told me.” 

“Wh. What?” You blinked at him like a deer in the headlights.

“You like the kind of music we play in here, right? Well, us guys are going to a show this Saturday,” he said, gesturing to the rest of the team at Victoria Punk over his shoulder. “You should come with us. With me.” He drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair nervously.

“I mean… I don’t wanna intrude on your ‘guys night’, you know?” You shrugged, feeling self-conscious at his invitation. You didn’t want him to invite you along just because he felt bad for you. You watched as he fished in the pocket of his leather jacket and produced two ticket stubs.

“You wouldn’t be, I… I wanted to invite you anyway,” he said, holding out one of the tickets to you. “Now that I know it's your birthday… If the concert’s not your thing, we could do something else, see a movie or something. I just… shit…” He stared at his shoes as a flush started to creep out from underneath his mask. It was the cutest damn thing you’ve ever seen.

“I wanna go to the concert with you, Killer,” you said, gently taking the ticket from his hand with a wide smile. His eyes snapped to you, kind of surprised, then he let out a half-assed chuckle followed by a very relieved sigh. You could swear that the fabric of his facemask was pulled in the shape of a smile, too.

The concert itself was intensely loud, crowded, but awesome. You could feel the bass in your chest as the music coursed through your veins, and as you watched the Victoria Punk team let loose, you forgot the sad feeling you woke up with this morning. Your loved one would have wanted you to spend your birthday happy, the way you always have when he was alive, not alone and sad. This wild concert was exactly what you needed. It’s almost like your loved one is telling you it’ll be alright.That even if they can’t be there with you, you won’t be alone. And that all you need to do to honor their memory and make them proud is to be happy. 

At some point, you got separated from the group for a little bit, only to immediately see a familiar mane of blonde hair making its way to you in a hurry.

“Sorry, went to grab a drink. Where’s everyone else?” Killer asked, leaning close to you and nearly shouting to be heard. You shrugged and shook your head, and saw Killer roll his eyes. He stood still for a second, then he took your hand in his. “Don’t want to you to get lost, especially if the others aren’t around.” He didn’t let go of your hand for the rest of the night, not even when you two went outside for some fresh air. 

“Ahhh, sweet oxygen!” You cheered, taking deep breaths of the cool night air. You turned to Killer with a smile. “This concert rules! I’m so glad you invited me, Killer.” He gently squeezed your hand, rubbing his thumb across your knuckles softly.

“I gotta get something from my truck real quick, you mind coming with?” He asked, a little nervousness in his voice. You nodded and let him lead you to his pickup truck. He reached into the passenger seat and pulled out a tupperware container, opening it to present it to you. Inside were a half dozen cute cupcakes. “Happy birthday, [y/n].”

“Killer, oh my god! Did you make these?” You asked, gasping in shock as you looked at the cute flower design made out of icing that sat on top of them. Killer simply nodded in reply. “Can I have one? Like right now?” Again, Killer nodded. You took one out and started to peel the wrapper eagerly, but paused. “Hey, you should have one too!” Killer hesitated, then picked one out for himself. You tried not to stare as he removed his mask for the first time, revealing an incredibly handsome face that made your heart stop. He tried not to make eye contact with you.

The two of you ate your delicious cupcakes in happy but nervous silence, only broken by you talking about how tasty these were and how thankful you were to Killer for surprising you with them. You both stole little glances at each other until Killer finally caught you staring. He took a swipe of icing off your cupcake and wiped it on your cheek.

“Don’t stare!” He scolded lightly. You gasped, wiping the icing from your cheek with a huff.

“How am I not supposed to stare at a handsome face like that?” You asked, and Killer choked on the cupcake in his mouth. By the time he recovered, his face was beet red, and he could barely look at you. You just gave him your biggest smile, watching the corner of his lips curve into a little smile. He looked at you softly as he leaned toward you, face still red but his eyes filled with confidence as he tipped your head to the side and kissed your cheek. He pulled away all too soon, licking a little bit of frosting off his lips as he gave you a cheeky smirk.

“Oops, looks like I missed a spot.”

“Maybe you’ll get it if you give it a second try,” you whispered breathlessly, and he leaned in once more.

“That so? I’m happy to try again… and again, and again, and again.”

[nashibirne]

Hey lovely! Sorry I missed your milestone post! Firstly CONGRATS! You deserve it and so much more!!! 💖 As there's a milestone celebration in my house today, what about celebrating a milestone anniversary with Henry? I'm all up in my sappy romantic feels 🥺💖 LUV YA x

I'm still answering the asks I got for my milestone celebration 🥳 So today I have another prompt based one-shot for you!

Thank you so much for your ask, Lauren and for your sweet words! I hope you still crave a little fluffy romance because that's what I tried to put into words, but most of all I hope you're going to like and enjoy this and you find yourself represented in my story.

Nostalgia

Pairing: Henry Cavill x Lauren

Words: ~ 1.3 k

Summary: It's your wedding anniversary but you have to work and that sucks, doesn't it?

Warnings: RPF, fluff

UNBETA'ED! English is not my mother tongue, so expect bad grammar, wrong spelling, chaotic punctuation and clumsy language. All mistakes are mine…

Disclaimer/credits: I neither own Henry Cavill nor do I know him. This is pure fiction. Pics for the header from Pinterest

My Masterlist

And now... enjoy the ride!

******

It could have been a great day, a perfect day. A trip to Plymouth, a major task your boss entrusted you with, a really important article you were about to write for the lifestyle and culture ressort you'd joined only a few weeks ago as deputy editor. If only it hadn't been exactly this day, the day of your five years anniversary with your beloved husband.

You leaned back in your seat with a sigh, closing your eyes, the rattling sound of the train that was taking you to Devon soothing your nerves a little.

Henry had been nothing but understanding when you told him you would be away for your anniversary. He had been disappointed for sure, you were easily able to tell by the look in his eyes, but he was the most supportive partner you could ever imagine and so he was genuinely happy for you that you were given this great opportunity.

"It's going to be fun, darling. You'll spend a whole day in a theme park and get paid for it," he had said with a grin. "We can celebrate our anniversary the next day, it's not a problem."

Of course he was right, it was no big deal, whether you had a romantic anniversary dinner today or tomorrow made no real difference, but you couldn't help the feeling of missing something tonight.

You shook your head, scolding yourself for being so unprofessional and ungrateful. Get your act together, you thought and that's what you did. You did your job and it turned out soon that Henry was right, it was a fun day.

The theme park that was about to be opened the following weekend, was called Nostalgia and it was really great. Old-fashioned and high-tech at the same time, the magic of the-good-old-days combined with the thrill of modern rides. You and the other journalists who got invited to the exclusive pre-opening had such a good time, trying all the fairground attractions -the rollercoasters, tilt-a-whirls, a log flume, a beautiful vintage horse-carousel, different chairoplanes and a more funny than spooky ghost train. You watched some shows, from stunt action to musical performances, and enjoyed some delicious treats at the candy booths. The only downer was the fact that the huge, historic ferris-wheel hadn't been opened yet. It was so beautiful, a real eyecatcher, being the geographical center of the park as well as the visual highlight.

When you and your colleagues were waiting for the shuttle busses to bring you back to the train station at the end of this exciting day, you were already busy with writing the article in your head. Unfortunately you were interrupted, when the park director approached you, glancing at your name badge.

"Mrs Cavill, I'm sorry to bother you, but would you please accompany me?"

You looked at him with a frown.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing to worry about, just a tiny problem with your accreditation. A formality. We just need you to sign some paperwork, so if you'd follow me to my office…?"

"But the bus," you said in a weak attempt to avoid any complications.

"There's plenty of time," the man answered with a friendly smile. "Please." He gestured to you to follow him and you gave in with a sigh.

When the ferris wheel came into sight you stared at it in amazement. It was beautifully illuminated by thousands of little lights that created a very romantic atmosphere, and to your big surprise it was even slowly turning.

"I thought the ferris wheel hadn't been opened yet?"

The director turned to you with a conspiratorial smile.

"Well, we may have given a special permit to someone to use it exclusively tonight."

"Really?" You were confused by his words and he grinned, pointing at something. When your gaze followed the direction of his gesture you gasped, covering your mouth with your hands. Henry was standing by the entrance of the ferris wheel, wearing a tuxedo, his hair neatly done, his blue eyes shining bright, smiling lovingly at you.

It took you some seconds to recover from this welcome shock, but when you were able to breathe and think again, you started to run straight into the arms of your beloved husband. He hugged you tightly, lifting you off the ground with ease, before putting you down again to press a sweet kiss on your brown hair.

"Happy anniversary, darling."

His whispered words that resonated softly in your ear, sent pleasant shivers down your spine. You looked up, getting on your tiptoes to kiss him. Your lips met and the kiss was brief but deep and passionate, your tongues tasting desire and anticipation in each other's mouths.

"Happy anniversary, baby", you answered with an ecstatic smile, still equally surprised and confused, "but what are you doing here?"

"Whisking you away for a ride on the big wheel, of course," he said with a grin and you couldn't help but laugh out loud with happiness and excitement.

"How the heck did you manage to do that?" You hugged him, snuggling up against his broad chest, inhaling his scent that was so fresh and tangy. Henry wrapped his arms around your petite body, making you feel safe and sound.

"That has to remain my little secret, darling," he smirked and you chuckled at his attempt to wink at you.

"So hop on, my lady."

Henry bowed down before you, gesturing expansively in the direction of the gondola, being the dorky guy he just was and who you loved so much.

When you entered the little cab you were truly amazed. It was furnished with two upholstered benches and a small table, but what made your heart skip a beat and your eyes go wide was the fact that it was decorated with so much loving care. There was an elegant white cloth on the table, candles that illuminated the tiny space, crystal champagne flutes and a huge bottle of Moët & Chandon, strawberries, filled chocolates and the little truffles you liked so much.

You sat down and Henry took the seat beside you, wrapping his arm around your shoulder to pull you close.

"This is incredible, baby. Such a great surprise," you told him with a grateful smile, visibly touched.

"I'm glad you like it, baby girl."

He kissed you and you laughed out loud in unison, when the wheel started moving, causing the gondola to rock slowly, making you and Henry bump into each other.

Besides the jerky start the ride was very smooth and the wheel kept on turning slowly while you and Henry enjoyed the fantastic few over the park, the delicious treats and the sparkling champagne, cuddled up to each other, sharing uncountable loving glances and kisses.

Just when you thought the night couldn't get any better, the cab stopped at the peak and music started to play softly from invisible speakers. You realized immediately that it was Secret Garden by Bruce Springsteen. Your song. The song he had kissed you to for the first time. The song you had danced to on your wedding day, surrounded by your families and friends but still feeling like being the only two people on the planet. The song you had made love to so many times.

You beamed at your husband, unable to say anything, tears welling up in your blue eyes, Henry loved so much. You cupped his face with your small hands and kissed him tenderly, your lips expressing your happiness and gratitude better than a thousand words could have. After making out for a while, completely lost in the moment, Henry pulled away, leaving you breathless and aroused. He raked something out of his pocket and placed it on the table right in front of you, covering it with his hand.

"What's that?" You wanted to know. "Another surprise?"

"An additional one," he grinned, lifting his arm, revealing a plastic card.

"Is that a key card?"

"It is," Henry nodded. "The key to an exclusive suite in the best hotel in town. We'll go there tonight and we won't leave it all weekend."

"Really?" You teased him with a cheeky smile. "What are we going to do in there all this time?"

"I'll show you," he said with a smirk, slipping his hand under your skirt, sounding the bell for the smuttiest weekend you'd ever experienced.

**********

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