#what i really want to do is get maybe a nice rug and a coffee table for our apartments living room

[lettuce-gremlin]

I will not go thrift shopping... Thrift shopping is the wallet and time killer....

[sidekick-hero]

I'm a fool (for you)

Written for the Stranger Things Writers Guild daily drabble, prompt was 'meet ugly'. I don't know what happened here. warnings: implied cheating (not steddie) | tags: meet ugly, hurt Eddie, emotional hurt/comfort, love at first sight with the worst timing, hopeful ending | 1.2k | AO3

April is Eddie's favorite month.

Winter is finally over and spring is breathing life back into the world. With the colors of spring, happiness seeped back into people's hearts.

As Eddie walks home from work, whistling his favorite tune, his heart swells with it. The sun still shines brightly, a gentle breeze carries the scent of cherry blossoms from the nearby park, and tucked in his pocket is his very first bonus check. He can't wait to tell David, the exhilaration of a beautiful day gives him hope that maybe they can have a nice evening with some wine and dinner before falling into bed together. It's been a while, and he knows it's partly because he works so much, but lately he feels like he and David are drifting apart.

Determined to surprise David with some quality time together, Eddie plans to come home early. Perhaps they could even use the extra money for a vacation, he thinks with a smile on his face.

Filled with hope and happiness, Eddie opens the door to their apartment, only to be greeted by a sight that shatters both.

A stranger, clad in nothing but black boxer briefs, stands in their bedroom doorway.

"I'm such a fool," Eddie murmurs, blinking at the unexpected sight of an almost-naked Adonis standing in the doorway to the room he shares with the man Eddie thought loved him.

The stranger mirrors his shock. "You're not David.”

A mirthless laugh escapes Eddie's lips. "No, I'm Eddie. His boyfriend. Or rather, ex-boyfriend. Guess he forgot to mention me, huh?"

When the man just buries his face in his hands and groans, "I'm such a fucking fool," Eddie almost feels sorry for him.

Almost, because it's his heart that's just been broken.

"Looks like we both are," he agrees with the stranger. He really is beautiful. Eddie can see why David went for him, he just wishes he hadn't.

"I swear, I had no idea David had a boyfriend or I never would have gone home with him. I'm so, so sorry."

The guy looks sincere and Eddie believes him. After all, it was David who decided to trample on their relationship. It must suck to be drawn into the drama of Eddie's imploding relationship, less cause and more casualty.

Closing the door behind him, Eddie steps fully into the apartment. "I believe you -" he pauses here, waiting for the man to tell him his name.

"Steve."

"I believe you, Steve. Where's David, by the way?"

"Buying condoms," he admits sheepishly, and Eddie rubs his hands over his face.

"Of course. How awfully considerate of him." Steve winces at Eddie's tone, but he's too tired to care. He takes a moment to think about what to do next. "I think it's best if you get dressed and leave now, I doubt you'll want to be here when David gets back. To be honest, I don't want to either, but I guess there's not much of a choice."

Steve looks at him silently for a second before turning and going back into the bedroom, presumably to get dressed. Eddie sighs and heads over to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. He's going to need it.

He's thinking about where he could stay tonight when Steve comes into the kitchen, now dressed in tight, light-washed Levi's and a white shirt that looks painted on. Eddie can even see the dark chest hair through it.

It's hard not to hate Steve for making Eddie feel even more inadequate.

"I know you want me to go, but if it's okay with you, I'd rather stay? Just to make sure you're okay. I've been cheated on before and I know what it's like to feel like the rug has been pulled out from under you. You shouldn't have to deal with it alone."

It's hard to hate Steve when he's so kind to Eddie.

"Do I look so pathetic that I need the man my boyfriend cheated on me with to comfort me?" He spits, more out of self-preservation than anything else. Anger is so much easier to deal with than heartbreak.

Steve's response, however, is gentle. "You look like someone just broke your heart and you could use a friend. It doesn't have to be me, I can take you to one of your friends. I just don't think you should be alone right now." With that, Steve walks over to the coffee machine and pours out a cup. "Sugar? Cream?"

Eddie plops down on one of the kitchen chairs in defeat. "Both. More sugar."

Steve prepares their coffee and then they wait for David to get back. When he does, clearly shocked to find his boyfriend and his hookup in the same room, they both confront him. Steve has Eddie's back the whole time and gets downright mean to David, while Eddie is mostly tired and disappointed. After their confrontation, Steve waits for Eddie to pack some of his things and, as promised, drives Eddie over to Chrissy's apartment.

They park in front of her building and Eddie thanks Steve for everything he's done for him, but before he can get out, Steve takes Eddie's hand and squeezes it.

"I'm really sorry, Eddie. Nobody deserves to get cheated on and I hate that it happened to you. I can understand if you want to be mad at me or forget I even exist, but if you ever need to talk, even if it's just about how small David's dick is, I'm here, okay?"

In the palm of his hand, Eddie feels a piece of paper, and he's pretty sure it's Steve's number.

"Why?"

Steve reaches over and tucks a lock of Eddie's hair behind his ear. "You'll probably think I'm weird, but I feel like I almost know you. It sounds crazy, I know, I know. I can’t explain it. I just want you to be happy, and I can't help but want to be the person who makes that happen."

At Eddie's stunned silence, he hastily adds, "Oh God, I sound like a crazy person. Or worse, a psycho stalker. I promise, I'm neither. And that's exactly what a psycho stalker would say, for Christ's sake. Please say something before I put my foot any further in my mouth."

This makes Eddie laugh again, and this time it doesn't sound bitter. Just a little confused, but mostly fond.

"Thank you, Steve. Really. I appreciate it. You... I have no idea what I'm feeling right now, or what I'm going to do, but you've made this totally fucked up evening suck less, and for that alone I don't want to forget that you exist or be mad at you. I just need some time, y'know?"

Steve's smile is warm, if a little sad. "I do. You should. Take your time, I mean. I really wish we'd met differently."

"Me too. Believe me."

Eddie starts to get out of the car again, and this time Steve doesn't stop him. Just watches him, his hazel eyes shining brightly in the light of the street lamp.

"Take care, Eddie."

"You too, Steve."

As Eddie climbs the stairs to Chrissy's apartment, he saves Steve's number in his phone.

[heartfullofleeches]

A People Eater's Worse Nightmare

Yandere Parasite/Shapeshifter + G.N Reader blurb

Summary: They love you. What the fuck's wrong with them.

Warnings: Mentions of cannibalism

A nice big house. Large group of friends.

Yeah- this life was great.

Framed pictures of loved ones on the wall, freezer stocked full of meat. Beer cans on the coffee table and blood stains in the carpet. Such accomities made this place fitting to be their perfect home.

Shame they couldn't stick around.

[Hey, Dude! Last night was killer. You on for Sunday?]

The homeowner shoots a dismissive reply, sinking deeper into the revels of their catch present in the murky waters they reside. It was far too easy this time. A homebody with loose ties to numerous people turned the life of the party and friend group after a trip out of town. "Taking a new approach on life." And all that other horseshit that left people none the wiser to the horrors committed behind locked doors.

It was paradise, but too much of a good thing was bad for anyone's health. Getting to caught up in prey's daily life could make one sloppy. How people managed to miss those tiny spots of macroon in the rug or the smell that lingered was beyond them, but maybe that's just how primitive those claimed to be the top of the chain were. They needed to move ship, and fast.

A new message pops up on the screen, from a number simply marked with a heart.

[I had a really nice time with you last night. I hope we can meet up again soon.]

There it was. The other issue with being human. With how many lives they have under their belt, they've done this song and dance many times before. They've been married and divorced. Slept with numerous people in one night, and had committed friend with benefits deals. They could've made excuses for it all, but there was a side of them that longed for connect. An amalgamation of the feelings the one before them held and their own urges. There was many partners before this one and there would be plenty after.

So why can't they hit send?

[Hey, Y/n. Some stuff came up with my folks so I'll be out of town for a while. I'll hit you up when I get back.

A passage excuse. One that could potentially throw off their temporary mate if they were the type to overthink. For some reason, that got under their skin. Freaky. Maybe it's because they never managed to get them in the sack - or call them by their real name.

It's cool - By morning those feelings will be gone and they'll move onto the next. Just one more night and the homeowner would go back from social outcast turned devil worshipper - to a beast a little closer to home.

As their head sinks under the water, the homeowner just can't get that smile out of their head.

-

The parasite groans as it pull itself out of the bathtub. Hangovers were a bitch no matter what breed you were. It drags its heavy body off the floor and picks up the homeowner's phone. There's a missed message on screen. Their body suddenly feels lighter

[Hi. I saw you read my message, and I'm not trying to push things, but I wanted to invite you to breakfast if you were free.]

[Sure thing, Sweetheart. Just send me the locale]

The parasite hums to itself and it walks in front of the mirror, thinking about what to wear for its date with its partner. They open the cabinet to grab that perfume you said was nice on your second date-

What. What the fuck?

Ink slams the door shut; whiplash cracking the mirror. They stare at the exposed muscle structure of their skin, narrow eyes large as tennis balls. They - were themselves again, but they still as they did masquerading as that whiny little bitch. Their heart smiled in tune seeing that message, and their guts bubbled in anticipation for being beside the one to make them feel this way. They feel sick.

"What did you do to me. What did you do-"

Ink scrolls through the texts you've sent and photos you've taken together. You had to've done something. Poisoned them with some fucked up chemical. Snuck a part of yourself in their food to make them crave you so god damn bad.

Their search leaves them with nothing but a swollen heart and rage filled mind. They punch the mirror. Angry at the world, they still want nothing more than to see your disgustingly pretty face again.

"Fuck."

[docwritesshit]

FUCK IT IM ON MY CYCLE

What the Hazbin bitches would do to help you on your period

Charlie

-Sweets. All the sweets you want bby. All the chocolate, all the hard candies, all the caramel, anything you want.

Vaggie

-Never letting you lift a finger. She is out and ready to get you anything and everything. She is on standby with bags of your preferred sanitary product, your favorite snacks, and a little pick me up gift like a new supply for your hobby

Angel

-CUDDLES QUUUEEEEENNN. Knows how bad periods can get through Cherri, whom I hc as having really bad ones. Get ready to be all toasty and warm as he wraps you up with a heating pad and a good movie on, and you just snug as a bug in rug

Husk

-Master of the little things. No alcohol for you, hormones are a bitch during this time and he ain't amplifying them. However, you always notice you have a nice mug of tea or coffee instead. Maybe hot chocolate with a nice whipped cream too if he's feeling really nice that day

Nifty

-She gives extra attention to your room. She doesn't have any problems with any blood at all so sheets are already cleaned, dried, and your bed is already made with your plushies all posed in cute ways

Alastor

-I can just imagine him seeing you just hunched over on the couch in pain, and then a bottle of pain killers is just on the table. Maybe a dinner from your favorite takeout place is outside your door as soon as you open it.

Sir Pentious

-Orders the Egg Bois around to do things for you, all the whole afraid to touch you after he made a comment once and he ended up with a few black eyes, a broken fang, a new suitcase to add to his baggage.

That's all I got for now

[bloodyinkandquill]

Boombox x Reader

ok setting a goal for myself right now, i am not touching this till i’ve done homework and showered. if i fail im going to throw much phone across the room i am a chronic procrastinator

good news my phone did not get thrown across a room so now i can enjoy writing self ship hcs yippee!!

- ‘What do you wanna listen to?’ If you had a nickel every time you heard that from your boyfriend, you’d be rich, it’s not like it’s unexpected, he’s a indie musician with a machine made to play music for his gear, so of course he has music playing basically 24/7, he knows what you like but he still asks just to see if there’s anything specific you wanna listen to at that moment

- Boombox is a super chill boyfriend, sure he enjoys partying and more energetic things but when not doing those he just likes to hang around almost like a cat, you two will just spend hours sitting on a couch together listening to music and working on stuff, maybe chatting every once in a while but honestly just hanging out is his go to

- That is not to say that’s all you do though, he definitely takes you to parties and raves, teaches you the proper culture and gives you water and earplugs, he’s super sweet about it since you’re doing the things he loves

- His favorite thing to do with you however is karaoke, even if you can’t sing he listens to you try with a dopey grin on his face as he falls even more in love with you, maybe you two have a few drinks and just loosen up before singing the wildest things, you have a video on your phone you don’t remember taking of him belting out ‘barbie girl’ you use it as a joking way of gaining leverage since he finds it embarrassing, it’s all fun and games though

- Boombox gives you some sort of music related pet names, I’m not versed in musical junk so I can’t give any examples but they’re definitely music themed! He prefers calling you the pet names as opposed to your name, he obviously still calls you it but he usually just uses the pet names, he has no preference as to what you call him but using his full name feels a bit too formal to him sometimes so he prefers a nickname at the very least like BB or just Boom

- Not the most touchy ever but he’s definitely not touch adverse, I imagine he prefers cuddling to holding hands or small touches, they just don’t feel as loving to him, so he prefers bigger things even if they’re not as common

- For dates it’s party’s, concerts, festivals, raves, if you two want something more energetic, however if you want something calmer and more intimate he enjoys coffee dates, probably Thieves Rest, where it’s just you two, warm drinks, and a sweet treat, it’s nice to just chill and chat, or sit on the edge of bridge together looking at the view of a sunset as you share a pair of earbuds and listen to a playlist he made for you guys specifically

- He never does anything super expensive or lavish, he isn’t broke but he doesn’t have a crap ton of bux, being an indie musician and occasionally participating in phights mean he has a fair amount of money but he prefers to save it up than spend it all willy nilly, but it doesn’t matter, what things he does buy you or do for you are all really thoughtful and personalized so you have no complaints

- You guys like taking naps together, in a bed, on a couch, hell you’ve slept on a rug in the living room before, you guys just curl around each other and drift off to sleep for a cat nap, he sleeps a lot and it infected you, so napping basically daily is now a common occurrence, he’s soft and snuggly though so you aren’t really complaining

- So much of you and Boombox’s relationship is built around music, you listen to it so much, you talk about it a lot, you help him create it sometimes, you go to listen to it live on occasion, you guys would probably die without it, not actually but you bond over music so much that it’s very important to the both of you, especially if he makes any songs for/about you, those always make you swoon

this was fun, tried to be as character accurate as possible, i mean i do for every single request but i wanted to make sure to not miss characterize him since he’s both chill and energetic so had to remember to include both of those things, anyways hope you enjoyed time to work on my other request!

[fountainpenguin]

"When they see us coming, the birdies all try and hide... but they still go for peanuts when coated with cyanide~" (x)

---

New Dog's Life chapter today! ~ 3rd Life series fan-season

Chapter 27 - “Boil Over (Bdubs, Scar)”

❤️ Read on AO3

💛 Start from Chapter 1

💚 More Pixels Imperfect fics

---

Bdubs and Grian dance around each other while planning their jungle temple base design. Meanwhile, Scott comes out to Scar about his allay hybrid side. Scar, fearing his glitchy vex code will corrupt his friend, debates cutting ties. Honest conversations are had.

(First 1,000 words under the cut)

---

BdoubleO100 - Phantom

Status: Yearning

Captain of New Star Station's phantom hybrid flock

💙  🧡  💚

By the time Grian swings open the door, wings perky and smile bright, it's too late to deny they're both gunning for something more than "casual roleplay dynamic chat" this evening. Bdubs went and stuck the scarlet feather on a gold clasp, which now hangs from a string at his neck. What are we? is a syrupy-sweet red herring overlaying the actual question of the evening, which is, of course… What are we? Or 'What are we gonna be?' if you wanna get technical.

Grian's face is flushed like he's been swooping laps around New Star all night. His eyes flick low enough to glance off the feather necklace, then bounce up again like he didn't see it. He totally did. There's too much mischief in his eyes. "Whoa," he says. He's fighting back a laugh or grin. He's losing both attempts. "You're really glittery."

"So are you," Bdubs points out.

"Mine's a squeaky clean skin," Grian tosses back. "My plumage would always look like this if I wasn't gathering messy resources and building all the time. What's your excuse?"

"Look at you! Coming on strong, poultry boy." Bdubs pushes through then, knocking Grian with his shoulder. Grian's apartment opens with the sitting area on the left - couch unoccupied - and the kitchen to the right. The floor's so shiny, it must've been freshly mopped. Or licked? Is there a mob that licks the floor? Maybe sniffers do that, though he's pretty sure there aren't any in New Star Station.

Grian's wearing socks striped red and white like candy canes. He shuts the door with a huff, then quips over his lifted wing muscle, "It's Poultry Man. But actually, it's not Poultry Man- Who's he?"

"Yeah, yeah…"

"You got a new lip scar."

"Wait- For real? It crossed over?" Bdubs' fingertips jump to his mouth. Sure enough, the vertical gash Impulse made with his sword curls from his upper lip across his bottom. Yikes. It glows white against his hand. "Well… This'll all blow over soon."

"It looks like a soul wound. Did you get-"

"It's fine!"

There are places to sit at both the bar counter and in the living area. Grian didn't specify a preference. Bdubs realizes in that moment he's never been invited to Grian's place as a proper guest before. He's glimpsed it. But usually when someone's way down at the end of phantom hour and squirreled away in a building, he sends Martyn to handle it. Bdubs hunts the streets on raw wing power, but Martyn's a specialist. When it comes to twisting through little gaps, he's the best they've ever had.

He makes a split-second decision and walks towards the living area. There's a white rug, a nice coffee table, and plenty of room to sprawl. "Hey, did'ya ever find out why we're playing early next session?"

"What?" Grian mutters, tapping after him on socked feet. Then, "Oh, no… I've no idea. It's my birthday, though. Maybe that's why?"

"Hm," says Bdubs. Back in 3rd Life, he sat out a session once for birthday-related reasons. Grian seems like he's thinking the same thing, because he pauses between the couch and an armchair, hands resting on them both.

"… You think I'll miss next week?"

"I mean, if it were my birthday, I'd prob'ly write a list of things I wanted my basing buddy to do. I'm just saying."

"Well, just because it's my birthday, it doesn't mean it's his birthday. And he's not really one to miss a recording."

Yeah, that's true. One time in Limited Life, Grian tried his best to cover when his boss wasn't feeling well enough to focus. It must've really wrecked their sync-cord too, 'cuz Grian kept coughing and lilting sideways like emotions and viruses were dogpiling from above.

Honestly, Grian jumped online long enough to establish a bare-bones presence, then crawled into free-cam and flew off to take a nap. Took ages to find him when the session wrapped up, but there was this whole other side to the map where no one was really basing, and eventually they found his purple parrot soul tucked in a tree with his head under one wing. Figures. Hopefully he'll just stay offline next time, or else call someone in to wear his skin for a day like Cleo and Pearl did when they knew they couldn't make it.

Anyway, Bdubs cocks his head. "Weird day to run the session early though, right? You might wanna write a list of materials or something I can grab in case you're gone. Maybe we need to move base."

Grian frowns, wandering his eyes across the sitting area. His cheeks look full and flushed in the lantern light. "I'd still like a break from building bases that'll just be exploded or burned. I think I'd know if he wasn't going to play, though… Although, Season 9 is ending. What if he's quitting Hermitcraft?"

"Oh, I'm sure that's not-"

The glow of Grian's eyes dims in panic, his energy needed elsewhere as his soul starts to squirm. "What if he's quitting the Life series? I mean, maybe he had a fight with someone. Maybe he yelled at his friend?" He takes to pacing. Bdubs follows with ticking eyes, not breathing a word. Grian always paces when he can't settle down. His fingers fold in front of his mouth. "Maybe he doesn't want me anymore. Bdubs, this might be it. If he's walking out on Minecraft for good, this could be the last night I ever come off AFK."

"I'm sure that's not true, G." He keeps his tone as kind as he can, hands resting in his pockets. At least he doesn't have to concentrate on keeping his wings down. It's just the tail, and that's easy to curl away so it doesn't flicker or misdirect. "It's the middle of a Life series. He's not gonna ditch you. I mean, think of the viewers!"

"I mean, he could. He could just walk out. Maybe he's dying. Or maybe he wants Two to jump in and cover for me." Grian looks down at his body then and rubs his palms across his chest. A pulse of purple sparks darts across his wings, then fizzles out. Bdubs tilts his head, but doesn't jump in. Grian's not gonna want someone baby-talking him while he's flickering. "You know, I… I think he's probably moving bases out there. And he's been playing a lot of Phasmophobia. Maybe New Star's not going to recognize me as a Minecraft player much longer. I mean, that's what happened to Netty, right? Except for her, it was Sims."

"He's prob'ly just wrapping up obligations so he can say good-bye to Season 9 and plan for Season 10. We have meetings and paperwork down here. I bet they have do that kind of stuff out there too. He's got friends and a wife. You wanna talk? I mean, I'm not gonna have solutions, but maybe you can walk me through your feelings."

"He has a wife." Grian sounds… dazed. Shell-shocked. Like he's been clinging to a rope for a little too long and someone just came through and sliced it clean with a Sharpness II netherite sword. Uh. This isn't news to him, right? "He's married. Do you think he has a kid? Maybe I'm a dad. Well, maybe he's a dad… I guess I won't be one unless I want to be. Maybe that's why it's been a struggle to focus on Season 9. Bdubs, you have kids, right?"

Bdubs blinks. "Huh? Yeah. I mean… yeah, my beloved does." You guys all know that, right? His beloved's kids don't have their own accounts yet. Probably someday will, and then Bdubs will do what Impulse and Jewel did and request the newbie to move to New Star, like they did with the other two. They're expecting a third pretty soon, I think. He shrugs. Golly, it's weightless without his wings. "I get emotion bleed from 'em sometimes; they play on my account. I can tell 'em apart. They're sweet."

[Full chapter on AO3 - Link at top]

[pomplalamoose]

can we get some hc’s for being dilf!lukes work wife pretty please 👀💗

a/n: for inclusivity's sake this is written for a gender neutral reader so everyone can enjoy <3

Hiiiii dear anon!!! Thank you so much for your request🩵

I'm not going to lie though, I found it somewhat difficult to think of Dilf!Luke with a work spouse due to his past and the way I generally like to imagine him to be.

But the concept really intrigues me and I have some ideas, so let's make some specific adjustments for this post to work:

• Dilf!Luke's first wife never died

• in fact he was never married to begin with

• his child is the result of a happy relationship which eventually ended in mutual agreement

• (otherwise he'd never allow himself to grow close to someone in a way like this)

• generally he's a slightly more positive version of himself, especially when compared to my other posts

On the other hand, here are some things that didn't change:

• he's always polite and hospitable, though keeps a distance between himself and everyone else

• a little bit intimidating with how he carries himself

• comes across as stern, though not as strongly as he does in my other posts

• even here I do not mention what kind of work it is he does, except that the two of you work together. I think it's fun to let everyone fill in the blanks with what they'd like best :)

• so imagine the first weeks at a new job: the new surroundings, hours, daily routines, tasks, co-workers...

• possibly you're one of the youngest among them as well and feel a little bit out of place, struggling to fit in among the already established relationships of your colleagues

• it's a lot and you find yourself wishing for someone to take you under their wing, even if it's just for the very beginning

• someone who looks out for you

�� someone to have lunch with, to sit beside in meetings

• someone who takes time for you, to patiently answer any questions that might arise

• and maybe, if you're being honest, it's not just anybody you're hoping will do so

• handsome Mr. Skywalker, or Luke, as he introduces himself, works in the room just across the hall from yours, often brightening your surroundings simply by existing

• the most horrible day tends to change into a good one as soon as you catch a glimpse of his remarkable eyes or his private smile directed just at you

• a coincidental meeting by the coffee machine, on the stairs or in one of the many elevators is ways an event you think back to in the evening

• before you know it you're developing a major crush on him and, honestly, how could anyone not feel drawn to him?

• his looks

• his obvious kindness

• to the way he greets you by name when you clock in, his voice still a little bit rugged from sleep

• quickly it becomes your sole mission to catch his attention at least once a day, if even for the tiniest amount of time, just the smallest of interactions

• (you'd happily keep him company for hours on end if that's what he wanted but for now you'll take anything you can get)

• if only it weren't for a little problem

• (not to mention the rather obvious age difference)

• what you were already suspecting becomes a disappointing reality once you start to get more included by your other coworkers

• "he's generally well liked but sadly keeps to himself most of the time"

• "we already tried to get him out of his shell"

• "I see the way you look at him and believe me, many of us have been there.", a very nice elderly lady tells you

• "It's better to get him out of your head, my dear"

• "he's not one to seek out friendships or... other connections at work"

• and while you know they're probably right, that you should put your focus elsewhere, your thoughts can't seem to leave the mysterious older man alone

• like, you didn't even try!

• and so, more or less undeterred by your colleague's words, you make it a habit to include Luke into your work day

• after all there is no harm in being nice

• and no harm whatsoever in maybe flirting a little bit

• it does take him quite a while to warm up to you, though eventually, slowly, his careful kept distance wavers

• it starts without you realizing it at first but then, one morning, a steaming mug of your favorite tea/coffee sits on top of your desk to greet you

• (he's definitely a person to remember small things only mentioned in passing)

• maybe you don't connect the dots right away, still too tired to think properly

• and for a while you're confused, left to wonder; you can't even remember telling anyone about your favorite drink

• when you DO though and peek your head into his room to thank him, his response isn't more than a slightly amused expression that makes your stomach flutter

• sure this will have happened the first and only time, you try not to get your hopes up until small, colorful sticky notes appear in the files he returns to you

• they're often hidden, not to be spotted immediately, showing hand drawn smiley faces or fun little doodles

• and sometimes, when you're lucky, sweet messages written in Luke's familiar handwriting

• (those you treasure the most)

• suddenly, during lunch breaks, you often find yourself in the same spot in the park nearby (maybe intentionally so, maybe not) and end up spending them together

• during small talk that soon turns to more in depths conversations, you learn he likes to bake

• faced with your excitement it's not long after that he'd bring a batch of freshly made cookies with him just for you

• it'd definitely become a regular thing too, with him even trying out new recipes to ask your opinion and being super happy when you like them

• I think this is the point where, going forward, you'd only grow closer over time, eventually reaching that stage where it makes sense to call him your work husband

• he'd recommend books or movies to you, maybe music as well, that he thinks you'd enjoy and likes to hear about what you think he should try in return

• if you're currently learning a new language he'd memorize a few phrases to surprise you with simple greetings or compliments

• (alternatively he doesn't need to and would casually mention that he is in fact fluent, offering to practice with you)

• he'd like to surprise you with litte things to put on your desk

• maybe a fun plant, some cute organizers or, his favorite, completely obscure and very unnecessary trinkets he came upon on random that made him think of you

• on days that he knows will be particularly stressful, he brings in a few pretty flowers for you

• sometimes they're bought, sometimes he picks them on his way through the park, sometimes (very rarely), though he'd never admit to it in front of you, they're stolen out of someone's garden

• when you need a break he covers for you, no questions asked, seamlessly stepping into your role and everyone's way, keeping the others off your back

• during team celebrations, he ensures you get the best piece of cake or the best seat, or whatever it is you want at that moment

[ilovewriting06]

Busy

A/N: This was a request from @dangerouslyclose who requested an angst to fluff Danny Williams x reader story so I hope you enjoy it 😁

Danny Williams was a man of many things and one of those things was being diligent at work but lately he’s been too busy with work and it was affecting our relationship.

Danny and I met a year ago when I got a job offer in Hawaii and moved down from Los Angeles. Long story short he was yelling at his best friend, Steve, and wasn’t paying attention to where he was going and ran right into me spilling his hot coffee down my dress, my white dress. I took it like a champ, who lived in Los Angeles for twenty eight years. “REALLY!? You can’t be serious right now, I have to be at work in fifteen minutes and my hotel room is twenty minutes in the opposite direction. Way to ruin my first day blondie!” Instead of yelling back his friend snickered behind his coffee cup while Danny decided to be nice about it, “I’m sorry, alright how about me and my friend here give you a ride to your hotel room so you can change and then drive you to work.” I agreed and as much as I tried to resist it I fell for the charming blonde that was somehow taller than me. We became fast friends and two months later we became a couple. Fast forward ten months and here we are a happy couple, living ten minutes away from each other but practically living together but lately all we do is fight.

Which we are currently doing now, “Danny when are you going to make time in your schedule for us!?”

“What are you talking about? We do spend time together!”

“No, we don’t! You’re either spending your time chasing bad guys and getting shot at or hanging out with Grace!”

“Oh, so now I’m the bad guy because I spend time with my daughter!?”

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT AND YOU KNOW IT!”

“THEN WHAT IS IT? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?”

“YOUR TIME DANNY, YOUR TIME!”

“YOU KNOW HOW BUSY I AM CRIME DOESN’T STOP JUST BECAUSE MY NEEDY GIRLFRIEND WANTS TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER!”

“NEEDY!? GOD MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN LA!”

“YEAH, MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE! IT SURE WOULD MAKE MY LIFE A HELL OF A LOT LESS COMPLICATED!”

My face dropped and my eyes filled with tears as I grabbed my keys and headed towards the door until he grabbed my arm and stopped me, “I’m sorry Y/N I shouldn’t have said that and I don’t mean it, I swear it was just a heat of the moment kind of thing.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat before hissing, “Let go of my arm Daniel.” He dropped my arm at the use of his full name. He knows I never call him that unless I’m pissed off.

With my arm now free I escape out the door to my car before driving to my favorite spot, a look out over the ocean where Danny took me on our first date.

Danny’s POV

As soon as the words left my mouth I wanted to take them back but she was already high tailing it for the door. I managed to grab her arm but when she used my full name I dropped her arm realizing just how bad I screwed up. I tried to go after her but by the time of got out the door she was already in her car. I leaned against the wall cursing into my hands.

I made a split minute decision and got in my car and drove to Steve’s. When I got there I frantically pounded on the door until I heard Steve yell, “I”m coming, Jesus.” When he opened the door and saw my panicked face he furrowed his eyebrows before asking, “Danny? What’s wrong?”

I pushed my way in before pacing the length of his living room. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong or wear a hole into the rug?”

I stopped and then started pacing again before saying, “I did something stupid, really really stupid.”

He crossed his arms before saying, “Please elaborate Danno, you do a lot of stupid stuff.”

“I called Y/N needy.”

I watched as he sighed and leaned against the wall before rubbing his hand down his face before starting to say something but I interrupted him, “And then I pretty much told her to go back to LA.”

That got his attention. He uncrossed his arms before pushing off the wall and yelling, “You did what!?”

“I know I know that was really dumb to do and say but we were arguing and she said how she wishes she would have stayed in LA and I told her it would have made my life a lot easier.” I collapsed onto the couch with my head in my hands before muttering, “She called me Daniel, she never calls me Daniel.” I felt the couch dip down beside me before Steve said, “And you say I have a big mouth and no relationship knowledge.” I glared before saying, “Now is not the time to be rubbing it in that I came to you of all people for relationship advice.”

“Danny, I don’t know what to tell you except that you have to talk to her, because if you don’t…” His sentence drifted off but I knew what he was getting at. “I know I have to talk to her but what am I supposed to say?”

“The truth Danny and make sure she knows you mean it. Don’t be like me don’t ignore the problem until it goes away because when this problem goes away, so does Y/N.”

I snorted before saying, “Who knew my love life would bring you to a realization about your life.”

He patted me on the back before standing up and then pulling me up, “Go, before it’s too late.”

I nodded my head before leaving Steve’s knowing exactly where she would be.

Y/N’s POV

As I was sitting there feeling the breeze blow my hair I heard a car pull up, I didn’t need to look to know who it was.

“Y/N?”

Instead of turning around I kept facing the ocean until I felt him sit beside me. “Look, I know what I said hurt you and I’m sorry. I’m just stressed about this case, and Grace, and you. I’m not trying to make excuses because I know I’m not spending enough time with you and I’m trying to fix that, I really am. I would quit my job if you asked me to-,” I cut him off shaking my head as I said, “No, don’t quit your job, don’t ever quit your job. It’s a part of who you are it’s a part of the man I fell in love with.”

He made eye contact with me before saying, “I’m sorry Y/N. I never meant to hurt you and I swear I didn’t mean a single word of what I said I was just angry and stressed and yelled things without thinking.”

My eyes teared up as I watched his own do the same before saying, “No I’m sorry, I started the fight and it wasn’t necessary and I said things I shouldn’t have said too.”

He grabbed my hands before saying, “No, don’t apologize for that. You were telling me how you felt and instead of listening I turned our conversation into a fight and it wasn’t necessary. From now on I’m going to split my time between my two favorite girls and make sure you both get the attention you deserve, but please, forgive me.”

I pulled him in for a kiss before sniffling and saying, “You’re forgiven Williams but I do have a request.”

He raised his eyebrows in question as he asked, “What’s that?”

“Stop by the store and get me my favorite ice cream and let me watch the Notebook.”

He chuckled before kissing me and saying, “You got it babe.”

I pulled him in for one last kiss before whispering, “I love you.”

He smiled before saying, “I love you too.”

[toyybox]

Spiderwebs #11: Dollhouse

Masterlist

content: lab whump, captivity

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

The bed was bought from a garage sale, a cheap but sturdy thing from somewhere downtown. It came with a matching nightstand, so Heather had that taken care of. She considered buying a lamp, but giving Jackie anything close to a weapon was a bad idea. 

“What do you mean, a brush that isn’t sharp?”

Heather tried her best to sound polite. “I mean, if someone tries to stab me with that toothbrush, they won’t get very far. Something like that.”

The general store employee gave her an odd look, so Heather gave up and bought the least dangerous looking one. The mattress was ordered online. Heather was able to buy a few sets of clothes, alongside gloves and a new pair of black boots that would fit better than the old shoes Heather had let him borrow. She acquired a stronger light bulb, a nicer blanket, a pillow, and a shell-white bedsheet. A writing desk would be necessary for certain experiments, so she blew a few bucks on that. And a better chair, of course. Heather knew she was getting carried away when she almost bought a rug.

Three days passed before she could acquire everything. She didn’t visit Jackie in that time. She had left him food and water, obviously, and assumed he would figure the rest out by himself. She had enough on her hands with all the boxes in her living room, and the incessant calls. There were so many calls.

Heather lifted the phone for what must have been the sixth time that hour. “What is it now?”

“Heather, please!”

She heard that word a lot lately. Heather hung up without a moment’s hesitation. The phone rang again, however. It would keep ringing unless she answered. Her old boss was a determined man, even if he was a tad oblivious. 

She lifted the phone again. “Listen, I’ll let you talk once. But this is the last time you call me, or I’m placing a restraining order.”

“Yes, of course.” There was a deep exhale on the other side of the line. “Heather, the organization needs you. Nobody else can work on that project. You were our best asset, face it. Half these idiots don’t even know how to operate a Bunsen burner. We need you.”

“Nice speech, but don’t kid yourself. You need my money.”

“So what? Maybe we need your money. The coffee machine ran out of coffee three weeks ago! Come back, and we’ll give you the highest position possible. All the benefits. Come on, you’re a reasonable person, you gotta come back.”

Heather brought the box cutter out of a drawer. “Yeah, thanks, but I’m legally not allowed back there. Go find someone else to leech off.”

“You tried to drug one intern, who cares?”

“The police!” she snapped. “If the higher-ups hear of this, the authorities will get involved, and I know you can't afford a lawyer. Don’t call me again.” 

“Fine, fine. But it doesn’t have to be official, you know, just come with the money and we’ll collaborate in private. No more drugging the interns, but we’ll get some monkeys, whatever. What else are you planning? You aren’t working with someone new already, are you?”

“It’s been a month. What did you expect?” Heather ran the boxcutter along the taped edge of the bedframe’s box. “I’ve got another project. I’m not coming back. Goodbye.”

With that, she hung up and cut the last of the tape off. Damned bureaucrats. Sticking their nose where the money was like a pack of bloodhounds. Had all the politeness of a stray dog, too. Heather was done with them.

The research facility she used to work at had been dreadfully boring. Her colleagues shared different interests, to say the least. Benevolent, but horribly tedious interests. It was challenging, working on curing glioblastoma cancer, but she didn’t really care about curing diseases. She wanted to break the boundaries of what was considered science. She wanted to tear the universe apart and mesh it back together by her own design. Curing cancer was fine, but it was nothing compared to immortality. Those mice pumped full of steroids and painkillers were nothing in the shadow of Jackie Rockwell. 

Speaking of, Heather was ready to check up on him. A thick, black scarf had been tossed aside on a sofa. She grabbed it, made her way across the hallway, then knocked on the basement door.

“Who’s there?”

She rolled her eyes, though he couldn’t see it. “Very funny.”

“Very funny who?”

Good to know he was awake, at least. She turned the lock and swung the door open. Jackie lay sprawled on the floor, still tangled in the blanket, surrounded by empty granola bar wrappers. 

Heather waved her box cutter at him. “What are you doing?”

He froze. His neutral expression shifted into slight alarm. It reminded her of the incident, as she’d taken to thinking of it, after she had cut him open. That made her guilt weigh a little heavier. And that made her anger burn a little brighter. She had no idea what past Heather was thinking. Hugging her test subject was one of the most unprofessional situations she could think of. The worst part was that it had actually felt nice—but that didn't make any sense! Heather was not lonely. She was alone, but not lonely. 

All she wanted was to forget about that mistake and move on with the experiments. That was nothing but a misstep, a fumble in the first half of the game. Nothing more.

“It’s not for you.” She pushed the blade closed and pocketed it. “Unless you decide to do something stupid.”

He relaxed, sighed, and sat up. “I’m not doing anything. There’s nothing to do here.”

“You’ll be happy with the change of scenery, then.” She stepped down the stairs. “Close your eyes.”

“I'm getting deja vu.” He closed them anyway. 

Heather stepped behind him and wrapped the scarf around his eyes, twice. “Can you see anything?”

He shook his head. 

“Excellent.” She pulled him up by the arms, and he staggered to his feet. “Follow my lead. Don’t take the blindfold off.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Exactly.” 

With her hands firmly on his shoulders, she steered him up the stairs and out of the basement, then up another flight of stairs and down the hallway to her bedroom. There, she led him into a closet.

He felt for the walls, pushing his hands upon the sides. "Is this another experiment?"

"No. I have business to attend to. I don't want you running off in the meantime."

"The blindfold's a bit unnecessary."

"Is it?” She shut the closet door, then locked it. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t make too much of a mess.”

First of all, his room was filthy. The basement was splattered with blood and ash, filled with junk, and smelled like a slaughterhouse. The empty mirror was easy enough to move. The old dresser was pushed out without much effort, as were the remains of the table. The freezer was harder. She rolled it upstairs on an appliance dolly, as slowly as possible. 

Bloodstains weren’t hard to clean. Piles of peroxide powder scattered over the floor broke down the copper-red splotches, while she cleared out the garbage and rotting food. Dusting and sweeping took a good ten or fifteen minutes. Clumps of dust and flakes of charcoal soon lay in the bottom of a black garbage bag. 

The smell was harder to get rid of, now that it had time to seep in and settle, but she managed to cover it up with a few sprays of air freshener. Twenty minutes were spent on setting up the furniture, building the bed frame and putting the mattress on, then moving everything else into place.

By the end, Heather had to admit she was proud of her work. She never knew interior design could be so entertaining. That stillness, that empty perfection—it was all so fascinating. It reminded her of a diorama. After all, the room was primarily a safe environment for her subject. A contained space to observe him. An insect in a glass jar. A doll in a dollhouse.

Jackie was leaning against the closet wall when she came back. “Took you long enough.”

“Did I say you could take the blindfold off?”

“It’s a closet, what’s the big deal?”

She ripped the scarf from his grasp and placed it back over his head, despite his irritated expression. “Stop complaining. Come on.”

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Once they reached the basement, she lifted the scarf away. 

He rubbed his eyes. He walked around the room in sprawling circles. He sat down on the bed, at last. His arms fell gently into his lap. Then, he looked back at her over his shoulder, eyes full of an apathetic uneasiness, and did not move. There was something very candid about it.

“Well?” she asked. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s stupid,” he replied at once. “Do you wanna know why I think it’s stupid?”

“No.”

“You’re putting so much effort into this,” he continued. “You think this is going to be a permanent thing. It’s ridiculous. It’s a waste of your time. It’s a waste of my time. You can’t keep me here forever.”

“I can’t?” She smiled, faintly amused. “You’re right. Forever is a long time. It’s only until one of us dies.”

“I will kill you.” That candid air snapped as he rose to his feet. 

“Oh, you can try. If you need me to teach you another lesson—“ She pulled out the box cutter from her pocket, pushing the blade open—“I’d be happy to help.”

He sat back down, simmering with rage. “I can’t wait to see you rotting in prison, you fucking creep.”

“Oh, boo hoo. I’m a monster because I gave you a home. You have to live here, so what? I’m the one doing all the work. I’m the one taking care of you.” She pointed at him with the blade. “All you have to do is sit there and be quiet.”

“I have a home!” he snarled. “I already have a home! I don’t want you to take care of me. I didn’t ask for you to fucking kidnap me and keep me in your fucking basement. I don’t want to be your fucking test subject. I want to go back home, back to my home. I want to leave.”

“We don’t always get what we want, do we? If whining about it makes you happy, then you can keep whining. You can kick and scream the entire way. You’re still not leaving.” His glare only dug into her harder, and she sighed. “Try thinking of this in a positive way. It’s not all bad.”

“Yes, I’m sure a positive attitude will fix everything,” he replied tartly.

“A positive attitude will make you less insufferable. Just a suggestion. Maybe there’s a reason you used to live alone.”

“All because I didn’t say thank you to the psycho who kidnapped me.” He crossed his arms. “Gee, why didn’t I think of that? That’s a great way to make friends, isn’t it? Hey, maybe people would like you more if you didn’t rip their intestines out. Just a suggestion, you know. Maybe people wouldn’t think you were such a freak if—“

“Do you want to eat dinner or not?”

“I want to break your neck. Go to hell.”

Oh, how dare he. How dare he. Heather wanted to make him suffer for that. She wanted to hurt him. She wanted to—but she needed to take her own advice and think logically for a moment. Of course he was angry. Who wouldn't be? He was scared, she knew that, and anger was how he tried to protect himself. Anger was his tooth and claw when he lost all his other weapons. It was only natural, even if it was idiotic. He'd see her point eventually. He'd get used to it. She didn't need to starve him. 

"It's alright," she said. "You're upset. I'll get you something to eat."

"You want to drug me again, don't you?” He scoffed. “I'll pass."

"You'll change your mind."

His expression said otherwise, but he would cave in eventually. Like rusted metal, all things could be worn down with time. Like frayed fabric, like rocky shores, like entire mountains. Who was Jackie in the face of all these things? Only a man, only an animal without any claws. Even an immortal couldn't win against the nature of things. The second hand would wear him down, sooner or later.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Taglist:

@theelvishcowgirl

[braveclementine]

Chapter 9

Warnings: 18+readers only, smut, pet names, slight (could be considered) dubcon

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own my OC: Elizabeth Y/L/N (created so you don't get Y/N and Y/S/N consistently mixed up. I do not condone any copying of this.

"WONDERFUL NEWS." YOU SAID AS YOU skipped into breakfast the next morning. You'd spent the night with Thor in a night of passionate love making. The fact that you could even skip was a miracle- your legs had been jelly last night.

"What is it?" Tony asked, looking up from his coffee. He looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep last night and if you were all being honest- he probably hadn't.

"I finally heard back from Elizabeth." You said, thinking back to last nights texts. You were frustrated with her for the late response considering you almost hadn't heard from her for a whole month! But the fact that you had finally gotten a reply was enough for the moment.

"Oh?" Sam asked, looking up at you now from his own coffee. "So when is she coming or when are we going?"

"She said that she'll come here." You said, feeling pleased with the prospect. You knew that she'd given in, in the end. As much as she hated the city- or perhaps pretended to you weren't sure- you knew she had to see the Big Apple at least once. "But she wants to give it another month. Our father wants to wait before fall harvest before that happens."

"That sounds reasonable." Steve nodded, but you couldn't help but hate the look of disappointment on Sam's face.

"It's okay Sam, she'll be here soon enough." You replied.

Sam smiled at you gently. "I know. I just hate the anticipation and nerves that comes with the wait."

That was understandable. The nerves you'd felt in Tony's car when he told you he could introduce you to the rest of your soulmates had felt like you were going to vomit. You supposed he was just wondering if she would reject him or accept him.

You hadn't had any doubts. You were the first born in the family, so you had all the rights to the soulmates. Though, you hadn't expected that some of them would already have soulmates. But even then, you weren't as worried as Elizabeth might be.

After all Elizabeth was a second born, which meant a lot of things in a polite society. She would marry the soulmates second after all. At least in a polite society anyways. In some more outcast rugged societies, it didn't matter who married who first.

It was a great thing that you lived in a polite society. You were glad that you got to marry them first. And Elizabeth couldn't possibly be ready for marriage because you weren't entirely sure you were ready to marry all of them and she was even younger than you. You felt that if you waited a few more years, then things would be amazing.

"So she is coming here?" Tony asked again, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes." You said with a faint hint of amusement in your voice.

"What do you think she'd want for her bedroom? I can start having things moved in." Tony said.

The idea of him spending money on your sister when you knew she wouldn't appreciate it made you feel guilty. "Not to much. She really isn't one on material objects. I think as long as she has a bed and maybe a bookcase with books in it she'll be fine. But I can ask her if that makes you feel better about it."

Tony nodded. "Sounds like a good plan. I would hate for her stay not to be up to her standards."

You wanted to tell him that half the time Elizabeth preferred staying in the barn loft in the dirty hay than her own nice warm clean bed, but didn't. Then it would sound like you were bad mouthing her instead of just sharing a random fact.

"What are you going to be doing today doll?" Bucky asked you as you finally settled yourself down at the table with a plate of food.

You shrugged. "I wasn't sure. I guess whatever you want to do, Buckaroo."

Bucky looked pleased with this and suggested that you, Steve, Sam, and him all take a walk down to the museum.

"Okay." You nodded your head and ate a strip of bacon to hide your disappointment. A museum? There were so many other fun things to do in New York and he wanted to go to a museum?

But, he was your soulmate, you figured, and an old one at that. Old people did generally like museums over everything else. Your parents had dragged the two of you to DC once to show you the culture and history of America- which you really didn't care about. It was just a bunch of monuments and museums. Yay. And you barely ate any great food.

But a date was a date and after breakfast you headed to your bedroom to look for something to wear. You decided on black panty hose, a grey skirt, a burgundy shirt, with a black jacket over it and black heeled boots. You brushed out your hair, still marveling at how short it was, before putting in green jade earrings. Grabbing your matching black purse, you headed out the door to meet the others downstairs.

"You look fabulous doll." Bucky grinned, wrapping his metal arm around your waist to pull you in for a hug, and then dipped you slightly to kiss you. You kissed back as you tasted the bitter raspberries and the sweetness of the sausage. You thought, almost for a moment, that he tasted like home.

"Alright c'mon." Steve teased. "You two keep kissing like that and we'll never make it to the museum."

"Later." Bucky muttered, nipping at the skin under your ear, letting go of your waist to take your hand instead.

"Later." You repeated with a giggle, letting them lead you from the tower.

To be fair, the museum actually wasn't that bad. There was a WWII display that was meant specifically for Steve Rogers. There were mentions of Bucky in there, as well as other soldiers who had fought alongside them. There was also a woman mentioned there, a Peggy Carter. You glanced over at Steve, who seemed a little sad looking at her picture and decided it was better not to ask.

There were other, less exciting exhibits, but you soldiered along for them. They seemed to enjoy it and that was all that really mattered to you.

"Did you have fun doll?" Bucky asked as he kissed you.

"It was a really interesting exhibit." You admitted. "I had no idea you guys had done all of those things. Was it scary or did you guys think you could just do it because you had Captain America on your side?"

Bucky thought about it, "It was still scary, fighting you know? You can always die. . . but it was a huge comfort that we were taking down HYDRA. And Steve was by my side the entire time. I knew if I was ever in trouble he'd save me. And if he was in trouble I'd save him. He's more than my soulmate, he's my best friend and he's my soul. Now you and Sam are too."

You smiled at that, wondering what it would feel like to rely on someone else so completely. Especially when it came to your life.

"That's sweet." You murmured, your hold on Bucky tightening. Maybe you would learn to rely on someone like that. Maybe that someone would be your soulmates.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

ELIZABETH PITCHED FRESH HAY INTO THE loft up in the barn. Hogun helped her. He had fit in well, the two of them almost dress identically in jeans, flannel shirts, and cowboy boots. They both even had their hair pulled back, though Elizabeth's was in her typical ponytail and Hoguns was in his traditional warrior bun.

Once the hay had been traded in for fresh hay, the two of them went ahead sitting up there. "It is comfortable up here." Hogun murmured, laying back on the hay. It was soft, the strange, potent smell intruding his nostrils. It was almost a musky sweet smell.

"I love it up here." Elizabeth's voice was soft. She didn't speak much, preferring to ask simple or intricate questions and listen to him talk. She loved his accent and his manner of speaking, hanging on his every word that she had never done before. "Did you have a special place for you to go on Asgard?"

"Yes." Hogun said, reaching out for her. Elizabeth rolled to him, laying her head on his chest, his arm around her. "There's this very secluded spot by one of our large lakes. There's a great many trees that surround it. It's a quarter of a days ride from the castle. Lots of people go there, but no one knows about the spot behind the waterfall. Except maybe Loki and Heimdall. I hope I get to show you soon."

"It sounds beautiful." Elizabeth whispered, closing her eyes. The sounds of the cows and horses settling in for the night, the sounds of the dogs barking to round up the sheep, the sounds of pigs splashing in mud, chickens clucking softly to her, and just the barest sound of the dishes clinking in the sink through the open window were as familiar to her as a persons favorite song.

Hogun looked down at her as she slowly drifted off to sleep on him. It was the first time he had felt something like peace. On Asgard, he was either fighting or training. The few times he relaxed weren't peaceful. They were fun, hanging with Fandral and Volstagg and Sif. And Thor of course. But they weren't peaceful. They were chaotic in another way, in a fun boisterous way.

Asgard was in an era of peace, had been for the past few years. He could easily see himself settling down with Elizabeth, even here on Midgard which he had only visited once or twice before. He liked it here. He liked it here with her.

A sudden thought struck him. He leaned over to kiss her forehead. "I'll be right back." He whispered and slipped down the ladder of the loft and hurried back to the house.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

YOU AND IVY WERE DNACING ON THE disco floor of one of the close New York clubs. Tony and Stephen and some of the other less uptight Avengers were here as well. They were mostly sitting in the booth though Nat and Wanda were both somewhere on the floor as well.

You and Ivy were laughing and singing, drinking your problems away as Tony called for more shots. By the time you all got ready to leave, you and Tony were laughing, falling over drunk. Stephen was amused and so was Clint- who was only semi drunk.

"Designated driver." Stephen said, yanking the keys out of Tony's hand, sliding into the drivers seat.

"I'll see you later Y/N." Ivy said as Kaylee hooked her arm through her and two of them staggered down the street in a fit of laughter.

You and Tony curled up in the back of the car, making out. You could feel Stephen's eyes on the two of you in the rearview mirror. Tony moved his lips to your throat. "Fuck Y/N, you're gorgeous."

You blushed, both from intoxication and his words. "Well you're gorgeous too Mr. Stark."

"Not in the car." Stephen deadpanned.

"It's my car." Tony slurred, slipping his hand under your skirt, teasing your clit through your knickers.

"Hmm, that's true." Stephen said, eyes darkening as you let out a high pitched whine from Tony's teasing.

"Tony." You whimpered.

Tony slipped two fingers into your warmth. The rough feeling of the pads of his fingers against your clit made your hips buck slightly into him. You drifted one hand down, unzipping his pants and started to stroke his cock.

The two of you pleasured each other as Stephen pulled into the parking lot of Avengers tower. The minute he parked, he tossed the keys onto the key rack and portaled the three of you to their bedroom.

"You two are such unnecessary teases." Stephen growled, stroking your face with his hand and then sighed, "Pity you two are drunk. I won't be taking advantage of you both."

"Stephen." You whined.

"Both of you go to sleep." Stephen demanded, undressing on the other side of the room to get into his pajamas.

You and Tony exchanged a glance and then grinned. Tony grabbed his hands, slipping the sling ring off his fingers. Tony actually managed to tie Stephen's hands behind his back, shoving his back up against the wall.

"Tony." Stephen groaned before gasping as you took his length into his mouth, his eyes rolling back into his head. His hands jumped in his bonds, attempting to free himself from the fabric tie. "How the heck did you tie this so tight?"

"It's a specialty of mine baby." Tony murmured, nipping at his ear and kissing down his jaw line, leaving bright purple blossoms on his chest.

Stephen attempted to stifle another groan as you licked his entire cock from base to tip. Tony ran his hands down Stephen's chest until he was fondling Stephen's balls.

Stephen's legs started to shake as the both of you teased him relentlessly. He kept his head thrown back against the wall, bracing himself against it, eyes closed, mouth slack.

"Fuck." Tony murmured straight into Stephen's ear. "Being such a good boy, aren't you baby?"

Stephen's cock twitched in your mouth and you could taste the salty precum even more now. You swirled your tongue over the tip like an ice cream, helping Tony as you stroked what didn't fit into your mouth.

"God if you weren't drunk." Stephen moaned, cock twitching in your mouth again. "The things I'd do to you for restraining me."

"Aw, but you like being restrained, don't you baby?" Tony continued to tease and through your slight haze you wondered if he really was as drunk as he had been acting. Or maybe he had just spent so much of his past life drunk he was practically sober. "You like being submissive to us, don't you?"

His words were Stephens undoing as he spilled into your mouth. His knees nearly gave out as you pulled away. Stephen's turquoise eyes stared into your own as you got to your feet, smirking at him sweetly.

"You're both in so much trouble when you're sober." Stephen muttered, tossing you over his shoulder to stagger over to the bed. "But I'll take care of you tonight, don't you worry." And to prove his point, he lowered his mouth to your pussy.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

ELIZABETH'S FATHER STARED AT HOGUN from across the room. Hogun had come into the room in somewhat of a hurry. It was a bit strange, her father thought looking at the man. He was usually calm and collected, but at the moment he seemed rather frazzled.

"I-" Hogun finally spoke and then swallowed, gathering his courage. He was a warrior and shouldn't be feeling like this. "I want your permission to marry your daughter."

Your father shifted only slightly to rest his chin on his hand. "Do you now?"

Hogun's heart was attempting to leap out of his chest. He had faced down hordes of monsters and armies of a thousand men. How was it possible that simply asking for your sisters hand in marriage was so nerve racking?

"Yes." Hogun said thickly. "I have waited for her for a thousand years and I do not wish to wait any longer. There is something about her that captivates me. I long to be in her presence when I am not and cannot imagine a life without her by my side."

Her father nodded slowly. "We live in a polite society where she, as a second child, cannot, or perhaps the better word is should not, marry before her elder sister."

He watched Hogun's face grow stricken with this news and then with calmed measure he replied, "On Asgard there are no such matters. After her sister gets married, we could have an Earthly ceremony. But if you are alright with it, I would love to marry her immediately on Asgard."

Her father felt pleased with this answer and he openly grinned, "You had my permission before you walked through that door this evening. I've never seen anyone make Elizabeth as happy as you have in these short months. You have my permission to get married immediately, I have no taste for polite society, they've certainly never done anything for us. Marry her here, marry her on Asgard, just let me walk her down the aisle."

"Of course sir." Hogun said, feeling suddenly as though the breath had been knocked from him. "Thank you."

"But," Her father continued with a small smile. "That being said I should warn you. You hurt her or break her heart, I have two shotguns and several other guns. I don't need a gun to kill you either. I have crossbows as well as shovels. You've been warned."

At this, Hogun smiled at the idea of the farmer killing him, though he understood the real message underneath his words. "Believe me sir, I would never hurt her on purpose or an accident. I love her to much. And for us Asgardians, that love never diminishes once we find it."

Her father nodded sharply at this. "Go and propose to her."

As Hogun bowed and took leave of the room, her father smiled to himself. Elizabeth was his favorite, this was no secret. The way that you were your mothers favorite.

He chuckled. "Elizabeth married before Y/N. Wonder how she'll take the news. Not well, I suppose, but what to do."

At that moment, your mother entered the room. "Y/F/N, was that Hogun who just left here? Where is Elizabeth?"

Your father smiled. "Take a seat Y/M/N, you're going to want to be sitting down when you hear this news."

⬅️➡️

[midnightkens]

had the shiniest wheels, now they’re rusting

TW for mentions of DV

****

Ken crosses his arms and leans against the doorjamb, keeping his gaze downcast. There’s a dark brown stain on the rug. Spilled coffee, maybe? Colt rifles through his drawers in search of sweatpants. They’ll be big, but Ken doesn’t mind. The stuntman’s clothes are so soft and warm, a blanket of protection and safety. 

Safety. What does that even mean anymore? Images of cozy Saturday nights with Barbie, Gloria, Ryan, and Sasha dance around the room, and there’s a pang of longing so deep that Ken aches with it. They’re blissfully unaware of this secret, the deep shame that’s burrowed underneath his skin and settled into his bones. It’s better this way, isn’t it? The family already knows too much, and Patrick loathes them.

He is  willing to sacrifice safety if it means keeping his family. It isn’t a fair trade, but when has anything about this relationship been fair?

“Okay.” Ken’s startled out of his stupor by a slamming drawer. He averts his eyes from the stained carpet and looks at Colt, squirming uncomfortably. Those blue eyes see right through him. How is it possible for a man who has only been in his life for six months to understand Ken more than his partner of over a year? “These should work.”

Ken reaches for the black sweatpants, but Colt doesn’t pass them. He chews his lower lip huffs. Ken eyes him curiously. “What?”

“Are you okay?” The words are so jumbled that it takes Ken a moment to understand them. He opens his mouth, but Colt presses on. “You’ve been really quiet all night. I’ve been wanting to ask, but, you know…A lotta people.”

I’m fine. The words are on the tip of his tongue, but they refuse to come out. Ken huffs. It would be so easy to lie. Lying comes naturally. There was a time where he would have balked at the very concept. Why would anyone lie? But now, jaded by time and experience, he understands. Lying is paramount to his survival.

I got enough sleep. I’m fine.

I’ve been eating enough. Don’t worry about me.

I fell off my surfboard and sprained my wrist. 

I’m an idiot. I walked into a door.

Lie and pray that the day won’t be a disaster. Don’t lie and wait with baited breath, wound as tightly as a coil, tension so thick it’s tangible. It’s a dangerous game, a constant balancing on a shimming tightrope that requires airtight execution. 

Leaving Barbie Land was supposed to fix everything. Finally, his own script at the tip of his fingers! Only that script has been torn to shreds, pieces of doll and man scattered so carelessly that Ken sometimes wonders if anyone sees them. 

Doll and man are once again beholden to the whims of another person. A heart beats steadily in a chest that rises and falls with life, but the body is an empty husk, more dollike than ever before.

“Ken?”

Ken jumps and blinks, running a hand through his hair. Stop doing that. You’re being weird again. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“You’re not fine, and I am worried about you, so there’s that.”

A tiny smile quirks at the corners of Ken’s lips. It’s nice, albeit dangerous, to have someone aside from Barbie and their little family actually care. But he’s always been greedy for attention and affection, especially from Colt. He’s not sure how the other man yanked him into his orbit so quickly. Ken isn’t strong enough to resist. Not that he’s trying that hard, but…

Colt sighs, and the former doll wants nothing more than to envelope him into a hug and soothe the aches. But how is he supposed to fix Colt’s aches when he’s the source?

“It’s getting worse, isn’t it?”

It would be easy to play dumb, to go back to his world of pretend and play-acting. Lying is easy…Except for when the object of his affections is asking. At one point, Ken would have given Patrick the world; now, he yearns to give it to Colt, to give him the scattered pieces of himself. Maybe it’s the alcohol. Traces of the pleasant buzz linger, even hours later. 

All Ken knows is that between the alcohol and everything that is Colt, lying would be impossible. 

“I have to tell you something.” 

[enchantedflameandflower]

Glimmer 20/? Billy Butcher fic!

NOTES! - Addison wonders if there's anyway this can last as sparks fly. Please reblog or comment if you like ♥

Tag List: @2dead2function @secretdreamlandmentality

Billy Butcher Master list

The next morning Addison woke to Billy murmuring softly against the shell of her ear as his hand rubbed her bare shoulder from beside the bed. “Have to run some errands, love, nothin’ important. Be back in awhile.”

She sort of half hummed, half moaned an acknowledgment then let herself drift off again as he left the room, thinking it was nice that he wanted to tell her before just leaving. But the last few days had taken their toll, and she fell back asleep quickly and slept late. 

When she got up, the apartment was empty and she couldn’t help a little sigh of relief. A half pot of coffee sat on the counter with a note from MM that Annie would be there at 11:30. Addison glanced at the clock on the microwave. That gave her almost an hour. 

She poured herself a mug and indulged in some cream and sugar, then toasted herself a couple pieces of wheat bread and curled up on the couch to watch something light while she ate breakfast.

She was just coming out of the room, having changed and washed her face, when a knock sounded at the door. Addison figured it was Annie but she listened for a moment anyway before she went to answer. A rush of anxiousness swept through her...meeting new people was not her forte, and this - this was one of the 7, a celebrity. But she forced herself to go to the door and at least try not to completely shut herself off.

The young woman standing there was one she’d seen on a million billboards and taxi cabs but never before in person and nothing like she was expecting. Her hair was much shorter, straight and simple, pulled back into a pony tail and she had on jeans and a sweatshirt. Nothing like the starry-eyed and glamorized supe in the movies. 

Addison was relieved. “Annie,” she held her hand up in greeting. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Annie smiled back, genuinely, and Addison felt herself relax a little bit.

“Come in,” Addison gestured, stepping aside then closing the door. “I really appreciate you coming over. I mean, I’m sure you’re so busy, MM just wouldn’t let it drop so I finally gave in.”

Addison gave Annie an apologetic look but Annie smiled, waving the thought away. 

“It’s totally fine! I’m happy to help. Should we sit?”

They went to the table and Addison was trying to think how to start when Annie began herself. 

“MM tells me you’re amazing, but he seems certain you can do more. I think I have some ideas on how I can help you - tap into your powers more, but tell me about them first, what you can do, when you noticed, what it was like, that sort of thing.”

Addison couldn’t help smiling at Annie, her enthusiasm was contagious and she felt a little swell of hope she’d never felt before. Even though it was difficult for her to open up, she told Annie some of her history, and vaguely about her parents, and what she did and was able to do now, while Annie listened intently. 

Annie seemed to be deep in thought when Addison finished, then nodded as she came to some kind of conclusion. “I’m sure we can get you stronger. I think you’ve just...” she paused as she seemed to be searching for the right word. 

“It’s ok, you can say it.”

“Well...repressed it, your powers. And it’s understandable why. Is there somewhere more comfortable we could sit? Maybe on the rug there,” she pointed toward the fluffy rug in front of the couch. “It’s kind of like...” she squinted as she thought, “it’s kind of like meditating.”

“Yeah of course.” Addison stood and they both sat cross-legged on the floor facing each other. Addison took a deep breath.

The door opened just then and MM came in, his gaze landing on them. 

“Oh good,” he said, sounding happy that things were going well, and closing the door behind him. “Don’t mind me, I’ll stay out of the way.”

Both of the women smiled at him, then turned back to each other. “Okay,” Annie started, shifting to get fully comfortable on the floor. “I think of my abilities as a...special kind of extra energy, that comes from deep from inside. Think of it like a box, inside of you, and if you can access that box, and open it, you can draw on that energy for not only strength but your own unique powers. For you I think, you’ve only kind of buried it. So I think we can dig it out."

Addison nodded and Annie continued. “As for physical strength, build your strength whenever you can. Lift - lift weights, furniture, cars, whatever you can, keep working up, using your core energy. There seems to me to be a pretty good correlation between physical strength and healing powers in general. Train as much as you can. If you build that up your healing may improve as well.”

“That makes sense,” Addison murmured, feeling a little encouraged. She had been worried this would all be far beyond her, but everything Annie was saying made sense to her. “My healing has changed over time. At least I think it has...improved as I’ve gotten stronger.”

Annie nodded happily. “The physical side of things will take longer, to build up, but I think if we can tap into your powers, that will change a lot quicker.

“Now...close your eyes and center yourself. Like I said...like meditating.”  

Addison watched as Annie closed her own eyes and she did the same, pulling her awareness inward.

“Search for that energy that is just yours...deep, deep inside of you and concentrate on pulling it out,” Annie said softly and Addison obeyed, trying to connect with herself. It felt like trying to find an outlet for a plug in the dark, but she kept reaching. When she felt she was connecting, she started working on drawing more of that energy up inside of her. 

Annie was quiet for awhile, and Addison was so focused she was almost startled when Annie spoke again. “Now...take that energy and...sharpen it. Like how you sharpen a picture when you’re editing. You're not gathering it, but giving power to each particle."

Addison nodded even though her eyes were still closed and she had no idea if Annie was looking or not. 

“Your power is 'sound' right? I know some supes have super-hearing because their senses are heightened, but I think with you it may be something more. 

“See what you can hear inside the apartment. Then see what you can hear outside. Focus on one sound and amplify it in your mind using that sharpened energy, then block everything else out. In time I think you’ll find it easier to search for specific noises and block out others. With focus and concentration. Keep drawing on that energy.”

Annie was quiet again as she let Addison sift through sounds, playing with her energy and experimenting with how she could manipulate it. She had no idea how long they even stayed like that but it felt good, and Addison swore she could feel her own strength building on itself inside of her. 

Then she heard Butcher’s heartbeat, one moment before he opened the door, and all of her concentration and focus crumbled. 

His gaze unerringly went straight to them where they were sitting on the rug in the living room. “What do we have goin’ on here? A girl-power supe powwow, eh?”

Addison took a breath and MM spoke up from across the room, impatience and annoyance coloring his tone. “Don’t be a dick, Butcher.”

Butcher walked over to the couch, towering over them and glaring across the room at MM. “You can just go ahead and stay the fuck out of this MM,” he growled back at him.

“I actually have to head out,” Annie spoke up apologetically, before MM could answer. “I have a meeting in half an hour.”

Both the women stood, and Annie reached out to squeeze Addison’s arm. “You did great,” she smiled. “Focus and experiment and think about what else you might be able to do. You might be surprised.”

“Thanks Annie,” Addison said. She tried to smile but she could feel her nerves starting to fray again.

“We’ll be in touch and we'll keep working on it. I'll text you soon,” Annie said before glancing toward Butcher and giving him a curt nod. 

“As always, a delight to be graced with your presence, Starlight,” Butcher said with that signature insincere grin. 

Addison turned to retreat into the bedroom annoyed and frustrated, at a loss and needing to unwind her jumble of emotions but Butcher didn’t waste any time confronting the situation. 

“What are ya doin’ with Starlight?” he asked from the doorway. 

Addison shrugged as she busied her hands making the bed. “Nothing,” she answered. 

“You tryin’ to make it in the 7 now?” he asked and she finally let herself turn to him. He was scowling, his eyes dark and intense. 

“Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous, Butcher.”

“Well what am I supposed to think when your fraternizing with the enemy?” His voice rose another notch. 

“Annie is not the enemy. What are you saying?” she frowned at him, then brushed past him to go back out to the living room. Suddenly the bedroom felt stifling. She looked over at MM but he was buried in a sheaf of papers.

“She’s part of the 7 and Vought and if you don’t know they’re the enemy I think we have a big fuckin’ problem.”

Addison rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, turning to face Billy again. “She’s on our side and you know it. You’re being deliberately obtuse. I’m just...” she shook her head and took a breath, “working on myself. That’s all. Wouldn’t it be good if my healing improved? I think it could. It started to without me even trying. I could do so much more, Billy.”

His voice rose again, his accent deepening. “Well then that ‘nothin’’ you gave me earlier is startin’ to sound more and more like a lie,” he scowled at her. 

Addison felt her heart drop and she swallowed. “That’s a low fucking blow, Billy. Even for you. It’s not a lie, I just didn’t want to make a thing out of it. I wasn’t trying to hide it. Would I be right here in the middle of the safe house if I wanted to hide? I’m doing this for me.” She felt her eyes start to sting but she wouldn’t give in to the emotion. “I can make peace with what I’ve done so far to survive but I’ll figure out how to take 100 bullets if it means another kid doesn’t have to die in front of me.”

Butcher was still glaring fire and fury at her but she couldn’t miss the genuine concern in his eyes and it gave her at least a small swell of relief. But she had nothing else to say. 

He shook his head. “Do whatever you fuckin’ like, sunshine,” he rumbled, turning back to the door. “I’ve got a job to do tryin’ to keep you safe, since you can’t seem to be bothered with it.” And then he was gone again. 

Addison sighed but she had felt a spark come to life inside of her when she had been sitting with Annie. She wouldn’t let it go, now.

Billy didn’t come back until late and Addison was already curled up in bed when he came in the bedroom, light spilling through the doorway just as she was about to fall asleep.

“C’mon, darlin’,” he commanded, without preamble, “let’s get a leg on.”

Addison yawned, blinking at the dark figure he made in front of the open door. “What are you talking about?”

“Let’s get on,” he gestured to the door impatiently. “Back to my place.”

Addison sighed loudly as she realized what he was saying. “Oh my god, Billy,” she groaned as she pressed her palms over her eyes. “I’m already in bed here.”

“Well I don’t wanna sleep here again,” he raised his voice, his expression hardening. 

“Then go home.”

“It ain’t safe for you.” He took a step forward, glaring at her. “Ya don’t need to be shirty. I seem to remember a certain someone sayin’ they’d do whatever I told ‘em.”

Addison scoffed at him using her words against her in such a ridiculous circumstance, flinging her arm over her eyes. She was not up for this right now. “Suck my dick,” she grumbled but then she couldn’t help giggling a little remembering the first time they met.

“My ray of sunshine,” he countered, finishing the playact of the memory, his accent adding to his derisive tone. “Now c’mon Let’s get the fuck on.”

Addison let out a heavy sigh. Half of her did want to climb into his arms and just let him do whatever he wanted with her but the other half of her wanted to stay here just to spite him. But then...his bed at home was way more comfortable, and if she was being honest she didn’t want to sleep without him. 

“Someone’s after you, Addi,” Billy added when she didn’t move. “You stayin’ here puts everyone else in danger, too. I ain’t tryin’ to be contrivin’, that’s just how it is right now. The entire system was hacked. Mallory says it’s fixed now but they could’ve had access to all your information and more. This cunt has a lot of fuckin’ money and resources, and I’m starting’ to get a bit bloody worried. My apartment isn’t in me name and it’s the safest for everyone, if ya don’t mind.”

Addison sighed again, finally tossing the blankets aside. God, why did he always have to be right about everything. “Fine. Because of the others. But you are so fucking annoying.”

“Well that feeling’s mutual, love.”

At her insistence they made a show of leaving but they both used all the skills they possessed to make sure they weren’t followed.

As soon as they finally came in the door of his apartment she announced she was sleeping on the couch but Billy would have none of it. 

“Like hell you are,” he scowled at her. “Bed. Now,” he pointed to the room. “Either me on the sofa, between you and the door, or both of us in the bed. Your choice.”

“I’m not taking your bed from you, Billy.” 

“Good, let’s just get some rest, eh?”

They both silently dressed down and climbed into bed on opposite sides. Fuck, Addison thought to herself, this bed really was a thousand times more comfortable than the other. But neither of them had been there in almost two days and the weather had turned cold. Addison tried to curl up and tuck the blankets over her head but it didn’t help. 

“God, Billy it’s fucking freezing,” she finally grumbled as she shivered, alone on her side of the bed. “Do you never turn the heat on?”

“I don’t have daddy’s money to fall back on, princess.”

“Fuck you you fucking asshole,” she huffed, but there was no real anger in her voice. In the next moment she was shifting, trying to get circulation to her limbs until eventually she ended up cuddled against him, then she wriggled there as she gratefully soaked up his heat. 

“How are you always so fucking warm,” she grumbled against his broad chest. 

“Thinkin’ ‘bout you,” he rumbled back, and he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to press against his body.

After a moment of quiet she slipped her cold fingers beneath his shirt to press against his heated skin and smiled to herself when he jumped and gave a startled yelp. She drifted off to sleep, then, but not before wondering if there was anyway this could ever last.

***

Please reblog or comment if you like!!! ♥ Love you all!

Chapter 21

[expatesque]

Not the original person who asked about decorating a rental but I did find your answer super useful! I’m moving into my own flat without housemates for the first time next week and am struggling to know where to spend and where to save on furniture - I’ve inherited a lot of Ikea stuff which is broadly serviceable but what are the key pieces I should upgrade to have a big impact without being able to replace everything?

Glad you found it helpful! And what a great question. In my opinion, the best way is to go slowly and replace as you go. Some things might stay Ikea (I still have an ikea couch! but I did add extra stuffing to make it fluffier) and that's totally fine. If you go slow, start with pieces that really speak to you, then it's less pressure than trying to design (and pay for) everything at once.

I tend to think of a whole room budget vs individual pieces. So I might say I'm willing to spend, say, £1000 on the family room and so by the time I had my table, my green chair, and the painting above my fireplace, that was a decent chunk of that gone, hence the Ikea sofa (and the lack of Frame TV, rip). But I know I'll get to replacing what I need/want to over time, so it's not a huge deal.

For me personally, I think nice sofas are insanely expensive and not worth it - they wear down, they get stained, and I don't think spending a load is worth it when you're on a budget. But! You could love sofa napping (or be less messy than me) and it might be a priority item for you. Similarly, I'm a spiller so a relatively cheap washable rug made more sense for me than a £££ old Persian or something. That makes it hard to generalize, you've got to decide what your priorities are. And it depends on the room - in my living room, the coffee table is right in the center of everything so it has a lot of visual impact, hence why I was happy to spend more on it. But if your coffee table is going to be in a corner, maybe it's not worth the expense!

My other piece of advice is that you can score deals on nice things if you're willing to put in a bit more effort / DIY. For example, I got an old marble cafe-style table for my kitchen from eBay - it had been sitting in someone's garden for years and I needed to scrape / repaint the legs and do some stain removing and polishing on the top, but it now looks really good! And for like, literally a 1/10th of what a new one would have cost me. Similarly, there was this gorgeous Oliver Bonas dressing table I wanted but I was at the end of my budget so I got a cheap dressing table on eBay in a similar shape and spray painted it! DIY is fun and easy and an absolute budget saviour.

Hope that's helpful! Let me know if you have any questions!

[watatsumiis]

I must request a rant about Pierro or Capitano, I love your headcanons with them!

Ohh man you've got no idea what you've just done aha, I'm very much fixated on these two specifically right now so prepare for not just a rant but a full blown ramble below the cut for both of them

Some minor angst for Pierro's section, be warned

Ok, so in a general kind of sense, I can see Pierro being a very volatile and unpredictable individual, especially when he's in a space where it's safe for him to do so. He can be extremely strict and bossy (especially towards the other harbingers) and kind of detaches himself emotionally from those around him and staunchly refuses to allow himself to get attached because he's just so tired of losing everyone and everything he loves time after time.

I could definitely see him having some form of PTSD, but his outbursts get brushed off as being because of him being in a very highly stressful position as opposed to the fact that he's mentally fucked from so many times of him losing everything he cares about. He really just needs a friend (and maybe some therapy).

I also headcanon him as having arthritis, which gets aggravated a lot by the cold, so he tends to rug up a lot, but he's still very much more on edge than usual - he hates the cold, which makes it kind of suck that he lives in Snezhnaya, in the palace of the Cryo Archon. I could also see him having some back issues (maybe scoliosis or something like that?) so he spends a lot of time cooped up in his chambers, huddled by the fireplace as he curses the cold and dreams of somewhere more temperate.

He's very much the 'grumpy old grandpa' trope, he reads his morning newspaper and drinks his black coffee at the dining table (and in modern AUs scolds people for touching the thermostat). For someone who loathes the cold so much, he sure does have quite the cold personality.

That's not to say his stony facade never falls, however, he does have his moments where he can be something that borders on sweet, especially to the younger members of the Fatui - he exercises an extra bout of patience and will try to the best of his ability to make sure those in his squadrons all come home safe. Despite his anger at the Archons, and the world in general, he doesn't want others to have to go through the same pain that he has.

Capitano... I feel like my interpretation of him differs depending on whether or not it's a modern/real world au. I really like the idea of him being an empty/haunted husk of armour, but now that I've found an appearance headcanon I like for him I've really warmed up to the idea of him being a human.

I headcanon him to look a bit like the rugby player Ma'a Nonu, who has Samoan descent (and is very nice looking imo). I know MHY is gonna disappoint if Cap ever gets a face reveal so I'm just going ham on my headcanons here.

Capitano is very big and broad, his head almost looks a little too small for his body (though his helmet covers it just fine). He has a decent amount of scarring that he's kind of insecure about (and perhaps a touch of vilitigo?), which is a large part of why he wears the clothing he does (in modern AUs, the knight's helmet is replaced with a baseball cap, sunglasses and face mask). He also has dreads, sorry not sorry.

On the surface (and to all of those around him) he's a quiet and intimidating individual, he doesn't speak much (if at all), and when he does it's straight to the point, he doesn't mince his words. His canon voice is... fine, but I feel like I have a different one floating around in my head when I write about him. He also knows a good amount of sign language too, but it doesn't really come in handy unless the people around him know it as well.

He comes off as cold and detached at first, but once he finds someone that he feels needs his protection (whether that be a self insert, canon character, or OC, depends on the day <3 (spoiler: in my case its usually a self insert akjfhkdjsf)), he turns into a big mama bear and takes them under his wing.

He's very protective over his chosen charge, despite how much the others may tease him for it. Capitano has a very strong sense of loyalty and ideals and once he's put his mind to protecting someone, he'd sooner die than let something happen to them. He firmly believes that actions speak louder than words, so instead of reassuring the ones he cares about, he just lets his actions do the talking, wordlessly looking after them in his own signature way (which could entail him physically protecting them from harm, or doing small things to keep them safe such as lending his coat, cooking food, or making sure there's always somewhere safe for them to hide away if things get too much).

Despite all of this, he struggles a bit to empathise consistently with those around him if he hasn't connected to them in his signature way, especially if he sees them as a lower rank than himself. In some AUs at least, he sees the other Harbingers as a kind of family, and subtly does things to help them out (though he's careful not to get caught), but if it's someone he doesn't spend much time around on a daily basis, he just sort of... disregards them.

Sorry this turned into a bit of an incoherent rant, I just got VERY excited seeing these two names in my inbox, I love these two so so much. Thanks so so much for the ask, I really do appreciate it :D!!

Please don't steal/copy/repost my work!

[sparklylovegiver]

Original writing

So I am gonna start posting my original writing here. This story doesn't really have a name, but the vibe is 'college kids doing college shit', so if you like college AUs maybe this will be your cup of tea. All the characters are mine and this is really my first attempt to find any sort of audience for my own stuff instead of fanfiction so please be nice. That being said, say Hello to Ivy and Brad.

She was already annoyed when she sat down. It had been a long night, her anxiety for the new semester kept Ivy up far later then she wanted.. She pulled her project from her bag, knitting needles clicking away as she waited for class to begin. She glanced up occasionally, taking stock of the others coming into the class when she saw him. The guy was at least as tall as her, not something she saw very often, his blonde hair tucked under the backwards red baseball cap as he spoke intently to the old teacher. As he finished talking to the professor he turned to the room, eyes scanning as if he was taking his own inventory of the class. As he scanned his gaze found her and he stopped, head cocked slightly he almost looked amused. Ivy looked back down at the knitting in her hands, the hair on the back of her neck standing. She stole a glance back up, seeing his approach, and she sat up, her shoulders a little more square, her back a little straighter, her face a carefully trained uninterested as she heard his footsteps continue closer. He didn't sit next to her, instead sliding into the row in front of her, a few seats from the end. He was close enough for her to get a better look, Ivy's eyes being pulled back to him again. The guy had no bag in sight, his feet propped up on his desk as he leaned back, one of those toy spinners in his hands. He was close enough for her to see his jaw shift, chewing some kind of gum, and see white letters across the front of the cap. At a glance she huffed, of course he had picked sitting right in front of her. This kinda guy was the bane of her existence. The teacher began talking, introducing himself and running through attendance, before beginning the expectations of the class and a brief breakdown of the syllabus. Ivy had glanced at it, only half listening at the teacher explained his plans for the class. 

"-and we'll spend probably a week covering the work of Immanuel Kant and transcendental idealism before moving on-" 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ivy muttered to herself, stopping her knitting to sigh, "Fuck Kant." As she sat back she heard the guy stifle a laugh and she bit her tongue. 'Just don't engage,' she reminded herself, stealing another glance at him. He had pulled out one of those little cubes, the ones with buttons and switches on each side, but otherwise the teacher seemed to have his attention. Ivy could make out the words on his hat and she paused. 'Make America Skate Again' it read, and she wanted to chuckle. It could have been satire, making fun of the original red caps, or it could be a double back, satire of the satire, it was hard to tell with those kinda guys. She kept one eye on him as class continued, but he didn't turn around, the class taking his full attention. She began to wonder if maybe she had imagined the look he had given her before class, or the chuckle at her comment. When the class was dismissed, Ivy was carefully packing up her knitting when she heard it. 

"Hey," she turned, the voice belonging to the guy in front of her, "what would you say if I asked to buy you a coffee?" He asked, a mischievous grin wide and her heart sank. She had seen grins like that before, right as guys like this pulled the rug from under her feet. It was her own fault, cocky fuck boys had always been her weakness. 

Ivy scoffed, "I'd say 'I've heard this joke before, and I'm not interested in being a punchline again,'" she replied cooly, sliding her laptop into her bag before pivoting, walking out before he had a chance to respond. Her eyes stung but she bit the inside of her cheek. She had been dumb to think, even for a second, he might be different, especially before he spoke, and she was even more dumb to be disappointed. She shouldn't have been surprised, after all, 'asking the trans girl on a date only to stand her up' was a punchline she had felt more than once.

****

Brad was already forming a new plan when she walked away. Ivy. He had been paying attention during attendance, waiting to hear the name she would respond to so he could add it to what he knew. Her aesthetic had been enough to catch his attention, shoulder length dark hair, half pinned up, dark makeup to match. As he had gotten closer he could see her dark aesthetic stretched to her clothes, a knee length skirt, tights, tall boots, along with a band tee-shirt he only vaguely recognized, but what really caught him was the knitting. Whatever the girl was making was bright pink and his curiosity drew him closer. Brad didn't miss the way she tensed seeing him approach, sliding into the row in front of her, rather than next to her. Everything about her body language screaming Do not approach and a tiny part of him felt guilty. He hated the prospect of making any girl uncomfortable, but the bright pink project had caught him and his curiosity wouldn't leave him be. He focused on the teacher, trying to put names to the faces of his classmates and making mental notes over the syllabus when he heard her. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He heard her mutter, the clicking of her knitting needles stopping as she huffed, "fuck Kant." Brad stifled a laugh and he could feel her eyes, as if daring him to say something. He fought the urge to turn to her, deciding the first day of class was probably a bad time to start an in depth discussion, but he needed to know more. His attention was divided after that, half listening to the teacher, half waiting for her to say something else. She was quiet the rest of class, the constant clicking of her knitting needles becoming like white noise. He could feel her looking at him and he resisted the urge to turn around. Maybe it was all in his head, but it felt like a test; could he leave her alone, despite his own desire to know more? It was as they packed up, the girl tucking her project into her bag, that his interest won. 

"Hey," she turned, an eyebrow raised as she looked unimpressed. Her expression only stoked him, his grin wide as his heart sped up ,"what would you say if I asked to buy you a coffee?" 

She scoffed, her voice like cold water, "I'd say 'I've heard this joke before, and I'm not interested in being a punchline again'," she replied, walking out before he could say anything.

[storiesofsvu]

hi, your probably already been asked this before but wanted your HC about Rita's apartment/or where she lives. I'm so interested on how amazing it probably would be.

hey bestie.

so i definitely have thought of this a LOT, but i never really did a whole lot of research on specific real estate sights for NYC/Rita (yet!) aside from her brief stay in the penthouse in Penthouse of Sugar.

I'm going to invest some time maybe this week, to go through and try and find the perfect place for her in reality/with pictures/an actual listing. but for now will give you some general HC's about where I think Rita does/has/would live.

We all know Rita is not stranger to money, personally I do think she was raised with wealth, she's always known what it was like to be upper class, and obviously rakes in the cash with her career now. This is quite literally canon because of s17 when it's revealed she went to Dowland, a high end, expensive, ritzy private school. Her high school friend lives in a gorgeous giant house, has a housekeeper, etc. BUT, I also very deeply head canon tha she *knows* what it is like to work for a living, she's not some spoiled brat.

I think she was raised on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, in some fancy ass nice either multifloor apartment (like the ones on gossip girl) or a large brownstone.

As an adult, I can definitely see her on the UES still, but I always picture her in an apartment, not a brownstone or actual house, don't ask me why.

Tribeca is the second area I hc her living in, it's expensive, there's great views, and it's super close to the court house. While we don't canologically know where her firm is, I wouldn't be surprised if it's also in the area, which would make things walkable/not a long car ride, and we all know she doesn't drive and would probably NEVER be caught on the subway...

I think I like her in an apt because she's a very independant person and comfortable on her own. Having a partner isn't her number one concern in life and I do hc her being 10000% comfortable being perpetually single. So she's not going to be in a giant 3-5 bedroom place. A nice 2-3 bedroom max. Like, main suite for herself, one for a home office, and *maybe* a guest room depending on the apartment building.

An apt also gives her ammenities, there's probably a gym, a rooftop terrace, the extra security of a doorman, maybe even a nice little coffee shop connected to the lobby that definitely knows her by name and exactly what her order is and has it ready and waiting at precisely the time she needs it in the morning.

Rita wants a place that's in a nice area, has a couple of bistros, nicer bars and the like around for her social life. She likes at least a small private terrace for herself, indulging in morning coffee, summer mojitos while suntanning, curling up with a nice mug of tea and a good book at the end of the long week while she watches the sun set.

She wants a place with large windows, lots of sun, natural light, the courthouse, precincts and probably her office don't get a lot of that, so she wants to get it where she can. For the same reason I picture a lot of open space, at least in the common areas.

Though the one thing she absolutely does not give a fuck about is the kitchen. For obvious reasons.

As for aesthetic/furnishing... why cant I think of the phrase? lololol. It's going to be neat, tidy, i can definitely see a nice hardwood throughout, decorated with stylish cozy rugs in the living room. Bright, not all white, and not like, obnoxious colours, but bright, nice, calming and relaxing on the eye.

It's going to have lavish touches for SURE, more than a few pieces of very perfectly selected art from around the city on the walls. The common areas are going to be more generalized, the further you get into the house and closer to the bedroom you get the more her soul is exposed. The more personal, very close to the heart things she keeps in the bedroom.

Homegirl also loves books, if there's a nook or corner of the living room she can convert into an in the wall bookshelf, she's going to have that done and it's going to be (very neatly and meticulously organized) crammed with books of all genres.

That's all i've got for now, and we'll do some sleuthing on the internet to get some pictures and listings and further ideas for the stuff that i can't really describe well lol. I might add them in here, i might make a separate post! We'll seee!