#winds of winter spec

[cheollipop]

❅*⋆ 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙣𝙤𝙬

navi | taglist

pairing: jung wooyoung x fem!reader

w.c.: 4.4k

genre: smut, fluff, established relationship

while the world revelled in the first snowfall of the year — crowding their windows as the sky painted the streets in a blanket of white — your focus remained elsewhere, too busy celebrating wooyoung.

❅ warnings: food/eating mentioned, unprotected sex (👎), creampie, oral sex (m receiving), deepthroating, men whimpering *drools*, wooyoung is a tease, sub-leaning!reader, cockwarming, creaming, praise, nicknames (youngie, woo; baby, good girl, darling, love), they are so in love i want to throw up

❅ A/N: happiest birthday to my beloved.

nsfw under the cut—minors dni 🔞

Smoothing your spatula over the cooled top layer, small, golden crumbs adhered to the buttercream as you coated the freshly baked cake’s exterior. You peered outside the window atop the sink, a smile stretching your lips when you’d noticed the falling white specs coating the world behind the safety of your glass pane.

You loved winter. You loved the hot chocolate with marshmallows melting into a swirl of whipped cream, huddling up on the couch with candles burning, blankets engulfing your form while the world around you faded away as warmth seeped into your skin. You loved the anticipation of snow, and the bliss it brought with it when it dressed the streets in a soft, pearly gown. You loved the big jumpers you’d sneak out of Wooyoung’s closet, his scent imbedded into the soft fibres, and the homemade soup burning your tongue as he spoon-fed it into your open mouth. Even with harsh storms swaying the trees from side to side, branches banging against your windows, hail pounding on the hoods of cars, and bleak winds breaching the thick layers of cashmere and fleece, winter with Wooyoung was warm.

Too immersed in taking in the sky’s frosty offering, you’d missed the gentle rustling of keys, the click of the front door, mindlessly spreading the slightly-too-thick coating while socked feet padded their way to your idle form. The sudden hands on your waist startled you, a gallop of buttercream flying off the spatula you were holding as your arm jolted upwards, quickly twisting your body with a stunted inhale to face the intruder. Your initial fright dwindled away as you stood before Wooyoung, eyes closed to avoid the buttercream stuck over his eyebrow, his body trapping yours against the marble counter.

“Woo,” you breathed out a sigh of relief, giggles bubbling up in your throat as you reached for the tablecloth you had thrown over your shoulder, wiping his face with your lips drawn tight to suppress the laugh attempting to slip through.

“Is this how you treat me on my birthday?” You wanted to kiss his pout away, but you resisted. “I rushed home to my darling because I missed her so much, and she tries to blind me,” he sulked, fluttering his eyes open once you’d wiped his face completely clean.

This time, you giggled, leaning forward to press your lips together, moving to peck the corners before pulling away. “I’m sorry, my love,” you smiled apologetically, not bothering with teasing him on his birthday. His mouth stretched into a smile that mirrored yours, and you leaned into his body, arms wrapping around his small waist while his circled your own. Glancing down at his shirt, about to scold him for the improper number of layers he’d thrown on before leaving, your eyebrows shot up at the blotchy streaks of brown painting the thin white. “What did the guys do to you?”

He tilted his head to take in the state of his shirt, blowing out a breathy laugh before directing his gaze back to your puzzled features. “Oh baby, you should’ve seen my face. They had Jongho push it down into the cake.”

“Mm, you still have some in your hair,” you grinned while picking out the crumbs from his hairline, running your fingers through dark locks to break up the stuck-together strands.

A gust of air blew over your face as it escaped Wooyoung’s parted lips in a heavy sigh, interrupting your ministrations when he dropped his head onto your shoulder to nuzzle his nose into your pulse point, inhaling the lingering scent of vanilla wafting off your skin and occupying your residence. Pressing a kiss to your neck, he muttered against the soft flesh, “I’ve missed you.”

You smiled, “you’ve only been gone for two hours.”

“Too long.”

Your chest warmed, fingers carding through the soft hairs at his nape while he laid the weight of his head onto your shoulder, breath steady and arms secure around your waist, occasionally tightening as he zoned in and out of the present, content to simply rest within the aura of tranquillity you’d effortlessly granted him. “You’re here now,” you burrowed your nose into his hair, the chocolatey aroma of a wasted cake embedded into the soft locks.

It wasn’t that Wooyoung was fond of winter too — he simply enjoyed spending it by your side. Pretending to be cold so you’d snuggle closer to him, running your hands through his hair and peppering kisses over his face until it scrunched up, blowing hot air over his already-warm palms just to see the corners of his eyes wrinkle as his lips curled with a smile. You'd wait all year to watch the world pile on layers of thick fabric with a sheet of white, quickly melting dust resting on their shoulders, dainty snowflakes bedecking brown locks, irises glinting under the winter sky as you walked down the slippery sidewalk with intertwined fingers swinging between your bodies.

Winter, to you and Wooyoung, meant meaningless walks under the soft snowfall, feeling the momentary chill of the icy flakes on your skin before it reverted back to liquid. Red noses inhaling the crisp air, soft gusts of fog leaving freckled lips as excited words rolled off his tongue — something about a new series he was watching, or was it a movie? The non-prescription glasses he insisted on wearing all but fully beclouded, droplets of melted snow rolling off the plastic frame, his lips cracked with their excessive movement as he kept switching between topics, as though he’d been saving them up for weeks. As though you didn’t share most of the day’s hours in each other’s company, eyes meeting delicate features as the morning sun cast its early rays over your resting figures, and falling shut within each other’s embrace, hoping their gentle touch could carry into your dreams.

Wooyoung knew when to be quiet as well. When the grey, weary skies reflected upon your affect, your warm sheets proving to be a little more difficult to part with, and words a little more difficult to utter. In such instances, Wooyoung offered you peace, safety, warmth. A place to rest and recover, where the passage of time didn’t seem too daunting, where you could find footing at your own pace, with a gaze flooded with unfaltering adoration cast upon you, and arms warmer than the peak of summer holding your trembling form until it found the strength to stand alone, a ghost of a palm on your lower back even as you took your first steps back into the present.

A pleasant exhale warmed your shoulder before Wooyoung’s body retreated partially, arms still encompassing your body while he directed his focus onto the counter behind you. “Has my baby been working on this since I left?” His tone was playful, amused as he peered over your shoulder at the crumb-coated cake left unfinished.

The corners of your lips lifted into a shy smile, cheeks flushed while you nodded. With your eyes fixed onto a particular stain on Wooyoung’s collar, you’d missed the tenderness of his gaze as he took you in — curling in on yourself while he held you in his arms, flour dusted over your sweater and traces of buttercream left at the corner of your mouth from a sneaky taste testing you thought would go unnoticed. Holding your chin with his pointer and thumb, Wooyoung directed your focus back to his face, greeting you with an easy smile before leaning forward to close the gap between your lips. They sashayed like dancers, moulding against one another in a gentle, yet gradually deepening kiss, noses pressing against one another as Wooyoung stepped further into your space.

And just like that, he was gone again, moving back to moon over the blend of abashment and disorientation taking over your features while your lips continued to chase his, the plushness lingering over your senses, and you wanted more. But the hands on your waist were twisting you clockwise until you faced the loitering snowfall once again, Wooyoung’s arms now on either side of you, bracketing your body against the counter while his lips feathered over the cartilage of your ear as he spoke, “come on then, don’t let me distract you.”

Your heartrate picked up, Wooyoung’s body heat — despite the intentional space left between your back and his chest — seeping into your skin, not aiding the flush running up your body at the proximity, the not-so-innocent touches, the teasing, the taste of his lips persisting over yours.

“Woo,” the tone was firm, but your voice wavered before you could stop it, and the telltale stretch of his mouth against the shell of your ear told you all you needed to know — Wooyoung was aware of his effect on you, and would work to exploit his power in any way he could.

Slender fingers reached for the piping bag you’d set aside earlier, twisting one of your hands with his free one to place the tool into your open palm. “Here, I’ll help,” his smirk remained, evident in his voice as he laid his hands over your knuckles, following your lead as you adjusted the bag in your hold until it fit comfortably.

You exhaled the breath you’d been holding, steadying your trembling hands and angling your body over the counter, dragging Wooyoung down with you as he watched your measured movements in silence. Pressing down on the sides of the plastic bag, you formed your first buttercream swirl with a meticulous twist of the wrist. You pursed your lips, leaning back ever so slightly to examine it before nodding in approval, bending down once again to repeat the process.

Wooyoung's hand remained perched idly over yours, eyes flitting between your profile and the hands lining his birthday cake’s circumference with — very uneven — swirls of vanilla buttercream. With no trace of your previous bashfulness to be found, Wooyoung found himself mooning over the engaged furrow of your eyebrows, the glossy sliver of tongue held between your teeth, steady hands moving underneath his with no complaint about their added weight; you’ll most likely use that as an excuse to justify the noticeable discrepancy in swirl size, and Wooyoung will most likely allow it, drop the banter and accept you accusations, simply to see the blissful spark lighting up your irises.

Suddenly straightening up into his body, you’d dragged Wooyoung out of his sappy daydreams and back to inspect the finished cake, the decorative swirls appearing more uniform now that they’d been clustered together, the mouthwatering scent of vanilla and caramel so inviting, so homey and pleasant.

As though you’d read his mind, you reached forward to grab a clean fork from the dishrack, not bothering with cutting out a slice before you’d stabbed the cake to scoop out a bite of fluffy, vanilla-coated sponge. Wooyoung's mouth opened without thought as you directed the heaped fork over your shoulder, teeth clanging against the metal as he slid the contents off its prongs. You'd expected the passionate feedback, turning your head as soon as his eyes had fell shut, wishing you’d plugged your ears as soon as the hyperbolic moaning began. Sensing the sway of his body behind you while he chewed loudly, you slid your finger over the coated side of the cake, collecting a bead of buttercream and rotating your body to smear it onto his cheek. The moaning stopped, thank fuck.

The deadpan expression barely lasted, his features melting into that of warmth, affection, love — as though you’d handcrafted the intricate snowflakes painting the world white and placed them into his hands. Wooyoung’s gaze moved to your lips, skipping contemplation, and diving forward to share the sweet remnants of vanilla on his tongue, flicking it over your bottom lip with a sly smile. He trailed tender kisses up your face, starting at the corner of your mouth and up to your cheekbone. And just as your eyes fluttered shut, a warm, buttercream-covered cheek collided with yours, curved nose nuzzling into the warm flesh to smear the sugary cream over your skin. His grip on your waist was unyielding, holding you still while you thrashed in his arms.

“You shouldn’t play with your food, my love,” he grinned, fingers now poking at your sides.

“Woo—” you shrieked and jerked away from his touch, throwing your head back as giggles erupted from your chest. “Please—s-stop!”

He carried on with his ministrations for a few moments more, revelling in the pleasant melody leaving your smiling lips, the joyous expression persisting even after his hands ceased their motion, now resting comfortably over the curve of your waist. It was as though an inconspicuous force drew him to you, finding it laborious to remain detached from your form. The cake on his shirt be damned, he wrapped himself around you, tucking his head into the crook of your neck to inhale the scent of your body wash, pressing feathery pecks over the soft skin.

The corners of your lips curled upwards, sighing pleasantly at the gentle gesture as you smoothed your hands down his back, nuzzling your cheek into his clothed shoulder while the scent of musk and chocolate mingled in the air around you.

Settling in the tranquil stillness with Wooyoung, you could feel the taut, lean muscle lining his back beneath your palms, absorbing his comforting heat as you stood together. “How are you not cold?”

He smiled fondly at the slight lisp you spoke with, tucked so close to his body, his shoulder muffled your words. Pulling back, he placed a wet kiss to the tip of your nose when you’d whined about the sudden parting, and his hands reached for yours. He enveloped the icy digits within the warmth of his own, bringing them up to his mouth to blow hot air into the cocoon he’d created around your hands. Closing his fingers around yours completely, he hoped it’d contain the warmth of his breath, lowering them back down to peer at you through his eyelashes, a familiar glint in his eyes.

“What?” you questioned warily, one eyebrow raised and heat rushing through your body.

Despite his intense stare, his eyes — though slightly narrowed — remained soft, one hand leaving yours to smooth down the hair at the side of your head, the scent of chocolate surrounding you once again as he pressed his lips to your temple, the leftover sugary cream on his skin spreading over your cheekbone as he spoke.

“My sweet baby, let’s warm you up, yeah?”

--

All plans to ravish you vanished as soon as your knees met the carpeted floor between his legs, hurried fingers tugging at his sweatpants, not allowing him the time to settle back down onto the couch cushions before a wet tongue swiped over the precum beading at his tip.

“Baby, you really don’t have to,” he muttered breathlessly, fingers carding through your hair, eager eyes watching your spit-soaked lips approaching his cock.

Looking up at him through your lashes, you wordlessly took his cockhead into your mouth, fluttering your eyes shut as you lowered yourself further down his length, grunts and choked moans reverberating in your ears and motivating you to carry on. He felt heavy on your tongue, the prominent vein lining his shaft throbbing in your mouth and bitter precum overwhelming your tastebuds. Wooyoung’s thighs tensed under your palms, and glancing up at him, you watched the turmoil his features portrayed, wanting you to move at your own pace, yet the burning want sizzling in his gut begged him to take what he wanted.

“Youngie,” a gentle mumble of his name was enough to drag him out of the battles crowding his mind, snapping his eyes down to your face with parted lips and stunted exhales. Dragging your mouth down his length, you watched as his gaze moved to take in the slow descent, then back up at the sound of your voice, “use me however you want, birthday boy.”

You flattened your tongue over underside of his cock, moving upwards to circle around his head, your exaggerated slurping breaking Wooyoung’s composure, the internal battles in his mind coming to a standstill as your warmth engulfed him, eyes beginning to roll back with every inch you took down the rough plane of your tongue. His hands shot up to hold your face, thumb caressing your cheekbones while he kept you in place, languidly rolling his hips into your mouth, head thrown back over the cushions behind him with burning arousal rushing through his body. You nuzzled your nose into the thick hairs at his base, and even as you gagged, your mind floated in ecstasy with every upward buck of Wooyoung’s hips.

“Fuck—‘m sorry darling, you feel so good,” he admired the skill in which you took his cock with lidded eyes, brows furrowed while he held you down until he felt the last of your oxygen warming the skin of his pelvis.

Wooyoung helped you off his length before you had the chance to tap on his thigh, chest heaving as he watched you regain your breath, his throbbing length coated in your spit and spurting translucent, sticky precum in anticipation. He followed the string of saliva connecting the tip of your tongue to his cockhead, swallowing dryly as his body lit up with all-consuming lust. Watching you suck in the air you’d lost, Wooyoung assumed he’d have more time to recover, to push down the hints of an orgasm come too soon, but the sudden fingers around his base offered him no reprieve. Small, firm tugs on the lower half of his cock built him up to an almost-high once again, his voice thinning — groans turned choked-up moans — and his hips involuntarily jerking into your fist.

“W-wait—baby, ‘m gonna cum, please—” he pleaded, but the small smile you tried to hide told him everything he needed to know: you weren’t planning on stopping. You wanted to hear him whimper and whine, watch him squirm and shiver under your touch until he’d dirtied his clothes with his own cum, until his cock could no longer handle the flaring stimulation. But Wooyoung had other plans, grabbing your wrist and sighing as you relaxed your fingers around his cock, shutting his eyes to bask in the calm before opening them once again to take in your dejected features. Too riled up to play your games, like a carnivorous fauna who’d been mercilessly starved for weeks, Wooyoung wanted to feast. “God, darling, I wanna fuck you so bad.”

You thought the couch would’ve been reserved for foreplay and playful teasing, but Wooyoung didn’t bother move to the comfort of your shared bed, simply lifting you off the ground and trapping you under him, the fingers tangled in the hair at your nape tugging your head back to bare your neck while blunt canines left imprints over the delicate skin. Wooyoung’s cock fit snugly between your walls, resting comfortably within your clenching heat while he ravished you, his body weight resting on your pelvis restricting your movement. It seemed as though the raw lust blazing in hooded eyes had dissipated completely, replaced by unwavering patience, gentle pecks and blooming bruises, a throbbing cock seated within your cunt with no plans of moving, of fucking you the way you’d yearned for.

“Youngie,” you whined, a high-pitched whisper that elicited a hum from the man biting into your shoulder. “Please move.”

A breathy chuckle blew over your skin, “I thought the birthday boy made the requests?”

Your expression fell, was it the embarrassment or dejection? Either or, you turned your head to face the backrest, the motion restricted by the hand in your hair, now easing its grip as Wooyoung noticed the flush spreading up from the collar of the flour-dusted sweatshirt he didn’t bother add to the pile of clothes haphazardly thrown over the carpet.

Redirecting back up to your jaw, he planted wet, open-mouthed kisses over its slope, gentle fingers on your chin guiding your gaze back to him. “Oh baby, I’m just kidding.”

His lips settled into an easy smile, soft fringe fanned over his forehead and shimmering beads of sweat forming over the slivers of skin peeking through. The abashment you’d felt faded upon meeting his eyes, void of any judgement, and full of unconditional infatuation. His lips landed onto yours while you were too busy admiring his features — a slow, deep kiss to match the leisure movement of his hips, the drag of his cock over your walls throwing gasoline into the fire burning in your gut. Arm hooking under your knee, he spread you open and laid himself over your lower half.

“What are you—”

“Moving,” a sly smirk paired with a sharp thrust into your welcoming heat, a groan left his parted lips while he watched you melt under his towering frame, the audible squelch of your pussy like music to his ears.

He didn’t give you time to process, elbows digging into the cushion on either side of your head as he built up to a mind-numbing pace, stuffing his cock inside you and revelling in the pleasure painting your features — eyes shut and mouth forming an ‘o’, unable to form coherent words, only a staccato of airy ah’s. His cock was relentless, repeatedly pressing into your sweet spot to light fireworks behind your eyelids, your hips rolling to meet his to create an echo of skin-on-skin between the four walls. The constant squeeze of your pussy around him, the sweet sounds leaving your lips, the firm hold you had around his biceps as he pistoned his hips into you with fervour — Wooyoung’s composure began faltering, and his desperation unveiled itself the deeper he fucked himself into your sopping cunt.

You were so wet, a frustrated whine reverberating in Wooyoung’s throat when he slipped out of you, hands trembling as he hurriedly pushed himself back into your fluttering hole, sighing in unison once your walls were once again moulded to his shape. He lowered himself atop you, his forearms easing some of his body weight off yours while he nuzzled back into your neck, grunts and breathy moans now much closer to your ear, much clearer, sending searing waves of heat straight down to your stretched core.

“So fucking perfect,” he muttered into your skin, “taking me so well, letting me use your cunt the way I want. Such a good girl for me,” he bit down on the column of your throat, feeling it vibrate with your moans as he built himself up to the brink of his orgasm, then slowing down to drag you there with him.

“Fuck, Woo, please—”

Your fingers found the hair at his crown and tugged, not to pull him off you, but to hear the whimpers sounding at the back of his throat. You were close too, so fucking close from the relentless abuse of your g-spot, Wooyoung’s cockhead pressing into it with every forceful thrust into your needy cunt while his pelvis continuously brushed against your swollen clit. The familiar fluttering didn’t go unnoticed, your pussy gripping Wooyoung with its every retreat, swallowing him back inside — inch by inch — with an exhale of relief.

“Close?”

It sounded more like a statement, but you nodded anyway, the hands on his shoulders sliding down his bare back to grip the warm flesh of his hips, desperately guiding them into your heat. The gesture, paired with the doe, sparking eyes you looked up at him with, the gentle tone of your voice as whispered pleads and repetitions of his name escaped your pouty lips, dragged Wooyoung over the edge, tumbling down the steep hill of his orgasm until his vision blurred with unshed tears. The rhythm he'd maintained broke, replaced by sloppy, frenzied thrusts into your dripping cunt, a thick ring of cream forming around his cock as he emptied inside you.

He twitched violently between your walls, and the sudden warmth spreading through your lower belly dragged you down that hill with Wooyoung. You clamped down around his length, halting the frantic pounding as he sheathed himself within your cunt, feeding thick ropes of white into your womb while he shuddered above you, unfiltered moans vibrating against the side of your neck.

It felt like you were still coming, even as Wooyoung used your cunt to milk out the last of his cum, heavy dollops streaming out of the stretched hole, your walls continued to flutter around him, thighs trembling at his side and under his palm. Even as he stretched your leg out for you, refusing to leave the comforting warmth of your cunt while he wrapped his arms around you and twisted you onto your sides, your mind still floated within a cloud of ecstasy.

Was it your orgasm, or was it just Wooyoung? His presence, the soft scent of his cologne and the chocolate in his hair creating a bubble of comfort around your resting frame, his warmth seeping into your skin and lighting your heart ablaze. Today was meant to be about him, celebrating him, but love laced itself into everything Wooyoung did, and he couldn’t help but give, even on a day on which he was meant to take.

“Thank you for today,” the words spoken into your hair were unexpected, and you lifted your head to meet dazed eyes.

“What?”

“The cake, and the dessert,” he smiled at the innuendo, leaning down to peck the tip of your scrunched nose. “Thank you for loving me.”

Dumbstruck, you stared up at the man with glassy eyes, tucking yourself back into his chest before he could question the tearful reception of his words. But Wooyoung only held you tighter, pressing a faint yet reassuring kiss over your hair while you sunk further into his arms. Warm. Even in the midst of winter, Wooyoung was warm.

With the fluffy blanket you’d laid over the backrest now wrapped around your bare figures, you rested within Wooyoung’s secure hold, sharing whispered confessions and hearty giggles while the sun started its descent from its locus. And as the sky shifted from blues to a vivid magenta, you endeavoured to maintain the smile stretching Wooyoung’s lips, to watch his lines around his mouth further deepen until this happiness forever etched itself onto his face.

The world continued to celebrate the first snow of the year — blankets of white now melting over the asphalt — but your focus remained elsewhere, too busy celebrating Wooyoung.

reblogs/feedback are greatly appreciated!! ^^ apply for my tag list here (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

[i0134]

𖥻 THINGS — enhypen ◌ ִ ۫ ּ

syn ; things enha reminds me of !

heeseung !

dangly earrings, pendent chains, skinny ripped jeans, rock guitar, clubbing, late studio night, concerts, rainy empty street, love songs, specs, ice cream, deers, rainforest, going over the speed limit, long drive, polaroids, balcony, tattoos, collage campus, basketball, getting into fist fights, breaking rules, warm breeze, kisses, sharing earphones, untied shoelaces, sleeveless tops, cross jewelries, chase atlantic songs

jay !

red wine, ball dance, guitar, empty kitchen, champagne bubbles, tuxedo suits, runaway, black cat, fashion magazines, gold jewelries, camping, eucalyptus, biking, biker jackets, street racing, late night walks, city lights, porsche, cologne, the weeknd songs, loose tie, fancy restaurant, chanel bags, iced americano, home, long hugs, words of affirmation, eye contact, autumn, posh music, v necks, opera, musical recital, marriage, ancient churches

jake !

pancakes, golden retrievers, empty parks, cardigans, picnic, wolf pups, landscapes, abstract art, lip piercings, makeout sessions, mornings, cream, sheets, swimming, sand castles, tree houses, venus, varsity player, rings, clashing waves, sun shinning through curtains, backyard, champagne, sparkly eyes, netflix and chill, forehead kisses, caramel fudge, winter, jb songs, garden, lilies, lipstick stains

sunghoon !

sculptures, greek mythology, snow, ice skating, pointe shoes, swan lake, ice rinks, rhinestones, vampires, sharp canines, royalty, huskies, novels, cruise, 90s songs, ear muffs, moon phase, poetry, dandelions, maple leaves, vanilla shake, pearls, penguins, blush, lucid dreams, confessions, lullaby, archangels, romance movies, boyfriend coats, monsoon, hair blowing because of the wind, moles, tears, old love, unrequited love, ribbons, weddings

sunoo !

sun, tulip field, solar system, marshmallows, tteobokki, street food, shopping, karaoke, smiles, cute stationeries, stickers, secret diary, cheek kisses, mufflers, red foxes, bratz doll, playdate, selfies, carnations, easter, boba tea, bestfriends to lovers, cherry blossoms, lip gloss, skincare, disney shows, late night face timing, gossiping, watching kdramas, sanrio stuffs, blowing bubbles, photo booths, texts, horizon

jungwon !

kittens, valleys, teenage dream, gold fish, aquariums, subways, cds, headphones, empty bus rides, babybreaths, holding hands, first love, taylor swift songs, messy hair, vacation, countryside, group study, constellations, piggyback ride, dimples, converse, empty classroom, sheep cubs, indoor plants, mini cactus, namsan tower, han river, late fall, vintage hand written letters , young love, romcom, kitties

ni-ki !

graffiti, sunsets, baggy pants, late night dance jam, empty beach, bicycling, sea shore, ear piercings, watermelon, summer, slow dancing, grass field, bungeoppangs, duck chicks, disneyland, ps5, arcade, puma cubs, eskimo kisses, bracelets, youth, climbing fences, skipping school, skateboarding, mangas, school festivals, footsies, cute band aids, oversized attires, j-rock, night sky, laughters, slice of life, teenage, playfulness, photo booths, anime, shoujo manga

© aenfilmz / 02072023

taglist ; @solarwoniii @shiningstar-byulxx @wtfhyuck @ichiibunztwt @enhawhoreist

[infernalodie]

𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 || 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐳

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘐 𝘴𝘸𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦, 𝘐'𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘢 𝘐𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦“

Inspo: Hozier - Unknown (Unreleased)

Pairing: Maddy Perez x Perez!Male!reader

Summary: Everything else had fallen unknown besides the comfort provided by your sister...

Warnings: Just pure angst. Mentions of verbal and mental abuse (brief), prior relationship with Cassie Howard, and Maddy being the best little sister

Words: 2043

DNI IF YOU’RE SENSITIVE TO THE WARNINGS ABOVE!

The cold winds of winter were vastly approaching with the reminder of Christmas following arrival. It would be good this year. You hoped so, at least.

But who were you kidding? When did life ever throw you a bone? Every Christmas would end up with you being huddled in your room trying to find an inkling of what to do with yourself. But you were going to come up short. You knew that was a fact. Or you would spend time with your family that had no idea what was going on inside your head.

A cigarette rested between your lips as you sat in the front seat of your truck. Eyes trained on your work boots that had paint, dust, and small freckles of wood. Your pants or sweater shared the same appearance with your face having specs of drywall baked onto your bronze skin. Your nose was a rosary red from the constant wind that slipped past your open door and hit your face.

You loved your job in construction. It paid well and allowed you to spoil your sister, who was deserving of the treatment. But the only shitty part about it was that you were working for Nate’s dad. The man knew you by nearly giving Nate brain damage after you found out he laid hands on Maddy. If you knew that a socket wrench could do that much damage, maybe you would’ve just used brass knuckles. But besides that, the man did not make your life easy. Sucking every little ounce of life out of you until you were a sobbing mess in your room.

Sure, you could always go and find a new job, but you had too much pride. It was one of the many things that you and Maddy shared in common. That and the fact your guys’ exes were together and constantly finding ways to mock the two of you.

And speaking of the devil, you saw Lexi’s car slowly approach the house still in the works. But instead of Lexi, it was being used by Cassie. A large smile on her lips as she pulled to a stop and honked the horn. It was only a few seconds later that Nate came strolling out of the building matching the same smile. Greeting the blonde and actually showing some ounce of love that came as a rarity.

But you sat there hoping that Cassie would look in your direction. Give you some sort of acknowledgement. After how she broke up with you, you deserved that at least. Breaking up with you whilst Nate was with her. In front of everyone and making you look like a fool. Wishing you would’ve listened to McKay’s warnings ahead of ever getting with the witch.

Because that was what she was. A witch that disguised herself as an angel. Luring you in with smiles and dreams that became so hard to differentiate between your own and falsehoods. And by the time you recognized them, your mind clearing of the fog she creates, it’s too late. Your heart was stolen and left to never return. Forever freezing herself as an angel in her victim’s minds. Hiding the truth of her anonymity.

“What’s up, asshat?” The sudden voice tore you from your longing gaze to over your shoulder to see Maddy slip inside the passenger seat. That familiar smile on her lips seemed to be only for you to see.

“How was school?” You inquired gruffly, turning your gaze back down to your boots. Exhaling a cloud of smoke as your eyes took another daring glance towards Cassie. Still, she paid all her mind to Nate.

Maddy shrugged. “It was good. I have a test this Monday, but Rue and Jules are back together, so that’s a plus…” She trailed off, noticing your eyes focused on Cassie.

Pursing her lips at the knowledge that her brother was suffering like this. Although you didn’t try and let it be known, everyone knew you were suffering from this heartbreak. Just in the way you conducted yourself in public and in private. You didn’t go drinking anymore. All you did was sit inside your room, killing your lungs from the copious amounts of cigarettes you smoke in a single day. It might’ve been 3 months ago since Cassie ended things, but it still felt like yesterday to you.

“Lexi and the others are spending Christmas with us,” Maddy announced softly. “You should join us. I think it would be good for you.” Her hand softly rubbed your back, earning a gentle hum in response.

Placing the cigarette between your lips, you shifted in your seat suddenly. Slamming your door shut as you started the truck and allowed it to rumble to life. Maddy watched your almost robotic movements before you stared lifelessly ahead of you, beginning to drive. The soft strings of guitar playing through the beat-up speakers inside your truck. Cigarette resting heavily between the index and middle finger of your right hand. Maddy could see the pain written across your face.

Ever since you were just a kid, you were fragile. In your defence, it was because your guy’s father was a drunk and had no problem laying his hands on you. Telling you, “It’ll toughen you up for when you're older.” It did but still made you a rather fragile human either way. Because physical pain did nothing to you, but the mental damage he had caused destroyed you. But you would go through it a second time if it meant keeping Maddy out of your father’s warpath.

And there were very few people that you would do that for. But she was the totem that grounded you. The sign at the edge of the road helping guide you to where you needed to go.

“She didn’t deserve you, you know that, right?” Maddy inquired suddenly, making your eyes snap to her for a moment. “Your heart is too big for that little bitch to handle. She never received love before you came into her life. Own that and make her regret ever leaving you, Y/n.” Maddy didn’t mean to come off as a bitch, but she didn’t think there was any way to get through to you. You didn’t listen to anybody, you never liked talking about your feelings, and all of it was creating problems.

You sniffled, lips pursing as you continued to drive. Letting out a shaky sigh as you quickly rubbed your eyes to hide the sight of vulnerability. Because truthfully, allowing her to see this side of you was pathetic. It gave her insight into the lengths that you would’ve travelled for Cassie. If that meant crossing an ocean just to feel her touch, you would do it. No matter the distance and no matter the conditions, there wasn’t anything you wouldn’t do for that girl. But you were left high and dry, questioning everything you thought you knew.

Because now, you’d become a martyr for the other guys and girls who may have had a liking for her. If her being with Nate wasn’t enough, the way she broke you should be enough. You loved her and you thought she felt the same.

“Even if I don’t want to think it, Cassie, she’ll be seen as an angel to me,” you confessed softly, smoke slipping from your lips as you stared at the quiet roads. Maddy pursed her lips, glancing at you to find your lips wobbling as you inhaled sharply. Tears falling from your eyes and sliding down your cheek, lost on your fractured confession. “And I’m fine, you know? Everything’s fine. I’m fine on my own and I don’t need her. But it’s–It’s hard to just remove that part of my life completely, you know?”

The truck pulled into the driveway, stopping with the silence between you and your sister beginning to suffocate. But even then, you felt like the time you’d held your tongue–not speaking to anyone on this had finally broken and everything began to spew from your quivering lips. “Even through the bullshit that went on between you and her, some part of her still cared about you and wished she could communicate that to you,” you muttered, rapidly grabbing a cigarette and avoiding your sister’s gaze.

“That’s what she wanted?” Maddy questioned, attitude found within an instant when she spoke.

Which was enough for you to sorta wiggle your way out of the question. “I spent playing both sides of the game that was pitiful to watch.” Your hollow gaze was zeroed in on the steering wheel as you pursed your lips, sniffling. “And I got my ass kicked by both sides. Questioned by you and the rest of the group, Cassie wanted me to explain to you everything that happened. I didn’t sleep. I didn’t eat because I was more worried about you or Cassie. And it was everything.” A hint of a smile played on your lips as you glanced at your sister. “I felt needed for once and I wanted to help the both of you the best I could because I cared enough about the two of you fighting to put myself through hell.”

You waved your hand, scoffing. “But, like, before we broke up it felt like we found this station, you know? This common ground of what we wanted for the future and genuine love felt for one another,” you explained, wiping your nose. “She helped me break out of my shell and be a little more emotional. Be more attuned to my surroundings and just fucking enjoy it. Enjoy being there with her–enjoy her smile–enjoy the way her hands felt–enjoy the sex, kisses, laughs, ‘I love you’s’, but–Fuck, I just wanted her to do that for me- I wanted her to love me as much as she fucking said!”

Maddy sat with a straightened back when your hand slammed on the steering wheel. A teetering found in your glass eyes, emotions swaying from anger, sorrow, pain, to resentment she knew you didn’t deserve. Anger; for sure but you shouldn’t have been feeling like this from the beginning. Fighting with these thoughts and emotions for 3 months with no communication with anyone on it. That was torture and Maddy knew it personally.

“And every moment I spent with her taught me how to love and how to receive that love. It all meant something to me because it helped me learn to trust someone.” Taking a drag off your cigarette, you let out a shaky exhale. Nibbling on your bottom lip with your eyes falling to your feet, shaking your head. “I just don’t think it meant anything to her.”

That had been enough for Maddy to grab your arm and pull you into her chest. Her own heart trembling from hearing the pain and doubt found within you. If she could extract that pain and place it upon herself, she would. You were her big brother and you were supposed to be the support needed for her when your guys’ parents weren’t there. But you’d been there for her for years now and no one had been there for you. And all you had left was her.

So, finding solace in her arms was all you needed. Her silence was a warm blanket with the soft strokes of her hand through your hair soothed the ache in your heart. Because when people saw her as some snotty and uptight girl, you saw a sanctum. A safe haven for you lay down your arms and seek the comfort of someone that knew you. Maddy knew you. She loved you and she always would until her last breath. The two of you had been through hell together, fingers interlocked, and it bound the two of you together.

“None of this is your fault, Y/n,” she whispered into your ear. “You loved her as much as you could and tried to give her reasons to feel the same. But this world is twisted and takes the things we love the most as our punishment.” Pulling away, Maddy’s hands held your cheeks, staring at your dishevelled features. “You just gotta let her go. It isn’t wrong to move on and find something new.”

[auroralecchino]

INTRODUCTION

BASIC INFO:

age: 18

birthday: August 2nd

country: 🇵🇭 (GMT+8)

pronouns: she/her

gender: woman

sexuality: lesbiromantic aegosexual

ABOUT ME

A daydreamer on a regular basis, escapism into the realm of fantasies to cope with reality. A sense of belonging I feel whenever I am simply just within my own world. The life pressures and expectations are forever my struggle. My own existence is merely a bane in the household, I seek to reignite my hobbies that lost its own spark long ago. One of those is writing, and so I do look forward to correlating my hyperfixations through literature.

How did I discover Arlecchino?

Around the release of the Genshin Impact's Fatui Harbinger trailer: The Winter Night's Lazzo. I was not part of the community, nor did I play it due to low device specifications. I created my account back in 2020-2021, but the in-game lag was too much. Yes, I ended up even getting the beginner wind glider skin expired.

The moment I saw Arlecchino, I was fascinated, allured even. The androgynous appearance was incredibly gorgeous, I knew that after my Natasha Romanoff hyperfixation since would come to an end (since she did fall from cloud nine and snapped her back). I've been obsessed ever since, fanfiction content was limited, and just bread crumbs at the time I almost went insane. Fortunately, my December 2022 gift was a gaming laptop with great specs for me to play the game and save up! Except, I got Neuvillette and Navia with my impulsive gambling.

Would I ever publish fanfics of her?

Thank you!

Certainly, hopefully , I also get around writing my fanfiction ideas for her. I have a bunch of concept tropes for Arlecchino and reader, who would most likely be a projection of my own character within that story. Hehehe...

Am I comfortable with 18+?

Definitely, as the saying goes but with my revision "Mentally a slut, spiritually only in my wildest dreams, physically could never." Unless, a real life Arlecchino drops from the heavens. Why not?

Do I cater to men readers?

Apologies, but I sincerely could not. I could only go as far as writing women with a strap or transfem/women. I have absolutely no clue if I could ever write for ya'll ヾ(´･ ･｀｡)ノ

Will I ever write for other characters?

Someday in the future, maybe. For women characters only, most likely. If only I could literally hyperfixate entirely on Dan Heng or Aventurine, sadly, I'm not too invested in HSR even if the lore is interesting. I'm not a huge fan of modern looking RPG games or futuristic. It's also why I dropped HI3 as soon as hit 40. (⋟﹏⋞)

For dropping by to read, and if you ever consider sending me an imprompt idea for Arlecchino.

Do feel free to send and ask for requests! 💌

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MASTERLIST

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Incoming Post Soon . . .

[marialikeswritting]

Jack frost x goddess reader

The reader is a goddess of light like guidance to kids

Fanfic fail*

((((This is a fail attempt so I might as well just post it tell me if y'all want me to try this concept and fix the obvious grammatical errors)))

_______________________________

(y/n) star goddess of light a guide for children from any dark times they may have she helps them

With her radiant beauty and knowledge for the light ahead in the dark tunnels of ones mind she is there to take you away

Though no one has seen her in a long time not even the most ancient of spirits have seen her,she may be hiding in plain sight,for maybe her spark has died along the dark times she felt well those are the rumors around the place

"*sigh*" a tall woman is seen at the peak of a snowy mountain, she wears a long white dress that has two slits at each side beautiful golden patterns go from the top of her back,and down at her feet, she wears golden bands on her wrists and ankles on her head a headpiece with small chains and crystals she looked over from the peek a sad expression her usual glow dimmed no smile to see nor laughter to hear

She was alone and that how she liked to be alone

Or maybe she was just fooling herself but no matter how much she wished to be like herself there's this sadness. Loneliness that didn't bother her for many centuries until one night when she spoke to the moon,and then he didn't respond that's when she felt truly lost

No one to try to change her mind to come back to even find her,no one needed her right? Or maybe she was being dramatic and just because the children didn't see her shouldn't be a reason to give up on her duties on something that made her happy

Though it wasn't the children no it was the other like her that didn't give her the light of day which wa kinda ironic for her, but even now they didn't seem to mind her absent maybe she would find someone soon that will listen to her and make her happy

A lonely goddess who would have thought

Whith another look into the horizon she walked away

Winter was coming well...it had arrived just last night. Little specs of snowflakes hovering in the wind and in the air so gentle and stunning it was cold but nothing (y/n) couldn't handle. As it became night time now she could see the beauty of the stars they where the most vibrant that they had ever been they'd shine her away back home,but she didn't want to got there just yet it was too quiet the moment she was there and the moment she left and no doubt it would be the same if she ever went back

Her long dress drag behind her as she softly hummed a tune lifting her hands (y/n) made a ball of light to lead her way,she had walked a long way from where she lived and it was a blessing to not see the scenery towers of the castle

After walking a long way through the woods (y/n) had finally seen lights not from her, but houses a town just down the hill from where she stood,lifting her foot up she went down,but just as she took the first step she hesitated "I wonder if i can...." silence lingered around the thought of actually doing the one thing (y/n) was meant to do and finally doing it? "Well I gues maybe someone needs guidance" then a sound of feathers alarmed her "who who" an owl "hello there" a soft smile made it's way to her features "who who" "yes I suppose it is still dark for guiding someone but it wouldn't hurt to try and look don't you think umm" "who who"the owl flap his wings to rest on her shoulder "Ludacris what a lovely name now let's se what this town has to offer" "who who" "your quite stubborn. fine. I'll rest first, but when I wake up we will look together"

Finding a place to sleep wasn't hard and soon enough she was once again looking at the stars more over a constellation the first one she saw the night she woke up as who she is now ut was bittersweet how it mocks and comforted her seeing it after centuries of not wanting to look up that specific angle that could not be easily missed.once again she felt sad not knowing why she always did. it frustrated her why be like this.

Immortal whith powers, and a way to heal others in such a sweet and personal way if she can't even get over it.get over it

that's what she would tell herself stop thinking stop waiting for someone to sweep you off your feet or something your not a fairytale and even if it where to happens for someone so stupid to even want her

They would only get hurt at the long run and besides who would take interest in a sad pathetic goddess like her no one would ever love her

even if that's the most important thing she needed

The sun rays startled the girl to wake up a soft yawn escape her lips followed by light scratches on the head,suddenly she remember that today she would try to do the one thing she knew she was good at "alright let's go" she looked at the owl she kinda befriended but she wasn't sure just yet he was asleep 'oh right they are nocturnal' she realize but nonetheless she would go and find someone to guide maybe then she would stop and move on away from her sorrow

After a few minutes (y/n)walked into the town looking all over she sees children playing around and talking

(y/n) smiled at them as they played with determined faces then she noticed guy with a blue hoodie and white hair quit unusual for someone to have that kind of hair but it intrigued her nonetheless as she stared from a distance just casually locking or that's what she thought it was until he noticed her, blue eyes met with (e/c) ones he stoped for a moment and he smirked? At her, "strange but okay" she said under her breath

Then very quickly did the white haird guy flew over to () with a bug smile on his face "I've never seen you around here before,what's your name snowflake" he looked at her with curiosity tilting his head to the side like a little puppy which () found cute for whatever reason "welp see ya"

,the wind blew her long (h/t) (h/c) hair up as she stood there bewildered by her barely interaction with this guy

It's been about a few hours since I saw him and his blue crystal eyes and white hair,I couldn't stop the fact that I found him intriguing.

[voidsentprinces]

Thancred: I'm ridin my truck with my HIGH! HEELS! ON! Urianger: Kiss me once before thou goest, Summertime Sorrow~ Y'shtola: SHE WAS A BLACK MAGIC WOMAN Ryne: It's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake! Gaia: WAKE ME UP! WAKE ME UP INSIDE! Alisaie: HELLLLL YEEEAAAH! IM THE ONE THAT YOU WAAAANNTTEDD! HEEEEELLL YEEAAAH! IM THE ONE THAT YOU NEEEED! HELLL YEAAAAH! IM THE ONE THAT YOU WAAAANNTTEDD! HELL YEEEAAAH! IM THE SUPER BEAST!!! Alphinaud: FIRST OF MY CLASS SPECCED TO S.G.E., GOT SKILLS, I AM A CHAMPION AT D&D! G'raha: LEEEEEEEETTTSSS DOOOOO THE TIIIIMMEEE WAAAARRPP AAAAAGGAAAIN! Estinien: ON A COLD WINTER'S MORNING! IN THE TIME BEFORE THE LIIIIIGHHHTTT! Tataru: Imma bitch. Imma boss. Imma bitch, Imma boss! Imma shine like gloss. Krile: Is it worth it? Let me work it. Warrior of Light: THIS IS NOT! THE GREH--HEATEST SONG IN THE WOR-HER-LD! This is just a TRIBUTE! Riol: SHE'LL BE ALLLLRIIGHT IF THE WIND BE IN HER SAILS!

[jadedrrose]

SORRY. I FORGOT THAT ITS CANON AU. AGAIN SORRY 😭💔💔💔💔

I’m using this ask to post the fic since the other one is so long and I don’t wanna make people scroll forever lol. Also: I changed the Christmas part to New Years since uh…. It’s obviously no longer Christmas. Oops.

Warnings: None, cute Ace fluffiness :)

With winter at full force on the particular island you’d landed on, you and Ace were quick to find somewhere cozy to stay- a small cabin on the outskirts of the village.

Surprising nobody, Ace’s appetite got the best of him and he ended up going on a huge “shopping” haul of groceries. Course, you knew right away that it was all stolen when he’d shown up with that big goofy grin of his.

He’d snatched some basic food items that were necessary, but also some ingredients for you to bake with. So that’s exactly what the two of you did for the rest of that day; baking cookies.

By the end of it, it looked as though there were enough cookies to feed an entire pirate crew. However you’d done this on purpose, knowing Ace’s bottomless pit of a stomach would never grow tired of them. He ate away all evening long, even having them with his dinner, and soon you realized nearly have of the cookies were gone already.

“How the hell did you manage that?” You asked him, looking over the small kitchen area with wide eyes.

“I was really hungry, babe,” Ace whined. “And they turned out so yummy… I couldn’t help myself.”

You giggled, turning to look at him. “Well, at least someone enjoyed them. And here I was worried we’d have to throw them out.”

Ace let out a warm chuckle and then looked outside to see it had begun snowing once again.

“Y/n… have you experienced snow before?” He wondered.

You followed his gaze and peered out the old window, seeing the small white specs flow through the wind. “No… it never snowed on the island I grew up on. But I’ve always dreamt of seeing it one day.”

You glanced back to Ace to watch as another grin broke out onto his face. “Then let’s go out!”

“But we have no winter clothes, Ace!” You protested. As much as you wanted to experience the snow, you also didn’t want to freeze.

“I don’t need winter clothes,” he bragged, letting a flame engulf his fist to prove his point.

“But I do,” you frowned. “And you’re not setting me on fire.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “I would never, babe. How about we make hot chocolate and go out for just a moment?”

You thought it over and nodded. “That sounds nice.”

—

Hot chocolates in hand, Ace used his power to get all the ice and snow off the two chairs on the porch and even warm one up for you to sit on.

As he sat down, you handed him his cup and looked out to the night sky. The wind was gone, just snow gently falling remaining. You smiled, watching the sight before you. Even if your nose burned with the cold air, you were happy to be outside right now.

“What’s all that?” Ace suddenly blurted, pointing over to the village, where fireworks were going off.

“Oh!” You suddenly remembered, “it must be New Years! I can’t believe I forgot.”

“Is it already?”

You nodded, looking at your boyfriend. “Which means it’s your birthday.”

Ace then gasped, realizing he’d forgotten his own birthday. “Shit, I guess it is.”

You giggled and looked back to the flashes of color in the sky, among all the snow. It was breathtaking.

But Ace continued to gaze at you, smiling to himself. Watching the snow fall onto your head and face, he realized that it was yet another year of you two being on your adventure together. He did like to complain about having only one other person in his crew, but maybe he secretly enjoyed just having you and him as The Spade Pirates. Nodding, he decided that he did. Right then, he decided to savor this next year, just you and him for however long that may be, and your little adventure as a couple.

[fluffydavey]

a prompt thing!

davey is sick and doesn’t show up to sell (or modern au to school/work/etc)

i'm distracting myself with writing so feel free to send me any prompts and i will try my best to write them!! <3

At first, they barely notice anything is wrong. Davey's back in school, but he's continued selling papes with the boys in the evenings and at the weekends. Although Davey had been a quick learner in the early days, he's becoming slower and he looks distracted.

It's brushed off with jokes, until Davey doesn't even have the energy to respond. "Sore throat," he musters, and Jack sends him home and promises to give their equal share to Les when he gets home that evening. He doesn't think much of it - the cold New York winters are harsh, especially during your first time selling in Demeber, and Davey looks like a strong gust of wind could knock him over on the best of days.

He walks Les home that night, refusing a dinner proposal again, and bids the younger boy goodbye and shouts out "make sure that brother of yours doesn't skip out on any more hard work!"

But Davey doesn't show up the next day, and neither does Les. Nor do they show up for three more days after that. Jack gets tired of waiting for the boys with no answer. He climbs up the fire escape to try and get into David's room, when he sees the outlines of tall figures looming in the background.

"He's burning up," one of the men say, leaning over Davey's bed. "Hot to the touch!"

He tries to make it through another window, when he's blocked by Sarah. "You can't be here," she says, worry dripping from every word.

"Davey?"

"They say it's scarlet fever," she says, and Jack's read too many headlines about how it's been killing children all over the world. His heart sinks, feeling utterly hopeless.

"Les?" he asks, clinging onto some hope.

"He's okay, he's with our grandparents. They wanted me to go too, but I told them I wouldn't go anywhere without Davey," she says confidently. "He'll be okay Jack."

"I..."

She places an arm on Jack's shoulder, giving him a sad, knowing look. "I know, Jack."

"What happened?"

"He came home from school, and ma caught him coughing up blood into a handkerchief. She told him to rest, but he only got worse. He was getting sick, kept complaining about pains. I've never seen him like that before Jack, it was scary. I haven't been able to see him since," she says, and Jack can tell she feels as lost without Davey as he does. "Go back Jack, they won't let you anywhere near him. I'll let you know when there's news."

Jack knows better than to argue with Sarah, so he lets himself wander off, walking back to the lodgings on autopilot. He doesn't say anything when he returns, not sure how to break the news to all of their friends who had been waiting for Jack to turn up with the Jacobs' boys behind. Instead, their eager faces begin to fall, and Jack runs straight up to the penthouse. He tells them eventually, and the lodgings don't feel the same as they used to anymore, not without the infectious laugh that follows the two wherever they go.

It's a long week, until finally Davey and Les join the line to pay for their papers. It's Crutchie who spots them first, and the boys run to crowd their friends. Les looks like he's eating up every bit of fame it takes, although Jack can see the protective grip he has on his older brother's hand.

"What? You miss me?" Davey asks, as Jack watches him smiling at the sight before him.

"Don't do that again," Race says, barging in to be the first to give Davey a hug. "You had us worried sick. I couldn't win a game of cards for days."

"I'm sorry that I through you off, your game" Davey says, as Specs is the next person to hug him, Les still holding onto him with a strong clutch. "Guys, I'm okay. I swear. Got it all out of my system."

One by one the Newsies say their hellos, and get on with their days, but before he catches up with the two, he watches Davey divide his share with Les, giving the young boy a few more papes than usual. Jack joins them then, puts his satchel around his arm, and he tells Les to run ahead to some women in the park talking.

"You really scared me Dave," Jack says, and watches as Davey's eyes wander from his excitable brother to his selling partner. "I saw you one night, when the docs were all crowded round you. And I just kept dreaming that I'd wake up and you weren't with us no more."

"Hey, hey. Jack, it's me. I'm here. I'm here and I'm okay," Davey says, grabbing Jack's hand. There's no one too close by, so Davey seemingly decides to risk such a bold move. "I'm really sorry that I scared you like that, but it's okay now."

Jack looks down at their hands, and wishes he could capture this moment with his new paint. Instead, he begins to trace the lines on Davey's hands. "I was afraid you wouldn't know just how much you mean to me."

"Jack -"

"You can't go anywhere, okay? Because I can't stop thinking about you and it's driving me crazy. I was too cowardly to say it before, but you've been it for me. And I've been crazy gone after you from the very beginning."

"Okay," Davey says, and Jack watches him.

"Okay?"

"Okay, I'll stay. Here with you, for as long as you'll let me."

Les runs up to them, dime in his hand before he looks at them both. "Gross. Come on, these papes won't sell themselves!"

Jack watches the kid run off, proud as punch, and he wraps an arm around Davey's shoulder, bumping into him. "One day I'll have you selling like him."

Davey pokes him in the side, before laughing to himself. "Oh shut up. You're the worse."

"You love it though."

"Yeah," Davey says, staring earnestly into Jack's eyes. "I really do."

[dorianepin]

seidl was not a bad tp and had a lot working against him that was out of his hands, primarily covid-influenced delays affecting facility and wind tunnel development, also he's the reason we have oscar and zak obviously trusted him since he left of his own accord to chase the sauber dream

that being said key was 100% seidl's guy and andrea was the one who identified him as a technical bottleneck after winter break targets weren't met and had the balls to sack him

key and andrea were also previously level in terms of seniority as they formed the original reshuffle's director triumvirate (technical / racing / production); with new regs mcl36 was the first car designed fully under key's direction and he clearly struggled to adapt to ground effect aero which birthed the continued instability of the mcl60

andrea has miles of experience under championship-winning outfits, which maybe doesn't mean anything when binotto did too, idk, but what makes andrea so special is that he has an engineer's mind fine-tuned to the large-scale, big-picture human elements and doesn't think in terms of binary targets but rather in terms of developmental "gradients" and how the rest follows

stella recognized the aero weaknesses of the technical team and built out the three-pronged structure with a dedicated aero director, who was promoted from within the team and thus not on gardening leave and could begin in-season upgrade work immediately

the baku upgrades were a holdover from key's delayed design decisions from winter break; the true "b-spec" car changes were all led by prodromou and timed meticulously under andrea's direction for the primary changes to be ready for both drivers by silverstone

lichrally............ every good thing that has ever happened to mclaren this year was identified and led by andrea stella... we would be nowhere with Fuck ass james key... mclaren are not going to be 8th in the wcc next year and they're not going to start off at the back of the grid and the mid-season changes are not Unexplained Magical Circumstances that happened randomly out of developmental luck like there is sustained development here and the team structure is finally in an identifiably good place and that's why lando is actually optimistic... the question is more so whether they've "outdeveloped" merc or have caught up meaningfully to rb (and the answer is most likely not) but like at LEAST recognize this... i'm beggingg................. in the end it's in andrea we trust and nothing more ☝️

[racmune]

a sweater - scout x pauling fic

general audiences, 2,195 words (jan 10th, 2022)

ao3 mirror here

Plastic curtain rings rattled as Scout pushed aside the blinds to peer through the kitchen window.

No sign of her yet...

It was only around five o’clock and the streets were already cold and dark. The only light in the streets was the snowflakes being blown around, carrying the artificial glow of a porchlight; which had been turned on, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Miss Pauling.

She had made plans for dinner with him and his family earlier for her Christmas off.

Scout propped himself up against the wall and crossed his arms. Miss Pauling was late, which was unlike her...

The decor and the smell of peppermint scented candles (Ma’s favourite) had everyone in a festive mood. Jazz softly played from an old forty-five. Scout fixed his eyes onto the spinning record in hopes that it would take his mind off the wait, but it drifted easily.

The doorbell rang and Scout rushed out of the kitchen, anxious to check through the door’s peep-hole. Miss Pauling stood nervously on the porch, fixing her hair and toying with the strap of a small pleather purse slung over her shoulder.

Scout licked his fingers and attempted to slick back his hair.

.

The lock clicked and the door opened. “Uh, hey Miss Pauling!”

“Hey Scout.” Miss Pauling said, letting her hands fall to her side.

Scout let her in and closed the door behind her.

Miss Pauling’s glasses fogged as she came in.

It’d been a while since they were face to face. At least that’s how it felt. It had been a little over two weeks that Mann Co. gave the mercenaries time off for winter break. ..It was surprisingly lonely at work without his constant pestering. She sighed and leaned in to tightly hug him, to his surprise. Her body was cold from the outdoors and her jacket crinkled as he squeezed it.

Miss Pauling sighed, pulling apart from him.

The journey from Teufort to Boston was long and treacherous, especially on a tiny moped during a blizzard...

Miss Pauling rubbed away a tear that had somehow welled up in her eye. “..Sorry about that.”

 “Ay, anytime, Miss Pauling. I missed you.” I missed him too, but I can't say that out loud, he'd probably annoy me even more at work..

Scout looked down. “Hey, your hands look cold.”

“Oh, that’s okay, I could just—” Miss Pauling sputtered as Scout grasped onto her hands.

Her chest tensed up at the innocence of the gesture.

His hands were a lot bigger than Miss Pauling’s. They looked even more so while wrapped around hers like this. She warmed up quickly. Scout looked up at her and grinned.

Miss Pauling’s eyes widened. “Oh, I almost forgot. - My moped’s still outside.”

“Don’t worry about it, Pauling! I’ll get it.”

Miss Pauling rolled her eyes and tossed him the keys. Scout almost lunged out the door, barely keeping from slipping off the porch.

She unbuttoned her scratchy jacket and hung it up. Small specs of ice caught in the loose fibres began to melt and disappear. She pulled off her purse and stared at it for a moment. It contained her Dillinger and extra ammo. She probably won’t need this either.

She heard laughs and inaudible chatter and walked further into the foyer. 

Scout’s family was seated at a long table which was adorned with red cloth and white table-runners, along with intricate embroidery which depicted snowflakes and wind on the ends. Empty plates accompanied half-emptied glasses of wine and beer and untouched cutlery in front of the men loudly exchanging stories.

Miss Pauling pulled out a chair from the end of the table and sat down. Everyone quieted and turned to her.

“Hi, I’m Miss Pauling.”

An old man at the back of the table took a sip from his mulled wine and cleared his throat. “Ay, you work with Jerry, right?”

Scout’s grandpa spoke in a gravelly undertone, as if he was gurgling from the alcohol clinging to his throat.  

“Uh, yeah.”

“Well it’s a pleasure to finally meet ‘cha! I’m Jerry’s grandpops!” The man grinned, holding out his hand, which was as big as Scout’s... I guess it runs in the family...

Miss Pauling leaned in and shook Scout’s grandpa’s hand.

I wonder what Scout’s said about me... It’s against protocol to talk about jobs off the clock, but it’s no use trying to stop Scout’s big mouth.

“So, you need anything? Coffee? Water? .. Wine? ” The old man asked.

“Coffee, please.”

The man got up and walked into the kitchen to flick on the coffee maker and the rest of the table went back to drunkenly conversing and Miss Pauling’s mind wandered.

The kitchen had black and white checkered tile and it was where Scout’s mother and his brother were hard at work preparing dinner. A Christmas tree was lit up beside the counter, complete with ornaments and trinkets, along with a moderately sized plastic nativity scene which sat at its foot.

Scout came back into the room and straddled an empty chair to the left of Miss Pauling.

 “Thanks for the help, Scou- Err... Jeremy . ” Miss Pauling said.

“It’s no problem!”

“Hey, if we’re on a first name basis, does that mean I can call you Fa-- Mmph!”

Miss Pauling clasped her hands over Scout’s mouth bashfully. 

Scout sighed as she took her hands off him. “Alright I geddit..”

Snowflakes had gotten caught in Scout’s eyelashes and his cheeks were red from the cold. Miss Pauling shook her head, shifting her gaze back to Scout’s grandfather - who was walking toward her with a coffee pot and mug in hand.

The pitter-patter of the hot drink hitting the bottom of the ceramic cup was refreshing to hear. Miss Pauling couldn’t make time for coffee at work these past few weeks, and made do with syrupy energy drinks found in Mann Co. brand vending machines across Teufort.

“Thank you.” Miss Pauling said, holding the filled mug.

The heat rising from the coffee rolled along her face.

“D’you take it as is?” The old man asked.

“Eh, yes, thank you.”

Scout’s granddad lowered himself into his chair.

“Well, looks like dinner’s just about ready. Hope you’re not a vegetarian.” He said, chuckling heartily.

Miss Pauling hid her smile behind her coffee.

This was nice.

Scout’s ma stepped out of the kitchen, holding a roast turkey, and then set it down on the middle of the table.

It was garnished with parsley and lemon and the skin was brown, crispy and shiny.

Scout’s ma and brother laid out the rest of the meal. – Bread pudding, mashed potatoes, boiled vegetables, gravy... It smelt delicious. 

Scout’s mom sat at the side of her father, gently caressing his hand, as one of Scout's brothers sat down next to her.

.

Scout picked up the utensils laid out before him, cushioned with folded napkins underneath. He’d spent a lot of time setting everything up fancy tonight, thinking Miss Pauling might notice.

Joey had been working on the turkey with Ma for most of the afternoon, so figures he’d want to do the honors. He leaned over and began carving the turkey with a bread knife.

Ma covered her eyes and laughed.

Everyone got up to grab a plateful of turkey and mashed potatoes and sat back down.

The turkey was soft and sweet. Scout expected nothing less of his ma and Joey.

Previously everyone was talking but now everyone's heads were down and the only sound that could be heard from the table was screeching forks and knives against ceramic. Scout liked the take-out in Teufort but it could never compare to Ma’s cooking.

“Uh,” Miss Pauling blurted out.

“Mmph?” Scout replied; humming through the soft mashed potatoes he was stuffing into his mouth.

“...I actually shouldn’t stay too long if I want to get back to Teufort before midnight...”

Ma lifted her head from her food. “Oh... but don’t you want to stay for dessert?”

“I really can’t. My job is...”

Miss Pauling averted her gaze. “...demanding.”

Her hair fell into her face and she tucked it back behind her ear.

Ma stood up. “I’ll box up a slice of cake.”

Ma went to the fridge to take out the chocolate cake she’d prepared the day before.

“Uh, hey Miss Pauling, there’s actually something I wanted to give you...” Scout said.

“Um, sure. Just make it quick.”

Scout guided Miss Pauling up the stairs to his room and closed the door behind them. Emptied Bonk cans littered the area. Scout tried to reassure himself that Miss Pauling wouldn’t notice or care, but it didn't work.

Miss Pauling sat down on Scout’s bed and folded her hands in her lap, looking around at all the music posters on the walls.

Scout rummaged through his things and pulled out a box wrapped in sparkly Mylar and ribbon. He spent a lot of time trying to make the package look presentable, so he hoped she'd like it.

Scout sat next to Miss Pauling and handed her his gift. “Uh, here.”

Miss Pauling held the present and studied it.

“Can I open it now?”

“Eh, yeah, sure. Totally.”

Miss Pauling unwrapped the box and took off the ribbons. She was completely methodical. Scout kinda liked how serious she took this, like how serious she took everything else. She was always so determined and hard-working.

Miss Pauling took the gift out of the box silently and held it in front of her face.

 “It’s a sweater.” Scout said, stomach filling with butterflies.

...

“Uh, sorry, d'you not like that kinda crap? Sorry. It’s stupid. I...”

“I like it.” Miss Pauling said.

“You do? Yeah, I knitted it myself. My ma taught me how to do it a couple years back so I figured whadda-heck, right? Uh, she actually knit me the one I’m wearin’.”

Miss Pauling looked away. “Your mom seems.. nice.”

Something about her seemed different than her usual detached demeanor.

Scout sat awkwardly in the silence.

He looked around for something, anything , to talk about.“Um, so, uh...”

“Hey Jeremy?” Ma’s voice came from behind the door.

“Come in!” Scout said.

Ma came in and handed a Styrofoam box to Miss Pauling.

“Here’s that cake by the way, didn’t want to forget it before you left.”

“Thank you.” Miss Pauling said.

Ma waved and went back downstairs, closing the door behind her.

Miss Pauling sat the cake aside and put on the sweater. It was baggy and fell just below her hips. They were Scout’s measurements, but it seemed to fit her alright.

“It’s a little baggy...” Miss Pauling said.

“Hey, it’s cute!”

Miss Pauling stood there smiling for a few seconds but quickly looked away.

…

“Uh... I should probably get going now.”

“Oh, yeah sure.”

Scout opened the door and waited for Miss Pauling, who was picking up the cake Ma gave her.

“Thanks for dinner, guys. It was really good.” Scout said, walking down the stairs.

Ma waved cheerfully. “You’re welcome! And Miss Pauling, feel free to come by anytime!”

Miss Pauling nodded and went to the coat-hanger and put her things back on, leaving her coat unbuttoned. Scout picked up his bulky jacket and they both went back outside to the freezing cold.

It was snowing really hard now. Gigantic flurries clouded view of the pitch-black streets.

Scout looked over his shoulder. “You sure you wanna go all the way back to Teufort with weather like this Miss Pauling?”

“You could stay the night here if ya-”

Miss Pauling shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

“Honestly I shouldn’t even be here anyway… but for what it's worth, it was actually kind of fun.”

Scout smiled.

“Hey, As long as you’re happy, Pauling.”

“Oh! Right,” Scout said, rushing to get Miss Pauling’s moped from the garage.

Scout grunted, struggling to pull up the garage door by its handle until it flew up.

He rolled the moped out and handed Miss Pauling the keys.

“Thanks again, Scout.” Miss Pauling said, putting her cake away in a spare compartment.

Scout smiled. “Anything for you.”

Her eyes had a glint in them he'd never seen before, but she turned her face out of sight.

 “By the way, since you're going you might need this. It's pretty dangerous out here at night.”

Scout handed Miss Pauling a knife with 'jeremy' engraved on the handle.

Scout snorted. “Boston represent.”

“I actually got it for my birthday, so maybe you could give it back once I get back to work?”

"Of course."

It fell silent again. It was as if the snow blocked out any sound.

Miss Pauling moved forward and gave Scout a quick kiss on the cheek.

She pulled back with her eyes widened.

“Uh, well, bye then!” Miss Pauling said, waving and hopping on her scooter.

Her silhouette quickly disappeared from sight and Scout stood still breathlessly.

Her lips were soft and warm. Though it was awkward and only for half a second, it made him want to do anything he could to feel that again. He'd travel to the ends of the universe if he had to.

Scout took a deep breath.

I love that girl.

[wordycheeseblob]

ROCKS!!! I LOVE ROCKS !!!!!! (⁠ʘ⁠ᴗ⁠ʘ⁠✿⁠)

Snowdrop

The crisp air bites into your skin. White where the eye can see and as far as northern winds, winter's loyal servants, reach.

Over the fleecy snow drifts you make out the pines, blurry little specs miles away, resembling grey-haired ladies hunched from the heaps of snow tugging at their branches adoringly, like fine gloves shielding delicate fingers from the cold.

Gentle morning wind brings a jolly tune, the playful chirp of robins. And looking at the sky you hope in time this same wind might lift the sable clouds. But then the frost will persevere until it's chased away by spring.

Rock ask game

[jjungkooksthighs]

You can’t even disagree, can you? A deep rumble of satisfaction reaches his lips, and the slight expand of his ribs as he does causes him to feel it. It’s warm, wet, and right between her thighs as she nervously fidgets atop his back. I’d find out, you know. If you tried to lie to me. I’d always be able to find out. His lungs compress as he breathes out, her slick coating a patch of his fur in more of her essence as he does. Your body would never deceive me. And right now, you want me still. Even in the midst of a chase, you want me still, you needy, needy girl.

She grows all the more shy, for she knows he can sense the slick between her thighs. It has her whining silently, and in turn, he smirks. "Alpha.." she complains, not able to handle the way he was teasing her. She'd never get used to it. She remembers the first time they'd met. She was so overwhelmed by his much taller stature and his almost godly features, that she refused to look into his eyes. It was as if she'd forgotten how to breathe. He simply stood in front of her and coaxed her into looking up at him, his voice silken smooth, his words a very song of their own. And when she did, it was as if everything else she'd thought to be beautiful up until then were mere specs in this universe. He was magnificent. The most beautiful thing she'd ever laid her eyes on. His long hair curtained his face perfectly, and the moonlight that filtered through the trees highlighted his chiseled jaw, the mole under his rosy lips so perfectly placed that she had to physically stop herself from reaching out to touch him. His eyes glowed a perfect ember, and she remembered how her body grew hotter under his confident gaze. And when she couldn't hold her breath any longer, she was forced to take in his scent. When she did.. oh god.. she knew. There was no denying it. He was the one she'd been waiting for all along. He knew it too. The smirk he'd sent her way was enough proof. He'd been a tease the very first fucking moment. Her knees had wobbled and given out, and she'd almost collapsed to the floor of the forest. But, before she could even touch the ground, he'd effortlessly scooped her up in his arms, lifting her so he could carry her close to his chest. She'd whimpered, and the sound was like music to his ears. She'd simply hidden her face in his chiseled chest, all too shy to do anything but sit and be coddled in his strong arms. One would think she'd have gotten more bold around him as time passed by. However, she'd grown more shy, and all the more flustered by his actions. A mere gaze from him and she would be a stuttering, blushing mess. His actions only seemed to affect her more and more, and he loved it. "Alpha.. don't tease me.." she complains with a small pout, her legs kicking out in the air and against his chest in a light protest, eliciting a loud chuckle from the wolf she's seated upon.

He sees her memories through her mind as if they are but pages of a story. Their story.

As steadfast as the bindings of a book, her hold on him would never loosen. He’d known it would be her well before she’d first spoken to him. Far, far before that.

It was like the gods had tied a string around him and woven it to her, because as far back as he could remember, he’d felt this unbreakable pull to be near her.

He remembers well the first time he’d laid eyes on her.

She’d been about eight years since birth. He’d been but a child himself at the time. Too young to understand anything except how his belly felt like it had butterflies in it when his gaze fell upon her.

The sun had been high in the sky, the blue canvas of the world above empty of all clouds. The wind had swept the earth in the fallen winter leaves, the fresh emerald green ushers of spring now decorating the spring season. Freshly fallen dew under his nostrils, he’d been doing his morning exercise routine his father always had him do to keep his growing body sharp.

Because he’d wanted a bit of a challenge, he’d asked his father to let him have the honors of the morning hunt. He’d been tasked with finding and killing a bear before noon so that they could have it for dinner that night.

His nose had never steered him wrong, and he’d been tracking it since before the sun had woken. He’d chased it into a glen, his growing paws quick and light on the forest floor as he’d raced through it.

He’d had his eyes on it, had had his claws sharpened and ready.

His muscles tensed, he’d been about to pounce. But then a new scent had joined the old stench of the bear’s. It had been gnawing on the leg of a doe, its attention turning to the brush next to one of the trees in front of it, its backside facing him.

He’d managed to get close enough that it was only a few feet in front of him, but this owner of the sweet, flowery scent had completely confused him as he drew it in breath after breath.

“Mama! Mama, where are you? I’m lost!” Called a feminine, high-pitched voice.

The bear’s snout lifts up, blood dripping off of it as it cocks its head. The sound draws nearer, the voice becoming more desperate as it does.

He hadn’t understood then why he couldn’t stop sniffing at the air to get a whiff of more of that sweet scent. It would take a couple years for him to figure that out.

The female hadn’t even realized what she had walked into when she emerged from the brush.

The sound of a scream had shaken him out of his stupor when the bear had charged toward her.

She’d had no idea she’d unknowingly found herself to almost have been in the jaws of the brown beast until it had been too late.

Her bellow of terror had sprung his muscles into action before he’d even had to think.

Protectiveness had seized him under his hand, and it had guided him to the killing blow without mercy.

The beast had been worn down from being preyed on all morning, and the years of age that had stolen its vitality made it easy for him to catch up to it in a second’s time. His claws had easily sunken into each side of its shoulders, his teeth quickly clamping down on its neck as if it were nothing but water.

The old bear had roared in pain only for its arms to give out, his hind legs kicking out once, twice, thrice as its oxygen was stolen by the teeth lodged in its neck.

When the beast had finally stopped twitching, that’s when he’d opened his maw and lifted his own nose. His eyes fixed to the shaking, trembling girl who’d fallen to her knees in the fear that had shaken them.

A crown of white flowers adorning her hair and eyes that held the sheen of the moon’s ray, he’d almost mistaken her for a sprite. Her face was… nothing like he’d ever seen. Her cheeks were still round, her sharp cheekbones just beginning to emerge from them. Even her ears seemed elven, the ends of them decorated in greyed twine wrapped around them. Not a single strand of hair was out of place, even then.

Not a speck of dirt sullied her fair, small form. She’d been dressed in the white of the stars, the gauzy material shining iridescently with even the smallest of movements. She wore a dress that covered her from her shoulders to her knees, the sleeves and back of her skirt flowing freer than the wind in their impressive length.

It was as if she’d just stepped out of a fairy tale.

He hadn’t been able to say anything in his lupine form. But then again, even if he’d been in his human form, he doubted he’d have been able to say anything there, either.

His thoughts had become jumbled, and trying to piece them together as he stared at her was like trying to put pieces of a puzzle together that kept getting scrambled.

All he knew was that his stomach felt like it was in flight with the sensations that flitted inside him.

He hadn’t been able to explain it.

His wolf had harked and barked insistently.

He’d been slow to move off of the bear’s back, careful to watch her movements and any slight change in expression so he didn’t frighten her further.

When his paws had returned to the now blood-stained grass, he hadn’t even cared that that would stain his fur.

The only the thing that mattered, as he proceeded to stand in front of its downed body to hide the horror of what he’d done, was her.

He hadn’t wanted her to think him a monster. Anything but that.

Why?

He hadn’t known.

He’d wanted her to approve him. To smile at him.

That’s why he had lowered his head toward her, waiting patiently for her to calm down.

This female did not shrink back in fear. She’d simply remained on her knees, her muscles unlocking as she gazed at him, the terror that had widened her eyes retreating as she watched him as he did her.

It never occurred to her that he would hurt her.

But he didn’t know that.

So when she had lifted her arm out, his body, once again, had moved on its own. He leaned forward just a bit, her small hand laying itself over the spot between his eyes.

Her touch had been warmer than a fur blanket on a winter night.

He’d huffed in satisfaction, the moisture of his nostrils spraying over her perfect face in the process and then she’d started making the most beautiful sound as her laughter chimed through the air.

He’d never heard such a pretty harmony.

It had felt like second nature when her sounds summoned his form to lower himself before her in invitation to get on his back.

Delight soon brightened those eyes of hers, and when she’d climbed onto his back, she patted his head and whispered words that both haunted and inhabited his mind for years after.

“P-pretty boy. Stay with me?”

He could hardly say no when she asked so sweetly.

Not even giving the bear behind him a glance, he’d sprinted with inhuman speed back to the familiar wooden watchtowers rimming the outskirts of the compound.

It had caused a stir amongst the guardsmen, who had rang the bells in each of the eight towers to bring forth the pack.

Wolves of all shapes and sizes- some shifted and some not- soon filled the field, her own parents emerging some time after.

He hadn’t wanted to relinquish her to anyone, but he knew when she squealed happily at the sight of her mother that this was what was best.

From the moment she was lifted off his back, she spoke only of him to her mother.

Her mother had rushed her away in tears and apologies, and when the others began to trickle away, her father had stayed. He’d stayed until the very last one had gone, offering a small nod of respect and appreciation before turning and leaving him alone once again.

And when Jungkook had returned to his own father that night with the bear in his maw, his mind could only settle on the girl in white.

The female who looked like a fae from the forest. The girl he hadn’t hesitated to save from jaws of a hungry beast.

His father had been unwavering in his decision to deny him his blessings, saying that he was to mate one day with the queen of the lupine.

He’d gone to bed that night angry, not understanding why he couldn’t befriend the mystery girl from the wood.

But when he went to bed that night, she’d returned to him in his dreams.

There, no one could get in the way of that undeniable tug he felt toward her.

[shipsgaysfordays]

Cupid

Okay, so this was originally meant to be the second chapter to this fic: Tumblr AO3

However, I drop that idea very very quickly into this fic and don’t really explore much of what I set up because I wanted to focus on James and my interpretation of James for a little bit. Also, I have to say that this was at least partially influenced by my friend’s fic, which I will link to here because it’s a beautiful look at an aromantic Sirius: Beloved

Kinda a hurt comfort for the aroace-specs for this valentines, or really just anyone who’s feeling a bit alone today

It starts with some aro-phobia though, sorry

“Just because you can’t fall in love with anyone, it doesn’t mean you’re FUCKING CUPID James,” Sirius yells. 

James looks Sirius up and down, “You…you can never just say stop, you always have to bring any pain you can into all of this.”

“James, I’m sor–”

“No, you said what you said, and you’re right. But just because I don’t feel that way, it doesn’t mean I can’t want you and Moony to be happy, if this would even make you happy. Guess I wouldn’t know, not cupid or aphrodite here, just good ole’ James Potter, trying his best.” 

“Can we talk? I need…I need you to be fine, to be my friend. Please don’t hate me. I’m sorry, I just–I can’t think.”

“I gotta go, gotta fly.”

“Just like time,” Sirius speaks with a sad smile, that stupid little saying James had when they first started playing quidditch. 

And that’s how James spent his Valentine's day, flying around. The wind flowing through and making an even bigger mess of his already crazy hair. Flying and trying not to think back on everything. On this day when everyone was so focused on love, on romantic feelings that he just couldn’t have, he tried his might to avoid thinking about it. If it doesn’t happen then it doesn’t happen, and that’s okay. Despite how much we want to relate to others and feel what everyone else feels, sometimes we just can’t, and that’s okay. 

James had love in other ways, he had some of the best friends that someone could ever ask for. Despite some feelings of loneliness, he had to remember that. There were people that relied on him, there were expectations of him, and eventually he would need to come to terms with the fact that some expectations he just couldn’t meet. He couldn’t be perfect. And. That’s. Okay. 

That’s normal. 

That’s fine. 

There’s so much more to life. 

The breeze messying your hair, the triumphs of victory in quidditch or cards, the savory tastes of soups, the places you can see, the trees that reach out their arms in winter. There’s always something to have passion for, even if it can be hard to see. 

So James returned to the common room, finding Lily and Peter sitting at a table, paints and papers around them. 

“Can I join you?” James asked, unsure of what she might say, they never quite got along but it was worth it to ask. 

Lily smiled, “Sure.”

And they made a valentine, and another, and another. Cutting and painting and doing all the few art things that James knew how to do. Writing letters. 

…

Later on James received a letter from Sirius. An apology, a true apology as Sirius tried to reexamine how they view things, things they can’t really understand, but will try to. 

He also received a letter from Remus, a valentine, and a valentine from Peter, a piece of candy from Marlene, a bracelet from Mary, and even a valentine from Lily.

[wvtchy]

@demcnsinmymind​ sent in ☂️  for  a  weather  based  starter

grey clouds blanket a winter sky. flurries of snow drift down, mere specs. for the past few hours, they’ve accumulated in perfect white  sheets, covering grass, roofs, tops of cars, and branches of trees. it makes for a beautiful sight. the world is white and glittering.

and then the airy flurries begin to cascade down from the clouds faster. wind picks up, forcing the snow to fall sideways. what little people were out quickly head inside for shelter. the whole city was warned about an upcoming blizzard earlier that morning. schools called off for the day and office workers were sent home.

her walk is cut short by the snow. at first, it was pleasant, but now it was finding it’s way into her eyes, nose and mouth. unfortunately, she was nowhere near her place of stay, she had no car, and she really didn’t know where she was. her coworkers from the morgue had gone out to dinner, but sabrina wanted to clear her head. they didn’t have to hear the fading souls of the dead the whole day.

she looks around, quickly taking in her surroundings. older homes, probably decades old, lined the street. while they appeared aged on the outside, their interiors were warmly lit. through the snow slicing her vision, she could see shapes of people within, slowly moving about. scattered between homes were buildings. some appeared to be stores, and some empty and boarded up. for a moment, she considered knocking on someone’s door, but she didn’t want to be burdensome, and frankly, she didn’t have the energy to worry about the snow that would melt off her coat and onto someone’s floor.

with a soft sigh, sabrina walks up to one of the abandoned buildings. graffiti has taken over the brick walls, leaving little to see besides bright reds and yellows. she struggles to yank to wood board from the door frame, but after a few minutes of quiet pulling, she manages it, and the board clatters to the ground. luckily, the former door was glass and screen, and it’s been broken, she she shimmies through, taking a few chunks of glass off their delicate web.

finally, she’s inside. she frowns when she feels the cold wind flow through the gaping hole of the door. fucking idiot. sabrina brushes the snow off of her jacket and out of her hair, leaving semi-melted remains on the tile floor. from the looks of it, she’s in an old convenience store. empty beige shelves, once organized, remain, some knocked over. one is burned. dirt stains the creamy tiles, blending in with scuff marks. 

sabrina steps over a fallen shelf, her boot crunching glass. the farthest corner from the door is where she finds herself. she can still see her breath. blue eyes dart around, looking for something to make a fire with. it can’t be something as big as one of the shelving units. she lands on a small trash bin. to her delight, it’s still full of candy wrappers and receipts. it won’t last as long as she’d like, but it’s better than nothing. 

she slides her black glove off of her left hand when she’s dragged the bin to her corner. she breathes deep and long, letting the cold air fill her lungs, burn her insides. her fingers barely skim the top of the bin, right where the metal drops down to create an opening for trash. fire blooms from inside, bursting with light and warmth.

[thaoworra]

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association recently released the poems that made it to the finalist stage for consideration for the 2024 Rhysling Awards for Short and Long Speculative Poems of the year. Congratulations to all of the nominees! This will be the 46th year these awards have been conferred!

Short Poems (50 finalists)

Attn: Prime Real Estate Opportunity!, Emily Ruth Verona, Under Her Eye: A Women in Horror Poetry Collection Volume II

The Beauty of Monsters, Angela Liu, Small Wonders 1

The Blight of Kezia, Patricia Gomes, HWA Poetry Showcase X

The Day We All Died, A Little, Lisa Timpf, Radon 5

Deadweight, Jack Cooper, Propel 7

Dear Mars, Susan L. Lin, The Sprawl Mag 1.2

Dispatches from the Dragon's Den, Mary Soon Lee, Star*Line 46.2

Dr. Jekyll, West Ambrose, Thin Veil Press December

First Eclipse: Chang-O and the Jade Hare, Emily Jiang, Uncanny 53

Five of Cups Considers Forgiveness, Ali Trotta, The Deadlands 31

Gods of the Garden, Steven Withrow, Spectral Realms 19

The Goth Girls' Gun Gang, Marisca Pichette, The Dread Machine 3.2

Guiding Star, Tim Jones, Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa, ed. Lee Murray (Clan Destine Press)

Hallucinations Gifted to Me by Heatstroke, Morgan L. Ventura, Banshee 15

hemiplegic migraine as willing human sacrifice, Ennis Rook Bashe, Eternal Haunted Summer Winter Solstice

Hi! I am your Cortical Update!, Mahaila Smith, Star*Line 46.3

How to Make the Animal Perfect?, Linda D. Addison, Weird Tales 100

I Dreamt They Cast a Trans Girl to Give Birth to the Demon, Jennessa Hester, HAD October

Invasive, Marcie Lynn Tentchoff, Polar Starlight 9

kan-da-ka, Nadaa Hussein, Apparition Lit 23

Language as a Form of Breath, Angel Leal, Apparition Lit October

The Lantern of September, Scott Couturier, Spectral Realms 19

Let Us Dream, Myna Chang, Small Wonders 3

The Magician's Foundling, Angel Leal, Heartlines Spec 2

The Man with the Stone Flute, Joshua St. Claire, Abyss & Apex 87

Mass-Market Affair, Casey Aimer, Star*Line 46.4

Mom's Surprise, Francis W. Alexander, Tales from the Moonlit Path June

A Murder of Crows, Alicia Hilton, Ice Queen 11

No One Now Remembers, Geoffrey Landis, Fantasy and Science Fiction Nov./Dec.

orion conquers the sky, Maria Zoccula, On Spec 33.2

Pines in the Wind, Karen Greenbaum-Maya, The Beautiful Leaves (Bamboo Dart Press)

The Poet Responds to an Invitation from the AI on the Moon, T.D. Walker, Radon Journal 5

A Prayer for the Surviving, Marisca Pichette, Haven Speculative 9

Pre-Nuptial, F. J. Bergmann, The Vampiricon (Mind's Eye Publications)

The Problem of Pain, Anna Cates, Eye on the Telescope 49

The Return of the Sauceress, F. J. Bergmann, The Flying Saucer Poetry Review February

Sea Change, David C. Kopaska-Merkel and Ann K. Schwader, Scifaikuest May

Seed of Power, Linda D. Addison, The Book of Witches ed. Jonathan Strahan (Harper Collins)

Sleeping Beauties, Carina Bissett, HWA Poetry Showcase X

Solar Punks, J. D. Harlock, The Dread Machine 3.1

Song of the Last Hour, Samuel A. Betiku, The Deadlands 22

Sphinx, Mary Soon Lee, Asimov's September/October

Storm Watchers (a drabbun), Terrie Leigh Relf, Space & Time

Sunflower Astronaut, Charlie Espinosa, Strange Horizons July

Three Hearts as One, G. O. Clark, Asimov's May/June

Troy, Carolyn Clink, Polar Starlight 12

Twenty-Fifth Wedding Anniversary, John Grey, Medusa's Kitchen September

Under World, Jacqueline West, Carmina Magazine September

Walking in the Starry World, John Philip Johnson, Orion's Belt May

Whispers in Ink, Angela Yuriko Smith, Whispers from Beyond (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Long Poems (25 finalists)

Archivist of a Lost World, Gerri Leen, Eccentric Orbits 4

As the witch burns, Marisca Pichette, Fantasy 87

Brigid the Poet, Adele Gardner, Eternal Haunted Summer Summer Solstice

Coding a Demi-griot (An Olivian Measure), Armoni “Monihymn” Boone, Fiyah 26

Cradling Fish, Laura Ma, Strange Horizons May

Dream Visions, Melissa Ridley Elmes, Eccentric Orbits 4

Eight Dwarfs on Planet X, Avra Margariti, Radon Journal 3

The Giants of Kandahar, Anna Cates, Abyss & Apex 88

How to Haunt a Northern Lake, Lora Gray, Uncanny 55

Impostor Syndrome, Robert Borski, Dreams and Nightmares 124

The Incessant Rain, Rhiannon Owens, Evermore 3

Interrogation About A Monster During Sleep Paralysis, Angela Liu, Strange Horizons November

Little Brown Changeling, Lauren Scharhag, Aphelion 283

A Mere Million Miles from Earth, John C. Mannone, Altered Reality April

Pilot, Akua Lezli Hope, Black Joy Unbound eds. Stephanie Andrea Allen & Lauren Cherelle (BLF Press)

Protocol, Jamie Simpher, Small Wonders 5

Sleep Dragon, Herb Kauderer, The Book of Sleep (Written Image Press)

Slow Dreaming, Herb Kauderer, The Book of Sleep (Written Image Press)

St. Sebastian Goes To Confession, West Ambrose, Mouthfeel 1

Value Measure, Joseph Halden and Rhonda Parrish, Dreams and Nightmares 125

A Weather of My Own Making, Nnadi Samuel, Silver Blade 56

Welcoming the New Girl, Beth Cato, Penumbric October

What You Find at the Center, Elizabeth R McClellan, Haven Spec Magazine 12

The Witch Makes Her To-Do List, Theodora Goss, Uncanny 50

The Year It Changed, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Star*Line 46.4

Voting for the Rhysling Award begins July 1; a link to the ballot will be sent with the Rhysling Anthology, as well as with the July issue of Star*Line. More information on the Rhysling Award can be found here.

[safethaw]

Trex: The Decking Game-Changer.

Hey there, future deck owner (or maybe you're just daydreaming?). Let's take a moment and immerse ourselves in the revolutionary world of Trex. Searching "trex for decking" online will give you a bunch of specs, features, and benefits. But let’s cut through the jargon and really get to the heart of why Trex is shaking up the decking scene. Why Everyone's Raving About Trex For Decking Alright, pull up a chair, and maybe grab a coffee. We're diving deep. - Eco-lovers, Rejoice!: Ever wanted a deck and a better planet? Trex lets you have both. Boasting about 95% recycled material, this isn't just decking; it's a statement. - Built to Last... And Then Some: You know that superhero that never ages and always looks good? Trex is that but in deck form. Bid adieu to termite attacks, fading colors, and the tedious upkeep that wood demands. - Woody Allure Minus the Hassles: From a distance, Trex might trick you into thinking it’s good ol’ timber. Close up? The illusion persists. But, here's the plot twist: No splinters, no annual staining. All the charm, none of the work. The Cold Truth: Salt, Chemicals, And Your Deck Enter winter. That picturesque snow can be a deck's worst enemy. As the mercury drops, many folks sprinkle salt or chemical-based de-icers on their decks, hoping to prevent a slip-and-slide situation. But here's the deal with that approach. Those innocent-looking white granules? Not so friendly. Salt, while great on fries, is not so kind to your deck. It can lead to discoloration, corrosion, and an early demise of your beloved outdoor space. And as for those chemicals? They're not doing Mother Earth any favors, and they sure aren't doing your deck any either. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2uACuEGD4k Enter Safe Thaw: The Deck's Winter Bff But, wait! Before you start envisioning a winter trapped indoors, let me introduce you to the hero we all need for trex for decking: Safe Thaw. - No More Corrosion Fears: Safe Thaw comes with a promise: No harm will come to your industrial assets or machinery. It's like a protective shield, ensuring everything stays just as it is. - Years Go By, Safe Thaw Stays Strong: This isn't a one-winter wonder. Safe Thaw's concentrated formula is like that evergreen song – timeless and always effective. - Science, Not Sorcery: The magic of Safe Thaw isn't conjured up; it's crafted. Imagine a modified crystalline amide core (I know, sounds super sci-fi!) combined with a special glycol mix. The result? Ice simply doesn't stand a chance. - Piecing it Together: The Composite Deck Trex & Safe Thaw Duo If Trex is the superhero of the decking world, Safe Thaw is its trusty sidekick. Together, they're almost invincible. While Trex offers aesthetics, durability, and a pat on the back from Mother Nature, Safe Thaw ensures winter doesn't rain (or snow) on your parade. Winding Down So, here’s the scoop. In the grand theater of decking, Trex is the shining star. And while it's not about jumping on the latest trend, it's about a wise, long-term choice that looks great and feels even better. Add Safe Thaw to the equation, and you've got a match made in deck heaven. Here's to the countless BBQs, serene sunsets, and snowball fights you'll enjoy, knowing your deck is in the best hands. Cheers to the future with Trex and Safe Thaw! Read the full article