#// Tara...thank you for your service.

[corpsebasil]

Steal My Girl

Ethan’s roommate has the girl of his dreams, and he hates it.

You laughed, then screeched when Chad picked you up and spun you around.

“Chad put me down.” You demanded, rolling your eyes at his antics. He had a crush on you and constantly flirted, but it served more to annoy and amuse you than to win you over. “Oh my god. Stop.”

“There you are!” Chad exclaimed, still keeping you over his shoulder as he spoke to someone out of your line of sight. “Ethan, my man.” Your stomach twisted as you peered around Chad’s waist, seeing an upside down version of your friend.

“Hey E.” You laughed, waving and staring at his outfit. “What the hell are you dressed as? A robot?”

“I’m a knight.” He sighed and Chad finally put you down but swung an arm over your shoulders. “Chad didn’t give me much notice so I could get a costume.”

“Look at this snack.” Chad told you, pointing at Ethan. “I’ve been trying to find him a girl all night. Got any suggestions?”

“Ew, get off me.” You wrinkled your nose, pushing him away. “I’m not helping prostitute Ethan off on some sorority sister.”

“Suit yourself.” Chad said, grinning down at you. “Speaking of hookups, though,” he lowered his voice, playing with the strap of your dress. “Wanna go upstairs?”

“Ugh.” You moved away towards Ethan, grabbing your friend’s hand. “Save me from him. Please.”

“My heart longs for you, Y/N!” Chad yelled, making your face warm when several people gave you a curious glance.

“I need a drink.” You told Ethan, grumbling a curse under your breath.

-

You and Ethan had gotten tipsy fast and now stood in the kitchen, laughing as he told you a story about…what was he saying?

“What?” You asked, leaning closer to him to hear. He seemed nervous, but then he always did around girls. You thought nothing of it. “Speak up, E.”

“I was saying you look really pretty.” He smiled shyly, pointing to your outfit. “Your costume is cool.”

“It’s a dress, E. Nothing special.” You said, grinning, but still felt flattered. “I like your cardboard robo-suit too.”

“A knight. A knight.”

“Y/N.” You turned your head and met Chad’s eyes, his smile warm and friendly. Despite yourself the alcohol made you looser and you allowed him to take your hand. “Come on. I need a partner for beer pong.”

“Ask Tara.” You laughed, tugging your hand out of his grip. “I’m talking to my baby boy Ethan.”

“Your son can fend for himself.” Chad scoffed, raising an eyebrow at his roommate. “Can mommy and daddy leave you on your own, or do you need a babysitter?”

“Oh my god Chad.” Your grin was wide as you looked at his expression, his features filled with fake concern.

“I need my girl to annihilate people in beer pong. Do me a service, bro.”

“Yeah that—” Ethan glanced at you, then quickly away. “That’s fine. I don’t need a…a babysitter.” He winced and you frowned, opening your mouth to say more, but Chad was already pulling you away. You looked over your shoulder though, and saw Ethan looking dejected, before he pushed through the party and towards the door.

“Wait, Chad.” You said, pulling out of his grasp as you shoved your way through the party. “Ethan!” You called. “Ethan wait!”

He turned his head at your approach, brows furrowing as you slipped out the front door, his feet pausing on the driveway.

“What’s wrong?” You asked, panting slightly. “Aren’t you going to watch me win? You know I’m the best.”

“I’m tired.” He said, eyes sweeping across your face. “I think I wanna go home. But thanks. See you tomorrow.”

“Wait, no—” You grabbed his arm, unsure of why you were desperate for him to stay. “I’ll come with you. We can go to my place and have movie night like we used to.” Before you’d started receiving attention from Chad, you didn’t have to say. “Come on E.”

“I’m not sure if that’s—”

“Hey, what the Hell?” Chad asked, leaving the house and approaching the two of you. You let go of Ethan’s arm as he made it to your side. “You okay, man? I was just about to make you a Chad Supreme. He said, referring to his noxious concoction of tequila, vodka, Malibu, Sprite and fruit punch, a drink you secretly called Alcoholics Anonymous behind Chad’s back.

“Im tired.” Ethan said, avoiding your eyes. “Im gonna go—”

”Watch a movie with me.” You interrupted, giving Chad a wide smile. “Make me a Chad Supreme to go, will you? There’s empty water bottles in the kitchen.”

“You’re not staying?” He asked, confused. “But you..” He shook his head, forcing a smile. “Fine. Just because you’re so hot, and you know I love you. One Chad to go.” He turned and dashed back into the house as you valiantly ignored his strongly worded remark.

“Listen,” you said, glancing back at Ethan, who was watching where Chad had ran off to with a pained sort of look. “we’ll get pizza and do pickle shots and watch Stab. What do you think?”

Ethan took a moment to respond, biting his lip, before he nodded.

“I’m gonna need at least half that Chad Supreme, though.” He said, glancing at you with amusement in his brown eyes. “After hearing Chad call himself daddy I think I need a healthy blackout to make me forget.”

“Do you need a babysitter?” You teased, grinning as you reached out to flick his nose, and he caught your wrist in his hand.

“Listen here, young lady—”

“For the angel present." Chad declared, jogging up to you and passing you a bottle filled with suspicious looking pink liquid. "Keep your junk wrapped, E., if you’re planning on making moves on my girl. Y/N, are we still getting Dunkin in the morning?"

"We'll see." You responded, rolling your eyes. You still weren’t sure if you liked him calling you my girl. "Goodnight, Chad." You batted him away when he attempted to kiss your cheek and he grinned, running back into the party. "God, he's a mess." You scoffed, turning to give Ethan comically wide eyes. "Ready to go?"

-

You placed your head in Ethan's lap and stretched out on the couch, your skin practically buzzing. You two had split half the Chad Supreme, leaving the rest in the fridge, but you were almost certain you were going to have a headache in the morning.

"We need to chug water." You said, peering up at Ethan. He smiled and played idly with your hair, his eyes moving back to the movie. You were halfway through Stab, a pizza split between the two of you. "Hey E?" You asked, staring up.

"Hmm?"

"What do you think of me and Chad?"

His face dropped a fraction and he shrugged.

"I think he's...Chad." At your no-nonsense expression he laughed. "What? If you're happy with the ridiculous frat boy types, you do you."

"Shut up." You grinned, poking him in the stomach. But then your smile fell, and you bit your lip. "I think he really likes me. But I don't think.." You looked up at the ceiling, unsure of how to say it. "I don't like...just him. You know?"

"You don't?" Ethan asked, shooting you a surprised expression. You shook your head no, and a tentative smile pulled on his mouth. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"Ugh." You groaned, sitting up and moving off the couch into the kitchen. "Forget it. It's unimportant."

“Hey, wait, tell me about him.” Ethan laughed, following you into the kitchen. You both were tipsy as hell and he grabbed your hand, tugging you back towards him. “Come on. Best friends don’t keep secrets, right?”

“He’s—” you glanced down at his hand, your stomach twisting when he ran his thumb across your knuckles, making no move to let go. “it doesn’t matter, E.”

“I wanna know.” He insisted, his brown eyes soft and sleepy from the alcohol. “Come on, Y/N. I can keep a secret.”

Your smile was wide as you pulled away, backing up towards the fridge. He followed you every step, his brown eyes glued to your face as he subtly admired you, your indifference something like a knife to his gut. He liked you. God he liked you. And if you were going to have a crush on someone besides Chad, he wanted to at least put a face to the name he was going to resent.

“Tell me." He said again, watching as you pulled the Chad Supreme out of the fridge and took a sip. "Come on, how bad can they be?"

"Ew." You wrinkled your nose, passing him the bottle. "Drink first. Then guess."

Ethan took a swig, holding eye-contact, before setting the bottle on the counter.

"Do I know the guy?" He asked, searching his brain. There wasn't a single other guy in your friend group, nor anyone that he saw you with on a regular basis. A mischievous little smile curled on your lips as you nodded, then your eyes widened, surprised, as he moved forward and touched your chin, tilting your face up to his. "What does he look like?"

"He's...really cute." You admitted, biting your lip as you stared up at him. "And he's really smart."

"Tell me more." Ethan laughed lowly, moving closer to you and backing you up against the kitchen counter. "Would I like the guy?"

"I..." You swallowed, your hand reaching out involuntarily to clutch the fabric of his shirt. "Well he um...he's really kind. He's always there for me." Then you grinned. "But he has horrible taste in movies. I always have to pick them out."

Ethan rolled his eyes, looping his arm around your waist. Your heart was pounding in your chest, stomach twisting as he spoke, his hand moving from your chin to clasp the back of your neck.

"And do you see yourself...being with this guy?"

"I don't know." You said, searching his brown eyes for any hint of what he was thinking. You'd never seen him act so confident before. It was like every ounce of shyness had gone out the door since the moment he'd stepped into the apartment. "I'm hoping he'll make the first move."

Ethan stared for a moment, his chest rising and falling with his breathing, before he asked, "and are you...really into this guy? Like more than Chad?"

"Yeah." You licked your lips subtly, but his eyes still caught the movement. "He's all I can think about sometimes."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Ethan asked, moving closer, his jeans brushing your legs. "Tell him how you feel." His voice was low and raspy and you almost shivered. His hands slid to cup your face and you couldn't breathe; you stared at him, eyes slightly heavy, as you glanced from his mouth to his eyes.

"Ethan..." You whispered, eyes closing at his words and the feel of his hands.

“Tell him how you feel, Y/N."

"I can't." You whispered, your heart pounding in your chest. He was hardly two inches away, and the smell of his cologne was intoxicating. "I'm scared."

Ethan's breathing seemed unsteady as he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, murmuring a soft, "What's there to be scared of?" As he peered down at you.

"What if he doesn't want me?" You asked, glancing up at him. Still, though, you reached out, fisting his shirt in your hands and pulling him an inch closer.

"I..." Ethan's mouth went slightly dry as he watched you. "I think he does."

You stared up at him, heart pounding, and, before you could change your mind, leaned up to kiss him, pressing your mouth to his with as much force as you dared. Ethan's fingers tightened a fraction on your jaw as he kissed you back, making a low noise of pleasure against your mouth.

"God, Y/N." He whispered, his hands sliding into your hair as he kissed you again, then again. "I've wanted to do that for way too long now."

"It's you." You whispered, chasing after his touch. "It's you I want. Not Chad."

"I was hoping you were talking about me." He laughed, resting his forehead against your own. "This was going to be really awkward if I was touching you like this and then you said you had a crush on Tanner from Econ."

You laughed and tugged his face down to yours, kissing him again.

"We still have pizza. And Chad Supreme. And Stab." You said, looping your arms around his waist. "Wanna go?"

"Yes." He said, then gave you a coy smile. "Text time I see Chad, I'm calling you my girl."

[tonyspank]

WH0 R U 2???

Summary: Tara wakes up at her attractive Professor’s home.

Warnings: 18+ smut, g!p reader (literally think r is a service top??? idk? sorry for the dom’s & subs 😭)

A/N: pt.3 will not but smutty but bloody (there are different ghostfaces who r y’all suspecting?) also the smut scene was inspired by my b-day gift @wol-fica i love u

part 1

Tara woke up with the world's biggest headache. When she sat up in the random bed she had just awakened in, she realized she was in a completely unfamiliar room. The walls were white, with some paintings here and there, and the room was filled with a faint scent of lavender.

Tara left the bed, her head pounding with each step she took. She stumbled towards the door, trying to remember how she ended up in this strange place.

As she makes her way down the hallway, coffee begins to fill her nostrils. She follows the scent and finds herself in a cozy kitchen, where a pot of freshly brewed coffee sits on the counter. "You're awake, a voice says from behind her.

Startled, Tara turns around to see her professor, and suddenly, all of her memories rush back to her.

"Leaving already?" Frankie asks, raising an eyebrow. Tara hesitates, unsure of how to respond. She just nods, "Yeah, my... my rides here." Frankie keeps his gaze fixed on her, his expression unreadable. Tara can feel the weight of his scrutiny, making her even more uncomfortable.

"Oh damn, well, let me walk you out." Frankie offers, breaking the silence. Tara's heart races as they make their way towards the exit, unsure of what's going on. It was obvious Frankie wanted to get into her pants; he'd been following her the entire night.

You notice Tara at the exit, looking slightly flustered and uneasy. You quickly exit your car and walk to her. "You're her ride?" A brown-haired boy asks you.

"Yeah, I'm her ride," you confirm, giving the boy a curious look. The brown-haired boy gives you a skeptical look before reluctantly stepping aside, allowing you to approach Tara. As you reach her side, you offer a reassuring smile, hoping to ease her discomfort.

Tara's eyes drop to your attire, taking in your sleepwear. A wife-beater and black boxers that matched your black Nike socks. You notice this, "Sorry, I just woke up about five minutes ago."

"All good...Professor." Tara smiles. You shake your head, "Y/N is just fine. You're in my kitchen, after all. No need for formalities." Tara blushes and nods, "Right, sorry. Y/N it is then."

You chuckle softly, "No need to apologize, Tara. Can I offer you some coffee?" Tara gratefully accepts the offer, "I could definitely use a cup. Thank you, Y/N." She takes a seat at the kitchen table as you start pouring a fresh cup of coffee.

"Do you need me to drop you off?" Tara tries to take a sip of her coffee, but it's too hot, causing her to wince in pain spilling a bit on her hand. "Shit! That's hot!" Tara exclaims, quickly pulling her hand away from the cup. You rush to grab a napkin, softly grasping her hand and gently wiping away the spilled coffee.

"But, um, yeah, I'd love a ride if you don't mind," Tara mutters, ignoring the fluttering of her heart as you touch her hand. She tries to hide her blush by taking a deep breath and looking away, but the warmth of your touch lingers.

"Of course." Your phone begins ringing, interrupting the moment. You quickly apologize and grab your phone from the kitchen counter. You answer the phone without looking at the caller ID. A deep voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello, Y/N." You scratch your head, trying to place the voice. It sounds vaguely familiar, but you can't quite place it.

The voice clears its throat, and your ear is soon filled with Laura's laugh. "Haven't you watched Stab?"

"Ohhh! Yeah, I just did yesterday." You chuckle, realizing that the deep voice was an imitation of a character from the movie. "How's your mom? She doing better?"

Laura's laughter subsides as she replies, "She's slowly recovering, thanks for asking. The doctors say she should be back on her feet in a few weeks." You feel relieved to hear the positive update about Laura's mom and express your well wishes for her continued recovery.

"Anywho! I was just calling because I wanted to know how your first lecture was. Did everyone behave?"

You chuckle and respond, "Well, it was definitely an interesting experience. The students were well-behaved, and I was actually surprised by their level of engagement. It seems like they're all eager to learn and participate in class discussions."

Laura hums over the phone, "Are you sure you're talking about my students?" You laugh and say, "Seriously. They were great." Laura pauses for a moment before replying, "That's good...I have to go now, take care, Y/N."

You bid Laura farewell and promise to keep her updated on any future classroom developments. Tara speaks up when you set down your phone, "Was that Professor Crane?" You nod and say, "Yes, it was. She was just checking in on you guys."

Tara nods, taking a sip of her now slightly cooled-down coffee. "I'm going to take a shower, and I'll be back in a bit. Let me know whenever you're ready to leave."

"Wait, uh, do you know where my phone is?" Tara asks, glancing around the room. You remember plugging it up near the kitchen counter when you arrived home yesterday.

You point towards the kitchen counter and say, "I think it's over there, by the sink." Tara thanks you and heads towards the kitchen to retrieve it, but her head turns as she watches you leave the room, pulling your tank top over your head, revealing your toned back.

Blushing slightly, Tara quickly averts her gaze and focuses on finding her phone.

When Tara finally finds her phone, she realizes that she has missed several calls and messages, mostly from Sam.

But her heart truly drops when she realizes your name is at the top of her messages, remembering that she did indeed text you drunk the previous night.

Tara's mind races as she tries to recall what she said, hoping she hasn't embarrassed herself or said anything inappropriate. "You've got to be kidding me."

Tara mutters under her breath, scrolling through her messages with you. This was so embarrassing, and she couldn't believe she had let herself get so out of control.

"The hot professor whose filling in for Ms.Crane? What the fuck?" Tara's eyes widen in disbelief as she reads her own words. She had confessed her attraction to her substitute professor, not realizing how much she had revealed in her drunken state. Panic sets in as she wonders what your reaction to the message might have been.

Tara's phone dings, indicating a new message.

Mindy: Tara where the hell r u?

Mindy:  Sam is literally is losing her marbles

Shit.

Tara: im about to leave in about 15 minutes

Mindy: that didn't answer my question lollll

Tara: just tell sam im on the way

Mindy: omg you're at professor y/ln's house

Tara's heart races as she reads Mindy's message. How did Mindy know she was at your house? She quickly types a response, trying to come up with something to get Mindy off her back. 

Tara: wtf? no?

Tara: ill ttyl

-

The next couple of months consisted of Tara staying back after every lecture to talk to you. Now, you didn't exactly mind, but it did make you wonder why she was suddenly so interested in your company. Tara wouldn't talk about her studies, rather, she would ask you about your personal life, your hobbies, and your opinions on various topics.

Or whenever you'd be leaving campus or just arriving, Tara would leave her friends, jog over to you, and strike up a conversation. It seemed like she always found a reason to be near you, whether it was wanting to walk together or simply to share a funny story. Her genuine interest in getting to know you better was both flattering and intriguing.

"That's all for today, guys." You tell the class, packing up your things. Everyone begins leaving—well, everyone except for Tara. You shuffle your papers together, double-checking that you have everything, before looking up to find Tara still standing by your desk.

"Did you watch The Hereditary?" She had mentioned the movie a few times before, and you could tell she really wanted you to watch it. You smile and reply, "Yes, I did! Scared the shit out of me."

Tara laughs, "I thought you said you liked scary movies?" You begin walking toward the door. "I do!"

"What's your favorite scary movie?" Tara asks, genuinely curious. You pause for a moment, thinking of all the horror films you've seen over the years. "Hmm, that's a tough one," you say, pondering. "Maybe Chucky."

"You're joking," Tara says, raising an eyebrow. "Chucky? The killer doll? That's more of a cheesy horror movie than a scary one." You shrug and defend your choice. "Well, it scared me when I was younger. Plus, it has that nostalgic factor for me."

Tara chuckles and shakes her head playfully, saying, "Alright, if you say so. But I'll have to introduce you to some truly terrifying films one day."

You smile, holding the door open for the shorter girl. "Sure, T." Tara ignores the fluttering in her stomach at the nickname, striking up another conversation. "You heading home?"

You nod and reply, "Yeah, I was planning on making this salmon dish I found a recipe for. The sauce is supposed to be really flavorful, and I've been craving seafood lately." Tara hums, "Sounds fun."

You pause your walk, making eye contact with your student. "Maybe you could come...?"

Tara's eyes widen with surprise, but a smile tugs at the corners of her lips. "That sounds like a plan," she says, "What time?"

You check your watch and say, "How about around 7 p.m.? That should give me enough time to prepare everything." Tara nods eagerly, "Okay." You thank her and continue walking, "See you, T."

-

You were more than tipsy, this might have been the most fun you've had in a while. "I feel like a bad influence." You joke to Tara, pouring her another glass of wine. Tara laughs, "You're a perfect influence. You know how to have a good time."

You shake your head, standing up. "You can sit in the living room, I'm just gonna clear the table." Tara smiles and takes a sip of her wine. "Don't worry about it, I'll help you clean up."

Tara sets down her glass, standing up and helping you gather the dirty dishes and leftover food. Everything about this feels so domestic like you two are a married couple tidying up after a dinner party.

You start washing the dishes while Tara dries them and puts them away. The conversation flows effortlessly, making the task feel less like a chore and more like a shared experience.

On the last plate, you splash some soapy water onto Tara's shirt, causing her to let out a surprised gasp. "Oops, sorry about that!" you jokingly apologize, grinning mischievously.

Tara playfully flicks some water back at you, making you let out a laugh. "Oh, it's on now!" you exclaim, grabbing a nearby dish towel and flicking it towards Tara.

Tara runs out of the kitchen, laughing and dodging the dish towel, her wet shirt clinging to her as she goes. You turn off the water and chase after her, determined to catch her. While you reach the living room, Tara takes a sharp turn, causing you to stumble for a moment.

You quickly regain your balance and continue the chase, both of you enjoying the playful pursuit.

"I give up!" Tara calls out, breathless and giggling, as she collapses onto the couch. You slow down and join her, catching your breath and collapsing beside her.

You glance at her shirt, "Do you want one of my shirts?" Tara looks down at her damp shirt and shakes her head, still catching her breath. "No, I think I'll be fine," she replies with a smile.

Your eyes fall back on Tara, her cheeks flushed and her hair slightly disheveled from the chase. You know you shouldn't be thinking about your student in this way, but it's hard to ignore the undeniable chemistry between you. And she was absolutely gorgeous.

You're caught up in your thoughts, you don't even notice how your body is subconsciously scooting closer to her, until your knees are almost touching. The air between you feels charged with tension, and you can't help but wonder if she feels it too.

A part of you wants to reach out and brush a strand of hair behind her ear, but professional boundaries hold you back.

Tara turns her head slightly, her eyes meeting yours, and for a moment, you both share a knowing smile. Fuck, why did she have to look at you like that?

The intensity of the moment lingers, making it difficult to focus on anything else. You find yourself questioning the consequences of acting on this undeniable connection.

Tara leans in, and you follow behind slowly. You don't notice what you're doing until your noses brush against each other, sending a jolt of electricity through your body.

Tara parts her lips slightly, her warm breath tickling your skin. You place a hand on her leg, closing the distance between you. Your lips meet in a passionate and electrifying kiss, leaving you breathless and craving more.

You place your hand on Tara's waist, pulling her closer to you and allowing her to straddle you. Tara can't help but respond, her hands finding their way to your hair as she pulls you in even closer.

When you pull away, your heart is racing as if you had just run a marathon. You knew what you were doing was wrong, but in that moment, it felt so right. The chemistry between you and Tara was undeniable, and the desire for each other was too strong to resist.

Your hand rises to Tara's face, your thumb tracing over her soft, plump lips. She closes her eyes, and a moan escapes her mouth. You kiss her lightly, your tongue tracing the outline of her mouth. She responds with a slow, passionate kiss, her lips trembling as you pull away.

"Please," she mumbles, grinding her hips against yours. "Fuck, T." What was this girl doing to you? Without hesitation, you capture her lips once more, this time with an electrifying fervor that leaves you both breathless. In that moment, you knew that there was no going back, you were stuck under her spell.

Your hands slither under her shirt, exploring the curves of her body, feeling the heat radiating from her skin. She moans softly, encouraging you to continue your exploration, and you do.

Skillfully, you unclasp her bra, and your fingers trace the outline of her breasts, teasing and caressing every inch of her sensitive skin. She arches her back, pressing herself closer to you, craving more of your touch.

You lift her shirt, revealing her bare chest, and your lips eagerly find their way to her exposed skin. The taste of her drives you wild, and you lose yourself in the moment, savoring every sweet and intoxicating sensation.

Your hands fly back to her waist, lifting her slightly as your lips trail to her stomach, leaving a trail of soft kisses along the way.

She lets out a soft moan, her fingers tangling in your hair as she surrenders to the pleasure coursing through her body. Tara's breath hitches when you stand up, picking her up with ease. You carry her effortlessly to the bedroom, her legs wrapped around your waist, her body pressed against yours.

One thing is, you don't make it to the bed. Tara's back is now pressed against a wall, her heart pounding in her chest. You lean in closer, capturing her lips with yours as your hands roam over her body. You couldn't get enough.

You flip Tara, pressing her against the wall with a newfound intensity. Tara gasp, her eyes rolling back in pleasure, feeling your strong grip on her hips and your lips trailing down her neck.

Your hands trail to her jeans button, fumbling to undo it as the passion between you increases. Tara's breath hitches as you slide down her pants, along with her underwear, exposing her bare skin to the cool air.

Without hesitating, you drop to your knees, eager to taste her. A loud slap is heard, followed by a gasp of surprise. Tara bites down on her lip, balling up her fist against the wall, feeling you spread her legs for better access.

You lean in closer, your tongue teasing her entrance as Tara's moans fill the room. Oh, shit. You were officially addicted to this girl. Every touch and every sound she made only fueled your obsession for her.

You couldn't get enough of the way she responded to your touch, her body arching and trembling with pleasure. Or the way she tasted, leaving a permanent mark on your tongue.

"Fuck..." Tara gasps, the side of her face flat against the wall as her hips buck against your mouth. You remove one of your hands from her ass, holding her hips steady as you continue to devour her.

Tara whines in response, reaching behind to tangle her fingers in your hair, urging you to keep going. Her moans grow louder, and her grip tightens. "I'm so close, shit..."

You intensify your movements, your tongue skillfully exploring every inch of her, pushing her closer to the edge. Tara's breath becomes ragged, you grip her with greater force, and she becomes more and more undone, on the brink of exploding in pleasure.

And just as she's about to tip over the edge, she lets out a guttural cry, her body convulsing in ecstasy.

"Y/N! Shit!"

You stand up, and Tara catches her breath, her body still trembling from the intense orgasm.

While Tara attempts to compose herself, you unbuckle your belt and slowly remove your pants and underwear, revealing your own heightened state of arousal.

Tara's eyes widen when she feels your intense desire pressing against her. You press a kiss onto her head, whispering, "I need you, Tara."

Tara turns her head, meeting you with a lustful gaze. Her lips parted slightly as she whispers, "I want you too, Y/N." You place a soft kiss on the freckled face that you've come to adore before taking yourself, rubbing against her in a slow, teasing motion.

Tara's wetness lubricates you, allowing you to slip right in with a breathful gasp. As you enter her, Tara arches her back and lets out a low moan, her body responding eagerly to your touch.

The feeling of her tightness around you heightens the nirvana, driving you both insane.

You pick up the pace, your hips meeting hers in a delicious rhythm. Each thrust sends waves of pleasure coursing through both of your bodies—a symphony of desire and passion.

Tara's arm reaches around, her nails dig into your neck while her moans grow louder and more desperate with every movement.

Tara's hand falls back against the wall as she braces herself against the overwhelming pleasure. Your own hand falls on top of hers, and for a second, Tara finds herself caught between the intensified sensations and the tender touch of your hand.

She exhales a breath of pleasure, and her eyes roll back in pleasure. You lean in to kiss her neck, and she moans in response. You move your lips down to her shoulder, leaving a trail of soft kisses along her skin. "You feel so good, T." You groan, your voice thick with please.

This time, without warning, Tara lets go, a long and loud moan escaping her lips as she arches her back in ecstasy.

She collapses against your chest, her eyes half closed, catching her breath as her body trembles with satisfaction. You hold her tightly, savoring the intimate moment shared between you both.

As you slowly untangle yourselves from the intimate embrace, Tara wraps her arms around your neck and plants a soft kiss on your lips.

You smile into it, placing a hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer. The lingering taste of her lips lingers on yours, igniting a drive for more.

Tara moves onto her knees with your help, never breaking eye contact. Her hand wraps around your pulsating shaft before she kisses the tip, her tongue swirling around it.

The sensation sends a jolt of pleasure through your body, making you moan softly. You grab Tara's hair, guiding her movements as she takes you deeper into her mouth. "That feels great, shit..." you mutter, throwing your head back.

Tara's expert tongue continues to work its wonders, teasing and exploring every inch of you.

You begin moving your hips in rhythm with Tara's movements, finding a steady and pleasurable pace.

The hallway fills with the sounds of your heavy breathing and the wet, persistent slurping of Tara's mouth. "Yeah...just like that, Tara."

Your grip on her hair tightens, urging her on as she eagerly takes you deeper, her eyes watering at the sensation. You feel yourself getting closer and closer to the edge.

With a grunt, you cum hard, your body shuddering in pleasure as Tara's lips move over your shaft. She keeps sucking until you finally pull away, a satisfied smile on your face.

You feel yourself getting closer and closer to the edge. With a grunt, you cum hard, your body shuddering in pleasure as Tara's lips move over your shaft. She keeps sucking until you finally pull away, a satisfied smile on your face.

Tara can't help but think about how this night will shift your relationship. She wonders if this newfound intimacy will bring you closer or create complications that she didn't want to deal with. As you catch your breath, Tara's thoughts wander to the potential consequences of crossing this line.

[revasserium]

A request for Zayne with the prompt, "a note on public health" 🙏🫶☺️

send me one + a character and i'll write u a drabble (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

32. a note on public health

zayne; 1,519 words; fluff, teeth-rotting fluff, fem!reader, no "y/n", zayne!branded humor, vague innuendos, established relationship

summary: a couple of public service announcements.

a/n: zayne cares much about your health ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

001. sleep

For optimal health, one should get eight to ten hours of sleep per night.

You try to stifle a yawn as Zayne glances over the day’s news, projected onto the smooth white tabletop. He looks up, eyes narrowing as you freeze halfway through, attempting to mask the motion with a soft cough.

You reach for your half-finished coffee but Zayne tugs it away with a soft sigh.

“Didn’t sleep well last night?”

You purse your lips, averting your eyes as you reach for a slice of toast, tugging off a corner and stuffing it in your mouth.

“Would’ve slept better if someone hadn’t kept me up past my bedtime.”

This time, it’s Zayne who looks away, coughing as he sips at his own coffee.

“I made sure we finished at a reasonable hour.”

You jerk upright, eyes wide, mouth dropping open, a hot flush working its way into your cheeks. You wonder how he can keep such a straight face, how he looks so fundamentally unbothered. But then, he lets out a light chuckle.

“But you’re right — they say it’s not good to have strenuous exercise right before bed. I’ll be more careful next time.”

“Zayne!” you toss a crumpled bit of napkin at him, your heartbeat pounding at the back of your throat.

Zayne’s eyebrow flicks upward as he picks up the piece of tissue and gently lobs it into the trash can next to the kitchen counter before going back to this breakfast, the faintest hint of a smile shadowing his lips.

002. water

Adults over 19 should drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day for optimal health.

“Hello? What is it?”

“Hi! Uhm… where are you? I don’t — I don’t see you.”

“I’m… at home.”

“What? But… the app says you’ve arrived…”

Zayne sighs, “Did you dial the wrong number? This is Zayne.”

“…Oh! Oops.”

“Where are you? Have you been drinking?”

You hiccup, and he can almost see you shaking your head the way you do when you want to deny something you’d obviously been doing. He pushes up from the sofa, grabbing his coat.

“Not… not a lot — Tara just wanted to celebrate since —“ you hiccup again, “since it’s her first promotion, y’know?”

Zayne hums, “Mhm. Where are you?”

“No, no! It’s okay! I called a cab —“

“Cancel it. I’ll come get you.”

“But…”

“Cancel it. And send me your location.”

Thirteen minutes later, you’re climbing into the passenger seat of Zayne’s car with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry…”

“Don’t be. Here.”

You blink down at the bottle of water Zayne is pressing into your lap.

“Oh… thanks, but I had a lot of water at the bar!” You turn to flash him a bright, proud smile, “See? I do listen to you!”

Zayne laughs as he pulls into a stop light, glancing over at you, the bottle of water cradled between your hands.

“Yes, and I suppose you’re very proud of yourself this time?” there’s a teasing lilt to his voice that lets you know he’s not mad. Still, you scowl.

“Shouldn’t you be proud that your patient is getting better at taking care of herself?”

Zayne sighs, reaching over the tug the bottle from your hands before unscrewing the cap and handing it back to you.

“Drink.”

You look like you’re about to argue for a split second before you catch the sharp look in his eye and bring the bottle up to your lips for a long drink. Zayne allows himself a satisfied smile as he reaches over to give your knee a quick squeeze.

“Good. Good girl.”

003. sun

To maintain healthy blood levels, aim to get 10 - 30 minutes of midday sun, several days a week.

“It’s been raining for forever…”

Zayne looks up from the patient chart propped up in his lap.

You’re sprawled across the sofa on the other side of the room, staring at the bleary, rain-streaked windows with a dull, world-weary expression. Zayne’s eyes flick toward the window for a second before sliding up to the large clock above his door.

It’s three minutes till the end of the day, and he’d agreed you could wait for him in his office while he finished up.

“It has.” He drops his eyes back down to the chart in his hands. The patient is doing well — all things considered. He should keep them for another night of study before signing off to let him go home. Zayne punches in the quick note in for his nurses before setting the chart down.

“Weather forecast says it’s gonna rain all through the weekend too.”

“Hm.” Zayne gets up, rolling his shoulders loose of the knots that had gathered there before rounding his desk, “Come on then.”

“Oh! Are you done? Are we… going to get dinner?” You jump up from the sofa, seemingly revived, a smile on your face. Zayne regards you for a moment before turning.

“Not yet.”

“Not… yet?” you trail after him as he shrugs on his coat and locks his office door.

He can feel your curiosity bubbling for the entire walk to his car through the vast parking garage. He allows himself a smile as you slide in and look at him expectantly. For a second, he toys with the idea of not telling you, of seeing just how long you can hold out before you start to pester him.

“You’ll see,” he says, just as you open your mouth to ask.

“So… it’s a surprise?” you ask.

He shrugs, pulling out of the parking space and cresting through the dimly lit parking structure till he turns onto the bustling city street.

“I suppose it will be.”

“Did you… plan this?” he can hear the hopefulness in your voice, the giddiness sparkling there like soda fizz.

“No, but did you say I should try to be more spontaneous sometimes?”

“Sure but…” he can hear you pouting, “well, fine, if you really don’t want to tell me.”

He keeps quiet just to savor in the silence, in the knowledge that you are here with him, and so, so eager to know what he has planned for you. He wonders if it’s cruel to enjoy this, to love the way you’re so reactive, to love… everything about you.

You blink as he pulls into a darkened road, wide as it is, to the clearly gated Botanical Gardens. Your confusion only grows as the night guard there gives him a cheery wave before punching a button and the giant gates hiss open to allow you both entry.

“Thanks,” Zayne says, lifting a hand as the night guard waves them through with a bright smile.

He casts you a single glance before chuckling, “His daughter was a patient of mine a while back — she had a genetic cardiac condition that — well,” Zayne breaks off as he parks the car in the first space and opens the door.

“Regardless, she needed surgery. It was risky but… we managed to save her.”

He leads you down the winding path to one of the smaller greenhouses, lit up so brightly from the inside that you have to squint your eyes as he punches in an access code and lets you both through the door.

The wall of heat that greets you both nearly knocks you off your feet but a moment later, you smile as the warmth seeps into your skin, and you turn your face up towards the high ceilings, speckled with what you’re certain are tiny little sunlamps, beaming down at the arid landscape below.

“Are these… cacti?” you wonder aloud, shuffling over to a large, bulbous plant with long thin spikes.

“Yes, these are the desert plants. They need prolonged exposure to sunlight to live.”

“Oh…” you bend down to read the short description of the cacti before moving onto the next one, and then the next one. Zayne trails behind you, watching with a soft smile and softer eyes as you point out the tiny little yellow flowers budding on one, and the strange shapes of another.

“Not that this isn’t fun and all but…” you turn to him as you finally return to the front of the greenhouse, having seen all the different varieties of desert plants in this particular area, “why’d you bring me here?”

Zayne holds open the door for you.

“You looked like you were missing the sun.”

Even beneath the barely there lighting of the parking lot, Zayne sees your blush darkening your cheeks.

“I — I guess I was,” you say as you slip once more into the passenger seat of his car, looking over at him, “but… weren’t you missing it too?”

Zayne’s grin skews as he tugs on his seatbelt, but he schools his expression back into its usual mask of stoicism as he answers, “No. I’ve already got you.”

[nvrsaidiwasinurcloset]

ok im an absolute sucker for the “only one bed” trope, so….

could i please request a reader x ethan fic where there has already been a lot of mutual pining (maybe they were childhood best friends that have had feelings for the longest time ✋😩) and the final straw to all that sexual tension is possibly there being an argument or some angst and then having to share that room, being in such close proximity. Ends in smut please (been loving the switch!ethan btw)!

please and thank you 😩🙏

Jesus, this is a long one and I'm SO SORRY if that isn't what you wanted. I've literally tried to rewrite this 3 times but I had to build up the little angsty moments and all that stuff.

The Best Thing - Ethan Landry x Fem!Reader

This contains SMUT - Minors DNI

Summary: You and your friends go to a cabin for a week-long summer vacation. When plans change and you overhear that Ethan's upset about sharing a bed with you, it causes some issues in your friendship.

Contains: fluff, mutual-pining, angst, oral - both m and f receiving, p in v, unprotected-ish sex(reader's on birth control and pull out game is strong), kinda-rough sex, dom-ish Ethan. idk where the fuck I was going with this🥴

A/N: I'd like to apologize to those of you that like to read my stuff but don't like them to be super long. This is 7.6k words, so my bad🙃

For summer break, you and your friends decided to take a trip to the mountains, wanting fresh air and a calm environment in comparison to the current busy city you were in. After weeks of looking into cabins, you went with a cute 3-bedroom with a hot tub on the balcony that had a perfect view of the mountain line.

You were surprised that Sam was okay with Tara going without her, but the anxiety was apparent on the older sister’s face as she walked out of her bedroom in her pajamas carrying a taser in one hand and pepper spray in the other.

“I don’t like that you’re going without me, but I’ll feel a little better if you take these,” Sam said, dropping them into Tara’s purse.

“We’re just six teenagers going to the mountains to relax. What’s the worst thing that could happen?” Tara asked, as Mindy and Anika walked in.

“Have you ever watched a horror movie?” Mindy questioned, making Sam roll her eyes at the comment before looking back to Tara.

“You aren’t helping, Mindy,” Tara said, before directing her attention to Sam. “We’ll be safe, I promise.”

“You won’t have cell service up there…Fuck, please just find a way to call me every now and then so I know you’re okay,” Sam said, the stress obvious in her voice. “Please remind her,” she said to you, as she started to head back to her room.

“I will,” you promised, as Sam looked back to you and nodded.

After Sam closed her bedroom door, Tara started to whisper-yell at Mindy.

“What the fuck was that?”

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Mindy sighed, “The guys are outside by the way.” You soon heard the front door open, and listened to Ethan’s groggy voice as he complained about having to get up at six in the morning. “Well, they were outside.”

“Are you guys coming? We need to stop for coffee, or energy drinks. I don’t care, I just need caffeine,” Chad said, before glancing at you and Tara’s bags on the ground. “You know we’re only going for a week, right?”

“Hey, it’s not that much stuff,” she smiled, walking over to kiss him. “We were hoping you two wouldn’t mind helping us carry our bags down.”

“Anything for you, babe,” Chad said, as Mindy made a fake-gag noise.

“Don’t act like you and Anika aren’t going to be acting all sweet and shit with each other,” you laughed, looking towards Ethan, “We are the fifth and sixth wheels on this trip.”

“As long as have you so I won’t be bored, that’s all that matters,” Ethan said, a sleepy smile playing on his lips. “I’ll grab your stuff.”

“Thanks,” you said, as he lifted your bag and walked towards the door.

You grabbed your pillow and blanket off the couch before you followed him, desperate to squeeze in a few more hours of sleep on the drive. Fortunately, Chad’s SUV had third-row seating, so you didn’t have to take two separate cars. You decided the back row was the perfect place for you as Ethan loaded your stuff. He crawled in the back with you, waiting for the rest of your friends to come down.

“Are you sleepy?” he asked, as you laid your pillow against the back window and snuggled up.

“Mhm,” you responded, as he started to laugh.

“Chad made this obnoxious road trip playlist. You’re not going to be getting any sleep.”

“Fuck,” you sighed, “I guess I can nap when we get there.”

“Yeah, like you won’t be wired after the coffee,” Ethan said, his knowing smile making you roll your eyes.

You’d been friends with Ethan since you were toddlers. He knew you better than anyone else, and it could get a little annoying at times. He always seemed to know what your exact reaction would be to everything. He knew all your secrets, and you knew all of his. Well, almost all of them. He’d had feelings for you for years, but the possibility of rejection and damage to the friendship has helped him keep that secret tucked away.

“Hey,” Anika smiled as she crawled in the second row as you and Ethan gave a small wave. Mindy slid in beside her, as Chad struggled to load Tara’s stuff in the back with everyone else’s.

“Seriously, babe. Why do you need all of this?” he huffed, adjusting the bags that were already put away like some complicated game of Tetris.

“You never know when you might need extra clothes,” Tara laughed, leaving him to figure it out.

“Ethan, can I put one of these bags back there with you guys?” Chad asked, after a few minutes of him trying to make everything fit.

“Yeah,” he responded, before looking over to you. “It looks like we’ll be really close on this five-hour drive.”

“I could just sit on your lap,” you suggested, as his eyes went wide. “I’m kidding, Ethan.”

He almost wished you weren’t kidding, wanting to be as close to you as he possibly could. Your random little sweet touches here and there had him constantly craving more, constantly craving you.

Chad passed Mindy the extra suitcase, then she struggled to pass it back to Ethan. He took it from her, the space it was taking up making him scoot even closer to you.

“Sorry,” he said, “I can always move up to Mindy and Anika’s row if you need the space.”

“Then who’s going to show me memes on the way there?” you asked, as he slid his phone out of his pocket.

“I saved so many good ones to show you.”

Once you hit the road, Chad wanted to stop by Starbucks. He planned to go through the drive thru, but after Tara mentioned how complicated and potentially messy it would be to pass coffee back to everyone in his spotless car, he decided to park so everyone could go in.

After you ordered and were about to pay for your stuff, Ethan pulled his card out.

“I got it,” he said, putting his card into the reader.

“You didn’t have to do that,” you smiled, “You don’t want anything?”

“I don’t need to. I’ll just steal sips of whatever the iced or frozen thing you ordered,” he said, as the barista handed you a cake pop. “You’re eating that for breakfast?”

“Uh, yeah,” you said, like it was the most obvious answer.

“I think I’m hungry, too. Maybe I should order something,” he said, glancing at the menu.

You held your cake pop closer to him as he smiled and took a bite. You giggled at the crumbs on his bottom lip as he chewed, reaching up to wipe them off with your thumb. The sweet action made his eyes flutter, but he tried to play it off.

“This is so good,” he said, “I’m sorry for judging your breakfast choice.”

“Just make out already,” Mindy said, smirking at the two of you.

“What, I can’t share with my best friend?” you asked, grabbing your drink off the counter as your name was called.

“Best friend my ass,” she said, as she noticed Ethan’s cheeks start to turn pink. “You just wiped his mouth for him. That isn’t really a friend thing.”

“It is for us,” you smiled, taking a sip of your drink.

Ethan was getting uncomfortable under Mindy’s knowing gaze. It was almost like she had the ability in that moment to read his mind and know how he actually felt. He quickly tried to change the subject.

“So, what are we going to do while we’re up there?” he asked, you and Mindy both responding “Relax” at the same time.

“Is that it? You guys don’t want to explore or anything?”

You started to shake your head, “Between the bears, snakes, and whatever the fuck else is out there…I don’t think so.”

“I’d protect you,” he smiled, playfully wrapping his arm around your shoulder. “You know I’ve been going to the gym with Chad, I think I could take on a bear.”

“For someone that’s so smart, your common sense isn’t really there, is it?” Mindy asked, making you laugh.

“You guys are mean. I’m going to the car,” Ethan said, snatching your drink out of your hand before walking away.

“Hey!” you said, chasing after him.

The rest of the friend group walked up to Mindy, watching you try to take your coffee back from Ethan as you walked out.

“I think this vacation is about to be interesting,” Anika said, as Tara started to smile.

“I hope so. You remember the Halloween party where she drank a little too much? She told me she’s had the biggest crush on him for years,” she said, as Chad started to freak out.

“What?! Why didn’t you ever tell me she said that? He thinks he’s in the friend zone.”

“He’s definitely not. They’re practically already together,” Tara shook her head as she laughed, grabbing her drink off the counter. “Don’t say anything, though. Let them figure it out.”

Chad nodded, as the rest of the drinks were called out, “Let’s hit the road.”

After a couple hours of driving, you started to tune out the music, and felt like you could take a short nap. The coffee wasn’t helping as much as you expected it to, probably because Ethan drank half of it. You struggled to get comfortable against the window, until Ethan finally spoke up.

“You could always lay on me, if you want to,” he suggested, as you sleepily turned your body and snuggled up against him. Your head rested against his chest as he slouched in the seat, trying to make you more comfortable. He had a sweet smile on his lips as he looked down at you, studying your peaceful face as you slept.

His smile dropped when he noticed Mindy and Anika had turned around, looking at him questioningly. He held his finger up to his mouth, not wanting them to say anything to wake you up.

It didn’t matter though, because when Chad started to play ‘Life Is a Highway’ for the third time in the drive, you stirred awake and pulled away from Ethan.

“Chad, I swear if you don’t change that song, I’ll throw your phone out the window,” you said, as he started to laugh.

“Someone’s grumpy,” he said, changing the song. “Hey guys, were stopping at the next exit.”

He soon pulled into the gas station, and everyone started to pile out of the car. Before you could walk into the store, a number Tara didn’t recognize popped up on the screen.

“Hello?” she asked, before she started to smile. “Oh, hey. Yeah, we’ll be there soon…wait, what happened?”

You exchanged glances with everyone, unsure of what was going on.

“Does that one still have a good view? And all the things the other cabin had?”

Chad started to shake his head, realizing that the vacation wasn’t going to go as expected. When Tara hung up, all eyes were on her as they waited for her to say what was going on.

“Okay, uh, the cabin we were supposed to stay in got trashed by last night’s guests. The only cabin they had left has three rooms, but they all have one bed.”

Ethan’s heart started to thump in his chest as he listened to her speak. As much as he wanted to share a bed with you, and wanted to be close to you, it was hard for him to hold back, especially when you liked to sleep in the shortest pajama shorts that the bottom of your ass would hang out of. Sometimes he felt like you knew you had the effect on him, the teasing seeming almost intentional at times.

“You okay?” you asked, as he still stood there, deep in thought as the rest of your friends had started to walk away.

“Yeah, I’m good,” he smiled, “Let’s get some snacks.”

Ethan walked towards Chad once you made it inside, and you noticed that he was stressed. You tried to listen but couldn’t really hear anything at first. Then Ethan started to speak a little louder, “I can’t sleep with her. We have to figure something else out. It’d be torture to share a bed with her.” Chad suggested that one of you sleep on the couch, and at that point, you were starting to feel a little hurt. The thoughts of ‘Do I make him uncomfortable?’ and ‘Why can’t he just talk to me about it instead of Chad?’ floating around your head.

You went to Tara, Mindy, and Anika as they grabbed their snacks for the rest of the drive.

“Do you guys mind if I sit with you the rest of the way there?” you asked Mindy, as a confused expression appeared on all of their faces. “I think I’m annoying Ethan.”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Anika said, “But I highly doubt you are.”

“Then why was he just talking to Chad about not wanting to sleep in the same bed with me?”

Tara glanced over to the two boys as Mindy shrugged, “That’s a little weird…but once we get there, you should ask him about it.”

You nodded, before heading to the counter to pay for your stuff. You weren’t sure what Ethan’s problem was. He was okay with you snuggling up to him in the car, but the idea of him sharing a king-sized bed with you was something he didn’t want to do.

When you made it back to the car, Ethan got in first. He was confused when you sat in the second row with Mindy and Anika.

“You’re just going to leave me back here by myself?” he joked, but he was a little sad about it.

“Yeah, girl talk.”

He nodded at your short response, relaxing back into the seat and putting his seatbelt on. Chad gave him a look in the rearview mirror once he noticed the new seating arrangement. Ethan just shrugged, not knowing what was going on.

Chad leaned over to Tara and started to whisper, “What’s their deal?”

“She heard Ethan say he didn’t want to share a bed with her,” she whispered back, as Chad pulled away and sighed.

“You sure we can’t just…I don’t know, interfere a little?” he asked, as Tara shook her head.

“They need to figure it out on their own,” she said, glancing back to you.

“Okay, no more stops. We’ll be there in a little over two hours,” Chad announced, as he pulled back out onto the road.

You could feel Ethan’s eyes on the back of your head as you talked with Mindy and Anika. You felt bad for being a little cold to him, but your feelings were hurt. It’s not something he expected you to hear, but you couldn’t help but wonder if this was how he felt all the time whenever you’d be too close. But if that was the case, why would he suggest that you could sleep on him earlier?

Once you made it to the cabin and everyone started to get out, you looked around as you stretched. You saw another cabin off in the distance but couldn’t see a whole lot from where you were standing other than the trees. When you walked inside, your jaw dropped at the panoramic view out of the huge windows that lined the side of the cabin.

“This is gorgeous!” you said, walking over to the door that led to the deck. It was huge, stretching along the side of the house. There was a table, some rocking chairs, and a hot tub on the end of it.

“Too bad we have to hunt for our own food,” Chad said, as you looked over at him, “Just kidding. There’s a small grocery store not far from here. After we get all the stuff unloaded, we’re going to get what we need.”

Tara soon walked in, standing beside Chad as he put his arm around her.

“Are you mad at Ethan?” she asked, as you shook your head, not wanting to go into detail in front of Chad. “He seemed a little upset.”

“I guess I better go talk to him,” you groaned. You searched the house, seeing Mindy and Anika, but no Ethan. You finally looked outside to see him leaning against the car. He was deep in thought as you walked up to him.

“You should see the view. It’s beautiful,” you said, pulling him out of his thoughts as he looked at you.

“It’s kind of hard to even care about that when my best friend is mad at me,” he said, looking back down to the ground.

“I’m not mad,” you said, the cheeriness of your voice sounding fake.

“So, you’re mad and you’re lying to me. Cool,” he mumbled, pushing himself off the car and heading towards the back of it.

You followed after him, “I just thought we were getting a little too cozy.”

He scoffed at your words, “You’ve never cared about that before.”

“Okay, I’m going back inside. You can’t be mad at me for giving you the space you seem to want.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” he questioned, but you ignored him as you walked back into the cabin.

Chad soon joined him outside to help him carry in the stuff. He noticed Ethan’s mood, and started to feel bad that he knew you had your feelings, and if he’d just say something, the whole issue would be fixed.

“You okay, dude?” Chad asked, as Ethan started to walk towards the door with some of the luggage.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

As the day progressed, you brought up sleeping on the couch before Ethan could say anything. He argued that he should, but you eventually won the argument. The tension seemed to resolve a little. Your feelings were still hurt, but he was your best friend, and you didn’t want to spend the vacation mad at him.

When Chad talked about going to the store to get food again, you decided to stay at the cabin. The sun was starting to set, and the slight chill from the higher altitude made you really want to get in the hot tub. Ethan stayed with you, not feeling comfortable leaving you there by yourself. He sat in one of the rocking chairs as you walked out in your swimsuit with a towel in hand.

“You going to make me get in by myself?” you asked, smiling at him. He was trying so hard to not stare at your body, so he maintained eye contact.

“Fine, give me a minute,” he sighed, walking inside to change.

You eased into the hot water, sitting where you had the perfect view of the sunset over the mountain line. Ethan soon walked out and hung his towel over the side of the deck before climbing in to sit beside you.

“This is so beautiful,” you said, taking in the pink and orange hue in the sky. It was making your skin glow when Ethan looked at you.

“Yeah, beautiful,” he said, as you looked over to him and smiled. You sat in silence for a few minutes, before he spoke up, “What was with you earlier?”

You sighed, not wanting to say that you heard him talking to Chad, “I just, I don’t know. Maybe we’re getting a little too close.”

“Why do you feel that way?”

“I don’t feel like talking about it right now,” you said, before Ethan started to scoot away. “What?” you asked, looking over to him.

“If you think we’re getting too close, I’m giving you your space,” he said, before getting out.

“You’re going to get mad at me if I don’t feel like telling you what’s wrong?” you questioned, as he started to get mad.

“You tell me everything. Why can’t you tell me what’s wrong right now so we can move past it?”

“Because you don’t like to be open about what’s bothering you,” you snapped, climbing out as well. You slipped a little, almost falling on the deck before Ethan caught you. “Thanks, I got it.” You pulled away from him and walked inside to change into dry clothes.

Ethan didn’t know what you meant, because other than his feelings towards you, he was completely open. He knew you hadn’t figured that out, so he decided to pull Tara outside to the deck after your friends got back from the store.

“What’s up with her?” he nervously asked, “What did I do?”

“I’m not getting in the middle of this, so all I’m going to say is that you both just need to open your eyes,” she said, as he looked at her, still just as confused as he was before the conversation even started. “She’s your best friend. You know her better than anyone. You can figure this out.”

“It’d be so much easier if you just told me, though,” He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “She thinks we’re too close. What’s that about?”

“Fuck, I’m not telling you anything else other than this, but she overheard you and Chad talking earlier about you not wanting to sleep in the same bed with her. She didn’t say what else was said, but her feelings were hurt. Now, go fix it,” she said, walking away from him.

He started to think back to the things he said, but there was no way he could just come out and apologize for making you feel bad without explaining why he said what he said. He was worried about ruining the friendship, but with the current state of it, maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea to finally just tell you. You’ve never been in an argument, and you’ve never even gotten mad at each other, so it was all just so confusing for him as he tried to decide on the right thing to do.

When he walked back inside, he started to look for you. He asked Chad where you were before he pointed to you, asleep on the couch.

“I need advice, because I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing right now,” Ethan whispered to Chad, “She overheard our conversation earlier.”

Chad started to nod, as Ethan’s eyes went wide.

“You knew she heard it? Fuck, dude,” he sighed, “How do I tell her that the problem with us sharing a bed isn’t because I don’t want to be around her, but it’s because I won’t be able to keep my hands off her?”

“Wow, uh, I didn’t know things were that hard for you,” Chad laughed, as Ethan rolled his eyes.

“I just…I’m so fucking attracted to her, and I don’t want to make her uncomfortable,” he said, looking over to you to make sure you were still asleep. “I want to be affectionate with her, it’s hard enough when we aren’t trying to sleep in the same bed.”

“Maybe she wants the same thing,” Chad suggested, as Ethan shook his head.

“There’s no way. She would’ve shown me hints by now.”

“Just open your eyes,” Chad said, making Ethan a little irritated.

“That’s what Tara said. What does that even mean?” Ethan asked, as Chad shrugged.

“You’ll figure it out, I’m going to bed.”

Ethan decided to head to bed, hoping a good night’s sleep would help him come up with the answers he needed, but he couldn’t get comfortable. He just kept tossing and turning and couldn’t stop thinking about you.

You started to stir awake, noticing a sound coming from outside the front door. Once you heard the doorknob move the slightest bit, you jumped up and ran to Ethan’s room.

“Hey, something’s outside,” you said, as he slowly sat up and laughed a little.

“We are out in the middle of nowhere right now. I’m sure there is something outside.”

“The doorknob wiggled, Ethan. I can’t sleep out there by myself like that…unless you want to check it out for me,” you sighed, as he stood up.

From the moonlight that was flowing through the window, you noticed that he was shirtless, and that his workouts with Chad seemed to really be paying off. Not that it mattered, because you’d think he was attractive regardless. Then you noticed how low his sweatpants were hanging on his hips, and felt your mouth start to water.

Ethan took in your appearance, the shorts he fully expected you to wear snugly hugging your hips and your hard nipples from the cold air in the cabin showing through the thin material of your shirt. He wanted to just tell you to sleep in the bed with him, but he couldn’t. He’d gotten so used to all the little affectionate things you’d regularly do, things he chalked up to the friendship being so close, but it was still so hard for him to push his thoughts about you to the side.

“You don’t have to go out with me,” he said, walking towards the cabin door with you closely behind him.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” you said, making him laugh.

“Then why did you ask me to see what was out here?”

He slowly opened the door, the both of you jumping when a large raccoon scurried away.

“You’re worried about that cute little guy breaking in and snuggling with you on the couch?” he asked, as you rolled your eyes. “I’m kidding. Let’s make sure there’s nothing else out here.”

He pulled out his phone, turning the flashlight on and looking around to make sure there wasn’t anything else you needed to be concerned about. You noticed something along the tree line, it’s glowing eyes lit up by the light.

“What is that?” you asked, as it started to step a little closer.

“I think we should go inside,” he said, grabbing your hand and leading you towards the door.

That’s when the animal started to run, the fear coursing through your veins making you cling to Ethan.

“It’s a fucking deer,” he laughed, trying to catch his breath. You were still attached to him when he tried to pull away from you. “You’re safe, let’s go back inside.”

Once you made it back to your spot on the couch, he stood in the middle of the living room, starting to feel a little bad that he had that huge bed to himself. He noticed that you still seemed a little nervous from what’d just happened, and he let out a big sigh before he started to speak.

“Do you want to sleep in the room with me?”

“Not if it’s going to be ‘torture’ for you,” you said, as he started to get irritated.

“You don’t get it,” he said, walking back towards the room. You were really starting to get sick of all the conversations you’d had within the last day ending in one of you walking away, so you followed him.

“What don’t I get?” you asked, as he sat down on the side of the bed and looked at the floor. You walked around to stand in front of him, waiting for him to answer you. “I don’t want this entire week to be this way. Just fucking talk to me!”

He sighed, before looking up to you, “What you heard earlier isn’t as bad as you think it is…the torture thing you were talking about, just look at what you’re fucking wearing.”

You looked down at your choice of sleepwear and started to feel a little self-conscious. You tried to pull your shorts down a little, noticing how much they’d ridden up in your sleep. He watched you as you tried to cover your body.

“Hey,” he said softly, as your eyes connected with his, “I didn’t mean that in a bad way…Just…get in the bed, okay?”

“Tell me how you mean it then, Ethan. I can’t read your mind,” you said, walking back around to the other side of the bed.

“I will in the morning. I just need you to stay on your side of the bed,” he sighed, looking over to you.

“Fine,” you said, pulling the blanket over you as you settled into the bed. He lay on his side, his back towards you.

After a few minutes, he rolled over to face you. He couldn’t take it anymore, and he needed to know if you felt the same about him. “You know you mean a lot to me, right?”

“You mean a lot to me, too,” you smiled, as he moved closer towards you. “So I have to stay on my side, but you don’t?”

Your breathing started to get heavy when you noticed how close he was getting, his eyes looking into yours. He didn’t say anything as he leaned in, his lips gently kissing yours. You were so surprised by it that you didn’t kiss him back. You wanted to, but he pulled away before you had the chance for your brain to process everything.

He scooted back to his side, laying on his back as he started to think about how he’d just ruined the friendship.

“Ethan?” you asked, looking over to him.

“I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry,” he sighed, as you started to smirk. You knew that this was your opportunity to finally tell him how you felt now that he’d opened the door for it to happen.

“Ethan, are you interested in me?” you asked, as he nodded.

“It doesn’t have to be weird now, does it? You didn’t kiss me back, and that’s fine. It sucks, but I’ll get over it,” he said, as you sat up and inched closer to him.

“What if I don’t want you to get over it?” you asked, leaning down to kiss him.

The kiss was so needy, both of you craving each other as you moved to straddle him. His hands held your hips as yours went to his hair. After a few minutes, you pulled away, the both of you panting as his hands rubbed your hips. The way he was looking at you made you wet, as your hips started to grind against him.

“Shit,” he quietly groaned, not wanting your friends to hear him.

“You okay?” you asked, looking down at him. He nodded, desperate for you to make another move. You reached down to grab the hem of your shirt and pulled it over your head, his eyes going wide as he stared at your chest. His hands reached up to massage your breasts, the feeling making your eyes flutter, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

You kept grinding against him as whimpers started to slip past your lips from the friction against your clit and the feeling of his fingers pinching at your nipples.

“You have to be quiet,” he whispered, moving his hands back to your hips to make you move faster.

“Wait,” you mumbled, your hips coming to a stop. You started to move off him, noticing the wet spot on his sweatpants from where your wetness had soaked through your panties and the thin shorts. “Can I suck your cock?”

He felt like he could cum from those words alone as he nodded his head. “I need you to tell me, baby. Use your words,” you teased, rubbing your hand over his hard cock.

“Please,” he whimpered, the sound making you cock your eyebrow as you smiled at him. He adjusted his hips so it was easier your you to slide his sweatpants and boxers down, his heart pounding in his chest. He’d tried to imagine what your mouth would feel like before, but as soon as he actually felt it, it was better than he could’ve ever imagined. Your tongue licked up the underside of his cock and swirled around the tip. “Oh fuck,” he groaned, before you took him in your mouth. “Fuck, that feels so good.”

You’d barely done anything to him yet, and he was already being so vocal. Your core was throbbing as you took him as far as you could, the gagging feeling making him gasp. His hand went to the back of your head, gently encouraging you to keep going.

You knew he was getting close when the light grip he had on your hair got tighter, his actions making you moan around him as you started to move faster. His bottom lip was in between his teeth as he watched you, trying so hard not to be loud. It only took your throat tightening around him a few more times before he finally let his whimpers out again.

“Fuck, I’m gonna cum,” he said, his eyes fluttering and his jaw falling open as he started to release in your mouth. You got him through it, before sitting up and smiling at him. “There’s no way that just happened,” he sighed in disbelief as he caught his breath. “That was amazing.”

“Well, it definitely did happen. I can still taste your cum.”

He groaned at your words before he flipped you over and sucked one of your nipples into his mouth.

“Fuck, Ethan,” you gasped out, his tongue swirling against you as he sucked. He moved to the other side, looking up at you as his teeth grazed against your nipple. Your hand reached down to rub yourself over your shorts, the throbbing in your core starting to hurt.

“Let me take care of you, baby,” he said, kissing down your tummy. He stopped at the top of your pajama shorts and looked up at you before sliding them down. “This is okay?”

“Mhm,” you got out, as your fingers started to run through his hair. He leaned his head into it, loving the feeling of your nails against his scalp.

His fingers went under the waistband of your shorts as he started to pull them down. With how tight they were, he was struggling to get them over your ass. You started to giggle, lifting your hips a little so he could get them off of you easier. He leaned back a little to pull them down your legs before he leaned back down to where you needed him.

“Can you put your hands back in my hair?”

You nodded, your fingers tangling in his curls as he licked a stripe up your clit.

“Shit,” you gasped, as he really started to get into it. He kept alternating between swirling his tongue against your clit and dipping it inside of you. You started to whimper a little louder than he wanted you to, so he pulled away. The lack of contact made you whine as a hushed laugh slipped past his lips and he shook his head.

“I want to make you feel good, but you need to be quiet, baby,” he said, his eyes looking into yours. You nodded, knowing how hard it was going to be for you.

His head went back to his place in between your thighs, placing gentle licks to your clit as he started to push one of his fingers into you. You tried to muffle your moans with your bottom lip, but once he added a second finger and started to move it against that spongy spot inside of you, you had to cover your mouth with your hand.

His eyes looked up into yours as you started to tug harder on his hair. He was proud of himself, so happy that he was the one that was making you feel so good that you were struggling to keep your sounds in.

“Keep moving your fingers just like that,” you whined, before covering your mouth again.

He inched you closer and closer to your orgasm, your toes curling against the sheets as the grip on his hair made him groan against you. The feeling of your pussy starting to flutter around his fingers made him groan even louder as he thought about how amazing it would feel around his cock. Your body started to shake as he used his free arm to pin your hips down so he could work you through it. Once your pussy stopped clenching, your grip on his hair relaxed, a goofy smile on your lips as he looked back up at you.

“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” he said, as you started to make grabby hands at him.

He hovered over you and looked into your eyes as your arms wrapped around him. You felt his hard cock press against you as you started to wiggle your hips a little underneath him.

“I don’t have a condom,” he said, as you rolled your eyes.

“Just pull out,” you said with a smirk, his eyes going wide at the suggestion. “I’m on birth control, it’s fine.”

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he groaned, as he reached in between the two of you to line up with your entrance.

He slowly slid inside of you and stilled to give you time to adjust to his size. He started to kiss you as you grew impatient.

“Please,” you mumbled against his lips as he smiled.

“Please what?” he questioned, not moving until he heard what you wanted.

“Please fuck me,” you said, your words dripping with lust as you pleaded.

He started to move as your legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. He watched the faces you were making with each thrust, not wanting to miss a single one.

“You’re so tight,” he groaned, his hips moving a little faster.

He started to drill into your g-spot as your fingernails drug across his back. You were trying to be quiet, but it was getting harder with each deep thrust.

“Quiet, baby,” he warned, his hips slowing a little. “You’re going to wake everybody up.”

“Make me be quiet,” you said sweetly, an almost animalistic look appearing in Ethan’s eyes at your words.

He leaned in to kiss you as he sped back up, his mouth catching all your moans. You reached in between his body and yours to rub quick circles on your clit. When your moans turned into high-pitch whimpers, he pulled his mouth away from yours and replaced it with his hand as he mercilessly pounded into you, the sound of his skin slapping against yours and the faint tapping of the headboard against the wall filling the room.

“That’s it, baby. You can take it,” he whispered, as your eyebrows started to furrow, and your pussy started to clench. “You’re doing such a good job for me.”

He was sure he was going to have scratches all over his back as your nails just kept digging, but he didn’t let up.

“You gonna cum?” he asked, as you quickly nodded your head. “Cum for me, baby.”

That’s all it took for you to start shaking underneath him. The way your pussy spasmed around him felt so good that his own orgasm was quickly approaching.

“Oh fuck,” he groaned, pulling out and shooting his hot cum all over your stomach.

He sat on his knees as he caught his breath. Your sleepy smile made him smirk as he started to get up.

“Do you want to take a shower with me? At least to get this off you?”

You nodded, as he slid off the side of the bed. He tried to help you up, your legs wobbling as soon as your feet touched the floor.

“You okay?” he asked with a small laugh as you walked in front of him.

“Yeah, that was…wow,” you said, your brain still clouded with the post-orgasm haze.

“Shh, we need to be quick. I don’t want anyone to see us naked,” he whispered, leading you down the dark hall to the bathroom.

You grabbed some of the complimentary body wash off the counter as Ethan cut the shower on. He stepped inside as you followed, the water flow washing his cum off you. You stayed silent for the most part, other than the occasional small laughs slipping out as you’d thought about what you’d just done with your best friend.

Once you stepped out and grabbed a towel to dry off, Ethan’s hands wrapped around your waist as he kissed your wet shoulder.

“If I would’ve known that was going to happen, I would’ve kissed you sooner,” he said, pulling away to dry himself off. When he turned around, you noticed the bright red marks that ran front his shoulder blades to the middle of his back.

“Uhm, it looks like you’re going to be wearing a shirt for the rest of this trip,” you said, as he turned around to look at it in the mirror.

“Damn, I look like I was mauled,” he laughed, as you stood on your tippy toes to kiss him.

“Let’s go to bed,” you mumbled, as the two of you walked out on your towels.

When you made it back to the room, you started to grab clothes to put on when Ethan stopped you.

“Can we just sleep naked?” he asked, smiling as you nodded.

You crawled back into the bed scooting to the middle as he laid down beside you. Your head went to his chest as his fingers traced patterns on your back, the soothing motion soon putting you to sleep.

When you woke up the next morning, Ethan was starting to stir awake, too, hearing the voices of your friends as they talked in the kitchen.

“I guess we should get up,” you said, as you started to pull away. He grabbed your arm and pulled you back to him.

“How do you feel about lazy morning sex?” he asked, as you smirked at him.

“Last night wasn’t enough for you?” you questioned. He shook his head in response.

You glanced down and noticed that the blanket was halfway down his thighs, his hard cock on display.

“Can you be quiet though?” he asked, as you shrugged.

“Probably not, but let’s try it,” you said, “How do you want to do this?”

“Roll over onto your side.”

You did as he said, his hands immediately starting to roam from your thigh, up your side and to your breast.

“Do you need me to eat you out first?” he asked, sitting up a little to look at you. “Because I really don’t mind doing that again.”

You giggled at his eagerness before shaking your head. “I’m already wet, and we don’t have a lot of time.”

“Fine,” he sighed, adjusting your hips to slide into you.

His thrusts were slow as his hand held onto your hip. Sweet kisses were placed along your shoulder as you started to move your hips back to meet his.

“You feel so fucking good,” he whispered, “and your skin is just so soft, and your just so beautiful.”

You smiled as he kept saying sweet things to you, his thrusts starting to speed up.

“Fuck, baby,” you whimpered out, as the tip of his cock kept hitting that special spot inside you. “That feels so good.”

“Shhh,” he whispered, as his hips moved faster. You were struggling to meet his thrusts, the tiredness from only a few hours of sleep catching up to you. “It’s okay, babe. I’ll do all the work.”

He kept hitting that spot as you felt your orgasm approaching.

“I don’t think I can be quiet,” you said, the nervousness evident in your voice. You were tensing up, not wanting to cum because you didn’t know what would come out of your mouth.

“You’re almost there, baby. Just relax,” he cooed, as his hand went from your thigh to cover your mouth again.

You were whimpering into his hand as the euphoric feeling started to wash over you, your pussy tightening around him as he tried to fuck you through it. It got harder for him the tighter you squeezed.

“I’m gonna cum, baby,” he said, pulling out and painting your lower back with his release.

In that moment, you heard a light knock on the door.

“Fuck,” Ethan whispered, pulling the blanket back up to cover the both of you.

You both closed your eyes as the door eased open, trying to make it seem like you were still asleep. Chad peaked in, before quickly backing away and closing the door.

You started to giggle as Ethan pulled away, “I need to get this off of you before it gets all over me and the bed.”

He grabbed a few tissues out of the box on the nightstand and cleaned your back for you. You rolled over as he leaned down to kiss you.

“Let’s get dressed. I’m starving,” you said, as he pulled away.

He nodded as you slid off the bed, watching you as you walked to the other side of the room to grab your clothes. He hated to watch you put them back on, wishing the two of you could just stay naked in bed together all day.

“I guess this friendship isn’t so innocent anymore,” he said, sliding his shirt on over his head.

“Friendship? After last night and this morning this is still just a friendship?” you questioned, as he walked over to wrap his arms around your waist.

“You’re right, it’s way more than that,” he smiled, leaning in to kiss you.

“You better not say we’re just fuck buddies, either. I’ll drown you in the hot tub,” you said with a smirk, as you got ready to walk out to join your friends.

“You’re way more than that, babe.”

[sorcerous-caress]

Taking you as their fake date to an event

[Fluff, suggustive, romance, humour, fake dating, nb!reader]

[Wyll, Gale, Shadowheart, Karlach, Rolan]

Wyll

In the aftermath of clearing the misunderstanding with his father, Wyll found himself back at the centre of attention in Baldur's Gate's circle of nobles. Everyone wanted to meet the famed blade of frontiers, for the last time they saw him was years ago before he fully matured into the man he is today.

Letter after letter were delivered to your camp. Carrier pigeons barely escaped Tara's claws as they dropped the mail on Wyll's tent and left with most of their feathers intact.

Being the son of the grand duke of Baldur's Gate turned all the heads of any sane noble with a marriage allegeable offspring. Invitation for tea parties, hunting competitions, and even balls for the sole purpose of meeting other people. Wyll's hand was slowly going numb from having to write back formal polite declining letters.

If only there was a way to stop them from the source. He'd sigh and vent to his closest of companions. But Karlach wasn't available at the moment, so he had to make do with the vampire.

"Why not just tell them you've already tied the knot with someone or whatever you humans call it?"

For once, Wyll actually considered listening to the fanged devil on his shoulder.

He approached that topic as delicately as he could when it came to convincing you, inviting you to dinner at a restaurant, waiting until after you're both filled and the lighthearted conversation slowed to bring it up.

"My friend, if I may, there is something I could use a helping hand with."

To his relief, you don't seem uncomfortable to his proposal. If anything, you nonchalantly agreed to be his fake date to the upcoming celebration.

He thanks you with a polite smile, yet for some, his heart beat faster when he pictures you holding onto his arm amongst the crowd. Your formal attire matching his suit. The fact he'd get to call you his fiancé for an evening sends an unexpected heat up to his face.

.

Gale

Tara wakes him up with delight in her eyes one morning, her sing song tone of his last name is more chipper than usual.

"Mr.Dekarios, yoohoo~" she licks his face to get his sleepy eyes to focus on her, "Ms.Dekarios sends her regards, along with a mandatory summon invitation for you this weekend." Tara brings her paw up to her face, cleaning the fur and making herself even more presentable.

Before Gale gets a word in, he is interrupted by a paw smacking against his lips.

"Now now, you wouldn't break the heart of your poor old mother by rejecting her invitation when you haven't seen her in years, would you?" The soft beans against Gale's mouth hold the threat of sharp claws underneath.

Defeated and outsmarted first thing in the morning, the wizard reluctantly nods with a sight.

Deep down, he know this day would eventually come. He couldn't hide the orb and the looming threat over his life from his own mother forever, no matter how he naively hoped to find a cure before having to face her. Coming back to announce you've foolishly consumed untamed magic of chaos isn't the most popular mother's day gift.

But maybe, just maybe he doesn't have to let her know yet. If he could find a distraction.

And lucky for him, the perfect distraction was currently standing outside his open tent, rubbing Tara's belly as she purrs and leans into their arms more.

He devised a plan, a great list of excuses and reasons to sell you the idea of why you should go along with his plan of deception, even prepared a bribe if push came to shove.

Well, two bribes, actually. The first one was the massive breakfast prepared and catered specifically for your taste.

Scurrying to sit in the chair next to you before Halsin could, Gale ignored the cofused look the druid gave him before sitting down at another chair.

Either he was too easy to read, or you've picked up on his pattern of gifts and act of service whenever he has a request. Because he only had to hint at the upcoming home visit before you Blatantly stated that you're willing to go as his date.

"Well...this was certainly much easier than I expected. In fact I've deviced a much more elaborate argument and explanation for when you'd initially refuse."

"Why would I ever refuse Gale?"

You gently caressed the side of his face, wiping a small crumb of bread away from his lips before taking your hand back.

"I...well, uhm. You." With a flustered look, Gale wasn't sure how to respond. Did he remember to comb his morning hair? Oh god, wait, is he still in his pyjamas? Does he even look half presentable right now?

.

Shadowheart

A Selunite introduction party, as her parents explained. She never had the afterparty of her ceremony after the woods passage trial, and her mother really wanted her to see her adorned in the moon maiden silvery dress and white flowers.

How could she say no? Shadowheart only wished for both of their happiness, to make up for lost time as much as she could.

While her father never pressured her, knowing he still has plenty of time with her, her mother wasn't offered the same courtsy by life. So he encouraged Shadowheart to bring someone dear to her maybe, just to reassure her mother that she has a loved one, you know how humans tend to get about finding your soulmate and all of that.

But she felt lost. Was there really someone she could call a soulmate?

Your words echo in her mind, how you gently persuaded her into lowering her weapon. The night orchid you've given her is still kept safely in her journal, tucked away between the soft pages to preserve the petals forever.

What if you don't share her feelings? What if she is just another lost soul that has grown attached to you after you saved them. Afterall, you did end up risking blowing your cover when saving that drow women at moonrise tower.

Minthara's respect for you was nothing to scoff at. What's a cleric's faith when compared to a paladin's devotion?

Yet she still took a chance, a leap of faith for you.

One night before the two of you retreated to your own beds, she stopped you for a short conversation. Reluctance in her voice as she lowered her face and looked up at you, eyes glistening under the moonlight.

She explained her situation, her party for her coming of age ceremony that was long postponed, how she wished for you to accompany her as her date.

"Please, indulge me this once. And we can pretend it never happened afterwards...if that's what you wish." The words pained her to say, but the relief that followed at your acceptance made all the pain worth it.

She isn't sure where your heart lays, but for a day, it will be hers. Her faith will guide her, the faith that maybe one day, you too will return her feelings.

.

Karlach

She was nervously walking back and forth outside your tent just after dinner, unsure of how to approach you or even mention the topic.

Her tail aggiated and is switching between curling around her leg and lashing at the ground below. Karlach didn't bury her emotions as the engine in her chest glowed more and more, matching the redness of the sunset in the horizon.

Really, what was she thinking? Agreeing to the double date her friends offered her. She was too excited at having finally met more people from her past, ones that didn't stab her in the back, and one thing led to another.

It's not that she ment to lie to her friends...it was just hard to tell them that even after all these years, she still doesn't have someone to call her own. It felt embarrassing to admit how alone she was, how touch starved and repressed she felt.

Not to mention how every single one of her friends had already found someone. Most of them were married and the other half on their way to get married.

She didn't think they'd make a big deal out of it when she off-handedly mentioned that she was seeing someone, a simple white lie with no harm done. She thought they'd just be happy for her and move on.

But no, instead, it was as if she grew a second head right then and there. Everyone was so excited to meet her so-called partner.

And so she found herself like this, strolling around your tent like a loser, attempting to muster up the dignity to ask you to pretend to be her partner for tomorrow.

Only when bumped into something and lost her balance did she realise who stood in front of her.

Karlach's body pinned you to the ground with ease, even unintentionally her muscles could easily cage you on. Her skin hot against yours, she lifted her head and your faces were mere inches apart.

You didn't miss the way her eyes glances at your lips, the way her cheeks darkned when you licked them. The heacy of swallow afterwards before her lips twitched into a polite smile.

With a quick apology, she helped you up.

"Say soldier, have you ever played pretend before? You know that game that kids play." Very smooth Karlach, she thought to herself. "Uh...do you think the two of us can maybe play it tomorrow? Haha...ha."

You asked what she meant.

"I kinda of...well, I told my friends that I was already seeing someone so. Could you be that person? I'll pay you back tenfolds, I promise."

"Of course Karlach, anything you want." Accepting the awkward fistbump she offered you, in return you gave her a hug that lingered for more time than it should.

"Cool cool, great. I'll pick you up tomorrow?" Her tail was swishing excitedly behind her, a confident smile on her face as bright as the sun.

.

Rolan

He will show them, he thought, he will show his spoiled bratty siblings that he isn't as uptight and "scares away all suitors" as they claimed!

I mean, have you seen him? He is a very talented and capable wizard, how is it his fault that other people are far too dim and slow to realise how much of a catch he is, how his talent more than makes up for his sometimes bitter personality.

Lia was bragging again about the cute bard she managed to ask out, her third date this week. Rolan swears she is mentioning within earshot if him intentionally, hell even Cal gets the occasional longing stares at any tavren they go to.

Rolan isn't less than them and he will prove it. He just well...hasn't put himself out there yet, so what if he has zero experience with dating and romance? He is a fast learner, he is very confident in his ability to become an excellent lover in to time.

A day goes by, then two and three. Suddenly it's been a full week and he haven't had a speck of luck when it came to romancing someone. It's almost as if any person he approaches immediately loses interest the second he opens his mouth.

He is getting desperate, he can't let Lia know about this. She will never ever let him live it down.

So when you find him in the elfsong tavren, sitting alone on a table nursing on his drink with his tail curled around his leg. You stare at him long enough to catch his interest.

He recognises you immediately, you could see the cogs turning in his alcohol clouded mind.

"You, come here." He yells the order across the tavren, catching himself afterwards and clearing his thraot to lessen the embarrassment of the situation. Still his eyes begged you to approch him.

And you did, walking to his table and sitting down. After all your companions were still sleeping upstairs so what's the harm in indulging one drunk grumpy tiefling when you were supposed to be on a supply run.

Rolan orders you a drink too, his treats, he says without meeting your eyes.

And just as you take a sip, he lays it on you bluntly.

"From now on, I'm your boyfriend."

You choke on your drink, it takes him a moment to register the way he phrased his question.

Clearing his throat again, he refuses to meet your eyes as a blush colours his cheek. "No not like this, don't get the wrong idea."

Now you're sitting there, confused as the waiter brings you a towel to wipe down the drink you spilled on yourself. You thank them and take it, giving Rolan enough time to attempt to compose himself.

"I know i haven't made the best of impressions on you." He finally speaks up, "but I need you." His voice is more honest, a hint of vulnerability, "your help I mean. Lia and Cal, I want to prove them wrong."

His glossy eyes meet yours, the alcohol loosened his tongue.

"I'm not unlovable." He whipsers, "I'm not going to beg for a chance, I just need your cooperation for a day or two, just to shut them up."

Your hand goes above the table, wrapping around his own fist softly. "I understand, it's okay." You give it a light squeeze, "you don't have to explain yourself."

Somehow, your few words helped relieve his heart from its burden more than this whole night of drinking ever could.

[pinkiceee-prose]

Summertime Service

Summary: Reader throws the BAU team a summer barbeque feast. Spencer is so moved by her hard work that he feels there's only one way to truly show her his gratitude.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Category: Smut (18+, minors DNI)

Content Warnings: coworker relationship, descriptions of food, mutual pining, heavy kissing, praise, worship, begging, leg and feet massages, use of a gendered nickname ("pretty girl"), fingering, oral sex (female receiving), unprotected penetrative sex, creampie, reader wears a sundress. please let me know if I missed any!

Author's Notes: This is the first fic I've written and published in a very long time, so please let me know if you enjoyed it and would like more! Huge thank you to the lovely @fortheloveofwonderland for reading over this for me 💗 Also, this was written as a part of @imagining-in-the-margins's Summer Sunshine Challenge!☀️

Word Count: 6.1k

As you stepped out onto Rossi’s patio, the summer sun beat down on the skin of your exposed shoulders. The different, yet still prevalent heat radiating from the large serving dish of meat you carried also played a role in the ever-present sweat gathering on your upper body, but you trekked through the grass with a smile, attempting to appear unaffected.

Tara and Luke rushed to help relieve you of the burden in your arms, but you insisted they refrain.

“Ah, nope! This barbeque is all about you guys, okay—no helping!” You said to their many protests. Lightheartedly dejected they sat back down, offering their thanks as they helped themselves to the food.

You set down the tray amongst a swarm of arms crossing, reaching for utensils in bowls of potato salad and plates of freshly grilled vegetables. You took a moment to admire the feast occurring before you, then turned on your heel to fetch more.

You and Penelope had made this plan weeks ago, just as summer was beginning to heat up and just around the time you’d joined the BAU team as Emily’s personal assistant. After a series of difficult and depressing cases, Penelope suggested that a family get-together was in order, and she enlisted your help to plan it. She, with Rossi’s help, secured the tables and canopies for the event, while you handled the menu and the serving.

You weren’t much of a gourmet chef, but you had a few tried-and-true summer recipes in your back pocket for times like these. From years of family barbeques of your own, you’d honed techniques for preparing brisket and grilling chicken, and you’d also learned a thing or two about making macaroni and cheese and fruit salad.

Under the shade of your sundress, nerves wracked your steps. Despite the bubbly facade and easy-going assurances to the team that you didn’t need any assistance, tremors radiated through your body with each dish that was carried to the outdoor tables. The shaking wasn’t due to their weight or your lack of strength; it could all be attributed to anxiety and stress and upcoming exhaustion.

This was the first time you were attending a BAU “family” event — let alone orchestrating one — so you had put a lot of pressure on yourself to impress the team.

They saved lives and solved crimes across the country while you did mostly clerical work — filed papers and answered phone calls. The division of labor was definitely lopsided, and you felt a certain level of gratitude was in order for the team. For those who did impactful work.

Just as you’d returned to Rossi’s kitchen to retrieve another dish for the table, Spencer appeared behind you. His subtle cologne filled the air; despite summer raging on outside, he smelled of autumn with his cinnamon and coffee scent. The heat of his arm rose goosebumps up your body, but he shifted to stand next to you before anyone could notice the proximity.

“Let me help, please,” He whispered, prolonging the physical contact that was typically out of character for him. As if all the heat of summer wasn’t enough, the pool of warmth he summoned inside you lit aflame with his pleas. When you finally met his eye, that fire reached your cheeks before you could do much to hide it.

Something that you’d once brushed off as a workplace crush blossomed between you and Spencer. Although you weren’t together, there was no denying the tension felt between you two when your hands brushed at the coffee counter in the office, or when you lingered over his shoulder for just a second more than necessary when passing out case files.

Lately, it had been a lot more difficult to will the thoughts away with how the heat of the season forced Spencer to shed his typical layers of clothing. Even now, he stood beside you in a simple polo shirt that clung to his chest. You could almost feel the buttons between your fingers, sliding through the fabric as your eyes grazed over him — but the oven alarm began to blare, dragging you away from the fantasy.

“Spencer,” You took a few steps away from him, pulling a few dishes from the oven and placing them on the counter. You failed to hide the smirk his presence pulled out of you. “You know this is supposed to be about appreciating the team’s hard work. You should be relaxing!”

He rolled his eyes at your insistence, then glanced over his shoulder to ensure no one had yet to notice his absence. Luckily, they were still all consumed by the fruits of your labor — literally and metaphorically.

“Your hard work should be recognized too. You’re going to overexert yourself,” His pleas felt like music and dissonance in your ears. On one hand, the attention he paid you made your knees weak, and it was obvious by the heavy breath in your chest that you enjoyed his company. But on the other hand, you felt resolute in the objective to purely serve the team tonight. The desire to praise them for their work — the desire to feel accepted by them — triumphed over the crush you’d developed on Spencer, at least for now.

“I’ll be fine. Now go back and enjoy before someone else thinks I’m accepting helpers,” You responded, flashing a tender smile as Spencer stayed in hesitation. A flash of something crossed over his eyes — irritation, desire, annoyance, or pity, you couldn’t quite tell. All you could recognize was the way his feet dragged in defeat, leaving you to your serving duties quite slowly.

Although not a profiler, you could’ve sworn he seemed spurred on, like he had to hold himself back from acting on an urge to advance on you. You brushed the thoughts away as best you could for now, returning your focus to the task at hand.

♡  ♡  ♡

The next few hours were a flash of food and drinks and summer heat. Jack, Henry, Michael, Hank, and all of Matt’s kids ran around the tables with their popsicles, definitely giving the ants in Rossi’s yard a feast of their own. Everything from cucumber salad to watermelon slices, to vegetable kebabs made their rounds down each table, visiting each BAU member.

The scent of lavender, peppermint, and citrus candles mingled in the air in an attempt to keep bugs at bay. But a symphony of crickets and cicadas still played as a soundtrack to the feast, and you watched as Emily and JJ were vigilant against flies that threatened to join the party, swatting around the food every few minutes.

You spent most of the event rushing around, finding places for each dish to reside while the rest of the team balanced between repose and indulgence. Tara, Emily, JJ, and Penelope raved about the veggies, while Morgan and Rossi praised the beefier selections you’d prepared. The team showered you with compliments, but you continued to deny their requests to help.

Food acted as an avenue for both nourishment and gratitude that you felt was desperately underserved to your new family, and accepting their help seemed to cheapen that sentiment.

Maybe it was all the incredible ways in which they brought peace to people or all the times that they helped you feel at peace with their work; regardless, you felt they were owed some home cooking and summer relaxation, and you wanted to be the one to give it to them.

“If I had known you could cook like this, I would’ve suggested this barbeque months ago,” Rossi quipped over his clean plate. It must’ve been nice for him to not be the head chef for the team for a change.

“Yeah, I haven’t eaten this good in years,” Emily chimed in, with agreements made by Matt and Morgan. Their wives nodded with them in earnest agreement.

As the sun began to set, a wash of pinks and purples created the perfect backdrop to the barbeque. Penelope had the idea to set up tiki torches, which you lit with Hotch’s help. Their gentle glow kept the brightness at a dim level while still ensuring sight to guide you as you continued your service.

Although the energy level had died down quite a bit thanks to the heat of the day and the abundance of food everyone had, the team was still rapt in lively discussions as you served dessert.

Blueberry pie with a lattice-style crust, chocolate cake with matching frosting, and homemade vanilla bean ice cream graced the tables. You weren't usually one to brag, but even you had to admit the delicious sweets were a perfect final touch to the event.

Even at dusk, the ice cream sweat and started melting almost as soon as it found its place on their plates. The sickly-sweet aroma from the pie carried on long after its trip in the oven, mingling with the already present floral aromas that seemed elevated due to the heat. You were surprised the barbeque hadn’t summoned neighbors, or at least more bugs.

Residual summer heat could be so damning yet comforting all at the same time.

With dessert served, you finally allowed yourself to sit and join the team. The aches in your feet and back that had gone unnoticed during the hours of cooking and service finally surfaced as your weight shifted, encouraging a painful rest to overtake your limbs. Without realizing it, you’d slumped over in your chair for quite a while, staring out into space as the party continued around you.

That was until Spencer detected your quietness and waved a hand in front of your eyes, commanding attention.

“Are you okay, y/n?” His voice was barely audible over the discussions happening around you. But, you still nodded, straightened your back, and reached for a slice of pie.

“Yep, just got distracted,” You gave him a small smile, but you could see that he didn’t quite believe your performance. The fatigue in your body was incredibly apparent, and the look behind your eyes was one of exhaustion. However, Spencer hesitated to react to his observations.

You weren’t sure what you expected him to say or do about it, but you watched as he pursed his lips together in contemplation — planning something.

Whatever he was scheming, it was set in motion as Matt and his family departed. Following him were JJ and her loved ones, plus Emily and Tara. They all offered repeated praises to you, Penelope, and Rossi as they crossed the threshold into the blackness of summer night.

Before you could completely gather your things, suddenly Spencer pulled you aside and insisted on coming over to his apartment tonight. His usual dismissive, demur demeanor had changed, and he loomed over you with a sort of persuasive aura that radiated from his request. It was as if he was protecting you from something, or rather, preparing you for something. Either way, anticipation dripped from his words as you stared back, silent, in response.

“I-If that makes you uncomfortable, by all means, ignore me,” he spoke in hushed tones. “But I really think you’ll enjoy it if you come.”

If you hadn’t been so exhausted, the absolute shock from his blatant flirtation would have caused your breath to catch in your throat before you could ever eloquently reply. However, with the fatigue wracking you, all you could do was scan his face for any sign of sarcasm.

He seemed to be genuine, and your body instinctually gravitated toward him with the offer. It went without saying that this invitation felt incredibly forward, but the sleep that threatened to overtake you also kept you from worrying too much about the obvious blush that spread across your face at the thought of what leaving with Spencer would look like to the rest of the team.

Objectively, though, Spencer’s apartment was closer than yours, and you weren't sure if you could handle the lull of a drive this late at night. You justified to yourself that accepting his offer was out of a precautionary notion — but in all honesty, the seductive implications of Spencer’s plan were what really captivated you, and pulled an ‘okay’ from your lips.

You’d spent all night denying requests, and you didn’t want to forgo this one.

In the passenger seat of Spencer’s rarely-driven car, your body pulsed with fatigue at every stop. You wondered if he could sense it radiating through you or if he was just burnt out on masking his flirtation towards you all day, as you caught him glancing at your body at every red light. Each push and pull brought on by inertia briefly relieved the pain, then rushed it back in, but his gaze did give you another sense of relief.

Thankfully, the drive was short, and the walk up to Spencer’s door was aided by his hand on your lower back. With drowsiness prevalent in every step, you took a moment to check your surroundings and ask yourself if this was truly happening. The flirtation, the lingering physicality between you two, and the blushes that damned every innocent conversation you’d had together seemed to rise to the top of your brain at that moment as you recognized the reality you’d found yourself in.

Aided by his unabashed touch on your back, your awareness of reality fed your deep desire that he truly led you here for scandalous reasons, but the rational side of your brain that was just barely awake triggered anxiety to flare. Fear of unknowns, of rejection, or maybe both floated up your spine and burned in the impression of his fingers upon you.

But, then his door swung open. Almost instantly after you walked inside and he shut the door, Spencer knelt on his knees before you. The swift change in position made you stumble backward, and confusion spread across your face.

“What are you doing?” The question bubbled out of you fast, but you hadn’t meant to sound disinterested. It was alarming, for sure, to abruptly feel the heat of his body so close to your aching legs, but that didn’t mean the view wasn’t incredibly alluring.

“I’m taking care of you,” Spencer responded, his voice was quiet but poignant as if this was standard procedure.

You stood frozen as he slid the strap of your sandal down the back of your heel, and his fingers brushed against the veins of your feet.

“You took care of us all day. Now it’s your turn to relax.”

Taken aback by his sudden servitude, no verbal response came from your mouth. Instead, you melted under his fingertips as he slowly removed the other shoe, then traveled up your calves to pull down your sheer stockings. The gesture was so intimate, so quiet, so tender. Paired with the exhaustion and excitement and bewilderment, the elegance of his touch brought tears to your eyes.

Spencer stood back up slowly, his lips ghosting over your arm on his ascent. Your eyes met in the dim light of his apartment for the first time, both sets deepened with a near primal sense of surprised attraction. Your body felt as if on fire, vibrating, or possibly both with how electric your nerves were with your closeness and the threat of his impending adoration.

Just as the summer sun had earlier shone on your exposed shoulders, the richness of Spencer’s deep brown eyes was now affixed to them. His index finger wrapped around the thin strap of your sundress, pulling it over the curve of your shoulder at an agonizingly slow pace. It was so soft yet so tense — neither one of you had made a sound in what felt like minutes — a whimper threatened to fall from your lips just as Spencer’s eyes flickered back to meet yours.

“You overexerted yourself,” Spencer echoed what he’d warned you against earlier in the evening, breaking the silence. You couldn’t help but wearily smile at the re-use of his own words.

“I think I’ll accept a helper now,” You replied hushed, voice wavering so much you thought it might shatter if any more than a heavy breath was expelled from your throat. The twitch of a smile spread across Spencer’s face just as you had the thought — as if he’d read your mind.

But the silence resumed, and Spencer’s hand sent the top of your sundress cascading down your forearm. The fabric halted at your wrist, and as Spencer coaxed the other strap down the opposite side, he slowly exposed your chest to the cold air of his apartment.

After a day in the sun, his air conditioning felt arctic, and despite the heat pooling in the pit of your stomach thanks to his mannerisms, the tips of Spencer’s fingers iced over the skin of your décolletage.

Whether he noticed your shivering, or if this was all a part of his grander plan, you did not know. But just as the weight of the sundress carried itself passed your hips to pool at your ankles, Spencer clasped your hands together and led you toward his bedroom.

Again, anxiety pulled you from your lustful daze. Was this really happening? Had you been ignorant all along to Spencer’s advances, or was this just as spontaneous for him? It’s not like you didn’t want this — more so, you were just in a state of disbelief at the way the day’s events had transpired.

Disregarding the chorus of cicadas permeating his bedroom window, Spencer guided you to sit on the edge of his bed in otherwise complete silence. He knelt in front of you, mimicking your positions from the foyer. The arousal that sprung from you at his sudden movement made your cheeks blush a shade of red deeper than any summertime sunburn could create.

At the same time, you couldn’t help but become aware of the obvious disparity in modesty between the two of you now, but he caught your wrists before you could shift to cover your body.

“Are you sure this is okay?” He spoke up with a sobering tone. The wistfulness and tension were briefly broken, and you smiled at the notion that he still checked for consent despite all that you’d done so far.

“Not just okay. I want it, Spence. I want you,” Your voice, a little bolder now, seemed to boom in his most private room. Without another word, he guided your hands to the buttons on his shirt, before releasing your wrists in favor of splaying his hands across your thighs.

You inhaled sharply, shuddering at the contact. But it did make your hands move faster, pulling his buttons apart in a quite similar fashion to the eager way you’d daydreamed about doing so earlier.

Just as you’d completed the task and pulled the fabric of his shirt over his head, you felt the pads of his fingers reconnect with your legs and dig into the supple flesh of your thighs. A deep sigh left your lips almost instantly as he worked the worn muscles, firmly pressing into them. You felt the stress shift and dissipate, and your body reacted automatically to his ministrations.

It wasn’t until his massage traveled to your calves that more salacious noises fell from your lips. You knew that this kind of attention wasn’t strictly sexual, but the relief Spencer brought to you, to the tenderness in your legs and feet, demanded a vocal response.

At first, mewls and faint sighs responded to his help, but they deepened in tandem with his strength. The kneading of his fingers across the width of your legs, the pressure he placed upon your Achilles' tendons, and the force he pushed into the worn arches of your feet all played roles in the escalation of your noises into pure, wanton moans.

“You are so beautiful,” Spencer spoke into the landscape of sounds you were creating for him. “Not just like this, but all the time. The way you laugh, the work you do, in all the things you did for us tonight — you’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met.”

His impromptu speech stunned you for a moment, and you did your best to keep your interjections to heavy sighs to truly listen to him. But his praise wasn’t something you were used to, and although you’d been complimented all night at the barbeque, something about Spencer’s tone inspired a unique bashfulness.

“Stop,” You half-heartedly chuckled, unsure of how to respond to such an admission other than to dismiss it.

“I’m serious, y/n,” He continued, unfazed. “Ever since you walked through the doors at the office I felt…saved. I’m not religious but — I mean, you’ve literally got me on my knees here.”

Your face burned with the worship, and his joke inspired a smile, but you also did your best to relax your reactions and just take his confession.

“You’re smart, you’re sweet, you’re compassionate and caring, and I just feel like you deserve the world…I don’t know if you—if you’ve ever thought of me like this, but, I really do adore you. And I want to serve you like you did me tonight.”

With his previous, dominant stance seemingly shaken, you took the opportunity to run your hands up his arms and into his hair. He closed his eyes at the feeling, leaning into the touch and basking in it. Leaning in close, your lips met in a soft, slow kiss.

As you gently pushed against one another, your more primal drives slowly regenerated, and you pulled his hair tenderly to just barely create a separation. His eyes shot open, struggling to focus on anything else but your lips. With another gentle tug, you wound him back up to the previous tension you two had.

“Show me how much you adore me,” The command rumbled in your chest before you even truly processed it.

But that was enough for Spencer. With the ending of the last syllable, his eyes fell half-lidded, and he quickly pushed your lips back together.

The steady and slow pace you’d honed since arriving at his apartment was suddenly nowhere to be found. Desperation laced your every move as you traveled up his bed; Spencer towering over you, never disconnecting in your endeavor. You felt the weight of his body settle between your legs. Not only was his skin sweltering with heat, but you could feel how achingly hard he was through his slacks.

You kissed with the desperation of a couple saying goodbye. It was as if both of you were grasping at each other, fearful of any distance that may find its way into your embrace. As your eager hands traversed down his bare chest and stomach, Spencer rushed to match your near nakedness through a rather clumsy removal of his pants.

While the sweet and savory scents of summer seemed distant now, everpresent was the smell of Spencer. Coffee and cinnamon filled your nose once again as his hair cascaded over your face, sweeping behind his trail of kisses down your chest.

He paused on the journey, motioning for you to lean upwards where his lips found yours in another fit of passionate kissing. He reached around you, unclasping your bra and gently guiding the fabric down your arms. Another shiver wracked through you as your breasts were finally exposed, but it was quickly remedied by the warmth of Spencer’s palms.

He cupped them softly at first, dragging mewls from your mouth that he used to slide his tongue between your lips. It wasn’t until he felt the shake of your muscles that he realized how uncomfortable the position must’ve been, leading him to push you back onto the mattress, palms still full of your tits.

With your mouths freshly separated, Spencer let a string of saliva fall from his mouth, coating the valley on your chest in a way that caught every moonbeam in the room. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to the plush swell of your breast, setting your skin aflame. You moaned shamelessly at the delicious pressure, earning a satisfied smile from the man between your legs.

You hopelessly clawed at his shoulders in an attempt to feel the press of his whole body against you once more, but he continued his descent toward your center.

Painstakingly slow, he dragged your underwear down your legs, watching your face for any sign of disapproval. When he couldn’t find any, he discarded them before guiding your legs up off the bed and resting them over his shoulders. You watched, enraptured, as he lay prone in front of you and met your eyes one more time before pressing a sloppy kiss on your inner thigh.

Shivers rolled down your spine, and you shook in response to what would be the most innocent of touches from this point on. Spencer seemed encouraged by the heavy heave of your chest, and he taunted you with breathy sighs hitting your folds.

His breath was hot, but it still inspired your body to shake as if freezing. He studied you in an almost delirious state of bliss as he controlled you with just his breath, before slowly licking a devilish stripe up your slit, collecting your arousal on his tongue like the sweetest summer dessert.

A pained moan escaped your throat, wholly miserable with how much he seemed to be holding back. You did your best to avoid clamping down on his head too harshly, but you couldn’t help the instinct you felt to pull him closer.

Then, he finally dove in. His tongue worked expertly — dragging and pressing and pulling around your bundle of nerves, and even circling your entrance. The lewd sounds coming from his mouth sparked your own in response, and soon you had your own debaucherous melody echoing in his bedroom.

He flattened his tongue, pressed it against your clit, and wrapped his arms around your thighs, giving himself leverage to apply the pressure to your most sensitive spot that he could tell you were desperate for.

You felt his tongue flip and twirl around you, drinking in your essence as if he hadn’t already gorged himself on a feast of yours tonight. Dipping a little lower, his muscle plunged inside of you, inspiring an entirely different kind of pressure that tightened your core and commanded your body off the bed.

Moving his tongue back up to your clit, he lapped at it as he began edging a finger into you, causing you to grip his duvet in a misguided attempt to relieve the incredible tension building in your stomach.

“S-spencer,” You choked out, doing your best to keep your eyes open as the sight in front of you was one of angelic beauty — Spencer’s hair was completely disheveled, and although the room was only lit by moonlight, you could see the wild gaze his eyes held as he worked so hard to please you. You let out a feather-light moan.

But all you got in response was his dark eyes, filled with a fervor that you’d never seen from Spencer before. You laced your fingers in his hair just as he pushed his finger inside you, eliciting a new, loud groan from your chest.

Latching onto your nub, Spencer rolled his tongue over it with gentle suction in tandem with fast, shallow thrusts of his finger. He moaned against you, sending ripples of stimulation through your body, radiating from his mouth. He watched you the entire time, eyes trained on your face as it scrunched up in pleasure.

He feasted on you, and for the second time tonight, you relished in the fact that you had nourished Spencer so graciously.

With a tug of his hair, you finally felt the tension in your stomach snap. A string of moans bounced off the walls of his bedroom, but Spencer didn’t give in to distraction. He pulled off of you only slightly with a deep inhale but kept his finger moving to fuck you through your orgasm.

“That’s it, pretty girl,” He cooed, bringing his other hand up to splay against your stomach, feeling the muscles spasming beneath his palm in time with the waves of pleasure washing over you.

He slowed his finger as your pleasure faded; the tension leaving your abdomen and a look of bliss covering your face, signaling your comedown. He withdrew his finger slowly before resuming his towering position over you, peppering your cheeks and neck with kisses.

Once some sense had returned to your endorphin-flooded brain, your hands roamed over the span of Spencer’s back. You resumed the choreography that neither of you had practiced, even though it felt so natural to you. Your lips found his once more, and eagerness leaked from his saliva as it mixed with the taste of you on his tongue. A low, rumbling moan echoed into your mouth as he gripped your waist and the nape of your neck roughly.

Your hearts were back up to racing, and you tugged at the tight waistband of Spencer’s boxers.

“Please,” Spencer spoke into your mouth, barely disconnecting your lips as he begged. “Please, let me fuck you.”

If the praise wasn’t enough to win you over, the absolutely distraught look on his face would’ve done the job. One part of you couldn’t believe that Spencer could be so commanding and servile at the same time, while another part of you knew this must be the purest form of Spencer that anyone had ever seen before. Apart from his previous partners, you felt as if you were the only observer of him in such a state of subservience. He felt totally and uniquely seen by you, and that’s all he ever wanted.

You nodded and mewled at his request, harshly removing his last remaining barrier before wrapping your legs around his waist. Your movements brought his dick closer to your heat, and you couldn’t hold back the tremors that overwhelmed your senses at the sensation. Kissing you once more, Spencer aligned himself at your entrance, mimicking the shivering of your body on such a hot summer night.

He pushed into you at a listless pace, wanting to give you all the time and space to get comfortable around him despite the instincts that begged him to act faster. His finger had done little to prepare you for his true size, and although you gasped sharply at the intrusion, your body was quick to relax and pull him further inside you.

You shared moans and whimpers on the slow endeavor, kissing each other wherever available — cheek, arm, neck, chest — until he was fully flush with your body.

“Thank you,” Spencer breathed out, so softly that you almost missed it. “Thank you, thank you,” He kept worshiping as you felt his hips stutter and his cock twitch inside you. The size of him, his breath on your neck, and the everpresent smell of sex all tethered together in your mind at once, sparking an almost insatiable desire to demand that he move. You knew the worship was all a part of his plan to repay you for the barbeque, but you echoed the sentiment back nonetheless in favor of a less sweet command.

But Spencer was no stranger to that desire. With gratitude filling the room, he couldn’t hold back any longer, and he began rocking into you just enough to pull moans from your lips. He caged his arms around your head, wrapping one palm around the back of your neck to hold you in place, while the other found itself upon your cheek once again. He couldn’t take his eyes off of you, watching as you moved against and around him with a delicious tightness.

He quickened his pace and relished in the way the pleasure presented upon your face. Your eyes screwed shut, mouth hung open in a string of moans. He mirrored your expressions, his bottom lip jutted out from his face, brushing yours with each harsh thrust forward. The pressure of him inside you was already swelling the knot in your stomach, and the stimulation melted all fatigue from the day away from your muscles.

Clawing at his back and arms, you opened your eyes to find him once more. The hand on your neck kept your gaze steady despite his rough movements that threatened your composure. There was a charm, a tenderness that you’d felt lingering between you two all night—hell, ever since your first day. From the moment you introduced yourself in the dawn of summer, to the moment he dropped to his knees and begged for you, an intensity magnetized the two of you together.

Before you could get too lost in the beautiful thoughts of your attraction, Spencer adjusted the angle of your hips, reaching even deeper into you. You couldn’t hold back the scream that left your body, and you felt yourself tighten around him as he drove into you at an incredible rate.

Spencer was already close — you could tell by the way whimpers fell over your neck with his every thrust, and he blinked rapidly as if it would stave off his impending release. He called your name as a warning, implicitly asking for your guidance.

Now, it was your turn to beg.

“Please,” You pled, eyes half-lidded yet glued to Spencers. “Please, come inside me.”

He could barely hold back after your words, his hips even faltering for a moment. But he kept his pace, and you wrapped your arms around him tightly as your release teetered on the edge of his relentless pace.

“Fuck,” You felt Spencer groan into your hair as his hips slammed flush with yours. Warmth flooded inside you, and the sensation triggered your release soon after. Both of you clung to each other, panting and brainless with bliss, as Spencer slowly continued to fuck you through your climaxes.

As the tension and heat dissipated over your body, you and Spencer reluctantly pulled away from each other. It was the first time since you’d arrived at his apartment that either one of you had given into distance. He was gentle with the motions, watching the way your body shook with each rogue wave of pleasure as he pulled out of you.

When he was fully removed, though, you found yourself alone, laid out across his bed. As the heaving in your chest subsided, Spencer returned with a towel, cleaning you up with the utmost tenderness.

“Here, I can help,” You peeled your upper body from his duvet despite all the resistance in your overexerted muscles, reaching for the cloth only for Spencer to catch your hand before you could make it.

“I’m still serving you, okay? Lay down,” He chuckled at your attempt, finishing up with the towel and discarding it back in his bathroom. When he returned, he continued to refuse your help, pulling the duvet out from under you to tuck you in.

He joined you on the other side of the bed, brushing hair from your face as he settled under the comforter too. You laid facing each other, eyes grazing over each other's bodies in a much more romantic sense than you two had a few moments prior.

“Why did you do all that?” You posed the question quietly, watching his face intently for a reaction. Although anxiety may not be the best word for it, you did feel a bit unsure about what this night meant for your relationship. Was this a summer fling, a coworker crush, or something more real? Something that would permeate the seasons or something that you’d recall late at night in future solitude?

“Well, for one, because I like you,” Spencer said, laughing slightly through the ends of a few words. “But also because of all you did for us tonight. You worked so hard and you deserved to be spoiled too.”

The praise again brought a flush to your cheeks, and you looked away as you tried not to discount the way Spencer was feeling. Even if you were unsure of your deserving of praise, you had to admit it felt nice to be adored by Spencer, and it felt good to know that this meant more to him than something casual.

Despite the summer heat, you found yourself fully engulfed in his embrace. The cicadas’ chorus began to lull sleep into your heavy eyes, even though you weren’t quite ready to let go and close your eyes, which would mean missing out on Spencer’s reverent gaze.

“I like you too,” You finally spoke up, finding his hand in the darkness of his bedroom, and lacing your fingers together. “Thank you for spoiling me.”

“Hey—no more ‘thank yous.’ You deserved it,” Spencer replied, placing a kiss on your knuckles before shuffling further into the bed. You turned over, relaxing into Spencer’s warm body as his arm wound around your stomach, still holding your hand.

Summer heat can be more comforting than once thought, after all.

♡  ♡  ♡

thank you for reading! 💗

[galedekarios]

Gale headcanons go! :]

thank you for your ask. i'm sorry it took this long to get around to it. my mind blanked.

i want to add that these are solely my own headcanons and just that. nothing more. if you have a different opinion, that's valid. i'm not here to argue or debate about it.

anyhow, these aren't in any particular order, just writing as i think of them:

-gale was clean-shaven before the orb and being discarded by mystra. his hair has outgrown its original style as well. this is the reason why tara hates gale's beard, even when felines usually like to rub their faces against them.

-while gale has enchanted the piano in his tower to play by itself, he can and does play himself when the mood takes him.

-gale doesn't truly get jealous or possessive. he skips that step and slips right into questioning himself and feeling sad/insecure.

-gale tends to overthink, he struggles with anxiety and feeling overwhelmed esp after the orb, but has found methods that help him deal with these feelings and bring them under some form of control to examine them ("please, i need to think... i need to retrace my steps to a glade of calm and think.")

-he cries at his wedding & struggles through his vows

-he never takes off his wedding ring

-while he is very much an acts of service person in a relationship, he learns to accept and love being taken care of and doted on by his partner

-gale is very much able to find beauty in the mundane and simple things of life: beautiful flowers in a garden, the way the light falls at sunset, the sound of rain tapping against the window, the fresh salty sea breeze in the morning, a warm cup of expensive tea, a beautiful piece of art, a touching poem

-he often prefers walking home with his partner after work instead of using portals or teleportation. it allows him to talk about both of their days and show his partner things about the city he loves so very much. it also allows him to clear his head after a long day.

-his spellbook has pages that look like this:

when tara has decided that nagging him to stop working didn't cut it anymore.

-speaking of: gale gets so absorbed into his work and research that he skips both sleep and meals

-after his long isolation and depression, struggling with orb and being affected by it physically, gale is quite slender/willowy (tara has several lines reminding him to eat and take care of himself in an origin run) with a soft stomach and no muscle definition

-he's ~175 cm

-he's touch-starved

-while he does like to cook for others, he doesn't tolerate anyone helping him with the task. he will however appreciate it if his partner cooked for him.

-his tower now is quite barren, except for his extensive book collection, having consumed most magical artefacts he owned

-after his return to waterdeep, he likes to fill it with little things he has collected over time. the space is healing as much as he is.

-gale still suffers from chronic pain flare-ups, even after the orb is gone/calmed

-he likes it when things (fabrics, clothes, pens, books, etc etc etc) are well made and of high quality, but not necessarily ostentatious

-he has an eclectic taste, sort of imparted on him by morena's own

-his father abandoned him and morena

-gale is extremely open-minded and accepting, and will entertain almost any and all thoughts and opinions as long as they are well argued for / follow a sound logic

-while he's not easily spooked or scared given how diverse and open waterdeep is, nothing quite managed to prepare him for the things he would see during the journey to cure himself and the others of the tadpole. his knowledge was mostly academic, save for the stray unfortunate death slaad encounter. he works through these things by compartmentalising. writing them down, examining them and going over them in his mind.

-he hopes that he and the friends he's made on this journey will stay close. he writes them regularly and is elated when he receives a reply himself, but will need encouragement and reassurance to organise a get-together in waterdeep.

-his biggest flaw is not hubris or the ambition in the pursuit of knowledge he held as a chosen, his biggest flaw is his sense of worth as gale dekarios, the imperfectly perfect human being, the person behind the titles and accomplishments and perceived failures and insecurities

-he still has to realise what truly happened in his 'relationship' with mystra and still has a lot of healing to do after the game ends

-in the early stages of his relationship with his partner, he's very willing to please/tolerate, at times sadly to the detriment of his own preferences (drow twin scene)

-while he takes compliments in stride, he still likes and appreciates word of affirmation and praise; his partner insulting or degrading him would wound him deeply

-while he wouldn't be a father himself, he would be perfectly happy to be the eccentric uncle. yet even so and while he does love it, he would need time to recharge his social batteries after / recover from the overstimulation that being around children for a prolonged amount of time brings.

-gale's magic is a second nature to him and he likes using it even for the many mundane things, turning the page of a book, getting a spice from a high shelf, etc

-he's a born sorcerer with a wizard's education

-after settling in waterdeep with his partner, he lets his hair grow out more

-while easily lost in his work and research, gale is extremely thoughtful about anniversaries or birthdays, always striving to find the perfect gift

-he likes reading to his partner or being read to & discussing it, exchanging thoughts and opinions

-it's canon that he does write poetry, i like to imagine he'd sometimes leave little haiku-esque verses for his partner

i'm sure i have more, but they escape me right now so. 🖤

[satinsummer]

Chapter 1: Likewise

Summary: The first time you met Sam you knew you had to have her but how would you get her?

Culinary is your major but sports media is your side quest that turned you into a dual degree seeking mf! ;)

Chapter 2: https://www.tumblr.com/satinsummer/761133841884889088/chapter-2-movie-night?source=share

WARNING: Suggestive Language, Drug Use (Smoking Weed) 18+ No men or minors pls and thanks!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nobody POV

It all started at Y/BF/N's soccer game, after a long day of running around a hot kitchen with no break, sitting on the cold metal bleachers was the only thing that brought Y/N some sort of solace that fated night.

Sitting all the way at the top wasn't the best choice with the way her legs and feet were aching but it was tradition, especially since this was not only the first game of the season but this was Y/BF/N's first senior game and Y/N wouldn't miss it for the world! As she's scanning the crowd and just taking everything in Y/N noticed the "Core 4" + Anika as Chad so happily calls them making their way through the packed area.

Tara, Mindy, Anika and some mystery lady Y/N has never met stop and start talking to Quinn who just so happened to know few players on the team. Chad just continued to climb the bleachers until he reached Y/N.

"Yoo Y/N" Chad says with a big ass smile on his face, arms stretched out to hug her. "Hey Chad" Y/N says smiling but not moving an inch. "Sorry I realllyyyy don't feel like standing up unless I absolutely HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE but to" She stated now eyeing the mystery lady following behind Tara while they continued their ascend up the bleachers having now finished the conversation with Quinn.

Before Y/N or Chad get to say anything else Tara is barreling past him and pulling Y/N into a hug. "Where have you been all day, under a fucking rock??My girlfriend has not stopped talking about how sad she is because she didn't think you'd make it. I was honestly starting to think she loved you more than me and so I had to show her who she belo-" "OKAY THATS ENOUGH" Slapping a hand over Tara's mouth be she gets too carried away. "Anyway I was afraid of not making it because dinner service was a shit show and- Who's She?"

Y/N had finally stood up and looked behind Tara after pulling back from the embrace to shoot Mindy and Anika a small wave and smile but instead she was met with the most gorgeous set of chocolate colored eyes she'd ever seen. It felt like her the entire world stopped.

She stood there just staring back at her, eyes dark and brooding scanning over your face as Y/N did hers. Her hair was framing her face perfectly, her eyebrows were knit in concentration or maybe it was confusion either way Y/N just wanted to reach out and soothe it over with her thumb but she fought against it.

"Keep staring and I'll make sure I'm the last thing you see" And that's all it takes to knock Y/N out of whatever spell she was under while looking at mystery lady. "SAM! You cant threaten to kill everyone that looks at you, especially not my girlfriends best friend. Y/N she didn't mean that. Right Sam?" Tara said ending her sentence with an elbow to Sam's side. "Yeah, Right" she grumbled rolling her eyes at Tara before sitting down.

A bit after you and mystery lady's SAM's moment, everyone gets settled to watch the game as it begins. "So Sam, is this your first time at a soccer game?" Y/N asks, looking over at sam who was already looking at her. "Yeah" Sam replies never taking her eyes off of Y/N. "Want me to explain it? Help you under a bit better?" Y/N offers. "Nope" and with that Sam turns her back around to the game and doesn't say another word. That is until the game is over and Y/BF/N is running to Y/N as she pushes her way on to the field to greet Y/BF/N.

Y/BF/N played one of her best games EVER tonight, she came away with 2 goals-2 assist and 3 steals. She plays hard so when her and Y/N finally meet in the middle she's throwing her body on Y/N like a kid seeing their mom after the first day of school. She's overjoyed to have won and to know her best friend, her girlfriend and their friends were there to have witnessed it. "I'm so fucking proud of you, Y/B/NN. You were a goddamn storm out there!" Y/N shouts while rocking back and forth still embracing Y/BF/N. As the two girls pull back from each other and start doing their handshake, the rest of the group has made their was down to the field and over to them.

Tara pulls Y/BF/N into a big ass hug that ends in a kiss Sam would've paid money not to see. The rest of the group just standing there awkwardly talking amongst themselves as it continues.

"How's the chef been? You ran off to Jersey for the summer and have been MIA since you came back" Mindy points out and just like that all eyes are back on Y/N. "She didn't run off" Y/BF/N interjects after finally pulling away, jersey was still a sore topic for the two but at least Y/N could count on Y/BF/N not to force conversations about it.

As Y/BF/N headed off to the locker rooms to shower and get changed, with Tara following close behind Y/N seen this an opportunity to answer Mindy's first question. "Anyway, the chef is great, I'm in my final year so it's more stressful now than it has ever been but the world deserves to taste me so I'm dedicated to perfecting that." "Taste...you?" Mindy snickers a sly smirk playing on her lips. "Yeah, taste me and I know your gutter mind ass is taking it there so I won't divulge but I will extend you an offer to stop by the kitchen and learn somethings" Y/N states matter of factly looking straight into Mindy's eyes and suddenly she's the one acting all coy and bashful. "Damn, Y/N. You go MIA and come back trying to be Miss.TakeMyBitch" Anika says feigning betrayal. Laughter erupts between all of them and suddenly Y/BF/N and Tara are making their way back to the group. Looking a little "freshly fucked" might Mindy add but she saves them the embarrassment for now.

As everyone is walking through the parking lot and getting into their respective vehicles. Y/N can't help but let her mind wonder and eyes wander over to the brown eyed goddess she had met earlier. "You're staring again" Sam says "Can't Help it" Y/N replies. This makes Sam stop dead in her tracks as Y/N kept walking trying to keep her facade of being smooth as fuck under control. "Come on Sam, We are riding in Y/N's Car" She hears as is grabbing her arm and leading the way.

"Damn Y/N/N, when can I get a ride in that" Chad Says while looking at her car. She had recently purchased an Inifinti Q50S, it was painted titanium grey with an all black interior to match her rims. "Must be nice to have mommy and daddy get you everything" Sam sneered to no one in particular but Y/N heard it. " I don't have a mommy and daddy to do anything for me. This is NIL money, baby" Y/N retorted. "NIL?" Sam questions.

"Name, Image, Likeness." You, Y/B/N and Chad all say in unison. "Y/N is the best sports media journalist Blackmore has ever seen. She built media platform and gave the athletes here a voice" Chad Explains. Truth be told Y/N was glad nobody double back about the "no mommy daddy" comment because she didn't have the mental or emotional capacity for that tonight. "Alright, can we go now? I just played my ass off, I'm hungry and a little horny" Y/BF/N groans closing the car door as her and Tara climb in the backseat. "Guess that means you're riding shotgun Sammy" You tease. " Call me that again and I-" "Yeah, Yeah, save the threat. We both know Tara won't let you" Effectively cutting Sam off and starting her car.

Sam refused to admit but Y/N was actually pretty decent and before she knew it her mind was clouded with thoughts of Y/N. The way she would easily slip in and out of traffic, never breaking too hard or go too fast for Sam or the other two sucking face in the back to feel unsafe. Sam found herself now being the one to stare at the girl and my god was she glad Y/N was focused on the road. Under the glow of the city lights and the ones slightly illuminating the inside of the car Sam got lost in her side profile, with Y/N hair now pulled back she had a chance to examine the other features she may have missed earlier like the one dimple Y/n on her right cheek, the small scar above her ear that traveled down to the base of her hairline. The way Y/N's nose was the perfect slope from this angle.

"You're Staring" Y/N says glancing over at Sam when she stops at a red light. All Sam can do is open and close her mouth like a fish having just been caught doing the same thing she threatened Y/N for doing previously. The soft hum of the engine and music fill the rest of the car ride as the girls make their way to the " Carpenter Habitat" as Y/BF/N calls it.

As the car pulls up in front of the apartment building, Tara begins begging Sam to let Y/BF/N sleepover and much to her surprise she gives in not before giving a stern "door open or living room" option with no room for rebuttal. Sam then looks to Y/N as if she was going to say the same to her but Y/N is quick to correct. "I won't be staying, Gonna head back to the kitchen and get prepped for the dinner service happening tomorrow. You kids have fun" Y/N states looking at all three of them while leaning on her car and lighting a joint. "Wanna finish this off before you go up?" Y/N says to Y/BF/N who looks over at Tara for the go-ahead. "Fine, but just one and you better shower again" Tara directs at Y/BF/N. After kissing Tara, Y/BF/N walks over to your car and takes the lit joint from you. Tara and Sam begin to walk inside and up to their shared apartment where they both watch Y/N & Y/BF/N smoke and interact like predators hunting prey.

"You sure you don't wanna stay?" Tara yells down to Y/N after the smoke session has ended and Y/BF/N has made it safely inside and upstairs to her girlfriend. "Yeah, I'm sure. You and Y/BF/N deserve some time together after that game she played" Y/N says with a knowing smile. Y/BF/N needed her "Tara Time" after long days or hard games and who is Y/N to stop that.

Before getting in her car, Y/N spares one last glance to the balcony Tara was just on only to see the older carpenter staring back at her. With a small smile and a wave Y/N bids farewell to Sam "It was nice meeting you tonight..Sammy" "Likewise Y/N" Sam replies softly watching as Y/N slips into her car and disappears in the city traffic.

------------------------------------------------------------------

AN: this is my first time writing something like this so pls bear w meeeeeeeeeee. if you have any suggestions on how the story line should progress, critiques, etc feel free to lmk!

any ideas on what to name the fic? submit themmmmm

[achilles-rage]

thirteen crows: epilogue

summary: some insight on how they treat you weeks, and months later.

word count: 1.8k

previous chapter

series masterlist

a/n: i wasn’t gonna post an epilogue to this, but i sort of liked the idea of looking at their dynamic months later, so i decided to write this short little drabble-type thing. enjoy<3

warnings: stockholm syndrome(??), controlling behaviour, no use of y/n, fem!reader, plus size!reader, race inclusive!reader

three weeks later

You leave your boss’s office with tears in your eyes, keeping your head down as you walk to the kitchen to catch your breath so no one can see the sadness written across your face. You were barely in his office for 10 minutes, and he wasn’t that upset with you, but you’ve never been good with confrontation.

He had pulled you into his office before you started your shift and showed you some reviews that he found online about the Thirteen Crows that day. There were two reviews with your name specifically added, ranting about how bad your service was and how rude you were to them.

Your boss wasn’t necessarily mad; he knows that you usually have no problems with customers, but he was still rightfully worried about the reviews.

You try to finish your shift with a smile; desperate to not receive any more negative reviews about your service, but it’s difficult. Either Eddie or Buck has been by your side for the last few weeks; ever since you found out who they really were, and while they make butterflies erupt in your tummy sometimes, they also scare the hell out of you, which doesn’t help your nerves.

They told you they wouldn’t hurt you, not if you follow the rules, and you want to believe that, but you feel on edge every time you’re with them. Which is most of the time. You’re afraid to do anything; afraid that something you see as harmless will send them into a rage.

You also know that there’s no escaping them either. You know why they’re with you all the time outside of work; they won’t let you leave them.

When Buck finally picks you up from your shift, you stay silent in his passenger seat, eyes focused on the passing scenery as his thumb rubs gentle circles on your exposed thigh. Buck can sense your unease; it’s different than usual. 

You tried to speak to Tara after your shift; she’s noticed the way you’ve shut down in the past few weeks, but you don’t talk to her. You don’t know how they find out, but they always know when you speak to anyone in a way that’s not just merely being friendly, and they do not like it.

“How was work, sweet girl?” he asks after a few minutes of silence. You blink a few times as you snap out of your daze, then look over at him, chewing on your lip. You don’t want to tell him about your boss and the reviews. God knows what he and Eddie would do. 

They’ve continued killing, although they haven’t told you anything about it. They monitor your screen time, and everything else you do, so you don’t know the exact details. You’ve heard people talking about it at work, though, and you’re sure it’s more of the people they’ve met through work that have “deserved it.”

“Good. Long night.” you speak in a quiet tone, shrugging. His eyes dart from the road to you for a second, inspecting your face. His eyes narrow, like he doesn’t quite believe you, but he doesn’t push any further. You’re thankful for this, because you really do like your boss, even though your conversation with him has you on edge.

When you get back to Buck’s apartment, he helps you get ready for bed, and then you’re off to sleep, but not before his head is between your thighs yet again, desperately chasing the taste of your release.

The next morning, Eddie comes to pick you up and takes you to your apartment to pick up some more of your things, then brings you to his house for dinner. He sits at the dinner table while you prepare dinner, and when he, you, Buck, and Christopher sit down to eat, his smile is wide. He loves seeing you like this; his little family, finally complete.

You spend the night at Eddie’s house, your back pulled firmly against his chest, and while you’re not completely relaxed, you sleep soundly. You know Eddie wouldn’t dare do something with Christopher home, and these kinds of nights are the most relaxing for you.

six months later

You gasp softly when someone runs into your shoulder and makes you drop the can you’re holding. You turn quickly and look up to the man that’s run into you, and he looks down with an apologetic smile, raising his shoulders slightly.

You scramble to pick up the can and put it into your cart as he murmurs an apology, but you shut him down immediately.

“It’s okay, I wasn’t looking.” you tell him, although you know that he’s the one that ran into you. You’re so used to immediately backing down that it’s become second nature.

His eyes glance down at the dented can in your cart, and he licks his lips before he speaks again.

“You really shouldn’t buy that one; it can make you sick.” he tells you, stepping a little closer and ducking his head to speak in a quieter voice. With the gleam in his eye and his smile, you’re pretty sure he’s trying to flirt, even though the actual words don’t seem especially flirty.

You give him a smile as you feel your cheeks heating up. Of course you know that already, but this interaction surprised you, and you barely had time to think about your actions.

“Right. Thanks.” you tell him, trying to keep your body language disinterested. You know how Buck and Eddie would see this, and you don’t want anything to happen to this handsome stranger because they felt unnecessarily threatened.

You also don’t want them to take away your outings. They finally rewarded you with unsupervised time outside of the house to run errands, and it took months to finally gain their trust. You don’t want to do anything to ruin it now.

“I’m Will, by the way.” he says, seeming not to get the hint. You give him a tight-lipped smile and grip the handle of your cart, beginning to walk further down the aisle.

“I should really go.” you tell him, and while his brows furrow in confusion, he doesn’t try anything else. You let out a shaky breath once you’re out of the aisle, trying to stop the shaking in your hands as you create more distance between you and the man.

You don’t bother with the rest of the list. You’ve already gotten most of the items, and you don’t want to risk anything else happening. 

You pay with the cash Eddie gave you before he dropped you off, and you make sure to keep the receipt and the change in a safe place until you can give it to him. They keep track of your finances, and ever since you lost your job, you have no choice but to rely on them completely.

When you get to his truck, you get right into the passenger seat and let Eddie put the groceries in the back. When he gets back in the driver's seat, he reaches across the centre console and pulls your head toward him, capturing your lips in a chaste kiss.

He sees your nervous expression when he pulls away, and he narrows his eyes as he keeps a hand on your cheek. He doesn’t have to prompt you though, as the words tumble from your lips before you can even think. It’s better to tell him than for him to find out later.

“There was this guy in there, he bumped into me. He apologized, tried to talk to me, but I walked away. I didn’t want to talk to him, I promise.” He smiles at your last sentence, tilting his head to the side as he looks into your wide eyes. They’ve trained you so well.

“It’s okay, sweet girl. You didn’t do anything wrong, did you?” he asks. His voice is soft, but there’s a hint of condescension as well. 

You shake your head quickly, frowning, and he smiles wider. He rubs his thumb along your cheek, and you let out a small sigh, leaning into his gentle touch. You can’t help but relish in his soft touches; they’re the only ones you’ve really interacted with since you got fired from your job 4 months ago, and if it weren’t for them, you’re sure you’d be going stir crazy.

They leave you at Buck’s that night, all cuddled up in Buck’s bed with your favourite show on and promise they’ll be back soon. They give you sweet kisses and tender touches before they go, knowing that you won’t leave while they’re gone, not anymore. And when they come back, they know you won’t ask about the specks of blood on their clothes, or the glints in their eyes, even though you know about everything.

They’re always especially worked up when they get back from nights like this, and you’ve learned not to ask questions. They happen less often now that you’re with them all the time, but they still have this desire to go out, just the two of them, and have some of their own fun.

You know they’ve done something; you know it has to do with the man from the grocery store, and you know they won’t tell you a thing, which you’re thankful for. You thought you’d be more used to their actions after so long, but it still makes your stomach churn when you think about it.

You let them lay you down on Buck’s bed anyway, and although you hate knowing what they’ve just done, you like how much attention they pay to you when they get home. They’ve showered by the time they touch you, so you tell yourself that what they’ve done is gone. Their slate is clean, their actions are washed away; down the drain and never to be thought of again.

As they pay attention to your neck, and your pretty chest, and your plush tummy and thighs, they’re so glad they thought of their plan months ago. You’re completely dependent on them without your job, and that’s exactly how they want you.

It was easy to make those fake reviews; they knew that the original two weren’t enough, so they kept adding new ones until your boss had no choice. And although they knew you’d be upset about the harsh words, they also knew that they’d be able to make you feel better. You’d forget all about your shitty job when you’re completely taken care of by them, and they’ll make sure to give you anything you want as long as you keep being their sweet girl.

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[6rookie-writer0110]

Trouble in Paradise slowed down

Anika Kayoko x Male Reader

Request: could you do a male deadpool reader protecting Anika

Anika finished her class and you watched her come out of the classroom. You start to follow her but you are trying not to get too close to her. But Anika pretends to take out her cell phone and you look away. But she noticed you following her for days but hasn't said anything to you. She walked towards the library and pretended to go inside. You were about to go inside but she grabbed you by your shirt and slammed against the wall.

“Y/n, why are you always following me around?” Anika asked.

She lets go of your shirt and you have one class with her.

“Oh, just enjoying the fresh air” You smiled.

“We are in school the only fresh air here is from the vent on the third floor,” Anika said.

“I really enjoy your company,” You said.

“You do know that I'm gay, right,” Anika said.

“Sure do, girl power” You winked.

“You are weird, Y/n I like weird,” Anika said.

“That’s me” You smiled.

“My girlfriend's friend would love you, Tara”

“Oh, Tara Carpenter, yah high, nice smile, good butt, yeah never heard of her,” You said.

“You are already hitting that?” Anika asked.

“Yep, please don't tell Sam,” You said.

“I won't tell Sam,” Anika said.

You and Anika went to get lunch together. You tell her how you met Tara but Tara doesn't know that you are in love with her.

——-

You live alone and you are cleaning your gun while singing to the Spice Girls.

“Colours of the world Spice up your life Every boy and every girl. Spice up your life, People of the world. Spice up your life Aah… I should be a singer” You said.

You kept singing along to the song. Your phone sends you an alert text and you start to read it. You get Anika’s location and you start to get ready, you put on your mask. After grabbing your gun, you get an Uber and you keep looking at the tracking app.

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

Anika is on campus and Ghostface starts to chase her. She managed to lose him and she went to the storage room to hide. She texted you that she is in the storage room hiding. You kicked the door open

“What in the earth, wind, and fire is going on here?!” You yelled.

Ghostface enters the room

“Don’t worry your girlfriend will meet you soon,” Ghostface said.

You aimed your gun at Ghostface.

“Hey fucker, don't fucking touch my fucking best friend!” You yelled.

“Y/n?” Anika

“Yep,” You said.

“You’re Deadpool?” Anika asked.

“At your service,” You said.

“Ghostface is getting away,” Anika said.

“Nope,” You said.

You pulled the trigger again, the bullet went straight through the back of his head…

“Now let's look at who this fucker is under the mask,” You said.

You take off the mask of Ghostface.

“Looks like a fucking pussy” You said.

“That’s Ethan,” Anika said.

“The same Ethan that has tried to hook up with Tara?” You said.

“Yeah,” Anika said.

You pulled the trigger many times and that made Anika jump.

“I think he is dead” Anika said.

“Wooops finger slipped,” You said.

“Ten times?” Anika asked.

“It happens,” You said.

“Y/n,” Anika said.

“Yeah?” You said.

“Thank you for saving me,” Anika said.

“Of course bestie, I would have burned the entire town down to the ground to find the killer if you had died,” You said.

“Good thing it didn't come to that” Anika said.

“Yep, now let's go get food I'm starving,” You said.

“My treat” Anika said.

“Fuck yes, saving people is the best, especially free food afterward” You smiled.

“I’m digging the red suit,” Anika said.

“It’s sooo cool, right!?” You cheerfully said.

“It is cool” Anika smiled.

You hug her too tight and she starts to laugh.

You and Anika went to a Spanish restaurant. You ordered a lot of food and you still have on the suit. When the food arrived, you and Anika started to eat but she stopped. She is speechless at how you are eating your food. You are taking huge bites and your suit starts to get dirty.

“Wow, you are really hungry,” Anika said

“Yeah, I'm always hungry. These taste so good!” You smiled

You kept eating more and she started to eat again. You shared your tacos with her and she shared her burrito with you. After a while of eating, you feel full that you want to take a nap. Later, You and Anika took food home but you didn't want to leave her side.

You didn't go home and you followed her inside the apartment.

“Y/n, you don't have to stay with me,” Anika said.

“Oh, I'm not leaving your side,” You said.

“But I texted Mindy and the others, they are coming,” Anika said.

“So?” You said.

“You don't have pajamas,” Anika said.

“Yes, I do,” You said.

“What?” Anika asked.

You go to the bathroom to change. You leave your boxers and tank top on but you put on her bathrobe. Mindy, Sam, and Tara arrived, and they were in shock at what you had on.

[imagining-in-the-margins]

CM Family Fic Rec List

Hey everyone! I want to start by saying thank you so much to everyone who participated - it was so much fun to write alongside you all, and I can’t wait to share everyone’s hard work. You are so appreciated, and you makes these events better.

Without further ado, here are all of the entries + recs for the CM Family Challenge!

SFW S.R. Fics (Pregnancy/Parenting)

Growing Pains: Spencer finds unfamiliar lingerie in the laundry. When he confronts his wife, he learns it belongs to their teenage daughter.

One Last Chance? by @justanothercmblog: Spencer and his wife have decided to foster a teenager.

Little Genius by @c-m-stuff: You and Spencer are married. You two have a beautiful daughter, who is coming to work with you.

Somewhere to Belong by @fortheloveofwonderland: You and Spencer have only been dating a few months when he drops the bombshell that he wants to adopt a child and it throws you into turmoil.

Who's Your Daddy? by @justawritterwithideas: After a long day's work, the BAU returns to the head office where they find a stroller with a small baby sleeping and a child very determined to surprise his father. c

SFW S.R. Fics (Other Family Dynamics)

The Mother Wound by me: Spencer and Reader bond over the difficulty of an emotionally absent mother.

A Desert Bloom by me: Reader has never liked cacti. Spencer finally finds out why.

A Well-Kept Secret by @astrophileous: While working on a case in D.C., Spencer didn't expect to hear a familiar name being mentioned as the sole surviving witness. Or, in which the team discovers Spencer's well-kept secret.

Pet Parents by @junipers-archive: In which Spencer and Reader adopt a baby (dog).

Keep reading for other pairings, more of my S.R. fics, and another related Fic Rec Masterlist!

Other Pairings

Motherhood by @foxy-eva: Temily. Emily and Tara become mothers.

May by @gaelic-symphony: Temily. Tara and Emily babysit the Simmons kids.

Maternal Instinct by @gaelic-symphony: Emily/Alex Blake. Motherhood brings with it complicated feelings for new moms Emily and Alex. Written for the CM fandom gift exchange.

Keeping the Faith [AO3] by @masterwords: Hotchgan. Hotch and Derek take the kids to Easter Service.

Going Home Time [AO3] by @/masterwords: Hotchgan. Hotch and Jessica co-parent Jack

Home is Where the Heart Is by @prentiss-theorem: Alex Blake/Fem!Reader. Domesticity with Alex, Ethan, and Reader.

The Sound of (No) Silence [AO3] by @/ArwenLaLaith: Alex Blake/Fem!Reader. Reader and Alex have just welcomed their daughter into the world.

Home by @neuroprincess: Alex Blake/Fem!Reader. Alex finally returns home after one week.

Question of Timing by @codename-mom: [NSFW] Aaron/Haley. Aaron finally agreed to make Haley a mother and she realised that the d-day is now. The issue is: how to convinced a husband afraid AF to be a father to do the last step? 

Be sure to check out @darcyfangirlsfrequently's Masterlist of entries, which includes fics for Luke Alvez, Garvez, and Tara/Rebecca!

Be sure to also check out @the-guilty-writer's Masterlist of entries, which includes fics for Child!Readers of Spencer, Rossi, Derek, and Hotch, as well as Emily's sibling!

Gen Fics

Mothers and Daughters by @/gaelic-symphony: When Ambassador Prentiss brings the team a kidnapping case, it causes Emily to reflect back on her tumultuous relationship with her mother.

A Day At Work by @/codename-mom: Platonic. JJ arrived early in Hotch’s office to discover that he was not alone. A surprise guest was with him for the day.

Looking for more?

Keep reading for the rest of my Spencer Reid fics associated with pregnancy and parenting!

SFW S.R./Mom!Reader

Impromptu: Reader learns some shocking news when a case lands her in the hospital.

Painting by Numbers: Spencer is still a little worried about his pregnant wife painting the house.

Practice Run: Spencer and Reader take on Derek’s challenge to babysit.

The Prodigy Path: At a parent teacher conference, Spencer and Reader explain their seemingly unorthodox parenting style.

Fairytales: Spencer comes home to his very tired wife and even more tired child who refused to go to bed without a bedtime story from their dad.

Intentions: Spencer’s teenage daughter wants to have a conversation with you about your intentions with her father.

Defining Family: Spencer finds out he’s a dad… to a twelve year old girl. Your twelve year old girl, who just broke into the FBI.

From the Tree: The kidnapping case becomes personal when Spencer and Reader get a call from their nanny.

S.R. & Child!Reader

Like Father, Like You: Child!Reader. Platonic. In which Spencer’s child comes out as not-straight.

NSFW S.R./Fem!Reader

Domesticity: Reader gets worked up watching Spencer with kids. He notices.

Different Kind of Daddy: After a rough day, Reader has good news for her husband.

Santa’s Gift: Reader asks her husband what he wants for Christmas.

To Have and To Hold: Reader is trying to save her marriage, but Spencer seems resigned to its failure.

Stork Song: Spencer and Reader try to find intimacy again following a terrible loss.

Still not satisfied?!

Check out my extensive Father's Day Rec List!

Thanks for reading.

[nivasichakano]

Boat Christmas — Bonus Content for Driven

“I’m telling you-” Morena watches the boys through her kitchen window as she packs a couple of baskets with festive treats: thermoses of hot toddy and mulled wine, bottles of Buck’s fizz, spiced almond biscuits, cheeses, grapes, crackers, and shortbread cut into stars. “-something’s happened. Something’s wrong.”

“Don’t be daft,” Tara’s voice is dismissive but she too is watching as Gale and Astarion start to prep The Yacht, the corners of her mouth downturned. “They always bicker.”

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Morena sighs. “They aren’t today.”

She and Tara gather up the supplies and head to the back door. 

“Service!” Morena yells. “Ding ding ding ding!”

Astarion looks up from the boat’s ropes and he grins, jogging back up the garden path. He’s bundled up against the cold in a puffer jacket, joggers, gloves, and a beanie pulled down tight over his ears, only a few silver curls escaping its edges. The whole ensemble is black, as usual. He looks like a little bank robber.

“Do you ladies require assistance?” 

“Thank you,” Morena hands him the baskets. “It’s hard enough traversing this path when it’s icy, let alone lugging half of M&S’ Christmas department.”

“And after you’ve been taste-testing the hot toddy all morning,” Tara mutters, drawing another grin from the young driver.

“Leave her alone, Tar,” he says gallantly. “It’s Christmas Day.”

“Thank you!” Morena exclaims. “Oh, Astarion?”

“Mm?”

Morena lowers her voice. “Is Gale okay, do you know?”

She watches as Astarion’s demeanor changes entirely, his smile falling away and his eyes darting to the ground. 

“Only he seems a little quiet, don’t you think?” Morena prods, ignoring the way Tara digs her in the ribs. “I just wondered if he was feeling poorly or something.”

“Er,” Astarion shifts his grip on the handles of the baskets, shrugging. “Yeah, I dunno. I think he’s fine.”

“Hm, okay love,” Morena nods. “Could you pop those things in the galley for me and ask Gale to get the fire going?”

“Sure.”

“Stop. Meddling,” Tara whispers as Astarion carries the baskets down the path and Morena locks up the back door.

“I’m not!” Morena hisses. She is.

They head down to the boat, Morena following Astarion inside and finding him unloading cheeses into the kitchen’s tiny fridge while Gale lights the fire in silence. She’s pleased with the way The Yacht is looking, she’d spent hours decorating it both inside and out and the little living room is cozy with its tiny Christmas tree and twinkly fairy lights and tasteful boughs of holly pinned over the portholes.

“You should teach Astarion your method,” Morena remarks chirpily, before turning to the young driver. “He perfected firelighting when he was younger, he was obsessed with it.”

“I’ve benefited from it before,” Astarion nods, wandering over to watch Gale carefully lighting neat layers of kindling and coal. “That time we camped in Bahrain-”

“It’s really not that difficult,” Gale shuts the door of the stove and stands, brushing coal dust from the knees of his jeans, not looking at his teammate. “I mean, I can show you another time if you want but it’s not very interesting.”

Something’s definitely wrong. Turning down the opportunity to teach someone something? That's not her Gale at all. And the boys seem awkward around each other. They’ve either fallen out or slept together, Morena decides. 

Gale is gazing at the fire, hands in his pockets, chin tucked into the thick gray turtleneck of his woolen jumper, and Astarion lingers next to him, seemingly stuck for something to say. Morena shouldn’t point it out — she really shouldn’t — but they’re both standing right underneath the mistletoe she pinned to the low living room ceiling, the way she does every Christmas.

“Oops,” she chuckles, pointing it out. 

Gale glances up in surprise as Astarion stares at the floor, cheeks going as pink as his cold nose. 

“It’s bad luck to ignore it,” Morena teases, as her son shoots her a death glare. 

To her surprise, it’s Astarion who speaks first.

“We don’t need any more bad luck,” he says quietly, looking up at Gale.

Gale chews the inside of his lip, looking like he’s battling something deep inside as he slowly leans forward, Astarion gazing at him with wide eyes. At the last minute though, he pecks his teammate on the cheek. It’s heartbreaking, how Astarion’s eyes close and he inclines his head into the kiss anyway. 

Gale straightens up with a forced smile. “There, bad luck staved off for the year. I’ll go start up the engine.”

🎄

Morena has done her Christmas Day boat trip ever since Gale was little. Even in the years when that bitch insisted he go skiing and Morena was on her own. She has Christmas decorations all over the boat, Christmas songs playing from the speaker Gale gave her for her birthday, a basket of little wrapped gifts to throw to the children on the towpath, and her Santa hat at its usual jaunty angle. 

As he always did when he was a kid, Gale stands close to her at the stern while she steers, leaning on the roof and eating shortbread. There’s a burst of laughter from the front of the boat, where Tara and Astarion have ensconced themselves in blankets and are making their way through the Buck’s fizz, and Gale sighs.

“You okay, moromou?”

“Hm?” Gale looks up from his biscuit. “Yes. Why?”

“You just seem blue. I wondered if something happened with Astarion?”

“Oh,” Gale makes an irritated noise. “We had a bit of a row. He thinks I'm judging him.”

“Why would you be judging him?” 

He hesitates before answering. “At the afterparty for the Prize Giving Ceremony, he kissed someone.”

“Oh, Gale…”

“What? No!” He waves a hand at her. “No, no. It's not- it's fine. It's good. It's a good thing. He's spent a long time hiding who he is because of Cazador, he should- he should be able to-”

Oh Gale, Morena thinks again but she doesn't say it out loud this time.

“It's just that the guy had a girlfriend,” Gale continues, shaking his head. “Astarion didn't know. It’s an old friend of his from F2- oh, wait- you remember Rugan Najemnik? It’s his son, Olly. Apparently, he used to have a crush on Astarion when they were younger so Astarion thought- Anyway, all I said was that it might not be the wisest idea to kiss someone like that out of the blue, without knowing for certain they want to kiss you back. And he- well, first he called me boring, and then he asked how you were supposed to know for certain exactly and I said that he could try asking the next person, if he can hear them over the music, and then he walked off and that was the end of it.”

Christ on a bike. Morena reaches for her thermos of hot toddy and takes a hefty swig. “That does sound a bit judgmental, love.”

“Well…” He goes back to his biscuit, taking another morose bite. 

They boat in silence for a bit, Tara’s voice at the back of Morena’s mind, telling her not to meddle. 

“Gale, why don’t you just-” Before Morena can finish, a beanied head appears at the other end of the boat and Astarion makes his way unsteadily along the gunwale.

“We need more Fuck’s bizz,” he giggles, clinging to the side of the boat. “Tara’s words, not mine.”

“It’s in the fridge,” Morena tuts, fondly. Reprobates.

“What have you got?” Astarion is eyeing the biscuit in Gale’s hand. Sugar is fairly new for him apparently. Gale has been conscientious about Astarion’s privacy but Morena can see the signs of abuse in the poor boy for herself. They come out in little ways: a shyness about indulging in the food Morena provides, his self-criticism about his driving, the way he sometimes flinches at loud noises just like her Gale does. The after-effects of Cazador. Morena hopes the awful bastard rots in that ward. 

Gale picks up the packet and reads the back. “M&S baked-in-Edinburgh all butter Scottish shortbread star-shaped assortment.”

“Star for a star?” Astarion takes the half-eaten biscuit out of Gale’s hand and pops it in his mouth with a grin, while Gale stares at him. “I’ll go into the boat this end, I’m not climbing that precipice again.”

He squeezes past them and Morena notices how Gale’s hand instinctively goes to Astarion’s back to stop him from slipping on the icy steel. She wonders whether Gale even knows he’s doing it.

When Astarion’s gone, disappearing into the boat in search of Tara’s Fuck’s bizz, Gale leans into Morena like he used to do when he was a little boy. These days though, his head rests on top of hers instead of the other way around.

“I like him so much, mum,” he says quietly. 

“Oh Gale…” Morena keeps one hand on the tiller but wraps her other arm around him. “I know you do, love. You have to talk to him.”

She feels him shake his head, his scratchy stubble catching on her Santa hat. “He called me his best friend the other day. I can’t-”

“Your father was my best friend.”

“...and then he kissed someone else.”

Morena sighs, pulling away so she can get a look at him. “Moromou, he clearly doesn’t know how you feel. If you walked into the boat right now and kissed that man, I am sure he would melt.”

“You don’t know that for certain. So I’d be a bit of a hypocrite, wouldn’t I?” 

“Then talk to him!”

Gale shakes his head again. “I can’t- What if you’re wrong? It’d make things so awkward, I might lose him forever...”

He’s looking at her with such wide, forlorn eyes that her heart aches for him and she pulls him back into a hug. “I’m a Dekarios, love. We’re never wrong about anything.”

🎁

Later that afternoon, they gather around the fire back in Morena’s cottage, worn out from a day’s boating and full of Christmas dinner, while Gale hands out the presents that are under the tree.

“This one doesn’t have a label,” he holds up a squishy-looking parcel wrapped in garish glittery paper. 

“That one’s for you,” Astarion is curled up at the end of the settee, peering over his glass of brandy.

“Oh,” Gale’s cheeks color slightly as he sits next to his teammate, opening his present. Inside is a bright purple t-shirt with an icon of a man on it. Above the picture, large orange lettering spells out ‘POPULAR MALE’. Underneath, in smaller writing: ‘The chairman said, “The excellent Christmas Season we’ve anticipated has begun. We are selling more home fashions, electronics and major appliances."' It’s hideous. 

“You remembered,” Gale croaks, gazing at his teammate in shock while Astarion grins.

“That is hideous,” Tara remarks drily, voicing Morena's thoughts out loud. 

“We found them in a shop in Suzuka,” Astarion explains. “They made us laugh so much, do you remember?”

Gale nods. “It was months ago… how did you-?”

“I sent Karlach back to buy one later that day so you wouldn’t see,” Astarion laughs, clearly delighted with his machinations. 

Gale leans forward and retrieves another present from under the tree, tossing it to Astarion. 

“Open yours,” he says with a quiet smile. 

Astarion glances at him before unwrapping his gift. “Shut up…”

Tara looks over and rolls her eyes at Morena as they both chuckle. It’s the same t-shirt. 

“How did you-”

“I asked Karlach as well,” Gale cracks up. “She must have picked up two.”

🏎️🏎️

I didn't mean for this to turn into an entire mini-chapter but here we are. I can't get enough of The Meddling Thoughts of Mory D.

Read Driven on AO3!

[moonselune]

Having a little spiral over Teacher!Minthara x Obsessed!Student...

Part Two , Best intending fools (part 3)

With Minthara being a university lecturer on Toxicology and she is the whole reason why you enrolled at Blackstaff.

Modern AU, Suggestive, implied stalking (from reader!), slightly dark content, obsession.

Note: Cryso is drow for a rose ;)

⋆.˚✰ Minthara ⋆.˚✰ <- Masterlist

Minthara x f!reader

Here's a little snippet:

You were excellent in class, always scored highly in your tests and were never any trouble. If Dr Baenre hadn't handed your paper back to you, you would have thought she wouldn't even know your name.

That was always your favourite part of class, the fleeting moments where all of Dr Baenre's attention was on you. The way your fingers brushed against each other as you took the paper from her. The brief upward smile she gave you when she congratulated you on your perfect score, again. Then the moment would be over and she would move on to her next victim who almost never faced the same treatment.

You always gave her a meek nod of your head and a murmured thanks as you left her room. You don't think she ever heard you, it seemed her favourite part of the class was when her students left.

You always wondered why she taught, forced community service perhaps? You had heard rumours that she had been suspended from the Faerun Board of Toxicology for testing her concoctions on fellow members. You would be more than a willing subject.

You spent most of your free time during the academic day lingering in the garden that was boxed in by the lecturers' offices. It was fairly overgrown which made it the perfect spot to hideaway. It was quite easily to discern whose office belonged to who. Professor Dekarios always had his window open, fanning out some sort of failed experiment, his cat Tara, often hissing at him in admonishment.

Dr Lorroakan's office glinted with all the shiny junk he collected. You abhorred Dr Lorroakan, favouring his assistant Rolan much more. Considering Rolan taught all his classes, set all of the tests and were the only person you could talk to if you were struggling with the work, it made more sense to you to just give Rolan the job.

Then there was Miss Alfira, the sound of her lute could be heard even from the garden. You liked Miss Alfira's class, though you did take it because it was the easiest class to pass. A few sincere words behind why you wrote your sonnet, a fake tear here and there and Miss Alfira was overjoyed with your work. The easy class allowed you more time to work on Dr Baenre's assignments.

Then there was the apple of your eye, the diamond among rhinestones. Dr Baenre's office often had the curtains pulled, to block out the sun. It affected her work and overall bothered her. So you often spent your time imagining what was going on behind the curtains. What experiments she was conducting, what critiques slipped from her mouth when she was marking student's papers. You would imagine what she said about your work, if words of praise ever slipped from her lips. Thinking about it made a warm feeling tighten within you and you found yourself absentmindedly squeezing your thighs together.

Then Dr Lorroakan would be yelling at Rolan for something, Miss Alfira would hit the wrong note and Professor Dekarios would fling his window open, with purple smoke billowing from it. And the feeling would be gone.

On days where the sun was hidden among the clouds, you practically sprinted to your spot in the garden, the crumbling stone bench covered in ivy waiting for you. It was a good day when the sun was finally gone, the best even, because that's when Dr Baenre drew open her curtains.

How you had to restrain yourself from pressing your face against the glass, to stare into the wonders of her office. You wanted to know what she was working on, what toxins she was playing with. What colour the walls were. Did she have any personal artefacts? Any hints of a previous life. You wanted to know where she kept her terrarium of venomous spiders that she always threatened to set on hungover students.

"Then you will know the meaning of piercing pain tearing through your head."

You had never built up the confidence to go to Dr Baenre's office, there were hours available for students but you figured that was just something she had to say to students because of the rules. You didn't know of any student that had been to her office either, none of them had enough of a death wish.

The weather today was miserable, dark clouds threatened to spill bouts of rain, there was a distant rumbling indicating a nearby storm, there was no wind but a definite chill in the air. It was the perfect day for you.

You cursed yourself for not pushing through the mass of students quicker, you almost missed Dr Baenre opening her curtains, the subtle grin on her face as she took in the weather. If you weren't panting from the sudden sprint you did to get here, then you were now.

There was no pantsuit, no shirt, just a tight black tank top. Her hair was not in its usual bun, but rather cascading down her shoulders. You couldn't tell from here what she was wearing on her lower half but you hoped it was as tight as her tank top. Dirty, filthy thoughts flooded your mind and the warm feeling came back. You found yourself leaning forward, drinking in her presence.

What had happened? Were these her spare clothes? Had she spilt something on her? Had Professor Dekarios? If so Professor Dekarios was soon becoming your second favourite lecturer.

Not fully aware of your surroundings you continued to lean forward till you lost your footing. You jerked trying to regain balance but your panic had caused you to be too forceful and you slipped backwards instead, crashing into the shrubbery. Dr Baenre snapped her head towards the commotion, towards you. You swore and stilled, praying to every god out there that she couldn't see you. You stayed there a few more minutes for good measure before clambering out of it. To your dismay, her curtains were drawn close, your noise had spooked her.

It was your favourite time of class, you were all getting your midterms back. As other students were sweating in fear, you could hardly contain your excitement. Dr Baenre was in her normal wear, dark purple pantsuit, crisp white shirt, stilettos clicking ominously around the room. You pretended to be intrigued in the piece of paper in front of you, a diagram showing the compounds of the venom you were studying today. You were sure you could draw it with your eyes closed. Finally, Dr Baenre approached your desk, you looked at her, a small awkward smile on her lips as you reached out for the paper.

But something was different this time.

Her eyes didn't contain the usual quiet admiration, her dark painted lips were set in a narrow line and she regarded you with an air of - chagrin?

You took the paper from her, your awkward smile turning into a pout at the absence of her fleeting touch and looked at the paper in front of you.

A disappointing analysis. See me after class.

No, that wasn't right. You flicked anxiously through the pages trying to see if this was all some horrible mistake, that this was someone else's paper, but it wasn't. This was your assignment and she had called it disappointing. Your work was disappointing, she was disappointed in you.

You spent the rest of the class, going over each line of your assignment, searching desperately for where you had gone wrong. For the first time ever, you were not listening to Dr Baenre, you zoned out completely, fixated on where you went wrong. If you were more aware then you would have noticed Dr Baenre relishing in your displeasure.

You were lucky enough not to get called on in class, so you simply continued spiralling. Reading what you had written over and over again. Your analysis was strong, your words distinctive, points clear and correct. You could not understand where you had gone wrong.

Soon class ended and as the other students shuffled out of the room, you picked up your books and held them close to your chest, one hand out holding your treacherous paper. You walked towards the front of the room, stopping just before her desk. Putting enough distance between yourself and your teacher.

Dr Baenre was rubbing the chalk off of her blackboard as you approached her, it may have been your eyes deceiving you but you swore she was smiling. You didn't have time to ponder it as she quickly turned around, and you bit lip to stop the gasp that threatened to escape you.

"Y-You wanted to see me, Dr Baenre?" You stuttered out, and Dr Baenre nodded and walked in front of her desk, she took the paper from your hands and leaned back on her desk. She regarded it with a faint look of disdain.

"Do you agree with what I said about your work?" Dr Baenre asked as she crossed her arms, tilting her head at you. You feel her eyes look you up and down and you suddenly became overly self-conscious about what you decided to wear today. It was nothing out of the ordinary, a simple check skirt and a black turtleneck. Your skirt was perhaps a bit short, but that was not out of choice just coincidence.

"Excuse me?" You replied in slight shock, although this was the longest conversation you had had with your teacher, and she was notoriously abrasive, it was still a surprise to you.

"Do not make me repeat myself again, of you agree with what I said about your work?" Dr Baenre continued, it felt like her eyes were penetrating your very soul. You couldn't help but fluster under her intense gaze.

"I-uh, you uh said it was a disappointing analysis, and I thought that it was a rather strong analysis." You told her, eyes cast to the ground. Dr Baenre was wearing black stilettos today.

"Why?" Dr Baenre persisted and you wanted the ground to swallow you whole.

"Why I thought it was a strong analysis-" You caught yourself before she did and regained yourself. "Oh I uh think it was strong because I was very clear about.."

As you pointed out your analysis you melted into an unknown confidence, this was your passion, your infatuation, the work you did was correct. There was no error or room for criticism. You continued to talk with your voice getting unwittingly louder, until Dr Baenre put held her index finger up to silence her. You choked down the words, keen not to disobey her.

"How fascinating, so you can peak more than three words." Dr Baenre smiled and you felt the air leave your lungs. She was smiling. At you. That pleasurable warm feeling returned, taking root between your legs. "Your analysis was strong, in fact it was quite brilliant, I just wanted to see if there was more to you. Clearly there is."

"Oh, I uh, thank you. I'm quite a fan of you-" You complimented before realising what you had said a blushed a bright red, "-I mean of your work, not that you aren't great, I mean you are more than great-"

Her index finger this time pressed against your lips and you thought you might just combust. Her heartbeat increased and your eyes fluttered from her finger to her eyes. She was touching you, voluntarily, not by accident, this wasn't just a fleeting moment, she was touching you.

"Now you're talking you truly cannot stop." Dr Baenre laughed, removing her finger and raising a brow at you. You struggle to string together a coherent sentence which seemed to amuse the teacher. "And now you cannot speak, what has got you so flustered, Cryso?"

"I um, I don't know what you mean." You mumbled fiddling with your hands, Dr Baenre gave you a knowing look but didn't push the matter further. Suddenly she pushed herself upwards and walked behind her desk, her cool demeanour returning.

"Keep up the good work, (L/N)." Dr Baenre said as she dismissed you, you nodded your head and thanked her, but as you were about to step out she called out to you once more. You turned to look at her, the warm feeling between your legs intensifying. "A word of advice, for you work, be more bold."

Be more bold.

Those three rang around your head for the rest of the day, and when you couldn't sleep, it was because those words were on the forefront of your mind. She was on the forefront of your mind.

Your work was not boring, you knew that, maybe you could change up your writing style, bring in some more risky sources-

Oh.

Oh.

What Dr Baenre really meant hit in the face like a tonne of bricks. She was not talking about your work. She was talking about you. She wanted you to be more bold. You began to realise that perhaps she had seen you that day, in the garden. You touched your lips, trying to recreate the sensation of her touch. When she thought back to it, her actions had crossed that teacher/student boundary. You have been academically smart, but by the gods were you starting to realise how dumb you were.

Bold. You could be bold.

When you walked into class a few days later, you were sure you had achieved bold. You wore a low cut tank top that was definitely a size too small for you. You wore a loose open cardigan over it, causing it to frame your chest perfectly. Your hair was down, not in its usual low ponytail. Your short skirt remained, only this time it dangerously high on your legs, and instead of your normal sneakers you had opted for some heeled knee high boots.

You could feel her stare on you when you walked in, in fact you could feel all of your classmates stare on you as you made your way to your usual seat. You were quite the wallflower, so this blooming was pleasurable for all. This will work for you.

As Dr Baenre began the lecture you made sure to wait until she was looking your way to shrug off a shoulder of your cardigan, exposing your clavicle. And Dr Baenre stumbled on her words, it was the first time she had ever done that.

Over the next few days, class remained similar to this day. You came up with more ways to tease your teacher. Going as far and as cliche to dropping your pen on your way out of class, bending to pick it up so Dr Baenre had the best view of your ass as you did so.

Still you were not asked to stay after class, in fact you were sure you were being ignored. You were never called upon, never questioned. This would not do. Which is why you did something you rarely did.

As Dr Baenre rounded off the lesson, she leant against her desk and clasped her hands together to obligatorily ask the class if any of them had any questions. All were usually too scared to raise their hand, but you no longer felt such trepidation.

"Dr Baenre?" You asked, your voice trembling slightly, not in a way that indicated fear but a way that showed confused naivety. Dr Baenre's head snapped towards you and she struggled to not let her amusement show. You felt your classmates stare at you in awe, how bold of you.

"Yes, (L/N)" Dr Baenre said, her tone dry and not giving anything away.

"Is it possible to deconstruct the compound of the venom from Phoneutria nigriventer for recreational pleasure, or does its varying effects across the sexes make it too precarious?" You asked, you had rehearsed the question about a thousand times before it left your lips but it was worth it to see Dr Baenre's face contort in slight surprise.

"..Interesting question. It would likely take rigorous rounds of testing but it could be possible." Dr Baenre had picked up on the game you were playing and she was playing to win. "Of course finding willing participants would be an issue due to the chance of mortality."

"But if the participants were unafraid? Knew that reward far outweighed the risk?" You continued, you could feel your classmates tense around you, nobody had talked back to teacher.

"Then it sounds like a decent proposal." Dr Baenre finalised, the corner of her mouth quirking upwards. If your classmates weren't scared before they were now. Luckily for them, Dr Baenre dismissed the class, unluckily for you, she was the first to leave the room. You were hoping for an invitation to discuss the issue further but evidently not. It was okay though, you still had one last thing up your sleeve.

You had never written a paper so poorly. It physically hurt to write it and when you handed it in you had to remind yourself that this was for the bigger picture. Your perfect grades could handle one little slip.

You were practically giddy when Dr Baenre walked your way, the offending paper in her hand. Although her demeanour was cold, you with your discerning eye you could see the playfulness in hers. She handed you the paper, fingers touching briefly. It sent shivers down your spine. You looked at your paper with bated breath.

Appalling work. See me in my office after class, extra lessons are clearly in order.

You tried to look sad, devastated even, but it was impossible. How could you feel that way when all of your dreams had just come true. When class ended you noted that Dr Baenre had left first, although this would have previously disheartened you, this time you were enthralled. You tried your best not to run to the office complex, it was weird being in the building and not just observing it. When you stood outside Dr Baenre's office you readjusted your top, tousled your hair and applied a layer of lip gloss to your lips. You knocked on the door and heard her voice beckon you in. Taking a deep breath in you opened the door and stepped into her web.

Upon entering you are enveloped in a rich ambiance of deep purples and blacks, with subtle accents of silver or darkened brass. The walls are adorned with numerous framed academic achievements, you could tell which paper earned her what award in a heartbeat.

Large bookshelves lined one side of the room, filled to the brim with leather-bound tomes on toxicology, pharmacology, and related subjects. The scent of aged parchment and ink mingles with a faint hint of something exotic, perhaps a rare botanical specimen or a vial of potent venom kept under lock and key you supposed.

In one corner of the office, was the aforementioned terrarium sat in all its glory, from the naked eye you could count at least three Phoneutria Nigriventers, what a delightful coincidence. Their intricate webs catch the light filtering in through the shaded windows, casting delicate patterns across the room. An elegant desk occupies the opposing corner, strewn with papers, research notes, all you would kill to just have a look at. Sat at desk was Dr Baenre, her hands clasped and a certain look of amusement on her face.

"Dr Baenre I can only-" You began to apologise, a hand on your bare collarbone. The top you wore today was a deep scoop and left little to the imagination, your bra straps peeking out.

"-Sit." Dr Baenre told you, and you immediately obeyed. Crossing one leg over the other, allowing your skirt to hike up. Dr Baenre stood up and walked towards you, one hand trailing behind her. She perched on the edge of her desk and you felt excitement build within you though you tried not to let it show. "I must admit I was disappointed by your most recent submission."

"I can only apologise, Dr Baenre-'

"-Minthara, you can call me Minthara." Minthara corrected you, you knew it was her first name but the sound of it coming from her own lips was thrilling.

"Minthara," You tested the word on your tongue and liked the way it felt. Minthara smiled as you spoke, "I can only apologise for the drop in my work, I guess I have just been stressed lately."

"Stressed? Whatever for?" Minthara asked with false sympathy, she knew fully well what was happening here.

"I think pent up is perhaps the better term for it." You told her, batting your eyelashes as you looked up at her with big eyes. You leaned forward in your chair, allowing her a better view of your cleavage. You could feel her eyes on you as you rose from your seat. She was taller than you, but not by a lot. "Do you think you could help me, Dr Baenre?"

You bit your lip and tilted your head, Minthara rolled her head back as she let out a breathless laugh. Your heart was pounding in your chest and then you did something you were sure was right. When she lowered her head back to meet your gaze you pushed yourself forward and pressed a kiss to her lips. A fire burning within you that overpowered all of your rationale. You were beginning to panic when Minthara stilled but that panic washed away when she grabbed your waist and turned you round, pinning you to the desk. You squeaked causing her to chuckle against your mouth. She nipped at your bottom lip, and you opened your mouth allowing her entrance.

What do you guys think? Lmk! :)))

[ellebakers]

☆ Baba Yaga (John wick Crossover)

Ethan landry x reader (john wick daughter)

request from @scream-girl-imagines

Summary : your friends like you, for them, you're the stupid but nice bimbo, but they will quickly realize how wrong they were when your father comes knocking on your door for help.

Warnings : violence + guns + language.

it was saturday night, and like every saturday night, you and your friends met in the apartment you shared with sam, tara and quinn for a movie night.

you were making the popcorn when your boyfriend ethan came up behind you and hugged you. he pushed your hair to one side to gain access to your neck and leave kisses there, he stopped and ran his index finger over your scar. "you never told me how you got that." you put the now hot popcorn in a bowl. "i was drunk, i was dancing with a friend on a glass table, the table gave way under our weight. that's all."

he laughed lightly rolling his eyes then kissed your temple. "you then, you don't miss one." you smiled at him, if only he knew the truth.

the truth is that this scar was made on you by a russian agent while you were helping your father on one of his missions. you had already put four guys on the ground but this motherfucker took you by surprise and he cut you in the neck. that's why you stopped helping your father, at least for a while. the shootings, the fights, all that was great, but you also had to think about yourself and your future, that's why you had agreed with your father that you would go to college and that he wouldn't will only call in case of emergency.

anyway, it was all behind you, today you were a bimbo, at least you had to pretend to be a bimbo, if you ever started to mention all the gun brands you know, the people around of you would be freaking out, so it was better to do the stupid service. you grabbed a popcorn and ate it before taking the bowl back to the living room, where your friends were sitting and waiting for you to start the movie.

———☆ ★ ❀ ✿ ♡ ☆ ★ ❀ ✿ ———

the movie had started an hour ago. it was the boys who had chosen the film and of course they had chosen a classic. over the top. you were immersed in the film, when a violent knock at the door startled you all. sam got up and went to see who it was.

you instinctively turned your head and froze when you saw your father, tired and full of blood at the door.

"shit." you rushed towards him and put his arm around your shoulders to try to support him.

chad had paused the movie and everyone was slowly getting up, not understanding what was going on.

sam frowned as she closed the door. "do you know him y/n ?"

you settled john on the living room chair and he gave you a tired smile. "hi angel."

you returned his smile. "hi dad."

"dad ?" ethan repeated.

you took off your father's jacket but he put his hands on yours to stop you. "it's not my blood. but can you please give me a drink."

you turned to your roommate. "quinn please get me a bottle of water."

the redhead nodded and went into the kitchen.

"y/n, can you please explain." sam asked you.

you glanced at your father and he nodded. "this is my father, john." he waved his hands lightly to your friends. everyone exchanged a look and then timidly waved back.

"okay but why the fuck is he covered in blood. and why did he say it wasn't his ?"

quinn came back and gave the bottle of water to your dad, he thanked her and downed the bottle in one gulp.

once certain that your father was catching his breath and feeling better, you turned to your friends. "if i explain to you, you will freak out."

tara crossed her arms over her chest. "you know, after being targeted by two serial killers, nothing can freak us out."

your father was looking at her with a raised eyebrow, then he turned to you. "i see you know how to choose your friends."

you rolled your eyes at him. "my father is a former contract killer."

everyone stared at you, shocked by what you had just said. john stood up, growling. "to make it short, I was paid by people to kill dirty guys. when y/n was born i stopped, after my wife’s death i found myself alone with my little girl and an asshole wanted to hurt her then i have resumed service, and if i am here tonight." he turned and spoke to you. "it's to ask you for help."

you shook your head. "no, dad, you know what we said."

"i know my angel. but it really is an emergency."

a scratching sound was heard behind the door, you turned your head in that direction and sam opened it.

that's when gozer, your malinois spirited in the apartment and threw himself on you to lick you.

"y/n what the fuck." sam shouted, overwhelmed by everything that was going on. you knelt down and hugged your dog.

as gozer left licks on your chin, you looked up at your father and said. "dad, there's a bathroom down the hall, go take a shower, i'll put some clean clothes outside your door and then we can talk about your emergency."

he nodded and walked off in the direction you told him to. you got up, and turned to your friends. "listen, i didn't tell you everything. my name is not y/l/n, but wick. my mother died giving birth, after that my father hung up, we moved to a small village and he did everything to give me a normal life, but his past caught up with him and a son of a mafia try to come after me, he killed him, he had to. from that moment we only ran, he taught me how to use a gun, and i had no choice but to fight alongside him. after high school, i told him that i would like to go to college, so he got me false papers and admission to a college away from danger.

"why didn't you tell us." anika asked you.

"you guys are all i have. with my father of course." gozer groaned, you rolled your eyes and looked down at him. "and you of course." you refocused your intention on your friends. "i was afraid of losing you."

quinn came up to you and hugged you. "if we agreed to be friends with the survivors of woodsboro, we would also agree to be friends with the daughter of a former killer."

you hugged her back and rested your head against hers. "thank you."

"she's right." tara walked towards you. "my sister is the daughter of a serial killer, so i don't mind you being who you are."

your other friends came over to you and they were all hugging you. except ethan. he remained standing, away from you. it hurt you. the others noticed, sam cleared her throat. "um, I must have danny's own clothes. i think they will go to your father."

you thanked her and she left. the others decided to give ethan and you some space by all going to the kitchen.

he looked down to avoid your gaze. "ethan." you whispered. he did not answer. you walked towards him. "ethan, please-"

"how could you hide it from me."

you stopped in your tracks. "i thought you loved me."

"i love you ethan-"

"so why did you lie ?"

"i just said, i was afraid of losing you."

he passed a hand over his face, blowing. "i don't know y/n, i feel like our relationship is based on a lie."

you frown. "don't you feel like you're exaggerating ?"

he raised his eyebrows. "wait, what ? excuse me for having a hard time swallowing that my girlfriend is not who i thought."

"and you're disappointed, aren't you ?"

he opened his mouth then closed it again, visibly unable to answer honestly.

"tell me ethan. you're disappointed because i'm not the bimbo you fell in love with, the pretty girl you like to show off like a fucking trophy."

he decomposed and was about to respond but he was cut off by shots coming from the ground floor.

you turned your head towards the door. all your friends came running into the living room.

"what was that." chad asked. you walked to the door and locked it. when you were arguing with ethan, you didn't see samantha leaving clothes outside the bathroom.

your father arrived, a gun in his hand. "is that your emergency ?" you asked him as you pushed the shoe rack against the front door.

he checked that his gun was loaded and nodded. "yes, but I didn't think they would arrive so soon."

"great." you sighed.

you left in the direction of your bedroom under the questioning gaze of your friends. once you arrived, you ran your well-manicured fingernail between two parquet slats to lift one. you sighed when you saw the box you didn't think you had to take out again.

"here we go again."

"what the fuck is that ?" mindy exclaimed seeing you return with a mcmillan and a set of knives.

"stay away from the windows." you asked them.

"y/n what's going on ?" asked you a more than worried tara.

you put your rifle on the table and you turned to your friends. "here's what's going to happen. guys are going to come up to this apartment. my father and i are going to give you a window of exactly three minutes so that you can get out the back."

panicked, they all started talking at the same time.

"three minutes ? but we'll never have enough time."

"and what do we do if ever there are guys behind the building."

you took your weapon and moved towards the window which overlooked the back alley. you opened it silently and started to shoot. after five shots, you closed it and came back to the table.

"now there are no more guys at the back of the building."

if the situation hadn't been so dramatic, you would surely have found their reactions funny since they had all dropped their jaws, speechless by what you had just done.

your father cracked the door open to have a look. then it closed. "okay, I counted ten guys."

you nodded, tying your hair back. "send gozer."

he opened the door again to let the dog out. cries were heard in the corridors then gozer returned to the apartment.

"and now ?" you asked. he looked again and closed the door. "six."

you grabbed your phone and connected it to the living room speaker. "your three-minute window will soon begin."

you pulled out a gun you had hidden behind your back and gave it to sam. "just in case." she nodded and hugged you. "be careful y/n."

"i won't have time to hug you all so get out of here."

ethan walked over to you. "y/n what are you going to do."

you avoided his gaze while looking for music on your phone. "i'll be myself ethan. not too disappointed ?"

"y/n-"

"ethan hurry." quinn yelled.

"when the music starts, your window will open."

he said nothing and went to the back of the apartment.

your father looked at you with a sad smile. "i'm sorry."

you shruged your shoulders and took a deep breath. you looked your father straight in the eye before making him understand that you were ready. "baba-yaga."

he nodded and whispered to you. "baba-yaga.

———☆ ★ ❀ ✿ ♡ ☆ ★ ❀ ✿ ———

ethan and the others jumped as highway to hell from ac/dc blasted through the apartment.

"that's the signal." informed tara.

one after the other they went out through the window and down the old iron staircase stuck to the building.

ethan was the last to go, he kicked one leg out and stopped.

"what are you doing ?" chad asked him.

"i can't leave her alone." shots were heard in the apartment, ethan hurried back inside.

"shit." chad grumbled before following his friend.

they were advancing in the dark since all the lights had been cut off. suddenly, two men faced them and pointed their guns at them.

they were about to shoot when you came up behind them. you used a piece of furniture as a support to gain height and put your legs around the neck of one of the two guys, you used all your strength and threw yourself backwards, causing the guy to fall to the ground. he growled in pain, his accomplice rushed at you but you made him back up with a kick in the balls, he crouched down which gave you the opportunity to put your gun in his mouth and shoot his head burst, spurting blood everywhere. the one you had tackled got up and taken from behind to try to strangle you, you backed up at full speed to hit his head against the wall behind you. he let go of you, you grabbed his arm and twisted it around to break it which made him scream in pain. "little slut." he took out his gun to shoot you but gozer arrived and bite his arm holding the gun, you seized this opportunity to shoot him in the head. he fell dead on the ground.

you turned to chad and ethan. "what the fuck are you doing here."

the two boys had their mouths wide open. "ethan, i know it's your girl but, that was too sexy."

the curly hair nudged his roommate lightly in the ribs. "dude."

chad raised his hands in surrender. "sorry."

"you should be far from here by now."

ethan came over, grabbed your face and kissed you. "i'm sorry. i love you so much. i was afraid something would happen to you so i came back."

you bit your lip smiling. "okay, excuse accept. now go."

you didn't have to say it twice to chad. you hadn't finished your sentence yet that the boy was already outside.

ethan kissed you one last time with a passionate kiss.

"just so you know. i prefer this y/n to the bimbo. she's even sexier."

you shook your head laughing. "get out of here."

———☆ ★ ❀ ✿ ♡ ☆ ★ ❀ ✿ ———

after killing the guys that were left. you turned on the lights and went to sit on the couch. you groaned in pain, even if they couldn't get you, you'd still have a few bruises tomorrow.

your father came to join you with two beers. "i found them in the fridge, i hope your friends won't mind."

you laughed softly and grabbed the beer he handed you. "nah, but they might be pissed off seeing the state of the apartment."

he settled down next to you and exhaled.

"give me two days and i'll get you a new apartment."

a silence fell. then john cleared his throat. "it's a good group of friends you've made here." you nodded taking a sip. "and ethan seems like a nice guy." you smiled at him. "he is."

"tell me, we don't need to have the discussion."

you frown. "you know, the one about what two people in love can do."

you groaned and closed your eyes. "dad !"

"i just want to make sure you're using protections."

"ok um." you wiped your hands on your jeans and stood up. "the police are coming soon, we should probably go."

he finished his beer in one go and got up too. "you're right, anyway this conversation was getting awkward."

you laughed and nodded. "okay then I guess you're going back to our house."

your father smiled at you. "i have nowhere else to go."

you shrug your shoulders. "you could find yourself a house not far away."

"maybe one day, but for now i have business to settle."

he came forward and kissed your forehead. "take care my angel."

"you too dad."

and he left as quickly as he had come. you hurried to make up the apartment in scene of burglary which would have turned out badly. after arranging everything you lay down on your bed and closed your eyes.

what a fucking day.

✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚ ✚

[emswritingsstuff]

Hiii, can u do something with Tara Chambler x reader, where fem!reader lost a very dear family member (whichever you prefer) driving her into depression. One night Tara finds reader crying about that situation alone and she comforts her? something angsty ending in fluff. please & thanks!! love you 🤍

(its fine if you cannot write it soon, take your time!! im a writer too and i know how the pressure feels. don't worry about it!! <3)

Heart to Heart (Tara Chambler x Fem! Reader)

--

warnings: obsessive compulsive themes (washing hands, only in the first portion) and themes of grief/ depression

note: baby's first tara fic!! yay!!

WC: 1.6k

--

Lukewarm water ran over your hands as you scrubbed and scrubbed. Just needing to feel your hands clean. The night had been long, basically restless. You couldn’t shake the memory of the previous night. 

A herd had gotten into Alexandria, somehow getting through the walls and gate. Even with everyone trying to fight it off as best they could, some didn’t make it. Including your sister, her getting bit in the process of fighting. Amputation wasn’t an option, she was doomed. Most of what had happened felt like a blur but also so clear. It almost wasn’t real in your mind. But the silence in your shared home was proof of the harsh reality you had to face. 

All you saw when looking at your hands was her blood, trying to keep her from bleeding out, and eventually from not letting her turn. It was like your hands were permanently stained with her blood, nothing you could do could get rid of it. 

When the pain of the scrubbing set in, you had a hard stop. Instantly pulling away from the water and turning it off. Drying off your hands, you felt nothing but numb. Just staring off and mindlessly finishing up at the sink.

Begrudgingly you had made your way to your bedroom, walking past all the memories that were scattered around the house. All happy memories tainted with the fact she was gone, forever. You couldn’t even look at her bedroom door without tears threatening to fall. Everything had just started to become too much. 

Once reaching your room, you’d just laid there, not moving. Just not wanting to think. 

Time ticked away and away. The morning sun eventually peeking through the curtains in your small room. It was blinding after getting used to the darkness, but also your alarm to get up and ready. 

The Alexandrians had planned a small service for the lives lost in the herd. Part of you didn’t want to even go, but you had to. For her, at least. Getting ready and leaving felt like a massive chore. Looking at yourself in the mirror you could see it on your face the lack of sleep was obvious. You were upset at how obvious the grief was, but there was nothing you could do. After deeming yourself as presentable as you can get, you headed out toward the church. 

Walking there felt heavy, each step adding more and more weight onto you. When you reached the church, a few people were already there. Keeping your distance, you stood away from all the groups, not wanting to hear what they had to say. 

It was always the same old shit, the same thing you would hear in the old world. The basic “they’re in a happier place” or “they wouldn’t want you to be sad” being said without a single ounce of understanding. Just saying something to say something. You didn’t want to hear it, especially when it would make your anger and sadness worse. 

As more people kept filing in, you could feel the glares and stares from the community. Shortly after more people showed up, Gabriel had started the makeshift service. It was nice, something sort of casual but personal. Gabriel opened the floor to everyone; families and friends spoke about those that passed. But you didn’t say anything, and you probably should’ve. You could feel the judgmental glares when you didn’t speak, but everything in your body made you stay there. Stay quiet. 

The service was over soon enough, everyone leaving to do their respective work and chores. As soon as you could get out, you could. As you made the beeline to your home, the sound of heavy boots became louder, someone was running up behind you. Immediately looking behind you, all you were met with was Tara slowing down as she caught up with you. With a puzzled look on your face, you just kept walking, letting her walk with you. 

The walk was hushed but it was oddly comforting in a way. You could tell she wanted to say something, it was obvious on her face. But she was quiet, seemingly leaving it up to you if you wanted to talk to her or not. 

Finally reaching your home, you started to climb the short stairs before Tara reached out to grab your wrist. Shooting a look back, you softly pulled away and paused on the stairs. Tara became visibly panicked and started to speak, “Sorry I didn’t mean to grab you like that, just wanted to talk.” Nodding silently, you looked at her with crossed arms, waiting for her to continue. 

Nodding back, Tara reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out small candies. Holding them in her hand she held them out to you, offering them up. “Found them in the pantry, figured sweet treats aways help,” she smiled softly at you. Looking at her and looking at the candies, you took them. “Thanks, appreciate it,” giving a weak smile back, you turned to leave. But she stopped you again. 

“Also wanted to say, I know what it's like, losing a sister you know. Losing sister like that,” Tara then stopped talking, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “Sorry, I just wanted to let you know I understand your pain. I’m here if you want to talk about it.” Your glance softened and tears threatened to spill as she opened up to you. And offered help, something you really weren’t expecting. 

“Thank you, means a lot Tara. I’ll keep that in mind,” Tara smiled at you, and probably to herself. “No problem,” she put up her fist for a fist bump before instantly putting it down. She apologized hastily thinking she did something wrong, but you shook your head laughing lightly. Grabbing her arm, you put the fist back up and bumped it. “Seals the deal,” you said, giving her another weak smile as you separated and walked into your home. At last, you were in your home, and finally all the previous emotions came back. Setting the candy Tara gave you into a small bowl, you immediately retreated back into your bedroom. Just letting the bed consume you and trap you there. 

The upcoming days had become foggy, not knowing what time it was or what was going on within Alexandria. You hadn’t left the house in a few days; you knew it was self-destructive. You knew it was getting bad, but nothing could really make you leave. Even if you wanted to. Everything would’ve just been too overwhelming and scary, also just getting out of bed seemed like too much work. 

One night everything got particularly rough, all the memories with your sister coming back. All the good times you missed so much playing through your head, only to be interrupted with the memory of burying her. Trying to think of something to do, you tried washing the dishes that had been piling up in the sink. 

As you scrubbed the dishes you sobbed, you just wanted to forget anything ever happened. The water was lukewarm once more, the scrubbing remaining consistent. You were there for a while before you heard a soft but quick knock at your door. Coming back to reality, you dried your hands off and stuffed them in your pocket. Trying to create a confident aura around you.

Opening the door slowly, you peaked out only to be met with Tara. Her worried expression only grew more when she saw how bloodshot your eyes were. You weren’t even sure how long you had been crying yourself, but you knew it was probably a long time. Tara took in a quick breath and started to speak, “haven’t seen you in a few days, I was getting worried.” Inhaling deeply, you shrugged, hands still stuffed in your pocket. You refused to make eye contact, embarrassed you had gotten to his point. 

Glancing at Tara, she had a soft look on her face. Just purely looking worried. Her hand was fiddling with the zipper of her jacket as she prepared to speak again. “Can I keep you company? I want to make sure you’re okay,” you were reluctant at first. Not quite sure about it, but this could be a good start to healing. You agreed to let her in and walked back into your home, her just following behind. 

Gesturing your couch, you sat down with her right beside you. Tara sat comfortably while you curled into yourself just staring off. It wasn’t long before the tears had started again. Tara just took you into her arms and you instantly latched onto her. Holding onto her for dear life, like if you were to let go, she would disappear. After separating from her she brought her sleeve up to your face and wiped your eyes. 

Once you calmed down enough, she started to speak to you softly. “You don’t have to talk about it, and I won’t force you too. But I will be here if you ever want to talk. It will get better, just takes time.” Her soft hand held your face as you looked into her eyes. You gave her a weak nod. Softly smiling, she brought your head down to give you a soft kiss on the forehead. 

Hiding your face in her neck, she just held you there. Her hands were rubbing soft circles into your back, comforting you. Tara took in a breath, “I can stay here all night if you want me too.” Not wanting to detach from her, you just nodded ‘yes’ into her neck. A soft laugh left her lips, and she held you tighter. “Then I’ll stay.”

[schrodingerspsycho]

Meet Cut(e) - Chapter 1

Pairing - Tara Carpenter x Reader

Warnings - None

Word Count - 2.6k

Summary - You run into a gorgeous girl at a coffee shop, and it feels like the perfect start to a movie.

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You thanked the barista and turned on your heels, iced coffee in hand. You pulled out your phone to see how late you were for work when you slammed into someone. They grunted, and you cursed under your breath as you looked up at them.

“I’m so sorry,” you said quickly. Then your heart skipped a beat. In front of you stood the most beautiful woman you had ever seen. She had her long black hair pulled into a ponytail, her bangs perfectly framing her face. Your eyes flicked down to her lips, and you realized she was even shorter than you. Her dark skin was sprinkled with freckles, and you felt a pull when you finally met her piercing gaze. “Sorry, I- I didn’t see you there,” you finally stuttered. Thankfully, she smiled.

“No, it’s fine,” she said, her voice filling your ears like a symphony. “I probably shouldn’t have been standing right behind you.” You swore her eyes darted downward, but you couldn’t be sure.

You both stood there grinning at each other like idiots for another moment. Then your phone dinged in your hand, startling you both out of your trance. “Shit, sorry,” you mumbled, glancing down at it. “I gotta run. I’m, like, really late for work.”

“Oh, of course, go,” she said, stepping out of your way and waving her hands toward the door.

“Sorry again,” you mumbled with a smile as you hurried past.

“Don’t worry about it, just go!” she laughed, still gesturing wildly. Her fingertips grazed the small of your back, and you felt electricity shoot through your veins. You stole one more glance at her as you skidded out the door, and found her still grinning at you.

“Holy shit,” you smiled to yourself as you fell back into a seat on the subway. Then you groaned. “The only meet-cute I’ve ever had, and I didn’t even get her name.”

You sighed as you leaned against the counter and gazed out at the empty tables. Weekdays were always slow, but no one had been in for hours. You had swept the floor and restocked the condiments five times already, and the pop music playing softly through the speakers was really starting to get to you.

Then, just as you turned to grab the rag and wipe down the tables again, the bell above the door chimed. You plastered a smile on your face and spun around. “Hi, welcome in!” you exclaimed, your cheery customer-service voice filling the empty lobby in a way your normal voice never could. The customer didn’t respond; they almost never did. She was too busy squinting up at the menu above your head. You knew from her body language alone it would be a while until she ordered. You shook your head and went back to fidgeting with the pen on the counter, glancing up to make sure you were ready when she was. Then you caught sight of her face, and your jaw dropped.

You couldn’t believe your eyes. It was the girl from the coffee shop that morning! Her hair was down now and her brow was furrowed in concentration, but you would’ve recognized her beauty anywhere. She still hadn’t looked at you, and you felt your cheeks grow warm as you tried to think of something to say.

“I’ll have the double cheeseburger- oh!” she said, cutting herself off. “It’s you! From the coffee shop!”

“Sure is,” you replied. “Did you follow me here or something?”

She laughed. “I must’ve seen your shirt and subconsciously known this was the best spot for lunch.”

“That’s just my expert marketing skills at work,” you smirked, winking dramatically. She laughed again. “The double cheeseburger, you said?”

“Oh, yes, sorry.” She shook her head. “The double cheeseburger with a small fry.”

“That’ll be $9.37,” you smiled, ringing up her order. She swiped her card and you handed her the receipt, a shiver running up your spine as your fingers brushed hers.

“Thank you,” she said, a little too loud. You watched as she walked over to the curved booth, the most annoying table to clean. But she looked back at you and smiled, and you decided you didn’t care if she spilled a whole bottle of ketchup on the floor.

Of course, that’s when two different families of five decided to walk in, followed by four elderly couples. Sure, time might’ve stopped for you and a pretty girl, but the lunch rush stops for no one. As you took the orders, the cute girl from the coffee shop slipped into the back of your mind. And when you finally got a moment to catch your breath, she had disappeared.

By the time school started, you had all but forgotten about the pretty girl from the month before. Preparing for your first year of college had taken up all of the space in your brain, as well as all of your free time. But now that you were sitting in the back of a classroom, staring at the mysterious stain on the wall, you could finally relax. It was the final class of your first day, and it was the one you had been the most excited about; film history. Spending three hours a week discussing the history of filmmaking hardly sounded like schoolwork. As the other students trickled in around you, you smiled to yourself, daydreaming about which silent film the class might watch first.

“Oh my god, Burgers? Is that you?”

You turned around to see the cute girl from a month ago smiling down at you, and your brain short-circuited. “Coffee Girl?” you exclaimed. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again!”

“Me neither!” she said, sliding into the seat beside you. “My name’s Tara, by the way.”

“It’s nice to meet you again, Tara,” you grinned. “I’m Y/N.”

“Nice to meet you too,” she chuckled. “So, are you a film major?”

“Film minor. My major is creative writing. What about you?”

“Film and political science.”

“Ah, a double major! Impressive,” you smirked, and for a moment you thought you saw her blush. “Well, I don’t know much about poli-sci, so what kind of movies are you into?”

“All kinds, but my favorite genre is horror,” she said, glancing down at her desk.

“Oh, nice! I love horror movies too. I’ve been watching as many as I can for the past year or so.”

“Why only a year?”

“I didn’t realize I liked horror movies until a year ago.”

“Wait, what?” She stared at you incredulously. “How did it take you so long to figure that out?”

“None of my friends or family are into horror, and as a kid, I was too scared of the possibility of being too scared to go to sleep.”

Tara laughed, covering her face with her hand apologetically. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, believe it or not, I’m actually that stupid,” you grinned.

“Alright, then what horror movie did you start with?”

“Cabin in the Woods.”

“Ooh, that’s a good one!”

“I know, right? It’s one of my favorites. But technically the first horror movie I ever watched was The Babysitter.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s a Netflix movie,” you explained. “I watched it at a sleepover my freshman year of high school, but it’s a horror comedy. The kills are so exaggerated, I thought ‘This gore is so over-the-top, no one could ever be scared by this. It can’t be a horror movie.’”

Tara gaped at you. “Oh my god, you’re an idiot,” she laughed.

“Oh, for sure,” you agreed, nodding seriously. “But I’ve been making up for lost time, trying to get through all the classics.”

“Alright, which ones have you seen?”

“I think I’ve seen most of the iconic ones. Psycho, Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, It, Child’s Play, Carrie… and I’ve been rambling about myself, I’m so sorry,” you chuckled, eyes darting to your lap. “What’s your favorite scary movie?”

Tara closed her eyes for a moment as if something had pained her. Then she smiled and shook her head. “The Babadook.”

“I love that movie!” you said. “The Babadook has such a good character design. But if I’m honest, I think I only watched it because of the bisexual Babadook meme.”

“Oh yeah, I remember that!” she exclaimed. “That’s actually hilarious.”

“And as a bisexual myself, I felt truly represented by the Babdook,” you joked, putting a hand over your heart in mock sentimentality. Tara laughed.

“I’m bisexual too, y’know,” she said.

“Really? Cool!” you grinned. “That’s why it’s your favorite movie, right?”

“Definitely.”

You smiled at each other as the professor finally called the class to attention, and you caught her sneaking glances at you as he explained the syllabus. But only because you were glancing at her too.

“Metropolis is going to be a great film to start with,” you exclaimed an hour later as you packed up your things.

“You’ve seen it?” Tara asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course! Like the professor said, it’s the first-ever feature-length science fiction movie. Did you know that the nazis cut out almost a quarter of the runtime after its release? And it wasn’t fully restored until 2010!”

“I didn’t know that. But now I don’t have to go to class on Friday, so thanks.”

“Sorry, it’s just one of my favorite silent films. I got excited.”

“You have favorite silent films?” Tara stared at you in disbelief. “I don’t think I’ve ever even seen a silent film.”

“You don’t like old movies, huh?”

“Nope. If it came out before the seventies and it isn’t a Hitchcock film, it’s boring.”

“That is incredibly close-minded!” you cried, making her giggle. “What about The Wizard of Oz? Citizen Kane? Literally any Disney movie before The Aristocats?”

“Okay, I can’t deny The Wizard of Oz or Disney,” she conceded. “But Citizen Kane is boring as shit.”

“What?!” A few people stared at you, but you didn’t notice. Tara seemed to be enjoying your outburst. “How can you say that? Citizen Kane is known as the greatest movie of all time!”

“I’m pretty sure The Godfather is considered the greatest movie of all time,” she smirked.

“Okay, fair point. But still!”

Tara shrugged. “I just don’t like old movies.”

“I guess everyone’s entitled to their own opinions,” you sighed. “Even if your opinion is wrong.”

“Says the person who took eighteen years to figure out they loved horror movies.”

“Oh, wow,” you said dramatically. “I told you that in confidence.”

She shrugged again. “It’s on you for trusting me.”

“Believe me, lesson learned. I’ll never trust you again, you fiend!”

Tara laughed.

“Well, it’s the end of the road. I’m headed that way,” she said as you reached the crosswalk, pointing away from your apartment. “I’ll see you in class, Burgers.”

“Is that a nickname, or did you just forget what my name is?”

“I remember,” she said, crossing her arms defensively. You raised your eyebrow.

“Oh yeah? What’s my name then?”

She stared at the ground, hesitating. “It’s…”

“Y/N,” you told her.

“I knew that.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” you smiled, deciding to be merciful when you saw her face flush in embarrassment. “I’ll see you around, Coffee Girl.”

“Hey!”

“I didn’t forget,” you interjected. “I just think Coffee Girl sounds better than Tara.”

“Oh, you’re an asshole,” Tara grinned.

“Yeah, I’m the worst,” you winked. “See you around, Tara.”

“Oh my god, you’re so fucking stupid.” Tara slammed her backpack down onto her desk and stared at you accusingly.

“Hello to you too, Tara,” you greeted. “May I ask what I did to deserve that incredibly rude assessment of my intelligence?”

“Sorry,” she grinned, sliding into her chair. “It’s just… I watched The Babysitter the other night. How?”

You chuckled. “I told you I was stupid. So what did you think?”

“It was great. Absolutely hilarious. And obviously a horror movie!”

“Are you just trying to get me to say that I’m stupid again?”

“Yeah, your self-deprecating humor is great. And deserved, you’re a fucking idiot.”

“Maybe so, but you’re still no match for my expert marketing skills,” you smirked. “All I had to do was mention that movie and you watched it.”

“Oh, shut up,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Did you watch the sequel?”

“There’s a sequel?”

“Yeah! It’s called The Babysitter: Killer Queen,” you explained. “It’s way funnier and stupider than the original, but they also added lore. And it worked. Trust me, that movie has no right to be as good as it is.”

“Alright, we’ll have to watch it sometime,” she grinned.

You nodded in agreement as Professor Johnson started class. Then a few moments later, your heart skipped a beat.

Did she say ‘we’?

Professor Johnson started with a presentation about the ‘Dawn of Filmmaking’, asking questions to gauge how much the class already knew. You answered as many as you could, which was admittedly very unlike you. You convinced yourself it was because you were trying to be more outgoing in college, and not because of the way your heart fluttered every time Tara smiled at you when you got a question right. Then halfway through the class, he pivoted to explaining the history of Metropolis and the aspects he wanted everyone to focus on for the discussion on Monday. You leaned over and whispered “I told you so,” to Tara when he began explaining the censorship and lost footage.

“So, are you any more excited to watch Metropolis now?” You asked when class ended.

“I wouldn’t say excited. Maybe… dreading it less,” she replied. You chuckled.

“Well, I guess that’s something.”

“Why are you so into old movies, anyway?”

“I used to watch them all the time with my grandpa,” you said, glancing at the ground with a small smile. “He babysat me a lot when I was little, and he would tell me all about his favorite movies. And I mean sure, the effects aren’t as good and they aren’t politically correct, but I think it’s fascinating to see how artists used the new medium to tell their stories.”

“That sounds really nice,” she said softly. “Watching them with your grandpa, I mean. And that might be a really interesting way to think about boring old movies.”

“Aww, Tara, did you just compliment me?”

“I take it back.”

“Nope! You think I’m interesting,” you teased.

“Sure I do,” she said sarcastically. Then when you reached the crosswalk she turned and held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

“What?”

“I’m going to put my number in. I’m sending you some horror movie recommendations, you can’t just watch Frankenstein and The Wolf Man on repeat. You need guidance.”

“What makes you think I want your recommendations? Or your phone number for that matter?” you asked, handing her your phone.

“Because,” she said, and you watched her type in her name. “I’ve got great marketing skills too.”

You scoffed at her, a dumb grin spreading on your face.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Tara asked, sounding slightly self-conscious.

“It’s just, you’re really cool and I wasn’t expecting to make a friend so soon. I thought I would go a whole semester without making any college friends.”

“Well, technically we met before school started, so I don’t count. You still haven’t made any friends in college.”

“Dammit!” you exclaimed, stomping your foot. Tara laughed. “Does that mean I’m still a friendless loser?”

“The biggest loser I’ve ever met.”

“At least I’m the best at something.”

She chuckled again as she handed you back your phone, then her eyes turned soft. “I’m glad we’re friends now, too.”

“Even though I’m a loser?”

“Despite that fact, yeah,” she grinned. “I’ll see you on Monday, Y/N.” She gave you a little wave before going on her way, a slight spring in her step. 

“Bye, Tara!” you called after her, smiling to yourself. Then you looked down at your phone and saw she had sent herself a burger emoji.