#(because c'mon if there's one person who would see absolutely nothing wrong with cutting up animals For Science it's R.M. Renfield)

[lesbianrobin]

ok so here is my pitch for my dream buddie catalyst:

eddie and maddie are trapped in some sort of likely-fatal time sensitive situation together (drowning related probably because it's Them) (have they overused it yes is it still thematically appropriate YES) where one person could potentially sacrifice themselves for the other to survive. i want eddie and maddie using their combined experience and ingenuity to survive together and discussing who should be prioritized which means they talk about parenthood and how they both feel they've failed their children by "running," how their lives have been so defined by trauma and they don't want to scar their children any further by leaving them again. of course they're doing everything they can to get out together, but as the situation deteriorates throughout the episode(s) (c'mon something like this could be at LEAST a two-parter) they can't help returning periodically to the world's most morbid debate.

i want buck and chim on the outside both going out of their goddamn minds. they know that eddie and maddie are stuck (wherever), know that they're probably alive, but aren't sure in what condition and if they'll stay that way. rescue operations begin as everybody walks on eggshells around buck and tries to comfort chim, who wants absolutely none of it. time is running out.

eddie says that he couldn't possibly let maddie sacrifice herself for him and look buck and chim in the eye afterwards. maddie says that she couldn't do that either. she says that at least jee-yun would still have her father, and eddie says that christopher would still have buck. maddie says that of course none of them would just abandon christopher if something were to happen to him but—

and eddie cuts her off and says it's in my will. if i die, christopher will have buck. buck will have christopher.

they just look at each other for a weighted moment. maddie makes a decision. she says ...i meant it, you know. that i couldn't let you die down here (wherever here is i don't KNOW okay i'm not here to think up convoluted emergencies i'm here for drama) and look my baby brother in the eye knowing that i could have changed it. eddie says i know, okay, but it's different, you're his sister, and maddie says, yeah, but you're his... and she pauses. and eddie says what? best friend? partner? that doesn't—

and maddie says you're his. eddie, you're his.

and eddie... i want to see something slot into place. i want to watch him understand as maddie spills everything she's been suspecting since the day that buck came out to her and maybe since before she and eddie even met. maddie says you know, when i first came to california, you were all he talked about? you're still all he talks about. you and christopher. you're his. i couldn't... eddie, you're out of your mind if you really don't think that losing you would break him just as much as losing me. he would forgive us both, because he's buck, but i couldn't... i'm no saint, eddie, i want to survive. i don't want my daughter to grow up without me. but i can't do that to him. i don't know if he'd survive it. even if he did, the guilt would eat me alive.

meanwhile. buck is barely holding on to his sanity as rescue efforts are underway and time is running out. chimney is keeping it together as best he can but there isn't much that he and buck can do. he can't let himself fall apart because buck is already a stiff breeze away from clawing his own skin off and somebody has to keep their cool. something goes wrong—suddenly, their short amount of time has gotten shorter, and they may only have enough of a window to get one out before it's too late for the other. buck, who has been ranting and arguing and screaming this whole time... is silent. he is silent, and he stares straight ahead at nothing in particular, and we know that no matter which way the scales tip, his soul will be destroyed all the same.

eddie regards maddie for a moment. grief, heartbreak, anger, all flicker over him, but what settles is determination. he says that neither of them are going to leave again. that they'll survive together, or not at all, or leave it to the universe to decide.

of course they make it out. by the skin of their teeth, they make it out, working together, clawing their way back to life and love and possibility. maddie makes it out first, and eddie sees buck as she falls into chim's waiting arms. he watches as buck sees his sister, and reaches out to take her hand with trembling fingers and white knuckles, but there is no relief, no happiness in his red-rimmed eyes. just a deep, unspeakable grief, until his eyes slide past maddie and meet eddie's.

finally: relief. and then he is in buck's arms, a perfect parallel to chim and maddie, and we see eddie's face over buck's shoulder, and we know. he is in love, and buck is in love, and eddie knows, and he sinks into his partner's embrace with joy and acceptance.

after that, who knows? maybe a grand confession. a moment of quiet understanding. a passionate post-rescue kiss. a chaste, tender kiss in some kitchen or other. maybe eddie panics later, or maybe he's found peace for once. maybe buck has realized something and he makes the first move. maybe it happens immediately. maybe it takes a while, takes discussions about how it'll affect work and christopher and whether it's worth risking all that they have for all that they want.

and maybe they'll ask whether it's even a risk at all.

[luanna801]

Live Renfield Reaction - 7/20

(Aka, probably the most dramatic roller-coaster of these reactions so far. As always, further notes in my original post if you want more context.)

I gave Renfield a strong opiate to-night, enough to make even him sleep, and took away his pocket-book to look at it.

!!!!! That is not for you to look at!! How dare you-

The thought that has been buzzing about my brain lately is complete, and the theory proved.

Wow. Congratulations. Only took stealing from me and invading my last scrap of privacy to do it.

My homicidal maniac is of a peculiar kind.

I am my own homicidal maniac, thank you very much.

I shall have to invent a new classification for him, and call him a zoöphagous (life-eating) maniac;

Catchy!

what he desires is to absorb as many lives as he can, and he has laid himself out to achieve it in a cumulative way. He gave many flies to one spider and many spiders to one bird, and then wanted a cat to eat the many birds.

Somebody give the man a prize.

What would have been his later steps? It would almost be worth while to complete the experiment.

!!!! YES!!! YES IT WOULD!!!

It might be done if there were only a sufficient cause.

OH???? WHAT KIND OF CAUSE??? WHAT WOULD GET YOU TO AGREE--

Men sneered at vivisection, and yet look at its results to-day!

EXACTLY!! VIVISECTION IS FASCINATING!!

SO DOES THIS MEAN YOU'LL GIVE ME THE CAT, OR--

Why not advance science in its most difficult and vital aspect—the knowledge of the brain? 

... Don’t you mean the knowledge of life??

Had I even the secret of one such mind—did I hold the key to the fancy of even one lunatic—I might advance my own branch of science

Ohhhh, I see. This is still all about you.

I study animals and you study me, is that it?

-to a pitch compared with which Burdon-Sanderson’s physiology or Ferrier’s brain-knowledge would be as nothing.

... Sure. Fine. Whatever. Can I have the cat or not??

If only there were a sufficient cause!

THERE IS!!! DAMN IT!! JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED TO HEAR-

I must not think too much of this, or I may be tempted;

👀

a good cause might turn the scale with me, for may not I too be of an exceptional brain, congenitally?

... You know, now that you mention it, yeah. I'm pretty sure a normal doctor wouldn't even be considering this.

Not that I'm complaining, mind you...

How well the man reasoned;

😊

lunatics always do within their own scope.

Well, fuck you too.

I wonder at how many lives he values a man, or if at only one.

That depends on the man, doesn't it? There are definitely some men whose lives I'm not rating very high right now...

He has closed the account most accurately, and to-day begun a new record. How many of us begin a new record with each day of our lives?

Wow, deep.

So, about that cat...

To me it seems only yesterday that my whole life ended with my new hope, and that truly I began a new record. So it will be until the Great Recorder sums me up and closes my ledger account with a balance to profit or loss.

Ohhhhhh, here he goes...

Oh, Lucy, Lucy, I cannot be angry with you, nor can I be angry with my friend whose happiness is yours; but I must only wait on hopeless and work. Work! work!

Yes, yes. Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. Very sweet. Very sad.

Are you getting back to my experiments anytime soon, or... ? What would be a sufficient cause?? If I tried explaining it to you, could I make you understand?

If I only could have as strong a cause as my poor mad friend there—a good, unselfish cause to make me work—that would be indeed happiness.

You can take part in it!! Join in the cause!!

For example, just throwing out a suggestion here, you could start by getting me a cat...

[luvluvnitrodynamite]

random dates with jujutsu kaisen characters

ft. itadori yuuji, fushiguro megumi, kugisaki nobara, zenin maki, inumaki toge, nanami kento, and gojou satoru

g/n!reader (except maybe for maki but that's more personal pref)

itadori yuuji - "hey!-", you were essentially muted as itadori plops a strawberry in your mouth. you bite down, wrinkling your nose up at him in fake upset. he just smiles and laugh, as you drop the pout and laugh with him. you two were on a picnic, drinking lemonade and watching the hours melt away into the sunny sky. currently, you two were demolishing a carton of strawberries, the green tops abandoned on a plate next to you. you swallowed, relishing the sweetness lingering on your tongue.

taking one last berry, itadori reclined and sprawled on the blanket while putting his hands behind his head. you laid down on the blanket next to him, placing your head on his chest. he glanced down at you and took one of your hands in his, his thumb starting to trace gentle circles on your palm. with your free hand, you pointed up to the clouds in the sky. "that one looks like a bus," you suggested. "mmm, i think it looks like a log," he responds. "that one looks like a cat." "i think it looks like a log." "ok, that one looks like a tree." "mmmmmmm i think it looks like a log," he says again. "yuuji, you think all of them look like logs," you say. you can feel his laugh bubbling in his chest as he says, "because all of them do look like logs." he points up at the sky at different clouds, "that one does....and that one does....i think these are actually all logs in disguise." you playfully swat his hand and turn your head up at him, saying, "you need to use your imagination a bit. if you're only looking for logs, all you're going to find is logs."

instead of responding, itadori shifts forward and captures your mouth in soft kiss. you respond, pushing your lips against his in a sweet dance. his tongue finds its way into your mouth, deepening the kiss. his hand has slipped out of yours and now is on the small of your back, pushing you closer into him. he smiles into the kiss, pausing. "what?" you ask, temporarily affixing your head above his. "nothing," he responds, "i just hope we can stay like this for a little while longer."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

fushiguro megumi - he's is nursing a cup of black tea in a porcelain cup and saucer, while he chews on a black ballpoint pen. fushiguro is in a cafe across the street, but you can see him through the window. as you walk in, the bell above the door jingles and he glances up at you. he smiles and clears a pile of papers, making room for you at the table. you sit down across from him, noticing that he's already ordered a cup of tea and a croissant for you.

"hey 'gumi. what'cha up to?" you ask, lifting the cup to your lips. "working on this latest batch, but it's tough. did you bring your stuff?" he asks. you pull out a small notebook, untying the ribbon that holds the pages shut. "of course i did, i want your feedback on my latest poems," you respond. "this is the most recent one i wrote." in the garden of my mind/you sink my heart into my soul/blooming into something unknown/glassy eyes speaking of that garden untold is what you hand to him. he furrows his brow as he reads over the lines, once, twice, three....ohmygod how many times is he going to read it? is it bad??? you catch your lip between your teeth as you wait for his critiques, anxiously tapping your fingers against the table. finally, he looks up to you. "i like the use of garden as a metaphor, but i think you could expand on it more. it's a short poem so i know you don't have much room, but i'm really fixed on this idea of a garden. what grows there? who takes care of it?" he questions. his brows is still furrowed and you can practically see the wheels turning behind his poofy hair.

you smile over at him saying, "well, megumi i think you already know the answer to your questions." he blushes and looks out the window. the wheels are turning in his head again, but for a different reason. you know fushiguro isn't exactly the greatest with his feelings, so you give him a minute. he still gets flustered when you even allude to loving him, it's so removed from his own view of himself that he needs to take a minute to process. in the meantime, you rip off a fluffy piece of croissant and feel the buttery layers melt on your tongue. you look out the window, quietly drifting off to another world. "did you want to read my poem?" he asks, snapping you back to reality. you nod, picking up the piece of paper he passes you. your eyes focus on the first line: i love you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

kugisaki nobara - you love nobara, you honestly do, but sometimes you forget about that when she gets in a yelling match with the man at the ice cream truck. you're pulling your hat over your head, hoping to spontaneously melt into a puddle while the two of them go back and forth. "i don't know what you want me to say! i'm sorry i gave the wrong flavor to them, but i can't change it," the vendor says exasperatedly. nobara wrinkles up her nose in disgust at the vendor, retorting, "this business is absolutely shameful. i come all the way here for ice cream, and you can't even properly fulfill my order. what if i reported you to the better business bureau? hmmm? would you be a bit more cooperative then?"

yeah, it's been going on like this for a few minutes. you think you're going to evaporate into thin air when you realize the arguing has stopped and nobara is on her way back. and...omg...she's holding a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone!! you immediately perk up. "you got it!" you exclaim, quickly taking the cone from her. you take a bite (do you bite ice cream???? lick??? v unsure), and faux-swoon at how good it is. forgetting your previous embarrassment, you swiftly press a kiss to nobara's lips as a thank-you. "thank you nobara, this was so sweet of you!" her face deeply reddens, every ounce of toughness from the earlier altercation dissipated. she tosses her hair, trying to play it off. "oh, you know, it wasn't difficult. you just had to ask nicely." you smile at her, suddenly wanting to pay her back for the embarrassment she dealt you before.

before she can react, you quickly leave a flurry of kisses all over her face. you zing from her cheeks to her nose to her lips to her forehead and back around so fast it makes her dizzy. if you thought she was red before, she's somehow gone an even deeper shade of brick. now she's the one pulling her hat down over her head. "y/n!! cut it out, we're in public!" she hisses at you, but there's no real venom behind it. "sorry, i couldn't help it. you just looked too pretty to resist," you say, and start walking toward the city. even through the brim of her hat, nobara can see you walking away. before catching up, she's rooted in place wondering how on earth she got so lucky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

zenin maki - "y/n, i look stupid. can i take this off?" you smile at her, only your head sticking out from your door. "nope!!," you gleefully respond. maki stands outside your room with an annoyed look and crossed arms, wearing the maid outfit you dropped off at her house this morning. you quickly close the door and speedily drag your socks up your thighs and tuck the matching headband into your hair. admiring yourself in the mirror one last time, you opened the door and shyly step out in your own maid outfit. "how do i look?," you say, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear.

maki.pdf has crashed. her eyes flick up and down your body, a slight blush forming on her pearlescent cheeks. you note her silence and flounce over to her. tucking your hands behind your back and rocking on your heels, you lean forward. "maaaaaaaaki," you languish in her name, dragging out the syllables. "cat got your tongue?" she snaps back to the real world, a coy smile on her lips. she moves swiftly, and before you know it she's pressed up against you with a hand on your lower back and the other hand tilting your chin up at her. "of course not, darling, but i wouldn't mind getting yours," she says, gently stroking her thumb over your lips. you momentarily flush, a pretty pink haze spreading over your face. you wiggle out of her hold and kiss the tip of her nose, before dashing down the hallway.

confused, maki watches as you return with...a broom. "c'mon! maids clean, don't they?" you say as you hand her the broom. maki bemusedly watches as you pull out a rag and a can of pledge. "y/n. you called me here, with a maid outfit, so we could clean your house?" she ask. "yep!". oh my. maki watches as you spray chemicals over the table, then polish it clean with the rag. fuck it, she starts sweeping your hallway. "am i even going to get anything out of this?", whining, she stops sweeping. you pause and smile. "of course maki. after all, i have to pay you for your services." maki smirks at you, resting her hands and head on top of the broom. "oh? and what would that be?" she says, raising her eyebrows. "anything you want." maki's smirk deepens, and she goes back to sweeping. "and if i want you?" you too go back to your cleaning. "well, in that case, i suppose you have to do a really good job of cleaning."

your house has never looked cleaner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

inumaki toge - you dip your paintbrush into the water, swirling it around and making sure it was clean before dipping it into bubblegum-colored paint. inumaki sits on the other side of you, though part of him is obscured by his easel. you would have asked him to move a few hours ago, but luckily you were almost done painting him. the sun was starting to set, so the colors of the setting were changing a bit but you were sure inumaki wouldn't care too much if you took some artistic liberties. you added the pink streaks in the clouds, trying to fluff them up as much as possible and make them look sweet. you frowned as you went a bit too far, having to clean your paintbrush and then touch up the painting with white.

finally, a few more mistakes and fixes later, you think you're satisfied with your work. it was a portrait of inumaki, sitting on his artist's stool with the blue sky and green hill in the background. a few hours ago it would have been an almost perfect rendering of the scene, save for the fact that you decided to paint him without his trademark collar over his face. you happened to love the seal on his face and tongue, but his covering of it made him more insecure about it as time went on. as he got used to seeing his face without it, he wondered if it would just be better if he didn't have a seal on his face at all. now he barely pulls down his collar, only ever to shout out cursed speech commands. "toge can we see each others' paintings now?" you ask. "okaka!" he responds. you sigh and say, "okay, let me know when you're done." you continue to add a few more cursory details until you hear "takana!" from the other easel. you poke your head around, asking, "do you want me to go first?" inumaki nods, and gets up.

you hold your breath as he walks over to survey your work. you feel him stop behind you and just...stare. no tsunamayo, no sujiko, not even an okaka. "what do you think?" you ask. he says nothing, and just points to his painted mouth. you look at him and feel a little bit crushed; he doesn't look angry or anything, but rather a little deflated. "are you upset i painted the curse seal?" you ask him. he responds with a slightly desolate "okaka" and your chest clutches a little bit. you wanted to show him how pretty he was with the seal, but you supposed you would have to go a bit further. "toge can you come a little closer?" he complies and moves right next to you. you quickly jump off the stool and clasp his face in your hands. slowly, you pull down his collar, revealing the seal. you hold his gaze for a moment longer, and then gently press kisses along the surface of the curse. you make sure to touch every angle, feeling the heat of his skin rise each new time your lips touch the curse. you pull your head back and say, "i think the curse seal is pretty. the way it curves along your cheek is just gorgeous, it's such a rich shade of black, and it looks the best when i see you smile. but most of all, you make it look pretty. i like the curse seal because it's a part of you." inumaki softly smiles when he hears this, and just wraps you up into a hug. you two stay like that for a minute or two, interrupted only by "can i see your painting of me now?" "shake."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

nanami kento - you two are at home in the kitchen. normally you both take turns cooking and cleaning, but tonight you decided to make dinner together. nanami is cutting up vegetables for your curry, while you focus on cooking the chicken in the sauce. soft music plays while a delicious aroma fills the room. nanami finishes cutting up the vegetables, neatly zooshing them into the pan with the knife. you add coconut milk and spices, stirring as the sizzling gets loud, and then gently recedes into a soft bubbling. you watch the pan carefully as nanami shifts behind you, wrapping his arms around your front. his face rests on your shoulder as you both watch the pan bubble away.

he gently bites your ear, asking, "how was your day?". your hand comes up to rest on his cheek, sighing contently. "fine. i was a bit busy, but nothing out of the ordinary. how was yours?". nanami sighs, the air lusciously dancing around your ear. "mmmmmm...annoying. or, more aptly, gojou was." you laugh, imaging all the ways the he could have been a nuisance. "is that so?," you say. "yes, but i don't want to dwell on it. work is work, and i'd rather focus on my time outside of it," nanami says. "like focusing on you," he breathes into your ear. he gently spins you around so that you're facing him, and pulls you closer to his body. he wraps his arms around your back, and you wrap your arms around his neck. you two begin to softly dance to the music, not even moving from the spot you're currently in. it's not perfect dancing by any standards; in fact, you think you're off-beat. still, with nanami humming in your ear and such a comforting aura surrounding you, you don't really think it matters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

gojou satoru - for once, you two aren't running around and acting crazy. instead, you've just woken up to rain pattering on the window and cloudy skies overhead. gojou is still asleep in bed, blindfold slipped over his face with his closed eyes revealed to the world. you smile, enjoying the sight. it's not often you two get time to just be together, with gojou being gone all the time, his students needing his attention, and your own life and responsibilities. you slip out of the room and into the kitchen, cutting up fruit and making coffee. you bring it back into the room, the smell waking up your drowsy boyfriend. crystalline eyes look up at you, filled with love and adoration. you sit on the bed as he sits up, passing him a plate and a mug.

"hey, i just had the craziest dream," he says, mouth full of raspberries. "oh? would you like to tell me about it?," you respond, sipping your coffee. gojou smirks at you. "well, normally i would say to never tell a bad dream before breakfast because that's the surest way to make it come true, but i don't believe in that, and anyways i could kick the dream curse's ass if it came to it. so, itadori is a woman, and sukuna keeps taking over to play with boobs, right?". he rambles on, and you think he's actually making some of this up on the fly, but it's entertaining and you don't want to interrupt him. he tells you the whole story, and by the end you've both finished your breakfast. you're still laughing at the part where inumaki is left at the alter by nobara chasing after maki, when he picks up your plate and mug and places it on the little table beside the bed.

"satoru, what are you-," you're interrupted as he swiftly pulls you into his lap, your back flush against his chest. confused, he hands you the book on the side table while he picks up a stack of reports. he opens them and starts reading, while you look at him in confusion. he apprehensively pauses and looks at you. "we don't get to have a lot of quiet time like this," he hesitantly explains, "so i thought we could just do something with each other, even if it's just reading. i have to read these reports and you wanted to finish that book anyway, so i thought we could start like this." he smiles down at you, and it's like he shoots warmth straight into your chest and fans it out to the tips of your fingers, toes, and eyelashes. you ghost his cheek with a kiss and burrow into his chest. "of course, 'toru. this is absolutely perfect." you feel his chest skip a beat through your skin, and try to hid your smile. you open your book while he resumes his reports, and bask in the comfort of shared love.

[marvelous-imagines]

Imagine Johnny that the reader is Johnny's girlfriend and is a typical Nerd who loves to read comic books and is addicted to games and her friends end up making fun of her

considering I'm a huge nerd YES AND DONE LOVE!

Johnny Lawrence x reader

Warnings: mild language. Slight angst. Fluff!

You couldn't help the wide excited smile that bloomed on your face, pure joy engulfing you warmly as you looked into the full length mirror, taking in your new shirt. The bold lettering that read captain America along with the majestic figure himself in his signature stance with the American flag blowing around behind him as he held his glorious shield. The shirt was art, beautiful and truly a masterpiece... And it's yours, thanks to your boyfriend.

"johnny I love it!" you exclaimed happily, turning back to look at the blond, his grin wide as he watched you while leaned against the wall of your bedroom.

"I thought you would, when I saw it through the store window I knew it was something you'd want" he shrugs cooly, "although you're lucky no one saw me in the nerdy store full of losers" he jokes while pushing off the wall and walking over to you, placing his hands on your waist.

"now johnny... Are you calling me a loser?" you ask him, eye's locking on his baby blues.

"not you, you're my beautiful little nerd" he leans down so his face is closer to yours. You smirk and quickly peck him on the lips before pulling away from him and looking back at the shirt.

"thanks for the shirt Johnny, I love it!" you say ecstatic. Johnny let's out a chuckle and swiftly wrapped his arms around your waist from behind.

"I think I deserve a kiss for my good deeds" he spoke while nuzzling his face into your neck. His breath tickling the skin there which causes you to giggle.

"if I gave you a kiss Lawrence you would definitely turn it into a 14 minute make out session and I have 3 minutes to arrive at Tiffany's house before I'm late" you placed your hands over his that was resting on your hips. He groans as he looks at you through the mirror.

"do you have to go to Tiffany's?" he questioned with a pout, and when he gave you the puppy eye's you almost wanted to bail out on your plans so you could stay with your boyfriend.

"yes, I promised I'd help her do birthday planning for her younger sister, then after we've planned shopping" you say reluctantly pulling away from Johnny's warm strong arms. He whines and nods in understanding.

"okay, I'll call you tonight babe" he said while walking to your bedroom door, "love ya y/n" he was his last words before he left. You smile fondly at where he once stood before grabbing your shoes and heading out the door as well.

You giggled loudly at your two friends Rebecca and Tiffany, while you all was seated on Tiffany's sofa while planning her younger sisters upcoming birthday party. You three had been laughing and joking around, talking more about boys then planning the actual party.

"last weekend me and Tommy went on our third date" Rebecca said with a smile. Tiffany let's a teasing grin spread across her face as she focuses her attention on the red head seated in between you both.

"oh, what happened on this date?" Tiffany wiggled her eyebrows in suggestive manner. You roll your eyes at your friend and smack her shoulder playfully.

"like I'd ever tell you anything tattle tale" Rebecca snorts, picking up the notebook full of ideas for the birthday and jotting something down before tossing it back on the table.

"oh c'mon, isn't Tommy apart of that badass karate thingy? He's a total badass!"

"my boyfriend knows karate too Tiffany" you decide to join the conversation with a little smile, just the thought of Johnny making your heart skip a beat.

Tiffany scoffs, shaking her head. "y/n sweetie we're talking about actual guys, not some comic book guys you have a crush" you lift a brow at her harsh tone. Of course your friends wasn't fond of comics as much as you was. They often teased you for liking comics, calling you childish and nerdy. But they was still your friends and you suffered through the constant teasing and insults.

"she's actually dating Johnny Lawrence, that cute blond boy you drool over at school" Rebecca spoke up as you just simply grabbed the notebook and jot down some ideas for Tiffany.

That seemed to make her choke on air nearly as she had wide eye's. "he's dating her?! The nerdy, quite little -

"what's so bad about being nerdy?" you cut her off angrily as you tossed the notebook aside and crossed your arms. Starting to feel offended by her this time.

"it's lame, all the comic books, the stupid dolls you collect - even that stupid shirt! It's childish y/n. You need to grow up" Tiffany spat out harshly, leaving you feeling a wave of hurt weigh down on you. What if she was right?

"it's not childish -

You tried to explain but she cuts you off with a laugh, "and all you do is play stupid video games, you spend more time in comic stores and arcades then hanging out with actual people" she laughed, Rebecca stifling a laugh beside you which has you feeling even worse. You thought they was your friends...they didn't understand just how amazing comics was, they was a escape, a slice of peace from chaos every once in a while. And video games was fun, a nice way to relax after a long day.

"you guys just don't get it... The two things are awesome" you grumbled quietly.

"awesome? You're a nerd y/n, I don't even see why Johnny would date you" her and Rebecca laughed loudly as you feel tears start to build up in your eye's. You stand up and storm out of the door, your tears you tried holding back escaping.

It was nearly 15 minutes later when you arrived home, laying on your bed and taking in what your friends said. Why would Johnny date you? You was a nerd, you loved superheroes and video games. Your friends was right... You was childish, you sat up and take your captain america shirt off and slip on a plain t-shirt and lay back down. Johnny was a total badass and deserved someone better then you, someone who he was most likely ashamed of being seen with.

As you laid in your bubble of self loathing a knock on your bedroom door disturbs you. "go away!" you said loudly while you swing a arm over your eye's while you laid on your back.

"geez you sound so happy to see me" the familier sound of your boyfriend said, "it's Johnny, i left my wallet in you're room I think, I can't find anywhere else..." he spoke from the other side of the door.

You sigh and stay in your position, "come in" the sound of the door opening then closing was the only thing heard, soon followed by Johnny's voice once more.

"why aren't you wearing the shirt I got you?" he asks while picking it up off the floor and sitting on the edge of your bed, "what's wrong?" you slowly move your arm off your eyes and look at him. He instantly saw the sadness swimming in your eye's.

"do you think I'm childish?" you ask him quietly, slowly sitting up in bed and looking at him. He gives you a confused look before shaking his head.

"no, why would I?" he says while playing with the shirt in his hands, his eyes roaming your face trying to understand what's wrong.

"because I'm a nerd... I'm a loser Johnny, I don't even know why you're dating someone like me" you said with growing irritation at yourself. Johnny placed the shirt on the bed at gives you a stern look.

"I'm with you because I love y/n. I love everything about you, I love you for you" johnny said while scooting closer to you and placing his hand on your cheek, forcing you to look at him, his eyes holding nothing but truth, "what even made you think like this?" he murmured. You let out a deep breath while leaning into his touch.

"Tiffany and Rebecca" you muttered while looking away from his gorgeous blue eyes. He sighs and scoops you up in his arms and placing you in his lap, you was surprised by the abrupt movement but soon melt into his loving arms that was wrapped around your waist.

"if they were guys and kick their ass's for making you even think for a moment that you're a loser" he said causing you to giggle a little. But he continues with a serious look, "you're not a loser, you're cool and I love that you like video games and comics... It shows that you have a fun a personality and not a boring one like Tiffany and Rebecca's" he placed a kiss on your nose, you giggle at him and lay your head on his shoulder.

"I love you Johnny, you're the absolute best" you muttered while closing your eyes and basking in his loving embrace.

"I love you too y/n, every little detail" he muttered back, running his hand up and down your back. You truly did love Johnny, no one in the world could make you as happy as him, even when you felt down....

A/n: it's short as usual and shity, even I know that bruh😭 but here it is, I wrote it while suffering through a party (I have really bad anxiety and hate crowds so I write while standing in a corner to prevent panic attacks)

[gangrenados]

Sinful tragedy

Summary: Demystifying an old myth becomes a difficult task when you come face to face with it. Jason is a demon as old as time and will do anything to have you at his mercy.

(Demon!Jason Todd x reader)

-@astroherogirl ! Ilashka, my dear, thank you for being my right hand with this😚💖

-@me0nji thank you for letting me use you absolutely beautiful drawing 💖💖💖

Warning: since this is inspired in this picture it will contain certain topics that some people don't take too lightly and I understand, that's why if the church, nuns, demons and all that aspects makes you uncomfortable, please do not read this.

Also dub-con, blood, sex and possibly death, but in a kinder note it's not that kinky 🤷🏽‍♀️

This a more slutty Jason cuz I just got those vibes

 You clutched at your jacket once the windy weather became too cold to handle. Nothing was more pleasant than walking by your own on the empty streets of Gotham on such night that gave you goosebumps anytime you looked at your sides.

People like you didn't last long in this city, they were easy prey for those who didn't care about others.

Both the living and the death haunted the fools who thoughts that just because the vigilantes lurked on the shadows their lives would be safe.

It was such a pity that tonight you belong in that vulnerable group. But you knew your friends weren't that far away, you could call for help and there would be an slim chance that you'll be okay.

Besides that, haunting for spirits was the most unreal thing in the world. It was a vain child tale, nothing would happen when you show up to the supposedly enchanted church.

The old myth of a demon as old as time that marauder the place looking like a nun was just that: a myth. The church looked like any normal church during daytime and it would be the same right now.

But your friends wanted more than that, they wanted to know the real thing. They convinced you to go there, swearing that you'll be watched on and will act if anything seems remotely wrong.

After all, the tale just talked about one person confronting the entity, one person to drive crazy.

You shook your heard, this stupid thoughts were tricking your brain into giving it power to something that didn't even existed. You made it clear to your friends you'd only do this to shut them up, after this they better get over this demon nonsense and get on the line.

But now that you were face to face with church you're will power dropped to the floor.

Underneath the pale moonlight it looked impressive, not even the scarred paint, fallen walls and graffities that adorned every surface could take way it's terrifying look.

You wanted to go back home, this was too much to handle; your whole body was starting to tremble, but you felt lured to go inside. It was like someone took over your body and made you walk, you were just a observant of your own actions.

Anxiety was starting to clog your mind, your breathing hitched on your throat as you found yourself in the mildly broken altar.

Dust covered the whole place making you not want to touch anything, but you still had the duty to prove if the myth of the nun was true or just an old tale.

"Fuck..." you said under your breath while finding the little to not  will you had to start the call for old entities. You set your bag in the dusty floor and looked for two red candles and a little knife.

The light would bright the path between life and death, the red candles meaning your want to call out for the underworld and your blood an offer to the old demon. The only thing you had to do is cut your hand and pour the blood into the soft fire, but it was easier to say than done.

"Beneath the darkness within us, I call you to be proven" your words echoed on the building, making the fire fickle a little. You hoped you wouldn't forget the spell and the fire to not die so easily. " To show that I'm pure and worth of the heavenly kingdom above mortals..."

"Come and feed of my flesh and blood to see that I am not going to break in front of temptations." Your eyes danced across the hall, looking for a sign that this foolery was making effect. Nothing happened between the seats or beyond the building, everything was as calm as when you entered.

You couldn't deny that you felt silly for even thinking this was going to work, but still keep looking for something and the few paintings on the walls were something you couldn't take your eyes off.

A weird feeling grew on you, something was off and the way the fire died so abruptly was a clear prove of it.

"You know it's rude to stare?" That voice almost gave you a heart attack, you jumped backwards lightly as you hold your chest tightly.

A young man appeared from the sacristy, he walked up to you with a haughty, almost cheeky attitude and you could only  frowned when you looked him up and down, the  looked so out of place between the religious enviroment

His strong ars werecovered in fine black lingerie giving him a classy aspect, while the kinky black leather hugged his body perfectly, resalting his chest in a way that it made you wonder how it must feel dragging your fingers against his abs and pectorals.

He showed it proudly, making you feel shy around his boldness and the thoughts that crossed through your head, however, you couldn't hang your head, too embarrassed to see  what's beyond the hips.

The stranger tapped impatiently against the chipped wooden floor, he dragged a puff from his cigar and exhaled the smoke slowly in the air." So, what are you doing here?"

You could ask the same question to such a particular man, although you rather hold that information on yourself and save the mockery. "It's not your business."

You sharp tone made him scoff, "So we have a fighter here!" the man said in a joyous tone that caused you to frown." It's been quite a while since i have seen one, but I'm not complaining..."

"The fuck you mean by that?"

He shrugged off as he throw the cigar on the floor and stomped it."Now you're forgetful? You called me, sweetheart."

Your heart felt to the floor as those words left his mouth and echoed in your head in painful motion. "So you're real?"

"Yes, and the name's Jason." The demon nodded, exposing a smile that you could spot two White fangs you guessed were Sharp enough to cut through skin."I know some people want to keep this nameless and shit, but I don't give a fuck if I'm being honest."

You were trapped surely, but you hadn't promised anything to him yet and maybe you could save yourself if you just leave before making a mistake. "Well do you wanna have some fun?" Jason took you by the waist, pulling you closer to him.

"I wanna make you happy, be your whore and let you do whatever the fuck you want to me." He whimpered wantonly as he took your hands and dragged them down his torse.

"I can be your little slut and you can be mommy..." A shiver ran down your spine when you had finally the chance to look him. The demon was beautiful, there was no lie about it.

His eyes looked benevolent as they shined brightly thanks to the faint light of the moon and the candles; also the few strands of white and black hair that escaped from the veil gave him a boyish look, but his smile was wicked. It made you feel preyed on even when he showed himself so submissive in front of you.

"I-I need to go...".You barely managed to stammer, pushing him away in a shy demeanor.

you were afraid of losing control in front of someone as dangerous as him. But Jason didn’t gave up easily. "No, baby!" he complained with a pout." I promise I'll be a good boy, just for you!, but don't leave me here all alone..."

Trembling, you shook your head. It was hard to get your words out of your mouth in such situation like this, you were unsure that this demon was stable, maybe he would throw a tantrum if you turned him down, however, you were too scared to the core to think about his feelings.

"I shouldn't be here, okay?, goodbye."

Faith returned to your senses as you could walk a few steps freely, the door wasn't far away from you and you could see the bright streetlights now.

By tomorrow this would be only a story you could tell to your friends, maybe the media would want to talk to you about the horny demon who begged to get down and dirty and quickly you'd writing a book.

But you had to push harder and it didn't matter how hard you tried to run, the hallway always expanded until it looked infinite.

"You're not going anywhere." Jason said behind you, capturing your wrist and yanking you backwards.

He trapped you between his arms in an iron grip, forcing you to look up to him; his features were hardened, the charming and slutty guy who welcomed was long forgotten and the only thing you could do was pray for it to come back.

"You wanna be with me right?" Jason asked  in a wannabe sweet tonee that caused your stomach to twist.

It didn't matter how much you tried to fight the effect his eyes were luring you to give in." I want us to have a good time, can you do that for me princess?"

He caught your lips in a deadly kiss that you inly could return. Your mind was screaming, but you didn't care as long as your body felt good, and the way his hands roamed your body fire didn’t help either to keep your cool since it only build up a burning desire that the man who was holding could only extinguish it.

"I can do that." you assured with a ditzy smiley, finally losing any control over your actions.

You kneeled in front of Jason, your whole being foggy with the happiness of blowing him soon. So your hands graced softly the ropes on his stomach, tugging at the clips to the let go.

"C'mon, do it." Jason encouraged, running his gloved hands through your hair while  you pulled down the leather clothing, letting his cock free for your delight.

You liked the shaft tentatively, swirling your tongue on the tip before giving it a cheeky kiss. Without wasting any more time you took his cock in your mouth.

 You bobbed your head up and down softly tpo get adjusted to it, spittng saliva to make it more easier for you to go down.

It was encouragin the way Jason grabbed your hair, taking a fistful of it as he quick up the pace. “You take me cock so well, fuck...”

You wanted so bad to rub your throbbing pussy, it was becoming harder and harder to ignore. So clumsily, you decided to rub your legs, wishing the friction would ease the ache.

Jason chuckled lightly when he saw you." Do you want more?"He forced you to go deeper, grunting when you swirled your tongue on his dick." Do you want me to fuck that little cunt of yours?"

You locked him up with tears pricking your eyes, Jason was delighted to see you in such estate. He wondered how you would look with his cum covering your face.

He pushed you away, a string of saliva connected his cock to your mouth which broke the instant that the demon pushed you to the ground.

You pushed down your pants and panties inmedialty and pulled your legs apart.

Jason shook his head, "I want you to take everything off, sweetheart." He took the hem of shirt and pulled it up.

Taking advantage of the closeness, you took Jason's face in your hands and steal a kiss that quickly became a more heated one.

"I want you to fuck me." you said breathlessly as Jason went down to kiss your body, nibbling and licking a trail of sloppy kisses that went from your neck your breasts.

The air got caught in your throat when his fangs brushed against your hard nipple. "Fuck!" you gasped as he sucked at the tiny bud graciously while he rubbed your soaked core.

You moved your hips up unconsciously, you wanted to feel more than just a simple heat wave.

His movements were a dirty torture on your clit, it was not enough and the question of how his cock would feel inside you gnawed at you.

"Please Jason" you asked in a muffled groan, he just nodded without stopping masturbating you. "Fuck me."

"whatever you want, babe" He pecked your lips softly as he rubbed the tip of his cock in your cunt.

"No more teasing!" your cries were quickly interrupted as he pushed his dick into your throbbing cunt in a slow way.

You let yourself hang when Jason started to thrust, it was slow even gentle pace at first just making sure you got adjusted to his size. However, it didn't lasted much longer as Jason started to speed up.

You were moving back and forth roughly, luckily you had your legs wrapped on Jason's torso to keep balance because.

Jason was fucking your mind away, nothing more than his moans and your pleasure that was slowly pushing you to be at his mercy.

It didn't matter that this man was an underground creature as long as he keeps fucking you like this.

However, the faint eyes of the saints were seeing you straight in the eye, following any move you made like they were judging. They felt sorry for you, a poor sould doomed by it's ego and need to prove themselves to others.

They prayed for your sould to get saved from the claws of that monster.

The moment your blood poured slowly to the floor you locked gazes with the only virgin who lasted through all this time of root in this dammed church, she was smiling softly with her arms open.

The only pure light within the darkness.

"You look so pretty like this, being a cock whore suits you well..." He chuckled in a low tone, quickly followed by a few grunts." Do you wanna be my slut forever, sweetheart?"

You felt pathetic at how quickly you nodded. Yeah, maybe you were too deep in his control to think by yourself, your mind was fogged and the only straight thought you could make out was the way this demon was fucking you silly.

You needed more of this, you wanted to be his own toy regardless of how hard that might be.

Jason shook his head with a cynical smile, overjoyed by your enthusiasm.

It was nice to have someone to play with after a long time. You could be useful as a fleshlight whenever he gets bored, and if he gets tired of you then getting ride of that issue wouldn't be that hard anyway.

"You're so doomed, baby." he graced you cheeck whit his thumb and you leaned to the touch, glad to make happy your new master.

Tag list @bathroom-sand @aterriblelangblr @simpery @strangerthings14 @jyarumu0619 @kellieriddle96 @adarksoul098 @rosethegothamhistorynerd @duckmylife18 @panic-attheplace @malfoys-demigod @darkraven197 @magicisabluewish @hamdehlesmis @lucy-roo @lovelyartemisa @missmaskedwriter @c0-77 @ginevraxrogers @imagines-fluff-yandere-smut @shadygoateeprincess @nervousfandom @ghost-bitch @silverw19 @thegirlwholovesbooksblog @hecatemacbeth7 @unknowntoanyone @mistalli @screechingghostbananafarm @psych0crybaby @barnowl48 @waroncheer @lady-stirling @ghostly-ginger @greeknerd007 @caswinchester2000 @sara5208 @la-femme-lupita @jasonsballsack @violettessuniverse @wondergal21 @disnerd626 @pree-2003-blog @dreamxcollide @thirstiestpotato

[gojoscloset]

NSFW

Hello, if you are taking requests, would you be okay with writing a gojo satoru x ready scenario when they try out anal? Thank you

———

WARNINGS:

❌SECKS

❌Butt stuff

❌Reposted from other account

❌not proofread lmao

——

“Tada!~” You stood before Satoru with absolutely nothing on, your back turned to him and you glanced over your shoulder, seeing his expression was priceless.

Your ass spread for him, revealing a butt plug right in the center, bright light blue gem glistening in the light with every playful shake of your ass.

You smiled confidently, but inside you were nervous to see how he would take your request. Anal had been on the brain for a while now, and as nervous as you were, you wanted to surprise him and let him know that you thought you were ready to try out something new.

“Well whaddya think?” You broke the silence between you two, apparently you had rendered Satoru speechless. His gaze switched between you and the gem in between your cheeks.

“Y/n….” he muttered and bit his lip, the corners of his lips curled in a sheepish smile. “A-are you sure you wanna do this?” He motioned for you to come to him and you obediently obliged, swaying your hips confidently as you waltzed over to him.

“I do. I really really do. I’ve been stretching for weeks now! I think I’m good where I’m at, but that doesn’t answer my question.” You sat in his lap and wrapped your arms around his neck.

“What do you think?” You repeated playfully, planting a kiss on his cheek. “I think it looks great. You always look great, no matter what you do babe.... But I just...Again. Are you sure?” He wasn’t opposed to the idea, however, he never asked. He always felt as if it was too much to ask his previous partners for that knowing he was well endowed.

He felt that his partners would be in pain,and to him it’s no fun if the other person isn’t into it. You nodded though, with excitement, practically clasping your hands together and with stars in your eyes.

“Pleeease?” You got up from his lap and scurried over to your drawer, pulling out a bottle of lube Satoru wasn’t familiar with. “I even went out and got this.” You shook it excitedly “water based and all.”

You flashed Satoru a smile he couldn’t help but reciprocate. “C'mon…” he motioned you over and he made quick work of his clothes.

—

Satoru didn’t just go at it, no no he’s cultured.

There were various amounts of foreplay, a couple orgasms here and there, yours of course. Teasing , lots and lots of teasing. But the best part about being here with him, and being able to share this experience with him is that even if this all went terribly wrong, you would still have a good time because you shared it with him.

“I’m ready.” You enthusiastically grab the bottle of lube and break the seal from the top. He lies down on his back and pats his thighs signaling you to straddle him.

“I want you to top, so you can set the pace.”

You nodded and made your way to him. The bed creaked some as you placed your knees on either side of him, his cock was rock hard from the earlier activities so not much more needed to be done.

You pop open the top and generously, generously pour a large amount on his throbbing cock. Generously.

Satoru beamed at you and watched as you happily poured away. His large hands rubbed at your thighs, he noticed the effort you put into this.

He took in the little things, how the skin on your legs wes extra smooth. How your smell was different, you smelled sweeter, fruity. The color of the gem you chose intentionally to match his eyes.

He snapped out of his thoughts when you finally touched him, the slick and dirty sounds your hands made when you squeezed and rubbed his shaft was delicious.

“Let me take this out” you relaxed your muscles and pulled the plug out. You positioned yourself after tossing the plug to the side and looked down at Satoru with a smile. You poured lube into your hand and prepared yourself for the big move. Emphasis on big.

“I’m going in” you say teasingly you ease your nerves.

“More like I’m going in” he gave you the finger guns and you slapped his hands away while bursting into laughter.

—

After finally regaining composure you grabbed his cock, you rubbed the tip at your entrance. He gave you bedroom eyes, watching as you carefully took the tip in.

“Take it nice and slow sweetheart…” his hands gripped your thighs, giving them a comforting squeeze. You simply nod and slowly push him in. You bit your lip, feeling yourself stretch tightly around him. Thankfully the lube was doing an amazing job.

It wasn’t until you got to the thickest part of his dick, thicker than the plug you had in earlier, by a lot.

Satoru noticed you were reaching your limit when you slowed down, the sudden face of excitement switched over to concentration, brows knit together, soft groans escaping your lips.

“That’s my girl, you’re doing such a good job.” He panted through clenched teeth. Instinctively he wanted to ram into you animalistically, the lust boiling through his veins, but he had to control himself, he didn’t want to split you in two. Well he did but didn’t.

His words were soft on the ears, his hands sneaked over to yours, locking your fingers with his.

“Take your time baby...take as much time as you need”

It felt like eternity for the both of you but you finally managed to sit down on it. You looked down at your boyfriend, face flushed and aight layer of sweat on your face. You exhaled deeply and lifted a finger, silently asking him to give you a moment before he started moving.

Satoru couldn’t help but smirk, he laid there completely still to avoid making any sudden movements and fucking your night up.

His hands never stopped rubbing your thighs, soothing the slight sting that came with this form of intimacy.

“Just so you know...if this were anyone else I’d be gone by now.” You said with a small laugh at the end of your words.

The little laugh was like sweet sweet honey to his worries. Satoru didn’t even know he had tension until you laughed, he could quite literally feel the weight lift off his shoulders knowing you were still having a good time.

“I’m honored….” his hands again rubbed at your thighs, moving them up to your core. ”more like blessed..”

One thumb parted your lips while the other rubbed circles on your clit, still wet from when he ate you out like a pudding cup earlier.

Your body jerked some and you grabbed his wrists to stop him. “Hold em up!” You squeaked and Satoru stopped all movement.

“One step at a time...I’m-I’m gonna start moving now..” he nodded and watched you, his hand grabbed yours and brought it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on your knuckles.

The way he filled you up was a completely different experience. You knew his dick would reach areas that the plug could not, but goddamn. It was like you could feel every vein, every curve, every pulse of his cock inside of you. The pulse of his cock made you grow wetter and wetter the longer he was inside.

It wasn’t until you looked at him that you noticed the layer of sweat on his forehead. You let out a chuckle and reached over wiping the beads away.

“Poor baby~” he was holding himself back as best as he could.

“Take your time. Take your time. But I just want you to know, it’s a tight squeeze.” Both of you burst into laughter “okay okay, moving for reals this time”

You lifted your hips up, pulling him out slowly, but not all the way out, just enough to get something going.

“Satoru…” you whine, he groaned in response, wanting you to know he too could feel the pleasure.

The stinging wasn’t so bad after a few thrusts, you finally fully relaxed around him, making it a lot easier for you to get a rhythm going.

However, despite you getting the rhythm going, Satoru laid there stiff as a board. “Toru…..touch me” you groaned grabbing his hands and you placed them on your breasts

“You can move now…just go slow”

His face lit up almost instantly, and his mouth was now a grin. The once concentrated expression was now a goofy one.

“That’s all you had to say…” he didn’t even know where to begin. Your breasts? Your clit? He was going to have to spin the wheel of fortune for this one.

—

Satoru sat up now, mouth latched onto your nipple, tongue flicking the nub skillfully. You were covered in his markings, intentionally he left a trail from your neck down in between your breasts , claiming you as his, nothing new though.

His nails dug into your hips, leaving stinging crescents into your skin, but all good deeds don’t go unpunished.

You clawed at his back, leaving streaks and trails of fresh wounds down his back.

“Toru...go harder.” Again, that was all he needed to hear. “Here, let me give you what you want...let me give you what you need…” he growled.

His fingers ran across your slit, coating them with your juices before sticking them inside. Satoru swirled his fingers around in a circular motion creating friction and rubbing that delicious spot with both his cock and digits.

“AH!” Your back arched at the foreign sensation, but your body craved more of it. You bounced on him, juices leaking on his thighs and onto the sheets, but you didn’t care, you needed release.

“Don’t stop!” You cried out when his thumb pressed against your clit, pushing you over the edge. This was Satoru’s favorite part, seeing your face and body wrench in pleasure due to his touch. His fingers. His cock. It was all because of him and the very concept of that made his body feel like it was on fire.

He watched as your body tensed up, watched as you threw your head back, completely lost in the bliss that he provided specifically for you. His eyes were blown and he looked at you like you were the one who hung the stars, the one who made the flowers bloom in the spring, like if the world was specifically made just for you.

Your body shook and twitched around him, Pussy creaming down his fingers as they slowed their pace, thumb still circling your nub, he’d rather overstim you then to cut it short.

However it wasn’t long until your body Couldn’t take anymore, your thighs threatening to close but he held them open until he made sure you were good.

Circles still being traced carefully on your clit, more and more arousal leaking out of you as he did.

“Okay okay okay okay!” You squeaked and grabbed his wrists to stop him.

“You sure?” He let out a chuckle and pulled his fingers out of you, they were coated in your fluids up to the knuckles, strings of stickiness attached to his fingers when he spread them apart.

He didn’t hesitate to put them in his mouth, sucking and licking off your fluids hungrily like a man who hasn’t eaten in days.

“Always so tasty for me” he cooed and moved his body carefully so he was now hovering over you. His hands hooked behind your knees and pushed them as far up as he could while looking into your eyes.

“Give me more.” he whispered.

[marrys-dream-world]

if we’re bound to be something, why not together? (chapter 11)

Read on AO3

First / Previous / Next

Notes:  Double update to cheer up a bit! This chapter turned out much longer than I thought it would be, almost double the size of other chapters. No content warning, just fluff! The song "Blueming" by IU, I think this fits this chapter a lot so if you want a song to listen while you read, it's that! Day 11: Voice Mail/Phone calls. @ladynoirjuly

After their last patrol, Ladybug sent Chat Noir a link through their communicators.

[Download this!!] She sent along with it, eagerly waiting for him. 

[As my lady commands : D] He sent back almost immediately. 

That talk had been a bit of an eye-opener to Marinette. She was getting to know Chat Noir more and more each day and she treasured every bit of information she got, jealousy holding it close to chest, hesitating to write it even in her diary. He was a quiet student during class, he had a friend whose name was definitely not Sallie (ugh), his father was distant, his mother and mother-figure were out of reach. He was lonely. All this information was worrying, just not as much as what she learned that night. At that moment, with him shaking in her arms, she made a decision.

Being there for him just as Ladybug wasn't going to cut it anymore. 

This idea wasn't anything new, she had been playing with it in her mind for a while now. So when she sent him a chat room code through her communicator with other instructions and detransformed, she was fairly confident it would work. Picking up her phone, she smiles as she saw that there was already a message.

CN

My lady!! <3 <3 <3

LB

down, Chaton. :)

CN

I'm just mdlaomqnahsbsk

Is it okay, though? Talking like this?

LB

yeah, i've been testing this app with RR and it's fine, there's no way we'll leak our numbers or anything like that to each other. don't worry ;)

CN

This app is to warn each other about attacks and schedule meetings? Are you going to add RR to the chat?

LB

nah, i'll just make one for the 3 of us. this is one for us to talk and stuff, doesn't need to be about job things.  

The "CN is typing…" kept it's place on the screen for enough time for her to start getting worried. 

CN

You don't need to force yourself for my sake, bug. I don't want to bother you. 

Marinette thought about making a joke. The situation, however, didn't seem right for it. 

LB

you never bother me.

His response came almost immediately.

CN

You never texted me before.

LB

guess i'll have to learn what's the maximum amount of cat memes a person can humanely send per day

CN

Is that a challenge, my lady?

LB

;) ;) ;)

just remember to not blow up my phone, we have class

CN

I'll use my powers for good, don't worry : D

Marinette smiled and put down her phone, fixing up her bag for the next day on the chance (certainty) that she would wake up late the next day. When she picked the phone up again, there was a single text:

LB

Thank you, bug. Good night. 

He was absolutely unstoppable after that. Next morning, as she was brushing her teeth, her cell phone pinged with the telling sound from the app and she smiled as she opened the app on her phone. 

CN

Look, look, we can change each other's names.

LB

good to know

You changed "CN" 's name to "Chat-terbox"

Chat-terbox

You know me so well. Soulmates.

Chat-terbox changed your name to "lady of my heart"

lady of my heart

yeah, i should have seen that coming, that's on me. 

oh yeah, gm

Chat-terbox

Good morning <3 <3 <3

Are you in class already?

Marinette froze in place, eyes snapping to the clock. There was only ten minutes before the class started. She bolted, barely noticing if she had on the right shoes or if her jacket matched her pants. So much for being an aspiring designer. Marinette blurred past the kitchen, taking a croissant and a banana and cramming them into her mouth as she ran. She made it to the classroom in the middle of the roll call, not even stopping by the lockers.

“Thanks for joining us, Marinette.” Ms. Bustier said dryly. “Please take a seat.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” She answered, out of breath. Sitting down, she took out her tablet and noticed another message making her phone screen glow. 

Chat-terbox

Is everything okay?

lady of my heart

i made it late in class but the teacher let me in hehehe

i think she's used to it *forehead sweatdrop emoji*

Chat-terbox

Hahaha a friend of mine just did the same thing, you two are twins 

lady of my heart

let me guess… Sallie *eyeroll emoji*

Chat-terbox

I mean, yeah, but why the eyeroll???

lady of my heart

you just talk too much about her, don't you think

Chat-terbox

You sound just like Plagg.

lady of my heart

maybe bc we're right

Chat-terbox

Why does that bother you? Jealous? *eyes emoji*

lady of my heart

as if *kicks u*

Chat-terbox

You kick your partner? You kick his body like the football? Oh! Oh! Jail for my lady! Jail for my lady for One Thousand Years!

lady of my heart

since my fate is already decided *kicks u again*

Chat-terbox

Nooooooooo

A giggle escaped her mouth.

"Marinette?" Ms. Bustier raised an eyebrow. "Something you want to share with the class?"

"N-no, ma'am." She answered, face heating up. Marinette quietly put her phone away, ignoring Alya's prying eyes. 

She only opened the app again during the break between classes, moving away from a curious Alya to hang by Kim and Alíx. 

Chat-terbox

I'll assume you're actually paying attention to class, which is great. You probably need it to make up all those crazy plans ;)

SM beaten by ninth grade physics 

Hey, boo, did you see this one SM identity theory video making rounds on the internet?

Marinette frowned.

lady of my heart

there's nothing new on the ladyblog

Chat-terbox

Oh, it's not on the Ladyblog, here 

She opened the video as quickly as she could before Ms. Bustier came back, only from the sound to make Kim and Alíx burst out into laughter.

lady of my heart

i opened it in my class I hate u so muuuuuch ughhhhhh

Chat-terbox 

C'mon, boo, it was funny

lady of my heart

>: (

Chat-terbox

: 3

This time, she willingly put her phone away. 

On the next break, she tried to ignore the pinging from her phone. However, curiosity killed the cat(‘s lady).

Chat-terbox

Please don't be mad, my lady, I have written you a lengthy apology to make up for sins

File attachment: apology letter for my beloved.doc

lady of my heart

if it's another rickroll i swear to god i'll END you

Chat-terbox

You can see it's not a video, it's safe to open

Scout's honor

lady of my heart

u were never a scout

Chat-terbox

I could be!!

Please read <3

Sighing deeply, she clicked on the document. He would never shut up if she didn't. It read as:

l would like to offer my sincerest According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible…

She clicked back

Chat-terbox

Did you like it? :3

lady of my heart

…

blocked

Chat-terbox

Boo, noooooooo

After that, Marinette didn’t open the app again no matter how much her phone pinged. She wasn’t mad, not really, just a bit annoyed. Before lunch ended, she would read and answer. But now, she was stuck watching Alya and Nino play Super Penguino and make moon eyes at each other. Adrien wasn’t allowed to join them, as much as he begged his father, and she was feeling pretty bummed about that. She poked around her chicken pasta when she heard her phone playing a familiar song.

kore nani kore nani korenanikorenanikorenanikorenani-

Chat Noir!

"Is everything okay?" Marinette asked as soon as she picked up the phone. Alya and Nino, noticing her worried tone, paused their game to look at her. 

"You picked up!" Chat Noir said, cheery. "I thought you blocked me."

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Is there actually something wrong? I'll hang up "

"No, wait!" He yelped. "There's nothing wrong, I just wanted to talk. Are you busy?"

Marinette looked over at Nino and Alya, who were still watching her expectantly. She smiles reassuringly and waved them away, furtively signaling to Alya that it was Chat Noir on the phone. Her friend nodded and bumped her shoulder on Nino's. 

"C'mon, babe, let Marinette talk to her 'friend' by herself." Alya said, leering. 

"Why did you say it like that?" Nino asked, confused. Then, his eyes lit up. "Is it Adrien? Tell him I said hi!"

"No!" Marinette shouted, gaining weird stares from the other patrons.

"No, you aren't busy?" Chat Noir asked on the phone.

"No, it's not Adrien, or no, you won't tell him I said hi?" Nino asked. 

"It's another friend." She said hurriedly before focusing on the phone. "I can talk now, not that busy."

"If you're with your friends, it's okay." He said, rather meekly for her chaton.

"I'm just third-wheeling." Marinette said as Alya and Nino began another round of Super Penguins. "Why did you call? Aren't you having lunch now?"

Chat Noir chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah, I'm having lunch at home and I'm all alone, so I thought I could give you a call. Is that too much?"

"No, it's fine." She reassured. "Why are you alone? What about your siblings?"

"What siblings?" He asked, genuinely confused. 

"Uh… the siblings I assumed you had for some reason." She said awkwardly, noticing how out there she sounded the more she spoke. 

"Really? You thought I had siblings? Why?"

"Because you're just like an annoying little brother." She said teasingly, a complete lie.

Chat Noir struck her as a mischievous, but supportive older brother. The kind that sneaked you treats after midnight and comforted you after failing a math test. Not like she could tell him that, though. If he was a little brother, it would be to a stressed older sister that he admired a lot and that found him reliable in return. She dreamed about meeting them sometimes and now it seemed that they would truly stay dreams forever. 

"I would like an older brother or sister." He sighed longingly. "The closest I have is my cousin, but he lives in another country."

"Oh, sorry."

"No, it's better this way, we would kill each other if we lived together. Everyday I would have to check for poison in my breakfast."

"A true sibling dynamic."

"Yep."

"Hey, why aren't you having lunch with your friends then?" With Sallie, she wanted to tease, but held back for fear of sounding, as Tikki said, bitter. 

"My father would rather I have lunch at home." He said vaguely. "My friends did invite me to go with them to a café, but my father didn't like the idea. He only likes one of them, the rest he says are bad influences."

"Let me guess, the one he likes is Sallie?"

"I can hear you rolling your eyes, but yes."

"Well, if you ever get lonely at lunch, you can call me." Marinette said honestly. "I don't mind it."

"Thank you." Chat Noir said softly.

They spent the rest of lunch talking on the phone, even sending pictures of their food to each other (Chat's limp salad made her take a bunch of mental notes to take him some pastries next patrol). On the way to school, as she walked to the classroom, they kept talking. She could hear Chat getting on a vehicle (a bus?) and when he got to school, she was disappointed he had to hang up. After Marinette clicked the end call button, the first thing she noticed when she looked up was Alya's smug face and Nino's confused one. 

"Wow, does my bro have some competition, dude?" Nino said. "You spent the entire break talking."

"What? No, that was just a friend!"

"Yeah, a friend." Alya sing-songed, making her face heat up.

"Yeah." Marinette said firmly. "There's no competition for anything."

"Who's competing?" A sweet voice asked from behind her and she jumped.

"Adrien!" She shouted, scrambling. "N-nothing hehe."

"Dude!" Nino smiled. "How was your lunch?"

Adrien smiled, brightly. "The best I've ever had."

Marinette felt inclined to agree. 

[razrbladekiss]

Tyrants | Chapter Four - Peril

WORD COUNT: 5.1k

WARNINGS: Mentions of death, drug use, Tig being Tig. The usual SOA shit. Sorry Donna..

She always saw the beauty in darkness. The lugubrious belle that came alongside the moon and stars and whatever else lurked amidst the murk of nighttime.

Isla was cliche in that sense.

She was cliche in the sense that she adored watching the sun set, swallowed by the mountains and high-rise buildings as the evening fell and Charming was painted black.

And maybe it was mostly melancholic because of the horrors that swathed that small town, but it was still beautiful nonetheless.

She still liked to bask in the scenery, to discern the marvel of her home, from the highest point she could access. And, sometimes, she liked to take somebody along with her so she wasn't completely alone.

"Why'd you still come up here?" Ope asked, pulling himself onto the roof as she sat with her back to the wall--puffing on a cigarette.

"Because it's quiet." She was content, comfortable with her response. "And whenever I'm looking for Jax, or Gem, or my dad--or they're looking for me--this is where we're almost always found. Just people watching, or reminiscing, or having a few minutes to ourselves away from the chaos downstairs."

It wasn't an unknown safe space--Gemma had told her that JT and Clay would climb up there during the earliest days of the club--but it was special.

Jax, Opie, and Isla spent time up there as kids, too. Because they were bastards and were always running from their fathers--and den mother--and the roof of the clubhouse was their go-to.

She never really got out of that habit. She'd spend hours up there if she could, just watching as Charming bustled beneath her. And she liked that it was separate to the garage, but everyone knew where to find her if they needed her.

"It clears your head, being up here." She added. "I have got so much shit going on right now--between work, and my personal life--but coming up here is like a refreshment, I guess."

Opie understood what she meant because he was also seeking comfort in the night. Riding through dusk, spending time alone on his bike as he cruised the streets of his quaint town, relishing in the darkness because it was strangely comforting to him.

He liked to be alone. His thoughts were brutal and they seared his brain left and fucking right, but he liked his own company.

"Wish I thought about comin' up here when I was released from holding." The man chuckled, balancing a cigarette between his lips. "Stahl grilled the fuck outta me."

"She did?"

"Yeah. She really fuckin' did." He added, grunting as smoke blew from his nostrils. "Did she get you? I know she got Gemma."

"Nope, she didn't. I don't know why, though. She interrogated everyone else. Starting to feel a little left out."

Opie chuckled, smiling a bit. "Be glad. It's obvious that she's used to getting what she wants."

"And did you give it to her?"

"Fuck no." Isla smiled. Proud. "She can cross-examine me all she fuckin' wants—I'll never sell the club out."

"They know that, Ope."

"I know." Half confidently, he nodded. "Just—Stahl made me second guess it all, y'know?"

Nobody in Charming--aside from the PD--knew where that despicable bitch came from, and nobody cared to ask.

What they did know, though, was that she had her heart set on making that town a living fucking hell as she strived to eradicate the Sons of Anarchy by getting to its members.

She'd grilled everyone she could've. She cornered Gemma when she was out running errands, leaving the grocery store with a sour taste in her mouth when Teller told her where to fucking shove it.

Same went for Jax, and Clay, and Chibs, and Tig, and...Well, all of them told her to get fucked, actually.

None of them caved. None of them wanted to sell the club out because there was no reason to.

Well, there was a reason to, but no desire to.

There'd been murders. Three, to be specific. And one of them just happened to be a police officer--which was quite unlucky, but it wasn't awful.

They hated cops.

What they hated more, however, was the idea of getting caught by them. And Clay was. Somehow, anyway.

Piney's old "friend"--Nate Meineke--needed quality, albeit illegal, guns with no traceability to attack the convoy that was transporting one of his friends from point A to point B. And it went as swimmingly as possible...

Until June Stahl was put on the case and found that idiot's phone at the scene after dropping it mid-ambush.

Clay just happened to be the last person he had called. Which then caused the investigation to point toward Charming.

They all knew the Sons were guilty of supplying those weapons. Who else would it have been? They were known for running illegal firearms without batch numbers from a quaint Californian town whose name didn't quite fit its image.

It was blatant, though nobody gave it up.

But Stahl tried her damndest to get answers. And when she didn't, she targeted the member that she saw to be the most vulnerable--after a hit went wrong and he failed to cover his tracks--and Opie just happened to be that guy.

She questioned him for hours. She practically held the man captive in that little cell until he caved. But he didn't--and he wasn't going to, either.

He was loyal. That's one of the reasons why Jax wanted to patch him back in.

"Yeah, I know." Isla got to her feet when she heard Tig yelling for her downstairs. "But you're the strongest guy I know, Ope. I don't think Stahl, of all people, is gonna get to you."

He shrugged her off, flicking the butt of his cigarette to the gravelly ground of the roof.

Opie had changed. Not much, and it wasn't very apparent, but he'd changed. Chino had changed him, she thought.

He was still dedicated to his club, still in love with the reaper and the responsibility that came with the patch--but Opie Winston lacked that flicker of enthusiasm now.

"How does your dad feel about you being back at the table?"

"Said he's proud of me."

He was a man of very, very few words. But the tone that he took--the sheer relief twined into contentment--spoke a greater volume.

Piney would always support his son, feel a sense of gratification from his involvement in the club. And, of course, Ope felt grateful to be back--but it was different now.

He'd served time for his club. Donna consistently argued that they sold him out and that he was fucking stupid for running back into the arms of SAMCRO.

But it was his brotherhood. The Sons of Anarchy were his family--his lifeline. He was nothing if not blessed to be patched back in.

"And I guess that wife of yours isn't too happy about it?"

"How'd you reach that conclusion?"

"Well," she ignored that Tig was waiting for her, standing directly in front of him. "If she was genuinely thrilled about you being back here, she'd have been coming to Gemma's dinners, and spending more time at the clubhouse with us. But she isn't, and I'm starting to realize that she probably hates me now."

His head shook. "She doesn't hate you. It's just...It's just raw. Weird being back, I think."

"She didn't even have to leave. She knows that."

Donna did know that. But there was always something about Gemma. About the way she let things slide so often, how she felt that she had Clay so pussy whipped that he'd be at her every beck and call--but, really, that was redundant. Because Gemma let him get away with fucking murder.

Literally.

"Is she gonna be there tonight?

"Of course. She wouldn't miss Jax's son coming home." He got up, reaching for her hands. "Sorry that she's been so distant with you, Isla. But she's just been stressed out--money worries and the kids and stuff, y'know?"

"Yeah, I know."

Donna wasn't traditionally a worrier. But five years worth of finances, being a single mom, and fretting over her husband potentially not making it out of prison alive, just did that to a woman.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"I don't think so." Grateful for her offering, though recognizing how damn stubborn his wife was, he conceded. "Thanks, though."

"Anytime. And if you change your mind, or need me, you know where I am--"

"Isla!"

"He is getting on my last fucking nerve today." She groaned, flipping Tig off as she looked over the ledge. "I'm coming! Give me a minute!"

"I've given you plenty of minutes! Just get your ass down here!"

"Just go," Ope chuckled, leaning down to peck her cheek. "We can have this talk another time."

Isla turned back to him, frowning. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Go 'n talk to him--I'll see you tonight."

He was such a nice guy. So considerate, kind.

She loved him a lot.

The flouncy sundress rose to the middle of her thighs as she sauntered through the clubhouse, hearing Trager talking--rather conspicuously, though slightly muffled--to somebody on his cell.

"C'mon, Tiggy. Why'd you yell at me?"

He waved his hand to shut her up, gesturing for the blonde to follow him out of the clubhouse and toward his bike.

"Yeah, cool. K, brother--see 'ya later. Bye." He hung up and slid the phone into the pocket of his cut, swiveling to face Isla with a smile. "You ready?"

"For what?"

"The party?" Tig told her, watching confusion sweep over her face. "I'm taking you over 'cuz you want a drink and don't wanna drive home after? And that you're probably gonna end up heading home with Juice, or something--"

"Juice?"

"It always happens," he shrugged, pointing at the helmet he set out for her at the back of his bike. "We all head out, you get too drunk, you take a liking to Juicy, and you try to ride his dick."

"What?" Isla got herself situated behind him as he got on first, her arms wound around his waist. "That was one time. I've only slept with him once, and I told you it'd never happen again."

"And why is that?"

Her cheeks flushed red, the engine revving sending vibrations through her entire frame.

"Because he was too gentle." Tig's foot collided with the kickstand.

"And the little Catholic girl likes it rough."

She felt the solid gold crucifix burning a hole into her chest.

"Yes. I like it rough." He groaned, leaning into her. She swatted at his chest over his shoulder, laughing heartily. "Just take me to see the baby, dickhead."

The bike sped out of the lot and Isla was loving the thrill of being on two wheels. She'd always liked being stuck to the back of somebody's Harley--but she'd never own one herself.

Isla was like Gemma. She felt stable enough riding with somebody, but riding alone--being in control of the motorcycle--was fucking terrifying.

Jax and Opie had encouraged her to take a ride at one point, but it didn't end very well, and Chibs spent the best part of two hours trying to stitch his daughter back up whilst Gemma castigated the two imbeciles who thought it was even reminiscent of a good idea.

Weaving through traffic gracefully, freely, was appealing to her, however. But she wouldn't be caught dead--alone--on a fucking bike.

Plus, she quite enjoyed being taken places. Escorted by a member of the club. It was safe.

The wind whirred and whipped around them, and she wished she didn't make the effort with her hair tonight. It was ruined, tousled to within an inch of its life, and she dreaded the thought of having to brush the knots out in Jax's bathroom.

Still, commuting via Harley was a hell of a lot quicker and had a few more benefits than commuting via car.

But the looks that they got were piercing. Horrible. Mainly from Hale stationed beside his squad car, watching as Isla and Tig raced down the freeway.

"He likes you." He spoke over the roaring engine when he hit the first stop light all night. "He hates that you've never given him a chance--"

"He's a cop, and I'm the outlaw's daughter. I've been raised to hate his kind."

Tig nodded his approval, setting off once again when the light switched to green and all opposing traffic stood still.

At one strange point in time, David Hale had his sights set on Isla Telford. He was in love with her. Completely besotted.

And she never gave him a second glance because, for one, she wasn't interested. He hated that she was so close to Jax and Opie, but not him, and he wished that she'd push herself away from the bad guys to grow closer to the heroic law-enforcer.

But he was a control freak above everything else, and Isla was just a free-spirit. She was loyal to her friends and family but she didn't want to get tied down, and she didn't want to become friendly with a fucking cop.

The only cop she liked was crooked. And Unser was in a similar spot to her--a little too affiliated with SAMCRO, but not completely doted on. Though, they were both strangely essential fixtures, and Clay would've been lost without them.

"Juice is here." Tig taunted as he helped her off the bike, holding her hand when she stumbled over herself a little. "Try to keep those panties on."

"Can't make any promises, Tiger." Her growl was seductive, though he knew that she was fucking with him.

She'd given up rebuking his claims, instead feeding into them because, with Trager, she couldn't seem to win. He was sleazy, and she loved that back and forth.

What she loved more, though, was that he was comfortable. He was a strange man, and nobody really understood just where he came from, but Isla liked that she could make jokes of any kind around him. He was easy to get along with. Easy to love.

And, man, did she love Alex Trager.

"If you do fuck him, though, would you make a video?"

Isla stepped into Jax's front room, turning on her heels. "Who said that we haven't already got one?"

She chuckled and wandered into the party, leaving Tig with a few convoluted thoughts and even more raunchy questions.

"Fuck. Gemma taught her well." He grumbled under his breath, reaching for the beer in Half-Sack's hand.

He slumped on the couch, motioning for his usual lay to sit in his lap as he watched Juice fawn over his little blonde friend making conversation with some other random woman already.

"Yeah, totally..." she agreed with whatever the girl was saying, but her eyes were glued on Tara. Just floating around the party.

She felt bad that the doctor was alone. Despite all that she thought of her, being out of ones depth in such an intimidating setting wasn't very nice. And Isla was an empath.

"D'ya think anyone 'round here has any nail glue?"

"Gemma might." She smiled, pointing toward the kitchen.

Grateful that she managed to shake that one off, Isla weaved through the small conclave and sat beside Tara, offering a friendly face during a time of such discomfiture.

Her heart was aching, the sheer nervousness was palpable, and she knew that Tara felt the same way too.

But Isla just sucked it up. Because she wanted to talk to her, and had to be the one to initiate it.

"Thanks for coming." Her smile was wide, genuine.

She offered a beer to the brunette, hoping that she'd take it.

"Thanks for asking me here." Tara accepted it, glad that Isla remembered she wasn't particularly a wine girl like herself.

Christ. This is awkward.

"Trust me, you were the first person I asked to come tonight."

"How so?"

"Well," a little bit more comfortably, she faced her completely, "you've literally nursed Abel back to health. You've been there every step of the way. You've been the best surgeon. And, as much as I hate to say it, you helped Wendy so much, Tara. I'm really thankful for all that you've done for this family."

"It's my job." She tried to brush the comments off, but her heart definitely fluttered at the praise.

Isla never changed. She was still the sweetest soul, she thought.

"I know, but you've had it rough with this lot--with Gemma, I mean."

"She isn't anything I can't handle." Confidently, she asserted.

"I know, and I'm glad that you're able to stand your ground." Reluctant, a hand landed against Tara's palm.

She jolted a little bit, but softened into the embrace.

It was comfy, warm. Prosperous, perhaps, because it meant something. Tara not jerking away and leaving once Isla offered a friendly embrace, was promising.

They spoke about the baby for a little while, and shared a few laughs at Tig's expense. It was strange, really. To be talking to her ex-best friend was strange, but she'd missed it.

Donna joined the mix, too, and it was starting to feel like old times. Isla recognized that they'd never slip back into that routine, the dedication to one another that they'd known when they were kids--but it was nice.

The conversation stuttered and it wasn't able to flow as freely as what she might've liked, but it was a start.

To know that she had something resembling an acquaintanceship with two women she admired, was nice.

And Jax introducing his baby to his brand new home, to his extended family that were already so fucking dedicated to him, was just the most wonderful thing ever.

"What about a beer?" Clay joked, holding the bottle close to Abel. Jax laughed, though he shook his hand away. "What? Grandpa can't give him his first beer?"

"No, he can't."

"I'll take it, though. If you're offerin'." Chibs grabbed the Budweiser and twisted the cap with the leather grip of his glove.

He gestured to Isla, tipping it toward her. "Want some?"

"No, you're alright." She went back to her wine, smiling at that little bundle of happiness in Jax's arms, wondering how the hell he'd gotten to be in this position now.

But it was because of Tara. Her commitment, her talent, and sheer want to help that angel through the roughest patch that a baby could have possibly been thrust into.

How Gemma could still loathe that girl--after everything she did--was beyond her completely.

Tara was the unlikeliest hero in Abel's story.

"Why is it that every time I see you, your highlights get more chunky?" Gemma smiled at the comment, turning to see her favorite girl, flaunting the most beautiful smile.

She handed Isla the bottle of whatever wine Chibs could get this evening, unable to quit beaming at the thought of her grandson finally being at home. Where he belonged.

"I told you I'd do them for you, Gem."

"I know," she nodded, playing with a few strands of hair, "I was gonna ask you, but you've been a little distant this week--didn't wanna add to your workload, baby."

"That's super considerate of you. Are you alright?" Isla teased, holding a hand to Gemma's forehead.

She slapped it away with a laugh. "Fuck you. I'm always considerate."

"Sure you are. That's why Wendy is here, right?"

"No," her head shook, "she's here 'cuz this is her house. If I had it my way, she'd be out on her ass faster than what you could even say 'crank whore.'"

Isla wiped at her lips with the back of her hand, tipping her head toward the blonde in the living room.

"I thought you made sure she was gonna be here tonight?" Confused, she quizzed.

She was under the impression that Wendy was starting to grow on her. After she'd tried to kill her, of course.

"I did," Gem confirmed. "But only because I knew it'd be awkward between her and Tara."

Amazed, or maybe fucking horrified, Isla simply glared at her.

It should've been obvious to her--plain as day--that Gemma Teller doing a good thing was simply a bullshit facade, built in order to take away from the fact she wanted to do an inherently bad thing.

But Isla liked to see the good in people, so it wasn't. And that really was one of her mot fatal flaws.

"She thanked me for letting her stay, too."

"And what'd you say to her?" Almost as if she didn't want to know the answer, she asked.

Black nails danced along the rim of her wine glass as she leaned against the counter, watching everybody enjoy themselves as they bitched and moaned.

"That she's lucky to be alive."

"Jesus, Gem," her head shook disparagingly, disappointed perhaps.

But being surprised that the woman made a threatening comment toward Wendy, was just as stupid as being surprised at Tig for fucking another hooker during his free time.

"You've gotta keep her close, ma. She's the mother of your grandson, the woman your son did love at one point."

Ma. The word rolled off her tongue unintentionally most of the time, but she didn't hate it.

Gemma was the mother figure in her life--hell, she was the mother figure in a few of the Sons' lives--and it didn't feel weird using that around her. It was affectionate. She adored it.

"Jax never loved her," matter of fact, she retorted. "They got drunk together. They smoked dope together. They didn't love one another--"

"They got married." Isla reminded her. "They have a kid together. They have a lot of history."

"Just because they have history, doesn't mean they love one another. You've got history with him."

Her chuckle was throaty, almost a full-on splutter. "We have not got that same history--we're friends, Gem, you know that's different."

She supposed the blonde was right.

There was hell of a contrast between friends for life and friends with benefits--and Gemma knew that. She just didn't like that Jax gravitated toward Wendy when he'd always had Isla right there in front of him.

Though, she was more than aware that the pair didn't look at each other that way--she still lauded the thought of the two together.

"I still hate her."

"I know," Isla laughed at Gemma's irritability, sipping on her wine, enjoying the sight of everybody having a damn good time.

"She's checking into rehab, too."

"Really? Where?"

"Some place in Oakland, I think." Gemma added, smiling at Clay when he wandered over to the pair. "But you didn't hear that from me."

"You think she's gonna stick to it?"

"Couldn't tell 'ya." He answered for his wife, leaning in to press a chaste kiss to Isla's cheek. "She's determined though, I'll give her that."

"Yeah?" His nod was optimistic--strange for Clay Morrow. "Well, I'm glad she's working on herself, anyway. She's got potential."

"You hate her."

"I know." She didn't refute the assertion. "But I'm still happy for her."

At least somebody is.

She wasn't lying. Wendy was a good girl, a woman tortured for no good reason. And she felt for her, she really did.

It'd been a shock, finding out that she was pregnant. But it wasn't like they weren't expecting it--what with the rate she and Jax were going at it.

From the start, Isla and Gemma were worried. She was notorious for her crank habit and the girls thought she was going to kill herself before she had the chance to see her son into the world.

And that almost happened, didn't it?

The doctors at St. Thomas were fucking miracle workers--Isla was on pins and needles waiting for a call to say that Wendy and Abel were okay.

But she tried not to dwell on that, now. They were both as healthy and Abel was as happy as he could've been, so Isla was content. She wasn't pleased, but she was comfortable with the way that things were going.

Tara, however.

"No!" She yelled, backing out of the nursery. "No, fuck you, Jax."

Juice stumbled backward when she nudged him out of the way, pulling her purse from the kitchen counter.

Isla and Gemma couldn't not stare.

"Tara, c'mon!" Jax called after her, but it was too late.

The front door had been slammed shut and the party came to a complete standstill. A thickening tension was shrouding the group, and things were only just starting to simmer.

"What was that all about?" The blonde asked Juice, leaning against the island.

She didn't want to prove Tig to be right but, after a few glasses of wine, Juan Carlos Ortiz was starting to pique her interests.

He swallowed thickly, watching Clay leave the room. "He said something about Wendy--wanting to keep whatever it is that he and Tara have going on the down low so it doesn't set her off, or something."

Makes sense.

"He has a point. She's doing really well lately." He continued. "Jax would hate to stunt her progress by shoving his relationship with Tara in her face."

Isla was rattled.

Jax hadn't talked to her in days, and she wasn't aware that so much had changed. She wasn't aware that he had established a relationship with Tara Knowles.

Again.

You know what they're like--like two fucking magnets or something. They always find a way back to one another.

She was too irritated to reside in that same room as Gemma, now. Knowing the conversation she'd initiate the second that Juice left was too fucking much. So she left first, instead.

The living room was almost empty. Just Clay, Bobby, Tig, and Chibs sat around the couches as Donna, the kids, and Ope were preparing to set off.

Everything was annoying her, now. She hadn't made the effort with Donna all night, but she was pissed that she hadn't started to say goodbye to her yet.

Isla was so fucking irritated that she didn't even want to talk to Tig, or her father. So she didn't.

"Where're you going, petal?" Chibs asked, hindering her plan to keep her mouth shut for the rest of the night. He knew that she'd crack a smile at the nickname.

"I was just wandering. Not really sure what to do with myself."

"Come sit down," he gestured to the space between himself and Tig, and wound an arm around her when she met the leather. "I've missed 'ya."

"Tonight? Or just in general."

"In general. It's been a few days, love."

"I know, I'm sorry." Her head rested against his Sgt. At Arms patch, and she sighed. "Work has been so fucking busy and I feel like I haven't gotten a moment to myself this week."

Isla only worked a part-time gig at some shitty salon just on the outskirts of Charming--edging into Stockton--but she hated her job.

She hated driving into the city every morning and evening, wasting a fuck ton of her paycheck on gas when, really, there was no point.

She hated her cunt boss.

Hated her cunt clients.

She hated that nobody really spoke to her because of who her father was. And when they did speak to her, it was almost like they were scared. Of Isla.

Gemma had always promised her that there was a space at the auto shop for her had she needed it, but she couldn't think of anything worse than having to answer to Gemma and Clay every single day.

Well, more than what she already was, anyway.

"Who'd 'a thought that being a hairdresser was so demanding?"

"Me, apparently." She joked, watching Tig get up and leave the room.

It'd turned somber. A little too bleak for her liking, but she guessed that everyone felt a bit awkward after Tara stamped out and Jax sat on his porch. Alone. With a bottle of whiskey.

She hated the hold that woman had over him sometimes. The way he was so fucking devoted to Tara Knowles that she could literally slap him, scream in his face, and ruin his son's homecoming party--and he would still pine for her.

She'd never understand that.

And she didn't understand how such a lively bunch of individuals had mellowed out over the course of two hours, either.

The party had disappeared. Dissipated into nothing and the atmosphere she once lauded was completely dead in the water.

It was fucking grim, and she couldn't wait to head home.

"Can I come with you tonight?"

"Why'd you even ask? Y'know you're welcome to come home with your old man whenever you want." Chibs told her a little bit stern, though it was essentially full of love.

She just smiled up at him, a bit buzzed. But she was having a good-ish time and who was he to chastise her for drinking a little too much tonight?

"Wanna head off now?"

"Yeah--lemme just say 'bye' to Gemma."

"Alright, I'll be out front. Don't forget your purse." He reminded, knowing she was too ditsy for her own good.

Chibs helped her to her feet, letting go of her hand only to part ways for a few moments.

Her mood was perking up, now. The prospect of being able to spend a few hours with her dad after a long fucking day, was just the best.

And she'd really missed him. Missed the time they once had an abundance of. Missed the evenings that they'd spend talking, drinking, watching movies, doing the generic father daughter activities.

They hadn't had that for a while, and it was truly a blessing that it was within reach tonight.

Well. It was within reach for all of five minutes.

"Oh my God--" Gemma's cell slipped from between black nails and bounced across the table. Saturated hues were locked on Isla, and her head shook.

"What?"

"There's--there's been an accident." She managed to muster out. "Or, maybe a drive-by, I don't know, but Donna--"

"Donna?" Piney's attention was snatched at the mention of his daughter-in-law. He stood up. "What about her?"

Isla knew the answer. She knew what Gemma was going to say because it was just the usual now, wasn't it?

Being affiliated with SAMCRO just did that to somebody. Man, woman, child. They didn't fucking care.

"She's--Piney, she's dead."

[rieson]

Midnight Espresso

Pairing : Portgas D. Ace ✗ Reader

Characters : Portgas D. Ace, Monkey D. Luffy, Sabo, Makino, Red Haired Shanks, others soon to be added.

Contains : Fluff, Humor, Social Media AU, Cafe AU, College!Ace, YouTuber!Reader, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting (No powers)

Word Count : 1596

─ace stumbles across a youtube channel that he finds absolutely entertaining. he's never realized just how much positive impact you've made on his life just by simply existing and making videos. that is, until you decide to take a small hiatus. though, fate or not, during your break, ace finds you entering the cafe he works at.

chapter zero; prologue.

A break.

That was what you needed.

Let's be real, Being a Youtuber is cool and all. I mean, working from home while still doing whatever the hell you want and making money off of it?? An absolute dream.

But sometimes, It gets really frustrating and overwhelming from all the snarky remarks people leave in your comment section on every single one of your videos they can get their hands on.

Waking up and checking your comments? The first thing you see is a hate comment. Followed by other hate comments under it.

You get a rare comment from a fan that actually comments a heart-warming motivation? The replies under the said comment were harsh. Like, real harsh.

It's just, hate. Hate everywhere.

You don’t even know why they kept coming.

You didn’t do anything wrong nor said anything offensive.

Hence, that's why you decided to take a time off of social media for a bit. (Youtube included)

You uploaded a video explaining that you would be in a small hiatus until the situation calms down a bit.

The comment section was oddly not filled with any hate comments.

Which made you more suspicious.

But you still take a break anyways.

You really needed it.

──────

Unbeknownst to you, somewhere in the world, a certain freckled, raven haired, film major college student was bummed out when he heard you were taking a break.

He loved your videos.

The humor in it was always hilarious that he often rewatches your videos whenever he feels down. In other words, For comfort.

Hell, he even showed his brothers your videos and they ended up liking your content too, leading to a “(Your Channel Name) Saturday Binge watch episode” as Luffy, (his little brother), would call it.

Like the name, Every saturday, the self-proclaimed siblings would binge watch your videos in the living room until midnight. Or in some cases, even way later than that. (Ahem, cue the sibling bonding 101)

But it’s okay.

He understands why you needed to take a break.

Social media can be a bit overwhelming sometimes.

God who knows how many times Ace has gotten into an online verbal fight when he finds hate comments in your videos.

He went all out.

Thanks to his oh so ‘colorful’ vocabulary he learned a while back when he was still in an orphanage that was owned by Curly Dadan, he managed to fire them back with the same sarcasticness that made them shut up.

Ace felt g o o d .

Like, real good.

Though, he needs to watch out for the time though. He slept at 2 AM that day and almost missed his class.

But it was worth it. (Atleast to him)

Ace works at a cafe near his college, as a barista. Nothing too special but hey, he needed to pay for his college funds somehow.

A normal day at work for Ace was always very uneventful.

Hence, that's why he did n o t expect you.

YOU, his favorite youtuber to enter the cafe he was working a shift at.

Hellooo?? Was he dreaming?? Is that really you?? IN THE FLESH?!?@R$*#RY@*

He stood there.

Completely frozen.

Oblivious to everything but you.

Time seemed to freeze for him when you walked inside.

All he could focus on was how your (h/l) (h/c) hair bounced when you walked, your (e/c) orbs glistening under the sunlight that went through the windows, and just how you walked in with a posture that gives off a strict but relaxed vibe.

He could not stop looking at you, yea you were pretty but that was when he saw you on the screen.

He thought a person couldn't get prettier but oh that idea was thrown out the window when you walked in.

How can?? Someone be more gorgeous in the flesh hello??

Was this allowed??

Ace thought he was about to get a heart attack from you.

Oh god just how can one be so pretty??

He doesn't believe in gods but thank heavens to the gods up there that made you, because oh my god you were just a sight for sore eyes for him.

He also probably looked hella creepy just standing there in front of his register, gawking at you.

Ace doesn't notice you already being in front of the register he was standing in before you said something along the lines of :

“━You there━?”

Huh?

Oh.

O H

Ohmygodwhatdohedoyou’rerightthereinfrontofhimandtalking

Wait.

No.

He needed to get himself together.

He knows you hate it when people treat you like some sort of celebrity and you just want your fans to treat you like any other human beings.

So he’s going to do just that.

Ace assumes you’re on your break at the moment so he will not make you feel uncomfortable in any way shape or form.

He’s going to treat you like any other customers.

Just.. with a bit more enthusiasm (I mean c'mon man)

“Ah! Sorry there, pardon me for my rudeness ma’am. Welcome to Ivory Blue Cafe! How may I assist a beautiful lady like you this lovely evening?”

SHIT

HE ACCIDENTALLY FLIRTED WITH YOU

OHMYGODNOOO

Pleasedontthinki’macreeppleasedontthi━

A laugh.

He heard a laugh.

Your laugh to be specific.

“OH!━Pfft━aha━” You cleared your throat.

“S-Sorry about that! I didn't mean to lau━”

“Nonono! It's alright, no need to apologize. Actually, I think I need to thank the heavens for that one because oh boy i’ve been blessed by your laughter” Ace responds, cutting through your apology while he gives you a sheepish smile.

This time, it was your turn to gawk at him.

It wasn't very long til heat makes its way over to your cheeks, lightly blushing at Ace’s words but smoothly brushing it off with a light chuckle.

“━Good lord i did NOT expect that━Pfft!━ Sorry sorry. Why thank you, i’m flattered you think my laughter is a blessing” You responded as a small smile forms on your face.

Ace blushed, making his freckles on his cheeks very visible.

He did not think of anything when he said any of that to you, it was like.. The words just seem to unconsciously escape his mouth.

He was embarrassed, sure, but he made you laugh.

So that was good.

“Well, that aside. What can i get you madam?” Ace smoothly says.

“Ah!━About that, hold on… I haven't decided yet..” You mumbled but it was loud enough for Ace to hear. You unconsciously make a pouting face while you speed-read over the menus above.

God you were so cute.

Ace just wanted to squish your cheeks right there and the━

NO! He needs to be professional for now, Ace cant afford to embarrass himself (as if he didn't already do that) in front of his favorite youtuber.

Shaking his head softly, he patiently waits for your order.

“I’d like an Espresso Macchiato please.” You smiled.

“You got it! Please wait patiently as I make your order!~” Ace says as he prints your receipt, smoothly handing it over to you.

“Here’s your receipt. Please hold on to it til I'm done making your order and call your name.”

“Ah wait, speaking of name’s. May I know yours? I’ll be calling the said name when the drink is done so you can go grab it and pay at the front register.” Ace says as he smiles reassuringly at you.

“...(Y/N). Please note it as (Y/N)!” You smiled back at him.

Oh god he was about to faint right there, but NO. He needs to do this, he's a man. He can handle this.

“Alright Lady (Y/N) please take a seat anywhere and make yourself comfortable as i make your order! I’ll be right back madam”

And with that, Ace ZOOMS to the brewing area, making an attempt to calm his racing heart down but failing miserably.

He watches you from the side of his eyes as you take a seat near one of the windows, waiting patiently for your drink to be done.

Realizing something, Ace forgot to ask whether you want it to go or to drink here.

SHIT

But,,, Judging by your appearance, you’d probably want it to go so he’ll take that chance.

5 minutes go by and he’s done with your drink.

Slowly walking up to the register, Ace says your name.

“Espresso Macchiato for Lady (Y/N)?” He half-yelled.

“Here!━ Thank you so much!” You say as you reached your hand over to grab your drink.

“No problem! Here you go madam”

“Oh! How’d you know I wanted it to go?”

“Instincts i guess, i was right, weren't i?” Ace grinned

“Well then, you have very accurate instincts Mr…”

“Oh! Ace. The name’s Ace.”

“Mr. Ace” You smiled, grabbing your wallet and pulling a 50 dollar bill, handing it over to him to take.

“Wha━ Nono! That's way too much!” Ace widen his eyes

“Take it as a tip for being welcoming and friendly haha!” You chuckle, shoving the bill to his chest and letting it go once you see his hands coming to grab it.

“Have a good evening Ace-san! Thank you for your assistance!” You grinned.

And with that, you were gone.

Out the door like a flash.

Ace stood there, once again shocked.

Not noticing, his face formed a shit eating grin. No. A Wide grin.

He’s going to remember this day for the rest of his life, no doubt about it.

Shaking his head, still smiling, he gathers himself back as he takes the next customer’s orders.

prologue end.

Masterlist

[danielletinybruiser]

The Good Fight New York/New Jersey Open 7/31/21

I competed yesterday! And I actually feel really good about it! I'm a writer, so, writing about my experiences helps me really grasp them and process them and such, so, here goes! 

And also: as always, when I compete, it's in basically no-stakes tournaments for anybody. I'm not going to big competitions, I'm just doing this as a hobby and going to light fires under my butt and test my skills as they are in the moment. So, I take it seriously, but I don't go into this with delusions of grandeur! I do not think I am the next Danielle Kelly.

(Content warning for weight here, I talk about it a fair bit!)

I think I prepared pretty well this time around! I trained *a lot* and took conditioning very seriously. I also had a funny thing with weight: since getting my (cough, cough, under my breath) Peleton - I've been riding a lot and running a ton using the app. I sure thought I was being a genius doing frequent two-a-day cardio workouts, thinking "oh yeah, I'll be 125 no problem." Instead, obviously, I gained some muscle weight from doing tons of high intensity interval workouts. It's a good thing! I'm so much stronger than I was, walking now at 134-137, and my cardio is very solid. But it did mean having to be very conscious of weight to ensure I came in at 135 on Saturday.

Again, this should actually be ideal for this level of competition (read: LOW), because it means my walking weight and competition weight are super nice and close (I used to be around 126-129 and still competed at 135, thanks to the other major tournament I do having nothing between 120 and 135), and I feel so much more durable.

An action shot! Thanks for reading so far! Lol

So, I was strict with my diet for the last month (I usually am, this just meant no cheat days for a couple of weeks, really), and did weigh-ins periodically, then every day in the last week. It also meant doing a little bit of math and knowing exactly what kind of food I could have in the morning, and what was safe to do in terms of sweating just in case. It was good to know, because that came in handy!

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 136.2 (you get a 1lb allowance, so I was only .2 over). I did a shorty 15 minute HIIT workout so I could have a tiny bit of food and fluid, being very careful to not dehydrate or do anything stupid. I'm not going to cut weight for this, lol, but it would be truly ridiculous for me, at my height (5'5") and body composition (muscular, but not JACKED), to have to go in at 145 for being, you know, .2 over.

The nice side effect of a short workout in the morning was helping my nerves a little bit (they were BAD), so at least that helped me breathe. I don't know if I've ever been this anxious before competing before, and I'm not sure exactly why — I know there are no stakes besides my pride, there's no money on the line, this isn't my career! This is my hobby, for fuck's sake, so I don't know why my body interpreted "lets compete" as "we are going to WAR and we might DIE," but there it was! I was scared! Brains are stupid!

We got a tiny bit lost on the way, but it was ok because things were running behind at the tournament. No problem at all. I made weight (135.6) and started to warm up. The venue had plenty of extra space on a turf field to warm up, and Viki was a SAINT, not only to drive my nervous ass over, but to help me warm up about six times. I felt better after just drilling and flow rolling a tiny bit.

It was a long wait, but my gi division was up first. I had one opponent at bantamweight, so, a small bracket in gi.

Here's how it goes in a submission-only tournament: you have your brackets, for a full division it's basically semi-finals and finals, with a bronze medal match and the two winners do a gold/silver match. With two, it's best two out of three wins gold, the other person gets silver.

For blue belts, we have eight minute regulation matches. No points, no advantages, no stupid bullshit (sorry, I hate points tournaments). If you both survive eight minutes with no submissions, you go into overtime rounds: a back take, a spiderweb/armbar, and a classic head and arm triangle. For each, the defender needs to escape, and the attacker needs to submit. If you successfully escape, and you successfully submit, you win! If both people escape, or both people submit, you go to the next round, and it repeats as needed (back, armbar, triangle).

It's a great format, imo, and really suits my style: I play defense, I like to wear people down, and then go for it when I see an opportunity. I will play all kinds of wild positions and try to get creative and weird with it, and frankly have fun, and I think submission-only facilitates that!

Still, I was so goddamned nervous.

We started the match and it was ON. My opponent and I were really, really well matched. Size and skill wise, we gave each other a lot of hell. It was rough, too, and I have all the bruises on my face to prove it! But I was having fun. A lot of fun.

Overtime action shot!

Our match went through regulation, to overtime. I escaped her back take, but her coaches fought with the ref a little. I offered to do it again, because, hey, I want to do it better. This may have been stupid of me, but I also, like... the reason I like sub-only so much is that I hate stupid technicalities and bullshit. So I offered to go again and did! And I escaped pretty well. On my turn to attack, I submitted her.

I honestly couldn't believe I won a match in gi. The last time I got a gold medal in gi, it was because I went to the 30+ division, and my opponent was 53. I was happy to win that day, but like... c'mon. I was 35 at the time. In sub-only, women don't have age categories, and I believe my opponent was maybe a bit younger than me, but probably not far from my age, and tough as hell. She was my size, we were well-matched in strength. And she BROUGHT IT.

I remember that going through my head, like "you can win in gi???" I could hardly believe it. I got my hand raised IN GI.

This felt great, and I was basically in shock.

(I won't belabor this, but I hate the gi. I think I'm terrible in it. Tuesday night - my last hard training day before competition, I did ok, but felt demoralized. I almost cried after training and told Viki that night "I don't think I'm going to compete in gi" and thought about pulling my registration. This is why I couldn't believe it, lol).

We had a short break and went again. Again, we did the full regulation match - she had an armbar at one point that I escaped, and I did have a last second back take and choke attempt, but I ran out of time. We went to overtime, I escaped her back take... and I remember, in the moment, getting ready for my turn to attack: "this is probably for a medal. IN GI. You are this close!" and I cinched it with a submission. I got my hand raised again. I thanked her and her coaches, and even chatted with them a little.

We went to the podium - another woman congratulated me on the match, saying she watched it and love dit. The podium worker said the same, and I was flattered. Kirsten (my opponent, who again, was fucking AWESOME and tough) and I did the podium thing, getting our medals and taking pictures.

Podium action shot!

Then, it was off to watch my teammate Ollie compete and kick ass,  and then get changed for no-gi, where I absolutely knew Kirsten was going to come for blood, lol.

It still didn't feel real: a gold medal? Me? Danielle? Gi-hating Danielle who almost cried after just training in a gi on Tuesday night (again, nothing went wrong, lol, my training partners are incredibly conscientious and were preparing me!) - I let myself wear the medal for a couple of minutes before putting it in the backpack.

Even now, just about 24 hours later, it doesn't feel completely real. I swear, I only even compete in the gi because it's just five bucks more to do both divisions, and you may as well get all the rolls you can on a day you are showing up.

There was a pretty big time gap between gi and no gi, but I was honestly a little nervous again. They put a (fantastic) purple belt (that's the next skill level up if you aren't familiar with jiu jitsu, and a pretty huge gap for me, being honest) in our division, and I faced her first. There was really no pressure at all here, I do not expect to win against a purple belt. I feel — very honestly — that I have a very, very long way to go in blue. Based on how the day went, I do feel like I'm on my way, and making real improvements — But I'm no where near purple.

I survived about five minutes of an eight minute regulation period, and did survive a pretty intense back take at first, but she got me with a second back take and rear naked choke/crank. All the power to her!

Then, the bronze medal match was between me and Kirsten again (who I faced in gi). Holy shit, this was a doozy. We fought really, really hard in regulation. I know she wanted it BADLY after gi, and I could tell she had serious wrestling and probably Judo as well in her background. She tossed my ass around! It was rough and it was tough, and my face is a little fucked up today, not going to lie. But I loved it, and loved rolling with her — she had such good pressure, and beautiful knee cuts, and she was strong and fast and athletic.

We went through regulation, to the first overtime. I won the "rock paper scissors" to determine who went first and I took her back... and she escaped. She did her back attack, and I escaped. 

At this point, I was TIRED. Not no much cardio-tired (I have myself conditioned pretty well), but... "I want to lie down and sleep" tired. But I got her in the armbar position for the second round, squeezed... and got the tap! Again, I thought "you are this close to a medal!" and defended the second round armbar well.. I really, really thought I was out, but in the last possible instant she just NAILED IT and got my arm back and I had to tap. It was fantastic, she did well to grab it back.

So, we went to a third round of overtime. Triangle. I had her in, squeezed, cut the angle... and got the tap! Yes! Now, I really knew I was close. I tapped her, all I needed to do was escape her triangle and I'd have a bronze in no-gi. I wanted it. I really wanted it!

I got into her triangle. It was tight right away (which it should be!), I *thought* I had stacked her in the correct position to escape, I thought I could do it...

And then... I remember dreaming. I started coming to, thinking I was asleep in my bed, and that i was dreaming about competition. I started to become conscious, and I heard her say "I think she's out!" and saw her face and the ref's face. It took me a few moments, but I realized where I was, and that I had passed out completely. She sank a PERFECT blood choke on me. Absolutely picture perfect.

I sort of kept saying, in my confusion "I'm ok! I'm ok!" and shook her hand and kind of stumbled off the mat.

Me, laughing in utter confusion after taking a nice nap on the mat (my opponent was really nice about it!)

Later on, I realized: we were actually supposed to go to a fourth overtime round! We both submitted to a triangle (if you lose consciousness, that counts as a tap!), and I believe the ref was actually asking me if I wanted to continue. Hand to heart, I'm not trying to save face, I just didn't realize it at all, in my complete confusion. I accidentally forfeited by walking off, lol. I seriously had no idea, and honestly, it was probably better that I didn't try to do another round THAT confused.

But still, that is absolutely going to be something I kick myself about, for forever. Just being THAT CLOSE.

By the way, I will say: it was the second time losing consciousness in jiu jitsu (and the first time... I'm not sure I was all the way out, this time I absolutely was) — it doesn't hurt. I'm not saying it's pleasant or great, exactly, it's very, very disorienting, because you actually start to dream a bit and have NO IDEA where you are for a few. But I would rather that than a broken arm or a torn ACL, so, as things happen on the mat, really not a terrible experience.

Kirsten deserves all the respect in the world — she put me out, and FAST (I had no idea how fast until Viki told me, lol. I sure thought I was fighting it for much longer!). She was wonderful to compete with, and I felt we were very evenly matched and got the best out of one another. I chatted with her afterward and we both complimented one another.

Overall, I'm proud of how hard I fought. I know that, in competition, I have absolutely defeated my self before, and gotten so discouraged. It's never conscious, I will always push, I will always mechanically force myself to get back up and get back out. Always. But mentally, in the past, I've really fucked myself.

Yesterday, I vowed to stay patient, and I actually did. I stuck to a gameplan fully: patience, defense, attacking whenever I saw or felt an opportunity. I actually feel, for the first time, that I did my best out there, the best I can do with my jiu jitsu right now, at 4.5 years of training, as a blue belt with one stripe.

That is a wildly unfamiliar feeling. Every other time I've competed, I've come out with at least a few things that were "holy christ, I am terrible at X and need to work on Y." The only other slight exception was the sub only tournament I got my first-ever medals at (silver in both) where I legitimately shocked myself. Even then, I had a couple of specific things I needed to work on (ankle lock defense! I still think about it!)

I'm a little bit beat up today (that armbar I thought I was out of, then got caught right at the last second? I tapped on time, but "on time" with adrenaline is "a tiny bit late" so it hurts like hell today), and will probably just do cardio for a few days to take time to heal up before going back to grappling. But I feel really proud. I feel good about it. I feel stupid as hell for accidentally forfeiting, but overall very pleased with the day.

Where do I go from here? Rubber guard, baby! I want to get *great* at rubber guard. And this has given me a huge boost to keep chipping away at gi, no matter how much I may hate it in the moment. Because I won yesterday, I do get a free invitation to the submission only worlds for this tournament, so, that's something I can think about...

But for now... I'm going to try and let the good parts sink in. Viki got me victory pizza last night, and holy shit, I don't know if anything has ever tasted so good :D

[wincestismyguiltypleasure]

Amber, I'm kind of obsessed with casino owner!Jensen and his pet. And how angry Jensen's gonna be when the new security guard Chad tries to 'rescue' Jared. And how Jared plays along with Chad, because he kinda wants to see what Jensen does and the guy's hot so it's fun. And how Jared's punished when Jensen finds out just how far he let things get with Chad, especially when Jared says "Well, if you'd fuck me more often maybe I wouldn't look for toys to play with while you're busy." (bad puppy!)

KELLY!! THIS IS WHAT I'M HERE FOR!!

If there's one thing Jared knows with complete certainty, it's that Jensen Ross Ackles is a possessive, vendictive son of a bitch. He does not share, and he does not take kindly to anyone putting their hands on what he considered his. Which is precisely why Jared was willing to bet his teeth that Jensen would go absolutely ballistic once he knew about Chad and the dark purple hickeys that he'd left all over Jared's, temporarily uncollared, neck.

But his dirty little secret was out in the open now, and Jensen hadn't so much as batted an eyelash. The casino owner's inate ability to foil him at every turn serving as painful reminder why Jared had quit gambling in the first place.

"You're right, Jared," Jensen says, taking a small step forward. Then another. Jared's blood pressure raising higher and higher the closer he got.

Of course, his first instinct was to reach out for Jensen, beg him for forgiveness, and keep his fingers crossed that he'd be able to sit down tomorrow morning. But that wasn't an option because Jared's pride had been hurt this time, and not in the break you down and make you beg for filthy things kind of way either. No, his Dom's reaction, or lack thereof, had made him feel unwanted. Like Jensen could care less who used his body just as long as Jared came crawling back to him after they were done.

So when Jensen reaches out, warm palm cupping his cheek tenderly, Jared resists the overwhelming urge he has to lean in and nuzzle against it. He'd be damned if he was going to let Jensen win that easily.

"You're absolutely right."

The rough pad of Jensen's thumb brushes over Jared's parted lips in a soothing manner. And even when Jared nips at him playfully, because he's desperate to get a rise out of his Dom, Jensen doesn't flinch. No signs of frustration darken his handsome features, or anger giving his hands a slight tremor. He just stands there in front of Jared, staring thoughtfully into those wide, innocent eyes.

It's intense, to say the least. But then again, intense was practically Jensen's middle name.

"I am?"

Jared blinks nervously a few times, clearly confused but Jensen doesn't give anything away. He just pats Jared's cheek softly and continues. "Mmhm. I really have been working too much lately."

Panic swells in Jared's chest, thick and suffocating, when he sees Jensen's lips twist upward into cruel smile. Realization hitting him full force in the gut like a freight train, and just like that, Jared finds himself whimpering in Jensen's embrace. The hot tears welling up in the corners of his eyes reminiscent of the first time that Jensen had caught Jared breaking the rules.

"Hey." Jared's chin is pinched between Jensen thumb and index finger before he can even blink. Grip tight enough to bruise as he forces the younger man to look him in the eyes. And right then Jared thinks damn, this is it. The moment that his Dom cuts the lovey dovey bullshit and puts him on his knees.

That's why when Jensen presses a soft kiss to his cheek instead of landing a cruel backhand, Jared is at a total loss. His bulletproof way of getting what he wanted from Jensen shattering all around him like jagged shards of broken glass.

"Don't pout, Jare. Tonight, I'm all yours."

"O-okay," Jared concedes, trying desperately to swallow down some of the acidic bile rising up in his throat. Barely managing a slight nod of agreement before Jensen turned on his heels and dissapeared, leaving Jared in his bedroom half-hard and shaking. The younger man not quite sure if Mr. Ackles had just made a threat or a promise.

---------

When Jensen calls him to the living room later that night, Jared gets his answer. It had been both a threat, and a promise.

"Ah, there's my boy," Jensen purrs, tracking every one of Jared's cautious movements with a predatory gaze. And suddenly, standing there in just a thin pair of light grey boxers, at his Dom's request of course, Jared feels more vulnerable and exposed than he has in over two years.

"Wh-what's going on?"

Jared takes a hesitant step forward, tearing his eyes away from Jensen with more difficulty than he'd like to admit to focus them on the blonde motionless heap just visible past Jensen's broad frame. A surprised gasp ripped from his lungs when Jared studies it a little closer and suddenly recognizes that longing gaze.

"I know I said we were going to have some alone time tonight, sweetheart," Jensen says, soft and apologetic. Yet still managing to look every bit like the pissed off alpha male that he was standing there in his navy blue Armani suit, clearly ready to do some serious damage. To Chad's vital organs or his ass, Jared wasn't quite sure. "But Mr. Murray just seemed so lonely out there on the casino floor. Hope you don't mind that I invited him over."

Behind Jensen, Chad's bright blue eyes were boring into the back of his boss' head with murderous intent. And Jared could tell by the state of his disheveled clothes and the fresh cut oozing blood above Chad's right eye, that he'd been thrown onto Jensen's couch rather than seated there. Hands bound behind him tightly with what Jared could only imagine was rope or a zip-tie. The single strip of silver duct tape secured across his mouth clearly the only thing keeping Chad's temper at bay.

"Jen-" Jared began, making a move toward Chad only to he stopped dead in his track when Jensen raised his finger. Those gorgeous green eyes buring bright with rage as he pointed to the ground, slow and deliberate.

"Sit."

Jared hears Chad make a wounded sound when he falls to his knees without question. His palms automatically resting flat on top of his bare thighs as he leaned back on his heels, head bowed in submission.

"Good boy."

Jensen's voice is smooth as honey. His words of praise drizzling down Jared's spine, warm and sticky-sweet, soothing him. And by the time Jensen had closed the gap between them, Jared's shoulders were relaxed. The last bit of tension draining from his body completely when Jensen reached out to scratch behind his ear.

"Very good, pet."

Jared hums his acknowledgement but he doesn't dare move. Because despite Jensen's words of affection and his gentle touch, Jared knows his Dom is one wrong move away from completely snapping.

Bending the rules now would only make things worse. And Jared is absolutely positive that neither he or Chad could handle that.

"Baby," Jensen coos, running his fingers gently through his pet's sweaty hair when he notices the pained expression on Jared's face. "I need you to talk to me."

Communication, this was good. This was something they'd learned together over the course of the death-defying rollercoaster ride that was their relationship. And it was definitely a relief to know that Jensen's finger was on the guard of the gun and not the tigger, so to speak.

"C'mon, Jare."

Jared takes a ragged breath and nods, daring to steal another glance at Chad before he looked up at Jensen, body trembling.

Outside he could hear the rain staring to pick up, thunder rumbling low and eerie in the distance but still, it was nothing compared to the storm raging in his Dom's eyes. So much for thinking Jensen didn't care.

"I'm worried about...him," Jared says, voice cracking. He makes sure to put an emphasis on the word "him" because Lord knows if Jensen had heard the guard's name come out of Jared's mouth, that there'd be six, not seven, bullets in the magazine of the Colt .45 Jensen kept tucked in his waistband and blood splatter all over his pristine white walls.

"Aw," Jensen mocks, eyes pitch black and full of venom. Clearly not giving a shit that he sounded petty. "Is my sweet puppy worried about his dumb little toy?"

A hard yank on his hair makes Jared lean up on his knees, whining. Chad's eyes growing wide with concern when Jensen's free hand found Jared's throat and squeezed. "Well, rest easy baby. I'm not going to kill this useless waste of space...Unless," Jensen pauses, tilting his head to the side like he's weighing his options. "Unless you want me to?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Jared can see Chad squirming a little, sad and helpless, and he hates himself for even considering Jensen's proposal. God, he wasn't this person. Or at least he'd convinced himself that he wasn't.

Before Jensen it was so much easier to ignore the darkness that had been gnawing at his insides for what felt like eons. But then this gorgeous, sadistic bastard came into his life, an unstoppable force, pushing Jared's boundries and offering him things that Jared would've NEVER asked for on his own. It was too much, and he wanted it all.

And yeah, the idea of Jensen bathed in the blood of a man who dared to put his hands on Jared was a (huge) turn on, but he can't do this, not to someone with a good heart like Chad.

"Jensen, please."

Jared's throat is dry, his voice raspy and broken as he reaches up to grab his Dom's wrist. "I'm so sorry. Just- punish me and let him go. This is all my fault." And it really is. Jared was never interested in Chad, at least not in the way he'd let the guard believe. Sure, they'd some fun, but it had all been a desperate attempt by Jared to get Jensen's attention. Everything Jared did, every time he acted out or pouted, it was all because he craved seeing that look in his Dom's eyes. This had always been about Jensen, and if he hadn't pretended that it wasn't, Jared knows now that he would've gotten everything that he wanted.

"That's very noble of you, baby." The older man digs his nails into Jared's sore skin as he hauls him up from the floor. There's a hint of amusement on Jensen's face now, standing there nose to nose with Jared. And somehow, this wild eyed, unstable version of his Dom terrifies Jared more than the cold, calculated one. "But I assure, I don't plan to hurt Mr. Murray. Well," Jensen stops short with a sly smirk before correcting himself, "you know what I mean."

"But I thought-" Jared's eyes dart from Jensen to Chad and back again, eyebrows drawing together in confusion.

"I know what you thought, Jare. I know everything that goes on in this pretty head." Jensen interjects, tapping his index finger lightly against Jared's temple. He smiles, bright and toothy, and Jared can feel the color drain from his face. "But believe it or not, Mr. Murray is here on his own volition."

Jared's jaw nearly hits the ground when he registers his Dom's words, teary gaze now focused on Chad who looks extremely apologetic and twice as embarrassed.

"The restraints?" Jensen is standing behind Jared now. He can feel the buttons on Jensen's dress shirt digging into his back, strong hands settling possessively on his hips, pulling him closer. "Just a precaution," Jensen explains, pressing a hot kiss to Jared's neck that makes him shiver. "In case he decided that he wanted to play the hero again."

Jared feels white-hot pain, sharp and intoxicating, twisting up his spine when Jensen bites down on one of the raw hickeys that Chad had left on his throat. Toes curling against the carpet as his dick throbs, dribbling pre-cum all over his boxers, head starting to spin. God, Jared doesn't think he's ever been this hard before in his life and it hurts so fucking good.

"Wh-what are you gonna do now?" Jared dares to ask while Jensen nibbles at his throat. Clearly trying to cover up Chad's handy work with a possessive mark of his own. And Jared's hand is trembling when he reaches up blindly, cupping the back of Jensen's head in his palm to bring him closer. Because fuck it. He'd already broken every rule in the book and he was still breathing, so why stop now?

"First," Jensen growls, delivering a sharp smack to Jared's outer thigh that immediately makes the younger man drop his arm. A half choked groan spilling from Jared's lips when his Dom suddenly flips him around so that they are face to face again. "I'm gonna spank your ass purple."

Jensen hands are warm and rough as they slid down Jared's sides, claiming every inch of smooth, tanned skin along the way. "And when you're so sore that you can barely think, begging for me to stop," he adds darkly, hands settle on Jared's ass. Fingers groping and kneading at the meaty flesh before Jensen pulls his ass cheeks apart, hold tight enough to make Jared whine and buck his hips. "I'm going to bend you over the coffee table and fuck you within an inch of your life. And I'm not going to stop until the only word that you can remember is my name and you're drooling all over Mr. Murray's cheap shoes."

Behind them, Chad is fighting against his restraints, mumbling something Jared can't quite make out but he's sure it's along the lines of "fuck you."

"And when you think you can't take any more," Jensen continues, completely ignoring Chad's temper tantrum, "I'm going to throw you over my shoulder, take you to the bedroom, and do it all again."

Jared's knees almost buckle when Jensen leans in to rub their noses together playfully. His lips ghosting over Jared's, so close and warm, daring his sub to close the gap between them and take what he wants without permission. But Jared's learned his lesson. Stays put even though he's dying to taste the jealousy on Jensen's lips.

"Can I wear my collar then?" He asks, soft and hopeful, pretty eyes locked with Jensen's.

"Of course you can, baby. I'm never going to let you leave the house without it on again."

Jared almost cries tears of joy when he hears the wicked tone in his Dom's voice. A sick part of him wishing that Jensen wouldn't even let him leave the house until he made sure Jared knew just who he belonged to.

"Thank you, Mr. Ackles."

"You're welcome, pet."

Jared feels a bit unsteady when Jensen steps back to take him in. His dark, hungry eyes giving Jared such a thorough once over that it makes the younger man's cheeks heat up with blush. He wants Jensen so bad right now that he can barely breathe. His need to be touched, to be controlled by the only man who knew how to handle him, hitting Jared like a sucker punch. He was so turned on now that it was causing him physical pain, and to make matters worse, Jared knew he had a long, torturous night of begging ahead of him before his Dom would even consider do anything about it.

"Oh, and don't worry Mr. Murray," Jensen says suddenly, looking over Jared's shoulder to address Chad directly for the first time that night, "If you sit still and behave, I'll make sure to leave the bedroom door open so you can hear my puppy scream."

Fuck, maybe Jared's plan had worked after all.

[saiilorstars]

Better With You (One shot)

// Seren’s Masterlist //

Fandom: MCU

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC

Chapter Summary: With no Valentine, Seren agrees to go on a date with an old friend, unknowingly setting herself up for disaster. When Steve answers hers call for help, he does everything he can to lift her spirits that evening. Being alone in the compound might help them finally be honest with each other.

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother​ @anotherunreadblog​​ @maaaaarveeeeel​​ @stareyedplanet​ @perfectlystiles​

[If you’d like to be added to this specific OC’s stories/edits, send me a message!]

It started out as a game. It wasn't a game he wanted to play; it wasn't even a game he incited. No, that was what his "friends" were for.

Steve really considered for a good day or so about changing friends because the ones he had turned out to be very mean. To him.

"Oh c'mon," Natasha trailed after him one morning, "Valentine's Day is this Friday. You still have a couple days to get something together for Seren."

It was simply too early to deal with this. Steve headed for the kitchen for something to drink all while Natasha continued to make her point.

"A simple dinner would do it. Hell, a homemade dinner would be just as fine. We all know you like Seren, so just go and ask her out." Natasha leaned on the kitchen aisle, sending him a very wide smirk.

"Okay, that's not fair. Everybody likes Seren." Steve was fairly sure that there wasn't a single person who didn't like Seren Soul. She was an absolute sweetheart. Who could hate her?

Seren was always kind, a natural leader for the newest recruits. She took people under her wing, cared for and helped them. Plus, she was a bit of a sneak. Given her small statue and her big shiny eyes, it was always funny how people underestimated her only to get their asses handed to them. Steve himself had made that mistake a couple times and ended up on the ground, defeated while Seren smirked proudly. There was just something about her that drew people in, made them like her, love her.

He was guilty of the latter.

Natasha knew it, which was why she easily retorted: "Yeah, but nobody likes her more than you."

"Natasha."

"Sorry," she raised a hand then added, "Loves." Steve deadpanned her and her smug smile. "A date. A Valentine's date. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Of course but...me and Seren? That would never happen." And Steve deeply lamented it. Seren was way out of his league, a line that followed him through the decades it seemed.

"Who says?" challenged Natasha, half amused and the other half kind of irritated this was the reason those two idiots weren't together already. "You?" she presumed. "You know it's kind of last century to make the choice for you and the woman."

Steve rolled his eyes. "I'm not making any choice for Seren, I'm just reading the room."

"Well you're reading it all wrong!"

"I am not!"

Sam walked in on them before they could go further. "What's going on?" He asked slowly, now thinking twice about that glass he came in for.

"Nothing," Steve answered at the same time Natasha said "I want to get him a date!" Needless to say, the death glare Steve sent her way was well expected.

Sam, however, relaxed once he got the jist of the situation. "With Seren?" Natasha smirked smugly while Steve groaned. "Go for it," Sam snapped his fingers. "She'd say yes in a heartbeat."

"I am not!"

"Steve's in denial," Natasha said, rolling her eyes.

"That's rich," scoffed Sam. He came up to the aisle, planting an arm down. "You gave me the stink eye when I happened to flirt with Seren. It was all playful too and I still got the hint you were thinking of throwing me off the rooftop without the wings."

Natasha snorted into a laugh.

Steve did his best to stay stoic. He hadn't meant to make his disdain that obvious but when Seren had laughed at Sam, things turned red. Fast.

"Just ask her out this Friday. It's Valentine's day," Sam shrugged. "Flowers wouldn't hurt. She looks the type to go ga-ga over them."

"She is," Natasha was quick to confirm.

"As productive as this conversation has been, I'm going to go now," Steve announced. He couldn't bear the conversation and the tease anymore.

But it wasn't like simply leaving the room would afford him the peace he desperately wanted. As Friday approached, the suggestions and teases only got worse. He had to be extra careful not to let Seren hear anything. He was able to seclude her from the others whenever they happened to be together.

"Hey there, soldier," she surprised him on Wednesday when he walked into the kitchen for a quick breakfast. She was dressed in pajamas, her pixie ginger hair somehow messy, sitting on the aisle with a bowl of something that smelled pretty good.

"What are you doing?" He asked her in bemusement. "And what are you eating?"

She waved her spoon in the air with a joyful smile. "Wanda decided to make me a Sokovian breakfast. Isn't that nice of her?"

Steve smiled. "She's being thankful, Seren. You've helped her so much in these past months."

Seren shrugged her shoulders. "Just trying to be helpful," she said.

"You always are." Steve walked over to her, peering down to the bowl on her lap.

"Want some? It's pretty good!"

"I'll let you have your gift, thanks."

"So, do you have your plans for the weekend?" She seemed to ask casually though there was a little twinkle in her green eyes when he turned for the fridge.

"Not really, probably just stay in. You?"

"Don't know yet," she shrugged. "I know for a fact that everyone else has plans. Tony's going out with Pepper, obviously." They both paused to smile at each other. "Sam and Natasha are bar hopping."

"Bar what?" Steve paused again, if only to process the odd name.

Seren giggled. "Ask Sam later. Even Wanda and Vision are doing something. They're close, those two. So, it seems like you and I are the last ones."

"...we are..." Steve wondered of this coincidence was, in fact, a master plan of Natasha's but even she wasn't that good to set up something like this.

"Soo...you really don't have anything to do Friday?" Seren suddenly found her breakfast incredibly interesting. She wanted to control her heartbeat and keep it from reaching Steve's ears. At least try to be subtle!

"...no," Steve answered a minute later. He could've been a little brave and asked her to do something with him but the fear of her rejection or worse, her taking it as a platonic night, got the best of him.

He completely missed the disappointment marking her face.

"Oh," she swallowed hard. Don't you dare get upset. Of course he wouldn't ask you to do anything with him. She always did this to herself. She got hopeful that maybe things between her and Steve could go further than friendship. He was just too sweet to tell her 'no' to her face.

She just had to face the music. There was no way in hell Steve Rogers would ever look at her twice. She was too weird for his taste. After all, not many people could get over her unique origins. It was one thing to he friends with an alien, and a completely different thing to date one.

~0~

I have a date.

Four words. All it took were four words to puncture his heart so deeply. Steve didn't even know that was possible.

Seren had gotten a date. He shouldn't even be surprised. She was gorgeous beyond belief. It would take just one of her dimple smiles to get any man to ask her out, a man with courage anyways.

"It wasn't me!" Natasha was quick to say later on that day. She strode into the training room, intending on clarifying things before he made any assumptions. "If it was up to me, I would have set you up with her but you told me no."

Steve had found solace in a punching bag. Tale as old as time. "I know!" He grunted with one punch, then another. "Who's the guy?"

Natasha set her hands on her hips. "I don't know, some ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. The ironic part is, years ago he asked her out and she said no. Wonder why he would try again..."

Steve could care less. All he knew was that Seren was going out on a date on Valentine's day. That was enough to sour his mood for the rest of the day into Friday.

Seren didn't seem to notice. She was focused on looking her best for the evening, covering up any of her hesitance to go out.

"I am confused," she heard Wanda's remark. She turned to see the young girl at her bedroom doorway, head tilted with eyes sparkling red. "Why do you say 'yes' to an agent you rejected when you would rather him be Steve?"

Seren sighed heavily. "Can you please get out of my head?"

"I tried," Wanda raised her hands in front of her. "But you're so loud tonight."

"Shouldn't you be out with Vision already?"

"In a bit," Wanda nodded. "Why don't you just tell him the truth? I read his mind too sometimes—"

"Stop!" Seren exclaimed. "I don't want to hear anything from his head. Violation of privacy! You only get away with it because you're young. And he likes you."

Wanda smiled. "But nowhere near as much as he likes you. Think about that when you go out tonight."

Seren would rather not because it just made her hopeful again.

~0~

The last thing Steve expected that evening was to get a call from Seren during what was supposed to be her date.

What was more is that she sounded lile she was crying.

"I'm so sorry, I tried calling somebody else but nobody picked up," she explained rapidly, her words almost sounded meshed.

"It's fine but what's going on? Are you hurt?" He asked her, anxiously waiting for her response.

"Sort of, yeah," she sniffed. "The guy, he never showed up. The place is crowded and I tripped and I think my ankle got sprained. I'll heal in a couple of hours but I can't walk that well and the cabs are—"

"Seren, breathe," he had to cut her off or else she really would run out of air. "I'll be there quick, I promise." As soon as he had the place, he left the compound.

Rage coursed through his body at the idea that this man had left Seren in a restaurant as a trick. Who the hell did that? Who would do that to Seren of all people!?

He had to calm down even more when he found her leaning against the wall with her bad ankle. She had incredible healing but it still took time. She needed to put the ankle to rest!

Seren was overtly grateful that he'd come for her. She still apologized profusely for interrupting his night.

"I wasn't doing anything," Steve helped her from the wall.

"I should've just stayed at home," she sniffed. "I would've avoided the humiliation. He didn't show up as revenge."

"What?" Steve must have heard her wrong. There was no way someone would—

"I got his text. I turned him down, he turns me down...on Valentine's day." Seren leaned on him when he pulled her into a hobble of a walk. "Crazy world."

"Seren, I'm so sorry." Steve had to control his voice, make sure the strain of it wasn't so obvious because all he wanted to do right now was find the damn guy and, well, kill him.

"I think you're my favorite person right now—no, I'm sure of it. Can we please go home?"

"Of course." Steve wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her walk. On the way home, she explained the story of how exactly things happened and what led her to her sprained ankle. The more Steve heard, the more inclined he was to change course from home to wherever the hell this guy lived. The only thing keeping him from doing it was Seren. She was feeling terrible after such a night and the only thing she wanted now was to go home.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your night," she apologized yet again when they were in the compound. Steve helped her make her way to the couch.

"It's fine, I already told you that I wasn't doing anything anyways." He slipped a cushion under her ankle, ignoring (or at least trying) the heat in his cheeks when he touched her bare ankle. Despite spending a good amount of time outside in the chilly air, her skin was warm.

"You really didn't have anything planned?" Seren stared at him oddly.

He was surprised to see her calculating him. "You think I was lying?" he asked in surprise.

"Well not 'lying' but, I don't know, I thought maybe you just didn't want to say anything." Seren had gone about it at least a dozen times since she asked him about his plans yesterday. Maybe he was just trying to be polite and keep some of his life a secret from her. He was completely allowed to...

Steve smiled at her. "Seren, you should know by now my night life isn't all that, uh, active."

"I don't know, someone like you? Hard to believe, that's all."

"What?" Steve laughed.

Seren flushed and decided to look at her lap and keep quiet before she said something else. The night was already terrible, there was no point in making it worse by saying something that would out her.

Steve misinterpreted her silence for what he was sure had to be one of the worst experiences in her life. He hated seeing her like that. She looked incredible in her white dress and bright red coat. He could smell her sweet perfume too. He would've loved to have been the one to take her out.

"Seren?" He gently called her name.

Her eyes picked up from her lap. "Hmm? Sorry, I'm not very good company right now. You should just go do something else."

"The only thing I'm going to do is go into the kitchen and bring you some ice." Steve pointed her to stay in her spot, earning a small chuckle because, really, how would she go anywhere right now? He left her for a moment to retrieve the ice. He went through the drawers to look for a rag to wrap around the ice when he came across a few things that he thought might help raise Seren's spirits. After all, it was just them for the night. It definitely wasn't a date but he could pretend that it was something similar to it.

Seren had taken her coat off when he returned and, to his surprise, her legs were no longer on the couch.

"You got up," he accused her and had all the evidence in front of him to make the case.

She smiled innocently at him. "I just wanted you to sit with me." She'd gotten a stool in front of her and placed the cushion over it to then rest her ankle.

Well, she was making things easier for him that was for sure. Steve gave her a look for the little stunt but still handed her the ice pack. A second later she heard the microwave ding.

"Are you making something?" she asked. She sniffed the air a couple times before she realized what it was. "Popcorn!"

"I just thought you'd like to watch a movie or something..." Steve weakly explained. The idea was suddenly worse than he remembered it earlier. "If you don't want to—"

"I want to!" Seren was quick to say. She felt her cheeks blush when she thought that maybe she'd answered too fast. She endeavored to calm herself so Steve wouldn't notice. "I mean...that'll be nice."

"Great, I'll go get the popcorn!" Steve made a quick trip back to the kitchen. He had to stop himself getting so excited before he had to go back. It wasn't a date, it wasn't anything!

But it was also Valentine's day and it was just them. He couldn't help but just dream a little.

~ 0 ~

Seren convinced him that a movie called Groundhog Day would be good to watch. It came out in the early 90s so he missed out by a long shot. They sat together on the couch and in no time Seren had snuggled up to Steve. It was hard remembering how to breathe when she was practically on him. Only her sprained ankle kept her slightly away.

"What did you guys used to do for Valentine's back then?" She suddenly asked midway through the movie. Steve didn't hear her at first—he'd been trying to focus just on the movie and not the soft rhythm of her heartbeat against him. She tilted her head up to him, lips pulled into a soft smile for him. "I'm curious."

"When aren't you?" he countered, earning a chuckle from her. "You know I didn't do much for the day. I always helped Bucky pull some stunt for whatever girl he had around those days. But it was pretty much like what everyone does today. Dinner. Flowers. The cards. Those big bears seem to be just as expensive as they were back then."

Seren laughed. "They're ridiculous. Some of them are bigger than me."

"To be fair, many things are bigger than you," Steve quipped, smirking at her when she gasped incredulously.

"I expect that type of comment from Tony, not you!" She huffed and looked away, crossing her arms to complete the look.

"I'm sorry." He tried pulling her back to him but she swatted his hands away from her. He caught one of her wrists and realized her skin had gone cold. "You want a blanket?"

"What?" She blinked. They were in the middle of what promised to be a good banter.

"I'll go get one," Steve decided and got up before she could say anything.

She smiled after him. He was always so thoughtful. Stop! You can't get carried away!

"Ah, still troubled," she heard Wanda say, startling the hell out of her in the process. By the time Vision went through the couch, Seren was over the shock.

"You two are supposed to be gone for longer!"

"I thought it was too cold for Wanda," Vision said, motioning to the dress Wanda was in.

The ginger moved around the couch, revealing a plastic box full of heart-shaped cookies. "You should definitely let yourself get carried away."

Seren's face was flat. "Stop reading my mind!"

Wanda smiled and merely deposited the box of cookies on Seren's lap. "We'll get out of your hair. Come on, Vis."

"What is this movie?" Vision cocked his head at the screen.

"We can watch it another day," Wanda dragged him by the arm. "Hi Steve," she greeted the man on the way into the hallway.

"Wanda? Aren't you—"

"Don't worry, we won't disturb you!" Wanda winked at him, leaving him quite red.

Stop reading my mind! He shouted inside, hoping that Wanda heard him loud and clear. He returned to the living room and saw Seren chowing down on a heart-shaped cookie. She stopped when she saw him, her crumb-filled lips smiling at him. "Let me guess, Wanda and Vision?"

"Mhm!" Seren nodded, swallowing down before she spoke. "They're sugar cookies with the red sprinkles! They're so good!"

Steve laughed. "Right. Here." He draped the blanket over her lap.

"Take a cookie!" She offered him the box when he sat down. "I always remember having these when I was a kid."

"Really?" Steve mused. "Were they your favorite?" Something to jot down for the next year.

"Here!" Seren offered him a bite out of her own cookie.

Steve raised an eyebrow at her. It wasn't often they shared food and even then it was always simple things like candy in a bag or something he could just easily pick from. Still, Seren didn't seem to be thinking much of it so why should he? He leaned closer and took a bite like she offered. His eyes never left hers which helped her get away with her blush.

"How is it?" she asked quietly. Breathing became hard again. Even her eyes started flickering down to his lips. They had to be even sweeter now with the sugar from the cookie. Just one little movement and she could press a little kiss on him.

"Really good," he answered after swallowing. "I can see why they're your favorite."

"Mhm." She bit her bottom lip and turned her attention to the ongoing movie. She couldn't trust herself right now. "Let's, uh, watch the movie..."

"Sure," he nodded and made himself comfortable again.

Within the half hour, the cookies had finished and the box was discarded to the floor. Seren had found her spot with him, head resting on is chest with her arm splayed over his stomach. Steve felt the exact moment when she fell asleep. Her breathing changed and her weight resting on him increased. She was completely comfortable with him and that had his heart swelling. She didn't do this with anybody else, he knew for sure. It was hard not to be a little hopeful when things like this happened.

He couldn't bring himself to disturb her sleep to take her into her room. It wasn't hard to admit to himself that he wanted to keep her with him either. The movie had finished but he switched channels. What was he watching? He had no idea. He didn't care. He moved an arm over Seren's body and pulled the blanket higher over her shoulder. Her dress was beautiful but she deserved to be warm too. He even dropped a kiss to her bright ginger hair. Who would know?

It was only when she started shifting later on that he decided it was time to call it a night. As much as he wanted to keep her with him, she was getting to the point where she needed her bed instead. He began untangling his arm from her and her body from him but she groaned at him.

"Don't move," she murmured.

His eyebrows raised in surprise. "You need to rest," he said, presuming she was way more asleep than awake.

"I am." She brought her arm from his stomach to his shoulder.

"I think your bed would be more comfortable," he chuckled.

"You don't have a clue of what I want," she retorted with a slight edge in her tone. He paused. Now that sounded more awake. "How could you be this smart and yet so clueless?"

Definitely more awake. Steve pulled her arm from his shoulder, gently forcing her to sit more up at least to look at her. "Seren, are you alright?"

"I was," she shrugged. "And then I had a quick dream." She yawned and pulled the blanket tighter around her. "You were there..."

"I was?"

"Mhm. My date tonight was you. I wasn't stood up because you would never do that to me. And then you bought me a heart-shaped cinnamon roll. We shared it."

"W-we did?" Steve stuttered, flush blooming over his face. His heart was starting to race under his chest. "Uh, well, that..."

Seren chewed on her bottom lip. She was completely awake now and with lucidness came the fear of what she'd done. Her dream had been so sweet, so much better than reality. Everything would be better if she was with him. She would want nothing more than to have it be her reality. "I know what I said," she whispered, "I know it's weird—I'm weird being, you know, not human and all. You don't like me that way, I know."

"Wait a second," Steve pointed at her, eyes wide yet there was a little more hope coming to him. "You don't know what I want either."

"Huh?"

"You're pretty smart too, Seren. Connect the dots, won't you?" He encouraged her with a smile to just think. It was suddenly so easy and he couldn't stop the excitement that was crawling over him—he wouldn't stop it this time!

"You would...actually want...?" Seren shook her head. Unlike him, it being this easy was too hard to believe. "No, you don't have to play along."

"I will never play you, Seren. Do you know how much I get from everyone else for not telling you the truth?"

"If this is real then I'm pretty sure no more than me," she admitted. "Wanda won't stop reading my thoughts."

"And Natasha won't leave me alone!"

Seren brought her hand to her cheek. "So...you...we've been going insane for no reason?"

Steve nodded his head. "It would seem so." Maybe he owed Natasha an apology here and there.

Seren couldn't believe her ears. "Maybe this Valentine's day wasn't all that terrible then..."

Steve chuckled. "Maybe not," he agreed. He leaned down pretty quick but he caught himself and stopped, startling her with the actions. "Can I—can I kiss you?"

Seren's heart fluttered. Her lips pulled into a soft smile. "Yeah." Steve leaned closer again but was surprised when Seren placed a finger against his lips. He blinked in surprise, and a slight fear that things were wrong. "Happy Valentine's day," she whispered, pulling her finger off his lips.

"Happy Valentine's day," he murmured in return, finally kissing her afterwards.

[starkerparkerpony]

AU where Tony (44-45 y/o) meets an aged up (23-24 y/o) Peter after Civil War, Tony is broken up with Pepper and all kinds of sorry for himself. Peter is a ESU graduate and currently has an internship with Oscorp and is a photographer for the Daily Bugle he is also spiderman and therefore perpetually exhausted and has very little patience.

(It's been a while since I wrote something, please consider reblogging)

I scold because I stan

Tony was starting to get sick of himself.

The self hatred and self pity were starting to crescendo, which was shedding a lot of light on how he got to and where Tony currently was in his life.

Spangle's betrayal shouldn't have hurt as much as it did.

The breakup with Pepper shouldn't have been as painful as it was.

He shouldn't miss the team as much as he did.

Vision injuring Rhodey shouldn't have felt like a personal failure but it did.

Speaking of personal failures, the accords shouldn't have scattered more than half of the planet's protectors in the wind all while labeling them 'war criminals' but they had.

And Tony was sick of himself because his centrally heated penthouse shouldn't be haunted by a Serbian cold but it was.

Because his heartbeat shouldn't feel like someone trying to jackhammer the arc reactor into his sternum sometimes... but it did.

So he decided to go out because his inner 'self hatred' voice was starting to sound too much like his father and that was about the last straw for Tony.

A baseball cap, coat and muffler later, Tony Stark was roaming the streets of New York but then it was too fucking cold for that so he quickly ducked into a cozy looking Irish pub.

He quickly scanned the place for a place to sit, it was pretty packed except for a booth which was occupied by one person who had their head down on the table and appeared to be, best case scenario, dozing off or worst case scenario, passed out.

Appropriate company for the kind of evening he was having he thought to himself as he made his way to the booth.

A waiter came to take his order and Tony took it upon himself to order a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. If he was gonna get hammered in a public place against all good sense then atleast he was gonna do it with some company... even if said company was seemingly unconscious.

When the waiter put down the glasses, his boothmate woke up. And Tony was confronted with a gorgeous guy with stunning brown eyes, he was sporting a rather sizable shiner over his left one but it did absolutely nothing to detract from his attractiveness.

"Jesus Christ... are you actually Tony Stark? Or am I hallucinating?" The guy asked quietly.

"I was hoping you wouldn't recognize me." Tony wrinkled his nose as he admitted.

"That's either a scathing comment on your perception of the general public's intellect or humility which absolutely does not go with the reputation that precedes you," the guy scoffed.

Huh... he's sharp and quick Tony thought.

"A little bit of both. The hat usually, miraculously works." Tony explained

"Don't judge me but I've had an entire wall dedicated to your face ever since your first Rolling Stone cover... the hat wasn't gonna work on me."

"That's a lot to unpack from a stranger"

"I'm Peter Parker."

"You know who I am."

Peter's face split into an overjoyed smile when Tony said that. It was a ridiculous 'only in New York' kinda thing to find yourself in the same booth as Iron Man in your local pub and Peter really needed this after the day he'd had. He was still completely terrified that at any moment Tony would accuse him of being Spiderman and make him sign the accords but he was also gonna let himself relax and enjoy meeting his hero a little.

"I'm not a billionaire expert but shouldn't you be drinking at a much upper scale place than this?" As amazed as he was, Peter was also perplexed by Tony's presence in the pub.

"There's a lot about me that absolutely does not go with the reputation that precedes me. You just admitted to me that you have a wall dedicated to my face and then brushed past it like it was nothing..." Tony said, incredulous.

"You're pretty, you're an amazing scientist, you build robots and are a superhero because of a badass armour you made that can fly. I'm a nerd and bisexual, it's is nothing, just nature basically," Peter waved him off as he started to pour the whiskey for them.

Surprisingly enough Tony's cheeks were a little flushed by the time Peter looked up, which made him think that maybe there isn't much accurate about the reputation that precedes Tony Stark.

"Hmm... who did that to your face?" Tony asked about the shiner Peter was sporting.

"Umm... a girl was getting mugged, I tried to play hero, you should see the other guy as the saying goes" Peter shrugged.

"Wow good for you... could've ended badly though." Tony's chest was unexpectedly and rather worryingly tight hearing about the danger Peter had been in.

"I know... I lost a loved one to a mugging gone wrong but the girl needed help, I didn't really have a choice."

It was like hearing those words was the straw that broke the camel's back for Tony. Because he completely understood what Peter meant. Tony never really felt like he had a choice either and whether or not Peter was ready to have a lot of information about the Avengers and his 'face wall' buddy Iron Man's wretched life choices, he was gonna be vented at like there was no tomorrow. Because Stark men don't go to therapy, they drink and speak very fast at unsuspecting civilians.

So Tony talked and Peter listened, about how the star spangled man with a plan is a fucking douchebag, how fucking hurt he felt that Nat, Clint and Wanda would still choose him over Tony, how he hasn't been able to look Rhodey in the eye since Germany and probably never will be, how easily things fell apart with Pepper even after he tried so hard, how the winter soldier fucking killed his mom and fucking spangles hid it from him, how he probably deserved it because that poor kid that got killed in Sokovia because of him... and as Tony talked he also drank so he was feeling pretty buzzed by the time he was done talking thankfully Peter was drinking right along with him.

It wasn't really a conversation, rather Iron Man just venting to him... he did notice a pattern though, everything Tony complained about, he tied up the line of thought with ultimately blaming himself for it.

Peter had always felt a certain kinship with the guy... but this man telling him how helpless his power had made him to the massive responsibility that came along with it, hit too close to home.

"Are you always this self loathe-y or is this just a today thing?" Peter asked when Tony stopped talking

"What? I don't... what?"

"Buddy... Captain America, if he really did to you what you say he did... then who gives a shit? He's an asshole. And I'm not even a supporter of the accords but even I think that the Rogues could have handled it in a better way...

No seriously, there's way more enhanced folks in this country than just the Avengers, some of them are minors, there's a dude in Hells Kitchen who is gonna sue the government and the UN so that the registration thing is scrapped, Charles Xavier and his team are even collaborating on the lawsuit.

Those people could have really used Captain America with them on this but he was too busy playing Rambo and violating other countries' sovereignty and beating the living shit out of Iron Man apparently.

I mean for a genius, you're a dumbass because you let the people who once tried to nuke Manhattan convince you that you're more dangerous than they are but you had 'dead-kid-in-Sokovia' guilt. So I get it but c'mon cut yourself some slack."

Tony was a bit flabbergasted by the kid's performance.

"Of course you'd say it... you stick my pictures on your wall," Tony grumbled

"Oh hell no! You will not use my stan status against me. I know exactly how problematic my fav is. I know your family made their fortune selling weapons and not just to the US Military and I know you only gave a crap about the under the table dealing with terrorists when they threatened your life but I'm sorry Mr. Stark if you deny yourself the credit for learning from your mistakes then every human everywhere is going straight to hell.

Intellicrops prevented famines... the arc reactor technology is saving the planet from global warming...

I saw that video of Helena Cho with those acid attack victims in India and openly weeped in a Starbucks...

You really did privatize world peace... there's a reason the biggest threat to us now is "evil aliens" you know... cause' what the fuck chance does ISIS have against War Machine? Even that Mandarin thing turned out to be a hoax.

I have 3 patents because of my Maria Stark Foundation grant and I didn't even get the MIT-full funding ones... one day one of those kids is going to cure cancer and it's going to be because of you.

So of course I'll defend you man... but you don't seem to realize that any decent person would." Peter was pretty pleased with himself after that and shot Tony an eyebrow raise as if daring him to disagree.

"I got nothing."

"Of course you don't." Peter grinned.

Maybe Tony had just isolated himself too much from people who didn't consider him a complete and utter asshole.

But with Peter it didn't even feel like praise... it was like the guy was scolding him for being too mean to himself.

It felt nice nonetheless.

Before Tony had even recovered from Peter's glorious rant, the younger guy handed him a business card with the words "Daily Bugle" embossed on it.

"Don't hold my gossip rag workplace against me... it's easy money and I'm only doing it till Norman Osbourne starts paying me for the work I already do for him." Peter shrugged

"You're with Oscorp? What do you do? Why not SI?" If he had scored an internship with Oscorp and a grant from his own foundation then he must be good enough for SI.

"I'm R&D chemical engineering and I'm not at SI because your recruiters are assholes who demand 3 years experience for a beginner position..." said Peter matter of factly.

"You should apply with us again." Tony insisted, the guy had 3 patents and very sharp, after tonight the least Tony could do was get him a job.

"You should call me." Peter countered

"I- wait are you hitting on me?" And much to Tony's chagrin, he found himself blushing again.

"Yeah duh Mr. Stark."

"I'm old enough to be your father." Tony sputtered and that hurt to admit.

"And I have insane daddy issues- you'll love me. I'm not even gonna ask you for a selfie... you don't look your best right now but definitely call me." Peter winked as he started to leave.

"You're fucking negging me?!" said Tony looking up at the ballsy kid as he slid out of the booth.

"Hey you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. Gandhi said that." The kid called over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Gandhi absolutely did not say that Peter." Tony yelled back.

God he was gonna call the guy.

Read part 2 here, part 3 here

[mackinmacki]

You’re Not Allowed to Say That! (White Rose Week #5)

Fandom: RWBY

Pairing: White Rose

Word Count: 2194

Rating: T

Synopsis: Weiss attempts to teach Ruby that swearing isn't very ladylike, to mixed results.

Prompt: Curse

Links: FFN | AO3

———————————————————————————————

It started simply enough. Ruby and Yang were standing on opposite sides of the room, tossing a ball back and forth to each other. Zwei, who had been sent over through the mail for a visit, was happily pacing between them, trying to grab the ball should it be dropped. Weiss, as careful as she was, made sure to repeatedly mention that the two of them were going to break something. It was no surprise that neither of them heeded her warnings.

Now, at least nothing broke. That was the good part. Unfortunately, one of Yang's errant throws nearly broke Ruby. It was too high and too far. Ruby, with outstretched arms, jumped back and tried to catch it. However, it was just too high, and it hit off the wall. She followed suit, banging the back of her head hard against the drywall. Zwei, Yang, and Weiss all immediately started running towards her as the ball bounced uselessly away.

"Oww, fuck!" Ruby groaned, sprawled out on the ground and holding her head. While Zwei and Yang dropped down next to her, making sure she was alright, Weiss had stopped in her tracks. She stared open-mouthed at Ruby, playing back repeatedly what she had just said.

"Ruby!" Her shrill scream caught everyone's attention. All eyes were on her, including Blake, who had been idling around before that moment. "You can't say that!"

"Wha? Say what?" Ruby slowly sat up with help from Yang, rubbing the back of her head and looking at Weiss. It always seemed like she was doing something wrong, but she couldn't fathom what she had done this time.

"That word!" Weiss shouted back, telling her absolutely nothing about what exactly she had said that was so wrong. "It's not very ladylike to curse, you know." 'Ohh!' Well, now it all made sense. Ruby immediately started to giggle, which naturally made Weiss's temper rise. "And just what are you laughing at, Ruby?!"

"Are you trying to tell me not to say 'fuck', Weiss?" When Weiss visibly cringed, Ruby burst out into fits of laughter. "Ow ow, my head, ahahaha owowow! Stop it, Weiss! You're making me laugh too much!" 

"Me?! That's your fault for messing around in closed quarters! And maybe you deserve that for not listening to me." Putting her hands on her hips, Weiss looked like she had just sucked on a lemon. "Cursing is something uncouth women do, Ruby. It's for low class people. As our leader, I expect better from you."

"Aww Weiss, there's nothing wrong with swearing." Yang stood up once she made sure Ruby was okay, ambling over to sling an arm around Weiss's shoulder. "Sometimes saying something's good just isn't gonna cut it. You gotta say that it's bitchin', ya know?"

"I do not know," Weiss retorted, sliding out from under Yang's arm and stepping back, frowning deeply. "You're a bad influence on Ruby, you know that? I bet you swear like a sailor in front of her, and she ends up emulating you. You need to improve your vocabulary, Yang. Blake, back me up here."

"What?" Blake, realizing that she was being dragged into the conversation, tried to slip unnoticed back into bed. "Don't bring me into this conversation. I don't care."

"Like hell you don't!" With surprising speed, Weiss caught Blake before she could sneak under the covers, grabbing her arm and forcibly dragging her towards the sisters. "You're of sound mind, Blake. Wouldn't you agree that swearing is for those who have weak vocabularies?"

"Well, I don't personally swear." She could feel herself sweating, thinking about the copious amounts of swearing in some of the more risque literature that she read. If only Weiss knew there were worse things Ruby could be saying than swear words, like what the main character of the most recent book she was reading was doing to their love interest in the back of a train car. She had a feeling someone as stuck up as Weiss would never recover. "But I'm not going to police other people's dialogue."

"Then you are an enabler." Weiss let go of Blake's arm, shaking her head disgustedly. "I'm disappointed in all of you for this behavior. Especially you." She pointed at Yang, who looked visibly shocked.

"Me?! I didn't even swear! That was all Ruby!"

"Wow, way to throw me under the bus, sis..."

"Yes, but I know that you were the one who taught her to curse like that." Glaring at Yang, Weiss grabbed Ruby's arm and took her towards the door. "If you'll excuse us, I have some lessons to teach Ruby about the art of conversation."

"Aww man! Yaaang, help me!" Ruby squirmed in Weiss's grasp, but didn't have the full heart to yank herself away. "At least take Yang instead! She's the bad influence!" When it came to throwing sisters under the bus, what was good for the goose was good for the gander. Whatever the fuck a 'gander' was.

"Yes, but Yang is irredeemable. I can still save you." There was no more room for argument. Weiss pulled Ruby out of the bedroom and slammed the door, Ruby's cries for mercy fading the further away they got.

"Well then," Yang muttered, scratching at her scalp. "I feel like I should be offended by that, but at least I don't have to deal with a Weiss lecture. Maybe being irredeemable has its perks."

"That's one way of looking at it." 

——————————————————————————————— "Alright Ruby, now let's say you're in a situation where you get hurt." Weiss had taken Ruby up to the top floor balcony, where she was attempting to teach her partner proper etiquette. Considering that Ruby had cursed while getting hurt, that seemed like a good place to start. "Instead of saying the f-word like you did, why not try just saying 'Ow'?"

"Aww, but Weiss, I can't help it! If I hurt myself like that, it just comes out, you know?" Ruby really didn't see what the big deal was. Who cared if she said 'fuck' a time or two? She hadn't expected Weiss to be so anal about it. Hehehe, anal... Probably shouldn't say that out loud either.

"That's because you're not trying!" Weiss huffed in frustration, wondering for a moment if Ruby was also a lost cause. No, she didn't believe that. Unlike her uncouth older sister, Ruby was a much nicer, better-spoken girl. There had to be a way to show her the error of her ways, also known as the error of Yang's ways. "Once you stop using curse words, then it will become more instinctual for you."

"I suppose..." Ruby sighed, shaking her head slightly. Why was this such a big deal to Weiss? Her swearing wasn't affecting anyone. Sure, people were sometimes surprised at the mouth someone as cute and innocent as she looked, but that's what happened when you grow up around people like Yang and Qrow. Besides, they were just words. What was the problem, really? "Don't you ever feel like swearing, Weiss?"

"Of course not! How dare you even insinuate such a thing!" The nerve of Ruby to think she would let such rough words leave her lips. She had been raised better than that. "A proper woman doesn't devolve to swearing when things aren't going her way. That's a lesson you'll need to learn, Ruby."

"That's a lame lesson," Ruby muttered, though she had to quickly take it back when she saw the look on Weiss's face. "Uh, I mean, it's not a lame lesson?" That did not change her expression at all. "C'mon Weiss, this is silly! I'm not as prim and proper as you, okay? Sometimes I swear, and that's okay! Everybody does it!"

"Don't be so broad, Ruby. Not everyone swears. I don't." Ruby was being difficult, but that was normal for her. She had been difficult to deal with since the day they met. That didn't mean it was time to give up, though. Weiss was going to get through to her, no matter how long it took. Well, eventually she would give up, but now wasn't that time.

She spent the next twenty minutes trying to convince Ruby that there were better uses of her vocabulary. Between tips and different words, she threw all of her arsenal at the team leader. Maybe it stuck, but at the moment, it seemed she had still left Ruby unconvinced. At that point, she was tired, and she decided that they would need to reconvene another time.

"Alright, let's go back to the dorm," she sighed, wondering if she had gotten through at all to Ruby. Looking in her eyes, she couldn't tell. Maybe this all was for naught, and Ruby was as far gone as her sister. She would still try, though, at least for awhile longer. There were more connections between herself and her partner than there was with her and Yang, anyway.

"Yay!" Ruby hopped up happily -- a bit too happily. Shaking her head, Weiss got up after her, and the two of them headed off of the balcony. However, being distracted by the entire situation made Weiss less cautious than she usually was. Without her eyes fully focused on what was in front of her, she accidentally rammed her elbow into the side of the door, sending a sharp pain right up her funny bone.

"Ow! Son of a bitch!" She cried out and grabbed her elbow, hissing in pain. Barely avoiding hitting Ruby, she hopped around in pain, biting hard on her lip. When she was finally able to calm down and let her pained arm drop down, she noticed that Ruby was staring at her, a huge grin on her face. "What? What's so funny, Ruby?"

"You swore, Weiss." Ruby could barely contain her laughter at that point, her entire body shaking from the effort.

"What?" Weiss blinked, thinking back on what she had just said. When she realized what had come from her lips, her entire face visibly paled. That was saying something, considering how pale she already was. At that point, Ruby couldn't hold back any longer. She collapsed to the ground, holding her stomach as she laughed boisterously. "Stop laughing, Ruby! Stop it this instance!"

"Weiss said a bad word! Weiss said a bad word!" Ruby was howling with laughter, barely able to get any words out. By that point, Weiss was blushing furiously, trying to glare Ruby into silence. It wasn't working. "Wait 'til I tell Yang!"

"You will do no such thing!" Seeing Ruby trying to crawl her way down the hall, Weiss was forced to toss her dignity to the side as she dived for her partner. Ruby let out a cry of surprise as Weiss landed on her, pinning her down to the ground. "Don't you dare tell anyone about this! Especially not Yang!"

"Weiss! Get off me!" Of course, Ruby was stronger than Weiss, which made it easy to buck her off. While she wasn't physically strong, Weiss made up for it in dogged tenacity. She held on for dear life, refusing to let Ruby escape with her semblance and tell the world that she swore. That was going to go to the grave with them, even if they both had to die right then and there.

"Not until you promise not to tell anyone!" By that point, Ruby was basically dragging Weiss across the floor. They were both getting their outfits dirty, but there was more at stake than needing to throw them in the wash. 

"Promise not to tell anyone what?" Both of them stopped what they were doing, looking up to find Nora and Pyrrha standing above them. Nora had a big grin on her face, already sensing there was some gossip in the air that she was excited to hear about. As for Pyrrha, she looked somewhat awkward at the position she had found the two of them in, but a bit curious as to what was going on.

"Nothing!" Weiss covered Ruby's mouth before she could blurt anything out that didn't need to be said. "Nothing at all!" Now Nora was the one with an increasing grin, and Weiss didn't like that look. She had been around Ruby, Yang, and Nora enough now to know that whenever any of them were grinning like that, bad things were to follow.

"Ohhh boy, I can't wait to tell Yang that you're trying to get busy with her sister right in the hallway!" With that, she started running down the hall, leaving Ruby and Weiss in her dust. The two of them stared at each other, realizing that this was much different than either of them had anticipated happening. They both began to blush as they rolled off of each other, jumping to their feet and running after Nora.

"Nora, that wasn't what you thought it was!" "Get back here, Nora!" Ruby activated her semblance, disappearing from view. From her end of the hall, Pyrrha could only hear a loud scream that sounded distinctly like Nora. With a sigh, she shook her head and started to walk in that direction.

"Maybe leaving Mistral was a bad idea."

[cyn-00]

Moreid one shot, 6 - "way past that"

Season 7, episode 20 "The company" (the one where Derek finally finds his cousin Cindi after years she had been missing but her family had no proof of her death. At the very end, when Derek, his sister Sarah, his aunt, Cindi and her son finally gather and hug)

We love some unrequested long ass but hopefully not boring fic. Basically a follow-up to the episode, definitely not one of my best works...

Also bad news: I've just started season 8 which is the one where Reid has that thing going on with Maeve, so A) I'm gonna be depressed and frustrated for a whole ass season + B) there probably won't be any Moreid inspo here and there so I'm sorry but I probably won't write fics during this one :( I could still do some throwbacks to older seasons though, I'll see what my big (?) creative (?) brain can do

Read it on AO3

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

Reid was watching the scene through the blinds of the room him and the rest of the team were, chatting and finally relaxing while reordering their things, ready to go home.

He could clearly see, even from far away, that Morgan had teary eyes - but they weren't tears of sadness, nor anger. They were ones of joy and relief. Derek's aunt was hugging Cindi's kid, Derek was talking with his sister Sarah.

The young genius was totally immersed. He was so moved and happy that Morgan could finally let go of all the rage and uncomfort he had been burying inside for the past days - to be fair, those feelings had been there for months - he didn't even realize he was lopsidedly smiling to himself, like an idiot.

Everyone was getting out of the room with their hands full of stuff.

"You better pick your things up cause I wanna go home and sleep, and I'm pretty sure everyone agrees with me when I say that we won't regret leaving you here..." Emily said to him, jokingly.

"Yes ma'am, we do agree." Rossi responded.

"Mh mh." Reid mumbled, without shifting his eyes an inch from the view, barely hearing what the others were saying.

JJ sighed, resigned to the fact that he would probably be in there for another 30 minutes. "Alright. Bye Spence!"

-

The room was now empty. Reid saw Morgan looking at the team leaving, like he was awakened and brought back to the real world.

His eyes finally met Spencer's for just a split second, and in that moment Spencer immediately stopped looking, like he had been caught doing something he shouldn't have been doing.

He coughed and clumsily stood up from the desk he was sitting on, starting to pick up his stuff with no specific order. Just to make it look like he had actually been doing something for the past 10 minutes, instead of watching Morgan like it was the most entertaining thing ever - it kinda was, to him. No matter the context.

Derek knew he had been looking all along. He simply didn't wanna look back at him, in the attempt to avoid drawing his sister's attention to Spencer as well.

Mission failed. 

"What you looking at?" Sarah asked after a few seconds of him being clearly distracted while she was talking.

Derek's eyes shifted back to her, raising his eyebrows and opening his mouth like he had something to say; but no valid excuse came out.

His sister turned around and saw it. She saw what had been distracting him for the past 5 minutes: Doctor Spencer Reid, sorting out his stuff in the other room. Now that the others had gone away leaving the doctor alone in there, there was nothing convincing enough Derek could say to dissuade her from gathering that he was looking at the pretty boy in the other room.

Reid looked up at the two for a second and waved at them, wearing his usual cute-kinda-awkward smile.

Sarah waved back, giggling at how geeky he was. "So...you gonna invite the guy over to dinner or something? Ever? In your lifetime?"

Derek sighed, still looking at Spencer. "I wish. It's not up to me, I don't think he'd be comfortable with that."

"C'mon why not? We've loved him since day one just like you did." she paused, recalling a memory she wasn't sure if sharing with her brother. She quickly decided on doing so.

"As a matter of fact, Desirée was the one who predicted something was up with you two just by the way you talked about him." she smirked.

"...I always talk about every member of my team. I talk about Penelope a lot. And Emily." Derek answered, frowning, like he took what his sister said as an accuse of some sort.

"Yeah, but that's different..." Sarah pointed out.

Derek didn't answer: she wasn't the first person telling him that he'd always talked about Spencer in a "different" way, since the beginning, when he hadn't even figured out his feelings for him yet. He'd come to the conclusion that he probably did that without even noticing.

There were a few seconds of silence - enough for her to notice that Derek had got back to looking at Spencer. She affectionately put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on. Go."

"I-I'm sorry sis, he's been trying to ignore me for the past two days on purpose cause I've been nervous all the time and I've been acting like a dick, honestly-"

"I know, I know, I imagined that. You owe him. We're fine." she gave him a kiss on the cheek and headed closer to her aunt and cousin, to intrude their conversation and give Derek a reason not to feel guilty about leaving her like that.

-

Morgan entered the room. Reid heard his footsteps but didn't - couldn't - turn around: he was stretching over the table to try and reach a pile of documents. He managed to pick it up and started to browse through the papers distractedly, while turning around to face him.

"You know, I was thinking that maybe-" He STARTED talking.

Derek cupped his boyfriend's face in his hands and kissed him impulsively, making Spencer breathe out a faint moan of surprise and chaotically put the files back on the desk right behind him. It took all of his physical strength and the remaining amount of attention he wasn't paying to that hot kiss not to just drop the files on the floor.

He wrapped his arms around Derek's waist and leaned closer. Without even thinking of how inappropriate that must have looked, his hands snaked under the other's t-shirt, lightly stroking his back.

The moment he felt Spencer's soft touch on his skin, Derek got goosebumps all over his body. He put a hand on the back of Reid's head, involuntarily messing his hair up, and started leaving quick kisses on his jaw and behind his ear. He knew that was a huge turn-on for him. Exactly the same way Spencer knew how huge of a turn-on was for Derek when he ran his fingers up and down his back - or abs; oh, the abs.

Spencer gasped, keeping his eyes shut. In the attempt of trying to stay on his feet, he put his hands behind him, trying to hold himself onto the edge of the desk.

Wrong move: his hands knocked off the pile of papers, spreading them all over the table and the floor. That was what - maybe luckily - interrupted the dynamic, which was clearly proceeding toward a not-suited-for-work direction.

Derek stopped teasing Spencer and rested his forehead on his, breathing heavily.

"...shit " Spencer whispered, chuckling.

"Maybe I should've closed the door." Derek said, shaking his head.

"And the blinds." Spencer added, nodding his chin toward Sarah, who immediately jerked her face the other way because she'd been caught peeking at them with the corner of her eye, from the lobby of the police dept. Derek snorted and shook his head - again.

Spencer sat on the desk, letting his feet wiggle 10 inches from the floor; still absent-mindedly looking at Derek's family through the blinds. He was sure that they had to get moving, but also didn't want one of the only moments of intimacy the two got during the day to end; even though said "moment of intimacy" eventually turned out to be Spencer yawning every 30 seconds, approximately.

Derek silently stared tilt-headed at his boyfriend with a smile printed on his face, for what seemed like an eternity, laying his eyes on everything they could reach: his gorgeous side profile; his slightly furrowed eyebrows; the golden curls that almost reached his shoulders; that absolutely nonsensical but all the same weirdly charming way he used to wear his wristwatch too loose over the unbuttoned cuff of his shirt, instead of beneath it like normal people; the collar of his wrinkled pinstripe button-down, too large to adhere properly to his slim neck. Derek rested his hand on the side of that neck of his, half entangled in his hair, caressing the very edge of his cutting jawline with a thumb.

"You know," Morgan interrupted the silence and Reid finally looked up at him with his big, brown eyes.

"Sarah asked me if I was gonna invite you to dinner one day."

Spencer smiled awkwardly and raised his brows, surprised "She did?". Derek nodded.

"Wow- I'm- I'm flattered..." he stuttered in response, half-heartedly.

"...but?" Derek got serious.

"There's no 'but', it's just- you know. I thought your family saw me as the weird and awkward kid, just like...well, everyone, really- which is totally true by the way I don't mean to play the victim or anything."

Derek laughed. "Yes, they do."

Reid frowned. Was there something he wasn't getting?

"But they love you like that."

Spencer looked away, smiling shyly. Derek cupped his jaw in one hand to make their looks meet again - he understood that Spencer loved it when he took his face like that by how he immediately gave him those eyes, every time. The adorable eyes. It worked like magic.

He bent over to whisper in his ear.

"I love you like that."

Spencer was already closing his eyes and melting in Derek's warmth, expecting one of his kisses. But Morgan wanted to tease him a little bit, so he backed away from him and walked toward the door with a smirk on his face, leaving there both Reid AND the mess of files they dropped on the floor.

"Wait!" Spencer squeaked when Derek was already on the threshold of the door.

"Nuh-huh pretty boy I ain't gonna help you with that mess. Besides: it's your fault, it's not like I pushed you or anything" he said jokingly, still wearing that smirk that made Spencer's whole body blush.

"Yeah- no, actually, it's not about that, though you could help me since we're already late and it IS kind of your fault- frankly though, it's totally your fault, what did you expect me to do? You were utterly over me, physically-"

"Baby. I was joking. What was it?" Derek interrupted the flood of words coming out of his mouth.

"Yeah sorry, uhm" he paused, his brain trying to start working again after crashing for a second at the word "baby".

He kept his eyes firm on Derek's face with his mouth open - though no words came out at all - fidgeting with his hands like he always did, not knowing what it meant to stay still. Derek raised his brows in a way that meant: "I'm listening...?".

"Why- why aren't you mad?" Spencer finally said, choosing the simplest and less mistakable way to say it.

Derek frowned. "Mad? At you? For wha- wait, did you do something I should be mad about?"

"Nonono not like that it's just, I haven't really talked to you in the past few days. And I should have been there for you with all that was going on."

"You WERE there. Just like anybody else."

"Exactly, and I should have done something more, instead I acted just like anybody else on the team, but I'm not anybody else otherwise this- us, we wouldn't make sense... right?" he waited hopeful for his boyfriend's confirmation, but his expression remained the same. "So I thought you would feel betrayed in some way, I don't know if you do feel like that and you're not telling me to not make me feel...guilty, but- but anyway I'm sorry. I'm really sorry that I acted like I don't have any responsibility to you."

"Kid" Derek said softly. "we're way past the whole 'I'm here for you if you wanna talk' thing. I know that you are, and I chose not to talk about it more than we were already doing on the job. We both bear a responsibility to each other and we always both respect that" he paused. "You worked on the case, you gave me space, you hugged me when I needed a hug. That's all that matters to me and you know it inside that big brain of yours."

Reid looked like he hadn't even heard half of the talk, gazing at him with heart eyes.

Morgan paused again, expecting some sort of answer, which never came. "What? One minute you're all sorry and the next you're looking at me like- like that." he raised his hand to point toward the face he was making. "What's up with you?" he asked jokingly after a few seconds of silence.

"So we're way past that uh?" Reid quoted him timidly, like he had to make it official.

"Waaay past that." Morgan answered with an eye-roll, playing along, knowing where that was going.

"So we're...serious. Aren't we?" he questioned rhetorically, biting his lip and looking down to fake-concentrate on fiddling with the hem of his sweater vest.

"Yes, genius boy, we're serious."

Spencer nodded shortly and turned around to hide his smile; finally deciding to - once again: clumsily - pick up the files and randomly stuff some of them in his satchel, while he kept the others in his hand. If he had done that with any criteria at all, they would have all fit in the bag: that was what Derek was thinking, looking at his messy boyfriend try to un-mess things up; wondering if maybe he really should've considered offering a hand.

-

They both finally got out of the room, 20 minutes later, but Derek's family was still there. He stopped walking and grabbed Spencer's arm to make him do the same.

"Imma wait for Hotch, I'll catch up in a minute."

"Alright" Spencer nodded.

"Yeah wait, first I gotta ask you one last thing..."

"...sure" Spencer squinted his eyes, pronouncing the word slowly. Derek looked a teeny tiny bit nervous, which was unusual, to say the least.

"Does your mom know? About...us? About me ?"

Spencer grinned knowingly. "Why are you even asking, you KNOW that I tell her everything."

"...so...? "

"So I've been telling her about you since the second I met you." he paused, giving him his sweet smile. "She knew where this was going before I did." By 'this' he clearly meant them.

Derek looked down at his feet, biting his bottom lip in the attempt to contain a chuckle.

Spencer wanted to kiss him. But they were in the main lobby, there was Sarah not so far: he didn't know if Derek would be okay with it.

He hesitated a second to look around and then gave him a quick peck at the corner of his lips, so quick nobody noticed. But as soon as he pulled away a little, Derek cupped his face and kissed him way deeper. In that moment, Reid understood that Morgan really didn't care about showing everyone that they were a thing. Not even his family. He was more than just not ashamed of it - he was proud.

Spencer could have gone hours kissing like that, but he stopped. "Alright- you're gonna make me drop the files again" he mumbled breathily against his lips, smiling.

Derek laughed and shook his head, finally letting Spencer go and following him with his gaze as he walked away.

-

He looked over to his sister: she was smirking. She had been looking at them all along. Nice.

Derek scratched the back of his neck and turned around, already regretting kissing Spencer in front of them: he could only imagine the amount of embarrassing questions expecting him at the next family dinner. To which he would also have to take Spencer with, at that point.

Hotch finally got out of an office where he had been talking with God knows who about God knows what for the whole time Morgan was with Reid. He always had to do the boring, bureaucratic stuff.

"Morgan. Have you been waiting for me this whole time?" he asked, in the most ironic tone he could pull off - which wasn't THAT clearly ironic.

"Yeah- no, actually, I was- nevermind. We good to go?"

"I was kidding. I know you were talking to Reid."

Derek nodded, looking at his feet, like talking to Reid was something to keep secret. Problem is, 'talking' wasn't all they'd been doing in the other room for 20 minutes.

Hotch frowned: he sensed something was wrong - mistakenly. "Is everything alright with you two?"

"...why are you asking? Should I know something?" Derek returned the frown. Apparently, that day people thought it was real fun to say confusing things.

Hotch sighed. "Reid wanted to apologize to you for a thing. He only hinted it to me but I can guess what he was talking about."

Derek breathed out, relieved. "Yeah. There was no need to apologize but you know how he's done. We're good." he answered, trying to hide a smile that said: we're REAL good.

"Thank God. When something is wrong between you two it's a mess." Hotch smirked with an eyebrow raised, using that same "ironic" tone from earlier, which came off as such only to the team because they knew him enough to resign to the fact that that was the most ironic it could ever get.

Derek snorted, smiling, without asking for an explanation: he knew exactly that the way the whole team functioned on the job got fucked up big time when there was tension between Spencer and him.

Hotch casually patted his shoulder. "Alright, let's get on the jet already. They're all probably asleep by now."

[bangtan-madi]

I thought of an interesting idea for a senario :0 what if MC, when told by the RFA that she should stay at the apartment, she suggests she can use it like an office instead? (and/or MC feeling uncomfortable living in their dead friend’s apartment. Depending on if you think they’d prefer her live in the apartment or not)

Hey, Nonnie! So sorry it took so long to get to your request. I have been soooo behind with my Askbox, so thank you for your patience! Hope you enjoy!!

_________________________________________

Rika’s apartment didn’t bother you at first, but after spending nearly two weeks living there, dealing with a stalker, let alone a bomb, you’ve become more than uneasy in the space. There’s something about the air that sets the hairs at the back of your neck on edge and sends shivers down your spine. You knew you were just seeing things, but after dark, you felt like Rika’s spirit was watching you.

Shaking your head, you push those thoughts away and turn back to your laptop. You knew you’re just hearing things. It’s your imagination, but still. After everything that’s happened, you don’t feel like Rika’s apartment was the best place to live. You already had plans to make it into an office space and had already looked into another home nearby.

A clicking noise comes from the front door of the apartment. It doesn’t take you long to jump to the worst possible conclusion, that it’s either a ghost pranking you or someone trying to break in. 

“Not ghosts,” you mumble to yourself, getting up from your sofa to grab the nearest heavy object: the small yet heavy statue on the desk. 

You wait beside the door, hoping to god that the intruder gives up after trying to unlock your door for a few seconds. You take the time to quickly message everyone in the RFA chat room that someone’s in the house. 

The door opens, and you launch the statue at whoever dared to break-in. Unlucky for you, you realize who it is too late. Seven is entering, looking down at his phone at the text you just sent.

The statue makes contact with the back of his head. The redheaded hacker trips over his own feet, landing on the floor in front of the door. You cover your mouth with your hands in horror as he lies on the floor in agony. 

“What the hell!” he shouts.

“I’m so sorry!” you exclaim, falling to your knees to make sure he’s okay. “Are you alive?”

Seven closes his eyes and rubs the back of his head while still lying down. “I’m alive. I can tell because of the pain.”

“You scared the hell outta me, Seven!”

“Well, I’m naturally terrifying.”

You scowl at him as he opens his eyes, chuckling at your face. “This isn’t funny. I almost killed you.”

“Isn’t that how we met? Or am I losing my memory thanks to your awesome aiming skills?”

“That’s not funny.”

Seven starts laughing harder at your reaction. “C'mon, MC. It’s a little funny. Let me laugh. You just hit me with a statue.”

You roll your eyes and stand up, leaving him laughing on the floor. “I should’ve hit you harder.”

Others enter through the doorway, the darkness giving way to the light to show the faces of your RFA friends. Jaehee looks mildly concerned, and Yoosung helps Seven from the ground as Zen waves at you and Jumin shakes his head disapprovingly. 

“You invited us over, or did I imagine that, too?” Seven asks as he brushes himself off.

Zen rolls his eyes. “You’re supposed to knock, Defender of Justice, not use your spare key to break into her home!”

Seven gives a cheeky grin as the rest of them shuffle inside. Yoosung plops down on the sofa, and Jumin takes the armchair. Jaehee stands at your side, and Seven makes a beeline for the kitchen. Zen sits in your office chair, turning it around so that he can lean his arms across the back.

“You said you wanted to talk to us,” Jumin prompts, folding his hands in his lap. “What about?”

Breathing a sigh of nervousness, you nod a reply. “Yeah. actually, I did…but I don’t want you guys to take this the wrong way.”

Jaehee places a kind hand on your shoulder. “You can tell us anything, MC. You know that.”

“Yeah, you’re one of us,” Yoosung chimes with a boyish grin. “We got your back.”

You return his expression and continue, eyes flickering from one person to the next. “You all have been so kind to let me stay here in Rika’s apartment. Really, I can’t thank you enough…”

Zen is the first to sense your hesitation. “But…" 

”…But I can’t live here,“ you continue, averting your gaze altogether. "This was where your friend lived. Now she’s dead. Do you realize how strange it is to be using a dead woman’s things? To sleep in the same bed she did? To see her belongings scattered around? It’s haunting. This place, especially after dark…I just can’t be here. Not at night.”

“You want to leave?” Yoosung asks softly.

You shake your head. “No! Well, yes, but only partially. I can’t live here, but I was thinking of still using the apartment as an office. All the RFA work can still be done here, and I can have a separation between work and personal. I’ve found a place, it’s just a block or so away. I could walk here, that’s the only thing that would change, I swear.”

At their silence, you close your eyes and cross your arms over your chest. “I know this was her home. I know it means so much to you. But…But I can’t be here all the time. It feels so strange. I’ve felt this way for a while, but with the party and everything that’s happened, I didn’t have the time to tell you. And I didn’t know how…”

Yoosung is the first to move. He rises from the sofa and walks up to you. He takes your hands in his, pulling them out of the tangle across your chest. When your eyes shift up to meet his, he smiles sweetly down at you.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” he inquires, tilting his head to the side. 

You release the breath you’ve been holding for the last few seconds. “Rika was your cousin, Yoosung. I–I didn’t want to hurt your feelings by saying anything bad about where she lived.”

“The very last thing we want you to feel, as a member of the RFA, is discomfort,” Jumin says. 

“He’s right,” Seven adds, adjusting his glasses with a side-smile. “You’re our friend, MC. If you don’t like this pastel shitshow of an apartment, I don’t blame ya! I’d feel like I was haunted, too, if I had to stare at this many colorful things all day.”

Jaehee nods in agreement with the others. “You should’ve said something sooner.”

“Jaehee’s right,” Zen adds. “We only offered the apartment because it was convenient, but if you’re not happy, then we understand.”

You shrug your shoulders, tears of happiness pricking your eyes. You knew your friends were kind, but you never expected them to be this understanding. “So, you would be okay with me using this as an office?”

“Duh!” Seven cheers, scurrying from the kitchen to your side. “Please tell me you’re gonna repaint it, too.”

“Well…” Your attention shifts to Jumin. “Only if V is okay with it.”

The brunet gives you a small expression of approval. “I’ll speak with him, but I am certain he will be all right with the changes. This is yours to do with it what you will.”

Your grin widens, and you turn back to Yoosung. “And you?”

Yoosung pulls you in for a tight hug. “I think we’ve been over this. You’re not Rika, and this place is yours now. If you know what you want to do with it, I’ll help you!”

“Have you designed anything yet?” Jaehee inquires.

“Oh!” You pull away from the blond and grab your laptop from the desk. Scrolling through your designs, you show the others what you had in mind. The six of you spend the next half-hour reviewing what you’d created. “Different colors, different vibe, different RFA. What do you think?”

Seven fist-pumps the air while Jumin gives a small smile. Jaehee claps softly, and Zen gawks at the designs. Even Yoosung has stars in his eyes.

“These are amazing!” Zen guffaws. “You did this all by yourself?”

A swell of pride courses through you, and you nod. “Yep, this week I did a little work. Do you guys have any ideas? I need some help with some of the finer details.”

Seven motions for your laptop, and after you hand it over to him, he cracks his knuckles and opens a new document. “Let’s help MC brainstorm some more ideas! We’re gonna make this the best RFA HQ ever.”

“I want a coffee machine!” Jaehee cheers. “With an espresso option.”

Seven giggles and adds it to the document. “You got it. Fuel. Done!”

“Oh, oh!” Yoosung exclaims. “Can we have a gaming station somewhere?”

“I like the way you think! Anything else?”

“Karaoke section,” Zen shouts, as if hit by an epiphany.

“We’re going to run out of room in the apartment,” you laugh, though thoroughly enjoying the excitement from the group.

Jumin leans forward, glancing at the document in Seven’s hands. “Well, if Jaehee gets coffee, Yoosung gets video games, and Zen gets a karaoke section, I want an entire corner for Elizabeth the 3rd.”

Seven’s eyes light up at the mention of Jumin’s beloved cat, whilst Jaehee and Yoosung look concerned. You make a face at his comment and begin to say, “Jumin, I don’t kno–”

Zen cuts you off by pushing between Jumin and Seven. He glares at both of them, scarlet eyes flaring. “No.”

Seven pouts and begins to argue with, “Awe, Zen, c'mon–”

The white-haired man turns to look Seven in the eyes and places both hands on his shoulders. The intensity of a thousand suns emanates from the actor onto the hacker. “No. Absolutely, one-hundred percent, no.”

Yoosung stifles a laugh, turning his head into your shoulder to keep the sound quiet. Jaehee does the same, though she hides her giggles behind her hand. You bite your lip as the three boys turn to look at you with confusion written all over their faces.

“Something funny?”

“Oh, nothing,” you retort, forcing yourself to swallow your laughter as Jaehee and Yoosung lose control of theirs. 

Eventually, Seven bursts into boisterous laughter alongside you. Although he shakes his head, Jumin smiles, and Zen flops down on the sofa with a smirk. The room fills with joyous sound as your friends bring light and love back into Rika’s apartment.

After the giggles die down a bit, Zen shakes his finger at everyone, especially Jumin. “I’m not kidding, though. No cats!"