#Also I feel like the Caps have done well pairing them for stuff. Like it's not flirty but it's definitely a complimentary weirdness.

[leahssmile]

— just focus on me

pairing: lia walti x reader

summary: reader is anxious about filming a video for Arsenal, luckily your girlfriend is there to help!

notes: short wally fic, sorry if this one's a little choppy and for the awkward ending, it was written in between flares up over a few days! ♡

nevertheless I hope it's enjoyed and thank you to everyone who's interacted with my blog so far, I hope to get more writngs out for ya'll and maybe take requests soon! :)

You dreaded media day.

Not because of the busy schedule or constant moving like most people, no, you hated the cameras themselves.

Ever since you were a little kid you’ve been camera shy. Your mother often joked that she had no clear photos or videos of you, but you just couldn't help it.

The thought of being in front of a camera made your already bad anxiety spike, of messing up and it being forever captured made you almost feel sick.

It's not like you had stage fright or anything, you could get on a field in front of a crowd of thousands and play fine, it was just the cameras that made you feel bad.

At least with interviews before and after games you could wiggle your way out of them, convince a teammate that they had more to say and would be better to talk to.

But media day was mandatory for everyone, including you.

Today you had managed to participate in the required photos, done with plenty of teammates around to focus on instead of the anxiety growing in you.

But after a quick lunch break you’d been cornered by one of the media people, asked to join in on one of the silly game videos to post on the team's social media, and not really given any option besides yes.

It was just a quick trivia video, questions about who had played in however many games, who had the most goals, nothing series.

And yet as you hover a few feet from the media people as they set up the cameras, you feel the anxiety start to gnaw at your insides.

The unfounded fear of forgetting every fact about your teammates, or even more unlikely, insulting one of them by forgetting the exact number of caps they had, making you squirm as you wait for you to be called over.

You tuck yourself into a chair out of the way, too busy trying to calm yourself to notice your girlfriend, Lia, approach you. “How's it going?”

You jump when she speaks, quickly turning to look up at her, offering a badly concealed nervous grin. “Great! Just waiting to film a quick video.”

Lia knows you well enough to know that something’s bothering you, and a glance from the cameras being set up to your bouncing knee tells her what she needs to know.

Your aversion to cameras has been well known to the Swiss footballer even before you two had started dating, but she never judged you for it, it was just a part of you and she had always tried her best to comfort and reassure you the best she could.

This time isn't any different, and she takes a seat beside you, reaching over to take one of your fidgeting hands.

“What kind of video?” She knows the best way to calm you is to ask simple questions, they usually redirect your train of thought from your worry.

“Um. A trivia one? Like, ‘who has played for Arsenal the longest’ and stuff like that.” Lia nods, “You're very attentive, I think you'll do great.” She offers softly.

It's true, your attentiveness is the thing that leads to your anxiety, noticing the small details, the blinking lights, the shifts of people's expressions, they all get to your head.

But you suppose it is also helpful for the video ahead of you. Now that you think of it, you do know quite a lot about your teammates.

You let out a soft breath, “Yeah. But the cameras…” You trail, and Lia takes a moment to look around.

Her own schedule was pretty much over, having taken most of her videos and pictures earlier in the day, and she'd really just been wandering around talking to her other teammates for a bit.

She was all for staying to make you comfortable. “Look, I'll be right behind the camera, just focus on me, okay?” She points to a spot far enough to not bother any of the media people, but close enough to stay in your eyesight.

You ponder the offer briefly before finally nodding, if anything could ease your anxiety it was Lia.

“Okay, I'll give it a try.” You say and she smiles, leaning over to hug you and press a quick kiss to your cheek. “You got this.” She reminds you as you stand, the media people having turned to wait for you to come join them.

You position yourself in front of the camera, following the directions of the media person as your eyes wander over her shoulders, looking for Lia.

Your eyes finally find hers, and she offers reassuring thumbs up and a smile that you return before taking a breath and turning to the camera, giving a nod to the media person as she holds up the first card with a question written across it.

[thornescratch]

"Well I just got slapped in the face with a tortilla by Ovechkin, so... it's going pretty well."

Inordinately delighted by Stromer ASKING for a test slap and then his surprised little “oh jesus” moue of pain. Between this and his ranch Oreo desire, I feel like I am learning more and yet understanding even less about him. Delightful.

[durrtydawg]

hey gorl! idk how cereal you were about headcanons, but can i request something domestic? like what the uncharted boys are like when they're at home and not treasure hunting for once? (can be as clean/dirty as you like hehe)

Hey lovely! Thanks for waiting for so long, and sorry if this isn't what you had in mind, but I've spewed some domestic Sam headcanons into my notes that I think about too often. A lot of them are very random, so if you want something more specific, please let me know 👹❤️

I started writing Nate, too, but honestly, if you want some good Nate hcs, you should ask @nathandrakeisabottom bc she's gonna have them done to a T.

[Masterlist]

Without further ado,

Domestic Sam Drake Headcanons...

Sam likes to rotate his 'at-home wardrobe' between two pairs of ill-fitting jeans, raglan shirts, the odd henley, and a fuck tonne of minimalistic graphic tees with references that he has no clue about. Boots are abandoned for trainers. (- sneakers, for those who are anglo-challenged)

If it's cold-cold, he adds his trusty sherpa-plaid shirt combo.

If it's hot-hot, he opts for his slutty vests and perhaps some track shorts if he's feeling... frisky.

And fucking baseball caps. He wears them lots, and he wears them well. I do NOT make the rules.

Whenever the weather is good, Sam is outside working on his bike. Whether he's cleaning it, fixing it up, or just revving it for the attention, he'll be out there in aforementioned slutty little vest, cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth, tinkering away because he can't sit still for long at all.

When the weather isn't good, he's miserable. As soon as Winter rolls around, he contracts at least one cold a month, and whilst he gets surprisingly over dramatic about it, he also refuses to take any meds for it. Stubborn man.

Untidy- but never unclean. Being stuck in that grotty old prison for so long, it's clear that Sam wants nothing to remind him of his disgusting cell. He always cleans up after himself in terms of dirt and grime, BUT he's also become a bit of a hoarder, which also makes wherever he lives constantly untidy. Books, ugly little ornaments, and also clothes that he buys and never wears are scattered all over the place.

The idea of owning his own stuff remains seemingly overwhelming; he grows attached to whatever he gets his hands on because he's lived for so long without things of his own.

Continuing down the cleanliness route, Sam takes the longest showers you could imagine. The warmth? The privacy? They'll forever be luxuries to him that he wants to take complete advantage of.

Uses some sort of 250 in 1 body wash/shampoo/car brake fluid concoction, and is in complete refusal of the fact that he needs anything else... though once or twice his intrigue and thieving nature have gotten the better of him, and he's left the bathroom with an oddly feminine aroma that's dangerously similar to the scent of whatever it is his partner's using. Not that he'd ever use a girl's body wash.

Sam whistles around the house. A lot. Also sings quietly to himself throughout the day. He keeps it hushed, mostly, but for some reason, he thinks the shower is soundproof. Lucky for any cohabitors, he's got a pretty good set of pipes on him, and it's actually really sweet. ('We Didn't Start the Fire' by Billy Joel is one of his go-to's. He definitely brags about his ability to remember all of the words.)

He's a dab hand in the kitchen. Well. Sometimes. Sam's got a selection of about three dishes that he makes to Michelin star standard. Other than that he's fucking useless, which can be frustrating since he eats like an animal. Guys of his stature need fuel!

Many times has a frozen lasagna or a teaspoon that's been absentmindedly left in the microwave ended up almost burning the house down. Though, his mind is always in about six places at once, so you can't really blame the poor guy.

But those that he's good at? He's really good at. It's not often that he can be found in the kitchen with a tea towel strewn over his shoulder, four different pots and pans bubbling away on the stove, whilst he bops his head along to a crackly radio station, but when he is? You know you're in for a treat.

He can't scramble eggs for shit (he does it in the microwave and insists it tastes fine💀 it does not.) but can poach 'em good. Expect eggs benedict in the morning, or banana pancakes if you've got a sweet tooth. Not the type to eat brekkie? You are now.

Speaking of breakfast in bed:

Morning 👏 sex. Like... more than any other time of day. Sam wakes up with insane levels of energy in the morning, and the first two hours of his day are more productive than the other twenty-two combined. So if he's not out for a morning jog (eugh.) or busy finding out what recipe he wants to try out for breakfast, he's got it in you. End of. Perhaps you used to grumble about the time... but he's got a thing for your early-am laziness, and you've probably woken up with his head between your thighs more times than you can count. I suppose that feeds in to the somnoph1lia he's most definitely privy to.

That, of course, is not to say that he's exclusively into morning sex.

Is verrrry cuddly with partners when they're visiting or living together. Sam craves touch, so even if it's not a super committed relationship, lingering shoulder squeezes, resting his chin on your head whilst his arms are wrapped around your middle, and gentle strokes to the small of the back are staples- half the time he doesn't even realise he's doing them.

Overall, he’s one handsy bastard, and at his cockiest will take any opportunity he can to smack, squeeze, and even bite your ass if it's convenient enough, offering you nothing but a complacent grin when you try to snap at him. Best you save your moaning for the bedroom. He knows you love it.

Hear me out. He has a weird fascination with teleshopping channels. Not because he wants to buy any of it. Moreso because he enjoys criticising some of the ridiculous stuff they try to flog on there. With a mouthful of cereal, he'll be mocking whatever poor sod has a slot to sell their item, calling you to come and watch in hopes that you find it just as ludicrous as he does.

With TV in general, he has a very stereotypical 'dad' stance on it. Does the whole "what's this crap you're watching? Don't you wanna do something more productive with your day?", only to be glued to the screen within minutes, asking about characters and plot alike.

Unfortunately, this also includes Hallmark Christmas movies.

Sam loves loves LOVES 90's-00's british sitcoms (And no, that's not self-indulgent). I genuinely believe he would binge watch Father Ted and Peep Show happily, especially because he enjoys satire and absorbs the dry sense of humour like a happy sponge. He'd try to impress you with the accent too. Doesn't work.

Falls asleep on the sofa more than anywhere. Since he's often up at the crack of dawn, as soon as 5pm rolls around, he's yawning and 'resting his eyes'. That, and the fact that he finds it hard to get to sleep in bed unless he's totally fucked out. Something about being left alone with nothing but the view of the ceiling and his thoughts makes it difficult for him to switch off. Trauma, eh?

When he does sleep, though, he's precious. Definitely fidgets throughout the night, waking up all stiff because he's been in all sorts of weird positions. He doesn't snore... but he definitely mumbles in his sleep. And it's always nonsense.

Never plans a big groceries run. Sam's trips to the supermarket are solely made on an ad hoc basis, and every time he returns with something that definitely wasn't on the list, i.e. he'll go out to buy pasta but returns with a novelty kitchen timer shaped like a lemon, and a new wooden spoon because he doesn't like the turmeric stains on his current one.

Big porch dweller. Will idle away the hours smoking on his porch or balcony when he's exhausted all of his other options, and will draw little smiley faces on the railings with the burnt out end of the cigarette before throwing it away. Awh.

[pablitogavii]

heyy i was wondering if u could do a gavi x reader where they are in a relationship (very private/secret) so basically none of the fans know about them and they start shipping him with random girls so the reader gets insecure and distance herself from gavi, he notice this and he reassure her after she tells him the reason, at some point he decides make the relationship more public to stop this random shipping with other girls.

now i have to options

1 the fans love her it can just end with fluff

2 the fans start hating on her because she’s dating gavi he post/say something to stop the hate and stuff like that

the end is up to you!

maybe they are on vacation or something like that (angst at the start and fluff at the end?)

i hope you’re doing well :)

take your time to write it, if u do it thanks in advance

His Special Girl

You were really not a jealous person but these random ships really started to push your buttons recently.

You wake up, new instagram rumor "Pablo Gavi new girlfriend!"

You open TikTok when you're bored only to see numerous videos pairing your boyfriend with random influencers all over the world.

You lay down in bed and the moment you open your phone a picture of Pablo edited next to another girl pops up with some bombastic title like "secret relationship revealed!"

You both agreed to keep your relationship private ever since you started texting one day on Instagram partly because he doesn't like his life plastered online and also because you were a normal girl trying to avoid the spotlight.

You were the one who requested it in the beginning because public eye makes you nervous and anxious but now it started to bug you even more that you were a secret.

When you went out together to some secluded restaurant in Barcelona, you had to use the back entrance to avoid any possible papparazi or fans crowding at the front door.

"I feel like Bonnie and Clyde amor" Pablo giggle taking off his cap while moving a chair for you to sit down. You would usually giggle at that and make a joke yourself but tonight you weren't in the mood.

While getting ready, you read yet another post about some fake texts people made between Pablo and this newest influencer. You were curious so you went to her profile and she was very beautiful..her body much more plum than yours..and lots of things done on her face.

You were a very simple looking girl compared to her so you wondered if Pablo thought the same?

He reached to hold your hand but you pulled back when waiter came and you made your orders.

"Amor, que pasa?" he said trying to catch your eyes but you avoided to look at him knowing you can not lie while looking into his eyes.

"Nothing.." you started but when Pablo reached and held your chin raising it up you finally looking into his eyes.

"Tell me.." he says moving when the drinks arrived and you sighed.

"Um..you're being shipped with everyone lately..and It's bothering me" you admit looking at him with guilt wondering if he thought your concern was stupid but he was listening carefully.

"Thank you for telling me amor...I was thinking of bringing it up too..I think we should go public...or well at least semi public if you are anxious about it?" Pablo said and you blushed thinking about the world knowing about the two of you.

"How?" you ask and he smiles taking your hand and kissing it lovingly.

"We let everyone know we are together, but we still keep our relationship private" he says and you nod feeling a little shy now that he knew you were being jealous.

"Hey, look at me preciosa" he said and you look into his eyes

"I think it's cute that you don't like me shipped with others..it's kinda hot you want me to be all yours actually..because if anybody ever shipped you with some dude I would beat his ass" he said and you giggled making him smile brightly.

"I still remember that poor guy in Ibiza cariño.." you say and you both laughed remembering the way Pablo went ballistic when the guy offered to buy you a drink while you were looking for him at the bar.

"Yeah..he might need a nose job after that punch" Pablo scratched the back of his head and you smirked shaking your head.

One day later..

pablogavi

matching pink with my only special girl <33. @y.n.bebe

commers:

gavifans: WAIT! So she is his girlfriend!!!??

gavigavi: who is this girl now??

gavirafam: she is nobody famous! you chose well pablo!

aurorapaezg: cute!!

pablogavi: gracias hermanita!

y.n.bebe: pink looks good on you bebé <3

pablogavi: you too princesa <33

gavisgirlss: AAHH he calls her princesa!!!!

pedrigavifanss: i'm so glad he wasn't with any of those influencers!!

pedri: you wear pink??

pablogavi: only with her...shut up!!

y.n.bebe: hehe

y.n.bebe

I love you <3 @pablogavi

comments:

pablogavi: I love you my special girl!! <33

pablogavirafanclub: we lost him ladies but I'm so happy!!

gavirabae: who gave you permission to look that cute!!??

aurorapaezg: so happy for you amores! <3

y.n.bebe: <3

belengavira: preciosos <3

y.n.bebe: te amo <33

[narwhalandchill]

(certain genshin ships w ajax brief negativity lmao like this is gonna b real controversial im sorry. not an attack at anyone just my opinion here be gentle)

obviously disclaimer that if u like the pairings in question im not like canceling or attacking you personally or saying ur wrong for liking it or for not considering the more uhh iffy angle im abt to bring up in terms of how i personally always felt abt these ships, i have mutuals who rb stuff for these sometimes and its just a tag i have blocked its life it happens, im more so just overall commenting on the existence of the pairings to begin w, its not worth the drama its my opinionnn please keep that in mind but yeah

anyway ugh now w like capitano model preload stuff and some of the model comparisons being made (hes slightly bigger than the usual tall male apparently n childes model was used for the comparison) and the shippy comments being made abt it im gonna be honest chief. i do not. like. a single ajax x harbinger pairing like im sorry just how exactly is the age gap (and seniority. and experience. and power imbalance) not processing with ppl when it comes to these at all ??? 😭😭 hes the youngest appointed harbinger canonically and w perueres story we now know that was like. Literally 16 at most for him. and even if that wasnt the case and before it was confirmed. hes still been around the harbingers since he was a teenager bc of being pulcinellas protege idc if its like this convoluted argument of well he wouldnt really interact w them on an interpersonal relationship level before hes a bit older its just still so weird to me i just dont understand how any of these pairings became a thing 💀 like you think not being around him that frequently would stop the usual shipping suspects ppl favor with childe from seeing him as a literal kid either way???

arles literally the one exception here since theyre actually around the same age but those 2 have the ship chemistry of two noble gases JSKSKSLDOSOSKFL (= literally no reaction) . arle is a whole dyke that much is obvious.

like obviously its not like much can be done since pairings like scara are way too popular to be somehow halted on their tracks and the cap stuff will prolly have a resurgence as well now that hes getting a more tangible characterization in natlan but ughhhh. it also sucks bc i think ajax 100% has a crush on cap and its such a peak concept (the guy Absolutely played a part in childes bisexual awakening) but the idea of it being reciprocated on any level whatsoever just feels nasty to me im sorry 😭 my cap would Never its literally on the level of pairing him w skirk to me

also scara always felt strange to me solely based on the fact that he genuinely dislikes ajax lmao like. it feels ooc on principle afshsjsksidk but whens that ever stopped anyone i suppose. it lowkey feels like ppl just wanted a m/m harbinger pairing at any cost 💀 and i suppose scara being an immortal puppet wasnt like known early on so i suppose the ship becoming a thing in like 1.1 is fair enough? but still my current feelings wrt ajax age gap w the harbingers do stand

[strawberrystepmom]

Kendy… am I late to the astrology party… I’m an Aquarius sun Sagittarius moon and Capricorn rising what do these mean 🥺🤲🏽

I’ve been reading your posts so far very intrigued that by all this stuff I never got really into it I have no idea what they all mean LOL

❤️ @yuutito

i am just blessed that u are here <33333 thank u for asking!!! @yuutito

i spoke a bit about aquarius sun earlier today but since it's one of my favorite placements, i have MUCH more to say. i know you saw me mention that aquarians tend to be people who really value the greater good and delving into that may be interesting with what i know about you because i absolutely feel like you embody this aspect of your sun so well. you try to use your intelligence for the greater good on both large and small scales. you have a unique system of beliefs that are important to you and you value that aspect of other people and give them a space to share those ideas.

i also really appreciate capricorn rising and aqua sun here because if aqua comes up with the ideas, cap gives you the drive to follow through. you likely come off as very to the point, no need for flowery over the top shit when you can just say what you mean and be done with it, which people view as a negative aspect of cap sometimes but i strongly disagree. i think there is power in effective, concise, and kind communication. capricorn isn't unkind it's just realistic and sometimes people bristle at that bc wdym u aren't wooby boobying me every 24 minutes?? cap just doesn't operate that way.

sagittarius moon is also great here because it's just as motivating as capricorn but i feel like it maybe lightens some of the intensity that can come with a cap/aqua pairing. being an idea person and being able to execute those ideas is wonderful until you are in the thick of it and may find yourself overworking or overextending yourself in general to achieve. sag is very motivated but they also appreciate the frivolity in life. i have a feeling your sag moon doesn't necessarily soften these aspects of you but encourages you to indulge a little, to take a break, to enjoy. there's no harm in fun and it isn't gonna derail things

[yoiku]

Looks like I really have my pondering cap on today so i'm just gonna ramble some more

Since i got diagnosed with AuDHD a few years back, it's been really interesting thinking back on so many different things and having a new angle to examine it all from. There's been stuff that i could even say has felt cathartic in the sense of being able to be kinder to myself about some things after over 30 years of causing myself needless suffering. But also a lot of stuff that I have realised I really need to improve on and either haven't understood or even noticed before. Now that I'm learning about the toolset I've been setup with and have a better understanding of how to operate, maybe the improvement is finally possible. I've always really struggled with asking for help mostly because I was raised to be independent through both useful(actual skills) and harmful(mindset&left on my own way too much) means. The whole "don't ask other people to solve your problems/don't bother people with something that doesn't involve them" mantra i got repeated at as a kid, over time evolved into feeling really proud of being so independent. Nothing wrong with that in itself I think, but at some point it starts to be harmful. It can make you become distant while it feels more like selflessness, esp when you're always ready to offer help but never accept any. And somewhere in the back of your mind there's a bit of that "I'm better because I don't need to ask for help" -attitude brewing as well. All the while I could've seriously used some help on a good variety of things. But no, I felt like I had to figure it out on my own even if it was something that you actually need at least another pair of hands for. Now it feels a bit easier because I feel like I can start with "hey i kinda struggle with these things in general so I could use some assistance" or just straight up say that "uhhh sorry but i didn't understand that" instead of pretending that I did out of shame for not knowing everything i'm ever talked to about. Still difficult things to shake off often because its what i've done most of my life. I also still really struggle with being helped/instructed when I've not asked for any of it, I can get really annoyed really fast with that. I feel like I need to fucking go for a full meditation mode for a while to remind myself time and time again that people are usually just trying to be genuinely helpful because they want to. Funny how I remember that while i'm doing the same myself, but when it's being aimed at me, suddenly it's all upside down, huh. Stuff like this I've really started to see way better after i got diagnosed. Knowing that the wrinkly blob residing in my bone-dome is actually wired differently really allowed me to have a new perspective on stuff. It isn't a free ticket to be an ass or ignorant etc. But if you don't know how it can effect you, it's not surprising if you struggle so much more in so many ways and end up needlessly suffering. So when you become(sometimes painfully) aware of these things you understand your own and sometimes the behaviours of others better. Doesn't happen overnight for sure though. (The depression I've had accumulating since my teens definitely has had a negative effect on a lot of these things too making everything even more difficult.) Then there are the fun little things that suddenly start to make a lot more sense, like being told all of these things repeatedly: - You always seem disinterested in everything/ you're not at all excitable - You sound bored / monotone - You're always pouting / you always look uninviting / you should try smiling sometime ^u^ - You're so quiet / you never seem to have anything to say - You daydream/ space out too much - Stop bouncing your leg, tapping things, fiddling, biting/chewing things - Stop making weird noises - You do [thing] in such overly complicated/weird way - You forget so much stuff but remember the weirdest details about anything

Forever annoyed about people telling me how I look the way I do though, because bitch that's literally just how my face is. The corners of my mouth have never really curved upwards so matter how big of a smile i'm pulling. My neutral face really just looks like :( and when i'm smiling it's more like :I Maybe try looking for the smile in my eyes sometime. And hey, getting older is making everything sag and droop even more, so i'll keep getting more and more pouty with time! I'll become the most pissed off looking fossil there ever was.

[voids-colourful-creations]

Cosplay Diary -- [Intro to costumes!]

Eight (Splatoon)

Shoes: Black Heels fitted with insoles to account for me never wearing heels. I've purchased two black zippers and some grommits to add superficially for the sake of design matching. (Who has a front facing shoe zipper??) Leggings: Eight doesn't canonically have leggings, but I'm hoping to do some for the costume, translucent ones splattered with ink/paint! I've got leggings, I've got paint, but I haven't painted anything yet Skirt: I've pinned it in further with safety pins to get a tighter fit, and plan on sewing over the fold I've made to adjust the fit (if it'll fit under my machine...). I'd also like to hem it slightly, since Eight's skirt is pretty short. Jacket: Bit big on me, and the zips too centered, but it works. Need to cut off the sleeve and cut and hem the bottom edge without murdering the existing zipper. Wig: So I've never done a tentacle wig before, but my plan is simple. I will construct 4 plush tentacles to be mounted onto an old baseball cap I found and will chop the brim off of. (That's what the bedsheets are for)

Notes: Lots to do on Eight, but a lot of the planning is done so it's mainly getting to sit down and do it. My next step is to sew the skirt and finish it up, then work on the jacket, then wig. I've done a prototype tentacle for the wig and it went well, so I'll be making another with the proper fabrics, to check sizing, then get started on that.

Dot (Pokemon)

Slippers: Managed to get those today! I'll be adding the decorative stuff to make them snorlax themed, and hopefully adding a band around the back as well. Sweatpants: A wonderful find at the thrift store! (Actually, everything here is from the thrift store for the most part. The slippers, and leggings are the only exceptions, from a walmart and dollar store respectively.) Tank Top: I love thrift store. Cardigan: The real meat of this costume, an entirely handknit cardigan. while the pattern isn't perfectly Dots, please forgive me because I've never knit a cardigan before. Actually I've only ever knit scarves, and its been a few years. I've done all body panels and one sleeve, leaving only the second sleeve and the collar trim left for the body of the cardigan. I'd also like to add pockets. Dot's cardigan has a hood, which I won't be priotizing for now (mainly because i do not know how to do that and I'm short for time.), but i've got a pair of really fuzzy socks I plan on using to make the puff balls. I'll be giving them buttons, so they'll be able to be detatched for ease of washing. (Hopefully I can do the same for the tail?) Wig: A dear friend has pledged to mail me a purple wig I'm hoping to use for this, we'll see if the post is good on getting it to me in time. the only thing I really still need to get for these costumes is the pink extensions I'll use for her highlights. I plan on doing her hair back style (because I need. to see.), and have a hairband. I'll probably use glue and hairspray to make flicked back hair I can then clip in and secure to the base wig for the bangs.... That's the plan anyway.

Notes: A lot closer to finished with Dot, big thanks to prexisting clothes from thrift stores. Which is great because I don't wanna make normal sweatpants n tank tops and things! Cardigan knitting has been going well, and I hope to finish the second sleeve Soon. It's been a long while knitting this, but I'm nearly there! Not super experienced with wig work, but hey this cosplays for fun not a contest so I don't wanna sweat it too much.

Feelings pretty good about things right now! If progress is made faster than expected, I might do a third costume, but we'll see. Haven't figured out which I'm wearing what day yet...

[sullustangin]

Fluffy February Day 17: Blessed

Fandom: Swtor

Pairing:  Gen fic

Time: Sometime After Hoth, late Chapter 2 stretching to early Chapter 3 of the Smuggler Story

Word Count: ~1000

~~

A/N:  A little late due to festivities but done!  Also, I did not anticipate having so much fun writing these two

~~

“Have you found the box?”

“Which one?”

“The one Eva told us to look for.”

“Uh….”

“It can’t be that hard, Corso.  And they call me lazy.”

“Every blessed thing in this gol’dinged cargo bay is in a box, because it’s EVA.”   Corso stuck his head out into the hallway to scowl at Guss. “And speaking of her tellin’ us to look at it, you need to get your gills back here and help.”  

The Mon Calamari rolled his eyes at Corso, but Corso knew it wasn’t the same body lingo a human had.  Didn’t mean nothing by it.  “Fiiiiiine.”

Ok, maybe he did, in this case.

As the two of them shifted through the boxes in the cargo by of Virtue’s Thief, Corso got around to thinking.  “Guss, I been wonderin’.  Mon Cal don’t normally… well, most of them ain’t like you.”

“Yeah, most of them are pretty stiff.  Hard-working. Very law-abiding.  Stubborn – never know when to run from a fight. Which, to me, isn’t good.  Not being dead is better,” Guss replied, pawing through the pile of boxes, turning them to check their labels.  “Most of them would get along with the Wookiee.”

“Bowie?  Hell, yeah.  Who doesn’t love that guy?” Corso activated a second set of lights along the underside of the bulkhead to get a better look at some boxes that were shuffled away in the corner.  

“Mmmm.  He’s the Killer of Kashyyyk.”

“Ain’t gonna kill us. Ain’t got a cause.  Unless you give him one.”

“See, this is what I don’t like.  The possibility.”  

Corso braced his foot against the top of a crate.  “Now, most of us on this ship don’t actively think about what we could do to piss off a Wookiee.  Like you said, most Mon Cal would get along great with him.  So…”  Corso waved his hands in Guss’s direction.  “What happened to you?”

“Well, the Force thing doesn’t help.  You perceive more, you get more scared.  The galaxy has an extra layer of weird on top of it when you can feel it like I do…and then can’t do anything about it,” Guss answered.  “You don’t see it all like I do.”

Corso hadn’t thought of that.  “Anyone else in your family like you?”

“Jedi or kicked out?” Guss said flippantly, then hand clamped over his mouth.  “Whooops.”

“Uh, I meant Jedi, but I’m thinkin’ the other one is the better story,” Corso replied honestly as he sat himself down.  Eva’s crate could wait a few more minutes.

“Ehhhh.”  Guss dithered.  “Well, I might as well say it.  I’m a thief.  I stole from my own family. I’m on the outs.”

Corso felt his eyebrows climb up his forehead.  “Well, that would do it.  But why?”

“I’m like… one of eighteen kids.  Or thirteen – it depends on how you count the hatching that year.”

Corso blinked.  Well, Mon Cal were amphibioids, and the froggies back on Ord Mantell always had a bunch of tadpoles all at once…so he guessed that checked out.

Guss continued, “Anyway, you’re never alone, but you never get any attention.  I… wanted someone to notice me.  And it wasn’t always in a good way.”  Guss shrugged.  “I finally crossed a line.  That’s when I decided to try the Jedi – or they found me or however the Force worked that one.”

Man, Guss was strange. But he had reasons.  

“You feel like we see you here?” Corso had to ask.  

Guss tilted his head. “Yeah.  Not always for good things – like Akaavi and the fact I’m torn between survival and wanting her to crush me like a bug.”

“I did not need to hear that, buddy.”

“ --- but most of the time, yeah, I do, and it’s for good stuff.  Like making Cap laugh.”  

Corso had to smile at that. Guss was good at that, both when he did it by accident and on purpose.

“…is it all right that I call her ‘Cap?’  Or is that your proprietary nickname?” Guss swiveled an eye toward him, checking if he’d caused offense.   “Bowdaar said he’d break my legs if I called her ‘Little Girl.’”

“Nah, Cap is good.  I think it helps her remember… we ain’t a professional organization like Risha and Akaavi want us to be.”  Corso looked at the crate directly across from where he sat. “Goddamn.  It’s there in front of me.”  

As he reached for the crate, Guss nodded.  “They even trademarked Very Awful Things and registered as a limited liability company.  I mean, I like credits, but hoooo boy, some of the stuff they get up to.”  Then Guss finally got the hint to help Corso with the crate.

As they hauled it to the threshold of the cargo bay, Corso said, “Yep.  Cap’s walkin’ a line right now.  She ain’t small-time anymore after finding Nok Drayen’s treasure.  But … I dunno if she actually wants to … be the next Nok Drayen.”  

“Especially since we probably would be equivalent to lieutenants, and he had a habit of killing those.”   Guss raised his chin slightly, and the two men steered the crate down the hallway to the engine room where Eva and Risha were working.  

“Finally.”

As the boys went to the galley to get a drink, Guss said, “It’s like I said to Cap.  I’ve seen Sith out there – as much as I don’t fit in with the Jedi, I definitely don’t want to be them.  I think it’s the same way for her.  I don’t think she really wants to be the big fish.  But… you gotta swim or else you get eaten.”

Corso knew that.  He’d been a merc, known smugs before Eva came along.

But he’d never cared about them like he did her.

Corso filled two glasses of water at the sink and offered one to Guss. “To Cap.”

“To Cap.”   They toasted their favorite gal on the ship.

Corso decided that Guss was going to work out on Virtue’s Thief. 

~~

@fluffyfebruary  @starlightcleric @ayresis @bluephoenix1347 @ermingarden

[soliloquyepistolary]

In the dream, I was pruning or something and then I was with a friend who was a boy and we were chilling together on the couch that was in some public area like maybe a cafeteria. After awhile it was time to get my injection and I pulled up my sleeve so my friend could administer it. The needle was very big and thick, I could see the hollow pointed tip of it and I braced myself but I was being very brave. I wasn't frightened of pain, but it did feel like something I had to get over and done with. It was the first time my friend had ever done something like so he didn’t have the best etiquette. It was like he stabbed me. I didn’t feel pain but it was massively uncomfortable and unpleasant. I could feel the fluid entering my body and it was too much fluid, it was like it was spurting into my body going everywhere. I could feel it going into my brain, the pressure of the stream as it entered, as very forceful. It didn’t feel like the minute bit of liquid that vaccines usually are, it was much much more than that. I was yelling out. i didn’t expect this I thought he would be more gentle.

Then I woke up at around 5am and something told me I needed to ask a question

What’s going on behind the scene ?

In the dream, SM and his gf are in my room. He is on my bed on the right side of the bed and I am on the left side. His girlfriend is on my left, but on a single mattress all on her own. I am in the middle of them. SMI and I are on a queen size mattress. The side he is on, was the side that my sister usually sleeps on and and it’s much more messy than my side. At one point, he is lying down and looking down on the ground and there is all this rubbish littered everywhere, I even see an empty blue Lays chip packet. He incredulously said, ‘I have to see this’. I make sure to mention that it is my sisters side even though I am really messy as well, the whole room is. There is this one point where our feet or legs come into contact and are touching under the blanket and if feels really nice. Neither of us moves away and because it’s happening under the blanket the gf doesn’t see or suspect anything. In fact, I don't even hear anything from her. When our bodies touch, something almost takes over me and I just want to fall together with him and have him hold me, it’s like a lust feeling but not sexual. A strong desire to merge, like electricity. My room is in a disarray as it always is, but I didn’t feel that embarrassed. Because I had the pair of them staying here here, my sister moved into my mums room and at one point we heard her moving around outside or even enter our room. There was another point in this dream where I am looking at my shelf of random items and I am thinking that there are some things he brought me that are perched upon it. I am glad that he is going to get to see that I display them there, a token of how close we are. I am thinking in particular about the Sailor Moon plushie toy that I have (which is not even from him in real life), and also a few books that he had gifted me. I am also slightly hoping that the GF gets jealous if she sees it too and realises how close we are. The stuff on the shelf, including the items he bought me, are looking a bit dusty looking and old. In fact, the Sailor Moon toy looks used and distorted from being played with, its placement on the shelf is backward or faced down.

In the dream, my brother, sister and I are in some countryside area as if it some kind of family trip. We are in someone’s backyard or estate and we are looking for mushrooms. I find shaggy ink caps littered around trees but with the ones that I find there is always something off about them. They either look malformed or bigger than usual, something is slightly off about them. There ones where the mushroom caps are upon on tiny thin white stalks, and some that are stumpy stalks with exaggerate large caps, Some look normal and perfect for picking but even the normal ones are unable to be harvested because there is some sort of thick white substance like paint that they are growing from. Some of the mushrooms may have gotten over ripe and fallen into this viscous liquid, and since mushrooms are porous and absorb fluid I felt icky about picking them. Although I did pick one up, thinking about it. They are growing in clumps. I get quite excited when I find the first lot and my brother is trailing behind me being annoying trying to take the ones I have found first. I get out a plastic bag, so that when I find one that are suitable I will have somewhere to put them. I start to get excited because in the last dream I had there was a plantar box that I was waiting on to see if they would grow magic mushrooms. In that dream, there was feeling that told me to look again next time. In this dream, I knew that this time I could go and have a look and that there would be something there and especially since all these culinary mushrooms were growing it must meant that the growing conditions were just right. So then I start to walk off away from my family to find where it is, I walk in some general direction, just knowing I’ll come across it.

18/5 I found magic mushrooms at school

[artistic-lj]

Well. Time to formulate my thoughts into something more cohesive cause my initial reblog was more so done in fun, hence the all caps and over dramatic language, and I didn’t think it would be really interacted with.

And, to your credit, it technically wasn’t interacted with; it definitely was just a notification misfire, which is unfortunate and annoying because if I had realized that it was directed at the parent post and not specifically at me, I would have never created and posted the second reblog.

I made the reblog as a form of “defense” I guess, to what I had interpreted as a public reply to my post on your own page in the form of a reblog before blocking me. I missed that it said “reply” and when I went to check tumblr itself, the notification was just gone, which made it seem like you had called me specifically out and then blocked me so I wouldn’t have a chance to respond.

Which, would have been fair on your part regardless but it annoyed me and felt like you were shifting the narrative against me, especially when I tried to remain pretty neutral on the whole shipping discourse stuff, while still making my own opinion known cause I think it’s fun to have different interpretations of characters and cannon. For me, I almost always view the batfamily and batbrothers specifically AS a platonic family and I was annoyed that a lot of the top ships were with pairings that felt incestuous in the part of the fandom that I’m in.

With all of that out of the way, I guess it’s time to break down your other stuff. I’m gonna try to do it in sections cause that’s how my brain works and I tend to ramble:

Okay so, blocking people you’ve never interacted with: didn’t know that was a normal/common thing, so I’ve learned that today. I just thought it was weird because, due to the notification, I thought that you went out of your way to interact with me, I guess insult me (?) if being called a virtue signaler is insulting…? And also saying that ‘I’ (which I now realize was the collective of people you blocked) couldn’t “handle stats.”

And the reason I don’t view “virtue signaling” or being called a virtue signaler as an insult, is because, given its definitions:

(The one one the left is from Oxford dictionary, the one on the right is from Cambridge)

Virtue signaling to me just sounds like having and voicing an opinion. And, you don’t have to believe me, but given what I know about myself, I am not just saying these things to “sound good” or make other people look bad, I’m saying these things because I genuinely believe them.

I am genuinely uncomfortable by the fact that I have stumbled across so many ships that include either incest, minors, both, and/or adults/minors. And I don’t believe that that should be a weird opinion to hold, at least not the bit about minors/adults. I don’t really feel like it’s virtue signaling to say that I’m uncomfortable with and don’t like the shipping of a minor and an adult. I understand that forbidden romance and dark romance and whatever else exist and I understand that people will ship family members and stalkers with victims and so on and so forth.

But I guess if I ever met someone irl who shipped an adult with a child, I’d be curious to know more about them, what about the ship appeals to them, how those opinions translate into their real life beliefs on similar situations, etc. Because I know everyone is an individual and not everyone who ships something ships it all for the same reason. I’ve seen people ship incestuous and minor/adult pairings as a coping mechanism (I don’t exactly remember how, I think it was in the description because like I said, I do typically tend to just scroll past and go on about my day when I see a fix tagged with ships I don’t like. I’m not going to these fics and bothering the authors.), and I’ve seen people write with ship dynamics like those to explore the fantasy and kink of it all. I’d be more curious than anything because, in a weird way, I’m kind of fascinated by people and sometimes act like a five year old who responds to every answer with another “why?”

I’m not trying to say “look at me, I’m better than people that ship this” or that the people who do ship it are evil or wrong in some way to do so. And yes, I did start my initial reblog off with “This is so weird and wrong.” But I immediately followed it up with “not literally, ship whoever you wanna ship.” Yes I know it was offhanded and I guess a bit unintentionally condescending (?) I’m not sure, but that entire post was just an unfiltered rant with sprinkles of “I recognize that a lot of this is me-specific because not everyone views the batfamily as an actual family most of the time.”

Anyway, that was a long section but I ended up covering other topics so oh well.

On “not actually voicing things to the void,” yes I understand that that is how tumblr and the internet works. I understand that the OP will get a notification when I reblog something. However, I essentially never expect a response from anyone other than OP because after that initial notification to them, posts essentially are being placed into the void of tumblr’s ecosystem. I know people can stumble across posts but I had never had what I thought to be such an annoyed response directed directly at me and ‘my’ post so quickly after I had posted it. I understand that reblogging of something doesn’t make it mine, but I really didn’t feel like getting needing to clarify myself in a response that I thought you would never see, considering you had vocalized that you were blocking me.

And no, I don’t feel bad for having reblogged those Slade/Jason art posts and mentioned that I don’t ship it in my reblog. Because when someone posts something on the internet, they are going to get feedback. And my feedback was “wow this art or post or whatever else this reblog is of, is so good that I am really enjoying it despite being neutral to or not shipping the pairing within it.” That’s not a weird or mean thing to say. As an artist with an art account on instagram, I get notifications and comments with similar sentiments all the time and I either ignore it or enjoy it, depending on the tone of the comment.

I didn’t feel bad for the OP of the Jason fic stats post with my initial reblog because I was voicing my opinion in one succinct post, I knew they’d get one notification for it, either ignore it or block me or whatever, and go on with their day. At this point, I am feeling bad for them because I really was not trying to fill their notifications and reblog feed with shipping discourse. I just wanted to voice my silly little opinions on the batbrothers onto the hellsite.

So after this reblog, feel free to respond with another public reblog yourself cause I don’t want you to feel like I’m going “no I get the last word” or something like that, but after that, if you would like to continue this discussion further, please dm me instead because I won’t be adding to this thread. And honestly, besides certain snarky parts of your response which feel a bit condescending and jabby towards me, I do genuinely find this conversation/back and forth interesting and fun and wouldn’t mind continuing it privately.

On my statements of “I never said it was wrong to ship them” and “this is so weird and wrong” coexisting: once again, this would be due to me not thinking this post would reach any further than the OP and maybe a couple people going into the reblogs and bothering to read them and just vocalizing my opinion in a fast and fun brainrotty way. But, to clarify: I thought it was “weird and wrong” (hyperbolically, once again) that the top ships for Jason were people that me and my side of the fandom consider close family members and I don’t prefer incestuous ships or minor/adult pairings. I don’t think that the people writing these fics, OR the people reading them are weird or wrong.

On the moral judgement thing: I guess I am??? Like… yes?? I do find it weird when people ship minors and adults…? And I don’t need to justify feeling that way, just like the people who do ship those pairings don’t need to justify themselves to me either. And even in these examples you’re giving, I’m still not even being confident in my judgements. Like, your first example of me saying “I believe there probably shouldn’t be shipping between adults/minors or incestuous ships…”

I made myself the focus and I still was not making my statement absolute. I personally think that there probably shouldn’t be shipping between adults and minors just because I don’t really understand the appeal or what’s to be explored or gained through that when viewing it as something that’s not inherently negative, especially on the minor characters involved. And, once again, I recognize that characters aren’t real and that there are no real children being hurt here. But the concept of writing something with minors/adults or between siblings specifically, especially having grown up with three younger brothers, with no deeper thought on the moral, societal, or emotional impacts of that is just not something I understand or ever will. Which, once again, is not a judgement, simply a statement of fact. I will never understand why people do certain things and that is okay. And I recognize that it’s not on people to explain why they ship something, I just find the concept interesting.

The rest of my statements in your bulleted list are either over exaggerations/hyperbolic (because I was/am passionate about these characters and wanted to share my opinion to who I assumed would be no one besides op and whoever looked in the reblogs) or just my own opinions once again.

“I hope to god,” yeah, I did. Because I personally genuinely do not understand the appeal of pairing a 14 year old and 23 year old together. But I don’t even care at this point. I don’t even understand how I really got into this situation and how my silly text post caused someone to call me a virtue signaler who is passing moral judgement on people for shipping children and adults. Like… I mean… yes, I guess I am? But more so I was just disappointed that somehow multiple pairings of canonically a child and canonically an adult are at the top. That doesn’t mean I think the people who write the fics are immoral or gross, it just means that I personally hope that those fics either aged up the minor or aged down the adult because the concept of an adult/child pairing is uncomfortable for me. Not that the people who are doing it are immoral.

On your clarifications on why I’m a virtue signaler and what virtue signaling means: I didn’t ‘need’ to get my opinions out or let the world know that I, artistic-Lj, could NEVVVEERRR ever in a million billion bajillion years ship such horrid things, oh deary me. I wanted to voice my opinions on this public hellsite that’s fun to scream into the void on. Yes I know OP can see it and yes I know people look at reblogs. But when I reblogged the post, it hadn’t gotten as big as it is now, and I didn’t see it getting much bigger. But also… I’m allowed to just want to voice my opinions and not be called a virtue signaler?? Like… god forbid I say “I don’t like X thing” publicly. I think OP, who was just posting stats and never stated any personal opinions either way, will be okay with someone vocalizing their opinion in response to their post.

Saying “it costs zero” has always been such a nothing statement to me, to be completely honest. Because if we’re going down that route, it also costs zero for you to not have commented publicly about all the people you were using the post to block and how silly, dull and boring they are for disliking the ships. It costs zero to keep me blocked instead of unblocking me just to respond to my reblog that I, once again, didn’t think you’d see because, to my knowledge at the time, you had publicly announced you would block me before promptly doing so.

Anyway

Once again, yes, I am allowed to post publicly and deal with the consequences of doing so and how people react. In that same line of thought, I was allowed to react to what I thought was a public post directed at me before being blocked. I don’t need to express my opinions in private because people are allowed to have opinions, even if you disagree with them.

Which I guess is why I never understood shipping discourse in the first place because I understand that people will ship things that I dislike and I will ship things that they dislike and so on. But I’m not blocking people who disagree with me or thinking of myself as morally superior or calling people assholes or judgmental for expressing an opinion. Human beings have opinions. We aren’t non-thinking robots. I have opinions that I’m allowed to vocalize publicly online, as do you.

The term virtue signaler, to ME PERSONALLY, almost feels like a straw man argument(?) or maybe a red herring fallacy(??) because it essentially is taking someone’s opinion and saying “not only does this person hold this opinion, but they also believe they are morally superior for holding it!” Which just… is impossible to prove because you can’t be inside my mind anymore than I can be inside of yours??

Like… at the end of the day, you are blocking people who upset you because they are vocalizing opinions that you do not like or agree with. Which is fine. But you also are calling these people judgmental and virtue signalers because their opinions do not align with your own, which feels a bit like twisting the meaning of the phrase to me.

I don’t even know anymore, this all just started as me sharing my opinions on the top ships for Jason Todd on Ao3 and became way more (and yes I know it became more because of me and my second reblog, just clarifying because I really don’t want to have to clarify what everything I say means a second time)

Anyway, once again, I love you, tumblr, you little phenomenal hellsite where I can write all this shit because I care about my weird lil guys dressed in traffic light colors nexts to a man dressed in all black <3

TOP 10 Jason Todd "Red Hood"

1.-Jason Todd/Dick Grayson (8699) 2.-Jason Todd/Tim Drake (7011) 3.-Jason Todd/Roy Harper (3179) 4.-Jason Todd/Bruce Wayne (2147) 5.-Jason Todd/Slade Wilson (1114) 6.-Jason Todd/Damian Wayne (861) 7.-Jason Todd/Marinette Dupain-Cheng (837) 8.-Jason Todd/Stephanie Brown (565) 9.-Jason Todd/Kyle Rayner (440) 10.-Jason Todd/Roman Sionis (407)

This list doesn't include fanfics tagged with Jason Todd/Reader.

Please don't comment hate messages, this post is purely informative. I don't want my notifications to be filled with ship wars/hate or mean in general :/

[angstysebfan]

The Past Can Break You - 4

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

AU: Avengers

Summary: You and Bucky have been dating for aa few years. As far as you’re concerned he is the one. But what happens when a blast from the actual past shows up?

A/N: Ive seen a lot stories of Bucky getting his first love from the 40′s back. And I’ve always wondered... what would happen if he was dating someone already? Reader is from this time. Not proofread.

Warning: honestly probably not the best ive written... sorry

--

It’s been almost a week since you told Bucky you needed space. You have barely come out of your room, because you didn’t want to see him, and especially her. You wonder if this is really the end of your relationship. You are grateful that he has given you space, and according to Nat, he hasn’t gone near Dot. Dot has been spending a lot of time down in the lab with Tony. Wanting to learn about technology. Good luck to her.

Over the last few days you have been waking up to soft knocking on your door. You go to open the door and find a single red rose with no note. You figure it is Bucky, and while it makes your heart flutter, you force yourself to leave in on your dresser. As you walk down to the kitchen to eat breakfast you see Nat sitting at the counter.

“Morning, Nat,” you say quietly.

She smiles softly at you, “Morning. How are you feeling?” she asks.

You shrug as you continue making your coffee and grab your fixings for cereal. When you turn around you see Bucky sleepily walk into the kitchen. You look at the bags under his eyes and he stops short and stares at you. You feel your heart break when you know that he doesn’t sleep well without you. 

“Morning, Doll,” he says, completely ignoring Nat’s existence.

“Good morning Bucky,” you say. You decide to take your breakfast to go and shuffle around him as he walks further into the room. You stop and turn to look at him again, “Thank you for the roses. They are beautiful, “ you say before leaving.

Bucky sighs heavily when you leave and looks at Nat. “God I hope this works. I can’t live like this much longer, Nat. I miss her so goddamn much,” he says as he puts his face in his hands. 

“Barnes man up. This will work. She commented on the roses. She is hurt and doesn’t trust you, which you can’t blame her for. But the fact that she thanked you, tells me that she appreciates you putting in the effort. It’s time to do this. Let her know that you are serious about making her a priority. Now I bought everything. You go get ready and I will get her there, okay?” She says.

Bucky nods and heads out of the kitchen to get ready. He hopes that this will work. He is hoping that if anything it will show you how much he loves you and how much he wants to be with you. But he would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous that you will reject him also. But Nat seems to think this will work, so we will see.

--

You are sitting on your bed, watching Netflix when there is a knock on your door. You call for them to enter and see Nat walk through the door. She walks over and sits on your bed.

“Hey honey, how are you holding up?” she asks as she sits.

You shrug, hugging yourself. “I-I miss him. But I’m still mad at him. But I want to talk to him. But I’m scared that it will end,” you say.

Nat pulls you into a hug, “Honey, I promise he has been moping in his room all week. I don’t think he has gone near her once. Steve has been watching over her, and she has been spending a lot of time in the lab, which is weird, but whatever. He told her he was done and he meant it. Talk to him,” she says.

You can’t help the tears, “Has be been... okay?” you ask.

“He misses you. He wants to make it up to you. Are you ready to hear him out, and have a conversation with him?” Nat asked.

You sigh and think about whether or not you are ready. You look at her and node slowly, causing her to smile. “Good. I was hoping that would be your answer. Now get up and put...” she ran to the bedroom door and grabs a box from the hallway she left there, bringing it back to the bed. “This on. I’ll meet you in the garage in 1 hour,” she says before leaving. You open the box and gasp.

--

When Nat pulls up to the edge of Central Park, you look at her in question. She nods telling you to go ahead. You get out of the car and start walking down the path. As you get closer to the clearing, you hear light music. You continue walking and finally enter the clearing where you recognize you had your first date with Bucky. You look around and see roses everywhere and candles, along with music.

Finally your eyes meet Bucky, who is standing in the middle of open space. He is wearing a navy blue suit, that matches your navy blue dress that Nat gave you. He has shaved his beard to some light scruff, that makes you swoon. His hair is cut short, and looks so soft. You see he is nervous as he waits for you to make a move.

“Hi Bucky,” you say. 

He sighs and gives you a small smile, “Hi baby. I’m glad you came,” he says as he steps up to you with another rose in his hand.

He hands it to you, which causes you to smile, “Well Nat didn’t exactly give me much of a choice,” you say.

He laughs, “Yea, she has been helping me set up all of this. I’m so glad you are here. I-I wanted to... I... Baby, I can’t even find the words to apologize for being such an ass. But I’m done. I told Dot she had to deal with things herself. I told her that you were the one I want. And, I haven’t seen her since. I know that it will take a lot more than a date and begging to get you to forgive me, but I hope that we can recreate our first date because I fell in love with you that night. Not that I am expecting anything, but I owed you, and--”

You cut Bucky off with you lips slotting on his. He wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you impossibly close. “Bucky, I’m ready to talk. I’m ready to fix this. I’ve missed you. I love you so much, and the fact that you are doing all of this, means so much to me. This isn’t going to fix everything, but I’m ready to talk,” you say.

Bucky leads you to the table and you both sit and talk about the situation. You talk about your fears and how you felt when Dot arrived. You expressed how his actions affected you, and Bucky took everything in stride. When you finally finished going through everything, Bucky then told you how the last thing he wanted was to hurt you. He felt that he owed it Dot, because he knows how scary it is to wake up in a different time. And while he used to have love for Dot, the moment he met you and started to date you, Dot no longer held his heart. Only you. 

He told you that he will never put anything ahead of you or your relationship again. After you both agreed you will move back into your room, but Bucky still has a lot of things to make up for. You then danced the night away under the stars. You both eventually make your way back to your shared apartment. Bucky surprised you with new lingerie, the same pair he ruined that night. You got a redo of that date night, and this time, Bucky made sure you had several more orgasms, before finishing himself. No interruptions, no ex’s, just the two of you reclaiming your love on each other.

--

Dot had been trying to figure out what she could do to split you and Bucky up for good. She knew you would be pathetic and fall for his charms again, just like all the girls from back in the day. She had to step up her game in this century though, and who better to learn from then one of the smartest men who happen to live in the compound also.

She started to spend time with Tony to learn the ins and outs of technology in the 21st century. He also taught Dot how utilize FRIDAY. showed her all the fun and cool thing that no one cared to know. Dot made sure she seemed completely excited and interested, which helped Tony’s ego and gave her more information. Eventually Dot figured out something that she could use. 

She smiled when she saw both you and Bucky going into shared apartment after your date. While she hated the idea of you and Bucky together, she knew that she could use her new knowledge against you. And now was the perfect time to put that in motion.

--

Chapter 3 / Chapter 5

Not 100% how I feel about this chapter. I felt like it was getting too long so I cut it, but maybe I shouldn’t have. So I’m sorry if it’s not as good. But DRAMA ALERT!! What is Dot going to do? Feedback is appreciated!

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[watchmegetobsessed]

Crash Course - Bucky Barnes

a/n: this one? im in LOVE with this fic and im not even ashamed of it. there is just something about the MC helping him get used to living in the new century and im a sucker for it. so please enjoy this fluffy piece!

pairing: Bucky X Reader

word count: 3.6k

summary: Bucky is a regular at the café where you work at and seeing him struggling with technology, you offer to help him, teaching him the basics while you are both thinking about taking it a little further than just a crash course.

masterlist

The time between the morning rush and lunch time is always quiet, the café is almost completely empty, that’s why Bucky prefers to go out during that time, tuck himself away in the corner of the small but cozy place, a black coffee steaming on the wooden table in front of him, his laptop or a book or his phone reserving his attention, whatever he decides to put his energy into that day.

Today has been a rainy day, therefore the morning was a lot quieter than usually, not many likes to make an extra trip for a coffee in the pouring rain, so you’ve been enjoying the calmness, the soft jazz music playing through the speakers as you are putting away the freshly washed cups behind the counter. As if he has an appointment, Bucky walks into the café with a laptop under his arm, his cap hiding part of his face, but you can still see the shy smile on his lips as he closes the door behind him, the little bell chiming for a second time at his arrival.

“Welcome back, the usual?” you ask as he heads to his spot.

“Yes please,” he nods, shooting you a thankful smile.

You try to ignore the little butterflies in your stomach at the sight of the man, it’s almost ridiculous how you still get nervous when you see him, even though he has been showing up every day at the same time for the past about two months. You just can’t help it, there’s just something in those ocean eyes and perfect manner he always treats you with, something you don’t often get these days. Not many take the time to ask about your day or wish you a good one after you hand them their coffee, but Bucky is different. The same question falls from his lips every time you appear at his table with his order.

“How has your day been going?” he asks when you place the cup next to his laptop that’s loading.

“Pretty quiet, the rain keeps people away,” you chuckle, hoping your blush is not as apparent as it feels. “What about yours?”

“Just the same as usual,” he smiles softly and you nod, though you have no idea what’s usual for him. He might be friendly and quite welcoming when he is sitting at the café, he often chats with you about anything and everything, yet still, you know near nothing about him and his life outside of this place. It’s clear he is the kind of person that prefers to keep things to himself, but sometimes you are so desperate for just the smallest crumb of information about him. With the lack of details, you often find yourself making up things about him, like what his favorite dish is, where he likes to shop, what shows he watches on the TV. You might be entirely wrong about all of these, but it’s all you have.

Moving back behind the counter you busy yourself with cleaning it off as Bucky’s attention shifts to the screen in front of him. There are only two more customers in there and they are quite locked away in their own world as well, a college student working on some kind of assignment on her second espresso and an old lady solving Sudoku at the table near the window, sipping on a nice latte.

You can’t help but glance in his direction every now and then as you move the muffins around on the counter. He seems deeply focused, eyebrows knitted together as he is clicking away on the computer. From the looks of it, he is solving some kind of enigma, but when you walk past his table you see that he has an email open on the screen, his cursor moving around kind of aimlessly.

“Not finding the right words?” you ask, stopping to clean the table next to his that was previously occupied by a young couple. His eyes snap up to you before he huffs shaking his head.

“No, I’m just… terribly bad at IT stuff and I’m supposed to “CC” someone on this email,” he explains, using his fingers to air-quote as he glances back at the screen. “But if I’m being honest I don’t even know what it means,” he admits with a nervous chuckle.

You find it amusing, even cute that he is like an old man with these stuff. You’ve seen him struggling to type in a text message before on his flip phone that’s from the last century for sure and now this.

Placing the tray of cups down on the table you move over to him, taking the free chair next to him as you reach for the laptop, but you stop before touching it.

“May I…?”

“Go ahead,” he gestures with a nod.

You turn the device towards yourself as you click a few times, bringing up the option to send a copy of the email to another receiver.

“CC means that more people get the same email. You can put their addresses here. But you can also BCC people, in that case, the original receiver won’t see if the email was sent to others as well,” you explain patiently. Bucky tries his best to focus on the screen and what you’re saying, rather than the way your lips are moving and how badly he wants to taste them.

You haven’t been the only one feeling flustered and like a giddy teenager and Bucky didn’t choose this café as his usual spot for nothing. He spotted you the first time he stumbled in and the way you smiled brightly at everyone and the sweet chiming of your laughter made him want to come back the moment he stepped out that day. So he returned the next day and then the next day again… and now he couldn’t even imagine a day without seeing your eyes light up when he walks in while he can only hope you are just as happy to see him as he is to see you.

You help him send his email and you cheer in victory once it’s done and sent.

“See? It’s not as hard as it seems,” you smile at him gently, patting his arm that’s covered by a hoodie and your eyes fall onto his gloved hands on the tabletop.

“Yeah, I just have a lot of catching up to do from the past seven decades,” he mumbles under his breath, though he immediately regrets not keeping his mouth shut.

Your eyes flicker to his hand once again, then up to meet his gaze and he knows he just outed himself. He is expecting the usual: disgust, disappointment, even fear. That’s how most people react when they find out who he really is. But as he stares back at you, scared like a little kitten, you just smile back at him softly.

It’s not that you haven’t heard of the Avengers, because it’s impossible not to know who they are. You were just not expecting one of them to become a regular at your working place. The few times you saw him on TV he had long hair and his face was covered with a mask, so you’re not surprised you didn’t put the picture together. But knowing now who he is, you don’t see him in a worse lighting. If anything, you feel a little sad that he had to go through so much in his extremely long life.

“Well, feel free to ask any more questions. I’m not an IT guy, but I can help you with everyday stuff,” you tell him and he is in awe at your very normal, very sweet reaction. All he can do is nod as you stand from the table and grab the tray you abandoned not long ago, moving back behind the counter.

When you glance up your gaze meets his as he is still staring at you, nervous, a little anxious, but definitely relieved by your smooth reaction to finding out his identity. You shoot him a bright smile before moving to the table of the old lady who asks for another latte and as Bucky follows your frame move across the room he can’t help the small smile that tugs on his lips.

Your offer doesn’t stay unused. In fact, Bucky shows up at the café the next few days with a handful of questions for you, genuine ones, and a few he already knows the answer to, but wants to hear you explain them anyway. And you help him with anything, sitting at his table whenever you have a few free minutes between customers. He asks you about the internet, social media, online data bases and sources, going through a list from the little notebook he always keeps with himself.

The times spent with him are your favorite part of the day. You always look forward to whatever issue Bucky is going to bring up, fearing that one day he might run out of questions, but that just never comes. And you don’t know it, but your little sessions are the highlights of his days as well, listening to your smooth voice as you explain even the smallest things to him with so much patience, he is convinced you should become a teacher.

He thinks about asking you out every day, the question is always on the tip of his tongue.

What are you doing tonight? Would you want to go out with me? Do you want to grab a bite with me after your shift?

However he just never gets to actually say the words out loud. He is growing impatient with himself, he used to have no problem with asking girls out, but seven decades and another life as a brain-washed assassin later, this task feels way too impossible.

You’ve been telling him to get a smartphone for the past couple of days and though he seemed adamant, one day he shows up with a brand new one, still in the box.

“Oh my God, is that what I think it is?” you tease him with a dramatic gasp. Chuckling to himself he nods as he places the box to the counter while you are making the order of one of the customers. Today has been a little busier than usually, probably because of the special offer of 10% off from the new Cuban coffee beans your boss ordered in.

“I need a teacher to show me the ropes though.”

“Oh, Bucky, I would love to, but today is a bit crowded,” you pout as you put the lid onto the paper cup and hand it over to the customer, another one already walking in, eyeing the offer written on the black board behind you.

He didn’t even think you wouldn’t say yes, it never occurred to him that the timing might not be the best. You see as his smile slowly disappears from his scruffy face and your heart breaks seeing him like this.

“Yeah, sorry. Don’t want to keep you up,” he mumbles feeling defeated, but before he could grab the box from the counter, you put your hand on it, your fingers brushing against his gloved one, the tiny touch making both of you flustered.

“But how about after work?” you suggest and his eyes immediately light up. Spending time with you without any customers interrupting? That sounds like heaven to him.

“Y-you sure? If you have something to do, I—“

“Nothing to do,” you smile at him. You grab a napkin from the counter and a pan from near the cash register, quickly scribbling down your address before handing it over to him. “I’ll be home by seven,” you inform him as he glances down at your handwriting, noting how well it fits your personality. He then looks back at you nodding, as if he was just handed the best Christmas present ever.

“I’ll be there,” he smiles gratefully before stepping away from the counter and letting you work.

 Five minutes after seven, Bucky is standing at your front door with a bag of Chinese food in his hands as he is trying to build up the courage to ring your doorbell. He found out that you live just a few corners away from the café, so he found your address easily.

“Come on, dude. Don’t be such a loser,” he mumbles to himself as he circles his shoulders before finally pushing the button. A short, buzzing sound is heard from the other side of the door and he stares at the 6B sign in front of you as he hears footsteps from inside. A few moments later the door swings open and there you are, still wearing the same clothes from earlier, a bright smile adorning your face as you beam at your guest.

“Come on in!” you gesture for him as he steps into the small apartment. “Tried to clean up a bit, but if I’m being honest I’m starting to grow out this place,” you chuckle as you push a box out of the way. It’s a small studio apartment with everything cramped into one space except the bathroom. You have a double bed pushed up against the wall in the corner, a small sofa with your wardrobe next to it, a TV, a tiny coffee table, a bookshelf and a dresser, a little dining table near the kitchen with three chairs and a pantry right next to the fridge that stands where the hardwood floor changes into checkered tiles. It really is a tiny space that holds a lot of stuff, but all the gadgets and clutter makes it cozy, lived-in, a place that’s so much like you that he feels like he is peeking inside your head as he walks farther inside.

“I brought dinner,” he shyly holds the bag up as you lock the door.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have!” you smile at him gratefully, because you didn’t really have time to buy anything on your way home since you had to make a quick trip to the post office after your shift, leaving you no spare time before his arrival.

“It’s the least I can do for all the help,” he smiles as you take the bag from him and bring it to the designated living room area of the place. Bucky joins you on the sofa and he thanks all higher powers your place is so small that you only have a loveseat, giving him the chance to sit close to you. Your thigh brushes against his as you hand him a box and make yourself comfortable as well, starting your feast while he asks you about your day, listening to your every word intently.

When the food is gone and you’ve grabbed two beers for the two of you, he pulls out the phone that’s the reason behind his visit. He bought a simple one, not at all one of the latest versions and it’s going to be the perfect model for him to learn the ropes on.

You help him put his SIM card into the new phone and then you set his account up before finally gaining access to the phone. You start with the basic features, showing him how to make a call or send a text before moving onto the different apps and possibilities while he listens to you as if you were talking about rocket science, but in a way, it feels like that for him.

“And here you can switch to the front camera,” you explain as you push the button and suddenly, the two of you come into picture on the screen. “Perfect for taking selfies,” you add with a chuckle.

“Oh, selfies. I’m not too good with those,” he huffs shaking his head.

“Because you probably haven’t found your angle!” you smirk. “Everyone has a good angle.”

“You think so?” you knits his eyebrows together.

“Mhm, look!”

Opening the contacts you go to yours, choosing the option to add a picture that will show up on the screen when you call him, and open the camera to take one instead of choosing from the empty gallery. Holding up the phone you position it so your good angle is in the picture before snapping the photo and saving it as your caller ID.

“See?” you smile at him before handing the device back to him. He just nods, even though he can only think about how all your angles are perfect to him and that now he has a picture of you in his phone. “Let’s take one together!” you beam and moving closer to him you take the phone once again, holding it up in front of you, trying to fit both of you into the frame.

Bucky tries his best to focus on the picture, but he can’t ignore how close you are to him, he can smell your shampoo and your cheek is almost pressed against his as you smile into the camera. The corners of his mouth curl up as his eyes fix at your reflection on the screen before you snap the photo. Opening up the camera roll you take a better look at it and it’s probably your favorite photo that has ever been taken of you. Mostly because he is in it as well, smiling so sweetly.

“It’s a good one,” you say and as you turn your head to the side you realize how close you really are to him.

“Yeah?” he breathes out, definitely aware of just the few inches separating the two of you.

“I-if you had an Instagram I would tell you to post it…” you stutter as your eyes flicker down to his lips, the urge to lean in and kiss him growing with each passing second.

Feeling a little dizzy, one of your hands fall to his lower arm, the one that’s made out of metal and your gaze drops to where you are touching him, a panic filled look flashing through his eyes.

He thinks that this is where the moment is ruined, where you realize the monster he really is and decide you don’t want anything to do with him. He almost starts to apologize for God knows what reason when you reach out and your fingers start to work on the straps of his gloves. It takes a few moments for him to realize what you are doing, and he tries to pull his hand back, but you grab it stopping him from doing it.

“It’s alright,” you smile at him softly, your eyes meeting his as you finish what you started and pull the glove off his hand revealing the metal underneath the leather. Then you move onto his other hand and do the same, dropping the pair of gloves to the floor as you take both his hands in yours, thumbs running across his knuckles, feeling the difference between his own hand and the artificial one.

You see his jaw flexing at the touch and reaching up you cup his cheek in your palm, making him to look you in the eyes. The strong and confident man you see sometimes is gone now, fear and hesitation taking over his expression as your other hand keeps holding his vibranium one.

“I’m sorry,” it falls from his lips as he closes his eyes for a second.

“For what exactly?” you ask with a soft chuckle. “There’s nothing wrong with you. You don’t have to hide yourself around me.”

“You don’t find it… scary?”

“Not at all,” you assure him. “You can’t be held accountable for what happened to you. Anyone who thinks differently is just an ignorant asshole,” you add grinning and it finally breaks his fearful expression, planting a smile on his handsome face.

Keeping your hand on his cheek you lean closer, your nose touching his but you stop before your lips could meet, giving him the chance to pull back. But he never does. Instead, he closes the gap between the two of you, pressing his lips against yours, finally making the fantasy you both have been daydreaming about reality. He starts off slowly, savoring each other gently, getting accustomed to the feeling, but it doesn’t take long before the kiss grows hungrier and your tongues meet in the middle.

Your hands rest at the base of his neck while his find your waist, pulling you closer until you swing a leg over him, sitting on his lap as you smile against his lips. His kisses feel delicate and soft yet very passionate at the same time, you love the dynamic you create, tugging and biting each other playfully, it feels like kissing him is the sole purpose of your life.

When it gets hard for you to breathe you pull back, eyes opening and finding his flushed face as he stares back at you with bright, joyous eyes, his lips slightly swollen, already making you want to go back to where you were just a moment ago.

“Who knew selfies could be so much fun,” he jokes making you laugh, his heart fluttering in his chest at the sound that’s so dear to him.

“I’m glad you liked my crash course on smart phones,” you grin down at him, your fingers tracing the sharp line of his jaw. “Do you have any more questions?”

Smirking his hand, his flesh one, moves up your back as he presses you closer, your lips almost touching his.

“Oh, I’ve got plenty,” he chuckles before kissing you again eagerly.

Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed it!

[hannahshattuck]

Captain Firefighter

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Fem!Reader

Warnings: fluff, angst, slight graphic description of injury, car accident

Steve Rogers Masterlist Main Masterlist

BEEP BEEP BEEP. BEEP BEEP BEEP.

You groaned as you slapped your hand around the nightstand trying to find your phone with the alarm going off. When you finally found it, you grabbed it and opened one eye to turn it off. You checked the time and realized you should get up to make sure you weren’t late on your first day at your new job. With a groan, you slowly sat up and noticed you were naked and had a pounding headache.

“Great. Hungover on the first day.” You mumbled as you rubbed your temples.

A groan behind you caught your attention. “God. I’m not drinking ever again.” 

You looked over your shoulder and saw a blond man laying on his back rubbing his hands over his face. The blankets sat at his hips which put his built torso on display. His chest looked like a good place to rest your head and it seemed like his abs had abs. You quickly found your underwear on the floor and a navy blue tee shirt and put them on. You stood facing him and tried to smile even though it felt like a construction crew was in your skull. 

“Um, hi.” You said.

The man brought his hands from his face and laid them on his chest. “Hi.” 

The two of you awkwardly stared at each other and you hoped you were smiling more than grimacing. The man sat up, keeping the sheet covering him and stood looking for most likely his underwear. He found black boxer briefs and put them on without moving the sheet which was impressive to say the least. 

Once he got them on, he dropped the sheet on the bed and found what seemed to be his jeans. He pulled them on and looked up at you and chuckled.

“I need my shirt.” He smirked.

You looked down. “Oh..” You found one of your sweatshirts in your dresser, along with shorts, and started towards the bathroom connected to your bedroom. “I’m just gonna…” You trailed off pointing to the bathroom.

He smiled, “Alright.”

You ducked into the bathroom and quickly locked the door. “Oh god.” You whispered to yourself. You quickly changed out of his shirt and into your clothes. 

You left the bathroom and saw him sitting on the edge in your bed on his phone. You cleared your throat.

“Uh, here you go.” You held his shirt out to him. He stood up and it was then when you realized how tall he was. You were eye level with his chest and had to title your head up to look in his eyes that were a very bright blue.

He took his shirt and put it on without breaking eye contact. “Thanks.”

“Mhm.” You hummed. 

“I don’t remember a lot from last night but I do know you said you start a new job today so good luck on that and I hope you don’t feel too bad today.” He bent down and kissed your cheek. You felt your face heat up.

“I-I’ll walk you out.” You walked out your bedroom and led the way to the front door of your apartment. The living wasn’t a mess so that told you the two of you went straight to your room. You unlocked the front door and opened it to let him out. “I, uh, hope you have a good day.”

He smiled before he walked out the door, “You too.”

You closed the door and leaned your forehead against the cool wood. “Fuck me.”

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

You pulled up into an empty parking spot and grabbed your backpack with all your stuff once you parked. Looking towards the fire station, you saw both big garage doors open and saw your soon to be coworkers messing around or cleaning or working out. You swung your backpack over one shoulder and started walking toward the station. 

“Hey! It’s the newbie!” You turned your head in the direction of the voice and saw a dark skin man waving at you. “Hi! I’m Sam.” 

“Hi.” You waved back. 

“Wilson, keep mopping. It’s your fault there’s whip cream everywhere.” A red head woman said as she walked over to you. “Hi, I’m Natasha.” She held out her hand.

“Y/N.” You said, shaking her hand. “Do I want to know why he’s mopping up whip cream?” You chuckled. 

Natasha playful rolled her eyes, “In between last night calls the boys were pulling pranks.” 

You couldn’t help but giggle. “Ah. That makes sense.”

“Yeah,” Natasha laughed. “They’re lucky it was our captain’s day off last night. Otherwise he would have laid into them and made them clean every nook and cranny of this place.”

“Is your captain here?” You fiddled with the strap of your backpack.

Natasha shook her head. “Not yet. He texted me earlier saying he was gonna be running late. Apparently had a good night if you know what I mean.” She wiggled her eyebrows playfully which caused you to chuckle. “Let’s get you settled before he arrives.”

She led you to the lockers, where you filled yours, and gave a quick run down of where everything is before leading you to the ambulance. You found out that Natasha is one of the paramedics they have and you two would be partners. 

“Okay, so here’s how everything is organized. We do share the ambulance with other shifts but we all got together and figured out where to put everything. If you figure out that a certain supply would be easier to grab in a different spot just send a quick text in the group chat we have for all the paramedics and EMTs. Oh! Speaking of which, let me get your number so I can add you.” Natasha pulled out her phone from her pocket and you gave her your number. “Most of the time we’re like a high school chat with the amount of memes we send.” 

You chuckled knowing exactly what she meant. She continued to show you around the ambulance and then started to introduce you to the other firefighters. You already met Sam when you walked in and he seemed to be done with mopping the whipped cream. Then met James Barnes; who goes by Bucky because there’s two named James but it’s also a childhood nicknamed that stayed, Clint Barton; whose Golden Retriever named Lucky is the station dog and loves pizza apparently, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff; who are twins and moved to the States when they were kids, James Rhodes; who goes by Rhodey and is the other James, and then was told that Carol Danvers, Maria Hill, Peter Parker, Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne you would meet another time due to them being off.

“Sorry I’m late!” A voice boomed throughout the station. You turned in the direction of said voice and your breath got caught in your throat.

“Shit.” You mumbled under your breath.

“I know right.” Natasha smirked. “I’m kidding. One thing you’ll quickly see is how we all tease each other.”

You awkwardly chuckled, “Oh okay.” 

He noticed you standing with Natasha and you saw his face pale before he schooled his features and walked over to you. He was now wearing the same uniform everyone else was and it was fitting him perfectly just like the jeans and tee he put on this morning when he left your apartment.

“Hi there. You must be the new EMT we were sent.” He placed his hands in the pockets of his pants and stood there exuding authority. 

“Uh, yeah.” You tried to smile hoping it was an actual smile. 

“Steve. Or Captain Rogers. Or Rogers. Or Cap like everyone else seems to call me.” He chuckled as he held his hand out for you to shake.

“Y/N.” You said as you shook his hand while your brain so helpfully supplied an image of those hands around your waist.

“Let’s head to my office before we get a call. There’s some housekeeping things I want you to know.” 

You hummed an acknowledgement and followed him to his office trying to keep your gaze in the middle of his back or the floor so as to not focus on his behind that was contained by the uniform pants. Steve opened the door and motioned for you to walk through the doorway.

“You can have a seat in one of those chairs if you’d like.”

You quickly walked over to the chairs in front of his desk and sat down. He sat in the rolling chair on the other side and leaned back in the chair studying you. Instead of meeting his gaze, you looked down at your pants picking off pieces of invisible lint.

“Well,” Steve cleared his throat and leaned forward to place his forearms on his desk with his fingers interlocked with each other. “I will say that this is not how I expected this shift to go.”

You chuckled, still staring at your pants. “You and me both.”

“I don’t want to make this uncomfortable for you and I can work it out to where we won’t be on the same shift. But, I do want you to be here because I’ve seen your scores for all the tests and they’re phenomenal.” Steve said. 

“Thanks,” You mumbled with a slight heat in your cheeks. “And you don’t have to change anything. I’ll admit it might be weird the first couple days but I’ll be fine.” You gain the courage to look at him and saw his ocean blue eyes watching you. 

“Not to make this any more awkward than it kinda is but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since I left your place.” Now it was Steve’s turn to blush. “I promise I’m not trying to come onto you but, uh, I just needed to say that.” He looked down at his desk and fiddled with his thumbs.”

“Well if it’s any consolation I haven't stopped thinking about you either.” You smiled. 

Steve opened his mouth to say something but then the bell rang signaling that there was a call. “Well, let’s start your first shift.” 

You two stood up from your seats and Steve opened the door for you to go first. You gave him a smile as you thanked him. 

“Let’s do that.” You chuckled and took off towards the ambulance with Natasha. 

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

It’s been a few months since your first day and the team has felt more like a family every day. Natasha has felt like a sister to you, Sam has gotten a run for his money when you’ve played pranks and your relationship with Steve has gotten…...closer. You ended up telling Natasha that you slept with him and she couldn’t help but laugh. When you asked why she was laughing she said, “Well, I don’t blame you. He is a nice snack.” You couldn’t disagree with her on that. Steve and you talked about how you two wouldn’t let that night affect you two working together but neither of you could ignore that there were feelings for the other. 

“Hey Y/N!! Can you call Lucky over? He keeps trying to drink the soapy water!” Clint yells across the firehouse where he, Bucky, Sam, and Rhodey were trying to was one of the trucks.

“Yeah. No problem. Lucky! C’mere!” You whistled. The Golden Retriever came bounding over to you and jumped into your arms licking you all over your face. You giggled as you gently pushed him away to go over to his toys and grabbed a tug rope. 

As you were playing with Lucky and wearing him out, the alarm that signaled a call sounded. Dispatch said an ambulance was needed for a car accident. It was always difficult to tell how bad car accidents are until you get there. You and Wanda, who you found out was another EMT, were on shift and ran to the ambulance to head to where the accident was. The accident was at an intersection that always had a lot of accidents whether it be minor or major. 

When you and Wanda arrived, there were already two ambulances there which told the two of you how bad it was. There were at least six cars involved. One was wrapped around a tree, two looked like they collided head on, and the three rear ended each other. There looked to be people out of some cars but your biggest worry was the one wrapped around the tree. You asked one of the other EMTs if any of them checked on the patient of the car around the tree and they said they got there a few seconds before you and Wanda. 

You yelled for Wanda to grab the bags while you ran over to check on whoever it was in the car. Your breath got caught in your throat as you saw it was Steve in the driver’s seat. He was unconscious, slumped over the steering wheel. You gently leaned him back so you could check his front for injuries. Steve had a cut above his eyebrow causing blood to trickle down his face, his left arm was broken which also had the bone poking through the skin, the steering wheel dashboard trapped his legs which caused you to not assess the injuries there. 

“Oh my god.” Wanda gasped when she saw who it was. 

“Wanda,” You turned to look at her. “I know it’s Steve but we treat him like every other person we’ve treated before. Okay?”

She swallowed and nodded her head. Wanda pulled out a cervical collar and handed it to you so you can place it around Steve’s neck to prevent any hidden injuries from getting worse. You called over your shoulder to have Wanda get the spine board. She nodded and ran to the ambulance. A groan pulled your attention back to the man in the banged up vehicle. 

“Steve? Hey big guy. Can you open your eyes for me?” You gently coaxed.

“Wha-? Y/N? What are you doin here?” His speech was slurred but you couldn’t tell if it was because he was regaining consciousness or if the cut on his head was more than just a cut.

“You got in a car accident. Do you know what happened?” You asked as you placed the collar around his neck.

Steve scrunched his face trying to think. “I-I can’t remember.” He started to panic. “Why can’t I remember?”

“Steve, you need to calm down.” You grabbed his wrists so he wouldn’t hurt himself. “Right now I need to check over your injuries.” You heard footsteps behind you and saw the spine board placed next to you. Wanda started getting stuff out of the bag to bandage the cut on Steve’s head. 

The two of you started to assess what you could see but you knew the steering wheel dashboard needed to get moved. You stood up and turned to see if there were any firefighters who could help and saw Sam, Bucky, Clint, and Rhodey all running over to you. They looked over your shoulder and saw it was Steve. 

“What do you need?” Sam asked. 

“His legs are trapped so we need to get those out.”

“Alright. Guys, let’s get the equipment to help.” The men took off back to the fire engine and you turned your attention back to Steve. 

“Hey. I’m going to ask you some questions, okay?” You asked Steve. He mumbled a ‘yes’ and you started asking questions which would assess his mental status. You heard many pairs of footsteps running back over to you and saw Sam out the corner of your eye. You, Sam, and the rest of your team who were there, worked together to get Steve out from being trapped in the car. Once his legs were free, you all placed him on the spine board while Clint and Wanda went to get the gurney. 

“Everything hurts.” Steve groaned in pain. 

“I know, honey.” Unintentionally letting the pet name slip out. “I’m gonna get you some meds for that.” You got everything to get an IV in his arm to distribute pain meds. Wanda and Clint came back with the gurney and everyone loaded him up on the gurney, then into the ambulance, and Wanda jumped in the driver seat and started heading to the hospital. 

“Y/N.” Steve whispered. “I’m glad that you were there.”

You smiled and grabbed his hand. “Well I’m glad that you’re alright for the most part.”

“You called me ‘honey’.”

“Eh. Pet names like that slip from me at times. Sorry if it was unprofessional.”

He gently shook his head as best he could with the collar on. “No, I actually liked it.” 

You could see a sense of determination in his eyes. “How ‘bout we focus on you getting better before we talk about possibly dating and what that means for our jobs.”

Steve’s jaw dropped. “How’d you know?”

“Steve. Honey.” You winked at him. “It’s my job to check for even the smallest facial expressions in order to see how much pain someone is in.”

“Oh. That makes sense.”

You shook your head chuckling, checking over his injuries you could see to make sure none have gotten worse. 

Wanda pulled into the ambulance bay of the hospital where three nurses met you and helped you roll Steve into the hospital. He went to surgery for his arm and to make sure there were know serious internal injuries. You were there by his bedside in recovery when he woke up. The two of you would figure out logistics with the budding relationship at a later date but knew you couldn’t wait too long. 

Steve mumbled as he was coming out of the anesthesia. He opened his eyes a bit and saw you sitting there. “Hi.” He closed his eyes with a smile on his face. 

You smiled. “Hi. How you feeling?”

Steve mumbled incoherently which caused you to chuckle. 

“Alright.” You grabbed his right hand, being careful of the IV line, in both of yours. “You get more rest.” Steve mumbled more as you placed a kiss on his knuckles.

Tags: @patzammit @bobbydearest @katiew1973 @rocketrhap3000 @harrysthiccthighss @justamarvelfan14​ @this-kitten-is-smitten​

[that-astrology-ho]

Nitpicking at Astrology with a Virgo #1

*✧ Pisces don’t like to take other people’s advice mainly because they’re stuck in their delulu Neptunian land. So naturally, they’ll only listen to your advice/wisdom/opinion only if it’s feeding into their nonlogical mindset.

*✧ Even though Virgo’s and Gemini’s are squared, they get along super well since they both rule over mercury. They’re very much the iconic duo when it comes to thinking and communicating.

*✧ All of GenZ has a Sagittarius Pluto. So anyone born from November 10, 1995- January 25, 2008, and June 14, 2008-November 26, 2008 is astrologically Gen-Z.

*✧ Speaking of Pluto, our greatest generational planet, the new dawning of the age of Aquarius is March 23, 2023. Mark it down.

*✧ Earth Mercury natives (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn) have the most beautiful voices. Capricorn’s have a more breathy tone, Taurus is more raspy, and Virgo is just grounding.

*✧ Speaking of voices, famous singers often have Mercury conjunct a personal planet which makes their voices stand out. I’ve realized it’s more amplified when it’s in Earth signs as well. For example: Amy Winehouse, V and Jungkook from BTS, Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Joan Jett, Lizzo, etc.

*✧ Cancer’s sometimes have a darker aesthetic/aura than Scorpio. Unless it’s paired with libra or Taurus, they can have a darker aesthetic, but more pleasing and approachable than Scorpio.

*✧ Scorpio’s very rarely lay their cards down before anybody else does, so if they open up about something before you do, you mean a lot to them. Also they aren’t their necessarily the ones to want to know everything about you right off the bat. They want to have a balanced kind of friendship/relationship with the person they’re with, so if they feel they aren’t getting as much from you as they gave to you, THEN they will try to get to know everything about you just so they have dirt on you when shit goes down.

*✧ Pisces and Libra tend to look at the best in people. So when someone’s getting a bad rep or being misunderstood, they’ll be the most loyal and most likely the first to stand up for you.

*✧ Aries are actually a lot more quiet and standoffish in person. It’s when you become apart of their life that they become a complete freak show.

*✧ Same with Gemini. They’re very loud and funny and the best to hang out with, but at first they’re really quiet and polite and reserved, which really is not the case once you get to know them

*✧ Sagittarius in personal planets (especially moon and mars) really suck at closure. Like they’re deadass the ones to ghost you after you start to expect the bare minimum to them💀💀

*✧ The house that your Saturn lies in can help show how karma takes a hold on people that betrayed you in some way.

*✧ Having Jupiter in your tenth can show a lot of wealth or financial gain throughout your life. Depending on what sign your house is in, that can show where your money would come from (ex. Leo in tenth natives can be great entertainers and can work in the film industry)

*✧ Having a personal planet in retrograde isn’t bad. It helps emphasize that you need to relearn how to operate under that planet. For example, if you have your moon in retrograde, you tend to look back on your emotions/emotional periods in your life before you grow as an individual. Having a planet in retrograde can also make you great at helping other people process their emotions/thoughts/karma whatever.

*✧ scorpio in the 12th can be a haunting placement to have. These individuals worst fear is their own subconscious and thoughts. They may be prone to have a fear of mirrors/past lives/and the idea of doppelgängers. People with this placement have a tendency to either keep everything bottled up or overly express themselves in hopes that people will accept them, when honestly either outcome leads to people perceiving them as sketchy and secretive.

*✧ Leo and Aquarius are opposite signs that I find most intriguing. Aquarius finds it annoying when people follow/copy them or the status quo, while Leo admires having multiple followers and even attempts to gain more recognition and appreciation. They’re both the most showy, outstanding, and individualized signs, but they both have a problem when it comes to fame and recognition. With Aquarius they struggle with the social environment and Leo struggles with their personal environment.

*✧Venus signs get the rep that you’re going to marry/date the sign your venus is in, when in actuality you’ll be better off with someone that fits your Mars sign. Your Mars deals with your sexuality, energy, and self expression, so whatever you put out in the world you get back.

*✧ I’ve also noticed that people with their venus/Mars conjunct usually have the most idealistic relationships because their way of expressing their love and themselves fits well with their partner. People with venus/Mars opposition can have a harder time deciphering what they envision their partner to be and who their part we really is. It’s hard for them to pick apart if they really like their partner for who they are or the idea of what they could be/expect them to be.

*✧ Cancer Mars/Venus natives are one of the kinkiest placements to have in astrology when it comes to sex lmao

*✧ Having venus/libra in your 11th house can make you have trouble understanding romantic feelings/gestures with platonic feelings/gestures. These people could strive for a relationship that relies on being close friends, or even have a friends-lovers situation. *This could be heightened with Aries venus in 11th house ruled by libra

*✧ Capricorn moon natives are some of the most ethereal and caregiving people. Capricorn is associated with the father, rules, orders, finances, and work. When someone’s moon is in Capricorn it can show someone who’s both very protective of their feelings, but even more protective of their loved one’s. I’ve noticed they feel so deeply when they witness someone they love having a hard time (especially with emotional/mental battles) because it’s not something they can easily fix or advise on. Capricorn moons feel the urge to protect and secure everyone they love to a greater extent than cap suns and risings all because they emotionally feel like that’s what they’re called to do. I love you Cap moons🤍🤍

*✧ Speaking of protecting, the difference between scorpio and Taurus is Taurus is more so possessive of everyone and everything in their life while scorpio is more protecting. Taurus loves to spoil themselves and others and tend to become possessive because of all the time, energy, and money they devote to close ones. Scorpio on the other hand value closeness on a spiritual level and need constant reassurance that they’re understood when it comes to their feelings and thoughts. Because of that worry and fear they become protective of the few people that are able to understand them the way they do.

*✧ I believe scorpio has a thing where they know how much they hurt and feel that if someone can empathize with them, it’s both reassuring and distressing. They like it because they’re able to feel like they belong, but they also hate it because they never want anyone to hurt the same way they do. This can apply more for Scorpio moon natives or moon in the 8th house.

*✧ Having capricorn in Neptune gets a rep of being boring and too narrow visioned. This is true but it also shows a generation of people who know what they’re capable of achieving without focusing too much on what COULD be. It can have be more “boring” if someone had Saturn in the 12th house that was ruled by another earth sign, but this mainly just shows a generation of people that are capable of getting stuff done that needs to get done and being influencers for the next generation to look up to.

[dreamerstreamer]

Sugar & Spice

Pairing: Dream / Clay x gn!reader

Summary: The holidays are here! What better way is there to end the year than with Clay and some cookies?

Word Count: 2.4k

A/N: happy holidays, folks! due to popular demand, this year’s holiday special is written for dream. i hope you all sincerely enjoy and have a wonderful day!

You peered down at the bowl in front of you, your eyes narrowing. Needs more... yellow.

Your tongue darted out to wet your lips as you reached across the counter for a small bottle, quickly unscrewing the cap. Holding it over the bowl, you gently squeezed until a single drop fell atop the fluffy frosting sitting in the center. Your lips quirked upward, a twang of satisfaction running through you.

You hummed as picked up the bowl with one hand and grabbed a wooden spoon with the other. Sticking the spoon in, you began to stir, watching with hopeful eyes as the frosting’s hue slowly began to shift ever so slightly. A few moments later, your arm stilled, pride swelling in your chest at the perfect shade of lime green that stared back at you.

“There we go.”

All of a sudden, a beep filled the air, and you startled. Realization quickly washed over you, and your shoulders sank. The oven’s done preheating, you thought to yourself with a flicker of joy.

Flipping around, you slid the bowl across the counter toward the other bowl of frosting you had already made, then turned on your heel. You reached for the oven mitts hanging on the cabinet door, slipping them on with a grin as your fingers fit perfectly inside. You were about to focus your attention on the silver tray of dough you had laid out earlier when a dash of brown caught your attention. You whirled, your gaze landing on a familiar, furry face who was about six inches too close to your precious icing.

“Patches,” you said slowly, eyeing the paw she had raised over the bowl’s middle, “if you’re about to do what I think you’re going to do, don’t.”

She froze at the sound of your voice, her movements coming to a halt as you inched closer toward her.

“Seriously, Patches. You’ll get sick.”

She blinked at you, her big, green eyes scanning your face as her whiskers twitched. You held your breath as you stared back, your fingers crossing behind your back.

Her tail flicked once—twice.

Then she lowered her paw.

You nearly sank to the ground in relief, quickly leaning over to snatch the bowl away and clutch it to your chest. “Thank goodness,” you mumbled to yourself, your eyes squeezing shut. “I thought I was going to have to sta—“

“Hi.”

You yelped, leaping with a start as you whipped around, your fingers curling around the edge of the bowl. On the other side of the kitchen island stood Clay, his hand scratching behind Patches’ ear as she nuzzled up into his touch. As soon as your eyes landed on him, you let out a deep breath, your hand resting atop your pounding heart.

“Holy crap,” you breathed, sending him a shaky smile as you straightened, “you scared me.”

He flashed you a crooked grin, pulling his hand away from Patches. The moment he did, she leapt off the counter, scampering away down the hall. “Sorry. I just I finished streaming and wanted to come see what you were up to.” His eyes darted to the mitts on your hands then the counter behind you. “What are you baking?”

Your lips curled up into a small smile as you placed the bowl of frosting down next to you, quickly grabbing the tray of dough you had made earlier. “Gingerbread cookies!” You sent him a wink. “But with a twist.”

He took a step toward you, blinking down at the array of squares and circles littering the platter before his eyes caught on a particular shape. “Is that... my YouTube profile picture?”

Your eyes curved into tiny crescents. “Yeah! Aren’t they cute?”

He bobbed his head, his emerald gaze crinkling at the corners. “Very.”

You walked toward the oven, pulling it open with a gloved hand. “I have all the icing ready to go for after it’s done baking,” you said, careful not to burn yourself as you slid the tray inside, “and I even got some fondant for your eyes and smile.” You pouted as you pushed the door closed. “I was going to use black licorice, but I figured it might not taste as good.”

While you pressed a few buttons on the stovetop, Clay leaned against the counter, dipping a finger into the bowl of frosting before bringing it back to his lips. He eyed his finger curiously for a moment, then flicked his tongue out to lap up the white cream. He tilted his head, a smile tugging at his lips as he swallowed. “Mm, sweet. You sure put a lot of thought into this, didn’t you?”

You walked over to him, leaning over to tap his nose with your clean finger. “It’s a special time of year. It’d just be sad if I didn’t put in at least a little extra effort.”

The smile he sent you was absolutely dazzling, and you could have sworn you felt your head spin at the sight. “Well,” he said, “you went the extra mile, so I think you’ve done more than enough.”

Pulling the oven mitts off, you hung them back on the cabinet, eyeing the bowls of frosting. “I still have to wait for them to bake,” you began, counting in your fingers, “decorate, then clean, but after all that, then I’ll be finished.”

Clay’s hand slid over the counter toward you. “Can I help?” His gaze averted from yours, something akin to embarrassment flickering within. “I-I’m not an artist or anything, bu—“

You put your hand on top of his. “Yes,” you said without missing a beat. “Absolutely. Of course, you can.” A wicked grin flashed across your face. “If you also help me clean.”

His expression mirrored your sly one. “Like I would let you do it alone, anyways.” He wrinkled his nose. “Just don’t send any pictures of the cookies I decorate to George or Sap, though.” He nearly shivered at the idea. “They’ll definitely clown me.”

You laughed at the thought of the inevitable string of mocking messages he would be sure to receive, a wave of affection surging through you. His stare was fond as he added, “How long do we have to wait?”

Your eyes glanced at the timer on the oven. “Like ten, fifteen minutes, tops. It won’t be that long.”

He pushed off from the counter, standing up straight. “What do you wanna do for fifteen minutes, then?”

You hummed, pursing your lips for a moment before your face lit up. “Cuddles?”

He blinked at you once, then chuckled. “Cuddling, it is, then.”

You let out a small victory cry, missing the way his eyes softened. You turned on your feet, gesturing to your backside. “Help me take off my apron?”

He padded up to you with a hum, his hands reaching over to grasp at the fabric securing the apron around your waist. His fingers were warm against the small of your back, and with a few tugs, the knot unraveled in an whirl. You easily slipped the apron off your shoulders and around your head, flashing Clay another grin as you placed it atop the counter. “Thank you.”

When he returned your thanks with a soft, “You’re welcome,” you turned on your heel for the living room. You had made it about five feet when a warm hand suddenly wrapped around your wrist, stopping you in place.

You paused, turning to look at Clay over your shoulder. “Clay?” you murmured.

He raised his eyebrows at you, his smile curling into a smirk as he pointed above the two of you. “Would you look at that.”

You glanced up, and you felt your throat tighten.

Of course. Mistletoe.

You had nearly forgotten he had hung it up the day before, mischief dancing across his face as you rolled your eyes at him. Shaking your head, you couldn’t stop the lovestruck smile from spreading across your face as you lowered your head, your gaze locking onto his. He was a dork, but he was your dork, and that was all that mattered.

In an instant, his arms were around your waist, pulling you toward him until your chests were flush against one another. You wrapped your arms around his neck, leaning up to press your lips to his. He grinned into the kiss, his tongue slipping into your mouth and you made a small noise that only made him smile harder. You ran a hand through his hair, digging your fingers into the base of his locks. He tasted sweet like sugar, and you could have sworn you could taste the frosting he had licked just a few minutes prior.

You parted with a gasp, his forehead leaning against yours as the two of your calmed your beating hearts, his hot breath fanning over your face. His lips were rosy and swollen, his hair disheveled this way and that. You were sure you looked just as messy, if not more, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. Instead, you simply smiled at him.

“Happy now, lover boy?” you quipped. When he nodded, looking like a lovesick puppy, you tugged at his arm with a laugh. “Alright, let’s go cuddle, now.”

You pulled him toward the living room with ease with a bounce in your step, lunging for the couch. With a small cry of victory, you tumbled into the couch cushions, Clay following right after you. The moment he sat down, you flipped over, snuggling into his side as he slung his arm around you.

A comfortable silence settled over the two of you, your hearts beating in sync with one another as you simply basked in each other’s presences. You were practically drowning in his warm touch and the steadily growing scent of gingerbread.

Rolling over slightly, you traced a finger over the vein in his arm, murmuring softly, “This year’s been kind of wild, hasn’t it?”

You could practically feel him roll his eyes beside you as a chuckle flew from his lips. “Don’t even get me started. I could spend ages talking about how crazy everything’s been.”

You shifted in his arms, your eyes scanning his face. Something in your chest felt hazy as your gaze traced over the curve of his cheek and the slope of his nose.

“But not all of it has been bad, you know?” you murmured, reaching a hand up to his cheek. As your skin met his, he leaned into your touch, your thumb tracing over the myriad of freckles dusting his face. “You’ve done a lot of crazy cool stuff. Look at how much your channel’s grown—how much you’ve grown. You even won a Streamy award.”

His cheeks flushed, and he buried his face into your hand, his lips pressing against your palm as his voice came out slightly muffled. “You give me too much credit.”

You lowered your hand and leaned forward, resting your forehead against his. “You deserve all of it and more,” you whispered, just for him to hear. “You’re more amazing than you know. You made your dream come true.” Your gaze was sincere as you pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, feeling him shiver beneath you. “Little Clay would be so proud.”

As you pulled away from him, you took in the sight of his rosy cheeks and viridian eyes, his lips parted in awe as he simply stared at you. You felt your face grow hot underneath his gaze, and you lowered your eyes to your lap, clasping your hands together. Even just his stare made you so flustered—was it even possible to be so deeply affected by one person?

After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke. “How did I get so lucky?”

You lifted your chin, tilting your head at him as your eyebrows knit together. “Well, you did spend literal months studying the YouTube algorithm, and you’re still constantly working on videos,” you pointed out. “Plus, you stream, so I wouldn’t necessarily call all that just lu—“

He shook his head, smiling. “No, no.” He looked at you dead on, and you felt your heart skip a beat. “I mean, how did I get so lucky to have you in my life?”

Your breath hitched in your throat. “What?”

He reached over, slipping your hand into his as he intertwined your fingers together. “You’re not something I can study for,” he murmured into your ear, his voice wrapping around you like a cozy blanket, “or some plug-in that I can code.” Something warm and gooey melted in your stomach. “You’re just you, through and through, and by some miracle, you’re sitting here with me.”

Your face practically burst into flames, and you most definitely felt yourself starting to turn to putty. You wanted to hide your face in your hand, but he was holding it, so all you could manage was a shy whine. You barely managed to catch a glimpse of his cocky grin before you turned, burying your face in his neck.

“Clay,” you whispered, hoping he wouldn’t notice just how hard your heart was beating, “you are so embarrassing.”

You could hear his smile as he spoke, squeezing your hand. “You love me for it.”

You couldn’t stop a smile of your own from stretching across your face as you squeezed back. “Yeah, I do.”

Slowly, he untangled your hands and wrapped his arms around you, tugging you closer to his chest as you sank into him. You couldn’t think of a better way to spend the holidays, all cuddled and cozied up in Clay’s warm embrace with gingerbread cookies baking in the back. As you drank in his cologne and felt his heartbeat ringing in your ears like a familiar melody, you only had one thing on your mind.

You loved him, you loved him, you loved him.

Just then, there was a deafening crash and the unmistakable clattering of bowls.

You froze in Clay’s arms, your eyes shooting wide open as his hold went slack around you.

There was a beat of silence, followed by a meow.

Your jaw dropped.

Oh my god.

You didn’t allow yourself any time to think before you scrambled off the couch, nearly tripling over your own feet as you raced toward the kitchen, Clay’s voice calling out after you.

“[Y/N]! What’s going on?”

For a few moments, there was only the sound of heavy panting. Then came a loud wail.

“Patches!”

It was far from a perfect holiday, to say the least, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.