#And yeah I drew him in a sweater even though it's been hot as balls all week but it's my way of coping so just leave it

[sturgeonz]

Neil if he were on a magazine

[sleepysnk]

yeah y'all asked for it and i loved this scenario, so i hope you guys enjoy! ♡

After Party

Pairings: Porco Galliard x Fem!Reader

Warnings: NSFW

Anticipation, nervousness, and excitement rushed through the many students at the championship football game against Marley University. Among those students was (Y/N), her nerves were set high as the game was now tied.

The game was in the 4th quarter with two minutes left on the clock. All they needed to do was score and the game would be over.

"Ugh come on! Why did they take another time out?"

She heard the many voices of the students who were patiently waiting for the game to end.

"(Y/N) I can't do this the suspense is too much!" Sasha yelled, shaking her shoulders.

"Relax! We got this.." she replied, turning towards the field. Her eyes averting to her boyfriend, Porco, who was on the field. His eyes flickered towards hers, he nodded his head making it known that he acknowledged her.

The air felt heavy, she felt like she couldn't breathe from how high the suspense was.

"They're going back out on the field!" Sasha yelled.

(Y/N) watched as the team got into position, she could hear her heart beating in her ears. She swallowed thickly as the clock started to tick down, her eyes never leaving the sight of her boyfriend.

"Hut!"

The ball was snapped and everyone grew tense, they watched as the ball was thrown into the endzone.

Caught.

By Porco.

Cheers erupted into the stadium as the pass was caught. (Y/N) jumped around excitedly with Sasha, her eyes averting to Porco who was being hyped up by his teammates.

"That is the final! Marley wins!"

"We won! We did it!" Sasha yelled, hugging her tightly.

(Y/N) dragged Sasha down the steps of the bleachers, almost slipping as she ran towards the field. Many students joined after her, going up to friends and congratulating the players on the win.

Porco turned his head to see her running towards him, he opened his arms as she tackled him into a bone crushing hug.

"There's my girl," Porco said, kissing her cheek.

She smiled excitedly. "You did so good babe! Congrats!" she replied, putting her arms around his neck.

His hair was messy, a few strands sticking to the side of his head from the sweat. "Thank you baby.. I couldn't have done it without you," he said, kissing her lips.

She felt her heart swell. "It really was all you," she said and brushed a few strands of his hair out of his face.

"Yo, Pock!"

They turned their heads to see Reiner jogging towards them.

"What's good?" Porco asked, smiling as he shook up with his teammate.

"There's an after party at Eren's, you tryna go? You can take (Y/N)," he asked, looking back towards the girl.

Porco looked back to see her looking around awkwardly. He knew parties weren't really her thing, and he didn't want to just ditch her.

"Nah.. I'm gonna celebrate with (Y/N)," he replied, looking back towards Reiner. "Thanks for the offer though,"

The blonde nodded. "Alright, sounds good. I'll see you Monday!" he said before running towards the locker room.

Porco turned his body back towards (Y/N), she embraced him in another hug. "You didn't have to do that babe.. I would have been fine by myself," she said, her eyes looking up into his honey like ones.

He patted her head. "I rather celebrate with you though, now what do you say we head back home and we celebrate ourselves?"

She giggled, feeling his arms wrapping around her form. "Sounds good.. I'll meet you by the car?" she asked, nodding.

He kissed the top of her head. "For sure,"

The two parted ways, (Y/N) made her way to the parking lot and waited by Porco's car. Her skin formed goosebumps from the chilly fall air, she shivered a bit, running her hands against her arms in an attempt to get warm.

"God Pock, hurry up.." she said to herself.

"Sorry babe.. I got distracted,"

Her eyes averted towards him, his hair was damp from a shower. He was wearing sweats and a hoodie, the aroma of his cologne filled her nose as he got close to her.

"You're fine! Let's just get home," she replied, kissing his cheek.

He looked so good right now.

(Y/N)'s mind filled with all these thoughts as she got into the car. His cologne made her intoxicated with these dirty ideas, she could feel her stomach doing flips thinking about everything.

"You good?" Porco asked, looking at her as he slowed towards the stoplight.

She blinked for a moment. "Yeah! I'm fine, sorry I'm just thinking."

He chuckled before taking her hand into his, the warmth of his fingers surrounding her cold ones. She felt tingles coming from his touch, that was something Porco always did whenever his fingers brushed along her skin.

"You're always so pretty when you zone out," he said, a soft chuckle escaping his throat.

She rolled her eyes playfully, her gaze going towards the road. "Not really.." she replied, smiling to herself.

He kissed the flesh of her hand. "Well I think so,"

-

Arriving to the apartment they shared, (Y/N) went into the room they both slept in. She wanted nothing but to change and to cuddle up with Porco. She yearned for his touch all day.

She went with a pair of shorts and a hoodie, her usual go to whenever she went to sleep. It was comfortable and her body felt freed from the confines of her leggings.

Porco laid on the bed, staring at the screen of his phone. He watched the replay of the pass he caught to win the game, he felt proud. That was for sure going to look good for him.

(Y/N) exited the bathroom, shutting off the light and stepping out to meet the bed he was laying on.

"What's up?" Porco asked, noticing her staring at him.

She smiled a bit before climbing next to him. "Oh nothing, I'm just really happy for you. That's all," she replied, running her fingers through his dirty blonde hair.

Porco clicked his phone off, placing it onto the table beside him. He patted his lap. "Come here,"

She climbed on top of him so his hips rested beneath her legs. She placed her hands onto his shoulders, she felt his muscles contracting underneath her touch.

A sigh escaped his mouth. "Ugh.. I've missed nights like these with you," he said, running his fingers along her hips. Squeezing at the flesh with his hands.

She felt her cheeks growing hot. "I've missed them too.." she said, putting her hands onto his chest. She could feel the muscles flexing underneath her hands.

His lips brushed over hers, their faces inches apart. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his, savoring the taste of him.

Porco snaked his arms around her waist and drew her closer to him. His tongue swiped over her bottom lip, asking for permission, she opened her mouth a bit wider and let his tongue explore the cavern of her mouth.

The pit of her stomach grew hot, arousal began to pool in between her legs from the kisses. She could feel his hands exploring every inch of her skin, sending tingles of excitement along her body.

She could feel his print beneath her it poked at her inner thigh, causing her to gasp a bit at the sudden sensation.

Porco's hands found their way to her hips, he gripped the flesh with his hands and began to slowly rock her against his cock. The friction sent waves of pleasure to her clit, causing a moan to escape her mouth.

"P-Porco.." a whine escaped her mouth from the friction.

He groaned feeling her clit rubbing against his cock, the blood rushing to his dick hearing her moans.

His hand found its way underneath the fabric of her sweater, his cold fingers brushed against her breasts making her nipples hard. He played with the flesh, using his index and middle finger to play with her bud.

Her pussy grew wet from the friction, her underwear soaking and her cunt yearning for more. She wanted to feel his skin, coat his cock with her slick, hell, even cum on his cock with just her grinding against it.

"You like that baby? You like grinding against my dick? Fuck.. you look so sexy right now," he groaned, rocking her hips a bit quicker against him. His cock twitching and aching beneath his sweats.

She dug her nails into his shoulders, her eyes squeezing shut.

Porco tapped her thigh, looking at her with blown pupils. "Hop off.. I need to get out of these," he said, looking down at his sweatpants.

She climbed off him and took the opportunity to strip herself of her shorts. Her underwear was soaking with her slick, a large damp spot formed, darkening the material.

Porco threw his sweater off, exposing his muscles that contracted with every move. His pulled down his sweats along with his boxers, his cock sprang out and slapped his stomach. Seeing his cock made her rub her thighs together in anticipation.

"Come here.." he said, his voice low.

She crawled towards him, maneuvering herself so her thighs were on either side of him. She felt the tip of his cock poking at her clit, spreading her folds apart.

He moved his cock so it was now against his stomach.

"Rub your little pussy against it baby.."

She let out a shaky breath as she set her clit down against his cock. Her breath hitched feeling the skin to skin contact, his cock was warm almost feverish against her clit. The sensation made her twitch.

Porco put his hands against her hips, grinding her against his cock. He groaned feeling her pussy against his dick, her arousal coated his cock making her move a bit easier against him.

"Oh fuck.." she moaned, biting her lip.

His cock twitched, the tip threatening to slip inside. "Just like that.. oh fuck baby, keep doing that," he said, throwing his head back.

She moved her hips a bit quicker this time, her clit throbbing against him and more of her slick dripping onto his cock. Her mind was cloudy, a knot forming in her stomach.

He used his thumb to rub circles in her clit, her eyes rolling back at the pleasure.

"Shit... fuck yeah, your pussy is so wet. I can feel you pulsating against me, is that what I do to you princess?" he asked, a smirk growing onto his face.

She cried out in pleasure. "Y-Yes!"

Porco stopped her from moving, her eyes averting towards his.

"Sit"

He moved his cock and positioned it near her slit. She sunk down onto it, the two moaning together. His cock slid in smoothly from her arousal.

"Porco! Oh fuck, Porco!" she cried, throwing her head back as he pounded into her. Her walls were sucking him in, fluttering around him as he thrusted quickly.

Her vision went white as the tip of his cock brushed against her g-spot. Her nails dug into his shoulders leaving marks on his skin. His balls slapped against her clit and squelching noises filled the room from her wet cunt.

"Just like that.. fuck you look so pretty," he said, wrapping his hand around her throat and bringing her forwards to kiss her lips.

She rolled her hips against his cock, her thighs trembling. "Yes! Yes!" she cried, breaking the kiss between them.

Her lips were puffy and swollen from the kisses, Porco's hand found its way to her ass, kneading the flesh and squeezing causing gasps and moans to escape from her mouth. Her moans sounded like music to his ears.

He could feel her velvety walls tightening around him, her jaw was slack and her eyes were low. Her breathing was becoming heavy.

"Baby.. I'm gonna cum!"

His hands grinded her against his cock. "Cum all over my fucking dick princess," he ordered, his voice husky and low.

Her toes curled as her orgasm shook her body, her eyes rolled back and her stomach bursted with waves of pleasure that moved around her body. She could barely speak any sentences from it all.

Porco's cock twitched inside of her, his orgasm hit seconds later. His sticky white cum filled her pussy, coating her walls with all white. He groaned at the feeling.

She collapsed beside him in bed, their cum leaking out her pussy.

"I tired you out huh?" he asked, putting his arms around her waist.

She giggled a bit, trying to catch her breath. "Maybe..." she replied, kissing against his jaw.

He smirked before climbing on top of her. "We're not done celebrating just yet.."

[maturemenoftvandfilms]

Movie Dad

Featuring character actor, Paul Dooley

Back in 2017, I got to meet veteran actor, Paul Dooley at his one-man show, Movie Dad at Theatre West. He's been one of Hollywood's most reliable character actors. You probably know him as the grumpy dad in Breaking Away. Or as Molly Ringwald's understanding dad in Sixteen Candles. Or as the long-suffering dad who walked Julia Roberts down the aisle four times in Runaway Bride and many others. During the show, he seemed to look at me a lot while he was just talking in general. Since I had a long standing crush on him, I was genuinely star-struck. That’s not even mentioning how hilarious Mr. Dooley is or just how great of a speaker he is. After the show, we talked a bit with him and asked me about what I was up to, where I'm from and if I was dating. "I haven’t really dated all that much. Uh, I guess I need to tell you something. I'm gay, Mr. Dooley." ''Well son, I always say, to each his own. I had a friend in the Navy that was gay. Hell, I reckon he was my best friend. We never, you know, did anything." He surprisingly admitted. “Well this might be a bit confusing to you, but I am only attracted to older men. I don’t know why, that's just me and how I feel inside. In fact, I have had a crush on you since I first saw you in Sixteen Candles." “Is that right.” The old man said, suddenly looking at me differently. His eyes seemed to stare at me as though he was looking at me through a magnifying glass. "Hope I didn't ruin your fantasy." Paul said after a chuckle. "Mr. Dooley, you're needed." His handler called out from behind him. "Be right there." The character actor answered. Then he leaned his head closer to me and in a lower voice than even his handler couldn't have heard, said, "I'm staying at the Luxury Hollywood Villas, room 215. You stop by there in a couple of hours." "Sure thing." I said as the old character actor and his handler walked back to his dressing room. After a few steps, he turned and saw me staring. He winked and smiled a warm friendly, knowing smile. I pretended not to notice, but it was a genuine smile and had more to it than was on the surface. I just smiled back. He was definitely a cutie in his black slacks and grey sweater which made him even more attractive to me. Once again he looked in my direction and winked. I was thinking what a cute little flirt he was. After that, I went to a nearby restaurant for something to eat. I was thinking of the invitation I had received from Mr. Dooley. What had it meant? Was it him being very gracious to a fan or was it something else entirely. It passed the two-hour timetable when I pulled into the driveway of his hotel and I must admit to being more than a little nervous when I knocked on the door. Mr. Dooley greeted me as he closed the door behind us. We sat down and started to have a nice conversation. He asked me if I wanted something to drink and without hesitation, I told him yes. He quick went to the mini refrigerator. When he turned to walk over to me, I noticed a bulge at his waist. Mr. Dooley had a boner. It was impossible to miss. I immediately looked away from his groin and tried to find something else to lay my eyes on. "I was so worried you'd never possibly be interested, but I can see I was wrong."

I turned toward him and noticed he was looking at my groin which was hard as a rock. My heart stopped beating then started again only to beat a thousand times a second. How lucky could I be. Paul was the epitome of a horny grandpa primed for action.

Seeing his willingness, I made the first move, immediately standing up to kiss him. We started stripping each other slowly and seductively until we were both on the bed naked. I asked him if he’d been with a man before and he told me no. I told him he was in for a treat as I began stroking his dick, allowing my hand to engulf his balls with each stroke. His balls were what resulted in such a nice looking package that I had ogled over for years.

Paul started moaning as I allowed my tongue to slip down past his neckline and onto his chest. I had my hands firmly planted on his torso as my tongue drew circles around his nipples. A delight for Paul, if his reaction was any indication. He moaned and stroked my hair as I nursed his nipples.

A million kisses to his body and I found his crotch. Paul groaned in delight as the head of his cock slid into my mouth. I began to suck while I swirled my tongue around his boner as he started thrusting into my throat, making me gag. I crawled back up on top of him and with our cocks pressed between us, we resume kissing.

A minute or two later, Paul broke the kiss, reached in for my hard dick, looked at it, then surprisingly took it in his mouth. The sensation of his warm mouth and the touch of his hand on my balls was amazing. He pushed his head down on it as far as he could without gagging. I felt the head rubbing the back of his throat as I looked down and saw the gray hair bobbing up and down on my dick.

Paul was eagerly gobbling my cock as if he was a starved man trying to satisfy his hunger. As I ran my fingers through his gray hair, I started to push him down farther on my dick. He opened his mouth and relaxed his jaw to take more in. A moan escaped my lips before he pulled his head up and looked at me. I know he was wondering how it was so I told him it was fantastic before he could ask. I couldn't believe how much of me he had taken in his mouth. It was as if he wanted my cock buried in his throat.

After a few minutes of giving and receiving oral foreplay, Paul asked me if I wanted to fuck him and I said yes. Rolling on to his belly, I quickly straddled one of his legs. His beautiful ass was mesmerizing as I stared down at it. All at once, Paul pushed his ass to me. This was too good to be true! Before I knew it the head was right at his hole and boy was it hot against my cock.

"Just relax and we'll take our time." Told him as I wet a couple of fingers before slipping them into his waiting ass.

I worked it, nice and slow until I was pressing the tips of four fingers past his rose bud.

"Please... try it now." Paul said as he reached down and pulled my hand away.

"Now just relax and enjoy it. Once you get past the burn you let me know and I'll ride you as long and as hard as you like." I said before mounting him.  

I eased the head of my cock in his hole and thought I would spew right then and there. Paul cleared his throat and as he did he also gave his butt a push toward my cock. I moved in and out a few times, but on each re-entry, I slowly pushed my cock deeper and started to fuck this granddaddy tight ass. I tried not to cum too quickly and yet I was really enjoying the sensation of his virgin ass squeezing my dick. If I had died the next few seconds, well my life would have been worthwhile to have had the chance to have my cock inside this veteran actor’s ass.

After about 20 minutes of this, I began to pick up the speed a little. I didn’t want to hurt him so I fucked him with caution. Each time I would stop for a moment I would feel his ass quiver in anticipation of my next thrust. I wanted this to last forever, but his asshole was so hot it was like my cock was on fire and with each stroke it grew even hotter. God was this good. I let my shoulders and torso fall backward as I pushed my pelvis to his hot virgin ass. By now, his hole had opened up wide now as I fucked him more freely. His ass grabbed at my cock as I got even deeper. I asked him ”Are you ok?”

“Yes son. That feels good. I’ve never done this you know.”

“Tell me if I am hurting you Paul.”

“No son, you can give it to me faster if you like.”

That's all I needed to hear as I shifted his weight and started fucking him like an engine firing all it's pistons at once. I let my cock find the deep end of his pool and started fucking him with longer strokes now. He moaned loudly and began to push his butt to meet my pace. He was getting wet and hot inside as I continued pumping him with my throbbing dick. I gave him every inch I had as my balls were ready to explode again.

“Oh yes, oh! YES! Fuck me harder. HARDER!” He moaned as he was loving my dick in his ass.

I him without mercy, hard and deep, pounding my cocks full length into his ass for a good two or three minutes.

“Ahh!!! Oh yeah!” I called out as I felt my cum against his passage as it shot out like a scud missile. I held his hips for a few strokes then reached for his shoulders as I bent forward to kiss the back of his neck. His hole sucked me in further still as my load bubbled inside him.

"That... was some honest to goodness man sex." I said as I rolled off of him onto my back.

“Mmm... yes son. I never thought I would let a man fuck me, but you, you made it feel so good.” Paul said as he turned over to look at me.

Noticing his dick was still throbbing, I put my mouth over it and began to suck this old actor off. I knew it really turned him on to have me pumping up and down on his dick. He grabbed me by the hair as he was about to fire off his load. I don't think he wanted to come in my mouth, but I couldn't stop and he fired his load down my throat. With a loud groan I had finished him off.

He pulled me to his chest kissing the top of my head caressing me with his arms, holding me ever so tightly. Soon we were falling into a deep heavenly slumber.

[relenafanel]

Dicks (in every definition): a fake-relationship AU

Geralt/Jaskier

Find it on Ao3:  Dicks (in every definition) by relenafanel

FOR THE MODERN AU CHALLENGE. WEEK 1: Fake-Relationships

Tag: witcherauseptember

________

“I can’t believe anyone could be such an unmitigated puss-filled dick,” Essi said, staring at her phone in disbelief. Jaskier groaned and let his head thunk on the bar.

“I can.” His sticky forehead was the least disgusting part of the evening.  He'd just come out to forget his ex, and maybe celebrate being free a little (as fucked up as that was) and quite frankly felt attacked by his social media.

“If I believed it from anyone it would be that narcissist,” she conceded, biting on her lip.

“I know,” Jaskier agreed. “That’s the worst part. I feel like it’s my fault being blindsided by this, as though I should have known something was going to happen today.”

Essi snorted. “It’s not your fault your ex is the worst.”

“No, but I was with him for almost 3 years. I don’t know. That’s my fault.”

“Don’t be stupid,” she said. “Look at this desperate fucker. Do you actually think he’s winning? He might be in a new relationship but the look of this guy makes my vagina want to shrivel up and die.”

Jaskier took her phone from her and looked again. Yeah. Yikes. Valdo was definitely scraping the bottom of the barrel with that one. Jaskier hadn’t even tried to join any dating sites post-breakup, but he was pretty sure there were better options. It wasn’t even the guy’s looks so much as he just screamed skeevy douchebag. It was making Jaskier’s metaphorical vagina also want to die.

“You need to get drunk. Maybe laid.”

“No,” Jaskier said, an idea starting to form as he looked at the relationship status change. “No. I need to match pettiness with pettiness. I need to find someone so hot that I’d have trouble getting him - let alone Valdo with his sad, small dick - and make sure to post a picture on Facebook.”

“Would that make you feel better?”

Jaskier smiled with teeth. “I think it would.”

***

It was their third bar of the evening and Essi was definitely sick of the manhunt. She probably hadn’t realized that when Jaskier was judging men fully objectively and not looking for matching personalities (relationship goals) or a willing body (one night stand goals) he had incredibly discerning tastes.

Probably too discerning.

“How about him?” Essi asked, barely looking up from her phone. She gestured to a guy sitting at the bar trying to make eye contact with a woman across the room.

“Ehh,” Jaskier said. “Sweater vest.”

Essi rolled her eyes. “But cute.”

“I’m not looking for cute. I’m looking for eye-searing hot.”

“I’m having trouble remembering how you’ve ever been in any relationships with these unrealistic expectations.”

“Valdo thought I was hot.” Jaskier thought about that for a moment. “Did I stay with someone for three years out of flattery?”

“Probably. Fuck. Get therapy.”

“I am.”

“You’re going to be working on tonight for a while.”

Fucking true. “Oh god, we just saw Valdo’s taste in men. Tell me true… am I ugly.”

“You’re spiraling.”

“That’s not an answer!”

“You’re spiraling!”

“Yes,” Jaskier agreed, pulling at his hair. “I’m so aware.”

“Based on the guy in his status update I’m going to guess you’re the hottest guy he could get.”

“You’re a good friend.” Jaskier pressed his head against her shoulder.

Then, a table opened up across the room, revealing the man sitting on the other side of it. “Holy shit.”

Essi looked up. Then she looked up. “Wow.”

“I hope he’s into men,” Jaskier said. “Or at least willing to play along with pretending to be for long enough for you to get a picture.”

“You’re going to walk up to that?” Essi asked. “You have more balls than brains.”

That was probably true.

***

“Hi, I’m Jaskier,” he opened with, dropping into the seat across from the gorgeous man. Up close he was even more startlingly pretty, with a chin dimple that highlighted his strong jaw and drew attention to his mouth. “And my boyfriend broke up with me two months ago, only to post his new relationship on Facebook today. Our three year anniversary. It’s the dickest of moves, right?”

The man hummed in agreement, but otherwise didn’t stop frowning in Jaskier’s general direction. Like someone waiting for him to get to the point. Jaskier saw that frown often.

“The reason for the oversharing is that I just forced my best friend to follow me to three different bars to find someone so phenomenally hot for me to spend time with and get picture proof, and here you are. I’d do jazz hands but you don’t seem like someone who responds well to jazz hands.”

“What are jazz hands?”

Whoa.

What a voice. What a sexy, sexy voice. Jaskier knew what he was talking about. He was a connoisseur of voices.

Jaskier wiggled his fingers at him. Tada! “Jazz hands.”

“Huh.” The man took a drink of his beer. “You want to use me as a revenge plot?”

“Exactly. Can I buy you a drink?”

The man gestured to his mostly full beer. “I’m not drinking to get drunk tonight.”

That was only a no to the beer. “Nachos or some other foodstuff?”

The guy seemed possibly interested in food.  

“Fine,” he agreed.  

****

Facebook: Julian Alfred Pankratz is in a relationship with Geralt of Rivia.

“Who’s Julian Pankratz?” Geralt muttered, staring at his phone.

“What?” Jaskier groaned, coming out a shitty sleep to a few realizations:

He’d gone home with the hottest guy on earth, which he should be pleased about, AND WAS PLEASED ABOUT

He might throw up

He’d done something last night. Something he’d said “that’s up for tomorrow Jaskier to sort out” because his drunk self was apparently a fucking masochist, and now Jaskier wasn’t really sure what that was.

Only Geralt was still scowling at his phone and seemed to know his real name.

So.

“Fuck,” Jaskier groaned. His mouth tasted like nachos and the regret of doing shots too late in life. He was 28 years old, not dead, but his hangover didn’t seem to know that.  “We didn’t get married , did we?”

“...”

Jaskier risked the light filtering in through the edges of the blinds to look at Geralt. His hair was beyond mussed - Jaskier didn’t know hair could get that tangled overnight. He was still frowning at his phone.

“I’ve been calling you Jaskier.”

“I go by Jaskier,” he promised. He was too busy having his own crises to deal with Geralt’s! For fucksakes. “Now, back to the marriage thing??”

“No.”

Phew. That was probably on him. He wasn’t sure people could actually get fake married overnight. Legally. He’d seen a lot of movies, though.

Ok. Next problem.  “I might throw up.”

Geralt turned his head slowly to look at him. Yikes. Too much beautiful-man-face in his face for this early in the morning.

“It’s eleven,” Geralt told him in the dry tone that told Jaskier he’d said that all outloud.

“Eleven after getting to bed at what? Five? Eugh, boo. Do you have any food?”

***

Geralt did have food.

Well, Geralt had protein bars and electrolytes, which was basically the same thing. Jaskier could always fall on top of a burger on his way home if he had to.  He’d finally looked at his phone by the time he was halfway through his breakfast.

107 new notifications.

What the fuck?

Julian Alfred Pankratz is in a relationship with Geralt of Rivia

Geralt and I were going to wait until announcing this wasn’t an asshole move, but now that it doesn’t really matter, I just wanted everyone to know that I’m doing GREAT.

Attached to it was the picture of the two of them together that Essi had taken with the caption of “I wouldn’t feel too sorry for Jaskier tonight”

His drunk self had a lot to answer for. No wonder Geralt had been scowling at his phone.

“I can’t believe I went Facebook Official with someone I haven’t even had sex with yet,” Jaskier mourned. “What is it, 2007?”

***

It took Jaskier almost the full day to recover enough to actually look through his comments on Facebook. By the time he had, they’d almost doubled and he’d made the mistake of clicking into Instagram to find one of those quintessential happy-relationship-our-feet-are-cute-together bullshit pictures. He had a different following on Instagram, mostly using it for pictures of himself singing.

Yikes. Yikes. Yikes. This wasn’t a contained problem, if you could call their mutual friends and families on Facebook that had been gathering in the wings for 15 years a contained problem . Fucking Facebook. Jaskier friended people he’d met once. He had a database of acquaintances. It was great for - you know - being a musician looking for gigs. He’d done 15 weddings in the last year.

It was pretty shitty when he’d faked having a boyfriend so people wouldn’t feel bad for him.

But, as he read through the comments and realized that some of them weren’t for him, he realized that maybe he wasn’t the one with the biggest problem.

Jaskier: Did you just come out?

Jaskier: Are you EVEN INTO MEN?

Jaskier: I REMEMBER YOU THINKING THIS WAS FUNNY AND AGREEING TO IT

Jaskier: BUT

Jaskier: I REGRET COMMITTING TO CAPS SO SOON BECAUSE I MEAN THIS IN CAPS AND BOLDED

Jaskier: WHOEVER LAMBERT IS JUST CONGRATULATED YOU ON FINALLY GETTING DICKED DOWN BECAUSE IT MIGHT MAKE YOU LESS GRUMPY

Geralt: I see you’ve read the comments

Geralt: my brother

Jaskier: YOUR BROTHER?!

Geralt: bold and caps?

Jaskier: and italics what the fuck. Why’d you let me do this?

Jaskier: wait.

Jaskier: WAIT

Geralt: there it is

Jaskier: this was your idea

Jaskier: did you use me to tell everyone you know that you’re gay or bi or whatever you identify as?

Jaskier: what a brilliant opportunity last night was for both of us

Geralt: you went back to sleep and didn’t process any of this yet, didn’t you?

Jaskier had been seen with that, fuck. He made a face at his phone even though Geralt couldn't see it.

A few moments later a response to Lambert popped up from Geralt himself.

@Lambert who says I haven’t been getting dicked down this entire time you heteronormative asshole

Followed by someone named Yennefer posting a picture of a strap on.

Who were these people? Could you love someone based on how their friends reacted to their ill-advised fake-relationship status change? Asking for a friend.

Geralt: for context, that’s my ex-wife

Geralt: we’re ok

Geralt: especially when she’s helping me fuck with my brother

***

Jaskier was debating the merits of asking Geralt if he wanted to come up with a break-up plan or just date when another comment showed up.

Vesemir left a comment:

You’ll bring him to brunch tomorrow?

Geralt left a comment:

We’ll be there

Vesemir left a comment:

Leave the frightening device at home

Geralt left a comment:

He doesn’t need it

This was followed by a string of variations of LOL and OH SHITs from about 7 different people. Jaskier watched it all unfold feeling like he’d stepped into the middle of something he didn’t understand - yet. He was definitely in trouble, if the way his heart rate increased at Geralt’s he doesn’t need it was any indication. It wasn’t even the dick reference, though that was amazing. It was the snappy, quick response. The underlying sarcasm.

Jaskier had a type. He could end a fake relationship that was based on seeing a searing hot guy across a room, but it was a bit harder when the guy had a personality he liked. If Geralt turned out to have a heart of gold, Jaskier was screwed and would probably be proposing marriage by year’s end.

Yeah, we’ll be there , he commented.

Geralt: my dad

Geralt: thanks

Jaskier: no problem

Jaskier : gonna call

“So I’m thinking,” Jaskier said the moment Geralt’s face showed up on the video call. He was squinting at his phone like no one had ever tried to video call him before.

“Hi,” Geralt replied, looking amused.

“I’ve been debating the merits of planning a breakup for our fake relationship or just… dating? I’m thinking maybe we should date? Do you have input?”

“Dating’s fine.”

“But do you… are you even attracted to me? Would you pick me?”

Oh fuck, what was that?! Something new to bring up in therapy.

Geralt tilted his head.  “You don’t know this about me yet, but I’m capable of saying no. Overly capable, some of my family might tell you.”

“So you’re not saying no?”

“I’m pretty confident I said yes instead.”

***

“As Jaskier’s best friend and the only witness,” Essi said into the microphone, holding up a glass of champagne to salute the two of them. “Our happy couple gave me full permission to tell the story of what happened the night Geralt and Jaskier met. Like Jaskier himself, the story is partially an embarrassing tale of bad decisions, half-cocked plans, and a lot of heart.”

Jaskier grinned, and nudged his shoulder into Geralt’s.

“And,” Essi continued with glee, “dicks in every definition.”

[smallandsneezy]

given the temperature you’re running

giles finds willow fast asleep and sick in the library and takes her home with him. that's it, that's the tweet. (don’t mind me, just publishing all my old fics on here) (ao3)

It was nights like these that Giles was sure he’d never attain one of those work-life balances everyone’s always talking about. As he pushed open the doors to the library, he looked at his watch. 1:34AM. Perfect. The school day would be starting six hours from now, giving him plenty of time to get some extra reading on metaphysics done before the first bell rang.

Suddenly, a soft sniffle came from the corner. Giles leapt a foot in the air, clutching his collar in a panic. What in God’s name could it possibly be this time? He flipped the lights on before edging his way deeper into the library’s depths, wishing he’d brought an extra stake with him.

Oh.

Willow sat at the table, fast asleep among the books. Giles battled the opposing urges of frowning disapprovingly or smiling fondly. Of course it was Willow. He’d left her in pretty much the same position, although on his last time seeing her she’d been far more conscious than she was now. He drew closer.

Her hair was sticking to her face. He frowned, and moved to fix it, before getting distracted with how hot and sweaty her brow was. She groaned in her sleep, almost nuzzling into the hand that sat at her forehead checking her temperature.

Giles quickly ran through the day. Yes, Willow has been quieter than normal, but these kids were so full of hormones that he’d learned to take their mood swings with a grain of salt. He poured back over their afternoon of research, cursing himself when he noticed the quiet coughs and balled up tissues that danced in the periphery. Bloody hell, he was thick.

“Willow?” he said softly, pushing her hair back from her sweaty cheeks.

“Mmmmm.” Her eyes fluttered open, not coming into focus for just a moment too long for Giles to be comfortable.

“Giles? What… what are you doing here?” her voice was croaky, and she made a valiant attempt to clear it but only succeeded in making Giles violently wish he had brought some warm tea with him.

“I could ask you the same question. What have I told you about staying in the library after 11?” His hands had moved from her forehead to her throat, as he felt for… something? Medical knowledge was the one thing he’d never really gotten around to.

“Sorry. I got distracted. I’ll just…go now.” Willow made to stand up, but made it all of half a knee bend before her legs gave out and Giles had to make a mad dive to keep her from slamming her head on the table.

“I don’t think you’ll find that to be happening.” Giles’s mind was going a million miles an hour. What was he supposed to do? Drive her home? Her parents hadn’t noticed she was gone, clearly, and she needed someone to keep an eye on her.

“Willow, aren’t your parents missing you?”

“They’re out of town this week. Work.” She had closed her eyes again, her head lolling to rest on her shoulder.

Bollocks.

“Well… would it… would it be alright… I think you had best stay with me.” Giles decided the name of the game would have to be confidence. He may not have any idea what he’s doing, but Willow didn’t need to know that.

“I…” she broke off to cough, a tight wheezing noise that made his own chest clench. “I couldn’t, I don’t want to put you out.”

“Willow, I insist.” Giles fought down the urge to pick her up and carry her to his car. “Let’s go. Do you have everything?”

She looked listlessly at him, a vague bashful look on her face. “I should stop by my locker. I think I need my inhaler.”

Giles felt his stomach drop out of him.

“Inhaler?” Internally, he catalogued every asthma trigger that they’d been around in the last 24 hours alone- simply the books sitting around her head were a hazard.

“It’s no big deal.”

Giles was quite sure it was actually a very big deal, but decided to save that matter until Willow felt better, or at least didn’t look like she was about to faint.

“Well, we’ll get it and we’ll go to my house. If you’re comfortable with that.” he threw in quickly, wondering if he was being too demanding. Willow let out a sneeze that doubled her over, and Giles decided he wasn’t being nearly demanding enough.

“God bless you. Come along Willow.”

Their drive home was quiet, passing mostly in sneezes and Giles saying “bless you”, it each time coming out more strangled. When they hit a light Giles removed his handkerchief from his breast pocket and placed it on Willow’s lap. He took it as a bad sign that she didn’t push back on this.

Normally Giles didn’t mind his car too terribly; it got the job done and him from place to place. Now, with Willow shaking like a leaf beside him, he prayed for a working heater. By the time they pulled into his driveway, Willow had nodded off yet again, her face resting against the window. The heat from her cheeks were fogging up the window around her, making it look like she had a halo. Giles turned the car off and sat for a moment, fighting the urge to let her sleep given the nighttime chill. Willow gave a pronounced shudder, and he decided enough was enough.

“Willow?” He reached out and gently took her shoulder. Willow’s eyes flew open, and she gasped, sending her into a coughing jag. Giles patted her back while he resisted the urge to hold the girl.

When the crackling noise emitting from her lungs had stopped, Willow looked over at him, her face red from exertion.

“Sorry.”

Giles decided that his first order of business after she was feeling better would be finding whoever had left her feeling the need to apologize for being ill.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. Here, let’s get you to bed.” He let her walk by herself, albeit reluctantly, and led her into the large bedroom two doors to the right of the entrance way. Thank god he’d never gotten rid of the compulsive need to keep his room clean. He guided her to sit on the foot of the bed and turned to his dressers.

“Here are some clothes you can wear. You should keep warm.” He held out a pair of gray sweatpants and one of his older sweaters, carefully avoiding in his mind the alarm bells going off in his head. Was this unprofessional? Yes. But at the minute he didn’t really care.

Willow has accepted the clothing without question, looking up from the bed doing a thing with her eyes that made her look very young.

“I’m going to go make you some tea and see what medicine I have lying about. Go ahead and get changed and get into bed.”

“No!” The sudden sharpness in her tone startled him, and he immediately stopped in his tracks, turning to look at her.

“Is something wrong?”

“I can’t… I can’t sleep in your bed!” Her voice sounded like she’d swallowed a set of knives, something he couldn’t quite push to the back of his brain even as he considered this point.

“Well, I do understand it might be a tad strange, but given the temperature you’re running-“

“I really appreciate it! I do. I just… I don’t want you to be uncomfortable because of me.”

Giles very nearly laughed aloud.

“Willow, let me assure you that I would be far more uncomfortable letting you sleep on my couch given the current condition you’re in. And besides. My mother would have my head if she knew I made a guest sleep on a pull out sofa, especially,” he paused to allow Willow time to sneeze, taking a box of tissues from his nightstand and placing them in her lap, “if she was under the weather.”

Willow didn’t say anything more, simply began to shed her shoes and jacket, so Giles made his way to his kitchen, already dreading the lack of supplies he was going to find in his meager pantry. As the tea boiled, he put everything that could possibly be helpful out on the kitchen table. To her horrible hacking, which sounded just as painful a room over, he evaluated his loot.

A two year old pack of cough drops, generic. Enough Tylenol to kill a small animal. Honey, of which only a fourth of the bottle remained. He scoffed at himself. Given that his entire job was to protect the Slayer (and by extension, Willow and Xander), his medical supplies were only adequate if they were being used by a rock and roller treating a hangover the night after a concert. He resolved to go out first thing the next morning and pick up a battery of Dayquil and Nyquil, regardless of how expensive the miserable American healthcare system made it.

Tea with the remaining household honey in hand, he returned to his bedroom door. He stood quietly for a moment, listening. Nothing.

“Willow?” His voice sounded weedy and worried and he cursed himself for his incredible lack of ability to be cool in any situation.

“Yeah?” It was a croak, but it was confirmation of consciousness so Giles took it as a win.

“May I come in?”

“Sure thing.”

He slid inside to find Willow already tucked in amongst his covers. His sweater dwarfed her thin frame, and she has already rolled the sleeves up several times to let her hands have any chance at being useful. She was very pale, even more so than normal, with the exception of her cherry red nose and her pink cheeks. Giles felt so overwhelmed with affection for her that for a moment all he could do was stand there and watch her blow her nose.

“Are you sure this is alright?” Her voice was uncertain, almost as though she expected to be kicked out at any moment, and the ideas that brought to Giles’s head made him angry so he decided to push them away to be dealt with at a more convenient time.

“Willow, I swear this is more than alright. Are you feeling fevered still? I have some Tylenol in the kitchen, I just didn’t have the hands with the tea.” He gestured his head in the direction of the nightstand, which held said tea.

“Speaking of which, you should really drink that. It should help your throat, and maybe your chest if we’re lucky.”

Willow complied, wrapping her hands around the mug and taking a sip. She sighed contentedly.

“Giles, you always make the best tea.”

Giles felt himself go pink with pride and pleasure, and quickly went to go find more handkerchiefs to hide how happy he was about having his tea-brewing skills complimented.

He dug through his linen closet for a while, assessing the pros and cons of each type of blanket. Fluffy ones would keep her warm, but she could overheat. A sheet was really the best option, but she had been shivering so much and he resented the idea of withholding anything from her.

When he came back, Willow was asleep. Her chest made soft crackling noises as she breathed, but she looked better than she had an hour ago when he’d found her asleep at the desk. Giles felt the tension in his shoulders unwind, just a little bit. He crept softly up to the bed, laying the blanket he’d decided on over top of his covers. He stood for a moment, just watching her breathe. Only after she rolled over to curl up even tighter did her realize that he still had metaphysics reading to be done. The book was likely still in the library, never even touched. He looked at Willow again.

Worth it.

Giles placed a soft kiss to Willow’s temple and shut the door quietly.

[b-chansbbygirl]

104 Cornelia Street

Summary: Bucky has fallen hard for his childhood best friend and makes the decision of a lifetime.

Pairing: Bucky x Reader (Modern!AU)

Word Count: approx. 2,550

Warnings: Angst, fluff, mentions of a character’s menstrual cycle, mentions of bullying and very minor violence, mentions of character death, swearing.

A/N: This was written for @welldonebeca​‘s song challenge! My song was Cornelia Street by Taylor Swift. It’s a bit late, but I’m pretty satisfied with how it turned out. All mistakes are my own.

○●○●○

“Give it back!”

Bucky’s boyish giggles echoed as he ran down the hall. You chased him, bare feet tapping rapidly on the hardwood floor. Your doll was gripped tightly in his hand above his head

“James!” 

He came to an abrupt stop in the living room. His mother stood in the archway to the kitchen, a curl in her brow and a wooden spoon gripped in her hand. 

“Give it back,” she spoke, her voice soft yet stern, “and apologize.”

Bucky’s mother is a kind woman. She doesn’t often raise her voice, and she loves her family more than anything. But that wooden spoon - it gave her powers that instilled fear into even his father. 

He fiddled with the doll in his hands as he watched his mother with apprehension. She raised her eyebrows at him. His gaze sheepishly moved to you and the angry pout on your face.

With a quiet sigh, he held out your doll, his eyes on the floor. “I’m sorry.”

You snatched it from his hands, pulling it tightly to your chest.

○●○●○

He was ready to pull his hair out.

He’s been on hold for the past thirty minutes, listening to annoying elevator music. He nearly jumped from his seat when a voice was suddenly on the other line.

“Uh, yeah,” he cleared his throat, adjusting his position at the dining table. “No, I just need one.”

A roll of his eyes. “Yes, 8 p.m., if it’s available.”

The manager on the other line was obviously annoyed, but Bucky’s patience was wearing thin, as well. “That’d be great,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Thank you.”

Once the line was dead, he dropped his phone to the table and rested his head in his hands.

Not only was he a nervous wreck, but he never knew this would be so damn hard.

○●○●○

It was that time of year again. Leaves were changing, the air grew colder, and yet, you insisted on having the windows open.

And that’s where he found you - curled up on your window sill with your favorite book (the one he bought you), a hot mug of tea, and the sweater that you stole from him in high school.

A gentle breeze blew at your hair, pulling the strands away from your face as your eyes scanned the page. His sweater was balled up in your fist as you chewed your nails in concentration.

“Do I have something on my face?”

He hadn’t even realized he was staring.

You were smirking at him over the edge of your book, eyebrows raised and that sparkle in your eye that he could only hope was reserved for him.

“Yeah, your face.” 

His laughs echoed as he ducked to avoid your flying throw pillow. Just as soon as you were off of your perch, he was racing his way through your shared apartment.

○●○●○

There were so many choices. All of them were beautiful, glistening in the lights above them. Bucky occasionally glanced at the jeweler, biting at his lip and running a nervous hand through the scruff on his chin. 

He’s been doing this for the better part of an hour, pacing around the display cases and asking himself the same questions; would you like it? Would you even want it? Would you want him?

His mind stopped rambling when he saw it. A simple silver band with one single, delicate crystal clear diamond in the center. It may be simple, but it was way out of his price range. 

He decided it didn’t matter. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out his wallet and dug for his credit card, tossing it on the counter, his eyes never leaving this perfect little ring. 

“This one.”

○●○●○

“You did what?” Mascara streaked down your cheeks from your tears, your eyes puffy and red. Your dress was ruffled, your heels hanging from the tips of your fingers as you stared at him in disbelief.

He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t handle the tone of your voice and how you watched him with confusion and anger swirling in your eyes - those eyes he loves so much that are now looking down on him. 

“He was gonna hurt you,” he mumbled, holding back his own tears as his eyes and throat burned. He couldn’t look at you - he didn’t want to see your disappointment and broken heart. “I couldn’t let him.”

“I loved him.”

The words cut him like a serrated knife, straight through his heart and out the other side. You loved him - not Bucky. “I know,” he spoke again, raising his bowed head to look you in the eyes. “I’m sorry.”

A sudden rage took over you, your jaw tightening as you stared at him. He was genuinely apologizing - he knew he fucked up, but you didn’t care. The one time you get a date and Bucky’s selfishness takes over. 

“No,” you hissed, not caring when he flinched. “You don’t get to pull this shit. You may be my best friend but you don’t have any right to meddle in my personal life.”

Bucky’s heart hammered in his chest when you marched past him, down the hall, and into your room. He followed quickly behind and arrived soon enough to watch you shove clothes and the essentials into your old backpack. 

You’re leaving him. Eighteen years of friendship and he fucked it all up. You’re right, he should have never done anything but he can’t let someone take you away. Yes, it’s selfish, but his heart won’t let him watch you walk away with someone else’s hand in yours.

He was snapped back to reality when you shoved him out of the way, the heels of your sneakers muffling your heavy footfalls as you marched towards the front door.

“Y/N, wait-”

You didn’t pause. Didn’t even spare him a look over your shoulder. Before he could reach you, you had opened the door and slammed it in his face. 

○●○●○

His foot hasn’t stopped tapping and he’s sure he’s never sweat this much in his life. Second thoughts have been flying through his head all week. Not that he didn’t love you or didn’t want to do this. He’s been waiting his whole life for this chance and he wasn’t going to miss it.

But what if you said no? What if you walked away again? What if you didn’t like it, or if you didn’t want this? Want him? He could feel the bile sting his throat; he’d hate himself if he pushed you away again.

○●○●○

The city was busy, even this late in the evening, which was something that was making Bucky panic. 

Your cab had taken off faster than he could get out the door and now you were somewhere in the city, completely lost to him. Every car looked the same, and they were moving too fast for him to catch the faces through the windows.

Running his hands through his hair, he gripped it tightly as tears threatened to fall again. He wanted to lay down in the middle of the sidewalk - in the middle of the city - and cry. Let his tears dry up, maybe drag himself back home. 

His frantic eyes and the shuffle of his feel halted as he caught the glowing sign of the subway. He took off in a sprint without thinking, tripping down the stairs and through the late-night passengers. 

Bucky’s eyes searched the crowd. He even stood on a bench to get a better view. 

He caught sight of a color - that worn red backpack that stuck out in the sea of black and grey.  Then the denim jacket, and the hair. You were headed toward the ticket booth.

“Y/N!”

A shout of your name and your brows drew together. Glancing over your shoulder, you saw him pushing through the crowd with that ugly tan jacket you’ve been trying to get him to throw out. 

Turning back around with an annoyed huff, you pull your bag higher on your shoulder and get in line for your ticket. A hand circles your elbow a moment later, and you know it’s no stranger.

You’d know the touch anywhere. The one that holds you when you have nightmares, that feels your forehead for a fever when you’re sick. It’s the touch that danced with you at your senior prom, that holds your hair back when you’ve drank too much.

You don’t dare look at him. Your throat is already burning but you’re not sure if you can cry anymore.

“Y/N, please,” he pleaded, gently turning you towards him. Your eyes stayed on his shoes. “Please look at me.”

Your chest shook with labored breath, your gaze scanning up his chest, soon connecting with those steel-blue eyes that you fell in love with in first grade.

“I fucked up, I know.” His voice was hoarse. “You deserve to be happy. But I can’t-”

He took a deep breath, hanging his head as he felt his tears finally fall. When he looked back up at you, his lip was trembling. 

“I can’t let you walk away,” he whispered, a single tear running down his cheek. “Please.”

“Bucky-”

“I love you.” 

His grip on you was loose; you could run away if you wanted to. His frantic, desperate eyes searched your face. He was scared, horrified that he was never going to see you again. He was terrified that he had ruined years of laughter and bad mixed drinks, all with a stupid, selfish mistake.

You didn’t run. Your dam broke, a choked sob falling from your throat as you wrapped your arms around his torso, gripping that ugly tan jacket that you hate. His cologne is a comfort, along with the heavy weight of his arms around your waist and shoulders. 

Bucky buries his face into your hair, inhaling the scent of your cheap shampoo as your tears soak his shirt. He doesn’t care, though. He holds you tight, places a kiss on the crown of your head, and moves in a gentle sway as you bury your face in his chest, right in the middle of a subway station.

○●○●○

“Is this really necessary?”

“You don’t wanna ruin the surprise, do you?”

“James Barnes, I swear, if this is gonna be like the cake incident then you can take me home.”

“Good thing we don’t have to go far, then.”

○●○●○

The sun beat down on his back, its unforgiving rays sure to leave his skin red. The earth was hard under him as he sat in silence, the only noise being the wind through the trees. A felt box was held delicately between his fingers.

“I love her.” He let a smile take over his face and a light chuckle leave his chest. “But you already knew that.”

His eyes danced along the lettering of two names engraved on the stone in front of him. 

“I’m going to ask her to marry me tomorrow.” 

Bucky averted his gaze back to the box in his hands. 

“I guess I’m just here to ask permission.” He offered no one a solemn smile. “I won’t hurt her. I’ll treat her right, I’ll do everything I can to make her happy. She won’t go hungry and she won’t ever be cold.”

He sniffled, giving a nod as he ran his fingers along the edge of the felt box. 

“I’ll love her like you did.”

○●○●○

Light flooded your vision as he removed the blindfold. The streetlight above you hummed as lit the sidewalk in a soft, yellow glow. It took a moment for your vision to clear, but when it did, you’re sure your heart skipped.

The first thing your eyes caught was the building. The chipped paint on the bricks, that one uneven step that used to be covered in colored chalk, and that window that would never shut right. The number on the door.

With a quick turn to the lamppost, the street name was still there in its perfect cursive, though weathered. 

104, Cornelia Street.

Your childhood home. Bucky’s childhood home. The small apartment that you’ve lived in since the age of three until college graduation. It’s the only place you ever remember calling home. He brought you home.

The creak in the wood floor of the hallway, the light switch in the bathroom that doesn’t work. The way the smoke alarm would go off anytime you would cook anything, so you’d have to smack it with a towel until it shut up.

You looked at Bucky with a drawn brow. He had his hands shoved in his pockets, a shy smile on his face.

“I remember when you moved in,” he started, gesturing towards your old home. “I was jealous that my Ma was giving you attention. I also remember stealing your doll when we were 8, and having a milkshake drinking contest when we were 12.”

He took a step closer.

“I remember when you got your period. You were too scared to tell Ma, so you told me instead.”

The memory made you chuckle. “She freaked out.”

He grinned and nodded as he shuffled on his feet. “I remember when Adam Smith stole your ice cream in 5th grade.”

“You punched him.”

“And got suspended,” he laughed.

“I remember prom,” he said quietly, after a moment of silence. “That’s when I fell in love with you. You were beautiful - your hair pulled up, that glittery eyeshadow, that dress.” A pause as he shook his head. “God, you were an angel.”

He was a breath away now, so close you could smell his cologne. 

“I remember the first time I broke your heart. I was young and stupid, and it damn near killed to see you walk away, knowing it was my fault. I thought I was gonna lose you forever.”

You could see it in his eyes, on his face, and even in the way he was standing so close you could hear his heartbeat - he meant his words. His smile was contagious, but that little quirk at the corner of his lips told you he knew something you didn’t. 

He hesitated, teeth biting at the inside of his lip. He could feel the sweat dripping down the back of his neck and his heart beat so hard it could probably break his ribs. “Bucky?”

He nodded, shaking his head at himself; he felt stupid, standing there mumbling and rambling on because he’s nervous.

“I love you, with everything I have, and everything I don’t.” His fingers rubbed along the edge of that felt box in his pocket. “I asked for their permission yesterday. Felt like it was the right thing to do. I hope they said yes, ‘cause I don’t know if I can wait anymore.”

“Bucky-”

He’s 100% sure he’s going to go into cardiac arrest. With a shaky sigh through his nose, he lowers himself down on his knee, his sweaty fingers pulling that felt box from his pocket. 

“Oh God, Buck.” You didn’t know whether to cry, laugh, or throw up - maybe all three. You never thought you’d see Bucky Barnes down on one knee with a ring in his hand.

“Will you marry me?”

○●○●○

Like it? Let me know!

[emeraldwaves]

Title: What Happens at Frat Parties Pairing:  Huwumi Rating: E Word Count:  2578 Read on Ao3 Summary:  

For Hawks, getting the girl has always been easy. He's popular, attractive and part of the frat house that throws the best parties. When Dabi's sister shows up one night, Hawks realizes not everything comes as easy to him as he thought. And while Fuyumi thinks Hawks isn't her type, as time goes on, she finds his advances harder to resist. Maybe there's more to him than she realizes.

Fic under the cut!

The air was filled with a cacophony of sound; raucous laughter, and the intense thud of music made the house tremble with the deep vibrations. The smell of alcohol and smoke permeated the air and Fuyumi turned her nose towards the dark sky, sucking in a long breath to cleanse her lungs before she got closer.

Wrinkling her nose, Fuyumi regretted showing up to her brother's house on a Saturday.

She should've expected this.

Her brother’s frat house was always filled to the brim with people on the weekend. Sweaty bodies pressed together, her peers drinking and smoking whatever substances they chose to indulge in while classes were out.

It really wasn't her scene.

But she was going in there.

It was Touya's fault, really, but when wasn't it his fault.

She tugged on her button down shirt, puffing out her cheeks. It would be a fast mission; find Touya, force him to get her the present he had for their mother and then she could leave.

Taking a deep breath she made her way towards the house, ignoring the stares from the groups standing outside for air.

Squeezing past the entrance, she was smacked in the face with a cloud of smoke. Of course, even when her brother wasn't partying like this, his apartment smelled like a mixture of un-wiped ass and an ashtray.

The air was sticky and damp; people yelling and singing along with the music coming from the living room.

She glanced around the entryway wondering where Touya would be. He wasn't much of a dancer... no, he was far too lazy for that. He was probably high, sitting his ass on one of the couches... either the living room one or the basement one.

"Excuse me," she muttered, knowing her words would go ignored, especially with one couple blocking her way to the living room by making out against the wall.

This was her hell.

Shoving her way past them, she stumbled into the kitchen. There were crowds around the table, playing some version of beer pong, tossing the ball around behind their backs, aiming horribly.

Laughter roared in the room when one guy made a shot. He cheered, chugging the drink down as fast as he could and Fuyumi wondered how they didn't puke immediately after doing something like that.

"Whose mom are you?" One guy called out and she whipped her head around to see two tall boys laughing at her. Immediately frowning, she clenched her fists. It wasn't worth it to answer intoxicated jerks.

Touya. She needed to find him now. Then she could be free from the cloud of smoke sticking to her sweater.

She moved away from the kitchen, slipping through the side door into the living room where she finally spotted Touya sitting on the couch.

He was definitely high.

She could tell from the way his head was leaning over the back of the couch, smoke curling up from his lips.

Well, that, and he was holding a lit blunt in his hand.

Her brother wasn't difficult to spot in a room full of people. His dark hair stuck out against the light brown couch. Tattoos lined his entire arms and neck, his low-necked short sleeve shirt showing them all off.

Stepping towards him, she saw his eyes widen as he slowly pulled his head off of the edge of the couch.

"Shit..."

"Yes, Touya," she glared, "'Shit'."

"Dabi," he said flatly, staring at her as he took another long hit.

"Touya," she repeated.

"Dabi," he retorted.

"Touya," she hissed. "Your roots are showing." Smirking, she gestured to the top of his hair where a bit of red peaked through.

"I'm hallucinating now," he muttered, yawning as he glanced to the side at Shigaraki, who seemed to be in the same daze as her brother. His dark gaze was hazy, staring out at the T.V. screen. He was playing some video game, but his character didn’t seem to be moving.

"You're not, Touya," she snapped, smacking the blunt out of his hand.

"She's definitely here," Shigaraki shrugged, still staring at the game.

"Yeah, figured that out dipshit," Touya growled, finally leaning forward to give Fuyumi his attention. "'Yumi what the hell?"

"Is this really how you're choosing to spend your Saturday night?"

"Did you really come here to lecture me?"

"I don't know how any of you are still in school," she sighed, rubbing her fingers against her temple.

"Hey now, I am proud of my 2.5 GPA. Dear ol' Dad can't kick me out if I'm passing" he laughed, standing up slowly, keeping his hands tucked into his pants.

Fuyumi rolled her eyes and snorted. "Of course. Anyway, I didn't come here to lecture you," she said softly. "I just... you told me you were going to give me the card and present you had for Mom."

"Yeah. I forgot," he stated flatly.

"Really? No! I thought you invited me to this party and that's why I'm here."

The two of them stared at each other.

"Well, if you made a cake, it's probably gone..." Fuyumi said finally. She peered towards the kitchen, seeing the fridge open and people digging through it.

Touya frowned. "Oi! Assholes! Get out of the fuckin' fridge!" he snapped, pulling out another rolled up blunt from his pocket.

Honestly, Fuyumi should've anticipated that.

He pulled in a long drag, turning away from her before blowing the smoke towards the ground. "I'll get my shit."

"Yeah, thanks," she said, folding her arms over her chest. "I'll be right here and if you're not back in five minutes, I'm coming after you."

"No," he said, stepping away from her.

She glanced down at Shigaraki who was still staring at the screen. Was this really enjoyable? The music was giving her a headache and the smoke was making it difficult to breathe.

Honestly, her brother was the worst. She should've forced him to wake up early to bring the gift to her on his own. But she knew Touya better than anyone, her twin was the worst at well... doing things.

This was the only way she would've gotten the gift, and the last thing she wanted to do was potentially disappoint their mother.

So instead, she stood, in the middle of the crowded living room, awkwardly tugging on the bottom of her shirt while she waited for her brother to return.

~~

Hawks was fucked.

Figuratively, of course.

Though he wished it was more literal when he saw the white-haired girl standing by the couch.

She looked lost; like she didn't speak the language of those around her and she didn't have a map to find her way.

The girl tugged on the bottom of her sweater, looking uncomfortable and he wondered if she was hot.

She was.

Maybe she wanted out of those stuffy clothes. Well, Hawks knew he could help; in more ways than one.

Rolling his neck, he chugged the rest of his beer and slammed the can down into the bin. This wasn't his first rodeo and it certainly wouldn't be his last, but tonight he was ready to go for a ride.

He would've pushed his aviators down from his head if it wouldn't have made him look like a total moron.

Tucking his hands into his pockets, he made his way over, the pleasant buzz tickling in his bloodstream. This was his kind of Saturday night; he owned this party.

When he drew closer, he noticed the way her brow was furrowed under the bridge of her glasses. She looked annoyed, like every sight, sound and smell was offending her and he wondered what exactly this girl was doing here.

"You look lost," he smirked, sliding up next to her.

Immediately her head whipped around to look at him, specks of red glistening in her white hair. Her gray eyes glared at him, though he noticed she seemed to be looking him up and down, and she placed a hand on her hip.

Feisty. Good, he thought, a challenge would be far more entertaining than-

"I'm not," she stated flatly and turned away from him.

He glanced over her, his eyes pausing momentarily at the curve of her breast. If only she wouldn't hide them... but all that aside... he had noticed she didn't have a drink.

"Can't I get you something to drink?" he offered, letting his voice slip between his lips as smooth as he possibly could.

She turned to stare, looking him up and down again before turning away. "No, I'm leaving soon."

"What?" Hawks gasped, leaning against the arm of the couch. From this angle, he could see her better, even when she continued to turn her eyes away from him. "Why? The night is young. The party is just getting started-"

"I'm just waiting for my brother," she said, cutting him off.

He frowned. Who the hell was her brother and what was he doing leaving his sister alone at a frat party? Not that she looked like she couldn't handle herself... but... "Wait... who's your brother?"

Asking the question, the answer dawned on him.

"Dabi-"

"Touya-" she said, and rolled her eyes. "His name is Touya and I don't know what's taking him so long." Dabi had mentioned having a sister, but that was it. A passing comment he was never going to elaborate on and Hawks knew better than to ask.

Dabi hated talking about his family. But he did know that her name was Fuyumi. Todoroki Fuyumi.

"Right..." Hawks muttered, glancing around the room. Shigaraki was sat on the couch, his eyes following his character across the screen. His head bobbed with the music. He was definitely high.

The rest of the people in the room were those Hawks didn't really recognize, nor did he care to. Right now he had one goal in mind and he was going to stick with it, even if it took him all damn night.

"I live here too if you want me to go find him for you-"

"No thanks," she said, still not looking his way.

Damn. Was he that awful to look at?

Hah. What a joke.

He sighed and folded his arms, leaning casually against the arm of the couch. "Forget the drink, how about we dance?" he suggested.

"Definitely not," she hissed.

The answers were so snippy, cutting him off before he could even think of finishing.

"I told you," she said. "I'm waiting for my brother and then I'm leaving."

"Well," he pushed himself off of the arm of the chair, leaning in close to her. That seemed to fluster her, her eyes shaking as she stared up at him. She really was beautiful. Hell, she could've hit him and he probably would've thanked her. "Knowing your brother, you might be here a bit," he snorted,

She turned again, as if she was offended he was still in her presence. "Who are you exactly? You said you live here but... you didn't tell me your name."

"Hawks," he smirked, holding out his hand to her. She looked at his eyes and then down at his hand, ignoring it.

Wow, she was really playing hard-to-get.

"Touya's mentioned you," she sighed, looking frustrated.

Score: 1.

"Oh yeah?" he smirked. "What's he said?"

"Nothing good."

Score: -1

Or maybe that put him at zero? Either way it wasn't looking good.

He reached forward, the tips of his fingers brushing across her smooth cheek. "You could come to my room instead. Focus on something else besides your brother."

As he touched her, her lips opened further and further and damn they would look pretty somewhere else...

Slap. With a sting, her hand connected against his hand, the pain trickling under the skin of his palm.

"Why would I ever go to your room?" she snapped.

And he stared. Most girls would kill to go to his room. It was practically a legend and he was living proof the stories ended well.

He smirked, shaking his hand out. "For fun, of course," he purred, tucking his hand back into his pocket. "It looks like you could stand to have a little."

"I don't need-"

Before Fuyumi could finish her answer, Dabi smacked him across his head, the pain trembling against his skull.

"Ow! What the hell, dude?!" Hawks asked,

"Don't hit on my sister, you scumbag," he snorted, holding a small box in his other hand.

"We were just talking," Hawks tried, glancing towards Dabi's sister. For a moment, she almost looked sympathetic.

But then she opened her mouth.

"He invited me to his room," she said, pressing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

Yup. She was definitely a Todoroki.

"Gross," Dabi scoffed. "Ignore him, 'Yumi." He handed the small box off to her. "Go home."

She took the box from him and stared at the black container, a sad look crossing her eyes. "Are you sure you don't want to come tomorrow, Touya?"

Dabi let out a long sigh. "How many times are you going to ask me this?"

The melancholy look glistened in her eyes. Swallowing, she nodded. "Every time I go, I'll ask. She does want to see you, Touya-"

Dabi snorted and pulled a new blunt from his pocket. "Oh wow! Would you look at this? This blunt isn't going to smoke itself." He clicked his tongue and immediately turned away, leaping over the edge of the couch, flopping next to Shigaraki, neither of them moving.

"Touya!"

"THE MUSIC IS TOO LOUD-"

"It's not-"

"I JUST CAN'T HEAR YOU, 'YUMI!"

Fuyumi sighed, glaring at the couch. "Forget it," she muttered to herself, clutching the box to her chest.

Dabi was always an ass when it came to his family... not that Hawks was any better. He couldn't exactly blame the guy. But his sister did look genuinely sad...

Turning to her, he put on his best smile. "Hey, are you sure you don't want to stay for a bit-"

"Positive," she sighed.

Okay. New angle. He still wasn't ready to consider this a loss. She was cute, and a cute girl didn't deserve to have a bad Saturday night.

"I can walk you out-"

"I can do it myself, thanks," she said, her eyes staring at the back of her brother's head.

"Well you never know who might try and come up-"

Her head whipped around, her glare angry. "Oh? You mean someone like you? Maybe all the other girls you hit on fall for this act of yours. But I'm going home and you can find some drunk girl who will be more than happy to spread her legs for you and satisfy your shallow need for companionship for one night," she snapped.

Ouch.

Turning away from him, she made her way out of the room. Her white hair flowed behind her back, brushing against her neck as she pushed her way through the crowd.

Hawks stood in the middle of his living room floor, trying to remember the last time he'd been so thoroughly rejected. The worst part was that her words dug under her skin, the truth of them far too painful for him to face in his current state. She knew nothing about him, she couldn’t have known.

She was dangerous, that much was certain.

And yet, the desire to see her again burned from deep within; a churning inside of his stomach which he just couldn't seem to shake.

[imagining-sio]

Red Blood & A Heart of Gold III

Summary: OH NO HES HOT!!! (Much soft Jason)

Chapter Three

————————————————————————

“Whatever you say, dollface.”

His hands were on either side of his head, removing the helmet to reveal his head of hair. It was jet black, and shaved at the sides, save for one lock of hair in the front which was pure white. Upon his face; a maroon domino mask, which would explain why he was so relaxed about taking the helmet off in the first place. I could already see bruises starting to form on his face.

“You’re already starting to grey there, Red. Didn’t know how stressful the job was?” I flicked the sweaty locks of his hair, causing the white strands to flip upward momentarily.

“Yeah, I age like a president with this gig, honey.” he said sarcastically, running his hand through his head of hair, the sweat keeping it in place. He somehow made helmet hair look good. Yet another reason to dislike him. He moved to rid himself of his shirt, but lifting his arm made him grunt in pain.

“Hey don’t make it any worse okay.” I stopped him before he could try again.

“You worried about me, sugar?”

I made a small cut into the fabric before tearing it apart in order reveal his wound.

“Hey! That was my favorite shirt!” he protested.

“My apologies your highness, but I don’t care. And don’t call me sugar, okay,” I gave the wound a once over, seeing that it was a clean graze of a bullet, but enough to nick a few major veins to cause the profuse bleeding. I dabbed the washcloth over the wound, ridding the blood from it and earring a few hisses from Red.

“You holding up alright?” I asked him.

“Peachy, how bout you?” that phrase was all too familiar.

“How exactly did you find out where I live?” I asked as I began to stitch up the wound.

“You really want an answer?”

“Okay fair point, hot shot,” I remained focused on the present wound.

“So, how’ve you been?” He asked awkwardly.

“You really want an answer?” I shot back at him, making him laugh. It was, almost angelic.

“Yes, I really think I do,” he smirked.

“Well then, I finally got cabin fever and decided that I was healthy enough to carry groceries up six flights of stairs since the elevator’s been broken for over a month now. How was your day?”

“You have three bruised ribs and you walked up six flights of steps?” he asked concerned.

“I forgot that the elevator was broken, I admit that’s my own damn fault.”

“I thought you were smart, detective,” he teased.

“I hold your life in my hands, don’t start making jokes, Red.” I smirked right back. There was a tense silence before he erupted into laughter. How was this murderer, this criminal, so comfortable around me?? And why the hell was I so comfortable around him?

“Okay, hold still, I am almost done.” I calmed down and tied up the wound. I grabbed the medical patch and taped it carefully to his side. I went to grab the gauze only to find it in his free hand.

“Thanks,” I gently took the roll from him, his fingers grazing under my own. I slowly began wrapping it around his torso, careful not to pin it too tight.

“Alright, that just about does it.” I stood up to wash my hands of the blood that was caked on. Red gingerly stood up, his hand still held over his wound, at least without the helmet, I could assuredly tell that he was in pain rather than guess.

“Well, detective, this has been fun and all, but I’m afraid I can’t stay.” he said to me, discreetly putting his motorcycle jacket on. His free hand grabbed his helmet, however he didn’t put it on. I dried my hands off and walked out of the bathroom, only for him to follow me.

“There isn’t anyone after you is there?” I asked.

“You mean besides you, the police, Batman; I could go on all night.”

“I mean presently, or why else would you show up at my apartment?”

“I told you; I wanted to check on you.”

I simply stared at him, silently calling his bluff.

“Alright, alright! Nobody is on my tail, okay! You’re safe,” I visibly relaxed, though I heard him under his breath, “Even if they were; they would have bled out by now.”

I threw my towel at him in retaliation, the blood stained cloth landing directly on his face.

“Hey!” he said with an amused tone, pulling the hand-towel off of him, causing his hair to flit into the air a bit.

“You do not get to decide who lives or dies, alright; that is up to the justice system.” I pointed a finger at him.

“Right because if its already broken, don’t fix it.”

“I’m not saying it isn’t broken, but if someone like you is running around killing everyone; you’re no better than the criminals themselves!”

His posture squared, growing more intimidating, a long breath flew through his nostrils.

“I don’t need a lecture from you.” his voice dropped, teeth bared. I took a frightened step backward, placing a hand on my weapon. He noticed. He stood there, looking down at me, the shadows making him seem more like batman, an even scarier version of him. The kind that kills, the kind without morals. I was actually regretting ever saying those words, given from the reaction I got. He was unpredictable. I couldn’t let him know how he didn’t even have to say a word for him to hold any power toward me. Quickly removing my fingers from my weapon, I took a deep breath before looking toward him again.

“Is there anything else you need?” I raised a brow toward his silent figure.

“Aren’t you going to arrest me?”

“You want me to?”

He paused, his eyes (from what I could tell), raking over my exhausted figure.

“I’d rather not tear open your fine needlework.” he shrugged. I raised a brow.

“Then consider us even, Red.”

He smiled, making his way toward the window.

“Can you at least use the door like a normal person.” I crossed my arms. He paused looking out at the fire escape that was currently still being poured on by the storm.

“You have a point,” he closed the large window, stepping down from the half wall. Striding forward, stopped right in front of me. He stood at least a head taller than me, my nose was squarely across from his collarbone, which was exposed from the collar of his compressions shirt.

I was so in tune with my own shortness, I did not realize that he bent his head down and pecked me on the cheek. The sensation was shocking, not only because it was completely out of left field; but he was gentle, as if I’d shatter from the slightest touch.

“Thanks for the save, Darling. Till next time.” He strode toward my door, all the while I stood there watching the rain fall upon the window panes. As soon as I heard the door click shut I sprinted to my purse, frantically rummaging for my cellphone. Once my fingers found the device, I pulled it out, immediately pulling up Gordon’s number. I had to tell him. I needed to tell him what the fuck just went down. How the hell did that asshole find my apartment? My grandmother’s apartment, specifically not a safe house, one of the numerous ones that dot Gotham City. I needed someone to tell me that I was safe, someone other than the same vigilante I was trying to arrest among other people in this cursed city.

Yet, as my thumb hovered over the call symbol on the screen; I couldn’t do it.

Why?

What has this man, this criminal, done to make me trust him?

————————————————————————

I woke up the next morning in last night’s clothes. Not a great start to my morning, but it wasn’t my worst in recent months. I groaned toward the big ball of light in the sky, sluggishly throwing the perfectly warm duvet off of my body. I swung my legs over the side, slowly setting my feet down on the ice cold hardwood. The sensation made me hiss, but I got up nonetheless. I didn’t bother to change my clothing as I walked into the Main room of my one-bedroom apartment, thankful that there was no murderous vigilante present. I rubbed my eyes of sleep, scuffling toward the kitchen for a cup of tea.

I gathered the necessary materials, the tea-leaves, baller, and the chartreuse colored kettle. Promptly filling the kettle with water, setting it on the old, dingy, electric stove. I opened the cabinet adjacent from the stove, pulling out one of my many mugs. Not only was there quite the collection, but given that I couldn’t afford a set of glasses in college; I found the eclectic items to be a staple of my life. I set the orange mug on the counter, using the tea baller to gather the leaves, placing it in the ceramic piece.

As I waited for the water to boil, I grabbed my phone from where I left it on the counter. I checked the cellular device, I spotted several messages on the lock screen. Gordon had texted me about some more information on the ongoing Black Mask. There was another from him that stated I would need to come in today, promising it was nothing major.

My thoughts drew back to last night, thinking back on the previous night’s events. I should tell Jim about what happened? What do I do now that he knows, and can enter my apartment whenever he deems so?

The anxiety wracked my body, hugging myself in discomfort. I could feel the weight of the situation starting to set in again. Why did I not fight him to get out? What would’ve happened if I fought anyway? I still had a bum limb; how long did I really think that I would last against him? How could I possibly go up against a murdering sociopath? I had self-defense training, as was the protocol in back in Quantico; but I was at least five years ago. The most physical work I ever did was running and tackling a drug dealer. This guy seemed to be bare knuckle fighting people to death every single night. I was idiot trying to pick up the pieces, and figure how why he was doing it.

The boiling water screamed at me through the kettle. Similar to the battle in my own mind. I quickly turned the stove off, pouring the liquid into the mug; letting it fester with the leaves. I carried it with me, idling sipping it on occasion. A good way to start he day in my opinion.

I walked back into the bedroom, pulling out a dark knit sweater. I threw it over the striped shirt I was currently wearing. I switched on the small television that was strapped to the wall across from my bed.

“Tonight; the Gala in the Gotham Museum celebrating the opening of the new Bernini Exhibit! Hosted by none other than Gotham’s most eligible bachelor, Bruce Wayne.” The newscaster said, the said orphaned Wayne appearing in the corner. I sneered at the image. After everything that Jason relayed to me about him; there was no love loss on my end. I sighed, flicking the television off. I didn’t wanna hear anymore; any thoughts that have and degree of separation to him I try my damndest to steer clear from.

I grabbed my purse, which would really constitute as a backpack; given it had more practical items in it. Slipping my phone in my ass pocket, given that I did not own a pair of pants that have front pockets that can hold anything more than a dime; I snatched my keys and helmet before walking out the door of my apartment. I locked the door and descended down the six flights of steps a hell of a lot easier than I went up the day before.

I knew one thing as I approached my motorcycle. No matter what, I would not let my own disputes within my mind distract, nor prevent me from doing my job.

“Good morning, Commissioner.” I set my helmet down on the temporary desk in the large room full of bustling officers and detectives alike. My desk in particular wasn’t much, looked like it was once used as a card table at most, at this point it was barely keeping the small stack of papers afloat.

“Morning Detective. I’m going to need to speak to you in my office.” Jim walked passed me nursing what was most like his fifth cup of coffee that morning. I sighed, shrugging my backpack off of me, setting it upright in the chair before following the commissioner to his office.

“What happened?” I asked as he shut the door behind me.

“I need you to attend a gala tonight.” The elder man set his cup on his dark wooden desk.

“This wouldn’t happen to be the same one that is hosted by Bruce Wayne is it?” A sense of dread washed over me.

“It is.”

I mentally groaned.

“Rumor is from some informants is that Wayne is being targeted by Black Mask’s men. Apparently his good deeds are getting in the way of Mask’s dealings.”

“Please tell me I’m not his personal guard.”

“You’re his personal guard.”

I inhaled a deep breath, letting all the anger simmer out through its exhale through my nostrils.

“I wouldn’t ask this of you unless I absolutely had to. If we have the chance to catch these guys, we take it. I’ll have two whole squadrons with me both on the roof and the perimeter. We’ll have a few more inside but incognito, as you will be.”

I crossed my arms, “You don’t need to convince me, Jim. I’ll help.” I cracked a wry smirk.

“I don’t want to assume do you have a dress to wear, it’s a black tie event.”

I paused, running the inventory of my wardrobe in my head.

“Do you have a tie I could borrow?” I asked.

“What color you need?”

“Black will do just fine, Jim.”

“I’ll have to check on my lunch break.”

“Thanks Jim. Say ‘Hi’ to Babs for me.” I smiled before taking my lave and going back to my ‘office’.

I went back to my desk, mulling over the files of the recent Black Mask activity. My own encounter from a few weeks back was amongst the many encounters. Files on the murdered men who held the financials, who they were linked to, and where they held their money.

I thought back to last night. Why was he even in the area, and what did he get shot in the process for?

“Hey, Dixon;” I called the passing officer; “Were there any sightings of Red Hood last night?”

“Yeah, I have the file right here; why?”

“Lemme take a look at it.”

“I still need to put it in the system.”

“Dixon, let me look at the damn file. I’m gonna give it right back. ”

The younger officer reluctantly handed me the papers. Skimming over the words; I noticed an address I recognized, one that wasn’t too far from where I lived. A supposed deal gone bad; mutilated bodies that were shot to death by Red Hood after reviewing the security footage from the bodega across the street. Victims were members of Black Mask and Penguin’s groups. None survived.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

“Dixon, when you go to file this; can you get me every known file on the Red Hood.” I handed the file back to him.

————————————————————————

[tranqueenila]

Fated.

She quickened her pace of running when she saw the large clouds started to gather in the sky, leaving nothing but a tar-black view for her to gaze up at. The rain was coming for sure, she thought. The sound of the wind moaning against the trees occupied her heavy breathing: both getting uneven as time went by, her hands fisting into tight balls as she sprinted her way back home. Getting rained on, soaked and cold throughout the rest of the journey was literally the last thing she would ever want to happen to herself at the moment. However, nature seemed to have a better, or mayhaps, worse plan for this petite girl. In about a block-away distance from her apartment, she felt the first drop on top of her head. One drop. Two drop. It kicked off as a short tapping, then it became a pitter-patter and soon enough, the rain began pouring down heavily. The clouds squeezed their beads of water onto the ground and at that very moment, she knew it was not a good day and will never ever be a good day for her.

By the time she reached home, she was completely drenched from head to toe. To tell that she was completely annoyed and displeased was.. literally an understatement. Sighing, she ran the pad of her thumb across the glass of her watch and squinted her eyes to take a closer look of the time. “09:00 AM,” she breathed before heaving another lingering sigh to discard the wet fabrics and rewarded herself a warm bath. It was not actually a reward, not even close to one. But, let’s just say she was just trying to ease herself down, making herself feel better after the unexpected downpour earlier.

Jennie. That was her name. It was never her hobby to run and jog around as she had always been occupied with works and stuffs. Back then, she always spent her time getting engrossed in myriads of documents piling up on her table in the middle of her dad’s office. But now, that ended. Momentarily, at least. This all happened because her dad decided that it was time for her family to migrate back to her birthplace, and for that to happen, they had to leave South Korea. She had to leave South Korea. For the family though, it was no big deal. They were just leaving a country. But not for Jennie. She had to leave the country and someone that she loved so dearly.

Maybe, just maybe, that explained why she had gotten herself into this new haste habit, chaos lifestyle. She noticed how she’d jolt awake at 4 in the morning, unable to coax herself back to sleep and end up staying awake until the sun came in the view. It left her exhausted, but she felt as if her hands were tied. There was absolutely nothing she could do to make herself feel better, to make things get better, to let herself live better. She couldn’t even find ways to knock herself out in bed because everything was in vail. Every small trials were futile. Therefore, she decided to get herself tired. Like very, very, very tired, so that she could sleep in ease. That was the reason why she left the house at 8 in the morning for a run, just to get herself doused under the rain and now she was back in the bathroom, the entire body except her neck upwards dipped in the warm, foamy water; the same frown drew across her face.

“Great,” she spat bitterly in a quiet whisper. “It supposed to be a part of healing to get over Daniel but I ended up getting myself borderline sick. Very great.”

- - -

“Jennie!”

“Yeah, Dad?”

“Do you perhaps, need a vacation? The last time I visited your apartment and I swear to God, you weren’t in your best state ever.”

Jennie rolled her eyes, tipping her head to one side so that the smart device stay sandwiched in between her ear and her shoulder. It was such a sappy conversation with a sappy topic and a sappy effort to make her feel times better. The last time her dad barged into her apartment, she was holding up a canned vodka in her hand, her macbook on her lap. Her ‘Hi, dad’ was a little different that day, too. Rather than saying it verbally, she flicked her fingers and opened the drink, leaving the hissing sound do the talking. Definitely not in my best state ever, she shrugged.

“Nah, I’m fine. Just give me a few more days off and I’ll get back to the office.”

“No, not really.” Jennie could hear his heavy sigh. There was a long pause in between, in which Jennie didn’t even bother to interrupt while taking a platter filled with her sandwich to the couch. “I need you in the office but.. just, not like this, okay. You ain’t gonna work that out.” He began again, earning a hum from her daughter as a hint for him to carry on. Whatever there was in his mind, she couldn’t care less. It wouldn’t make any difference, so why bother, right? There was another silence bestowing the phone call, and it could even stay like that forever for all she cared. Chewing on the sandwich still, she gave her dad a chance to spill it.

“If I let you go to Korea, would you love that?”

Those words made Jennie choke on the sandwich almost immediately and instantly that the platter almost slipped out of her palm, leaving her dad on hold whilst her other hand was busy patting her chest to get rid of the food stuck inside. After a split moment or two, she reached her hand forward to mug down the water, regaining her composure before getting back on the call with her dad.

“Sorry dad, I was, uh, too shocked. What were you saying? I mean, yes! I want to go back to Korea. Yes, thank you! Bye!”

Frankly, she didn’t even wait for his reply or whatsoever but hung it up right after. Jennie knew that her dad knew going back to Korea would make her happy. Hell, her reaction was too palpable, there was nowhere in the godly heaven he couldn’t grasp that. It was probably his instinct that she was not enjoying any of her time here in her own birthplace. It was a beautiful city, a great one to reside. But she missed Korea. She missed everything about that country.

And she was not gonna decline such offer when it was right before herself.

- - -

“Damn, I almost forgot how cold Korea is.” Jennie breathed, wisps of frosty air escaping her lips as she made her way through the pavement. It was mostly covered with snow, sometimes mounted a little at some parts that had Jennie getting [this] close to trip. It was white everywhere, painted a little red and brown here and there, now and then. It felt like home. Not exactly, but close.

She arrived in Seoul three days ago, and it was honestly a mistake of agreeing without consulting her dad about it. Jennie forgot how the seasons ran differently at some countries, and it was winter in Korea. And there she was, clad in white thick knitted sweater with a black Chanel trench coat on top. Definitely not a winter choice. Since ever her arrival, she had met a few of her friends. Rosie just happened to come back on random occasions with her family before flying back to Australia, so they got to spend a little time together until the departure took place. She was enjoying her stay, so far. And guess what would make her feel even better?

Hot chocolate. Exactly.

It was freezing cold outside. Jennie decided to give her favourite café a visit too. Unplanned, but it was one of the must-go places in her short journey here. Pushing the door with her gloved hand, she stepped in and the warmth quickly enveloped her body, granting herself in such a great sensation. The smell of the hotly brewed coffee and freshly baked cookies filling her nostrils immediately, invading her mind next that left her exhaling out loud. Now, that felt a little more like home.

“Hot chocolate, please,” she ordered, paying for it right after so that she can secure herself a seat for a longer time. This café served one of the best pastries too. It was pretty close to her apartment when she lived in Korea back then, hence giving herself the full permit to be the permanent customer here. She always dropped by to get herself a bag of bagels on her way to her workplace, and never missed a day not getting her daily dosage of hot chocolate on her way back home. It was her routine, and she was not even complaining because damn, she just loved every little inch of the café. It varied from the way the hanging little lamps shimmer under the reflection of the glasses to the way the frames decorated the wall, the white cabinet with black linings that blended so well with the white painted walls. These seemed to be.. aesthetically pleasing. Something that she couldn’t find elsewhere. Not even in New Zealand.

“I’m sorry, uh, Miss.” A voice interrupted Jennie’s calm thoughts, earning a soft hum from the latter as she sipped on her sugary drink. “May I sit here? It’s too cold outside but it’s too packed inside. I couldn’t find any other seat except this one in front of you. May I?”

“Of course. Please have a seat, Mister— Oh my God.”

A hand flew to her mouth as she lifted up her gaze to lock it with the stranger. It seemed like the other person— a man, experienced the same feeling too as his eyes went so wide, probably mirroring her expression right now. They shared looks after looks, words bubbling in their throats but none of them got to utter even a single syllable, not until they broke it at the same time.

“Jennie.”

“Daniel.”

The next thing Jennie remember was seeing the addressed man pulling out the chair and settled himself in front of her. This entire encounter was just.. farcical. They broke up right before Jennie moved back to New Zealand because “We ain’t gonna work this out” reason. It was not her choice too, really. She just couldn’t afford to keep it going, knowing that she was gonna be miles and miles away from him but still keeping a tight hold on his whereabouts. She was afraid that he might feel restricted. She was afraid if he decided to end it himself.

“So, back in Korea, huh?” Daniel quipped, taking a short sip of his black, hot liquid while keeping the eye contact going. The question caused the woman before him to chuckle and nod.

“Yes. Just arrived, actually. A couple of days ago.” Jennie said. She showed a great effort trying to explain things, and she noticed how Daniel’s expression had gotten softer and softer as times went by. The longer they kept their eyes locked, they deeper they got back into the puddle of mixed feelings. Those feelings that they once shared before together.

“So... how are you doing? So far?” Her voice rang again after she cleared her throat, obviously trying to converse as she shifted a little due to the discomfort of the awkward silence. Daniel settled down his cup and interlocked his fingers together. Silently, he replied, “Nah. Been working. Working on stuffs and working out” that ended with a smug grin in a teasing manner. Geez, he didn’t lie for sure. Jennie noticed how his buildup had gotten a little firmer, a little stronger and slightly broader. “You, Jane?”

The nickname rolled off the tip of his tongue oh so beautifully that it got Jennie’s heart doing frantic backflips, heat creeping up her pale neck. For once she was thankful that she had a turtleneck to cover it up. She was trying to play it cool but this goddamn guy in front of her was smiling so widely, she barely made a single word out. “I’ve been well.” Oh, that was a lie. “Just like you, I work but with my dad. It just the same old problems, you know. Unable to sleep at night,” she paused.

“And being awake by 4am.” Both of them said at the same time.

Jennie shot him a what-the-heck look, just to be reminded that Daniel had always been an observant and laughed it off softly, at the same time getting herself blushed. No doubt, she probably was like that before too. But she was too caught up with the affections he was showering her with that she didn’t realise she had the problem. It was back in New Zealand when she knew she had one. But now, she literally had another problem. Their eyes met again, this time filled with adoration and love as the entire scene seemed to freeze for them to capture the moment.

Let’s be real over here. None of them wanted the break-up. Really, Jennie did not come back to Korea for him. Hell, she didn’t even think of their lives to cross path ever again. They were different in every possible ways, from the way they were raised, the people they were engaging themselves with, etc. But now it happened, and she wouldn’t want to leave him ever again. Looking at him this close, she wanted to be even closer. Her eyes got a tad higher, trying to reminisce how soft the locks felt in between her dainty fingers then raked her gaze down to scan his facial features and mom, how she missed kissing his forehead, his cheeks, his pointy nose, his chin and those pink plump lips. She was probably being obvious with her action but for once, just for this once, she didn’t care. Plus, she could bet herself that Daniel was doing to the same to her face. His beauty was something that she will never be able to impart, the words seemed to get less meanings compared to him. And that moment itself, she knew that she was falling for him all over again.

“Hot chocolate as usual?” His voice shook her from her intense staring, causing her to lean back slightly with her scarlet cheeks. The corner of Daniel’s lips tugged upwards into a cheeky and amused smile, his words were laced with tease and joke as per usual. He loved how Jennie was too careless at things like this that it made her look like a little kitten scurrying away in hopes she’d given an amnesty. Darn cute.

“Yeah. And you, black coffee, less sugar as usual?” Jennie shot back, batting her eyelashes at him just to earn a guffaw as a reply. It made Jennie smile immediately, as if they were meant to be in this scene. Her heart skipped a beat again when Daniel leaned forward on his elbows. “Yes. You remember my favourite.” He said, before pushing himself off the chair to stand on his feet. Jennie was fast enough to stop him though, her fingers holding on his wrist to stone his movement. She didn’t even tell herself about it but she just did it off her own bat.

“Do.. you, perhaps, want to come over to my place? We can talk. It’s uh..” Think of excuses, Jennie, think, think, think, think. “.. cold outside! Way too cold.”

Idiot.

It took Daniel a few seconds to process what she was saying, and his ears got slightly reddened at the same time. He nodded, and he slipped her grasp off his wrist just to drag his palm across hers. Her hand felt so small, so delicate, so fragile and so cold. He shifted his gaze, grabbing the glove on her side to ease her fingers into the thick cloth. “Come on, Jane” came his reply, the smile widened that left Jennie speechless.

Jennie guided the way towards her apartment, hand-in-hand with Daniel. They began to get louder and louder, sometimes Jennie jumped on the balls of her feet while she explained stuffs and Daniel, with his usual instincts, instantly wrapped an arm around her waist to make sure she didn’t trip on the snowy road. He laughed along, their laughter rang the bells that Jennie hang on the white-painted door.

“Come in, Daniel.” Jennie pushed the door open, revealing the same apartment as she left but slightly fancier now that she brought some things from New Zealand. The rest was the same though. The same gray couch with a glassed table in front, the same TV, the same wallpaper and the same frames that filled up one side of the wall. They were all their pictures and she didn’t even bother to take them down.

“You know, I felt like it was really unfair for us to break up before.” Daniel started off, shrugging his thick jacket off his shoulder and draped it on the countertop. He ambled his way to the living room but turned out right before his knees hit the couch. “I miss you a lot, Jane. I waited for you.”

Screw the butterflies, Jennie felt the entire zoo in the pit of her stomach right now. This man right here knew how to get the softest of her and she was not going to blame him. In fact, she was about to make a use of this opportunity to the very bits. Immediately, Jennie ran into Daniel and caused both of them to fall backwards; her small palm covering the back of his head in case they might land inaccurately on the couch with another laughter filling the atmosphere of the apartment. She quickly slithered her arms around his neck, hugging him tight while Daniel did the same to her waist. They stayed like that for a couple of moments, saying nothing but indulging into each other’s warmth that they missed. It was as if their bodies yearned for each other, and now they finally reunited and it felt so good. Daniel’s scent filled Jennie’s nostrils, patting her in ease as she nuzzled her nose against his neck. “I miss you too. I miss you a lot.” She said in staccatos, a kiss in between each words that made the man chuckle.

Daniel thumbed Jennie’s cheek inwardly, feeling how the soft, mushy cheek began to warm under his touch. She was blushing. He then took the initiative to lift her face by pinching her chin softly, allowing their eyes to meet and it was true. She was blushing, madly. In what seemed to be a matter of seconds, his lips found her. It was quick, and heartfelt. The kiss was chaste, soft, loving, nothing so hard and harsh but love and love only. Jennie smiled in the kiss, began to respond by moving her lips along to work on the lip-lock while expressing her longing towards the man. Their lips melded so perfectly, their breathing pace synchronised and their hands remained planted on each other’s cheek.

Jennie missed every second of this. The feeling of his arm tightening around her waist that pinned her closer on top of him enhanced the sense of security, the feeling of his lips dampening hers in multiple kisses blinded her about everything else but love, the feeling of his ‘I love you’ being mouthed against her lips just caught her heart quenching so hard. They parted, just to rejoin their lips again. It went on again and again, until one time they really needed the time to catch their breaths with a broad smile.

“Did you hear what I was saying?” Daniel questioned, eyes falling back on her lips as he tried to fight back the urge to peck them. He failed miserably though, when he leaned in and captured them for several quick pecks.

“Mmhm? Nah.” Jennie said jokingly, pushing herself up slightly so she could see Daniel’s face properly. Her smile was too wide that her eyes turned crescents, cheeks getting pinkish.

Daniel groaned in an obvious playful manner, causing Jennie to hit his chest with a joyful laughter. “Miss, better listen carefully because there will be no repetition after this.” He said, booping her nose. “I said,” he paused and kissed her rosy cheek. “I” with a kiss on the forehead, “love” with a kiss on the chin, and “you” with a final kiss on Jennie’s grinning lips. He bit on her lower one lightly, grumbling teasingly before he joined the laughter. Jennie had her entire face going red, and this time she was the one leaning forward until they got to nuzzle the tips of their noses together.

“And Mister, I’m gonna give my answer. Whatever it may be, it’s nonnegotiable.” She breathed softly, just as playfully while scrunching her nose. She started off by kissing his lips, mumbling her ‘i wuff you’ muffled against those pillowy ones before she ended up showering his entire face with multiple kisses. Daniel was a squirming mess underneath, his guffaw broke the silence of the winter night as Jennie continued printing down kisses everywhere she could reach on his face until she was satisfied. She then slumped forward, falling back into the man’s embrace to be hugged again.

The night was blessing them, literally. The snowflakes fell each at one time while they kissed, sometimes more than necessary when they giggled and silence when they stared at each other. The heater was filling up the spacious apartment with warmth, but none could beat the ones this couple was getting from their lovers. They had this wide smile spread across their visages that they were unable to pull off. Jennie had been cuddling close to him on the couch with a blanket on top of their bodies, eyes on the lit TV but not focusing as she was playing with Daniel’s long fingers idly. She kissed on the knuckles occasionally, too. Him, on the other hand, was using his free hand to twirl and play with Jennie’s hair, sometimes dipping the tip of his nose to inhale the scent of her fresh, fruity shampoo before nestling his face on her neck; he was being damn obvious that he didn’t pay attention on the movie that was playing and Jennie loved that. This whole scene felt like old times, but better. The feelings were much stronger, the love was much deeper, and they were crazily in love with each other.

They stayed like that the entire night, exchanging I love you’s in one another’s arms.

Now it felt like home.

They knew they had found their way back home.

[jennycalendar]

imperfections (60/?)

read it on ao3!

it is SO NICE to have reached the part of this fic where canon is more a Suggestion than anything. like i know we got there when i kept jenny alive but STILL.

Jenny entered the room and saw Rupert looking at her with glassy, tired eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something in response, and so she added, “If you speak and ruin your voice—”

In answer, Rupert picked up a pad and paper, scribbling something down and holding it up. Can’t speak, it read. Doctor’s orders.

Jenny tried to smile. “I’m so glad you’re not dead,” she managed. “I think I kinda flipped out and scared pretty much all our kids.”

Rupert considered, then made a little motion with his hand. Jenny stepped closer, watching him write. When you were tortured by Angelus, the paper read, I was short with Xander, distant with Willow, and completely detached from reality until I was positive you were all right.

“Yeah, well, you didn’t stab somebody,” said Jenny, trying to laugh.

She felt Rupert’s free hand at her waist. I love you, darling, he wrote. I am so lucky to have you in my life.

It was so strange that Jenny wasn’t absolutely in tears at that statement. She’d been crying on and off all night, and had half-expected to completely break down as soon as she saw that Rupert was okay. But seeing him, knowing he wasokay, somehow made every terrible part of the night bearable again, and so she sat down on the bed next to him, settling herself into his arms. “I love you all the time and always,” she whispered.

On the paper, Rupert drew a little heart.

Faith poked her head around the door, smiling slightly upon seeing them both. “How are you guys?” she asked in a whisper.

“Okay,” said Jenny, and managed a watery smile. “Sorry I went all psycho.”

“Eh,” said Faith. “You get a get-out-of-jail-free card when your boyfriend gets kidnapped. If that Cruciamentum bullshit had happened to Buffy, I’d have stabbed way more people than just Travers.”

You stabbed TRAVERS?????? Rupert wrote, then gave Jenny an extremely impassioned kiss on the cheek.

“Stop—stop!” Despite herself, Jenny was laughing. “I set such a bad example for the kids—”

“Are you kidding?” said Faith. “You’ve made me realize my long-hidden dreams of becoming an axe murderer. I owe you so much, Jen.” She entered the room, then called over her shoulder, “Hey, guys, c’mon in! Jen’s all normal again!”

Buffy was next through the door. Upon seeing Rupert, she made this little sobbing noise, then took two running steps over to the bed, clambering into his lap like a five-year-old and winding her arms around his neck. Rupert looked a bit overcome.

“Yeah, she’s majorly fucked up,” said Faith helpfully, stepping to the side so that Willow and Xander could move past her. “She said while we were driving over that she thought you were dead when she saw you.” Though her tone was light, her posture was tense. “So I think she should get a whole bunch of hugs, ‘cause thinking your Watcher’s dead can mess you the fuck up—”

Jenny held out her hand, and was somewhat startled when Faith came over to the bed without the usual awkward hesitancy. Instead, she sat down next to Jenny, then snuggled into her side. “I could do with some hugs too, y’know,” Faith added. “Seeing as you went all psycho in the car.”

Jenny tugged Faith closer. “I’m so sorry I scared you,” she murmured.

Faith shrugged, looking up at her. “I know what it’s like to go through fucked up stuff and have it come back to get you,” she said. “That Travers guy, he was the reason Giles left over the summer, right?”

“He was,” said Jenny, touched.

Faith grinned. “I’m glad you got a good stab in,” she said.

Jenny dared a glance at Rupert at that statement, and was surprised to find that there was no disapproval or regret in his eyes. She’d been expecting him to be upset that she’d stabbed his old boss, or at least a little emotionally conflicted, but—

Turning very slightly and reaching over Buffy’s head, Rupert tilted Jenny’s chin up and kissed her, soft and solid. And all of a sudden, Jenny knew that they were not going to be breaking up again.

Faith wolf-whistled, Willow dissolved into relieved giggles, Joyce seemed to be pretending to read one of the pamphlets she’d taken from the waiting room, and Xander said, “Do you guys just make it a habit of making out in hospital rooms?”

“Leave them alone, Xander, they’ve had a tough night,” said Buffy into Rupert’s shoulder. Raising her head, she gave them both a soft, crooked smile. “You okay, Ms. Calendar?” she asked.

Jenny made a face.

Buffy giggled. “Me too,” she said.

Willow stepped forward, sitting down at the foot of the bed with a small sigh. “What time is it?” she asked through a yawn. “We have school tomorrow—”

“Yeah, none of you are going to school tomorrow,” said Jenny, waving a hand. Belatedly, she realized that one of these kids actually did have a parent who might object to her statement, and hastily added, “Though I can’t speak for Buffy—”

“Oh, no, Buffy is staying home,” Joyce agreed. “I think we all need a break after tonight. Myself included.” She let out a shaky laugh. “Are all your nights like this?”

“Last time it was me and Ms. Calendar who got kidnapped by a crazy vampire,” Willow replied with a little grin. Her smile faded. “Nobody got their throat cut, though.”

“No, but I think my sweater is still soaked through with drunken vampire tears,” quipped Jenny, reaching out to give Willow’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “So are we going home, or—”

“The doctor mentioned something about Rupert staying overnight for observation, I think,” said Joyce somewhat apologetically. “If you want, I can go get some things from your house, make this a little more comfortable?”

“Thank you, Joyce, yes,” said Jenny, giving her a small, grateful smile. “I don’t think any of us feel really ready to leave Rupert just yet.” Upon seeing that the children were all nodding in agreement, Rupert looked incredibly touched. “Stop looking so surprised, you dork, we love you,” Jenny added, pressing a theatrical kiss to his temple.

“Yeah!” Xander agreed. “Who else would I check out hot guys with?”

There was then a shocked silence. Slowly, and trying not to laugh, Jenny turned to look at Rupert, who had his lips pressed together in a way that suggested he was doing his best not to start giggling himself.

It took a moment for Xander to realize what he’d just said. “That,” he said, then, “Uh,” and finally, “Oh god.”

“Wait, man, you like dudes?” said Faith, looking interested.

“This is my nightmare,” said Xander to himself. “This is my nightmare come to life again. Where’s that baseball-playing kid so we can snap him out of it?”

“Speaking of baseball,” said Jenny helpfully, “you and Rupert aren’t the only ones in this room who play for both teams.” She grinned. “If that helps.”

“Oh my fucking god,” said Faith, and started giggling. “Is no one in this room straight?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” said Xander, his panic now edging towards bemusement.

“Well, there’s me,” said Faith, gesturing to herself with her thumbs, “and I’m all about the ladies. And there’s you and Jen and Giles, and you guys are into everyone, right?”

“That about sums it up,” Jenny agreed.

“And there’s me,” said Buffy, a small, shy smile on her face.

Faith’s easy grin faltered and her eyes went all soft. “You?” she said, turning to look at Buffy.

“But you already knew that one, though, right?” said Buffy, her gaze directed unhesitatingly at Faith. “Seeing as I liked Angel and I like you.”

Jenny and Rupert stared, Xander’s jaw dropped, and a huge, stupid grin spread across Faith’s face. Joyce, however, smiled slightly, then said, “Well, there were a lot of Dorothy Hamill posters on your wall when you were eight—”

“Mom!” said Buffy indignantly, but she was grinning a little.

“So wait, you and Buffy—” Xander was saying to Faith.

“Can she help it?” Faith seemed to be doing her best to sound casual, but she was all but glowing. “I’m totally hot stuff.”

Jenny heard the scritch-scratch of pen on paper, and turned to look at Rupert. You know, he was writing, I believe there was a study done about the tendency of non-heterosexual youth to group off early in life, though I daresay it is unusual that both of us are included in that number—

“Nerd,” said Jenny, kissing him on the cheek.

Abruptly, and without explanation, Willow stood up, her eyes full of tears. “I—” she began, wavered, then raced out of the room, not even bothering to shut the door behind her.

Buffy’s smile faded. “Is she okay?” she asked timidly. “I didn’t think—I mean, maybe she’s bothered by—did she know you guys were—?”

Jenny and Rupert exchanged a purposeful look. Hastily, Rupert scribbled something else down on the paper, then held it up for Buffy to see.

Buffy’s jaw dropped. “You and Ethan Rayne?” she all but shrieked, Willow forgotten. As the children clustered around Rupert, all of them asking questions a mile a minute, Jenny quietly got up off the bed, hurrying out of the hospital room.

Willow was sitting outside, curled into a ball, shoulders shaking as she quietly cried. Carefully, Jenny sat down next to her, leaning back against the wall and waiting a few seconds. Then she said, “What’s wrong?”

Willow only cried harder.

“Come here,” said Jenny softly, tugging Willow upright and into her arms. “It’s okay. Whatever it is, I promise it’s okay.”

“I don’t like Angel-and-Faith,” Willow sobbed. “I just like Faith!”

“You have a crush on Faith?” said Jenny slowly, frowning.

Willow shook her head furiously. “It’s a metaphor—”

And then Jenny got it. Holy shit, was she obtuse. “Willow,” she said, choosing her words carefully, “is there a possibility that none of my kids are straight?”

“I’m dating Oz,” wailed Willow. “I’m not gay if I’m dating Oz!”

“No one said gay, remember?” said Jenny, stroking Willow’s hair. ���You could be bisexual, like Xander, or like some super cool techno-mom who shall for now remain nameless.”

Willow raised her head, sniffling. “But Jenny, I’m not,” she said in a small voice. “I spent half of freshman year trying to mix the shade of Cordelia’s hair in art class. A-and when Buffy showed up I knew the exact color of lip gloss she wore, and sometimes I’d buy it and put it on and I wouldn’t know why, and Faith says you can just be into girls and if you’re all into girls then it’s okay to be into girls and my mom said being into girls is just a phase and—”

“Breathe,” said Jenny.

“—and if it’s not a phase and it’s not something that happens to everyone then I’m definitely into girls but I can’t be into girls because Oz is so nice and he’d be so hurt and so mad at me and he likes me so much and I didn’t—”

“Willow,” Jenny persisted, pulling back to cup Willow’s face in her hands. “What happened last time you told Oz something you were scared to tell him?”

Willow stopped, taking a few shaky breaths while she considered the question. “He got it,” she said in a small voice. “He was upset, but he was glad I told him before things got messy.”

“And how do you think Oz would feel if he knew you were keeping this big, huge secret just to save his feelings?”

Willow sniffled, then smiled, a sad, wobbly smile. “Communication is an important part of a healthy relationship,” she mumbled.

“Yeah,” Jenny whispered, and kissed Willow’s forehead. “You are such a brave, strong girl, Willow, and I am so proud of you. Okay?”

Willow’s face crumpled and she dissolved into tears again. Jenny held her close as she cried.

[victoriousxxi-blog]

Heatwave

"It's so hot!" Chloe whined, slumping against the arm of the couch. She kicked her legs out across the floor and pulled her little battery-operated fan closed to her face, moving it around so it blew around all angles. Instead of her usual jacket and jeans, she wore a tank top and shorts in an attempt to try and air her body out.

"Thank you, I hadn't realized," Calvin sighed, killing a zombie in the game he played. His concession to the heat was holding it down so it wasn't in his face, allowing the three large fans in front of the TV that turned in irritating asynchronicty to effect him. There was a desire to stop them and let them gradually turn on until the motion was even and uniform, but he knew his friends would complain if he tried to. His sweater lay messily folded on the opposite arm. "You put the whole day into perspective for me.

All Skater could do to respond to Calvin's garden-variety dickery was to nudge him with her foot. There wasn't enough care to expend on more effort-intensive reinforcement. She lay on the couch, a couple pillows beneath her head and her legs across Calvin's lap. Her shoes lay lazily atop Calvin's messily folded sweater, and she fanned herself by hand. She reasoned that if she just waved her arms all day it was still exercise, and that she wouldn't have to go for her daily run if she did so. Her hair's usual hairstyle was abandoned, the entire mess of green done up in one lazy, tight ponytail to keep her head cooler.

"Maybe if there were a man around the house who could be strong and put in the air conditioners we'd be okay," she added sourly, switching hands to fan herself so neither would get tired.

Without looking up from the game or missing a beat, Calvin rang out with a grumpy, "Thanks for offering, Skater. The AC is in the closet."

Letting out a weary grown, the green haired YouTuber stuck her tongue out and kept fanning herself. Then, she pulled her foot back and kicked him in the shin with a decent amount of force, using the ball of her bare foot for extra pain. "I take that as permission to call you Calvina from now on. That okay?"

"Well if I say no you'll simply brutalize me, so what choice do I have?"

Chloe looked with concern at her bickering friends. She couldn't always tell when they were joking around or not, and wondered if it was the heat making them angry. "Calvin, do you have any ice cream? Maybe that would make us all feel a lot better."

"None, sorry. We finished it off when the heat wave hit yesterday." Through the heat and the talking and even how Skater seemed incapable of staying still, he was still able to play at a brisk pace. With the tendency of them to spend days alternating between the three houses, he got lots of practice.

"What if we went to get a big tub of it, then? My treat!" She turned off the fan and put it on the table, then stood up. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"That would be really cool of you," Skater said, alternating hands again. "Have fun."

"So generous of you," Calvin said, looking up at her to smile warmly, then right back down to the game.

"O-oh," Chloe said, looking down at her feet. She'd hoped her friends would have come with her to get it, but it was only a trip to the store anyway. She didn't want to be rude and assume anything, after all. "I'll be right back!" she said, running off out of the basement to get the ice cream for them. The original intention to cool tensions between them and maybe have them stop going at each others' throats was forgotten immediately, and she left them alone to continue their warfare unimpeded.

The moment the basement door closed, Skater sighed and pressed a foot against Calvin's inner thigh. "Are we bad friends for sending her off alone like that?"

"Most certainly," he replied. "We really need to stop taking advantage of her in little ways like that."

"Yeah, I guess so." She frowned, rubbing the foot against his jeans and wiggling it inward. "But hey, now we're all alone," she sang. "And you know what that means, right?"

"That we aren't having sex because she'll be coming back in about two minutes." He sighed and put his book down, wriggling uncomfortably as she rubbed her bare foot against the front of his jeans. "Because it's a bad idea."

"But I'm so hot right now," she whined, doing it some more, letting the other hand rub against his other thigh. She gave him the best puppy dog eyes she could to go along with it all.

Calvin sighed, fixing his hair and staring at the fans. "There are better ways to cool off. Go take a cold shower."

"Feels more like you're the one in need of a cold shower," she teased, giggling. "Come on, just one. We'll hear her coming a mile away anyway." Her foot ground into his crotch a little harder, and she started getting more physical with him.

"So you want to have a quickie while Chloe's gone, not caring that if she comes back and sees us we have to explain why we're having sex, that we're dating and haven't told her yet, and that we let her go off to get us ice cream by herself simply so we could get off?"

"Say it one more time and I might believe you care," she said with a roll of her eyes. She fiddled with the button on her jeans, then got the zipper off and slid them down a little to reveal the plain underwear beneath. "Now get those girl pants open so I can give you a footjob."

Grumbling all the while, Calvin followed suit on getting his pants off. Before he could start on his underwear her feet were already at his bulge, making him curse and blush. Apparently heat really did a number on her libido, because he hadn't seen her so adamant about it in a long time, in the middle of the day no less. He had to push her feet away to get his underwear down around his ankles, and the second he had them to his knees her feet were back, now cradling his hard shaft directly. "Do you have even the slightest idea what you're doing?"

"Of course I do," she sighed, adjusting the pillows beneath her so that she could sit upright and they protected her lower back from the blocky wood beneath the worn-down fabric of the couch. The tacky, battered couch was a relic they held onto only because it had been there forever. The downside was that it had been there forever, and in its ubiquity become an uncomfortable place to spend their time. That didn't stop them from being on it two or three days a week. "Come closer," she said, finding the best position for her and noting he was a little further away than she would have liked.

Calvin scooted over, finding that her feet travelled with him, still moving as he went. It was a precision and devotion that he found intimidating, though that was Skater most of the time. The concept of a footjob didn't even fully register to him; her hands seemed a much better fit, but he didn't feel like arguing with her. She'd just give him some tired old speech about how he's too regular and needs to start broadening his horizons more in the bedroom. One day, he worried she'd try to give him that argument for something that pushed him well out of his comfort zone, and that it would probably involve some apparatus mounted to her groin and pointed right at his ass.

"Okay fine, how do you know what you're doing?" he muttered, fixing his hair again and looking down into his lap with uncertainty. It certainly felt nice, albeit a bit clumsy, but it left him rather clueless as to what to do with his hands. He decided on a calf massage, grasping the firm legs and rubbing them as they worked diligently. One rested up top, rubbing his sole in an up-and-down motion pinned against the other foot, whose big toe experimented with tugging gently at his balls as it moved.

The question made Skater roll her eyes, because she knew that he knew exactly how. "Some kid in the alley behind the Kantonese place down the street," she sighed, reaching between her parted legs with one hand to start rubbing herself through her underwear. "Just because I give you shit for watching porn doesn't mean I don't do it too."

In any other context, Calvin would have called her a hypocrite and they'd have descended into a sarcastic argument where the goal was to be the last one to come up with a clever retort. He couldn't muster one up in his position, and even if he could he didn't want to ruin sex with it. There was a time to get her worked up in the bedroom, but it wasn't when Chloe was due home any minute. It was supposed to be a quickie, so he just lay back and enjoyed the feeling of her strong feet against his cock. It was rather nice, and he was rapidly seeing the appeal of the act.

Skater started to experiment with her treatment a little. She rubbed her toe against his head, tried using one foot exclusively on his balls, running them up and down in alternating directions on either side. For all her confidence and 'I've seen porn' explanations for everything she tried with Calvin, she really was going in mostly blind and tried to find out what could make him tick. At times it was frustrating, with him being so reticent and closed off. He tried to keep aloof, and it drove her mad in times where she wanted a reaction more than ever.

In some strange way, it was encouragement. Whenever she could make him react beyond a mere shrug, blush, or that way he nervously adjusted his hair when they weren't out of place at all, it was deeply rewarding. A challenge, almost, to conquer his withdrawn reflexes and make him react like a normal human being who had a hot girl trying to get him off.

Her eyes remained eagerly on her boyfriend as he massaged her feet and tried to generally look as unaffected as possible. She saw through it, but there was no fun in just being able to tell when he was lying. She wanted him to not lie, to admit it felt damn good. She kicked it up a notch, her fingers working herself over harder, now beneath the band of her underwear and pumping inside of her.

Calvin's massage drew deeper inward, working his way up her bent legs to her knees, and then slowly down her thighs. He wished her legs weren't in the way, wished he could lean over and kiss her comfortably, because as her eyes started to go halfway-closed and her lips curled into an 'o' shape, she looked so damn kissable. The eyes were directed at him, as usual, and he counted his lucky stars to have gotten into a relationship with Skater, someone he always thought was just out of his league. He adjusted his hair again, using the excuse to get his hand further down her thigh. He knew he didn't need one, but it was the thought that counted. "Think you could hurry this up?" he purred, squeezing the firm muscle of her leg. "Chloe's not going to be much longer."

She groaned and wrenched the fingers into herself deeper. "If you're going to be such a dick, does that mean my heel connecting with your face qualifies as part of the footjob?" Her voice was a little shaky, especially as his own fingers slipped up the hem of her jeans and started to rub her unexposed skin. Her lower lip retreated between her teeth and she locked eyes hard with her boyfriend. Overpowering the shakiness to sound authoritative, she spoke very clearly and loudly. "Get them off of me. Now."

It took some careful moving to pitch forward so that he didn't disturb the footjob, which his lower body had decided was wonderful and began reacting to, to his chagrin. As his hips rocked, he seized her jeans and underwear all at once, tugging them up to her knees and then, once she lifted her feet up, sending them off. They landed perfectly atop the pile of clothes they'd taken off, but he wasn't paying attention to that. When her feet returned to his penis her legs were spread more, revealing her neatly shaven groin. His fingers were inside of her in seconds.

Skater arched backed, grabbing the head of the couch and clutching on it for support. She loved his fingers so much more, not just because they weren't hers, but because his long, spidery, dextrous digits went in deeper and seemed to know her folds even better than she did. In seconds he had her writhing, hips rocking against his knuckles as she attempted to keep her footjob steady. She was able to, thanks to being in shape and coordinated, unlike her childhood friend, but didn't know if she could do it for very long.

Using both hands, the blue-haired YouTuber worked his girlfriend over as well as he could. He knew her entire pubic area was sensitive, and paid loving attention to her inner thighs, the creases between thigh and pelvis, her clit, her labia, and even reaching up to her navel. He was proud of himself, watching her already start to lose it well before he started showing the signs of-

"Faster, Skater," he shuddered, then cursed at the fact he'd finally given in. Watching her lips curl into a wide smirk was one of the most attractive things he'd ever seen, so he didn't even bother keeping the act up once the magic was gone. His hips worked faster, thrusting up against her shifting feet and pressing his fingers up to the roof of her pussy, feeling out her g-spot.

Being with Skater was intimidating, like nothing else. She was so active and aggressive, and had an endless libido that she wasn't shy about at all. Calvin tried to keep up, and generally could match her stamina by some divine intervention, but it was always an 'if'. He didn't want to let her down, and worried her athleticism would get the better of him one day. A repeat of their first time, when he came before she did and had to finish her off with his mouth, regardless of what he'd left down there.

Looking off to the side, the green haired YouTuber spotted Chloe's fan lying on the table, switched to off. It was cylindrical, decently proportioned, and would probably vibrate decently if turned on. It was cheap, so it probably wouldn't do much, but the sick thought crossing her mind was rooted in deviousness more than immediate gratification. "Banana cream pie," she cooed, pressing the feet together and moaning out as loud as she could. "The fan. In me. Please?"

"You're just trying to see how far you can push me, aren't you?" he groaned, pulling his fingers out of her.

All Skater could do was nod and bite her lip in her best bid to look seductive, not that she felt she needed the extra effort. He'd always break for her. She leaned over to the table only a little bit, waving her outstretched hand out to find the toy, and then handing it off to her boyfriend.

Calvin grumbled as he turned it on, the low mechanical hum only audible over the whirring of the large rotating fans by the TV because of its proximity. He gripped it so that the whirring blades were pointed up and out, just above his thumb, and the base was as exposed as possible. It wasn't vibrating very much, but he wasn't about to argue, and slipped the fan into her primed, slick hole.

Closing her eyes, Skater tried to feel out the pleasure. It wasn't very much by itself, not being too big or too strong, but its texture was unconventional and felt odd against her interior, which she liked. The vibration wasn't too noteworthy either, not even matching the 'gentle' setting of her toys, but the act was rooted far more in the fact she was ruining Chloe's fan for no good reason. It rooted the situation firmly into 'danger of being caught' territory, as they were now both being loud enough to maybe not hear Chloe rushing in the front door. In fact, between getting dressed, hiding the fan, and then spraying liberal amounts of air freshener to cover up the smell, they wouldn't have enough time even if they did so. It was a sickly fascinating sensation, and one that got her off far more than the dollar store pseudo sex toy was.

Not that it wasn't helping. Calvin was fucking her with the fan rather frantically, his arm locked in a race her legs, his hips, and her hips. Both of them wanted to cum desperately, wanted to finish as soon as possible not just because of the time limit, but also because they were so turned on right now, pushed to limits where release looked so sweet. It would give them reprieve from the heat, just for a moment, as their senses soared off out of the basement and out of reality.

Calvin came first, as expected, by sole virtue of having been under pressure for longer. He moaned, his head arching back as he called out his girlfriend's name. Her toe was rubbed against his tip, and got a pleasant surprise as he came hard. Some of it splashed up, but most poured straight down, his semen all over her feet as she rested them in his lap, leaving the pleased boy to enjoy the company.

She came shortly after, which was more of a surprise because she ought to have gone longer than that. Her orgasm was much more of a production, her hand clenching down hard on Calvin's wrist and pushing the toy all the way down, until he had only his forefinger and thumb wrapped around it to keep the propeller away from hurting her, the rest of the fan deep inside of her. She moaned and howled, tossed her head around a little, and when at finally it all came to a head her hips jerked forward and a small spray of clear fluid spurted out. Much of it hit the propeller, sending a misted spray of quim all over Calvin's arm. She kept rocking though, holding his arm in place as she rode out her orgasm to its conclusion.

Just as they finished, slumping back into the seat, both of their phones chimed at the same time. They lazily fumbled around to get theirs, Skater getting to it first. A message from Chloe read, "the store is out of ice cream :( but its oaky because the supremrket has like 5 liter things of it hope you guys like mint chocochip im getting it if they hav it :3".

Skater purred and leaned up against her boyfriend, finally getting that kiss out of him that she should have gotten a while earlier. "Looks like Chloe's going to be a lot longer than we thought." Her hands were on his chest as she finally pulled her feet out of his lap and rubbed them surreptitiously on his carpet to get the cum off. It would be his problem later.

"Fine, but I'll keep an eye on the clock. I know how long she usually takes" It didn't take any thought at all to know what Skater was getting at, but Calvin could find no reason in his mind to complain. His fingers entwined with her and he sighed, "You don't stop, do you?"

"Would you ever want me to?" she asked, throwing her arms around his shoulders and climbing into his lap for another kiss. Her mouth was already watering, and Calvin found her to be quite enthusiastic about it now, more so than she would have been before they both got off. She was already good to go again, and Calvin remembered why a quickie wouldn't have worked. Her first orgasm of the day was just an appetizer. Quite literally, considering it was often found with his head between her legs. The text from Chloe was probably only justification for what she'd do anyway.

"Would you ever want me to stop being clever?" he retorted with, running a hand down her back as he pressed into her lips. She was intoxicating, every last part of her was something that drove all five senses crazy. It always surprised him, that she fell for, in her words, a "chicken-legged nerd who doesn't know when to shut up".

Rolling her eyes, Skater pulled away from the kiss to shake her head. "Bad example, Calvina. I usually want you to quit talking and pretending you're clever." She lifted herself up a little, seizing his still-hard penis and aiming it toward her dripping slit. "But lucky for me, I know how to make you shut up and get off your high horse." She sank back down into his lap, this time taking his entire shaft into her. A low moan rang out against her neck as his lips found the soft, lightly tanned skin on it and began to suck. Hers was breathless and played out into his ear, accompanied by a tightening fistful of shirt that ended with clenched, white knuckles against his back.

All the toys in the world were nothing compared to Calvin. It wasn't that he was amazingly endowed, though he was certainly impressive enough, but because it was Calvin. The care of every touch, the warmth so tight against her, the way every sound he made became so totally sincere the moment he was inside of her. There were no games when they joined like that, no layers upon layers of sarcasm that got so circuitous they probably should have been abandoned. They could joke, but nobody pretended that what they were doing wasn't anything short of dreams come true. He was open to her at last.

A hand brushed against the back of her neck, moving as if expecting there to be hair that wasn't, her ponytail higher up and tighter. The fingers ran against her back, an odd gentleness to it that continued as they sank down, paying loving attention to each part of her spine. It was all so gentle, which ran in stark contrast to how eagerly she bounced in his lap. Her hands clutched the couch and his arm hard, driving home that this was not the time for 'gentle'. This was supposed to be quick, dirty, and get them off before Chloe came home.

"I don't want you to light fucking candles," she moaned, the motion in her hips becoming less 'up and down' and more circular. "Just get on with the fucking so we can get this tidied up before Chloe shows up. You were the one complaining about that."

Calvin didn't react, but did oblige. How she pinned him down to the couch left little room for him to move more than an inch, but he made the most out of that inch, thrusting up into his girlfriend's soaked snatch with all his might. It wasn't much might, but it seemed to make her happy. His kisses trailed up her neck, along her jawline swiftly, and then her head leaned down and they kissed again, fiercely. She'd rubbed off on him, not just in a physical sense, and he'd started seeing the first orgasm as one to be followed up by a second in short order. Usually a third after that, and maybe a fourth before they ordered pizza and took a break. He thanked Notch for his lack of a significant refractory period, and the fact Skater's gorgeous thighs clung to his hips so tightly.

"Still not doing enough," she teased, wiggling her ass for what turned out to be nobody in particular because she was facing him. She only realized that after, but it didn't matter because his hand found it soon after, delivering a loud smack to it that made her yelp in surprise and press down harder into his lap on her next push down. Then, the hand gripped it tightly and started to knead the firm, round flesh. Skater took pride in her ass and its shape, finding it more than made up for her lesser endowment in other places. Guys seemed to appreciate it just as much. Especially Calvin.

He told himself he'd keep an eye on the clock. It was a measure abandoned as he forgot all about time, too drunk on lust as his girlfriend rode his lap with everything she had. She had lots of everything, he noted, and was glad she was so eager to take charge over him. Her energy was limitless, and it took a lot for her to tire herself out and end the night collapsed atop him, breathing with the same labour a run to the store would often leave him with. It left him free to sit back, put a little push into it, grope her amazing her to his hearts' content, and then take all the credit when she curled up atop him and told him how much she loved him and that he 'wasn't bad for a nerd'.

Except Skater was getting curious and evil. She wondered just how far she could push him, and again barked at him, demanding he do more. "If I was a video game level maybe you'd be doing me with some effort." She was rewarded with another smack to the ass for that one. "Where's that fan? I think its batteries are fresher than yours."

That last remark ignited Calvin with something she didn't expect. He growled, interrupting his adoring kisses of her neck to bite down on the soft flesh. Hard. She shouted out in surprise and pain as he did so, and with her defences down Calvin shoved her off. She fell back onto the couch, leg still tangled up in him, and looked at him with surprise. Before she could ask what he was doing there was a finger shoved into her mouth, tasting heavily of her own pussy and pumping forcefully into her. She had no choice but to suck it.

"Good, now keep quiet," he said, an odd edge to his voice. It wasn't the one she was used to; faintly annoyed, tinged with insufferable genius that the world didn't understand. There was genuine aggression in it, and that got her excited. She'd never elicited such a reaction from him before.

He was atop in an instant, slamming his cock into her with one heavy motion that made her entire body rock and ache. She let out another yell, opening her lips around the fingers, only to find two more shoved into her mouth. His lips found her neck again but this time there was more anger, the kisses possessive and occasionally topped off with another fierce bite. His thrusts were furious as well, each one shaking her to the core as his hips slammed to hers.

She'd managed to get him riled up, and she had to admit as he fingerfucked her mouth, she rather liked it. It was intense, completely unexpected, and being able to lie there and get fucked was actually pretty nice. She could see why Calvin took to it so well, beyond simply being a snarky observer of things. It was a wonderful change of pace, and left her free to wriggle beneath him and simply touch him. At least it would have been, had his hands not found her wrists and pinned them down to the couch before she could really get a good feel for him.

Her body was on fire, chest pushed up against his, and the second she licked his fingers clean and they withdrew she was screaming out madly, begging him for more. In a quintessentially Calvin thing to do, she even threw out a snide remark, egging him on to fuck her harder. That was something she felt he'd do. It certainly worked the other way around, and her fingers were soon digging into her palms as she writhed with what little room he left her.

Calvin really had no idea how he was doing it, but his heart was racing, his head was buzzing, and his cock was aching as he plowed int his tight girlfriend. She was so wet, so eager, and actively clenching down around his cock in desperation. He was in control, and could see the appeal of rendering someone a mess beneath them, capable of articulating only between moans. It was probably the heat that made him poised to be pushed over the edge, but he didn't give a fuck about analyzing his circumstances. Philosophizing during sex was tossed vigorously out the window and his sole intent was to pump Skater full of cum and hear her scream. Well, scream more than his slams and bites were already making her.

When they came, there wasn't a delay. They came simultaneously, and hard. Both were loud, and their ears were soon ringing in pain but that did nothing to stop them. Her pussy tightened and started desperately squeezing his cock, and he obliged, filling her burning, needy hole up with all the cum he had left. Her hand tore free and scratched up his back just for the fun of it, and he responded by biting into her arm. Then, there was silence. Stillness. They both found the ends of their orgasms and lay suspended for a moment before Calvin fell limp atop his girlfriend and their lips met in a lazy facsimile of a kiss.

They remained there as long as they could, until Calvin spotted the clock again and realized how dangerously close they were cutting it. Both mustered up what little energy they had to get dressed. Then, they got into the bathroom and splashed cold water on any sticky areas, which provided nice relief from the heat as well. Two cans of air freshener came next, hitting both the room and couch to get them free of the twin smells of sweat and vag that loomed over the room.

Chloe came in just as Skater finished hiding the fan deep in a half-full garbage bag. As she came in, Calvin sat where he was, still playing his game, and Skater emerged from the bathroom with washed hands, as though she'd just gone to use the facilities.

"I got ice cream!" Chloe chirped, placing a massive container of it right onto the table. "I hope you guys are hungry, because we've got to get through five whole litres of it before it melts."

"Don't worry," Skater said, giving a wry smile to Calvin. "I think Calvina and I have quite the appetite. Thanks, Chloe."

[drink-the-midnight-oil]

A Bughead fanfic where Sweet Pea sets his sights on Betty and tries to take her away from Jughead.

What a great suggestion! A different ‘love triangle’ instead of Archie-Betty-Jughead. I hope you like it

MINE

The Southside. Riverdale’s very own gang dwelling and home for criminals as most would say. It was the more dangerous part of town, especially if you were alone and unarmed. Not many would dare go there, for fear of being mugged or worse. But it was also Jughead’s home. And the Southside Serpents were his family. So Betty had agreed to meet them.

Betty tightened her ponytail again.

“Relax, Betts, you’ll be fine,” Jughead said, trying to ease Betty’s conscience.

“What if they don’t like me, Jug?” Betty asked, worried.

“I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to dislike you, Betty,” Jughead answered, smiling at her.

“Except Toni,” Betty grumbled.

“Yeah, well that isn’t your fault,” Jughead answered.  

Things had been rocky between Toni and Betty ever since Jughead had turned  her down for Betty. Betty empathized with her, recalling Archie’s numerous flings. But no matter how hard she tried to be Toni’s friend, she would always find herself being shut out.

Betty slipped her small hand into Jughead’s warm one.

“Let’s do this.”

Cheers arose from the occupants of the Whyte Wyrm as Jughead and Betty entered the bar. The place was crawling with Southside Serpents raising beer mugs or playing pool. All of them were in black, Betty noticed. She felt out of place in her pink pastel sweater and skirt.

The noise quieted down in the bar as Jughead cleared his throat.

“Everyone, this is my girlfriend, Betty Cooper.”

Murmurs of northsider rippled through the crowd but they were quickly drowned out by roars of approval coming from numerous Serpents. It eased Betty’s nerves.

Jughead led her towards a small group of teenage Serpents standing a little away from the disbanding crowd. As they approached, Betty noticed how impeccably beautiful all the Serpents were, radiating power and confidence. It was a little intimidating.

A familiar Serpent standing at the front of the group caught Betty’s eye. She had dusty pink streaks in her hair, a signature look for the one and only Toni Topaz. The girl had an unamused look on her face as the two stopped in front of them. Nevertheless she greeted them both.

“Jughead. Betty,” she nodded to each of them. “I was just telling the others about you, Betty. The girl who captured Jones’ heart.”

Betty moved a little closer to Jughead, not wanting to say anything. Instead she smiled.

“Nice seeing you again, Toni.”

“Betty this is Fangs, Naja, Sweet Pea…..” Jughead started rattling off peculiar names, but there were too many for Betty to keep track of. She noticed one of the Serpents, a tall guy named Sweet Pea (?) staring at her, eyebrow cocked and and a half-smile. His eyes traveled down her body, lingering a little too long on her exposed legs, taking her in. His gaze made Betty feel uncomfortable and she tugged at the hem of her skirt, willing it to be longer.

However, Sweet Pea looked away and soon Betty forgot the incident as the other Serpents started asking her questions, eager to know more about her. The Serpents were much friendlier than she had anticipated and too soon, it was time for her to leave.

Jughead’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket, reading the text message on the screen. He frowned for a minute and then looked at Betty, noticing her questioning look.

“It’s nothing, Betty, don’t worry. But I have some business I need to take care of. Sweet Pea, can you make sure Betty gets home safely? Take the car,” Jughead threw his keys to to the burly Serpent who caught it with ease.

“Sure thing, Jones.”

Jughead kissed Betty’s forehead.

“I’ll pick you up in the morning babe,” he said, and then he disappeared into the crowd.

Sweet Pea looked at Betty.

“Shall we?”

The two walked out of the bar and to the parking lot where a Lexus awaited them. Sweet Pea held open the car door for Betty and then went around and sat in the driver’s seat, turning the keys in the ignition. The engine roared to life and the car cruised down the Southside streets and towards the Northside. Betty glanced out the window, watching the houses go by.

“So, Jones’ girl, huh?” Sweet Pea said suddenly, breaking the silence. “Whatever did you see in Mr. I-self-identify-as-a-loner?”

“He’s a good person,” Betty said simply. She didn’t want to talk about her feelings for Jughead with this stranger.

Sweet Pea nodded slowly.

“A pretty girl like yourself could have anyone of your choice, especially considering that you’re a Northsider,” he said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Betty demanded.

“Nothing,” Sweet Pea said. “Just don’t hurt the fellow. He’s a great guy and he loves you a lot. You’re like the only thing that makes him happy.”

Betty looked at Sweet Pea.

“Sounds like somebody had a crush,” she teased. Sweet Pea’s hands visibly tightened on the steering wheel but he glance sideways at her and smirked.

“You’re not too bad Betty Cooper.”

“You’re not too bad yourself.”

They pulled up in front of Betty’s house and Sweet Pea got out to open the car door for her.

“Say, are you busy tomorrow night?” Sweet Pea asked her.

“I don’t think so. Why?”

“Well, there’s a party down at the Whyte Wyrm tomorrow night and it would be cool if you came. See how the Serpents do things. It’ll be much better than whatever lame parties your Northside pals manage to throw.”

Betty smiled. “I’ll be there.”

Sweet Pea smiled slowly. “Great. See you tomorrow then.”

“Goodnight, Sweet Pea.”

“Night, Cooper.”

Music was pouring out of the bar door, as Betty stood outside. She was wearing a short black dress that Veronica had forced her to wear, telling her that Jughead would like it. But that dress was not meant for the cold fall weather. She shivered as a cold wind blew around her. Taking a deep breath, Betty entered the bar.

The Whyte Wyrm was packed with teenagers, grinding on the dance floor. Drinks were being passed around in the dimly lit bar, laughter and music echoing throughout the small space.

“Betty?” a voice behind her said. She turned around to see Jughead standing there, wonderfully surprised. His eyes darkened with lust as he took in the dress.

“You look…. wow….. I mean….,” Jughead said, unable to complete a sentence. It was a rare moment, Jughead speechless. Betty gave him a seductive smile.

“You like it?”

Jughead walked towards her slowly a focused look in his eyes.

“Betty Cooper, the things you do to me,” he said gruffly. His low voice was making Betty’s heart stutter but she went along with it.

“What do I do to you, Jughead?”

“You make me want to do things to you, Betty,” He gripped her waist and kissed her neck.

“You make me want to do very naughty things.” He kissed her just below her jaw, pushing her back against the wall. “You make me want -” A kiss on her jawline. “So desperately to -” His lips moved across her cheek. “Make love -” He breathed into her.

Betty moaned into his mouth, knotting her fingers in his dark hair, and kissed him hard. He responded with equal enthusiasm, pulling her flush against him. A bolt of electricity shot up through her and she gently bit his lip. He drew in a sharp breath, his hands moving down her waist and gripping her firm ass.

Someone coughed behind them. Jughead pulled away from Betty, turning to see who it was.

“What is it Fangs?” he said, annoyed, to the Serpent standing there.

“There’s been a slight complication with the delivery. Apparently, the buyer feels cheated and he’s refusing to pay the full amount.”

Jughead sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Give me a minute. I’ll be right there.” He turned back to Betty and gave her a long lingering kiss.

“Don’t go anywhere. I intend to finish this.”

Betty watched Jughead follow Fangs into the crowd. Her breathing was ragged.

“Well, well, well, look who’s here.”

Betty turned to see Sweet Pea standing behind her, a drink in his hand.

“Hey, Sweet Pea,” she said. She noticed how red his face was. “Are you drunk?”

Sweet Pea laughed. “Just about. Want a drink?”

Betty shook her head. “Nah, I’m alright.”

Sweet Pea shrugged. “Suit yourself. Can I just say though, you look amazing tonight.”

“Thanks,” Betty answered. Sweet Pea drew a little closer.

“That’s a lot of skin you’re showing.”

“Ummm… I don’t think -” Betty stepped backwards.

“You’re such a prize, Betty Cooper,” He was a little too close for comfort now.

“Sweet Pea, you’re invading my personal space.” Betty felt her back hit the wall. There was no place to move.

“Smart, perfect. You’re incredibly hot, too.” They were nose to nose now and Betty could smell the alcohol on his breath.

His hand dragged up her bare thigh. Betty’s fingers curled into fists. Her nails broke the skin and she could feel the blood trickling down her palms. She was just about to scream when some invisible force ripped him off of her.

“What the fuck do you think you were doing?” Jughead’s eyes were flaming, his hands gripping Sweet Pea’s collar. His eyes flickered over to Betty.

“Are you okay?” Betty nodded silently. He turned his gaze back to Sweet Pea.

“I asked you a question,” He growled. Sweet Pea shrugged off Jughead’s hands.

“Jeez, Jones, you need to learn how to share.” There was a sickening crack as Jughead’s fist connected with Sweet Pea’s nose. Sweet Pea stumbled backwards, hands gripping his now bloody nose.

“What the hell man?!”

Jughead took a step forward, his hands balled up in fists. There was a dangerous look in his eye.

“You’re drunk but that isn’t an excuse for what you were doing. If you ever touch Betty or even look at her again I will personally rip both your arms off and strip you of your Serpent title. She is MINE, do you hear me? And I don’t have to fucking ‘share’ her with anyone. She isn’t a toy, she’s my girlfriend. So keep your filthy hands the fuck off of her.” Jughead’s tone caused even Betty to shrink back.

Sweet Pea turned to Betty. “Sorry, Cooper.” He had the decency to sound ashamed.

Betty didn’t answer.

“Come on Betty,” Jughead said, putting his arm around her waist and leading her away from the bleeding Serpent.

Betty looked at Jughead in silent awe. She hadn’t seen him like this before and even though it scared her, a part of her was secretly exhilarated. Jughead Jones was the Prince of the Southside Serpents and nobody, nobody was allowed to mess with his princess.

[evans-heaven]

Solo Antics~s.m.

(short and unedited oops)

We had been serious for five months exactly.

The moment I knew was when he was headed off to New York for a few days to promote his new single. He gave me a key to check up on his condo while he was gone, and never asked for it back.

I should have known it was mine to keep, though. It was on a white cold chain that he placed around my neck before we said our goodbyes at the airport. He took my face in his hands, kissed me throughly, and said, “Take care of yourself, and my condo,” he smirked and let me go, headed to the gate where his team stood, waiting to board the flight.

I couldn’t blame myself for being oblivious. Shawn knew I was a total trainwreck when it came to remembering where things were. I thought he put the key on a chain in case I put it down somewhere and forgot where. That had happened far too many times. My phone, the charm bracelet he bought me, every pair of shoes I’ve ever owned…the list was neverending.

I walked down the hall to the door of his condo. It had become a ritual of ours to dinner at each other’s places- whether one of us would cook or order takout. It was his turn, and I had told him I would get off of work early (perks of being a writer, I could finish my articles and edit where ever I pleased) so I would to head straight to his condo so we could cook dinner together.

I knew he probably had no intention of making anything, because Shawn was certainly not an iron chef. But since I knew my way around the kitchen, we were definitely making our own creation tonight. And maybe dessert in the bedroom.

I took the key from around my neck and unlocked the white door, turning the handle and entering the condo. It was slightly messy, but that was no surprise. Shawn always said he didn’t have time to clean up in the morning as he was always so rushed to get to the studio.

I rolled my eyes and giggled, riding myself of my coat. “Shawn?” I called, realizing that he didn’t appear at the sound of the door.

I furrowed my brow and walked along the expanse of the living room, waiting for a response. While doing so, I spotted his breakfast dishes on the vintage coffee table situated in front of the white L-shaped couch. I shook my head and smiled, walking towards the table to clear the dishes- two bowls, fruit and most likely cereal, and a coffee mug that still has some dregs in it, probably stone cold. I picked them up and headed to the kitchen and dumped them in the sink, getting ready to wash them when I caught sight of the post-it stuck to the faucet.

I plucked it from its position and read it out loud. “Dear Y/N, running late at the studio, so I’ll be late for dinner. I went to the grocery this morning so you can start cooking without me. I’ll be back around 6:00. Love, Shawn,”

I pouted deeply. Cooking was literally no fun without him. Who would I smear spaghetti sauce on? Who would blow flour in my hair as we made crepes for dessert? In the few times we made actual dessert, of course.

I blushed at the thought. No part of me felt like baking tonight, though. I fanned myself with the tiny slip of paper, sighing, suddenly hot and bothered, thinking of all the things we had done in this kitchen, in his bedroom, even in his bathroom.

Feeling my thoughts drift, I realized we had never done it in the living room. Probably because of the gigantic floor to ceiling window behind the couch. Yeah, that was never going to happen.

I balled up the note and threw it in the trashcan next to the island. I rolled up my sweater’s soft sleeves and turned the faucet on, making to wash the dishes, but my hands stopped as I was about to grab the cereal bowl. I smirked.

“Hm,” I hummed deviously, turning the water off, swiveling away from the sink, and folding my arms as my smirk deepened.

Shawn wouldn’t be home for another- I checked my watch- two hours. Slowly, I walked out of the kitchen and down the hall that led to his bedroom.

“Two hours, eh?” I mumbled as I opened his door, welcomed by his unmade bed, crumpled up towel on the floor, pyjamas thrown over his loveseat that was opposite his bed. My eyes drifted to the closet. “Alone in this huge condo, with nothing to do,” I said to myself, walking towards the two large white doors that led to his clothes.

You could clean.

Oh, please.

I ran straight for his closet, tearing the doors opening and shuffeling through his clothes that were neatly secured on hangers. Thee assortment of gray, black, with he occasional splash of red or blue. T-Shirts, dress shirts and sweaters all passed through my fingers.

My v neck sweater, skinny jeans and pumps were clinging to my skin and getting extremely unbearable, seen as how I had to walk up and down the office, then to his building. Unable to take it anymore, I pealed the items off my body, only in my underwear. I tossed them into the hamper and rummaged through the clothes again for something to wear. Shawn’s clothes were so comfortable. Whenever I snuggled up to him on his couch or his bed,  always felt like I was wearing what ever he wore- the fabric of his clothing was that transferable. Imagine what it would be like to actually wear it?

Eventually, I decided on a crip white shirt- the one that accompanied the suit he wore to the Grammys earlier that year. I practically owned it- I ripped it off him after the ceremony and had to sew the buttons back on myself. It was mine. I picked out a pair of his black Nike socks as well from the drawer below the rack of shirts, and slipped them on my feet.

I threw the shirt over my body and buttoned it up from the bottom, stopping halfway. My lace undergarments peaked through the fabric as I walked out of his closet, closing the doors behind me.

As I exited his bedroom, I suddenly felt ambitious. From where I stood, I could see the living room. And suddenly, it was like The Nanny all over again as I slid across the waxed floors, screaming boisterously, Shawn’s socks aiding in the movement perfectly. I stopped right in front of his couch, spreading my arms out for balance, and just stood there, admiring what was outside that huge window. He had the perfect panoramic view of the toronto skyline, the CN tower standing out above all of them. I always thought of his first tattoo- now joined by many others- whenever I saw this sight. I smiled softly and plopped down face first on his couch, reaching for the remote. I aimed it at the TV and pressed the button, but that wasn’t what I turned on.

Noise suddenly blasted from his stereo system- the sound of ‘Shape Of You’ blaring loudly from the speakers that hung next the TV. I popped up from the couch and threw my hands in the air, the remote flying from my grasp. I began to dance around the condo, my hips swaying to the beat of this song that would never get old.

I found myself inventing new dance moves (or at least I thought I was) while I moved around the expanse of Shawn’s living space. I had a carefree smile on my face as I waved my hands around and occasionaly belted out lyrics. My tiny, cramped apartment would never allow any sort of outrageous movement like this, which is why I took advantage of the time I had to myself here.

I was shocked at the way I was acting, to be honest. I had never been this outgoing before. Granted I was alone and the only person I had to entertain was myself.

“GIRL YOU KNOW I WANT YOUR LOVE!” I shrieked as I bent down by the waist and popped back up, my hair flying around my face and tumbling over my shoulders as I continued to girate and sway to the music.

I danced for the duration of the song until it stopped. I panted heavily and walked back over to the couch, sitting on the edge of it. I piled my hair into a messy bun on top of my head as I got up again to get a drink of water, pausing the music player before another song could start.

Holding my glass in my hand as I tumbled it around, hearing the ice clink against it, I walked down the same hallway that led to his bedroom, venturing further down. It was almost like I had never been there before, the way the things I had seen many times prior surprised my all over again- such as the guitar shaped bookshelf and the replica of the Backstreet Boys’ star from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

I came to his music room, where his guitars, keyboard and drumset lay. My fingers ran along the instruments aimlessly as I recalled all the occasions on which I had heard him play them. Every concert I had ever been to, he had shredded on these guitars like his life depended on it. And like he told me, it did. I smiled as I thought about how happy he was when he was on stage. And I couldn’t blame him. The guitar had the power to make you feel invincible.

Suddenly, I got a thought.

“I am on a roll today!” I exclaimed, gently picking his bass up. I searched around for his mini amp, and found it next to his desk. I grabbed it and ran back outside to the living room.

This shouldn’t have been too hard. Shawn had taught me how to play his bass before. It was basically the same thing- only I was doing it on my own.

Placing the strap across my body, I plugged it into the amp and gave it a hard strum, the sound echoing throughout the condo. I gasped and drew my hands away from it, eyes wide.

“Okay, I don’t remember you being that loud,” I said nervously, wondering how many people heard that. “Let’s try this again,” I muttered. Placing my fingers accordingly on the strings, playincg notes softly. I only strumed the ones I remembered from the song Shawn taught me, and it was obvious. The entire thing was detatched and awkward. Still, I was proud of myself. I was atrocious at anything artistic or musically talented. This was the best I could do on my own.

Eventually, I stopped whatever the hell I thought I was doing and just gave another powerful strum, racing my fingers across all the strings at once.

I would have done it again, but the door swung open and in walked Shawn, lips set in a straight line. He folded his arms at me, cocking  brow.

I giggled nervously, my heart rate speeding up. “Um…..hey babe! You’re back early!” I exclaimed, setting the bass down quickly and walking over to him, taking his stiff hands in mine and pecking his lips. “How was the studio?” I asked. I felt like I child who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. My face contorted awkwardly as I tried to lighten the mood.

“Good. I got a lot done. And uh, clearly you did too,” he said, his face no longer blunt, as a grin spread over his face.

I breathed out and smiled. That look he gave meant he wasn’t actually mad. “Yeah, I did,” I laughed, brushing my hair out of my face, his hand coming up to help me as he kissed me gently on the forehead.

“At least you didn’t burn the place down,” he chuckled.

“Don’t mistake me for you, Mendes,” I scolded jokingly, poking him in his bicep as he wrapped his arms around my tightly, one hand running across the small of my back while the other gripped my bum.

“How funny. I decide to come home from the studio early because I felt bad for leaving you alone to cook. Speaking of which, did you even start? Or were you too busy attempting to shred on my bass?” he asked, cocking a brow at me once again.

I blushed guiltily, then scoffed. “For your information I’m way better at that than you’ll ever be,” I teased as we swayed back and forth.

He only laughed and shook his head, pressing his lips to my head again, not saying anything.

For a while we just stood there, staring out the large window wordlessly. A few minutes later, when I was practically in a trance from Shawn’s hold, he spoke up and brought me back to the world.

“Y/N, baby, why are you wearing my shirt?” he asked, not looking at me, keeping his nose buried in my hair.

“My clothes were getting uncomfortable,” I said simply. No need to sugarcoat it.

“Mmm…acceptable excuse,” he said.

“This shirt’s comfy. Even though you have a terrible sense of dress,” I joked, laughing into his chest.

He snorted. “Oh, you know you love me,” he bragged, pulling back from our embrace to look me in the eye.

I smiled and placed my hands on his chest, smiling up at him. “Of course I do,” I muttered, leaving wet, mess kisses on his neck, causing a groan to escape the back of his throat.

“How about you show me how much you love me,” he didn’t ask, it was more of a demand.

I complied, grabbing his shirt and pushing him forcefully onto the couch. Once he laid flat, I climbed onto of him and pressed my lips to his, running my fingers through his hair, until they settled at his nape. My knees settled on either side of him as our kiss intensified.

I broke it, just for a second, and whispered, “Gladly,”

Hope you enjoyed  😘

[zombizombi]

we tried to comfort ourselves when the nights were long

Kent was off his game. Not much, not enough to matter, but enough that Jeff noticed. When they left the ice after practice, heading into the showers, Jeff trailed behind Kent, waiting.

Kent took his duty as Captain very seriously. He always stayed until everyone left. Jeff waited around, heading for the shower last after joking around with several of the guys. When he emerged again, Kent was slowly putting his shoes on.

Almost everyone was gone, and it was getting late.

“Hey, man.” Jeff sat down next to Kent as De los Santos stepped out of the dressing room.

Kent glanced at him. “Hey.” His gaze flicked to the clock on the wall, then back to Jeff. “You need something?”

“Do you?”

“No,” Kent said.

Yeah. Right. Jeff just stared at him, and Kent sighed.

They were just back from an East Coast game, now that Jeff thought about it. He’d been subdued on the flight home, pensive and withdrawn, not even taking half of Jeff’s granola bar. And the way Kent’s shoulders seemed to sort of… sink… reminded him of that night back in 2012. “Dude, is this like that time two years ago when you disappeared after a game and came back super wasted?”

“It’s not like that,” Kent said. When Jeff continued staring, raising one eyebrow, he sighed. “Okay, it’s a little bit like that.”

Jeff leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. A little bit like that, huh? “I’m guessing you don’t wanna talk about it?”

Kent swallowed, and when Jeff looked back at him, he was rubbing his face with both hands. “I’m -- fuck, I’m bringing it onto the ice, aren’t I?”

“A little bit,” Jeff admitted. “Not enough to mess things up, not yet. But I’m, um. I’m worried about you?”

“I’m gonna be fine,” Kent said. “I will. I’ll, you know. I’m gonna get over it.”

I’m gonna get over it was as close as Kent seemed to come to admitting that he was hurt. Rubbing Kent’s shoulder, Jeff sighed. “Yeah, man. I’m sure you will.” How bad did it have to be for Kent to admit it? Fuck.

But Jeff was willing to bet that macaroni and cheese and Ever After would help. It wouldn’t fix anything, but it might make Kent feel better. “You wanna come over to mine tonight?” he asked. “Kevin misses you.”

Kent let out a tiny little laugh. “Yeah, why not?”

“Okay,” Jeff said.

By the time Kent walked through Jeff’s front door, he already had the macaroni and cheese halfway made. He’d picked out a bunch of random movies that he knew Kent liked, and Kevin was wearing the navy blue sweater Kent had gotten her. Jeff had draped Kent’s favorite soft, fluffy Aces blanket over the corner of the sofa, too. Everything would be comfortable, that was the plan.

Kent’s soft little smile made it worth it. He leaned in Jeff’s kitchen doorway in that old North Stars hoodie, which was probably Jeff’s least favorite thing to see him wear. It was a sad hoodie.

“I’m putting hot dogs in yours,” he said, handing Kent a bowl of macaroni. “It’s disgusting, but I’m doing it.”

“It’s not disgusting,” Kent said.

“Dude, I don’t even know what these are made of!”

“Meat,” said Kent.

“Gross.”

Halfway through the movie, when Kent leaned against him a little, Jeff squeezed his shoulders. Kent hadn’t checked his phone at all, which was… out of character for him, considering the last few months. On screen, Drew Barrymore stepped into the ball. “Just breathe,” she said.

Kent let out a shivering sort of breath, scrubbing a hand across his face. Kevin took the opportunity to lick him and he hugged her close. “Hi sweet girl,” he said.

“She loves you,” said Jeff. So do I.

“She doesn’t know any better,” Kent said. He gently stroked a hand over one of Kevin’s ears.

“She knows everything,” Jeff said. “All the secrets of the universe. Thought you knew that.”

Kent laughed. “Teach me your ways, Kevin,” he said.

Jeff squeezed Kent’s shoulder again. “Hey,” he said.

“Is for horses,” said Kent. “Isn’t that what you always say?”

Jeff laughed. “Yeah, it is. For real, though. Talk to me?”

Kent sighed. “There’s nothing to say, Jeff.” Rubbing Kevin’s ear, he shrugged one shoulder. “I made some bad decisions. Personally, I mean, not hockey ones, and it -- consequences. You know?”

Eric. It had to be. Right? Whoever Eric was, given how many emojis Kent had next to his name in his phone, Jeff assumed that he was… important.

But they’d never talked about him, not ever. Jeff saw his name on Kent’s phone one time, and Kent had dodged questions about it so much that Jeff had given up asking. He couldn’t ask now. He didn’t have a leg to stand on, anyway -- Kent wasn’t the only one with secrets. “Okay,” said Jeff, because he didn’t know what else to say.

“Thanks for asking,” Kent said. “Sorry I’m… like this, I guess.”

“You’re fine how you are,” Jeff said. “Don’t worry about.”

Later, when Jeff woke up with Kevin across his legs and Kent’s head on his chest, he realized that they’d all fallen asleep in a giant pile. He had a cramp in his arm, but he didn’t want to move. Kevin and Kent looked so comfortable. Snagging his phone with his free hand, Jeff checked the time: four in the morning.

He really ought to get up and go to bed. He’d regret sleeping on the sofa like that, it always hurt his neck like crazy the next day. It would make practice harder than it needed to be.

Still, looking back down at Kent’s gentle, sleeping face, Jeff realized he didn’t want to move. He dropped his head back against the sofa, closing his eyes.

Five more minutes.

( there’s more on AO3 )

[gleefail]

Glee Memories: 1x14 Hell-O

A long, long time ago, as Glee was approaching graduation in Season 3, I found myself nostalgic with some rare free time on my hands. So I decided to rewatch the series from the beginning and jot down some memories, discrepancies that have arisen since, fave quotes, tally solos - all that good stuff, strictly for shits and giggles.

8 years later (eek!) and once more I find myself with an unexpected abundance of free time. With so many revisiting or being newly introduced to the show between binge watching during Quarantine and all the tragedy that has surrounded the show since it went off the air, I figured I’d finish what I started. And by finish, I mean go through the end of S3. Cause I truly cannot acknowledge what happened after that. Except for 5B.

Kicking this off by reposting the first 15 episodes I already went through. Enjoy!

1x14 Hell-O Let the record show: the “So here’s what you missed on Glee” guy is now the guy we have come to know and love (Ian Brennan, right?)

“We’re glitterati. I feel like Lady Gaga.”

Add Mercedes to the list of Glee clubbers who’ve been slushied!! So it’s Rachel, Finn, Quinn, Kurt, Puck, Mr. Schue, and Mercedes. Leaving…Santana, Britany (has she EVER been slushied?), Artie, Matt and Mike. Right?

Will: Now you’re saying we have to place at Regionals or the Glee club’s gone? Me: That’s what he said in the first place!! What is going on?! Figgins; Schue, that was the deal from the beginning. Me: *satisfied* Hooray for continuity!

“Those spotlights in the auditorium don’t run on dreams.”

Sue’s back!

haha. Sue blowing on Figgins’ ear ‘romantically’

“Would’ve gotten you one, Will, but…I don’t like you.”

So…Finn sucks at basketball and is depressed.

Yeah, Puck just told Quinn he’s not break ing up with her but she needs to stop supersizing cause he doesn’t dig on fat chicks. A couple things: 1. Last episode didn’t she turn him down saying she was doing this on her own? In the words of my one true love Trouty Mouth, “that’s what I thought.” 2. Puck doesn’t dig on ‘fat chicks’? #oops Glee.

“I’m pregnant!” “And that’s MY fault?” …Puck might be as simple-minded as Finn.

So Finn and Rachel are dating now. When did that start? Who decided that? Might’ve been nice to see…

Oh yeah. Sue drugged Figgins and blackmailed him to get reinstated. Damn, I miss when this show had balls to do stuff like this and not apologize for laughing hysterically at it.

Damn, Figgins is hairy as hell.

“What do you guys say when you answer the phone?” “Waddup?” “Who dis be?” “No, she’s dead. This is her son.” HA!

Did Alexander Graham Bell really answer his phone “Ahoy ahoy!”? Can I start answering my phone like that? I CAN AND I WILL!

haha. Rachel wears training bras.

“Only this time I can just lean over and kiss you if I want to…and I want to.” Still makes my ovaries tingle. Lalalerr.

“We were seduced by the glitz and glamour of showbiz”

I’ve just pinpointed my problem (if you can call it that) with the Will/Finn relationship: I feel like we never really saw it start. It just doesn’t sit right with me. It’s always felt forced and like “look at how close and father/son they are” but…when did that start or develop into that so we could fall in love with it along the way? Answer: it didn’t. They just started saying it was already to that point rather than showing us how they got there, if that makes sense. Compare that to the Sue/Becky relationship and how we’ve watched it progress and how invested I am in that and there’s a clear difference. I wonder why they did this this way. And how much more I might care if they hadn’t. Hmm.

“Oh you mean like, meeting other girls? Cause I think I’m dating Rachel. At least she sure thinks I am.” #BlessFinnsHeart Also, why does Glee leave this unclear? :(

Mr. Schue just told Finn he wants him to sing. Finn’s response “so that’s why the band’s here” and a dopey grin. #BlessFinnsHeart

Ok. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Finn. I think he’s funny when they let him be humorous. But he’s never been my dreamboat on this show. HOWEVER…Finn in pursuit of a lady is Finn at his hottest in my opinion. I pay attention when that’s happening, lol.

Apparantly Kurt agrees. He is like a cat in heat over there. Lordy!

Aw, Brittana walk with linked pinkies. Forgot about that being their thing. I love that Quinn sees that and immediately knows they’re up to something, lol.

So…Finn thinks he’s dating Rachel…and agrees to go on a threesome date with Brittana…and when Rachel kinda catches him, he lies. Oh boy. Why did they make this unhealthy from the start if we were supposed to be rooting for this as the power couple on the show?

Rachel’s speech to Finn when he says he doesn’t wanna be her boyfriend is effing spot on.

God. I’ve been in Rachel’s position where her andFinn just ended things and he’s immediately flirting very openly with other girls right in front of her like he could give a shit. I feel your pain, girl.

Aw. Puck and Quinn are being supercute during this song.

“I’m sorry. I was just focusing on the first syllable.”

“Your rendition of Don’t Rain On My Parade was flawed. You totally lack Barbara’s emotional depth.” PREACH!

Haha. Jesse reads celebrity biographies for lifestyle tips.

I love Jonathon Groff on this show. LOVED him in Spring Awakening and was so stoked to hear he’d be on this show. I gotta say, his chemistry with Lea Michele is flawless.

Haha. Confession: I love Lionel Ritchie. And this song makes me giggle cause of the video he did for it.Heeee!

Aw. Finn was a dipshit and dumped her and now the star of Vocal Adrenaline, who is just as crazy driven as she is, asked her out. Even rewatching it I’m happy for Rachel Berry.

“There was a mouse in mine.”

I love Brittana talking about the hottest guys in school right in front of Finn like he’s not even there.

Is it just me, or is it gross that they put a lemon slice on your spaghetti at Breadstix? Yuck.

“You buy us dinner, and we make out in front of you.” Oh Brittana. :)

“Those sweaters make her look homeschooled.”

“Don’t make fun of Rachel. She’s kinda cool….” “Finn. That’s mean.”

“Did you know that dolphins are just gay sharks?”

Ugh. I still hate this Wemma scene to Hello Again. So boring.

“I dunno why but…I’ve always had a soft spot for this song” Oh ouch. Knowing now why…ouch.

Emma’s a virgin. I remember thinking “well damn. This’ll drag out forever…”

What. The hell. Is that picture Rachel has in her locker of Jesse? It looks like she drew it herself in crayon. Omg. How’d I never notice that before. Ha!

Ok, WORST way to get a girl back EVER: repeat Finn’s words to Rachel right now. “I realized I don’t wanna date other girls. Only you. You do talk too much and usually you just talk about yourself but…at least I don’t feel alone when I’m with you.” – EFF YOU, FINN! Also, remember when Mr. Schue told Rachel she’d find a boy whose favorite parts about Rachel would be the bad stuff? Yeah, so far that’s not Finn.

Atta girl, Rachel!

I’m sorry, but it’s douchey that Finn ran to Mr. Schue to tattle on Rachel dating the competition. Like…so what? My God. My students date kids in other showchoirs all the time. In real life, kids make great friendships with kids in other choirs. …but it’s Glee.

“I didn’t wear a bra and I had them turn on the air-conditioning.”

“I am engorged with venom and triumph.”

Vocal Adrenaline are inhumanly good dancers. My. God.

Yaaaaay, Idina Menzel!

“You wanna look so talented it’s literally hurting you. I want a look so optimistic it could cure Cancer.”

Will is concerned with the ‘fraternizing with the enemy’ aspect of the Rachel/Jesse relationship. Oh my God. Get over yourself or you’re in for a lot of trouble over the years,Will. How can he do this and then preach that he wants to blur the lines between Football/Cheerios and Glee Club? Double-standard hypocrite. I’m annoyed with him.

And now Will and Shelby are makin’ out. While he’s still pursuing Emma. Oh boy. You jerk. Also, as hot as Matthew Morrison is, I still watch this and think this couldn’t be fun for Idina. Cause she’s married to Taye Diggs and I imagine nothing compares to the kisses of Chocolate Lovin’ (as I call him).

“Are you gay? Cause most of the showchoir directors I make out with are gay.”

“Cut the butter, Benedict Arnold.”

Okay, I will say, as much as it annoys me, the way Tina, Artie, Kurt and Mercedes are presenting their concerns over Rachel being with Jesse makes perfect sense and kinda won me over. They’re only asking her to hold off until after Regionals so they don’t risk a repeat of what happened at Sectionals. Mercedes said they’re all happy that she’s happy but they’re worried he might be playing her. This sounds like genuine concern for her and hesitancy to trust the competition. Very different than the game Schue and Finn are playing.

“Look, we not saying that dude is playing you-“ “He’s playing you.” Kurtcedes love.

It is sad to watch them threaten to quit or kick her out if she doesn’t break up with him and she’s being vulnerable and asking how they could do that to her.

Aw. Poor Rachel. :( Jesse’s so good for her!

“Everyone is replaceable. Even you.” I love that someone (Kurt) said this to Rachel. And meant it. I hate that the show has since forgotten that nugget of truth though.

The McKinley High Old Maids Club.

Another Lauren Zizes sighting! Yay!

This Emma and Terri scene makes me so uncomfortable.

“I carry a rape whistle!”

Rachel is talking crazy and Jesse just laughed at how cute she is and how much more of a drama queen she is than him. Listen, I didn’t LOVE this pairing the first time around, but right now…perfection.

Hello was Terri and Will’s junior prom song. Ouch.

This is very smart and mature that Emma and Will are not pursuing their relationship yet because he needs to be alone for awhile. It made me sad at the time but…it’s ridiculous to think for a second that he doesn’t need a break between divorcing the woman he’s been with since he was 15 and heading into another relationship. Well done, Glee.

Rachel tells Finn to spread the word she ended things with Jesse. He tells her he wants to be with her and that he circled some dates on her ‘crazy calendar’ (eff you, Finn). Um, wtf? She just broke up with someone else that she didn’t want to break up with (well, not really but, as far as Finn is concerned) and he’s assuming she’ll want to get back together with him? Ugh. Douche Finn.

haha, Finn seems extremely confused that Rachel is rejecting HIM for a change. I actually really like this dynamic.

I hate to admit it, but…Finn is super hot in Goodbye/Hello. I’m tellin’ ya, the only dreamboat Finn in my world is a Finn in pursuit of a lady…

SOLOS: Finn (2), Rachel (3), Jesse (2)