#Boo is from the same fic but he does better.

[thekeatoncadet]

Drew some background/minor characters to purge the brainworms. Unclear if it worked or not.

[b4tboys]

➣ matchmaking or meddling?

pairing: satoru gojo x gn!reader

word count: 1.6K

summary: you find out just how much your students have been meddling in your love life, though you can’t really be mad.

notes from lee: i’m afraid to make this look like an award acceptance speech so ill be brief. had to make a fic for the namesake of the blog and a very late hbd to boo (@2018-01-20). kinda wish i had more interactions with the kids, but i ended up w/ a lot of gojo pov also unedited

Looking back it should have been obvious what these kids of yours were up to. Yes, they were the reason you were in this god-forsaken closet with a blindfolded fool.

You’re only really aware of their meddling now as you hear their snickers from the hallway, so you can’t quite tell when their meddling started. But it makes sense that they were plotting something, but was it in collaboration with Satoru? Because it seemed like every mishap or coincidence between your two classes, Satoru took it in stride and turned it into his advantage. Just like he was taking advantage of the situation now…

Thinking back, your first clue should have been with the sticky notes. A note scrawled on a pink sticky note, in actually legible handwriting, addressed to you like a valentine. Reading, “from: Satoru ;D to: (y/n) <3; do you look this good every day or do i just not remove my blindfold enough????” It’s on top of a stack of papers handed over by the ever-stoic Fushiguro. Surely to get your guard down, and it did.

When you interrogate your fellow teacher about it later, he keeps his normal all-knowing grin plastered on his face. Now they, being the kids who orchestrated it, don’t need to do any work as every day after that there’s a new sticky note somewhere for you to see. They vary in color, most in some shade of pink, some with bad pick-up lines, others with a stick figure drawing, or the very rare ones hidden away with words that make you spit out your drink.

Or maybe another tip off should have been the ‘coincidental’ times you’d have the second years out on the training field and he just so happened to also plan a demonstration for the first years at the same time. But then again you don’t hear their snickering above your irritation at the white-haired man as he lets you jab a finger into his chest, with his annoying smirk.

But they notice you don’t care anymore that he peeks his head over your shoulder to look at your teaching outline just so he can do the ‘coincidental’ planning now.

And still the biggest hint that you fall for every time, is when they leave you at the cafe with just Satoru after begging for a weekend meetup. And again, when they ask to have team dinners, study sessions, or extra training, it's ridiculous. Your gullibility and trust in them is commendable, but it’s become laughable as you still trust in the kids to show up. And they do, just in disguise from across wherever you are as they watch Satoru come to your rescue every time.

Maybe the more ridiculous part is when the rare glimpse of their teacher’s eyes is pointed, peeking through their poorly crafted disguises, at them from across the room with a smirk.

He’s noticed for a while now that the kids are playing matchmaker, and their skills are much better than those his clan hires. And to be honest, he doesn’t mind, if anything he finds it cute that they think he needs the help. Though admittedly they do have some good ideas. Each one never fails to fluster you, in your own cute and angry way, as he takes over their schemes. His six-eyes catch the flurry of texts sent every time he does so, which he’s sure just encourages them further.

Satoru’s not quite sure when his feelings for you developed. He’s always found you attractive, especially when you were his cute kouhai (he still likes to call you that in order to annoy you until you begrudgingly call him senpai once again.). Everything he learns about you only adds to his initial interest. He’s a sucker for getting to know the little things, like your favorite dinner spot after a tough mission or what your ideal day off is. Once you accept his feelings he’ll put the knowledge you deem useless to good work.

But there’s a moment that sits so starkly in his memory as the first time he realized he was in love with you and not just intrigued or infatuated.

It was maybe around the time Tsumiki had gotten sick and though Megumi was self sufficient, Satoru didn’t feel that he should be alone. He knows he’s not the best at comfort, hell he could barely comfort himself, so he sends you.

And he’s not overly worried about you, you’re a teacher so he’s sure you’ll get through to the ever prickly Megumi just fine. Plus you’ve always been significantly better at handling emotional situations, he knows first hand. So when he comes to check on you after finishing his mission, he smiles at your success.

Megumi’s head rests on your lap, asleep, and you’re slumped over the armrest. There’s a twang of jealousy that pricks at his mind, wishing it was him in your lap instead, but all he can think about is having you greet him as he comes home and Megumi and Tsumiki sitting for dinner and that would be yours and his alone.

He’s never felt like someone that would settle down or want a family, especially given the circumstances of his status. But you, in this moment, make him want to move past the shrewdness of the higher ups and his clan, and just have you. He longs for something that is just his, not part of Jujutsu Society, the higher ups, or his clan, or even Satoru Gojo, he wants things just for Satoru, just for him.

You are that something, that someone, he wants, he’s convinced that he needs you like the air he breathes. The weird surge of emotions that have been kept bottled up since a dark day suddenly seems to make sense and it has a name, it’s love.

So when he’s reminiscing on his feelings, it really has been there all along, but it’s that very specific moment in which his love for you was defined.

And the apex of all his work in gently guiding you to realize your feelings, that he’s very sure are there, is in a closet of all places. His blue eyes glow dimly in the dark of the closet with the snickers of his students on the other side.

“Hey,” he breathes out, much less confident than he intended, but you make him nervous.

You meet his bright eyes briefly before looking away and returning the greeting, “Um, hi.”

His breath hitches and his mind blanks, every funny line or flirty remark he could make right now is gone. He can’t think about anything other than you, how cute your expression is, how good your hair looks even slightly messed up, but mainly your lips and how much he needs to kiss you before he leaves this cramped closet. “How are you?”

You blink at him incredulously, “We’re in a closet, Gojo. How do you think I am?”

He tosses his head back and groans as you use his last name, he thought he’d gotten you to call him Satoru like pretty much everyone did. “C’mon (Y/n), you know I hate when you call me that.” He whines and pouts, jutting his bottom lip out like a toddler.

He watches the guilt flash across your face briefly, surely it’s you remembering how he confided in you about hating the weight that came with his last name. “Sorry, I know. I know,” you pause and he senses your hesitancy and waits, “Satoru.”

He’s got a big shit-eating grin on his face that differs from his usual smirk as he rocks on his feet with his heart fluttering.

“You really like it that much when I call you ‘Satoru’?” You ask, eyeing up his body language with a skeptical look.

“Maybe.” He answers in a sing-song tone, he’s back to his usual self, “But you know what I’d like more?”

He leans in close and glances down at your lips. No matter how many times he does this, it always results in him pulling away with a teasing smile. So when he feels your hands wrap around the neck of his uniform and pull him closer, it’s certainly a surprise.

“You want a kiss?” You ask and he nods meekly, if possible, and you do, you kiss him. Satoru’s eyes flutter shut as his heart flutters in his stomach. His big hands reach up to cup your face and keep you glued to his lips. Gods, it’s everything he’s dreamed about and more.

When you part from him to catch your breath, he’s smiling. “I hope you know I want much more than a kiss.” He waits for you to breathe and to watch your reaction before smashing his lips onto yours again.

Satoru feels your arms wrapped around his neck and how your hands crawl through his undercut to tug at his hair. And he’s similar, the hands once holding your face have traced down your body to your hips so he can hold you close.

The knock on the door cuts your time short, your tongues and bodies having to part. Satoru watches as you smooth over your clothes and hair before he pulls up his blindfold. The door opens not a moment later to reveal the two classes waiting with bated breath to see something scandalous.

They are disappointed, fortunately for you and your image as a teacher. None of the students have the time to catch the heavy blush on his face as he slips away while you lecture them. But they do notice how flustered you are when you get a text from Satoru, “dinner 2nite?”

[steddieasitgoes]

When The Buzzer Sounds | A Steddie Big Bang Fic | Coming Soon

Written by: Steddieasitgoes | Art by: @hellfiredemon

Steve's so engrossed in his conversation with Eddie he doesn’t notice the change in music or the enthusiastic cheers of the people around him as they shift their gaze from the court up to the giant Jumbotron above. In fact, it isn’t until Robin is jabbing her own boney elbow into his ribs does he stop talking to asses what the hell is going on. A move he immediately regrets when he realizes what has nearly 20,000 eyes focused on the oversized screens.  The Kiss Cam.  The cameraman stands a few yards away from them, feet solidly on the court with no urgency to move on until he gets what he wants. This isn’t the first time this has happened to them. And it certainly won’t be the last. Whenever they’re in public they’re always SteveandRobin so inseparable they must be dating.  He’s prepared to see his and Robin’s freckled face projected up on the Jumbotron. To give into the routine they have down pact — Robin’s playful retching, Steve’s bewildered shake of his head, the two of them both mouthing “we’re siblings” because it works better than trying to explain their platonic soulmate-ism to a stadium that can’t hear them. Though, maybe this time Robin will go off script and announce that she’s a lesbian — if only because a familiar blonde has returned to the court.  But it’s not their freckled faces that grace him when he looks up. It’s his face, yes. Perfectly combed and styled hair, a smattering of moles, and hazel eyes a little wider than usual staring back at him. But it’s the face to his left that shocks him. Unruly curls frame a pale face. Big, wild, brown eyes stare at him in bewilderment like a deer in headlights.  Shit.  “Um, Steve?” Tearing his eyes away from the Jumbotron is an arduous (another win for Robin’s word of the day calendar) battle Steve almost loses. Not because he’s not strong enough, but because the thought of meeting Eddie’s bewildered eyes head-on is enough to send him running. Still, he does just that, schooling his face in something that, he hopes, resembles a neutral expression.  “Don’t worry, they’ll move on,” Steve says, only half believing the words himself. His first-hand experience with the kiss cam says the exact opposite, but he’s not about to tell Eddie that especially when his words have him nodding in relief and sinking back into the black leather seat. The camera is still pointed at them when he looks away from Eddie. Their faces are still projected onto the massive screens and the stadium of onlookers starts a mix of chants and boos — encouragement and disappointment that they’re not participating in the time-honored, tradition. At least everyone in his row is silent, not even Dustin makes a move to join the onslaught of harassment from strangers which is further proof of what a colossal mess they’ve found themselves in. 

Or:

The year is 1998 and Lucas is set to make his NBA debut. Nothing is going to keep Steve from being there to witness this monumental moment. Eddie apparently shares the same sentiment and the two find themselves in the same place at the same time for the first time since they blurred the lines of their once-solid friendship four years ago at Dustin's wedding.

Surprisingly, Steve and Eddie manage to fall back into their friendship easily. That is until their playful conversation at half-time gets interpreted as flirting and the two find themselves the latest victims in the dreaded Kiss Cam tradition. With a stadium watching and his own desire taking over, Steve must decide if kissing Eddie "for the bit" is worth jeopardizing their rekindled friendship.

Who knows, maybe a peer-pressured kiss will be the spark to get them to talk about that night four years ago when everything changed.

Project #009 for @steddiebang2024 | 15K Expected Word Count | Mature

[suppose-i-was-worm]

Ghost on the Stairs

**alright, alright. I asked and y'all answered. Here's my siblings Bruce and Danny fic!**

“Boo!”

Bruce clattered to a stop on the floor, holding his arms out for his baby brother as the boy toddled his way forward.

“Hey, Danny! Did you miss me while I was at school?”

Danny waved chubby arms, clearly delighted that Bruce was waiting for him. He was all of two years to Bruce’s seven, and the two of them were almost inseparable.

Chancing a look over to his mother, Bruce found her and father smiling fondly at the two of them. Alfred was coming up behind them with a tea tray.

“Boo!”

Bruce turned back to his brother, only to lurch forward as his tiny brother took a step straight into a swirling green portal that opened up from nowhere.

Danny’s screech as he fell was cut off by the portal shutting with a snap, leaving Bruce on his hands and knees, reaching for air.

Mother, father, and Alfred all clustered around him as he began to cry, and the four of them began desperately looking for the youngest member of the family.

They never found him, and a year later, Bruce lost his parents to a gun. At least that was something he could fight against.

When Bruce became Batman at the age of twenty-two, he finally erected a gravestone for his baby brother, right next to their parents. If Danny ever came back, he wouldn’t be the same boy who had vanished.

~~~

Red Robin swung into the building, breaking through the window with his momentum. The cult surrounding a magic circle on the floor of the warehouse had been causing a ruckus in Gotham, and the bats had finally had enough.

Just as they finished knocking out the cultists, the magic circle flared to life and a green pool bloomed from the floor.

Tim, purely out of scientific curiosity, leaned closer, only to be pulled back roughly by Batman.

“Stay away from it.”

“B?”

Batman grabbed a batarang from where it had landed in the melee and threw it with a precise hand, cutting through one of the lines of chalk surrounding the pool.

Narrowing his eyes, Tim watched Bruce’s face- his expression right now was all Bruce, no Bat in sight- sorrow mixed with relief.

Once the pool had vanished completely, Bruce pulled Tim into his arms.

“Woah, what’s up B?”

“I cannot lose you too.”

The moment passed, and Red Robin found himself following Batman as the vigilante swept out of the building.

~~~

“Constantine.”

“Bats. Nice of you to call. What do you need?”

“I sent you a data packet. What is the summoning circle for?”

Constantine was quiet for a long while as he perused the files Bruce had sent him. Bruce paced in front of the batcomputer, glad that all his children were in bed for the night. Somehow they had known something was wrong, and every single one of them had come to the manor- even Jason.

“Looks like an attempt to summon a being of the Infinite Realms to me.”

“Infinite Realms?”

“Mhmm. The afterlife, if you will.”

Bruce couldn’t help the small wheeze as his airways caught. Constantine didn’t seem to notice, as he continued.

“The ghosts haven’t been as active lately, not since the new king came into power. It’s been maybe two decades since?”

“I would like to meet this king.”

“Why?”

“It would be politically intelligent of us to make allies.”

Constantine sighed, long and loud.

“Fine. Give me a week to gather up the stuff.”

~~~

Jason glanced over the thin information brief that Bruce handed down, skimming it at first, until something caught his eye.

“B?”

“Hn.”

“According to this, the being we’re trying to summon is damn powerful. Wouldn’t it be better to do this on the Watchtower with more backup?”

“Yeah B,” Dick chimed in, “Constantine’s report does say that the guy is rumored to be a wandering spirit, which limits his power, but what if that’s not right?”

Jason looked back down at the papers, his eyes darting through to find out what a wandering spirit was.

A ghost that couldn’t find its grave. Part of Jason ached at the thought, and he didn’t quite understand why.

“Fine. We will summon the king at the Watchtower.”

Small victories.

~~~

Bruce was not a praying man, and yet here he was, hoping against hope that this ghost could assist him in finding out what happened to his brother.

The sigils on the floor flared to light, and a now familiar green portal swirled into being. The entire room waited with bated breath for a few moments, and then a young woman rose from the portal.

Batman knew what it felt like to be stabbed. There was no way he could have been, and yet there was a knife in his gut as he stared at this girl who looked so much like his mother, except for the inverted colors.

“The Ghost King thanks you for your call- Unfortunately he is currently unavailable. Please leave your message after the-“ the girl’s professional, almost robotic voice petered off. “Wait a minute- it’s here!”

Her eyes were wide, as was the smile she flashed at the group.

“Please hold.”

She sunk back into the pool, and Bruce took a step towards it, despairing of his chance.

And then she returned, dragging a young man up with her.

“Can you feel it, Phantom? It’s here! We can find it!”

“Calm down, Phantasm. We can go looking soon- first we need to find out why I was summoned.”

The young man turned to Diana, who was standing at the front of the group. She had been chosen as diplomatic leader, seeing as she was a Princess and Ambassador.

“Pardon my sister, how may I assist?”

Bruce let their conversation wash over him as he cataloged the young man’s features. They were so very similar- so close.

The man was both too young and too old. Daniel would be in his mid-forties had he lived, and only two if he’d died. This young man couldn’t be older than thirty.

As Diana’s explanation ended, the young man smiled.

“I agree. It would be advantageous of us to be allies, knowing what I know of this reality now. As allies, I must ask- what is the real reason I was summoned?”

He turned his green (wrong, too much like Damian’s) eyes to Bruce.

“Will you explain? The summoning was filled with great longing for something.”

Bruce stumbled forward, and surely to the shock of his teammates, friends, and children, fell to his knees before the king.

“My- my brother. He fell through a portal so similar to yours and I- I need to know what happened to him. Please.”

The king and his sister looked at each other before looking back at Bruce.

“The Infinite Realms are just that, infinite. However, I may be able to help.”

“Phantom!”

The king ignored his sister.

“What was his name, this brother of yours?”

Bruce hadn’t spoken his brother’s name in decades.

“Danny. Daniel Wayne.”

The room was so silent he could have heard a pin drop.

“And you gave him a grave when he never returned to you.”

Bruce looked up at the king, who was looking back contemplatively. The king’s sister was staring up at her brother with her mouth agape.

“I did.”

The king was very, very quiet, and the moment stretched on and on and on.

After a time, the room grew darker as the green pool closed slowly, and the two ghosts landed with barely a whisper of sound.

“I died at age fourteen,” the king began, musing his own thoughts. “As I died, I thought that the color of the ectoplasm surrounding me was too familiar in color and movement for that to have been my first experience with a portal.”

He took a step towards Bruce.

“It was terrifying and I was so afraid that I would be ripped away from everything I ever loved again.”

Two bright white rings circled the king, and Bruce found himself looking at a man who looked just like his mother, but with a twitch of the lips that was entirely his father’s.

“Hello, Boo. I’m afraid I can’t remember your name properly.”

Bruce took his cowl off slowly, wanting his baby brother to see him despite the fact that he was crying.

“We’ve got his chin, Danny.”

The girl was standing a little behind Danny, smiling. She winked at Bruce.

“He always did want to find his bio family.”

Bruce held his hand out, and Danny took it, using his position and apparently superior strength to pull Bruce into a hug.

“Bruce. Bruce Wayne.”

“Danny Nightingale- well. Nightingale-Wayne, I suppose.”

~~~

Danielle Nightingale (Wayne?) watched her original and his brother(!?!) hug it out. The big man in black was obviously not used to hugs.

“Miss?”

She turned to the inquirer, the nice looking ambassador from before. (Sue her, Dani hadn’t been listening to the conversation. She had been trying to pinpoint the location of their grave!)

“How can I help?”

Ambassador lady smiled at her.

“We were unaware that our teammate had siblings, and clearly Daniel has introduced himself. May we ask your name?”

Dani grinned.

“Oh, I’m not a sibling. I’m sibling-adjacent. Sibling clone? One of those. My name is Danielle, but I go by Dani with an i. It gets a little confusing since he’s Danny with a y.”

“I see. Welcome to the Watchtower, Dani. May I ask what you and his majesty are looking for that was found here?”

“Our grave, of course! Since I’m Danny’s clone, I can feel it too- a little distantly, but it’s not like I’ll get my own. I was born dead.”

Ambassador lady was looking a little faint. Dani took pity on her.

“But now I’m a kickass princess, so all’s well that ends well.”

“I suppose so.” The ambassador looked over at Danny and surprise brother with a small smile. “I suppose so indeed.”

[jjunieworld]

── spin the bottle ៹ ˖` 🍡ミ

pairing: huening kai x gn!reader

genre: fluff, strangers to ???, slice of life, college au (though not in college), mentions of alcohol/drinking, inexperienced!kai and inexperienced!reader

synopsis: you’re what people like to call a “wallflower.” your more extroverted friends have been doing everything in their power to try and break you out of that. so they dragged you along to a party and somehow you’re stuck playing spin the bottle with people you barely know.

word count: 1.4k┊masterlist

a/n: i randomly thought of this little drabble idea while thinking of a fluff fic idea to write lmaoo i hope you enjoy! ♡

you love your friends, you really do, but sometimes their methods are a little… uncomfortable. well, maybe not uncomfortable so to say, but awkward. you know they’re trying to help you out, but sometimes you just wish they would leave you be.

that’s what’s going through your head right now as you sit in a circle with several other people you don’t know with your friends as you all drunkenly play spin the bottle. you’re only a little tipsy, definitely not as drunk as everybody else, so your mind is unbearably crystal clear. and as much as you wish you could just down a whole bottle of alcohol, you would rather not get shitfaced around a bunch of people you don’t know.

it’s your friend’s turn to spin the bottle, which means after it’s yours. your heart beats rapidly as your friend leans over to spin the dark green glass bottle, laughing as they almost double over and your other friend has to help hold them up. the bottle lands on some girl you don’t know and the two of them get up, your friend looking at you and your other friend while giggling with heated cheeks, the other girl doing the same with her friends. the two of them stumble over to each other, give each other a kiss, and head hand in hand to the empty closet.

what your friends forgot to mention is that this isn’t just a game of spin the bottle, but seven minutes in heaven as well. the circle of strangers whoop and cheer—some even going so far as to get up and bang on the closet doors as the timer starts—as your friend and the girl enter the closet.

once the seven minutes end, the two come out of the closet a lot more disheveled than they did going in. you inhaled deeply as the made their way back to the circle. it was your turn now and you were dreading every moment.

your friend smacks you on the back with a wide smile, “your turn, y/n!” they then lean close and in a bad attempt to be quiet and say, “get ready to no longer be inexperienced!” your face heats as you look around the circle. thankfully, everyone was too preoccupied with the recent spin the bottle victims. as the group calms down, a bunch of eyes are suddenly on you.

giving a nervous smile, you lean over to spin the bottle and pray that it somehow misses someone. around the group, you hear “ooo’s” and “aah’s” as the bottle starts to slow down. you swear your heart is going to jump out your chest as the bottle slows to a stop onto someone. looking up slowly, you see that it had landed on a guy you didn’t know. your eyes meet and you give him a small, shy smile, to which he matches.

sighing lightly to yourself, you decide to just get this over with so you can gracefully bow out of the game after. you raise to your feet as the guy does the same. hastily, you make your way over to him and place a quick peck on his lips, which majorly takes him by surprise as his eyes widen at you. “boo!” some guy from behind you says. “you can kiss better than that!”

“stop being a creep!” your friend swiftly spits back. you give them a thankful smile over your shoulder as you take the hand the guy has extended towards you. the two of you then make your way to the closet. the group locks you in as they begin the timer and through their banging you hear the guy say, “uh… i’m kai.”

you blink a couple times as you try to get your eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness. “y/n,” you reply, giving him a small smile even though he probably can’t see it. you see kai move his dark hair out of his eyes. “we don’t have to do anything if you’re not comfortable,” he says. “we can just sit and talk if you want.” suddenly it’s like a weight was lifted off your shoulders and you let out a small sigh of relief. you really didn’t want to have your first time be in a closet with some stranger as part of a seven minutes in heaven game.

“um… yeah. yeah, i would like to just talk… if that’s alright…” you awkwardly trailed, playing with the hem of your long sleeved shirt. in the darkness, you see him nod. the closet is so small that your knees are touching and you have to lean back onto the shelves just to not be all up in each other’s faces.

your face begins to heat as you realize that you just had your first—albeit, very quick—kiss. “so…” you start as you shift to get more comfortable. “have you ever played seven minutes in heaven before?” you asked kai. it was better to get this awkwardness behind the both of you as you still had a lot of time to spend together. in front of you, you hear kai chuckle, “no, can’t say that i have. this is my first time actually.”

oh no, you think to yourself, i’ve basically just ruined this guy’s chance at seven minutes in heaven. “oh… uh, sorry…” you reply sheepishly and kai is quick to correct you. “oh! no, it’s okay. don’t worry about it! i’m not very fond of this game if i’m being completely honest. i'd rather not have sex with a stranger in a closet.” the both of you laugh and the tension rises.

“have you ever kissed someone?” you asked kai, curious. “well—besides me,” you then add. kai laughs, “one other person, but that was in preschool. so, i’m not sure if that counts.” you nod to yourself. “congratulations, we’ve just lost our first kiss to each other!” you give a slight spin of your fist in the air, which makes kai laugh more.

kai hums for a moment, “i feel like we can do better than that!” you shrug, “i’m down if you are!” heat rises at the thought of actually kissing someone—besides the quick peck you gave kai. anxiety rushes through your body despite the cool and calm demeanor you’re forcing yourself to have. you aren’t like your more extroverted friends—you never kissed anyone and really didn’t know how to kiss someone. the only thing that starts to calm you down slightly is the fact that kai is just as inexperienced as you, so at least if the kiss goes badly you can both blame it on that.

the two of you push off the shelving so you’re basically chest to chest. hesitantly, you wrap your arms around kai’s neck as his shyly come around your waist. “ready?” kai asks quietly, and you’re thankful he’s taking charge of the kiss. you’re close enough that you can make out his warm brown eyes and the mole on his neck. you nod and you both move into each other, lips lightly touching.

your lips press together more and the two of you slowly start moving them to try and find a rhythm, which surprisingly doesn’t take long. you and kai continue like that for a good minute before your arms pull him closer to you and the kiss starts to deepen. kai’s arms wrap tighter around your waist until you're pressed up against him and your lips move faster.

breathing hard out of your noses, you feel the need start to grow more and more inside you as the kiss continues. you also start to feel a little lightheaded, but you didn’t want to pull away from kai. suddenly, the closet door flies open and you and kai jump, breaking apart slightly with plumped lips.

a loud gasp escapes your friend and you get dragged out of the closet. you looked back at kai with a wide smile as he got patted on the back by his friends. kai gave you a wide smile back, cheeks slightly tinted as you got dragged away from each other. you friend followed your gaze and shouted, “call them!” as they did a hand motion for a phone. you heard him laugh and he nodded, looking at you one last time before you made your way back to the circle.

© jjunieworld - all rights reserved. please do not repost on any social media sites, translate, or modify any of my works.

taglist: @jjunberry @gothgyuu @spooksh0wbabe @beargyuuzz @kittyhyuka @dani-is-tired @soobieboobiedoobiedaboobie @rapmonie2047 @riaawr @nxzz-skz @kookiesbunny @nishislcve

masterlist┊request rules

[whatsk-poppinhomies]

Pairing : Choi Soobin x F!Reader TW : none ; fluffy lazy mornings with Soobin ; Word Count : 0.7k Request : nope! A/N : I don't have a lot of TXT fics, so here's some cute snippets for them!

You rolled over slowly, your arm stretching out beside you, used to his side of the bed being empty in the morning due to his work, but this particular morning, your hand came down with a smack instead of a thud, and not only did you feel the outline of your fiances perfect features,but you also heard him let out a low grunt. 

“Good mornin’ to you too, hun…” He groaned, rolling over to face you, his arm snaking around your waist and pulling you closer to him before burying his face in the crook of your neck. “You wake me up better than my alarm does though… Although I was really planning on sleeping in today.” He continued to mumble, his hot breath lingering against your neck as his lips brushed lightly against your skin with every word he said. 

“M’sorry…” You muttered tiredly, draping your leg over his and snuggling against him. “Not used to you bein’ here in the mornin’.” You explained, your eyes slowly fluttering open to look up at Soobin who was dazedly looking down at you, a flushed cheek smile on his face when your eyes finally locked. “Good mornin’, boo.” 

He snorted softly at the cheeky pet name you gave him, one that seemed to change every morning depending on how you were feeling. “I’m ��boo’ today, huh?” He teased, his long fingers dancing up your hips and over your curves that he loved so damn much. You hummed softly in agreement, your own fingers trailing up his stomach before landing palm down against the center of his chest, feeling his heartbeat against your hand.  “And what does that make you? Hmm?” 

You hummed along with him, your head nestling deeper into the crook of his neck, your eyes threatening to once again close and send you back into a deep slumber. “I’m always ‘love’, or ‘doll’… You’d never change the little names you gave me.” You lightly joked, a giggle mixed with a little yawn escaping you. “And I wouldn’t want you to change them either. I love them.” Fighting the sleep that was battling with your eyelids to close them once again and send you back to sleep, you pushed yourself up on your elbow so that you could look down at him. “Ya know… You’re super cute in the morning.” 

Soobin chuckled softly, the sound vibrating the mattress beneath you, and his arm snaked around your waist once more, gently pulling you down until you were almost on top of him, his lips planting a wet kiss to your forehead that crinkled up in fake disgust. “I’m only super cute in the morning? What about in the evening? What about the afternoon? What about at night? I think you’re super cute always.” He continued to pepper kisses all over your face, laughing even more when you tried to squirm out of his hold that only seemed to grow tighter the more you moved. “Oh no, you’re not getting away from me.” He playfully growled, your laughter and his mixing with the sounds of the early morning bustling city just outside the window. 

“Yah, you’re being a dork!” You squealed when he lightly pinched your side, your hand coming down with a soft smack against his chiseled chest as you weakly tried to get him to stop, but his onslaught of tickles only continued until your head was against your pillow and he was hovering over top of you. “Now you’re just annoyingly cute… But I love you just the same…” You murmured, your hands slipping up his back and your fingers getting lost in his thick black hair. “Can’t believe I’ll be your wife in a couple weeks… Are you sure this is what you want to deal with for the rest of your life?” 

Soobin teasingly hummed in thought, his eyes wandering around the room as he let the silence carry, but he couldn’t hold onto the act for very long, especially when your mouth fell open at his hesitation and his laughter burst through his once pursed lips. “I wouldn’t be dealing with it, love… I’d be enjoying every minute, every second of it. I can’t wait for you to be my wife, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.” 

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[jerzwriter]

A Time to Heal

Trystan x Carolina

One thing is for certain. When @/artbyainna (IG) comes to bat, she only hits home runs. I have run out of superlatives to describe how incredible her art is a long, long time ago... but she did it again! I simply love this!

Book: Crimes of Passion (Post Series) Pairing: Trystan Thorne x F!MC (Carolina Rose) Rating: Mature / 18+ / NSFW Words: 1,500 Summary: After a rough day on the job, Carolina & Trystan return to her apartment, where Trystan wants nothing more than to take care of her. But in the end, they realize they do their best healing together. A/N: @lexicook74-blog asked for a Trystan x Carolina hurt/comfort fic a long, long time ago. I can take a long time to get to them, but I'm determined to do all asks sent to me :) I hope you like it! Submitting to @choicesjunechallenge2024. It doesn't fit any of the prompts completely, but we can see indecision before he surrenders.

The two flights of stairs that led to Carolina’s apartment were something she and Trystan typically navigated with ease. If she took double steps, she'd be upstairs in a matter of seconds. Sometimes, Trystan would yell, “Race you!” when he already had a three-step lead, and they’d both end up panting before her door in an instant. But today wasn’t a typical day.

Trystan trudged along, inches behind his limping partner, who let out a soft whimper with every other step she took. Ensuring she got upstairs was his only concern, so he did his best to conceal his own pain. With just four steps to go, he thought he was in the clear when a muscle spasm seized his back and thwarted his plans.

“Ow! Ow, ow, ow... ouch!” He cried out in pain.

“Trystan,”  Carolina exclaimed. “What’s wrong? I knew you were hurt, too!”

“It’s nothing,” he replied, trying to wave it off, but his clenched teeth said otherwise. “If the Drakovian press knew I was whining about something so superficial, the people would demand my passport be rescinded at once.”

Carolina shook her head and leaned against the door as she fished around the bottom of her purse to find her keys.

“Does everything have to tie back to some strange Drakovian lore?”

“Usually,” he smirked, placing a kiss on her cheek.

A feeling of tranquility washed over them as they stepped inside. Carolina’s apartment. It was small and far from fancy, but the warm, cozy space always gave them a sense of peace. At minimum, they were pretty sure the floor under their feet would support them. Something they hadn’t had the luxury of earlier today.

“Come,” he said, guiding her to the couch. “Let’s get you seated.”

“Me?” she protested. “But you’re hurt, too!”

“Your hip is badly bruised and you’ve been limping! I still say you should have seen a doctor! You’re hurt. I merely have a boo-boo.”

“A boo-boo?” Carolina chuckled as he sat beside her. “Can I kiss it and make it all better?”

The smirk on his lips and the fire coming alive in his eyes made his thoughts clear, but ensuring his girlfriend was all right was his priority this evening.

“If you’re a good girl and let me take care of you, maybe I’ll let you tend to my boo-boos later.”

He rose from the couch to get Carolina an ice pack, but she reached for his hand and stopped him in his tracks.

“No, stay with me.”

“Lina,” he sighed. “Let me take care of you! You fell through a floor in an abandoned building today!”

“Ehh,” she shrugged. “It’s all in a day’s work. I’ve been through much worse. Besides, you fell through that same floor!”

“I just pulled a muscle,” he said, arching his back. “It’s nothing.”

“Well, mine is really nothing, too. We were quite lucky.”

“Of course we were,” he grinned, placing a buss on her lips. “You’re my good luck charm, after all.”

“Please,” she laughed. “Your life has been filled with one nightmare after another since we met. I’m hardly your good luck charm.”

“Ah, but I survived every one of those challenges, some of them largely because of you, so I’m sorry, Detective Rose. You’re my good luck charm. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to make you chicken soup.”

“Chicken soup?” She queried. “That’s for colds and the flu, not two idiots falling through a ceiling.”

“Yes, but in times of trouble... we go with what we know. So, chicken soup it is.”

An hour later, they sat at the kitchen table, still sore, but full bellies delivered some relief.

“See, I told you,” Trystan mumbled as he bit into a crusty piece of bread. “Chicken soup heals all.”

“I guess,” Carolina smiled but quickly winced as her aches reminded her they were far from gone.

“Are you OK?”

“Just sore. I’m thinking of taking two Advil and then getting into a hot bath.”

“Don’t say another word!” He took their plates and began clearing the table. “I’ll go run the water for you.”

“Trystan, I can run my own bath!”

“Nope! This is not a battle you will win.”

“Fine,” she laughed. “I’ve learned to choose my battles with you. But make sure you add the new bubble bath we bought. This is a great time to start using it”

Moments later, Trystan helped Carolina to the bathroom; her face lit up when she saw what he had done. The scent of the lavender bubble bath wafted through the air, as dozens of little candles glistened around her old clawfoot tub, washing the room in a mystical glow.

“Trystan,” she smiled. “What did you do!”

“I can’t expect you to convalesce in an unsuitable environment.”

“You spoil me,” she sighed.

“And you better get used to it.”

Trystan helped her out of her clothes, becoming more transfixed with each new item that fell to the floor. Carolina was stunning, and he always found her irresistible; but the combination of candlelight and moonlight pouring in the window reflecting on her skin, their shadows accentuating every delicate curve on her body, it left him breathless.

But that’s not what tonight was about, and when he felt his body begin to stir, he deliberately turned away. Relieved when she slipped into the warm water. With her exquisite figure concealed under a plethora of bubbles, his primal urges began to dissipate.

“Ahhhh,” she breathed, as her tension drifted away. “This is just perfect.”

Trystan placed a small table with strawberry-infused water within her reach, then kneeled beside the tub, gently bopping her nose with a bubble-strewn finger.

 “You’re perfect.”

But Carolina's mood visibly shifted when he stood up and asked if she needed anything before he left.

“Leaving? Why are you leaving?” She tapped the water gently with an open hand. “There is plenty of room in here; I was hoping you’d join me.”

“But I want you to relax; you took quite a fall today.”

“Trystan,” she said with an arched brow. “You took the same fall! Now, get in here with me. That’s an order.”

“Well, if it’s an order...” he smirked.

Quickly removing his clothes, he slid into the tub across from his love, letting out a deep sigh the moment his body was submerged. With his arms stretched over the tub's sides and his legs rubbing against Carolina’s silky skin he wondered why this hadn't been his plan all along.

“This is divine,” he swooned.

“I told you! No way was I going to let you miss out on this.”

“And for that, I thank you!”

They closed their eyes, reclining in the soothing waters for a long while; but when Trystan opened his eyes again, he found Carolina’s sultry brown eyes peering at him, a playful grin on her face. 

“Yessss?” He droned.

“Do you have any idea how sexy you are in this lighting?”

“In this lighting?" He said, feigning insult. "I thought I looked sexy in all lighting!"

Carolina barked out a laugh. “That goes without saying, of course! But in this lighting... you’re especially desirable.”

Carolina was stunned; perhaps the candlelight was impeding her vision, but she swore she saw Trystan Thorne blush.

“You’re one to talk,” he whispered. “You’re simply ravishing.”

The lapping water made delicate sounds as Carolina pushed herself up and moved closer to Trystan. This allowed him a quick peek at her luscious curves before he felt them pressed firmly against his chest.

“Then, why aren’t you ravishing me," she purred in his ear.

Trystan thought he might melt into the water. “Lina,” he moaned. “What are you doing to me?”

Her pride morphed into a smile as she dragged her hand up his thigh, then slowly, excruciatingly slowly, skimmed her fingers along his hardened length.

“I haven’t done anything yet,” she teased. “But that’s about to change.”

He let out a muffled growl when her arms wrapped around him, stoking her desire even more.

“Lina, you’re hurt," he said, offering one last out.

“I’m fine!"

“I want you to feel better!”

She pushed back with seductive eyes, just begging to be taken.

“If you want me to feel better... I can offer some suggestions on how you can do that.”

His erection pulsated against her thigh, and she silently lauded herself for her restraint at that moment.

“Are you sure?” he whispered as her hands sunk under the water grasping him at his base, pleasuring him with slow, deliberate strokes until he quivered beneath her.

“100% sure,” she hissed, parting his lips with her tongue, entangling it with his for a long, sensual kiss.

The grin on his face couldn’t have been wider when they parted. “If you keep doing this, I'll see to it that we fall through ceilings together every day."

Carolina straddled him, placing him at her center before holding him tight. Unbridled shrieks of pleasure filled the air as she slowly sank down on him. He reached up and cupped her breasts just as he filled her completely. She closed her eyes, remaining still for just a moment to savor the feeling, and then, with a wicked grin she began to grind shamelessly against him.

If either had a worry about the water that splashed onto the floor, they certainly didn't show it as they brought each other to the precipice of pleasure again, and again until they unraveled in each other's arms.

“I don’t know what doctor recommended this treatment plan,” Trystan said trying to catch his breath. “But I really need to thank them.”

"What, this is how I fix boo-boos?" Carolina smiled.

"Then, I need to thank you."

Shortly after, the couple curled up in bed... completely in need of painkillers to soothe their aching muscles. But the blissful smiles on their faces as they drifted off to sleep made it very, very clear... sore muscles be damned, it had all been worth it.

@choicesficwriterscreations

[doevademe]

Hi! Been re-reading some of your future-fic oneshots. I'm just curious to ask: considering Nico as someone tired and settling for Will and canon Will (uhm, the fandom writes him well sometimes), what do you think would be the last straw (for either of them, or both) for a solangelo break-up? Is it possible even with only a very minor (or none at all) intervention from Percy?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Okay, let's do a deep dive into Will and Nico and their relationship, and how, as they are written, they are already doomed as a couple.

However, if you want the TL;DR: Nico and Will are incompatible from a fundamental level. Their personalities and hobbies require way too much compromise to work together. In my future fics, Percy just sped up the inevitable. There's is no one "last straw" as there is an ever increasing pressure that eventually becomes unsustainable.

First, let's look at the dynamic they develop from their first on-screen interaction in BoO: Will nags Nico, tells him he's wrong about his own feelings of isolation and loneliness, and proceeds to basically gaslight him that people never shunned him and he did it to himself. Nico, who has been alone for so long, takes this as a show of concern and affection, and develops an infatuation with Will.

Fast forward to ToA, and it's more of the same. Nico is gloomy, or sarcastic, or a bit morbid, and Will is bothered by it. He's bothered by who Nico is, and decides to "fix him". Nico, meanwhile has grown dependent on Will as his other relationships grow distant (Percy, Hazel, Reyna, and even Hades), and begins feeling jealous of Will even touching others. Needless to say, that's a very toxic basis for a romantic relationship.

When tsats comes around, we get the relationship at its worst. The very first scene is Nico saying he is into fictional bad boys, and Will being disappointed in him. We see that Nico is now watching his every word, glancing constantly at Will to make sure it doesn't displease him, and Will is happier that Nico is "better", though worried he might relapse, lose him to "the darkness" inside him.

Will in tsats is just the worst. He's useless on the quest, he tries to make Nico turn his back on the Underworld (the closest thing he has to a home), he whines, and he simps for Persephone while his boyfriend is right there. Some of it is an intentional flaw, but most of it we're meant to read as romantic and genuinely "sweet".

At the end, Will "learns" that he needs to accept that Nico will always have some darkness in him, and he just needs to "shine brighter" for them both. This doesn't really solve their problems as a couple: They have very little in common, Nico's too dependent on Will and has isolated himself from family and friends, and Will's newfound "acceptance" is tied to seeing Nico as inherently negative.

This relationship is simply not sustainable in the short or long-term, and eventually it will give. Either Will gets tired of having Nico around disrupting his sunny energy, or Nico lashes out over being "the problem" Will has so graciously decided to burden himself with.

A break-up is not only inevitable, it's the healthiest thing either of them can do. People would say to try couple's therapy, but therapy can't make people suddenly like hobbies or personality traits they find repellent. Will is in love with the idea of a "fixed" Nico, and Nico is in love with the idea of a boy that likes and fights for him.

The break-up catalyst can be anything: One nag too far from Will, Nico doing a morbid joke too many, just waking up one day and realizing they were never really in love. Either way, it's not a matter of how, of whether Percy is there or not, it's a matter of when. When does it become too much for them to keep pretending they want the same thing out of this relationship.

[a-small-batch-of-dragons]

Language Barriers

same anon as like 5 minutes ago, I remembered the fluffy prompt! Could you write a Sanders Sides DLAMPR fic (before they get together) where all of the Sides have different love languages? And they’re all trying to flirt in their own way, but the others keep misinterpreting it? A lot of TSS fic features the Sides having different love languages (and I’d like to think they do, in canon), but I’ve yet to see a fic that specifically focuses on that fact and describes the differences between love languages. Feel free to ignore, and remember to take care of yourself! – anon

hey I love love love love LOVE your writing! If you’re open to prompts rn, I’ve just reread your story "Idiots, Idiots, Everywhere" and it’s awesome, thanks very much, BUT. Are you willing to write a Sanders Sides fic where it focuses more specifically on all the Sides having different love languages? Bonus points if it’s DLAMPR (but platonic PR, this is an incest-free household) and all the Sides are like “…but he’s like this with everyone”. No pressure at ALL, but it’d be cool to see how you approach that. – anon

Read on Ao3

Warnings: none

Pairings: dlampr

Word Count: 3431

Or, five times the Sides misunderstood each other's love languages, and one time Thomas got fed up with it and decided to just...explain it to them with the efficiency they have when they're trying to explain something to him. Which is to say: it takes them a second to get it. The Imagination helps.

Physical Touch

If you were to ask anyone, they would tell you that Patton loves giving people hugs.

It’s the bane of some of their existences, they’d try to claim, and the others might just shrug and say that’s Patton for you. He knows his kiddos love it, at least a little bit. But he won’t lie, he does love a good hug. There’s just something so magical about how, out of all the shapes humans could have possibly been, they’re just perfectly designed to hold one another. Isn’t that just perfect?

Logan would probably say something about evolution and adaptation to the needs of their environment, or something, but he’s not gonna rain on Patton’s parade. Humans are hug-shaped, so they’re gonna hug. Besides, he’s not complaining when he’s working downstairs in the winter and he’s gotten too absorbed in his work and then a Patton-shaped heating pad just comes along and hugs him.

Patton loves hugging all of the Sides. Logan because he’s always so surprised by it, in a good way! He gets this soft little look that is almost on the edge of a smile, like he wasn’t expecting it but it’s the best possible outcome he never could have predicted. Or when he’s trying to comfort Patton and he hugs with undeniable certainty.

Virgil is also fun to hug, because he’s such a pouty-face about it. He snuggles up as much as any of them but he has to put on his mopey show first, just in case anyone’s watching. Virgil also gives the mopey hugs too, but then he makes himself just a bit bigger so he can wrap all the way around Patton. Which is the best.

Speaking of wrapping all the way around, Janus has six arms and he uses every single one of them. They get into competitions sometimes—not serious! It’s all for fun!—about who can surprise-hug each other the worst. Or best. Janus is currently winning from the time he managed to make himself look like the chair in the living room with a blanket over it; Patton sat down and boo!

Remus isn’t allowed to do surprise hugs, not after he accidentally tackled Patton into his Kraken’s pond and they had to spend the rest of the afternoon trying to get out of the pond. But Remus’s hugs are the kind that squish his soul right back into his body and ugh, there’s nothing better than that after a long day. Besides, it’s not like expecting Remus’s hugs takes anything away, he’s still going to squeeze him so hard he might not be able to breathe for a few seconds, but that’s Remus!

And then with Roman—Roman hugs the way every single knight from a fairytale should hug. He just makes you feel safe and precious and like nothing in the world could hurt you. It’s why Patton always sits next to Roman during scary movie nights, after all, even if he gets teased about it a little. Roman doesn’t mind.

So yes, Patton does love hugging all of them. But it doesn’t have to be hugging! It can be holding hands, or just leaning against each other, just as long as he can feel them and tell himself yes, they’re okay, they’re right here, I love them.

Because he does. He loves them terribly. Even if they think he’s just a big fan of hugs.

***

2. Quality Time

Virgil has the reputation of being the cat of the Mindscape for good reason. Not because he hisses at things that don’t cooperate—the other Sides are not excluded from this—and not because he spits up hairballs—it was one time, Remus, and it was entirely your fault—but because he has a habit of just appearing in the same room and hanging out for a while.

…alright, it’s not a habit, he does it on purpose.

Companionable silence really is the best way to go about things. You’re both close enough to talk if you want to, but each of them is allowed to do their own thing and hey, there’s another person doing their own thing too. Which is why it’s his favorite way of hanging out with Logan, especially when he needs to make sure that something gets done. He’s always down to affectionately bully Logan into whatever he asks him to make sure he does.

He does that with Remus too, but it’s not exactly the same: Remus needs someone to make sure he doesn’t actually destroy anything, and he’s more than happy to oblige. Especially since he likes to get a bit of a heads-up before a rampaging beast goes barreling through the kitchen at some ungodly hour of the morning.

If he’s never beating the cat allegations, Janus sure as hell isn’t helping. There’s a big window in the Dark Sides’ half of the Mindscape that is perfect for lying in for, oh, a few hours on end. Remus has many—too many, if you ask Virgil—pictures of the two of them just basking in the sun, dozing like they haven’t got a care in the world.

Virgil’s actual favorite place to sleep is with his head in Patton’s lap. Especially after he’s just finished baking, when he’s all warm from the oven and he smells like sugar and spice…Virgil will sit on the counter or the floor and listen to Patton talk about whatever he wants and then while the oven bakes, he’ll fall asleep right in Patton’s lap. He even gets first dibs on whatever just got made.

Roman makes a game of it. He’s the Prince, every good Prince needs a rogue to work with. They trek all over the Imagination, having adventures, defeating monsters, it’s the perfect mix of Roman’s quests and Virgil’s need to be a creepy little shit in every dark corner he can find. Being with Roman even makes boring council meetings fun, because he gets to terrify the idiots that they’re just gonna fight later anyway and he gets to spend time with Roman.

He doesn’t care what he’s doing, not really, just as long as he can spend time with them. He just…wishes they would understand that sometimes.

***

3. Words of Affirmation

Logan is no stranger to impostor syndrome, but that doesn’t mean he has to allow it to plague those he cares for. Understanding something to be true on an intellectual level and feeling the validation that comes from hearing someone else voice it are two very different things. The other Sides are each remarkable in their own right. They deserve to hear it.

Patton is kind. He does not say that lightly: kind people who choose to be kind because they know how difficult it is are not individuals to be trifled with. Patton makes the conscious choice to try and be better every single day. He is earnest and sincere, sometimes painfully so, but he does not allow himself to be dissuaded by obstacles. How could Logan not want to express his admiration?

And Roman…oh, Roman is a wonder. There is so much that goes into his work that often goes unnoticed, or underappreciated, and it is a crime that Logan too often finds himself on the wrong side of that line. Roman is clever and funny and has a work ethic that, truly, rivals Logan’s own. For every slight he makes, however unintentional, he tries his best to make up for it by telling Roman in no uncertain terms how honored Logan is to be part of his creative process.

Remus is an entirely different story, no pun intended. Remus is unabashedly and unapologetically himself, and as such is a marvel to behold. He cares not for the sanitization or reduction of anything in his work, and so Logan does his best to follow suit. Remus is who he is, and it is beautiful.

He tells Janus he’s beautiful too. And not once is he lying. The first time he did it, Janus laughed in his face, at least until he realized Logan was telling the truth. He then didn’t see Janus for an entire week. It ended when a little snake plushie appeared outside of his door in the middle of the night with a tiny note that just said thank you. He tells Janus he’s beautiful every chance he gets now.

Virgil is his little alley cat. Perfectly fine to approach on his terms, but will let him know with no uncertainties when he’s getting a little too close. It doesn’t help that Virgil is quite fun to tease, even if all he’s doing is giving him compliments—true compliments, mind you—and watching in amusement as Virgil curls up into a ball with his hood pulled down over his ears as if that could hide how red they are. He’s not cruel about it, of course; he stops the moment Virgil appears genuinely uncomfortable and there are certain topics he doesn’t go near. But Virgil can’t always hide his little grin and so on it goes.

He’s quite happy to shower them with his words, he just…doesn’t know if they’d believe him if he said I love you.

***

4. Acts of Service

Words are difficult. There is so much ambiguity to be found in even the most basic of sentences, and when it comes to matters like this, Janus prefers to take as few chances as possible. Whoever coined the phrase ‘actions speak louder than words,’ Janus definitely owes a drink for how spot-on it is.

Whenever Patton needs a hand in the kitchen, he’s always the first to volunteer. He can do up to three things in the time it would take another Side to do just one, after all, and he’s had enough experience cooking for the troublemakers (Virgil and Remus) to know how to get around most of their pranks. And how to get them back.

Logan, bless him, has a tendency to overwork himself at the best of times. And in doing so, he gets these terrible knots and cramps in his neck and shoulders from hunching over his desk for hours on end. It might not be the most polite of things to practically blackmail his way into giving Logan a massage, but the poor dear always falls right to sleep so he mustn’t mind too much.

Remus and his delightful menagerie of creatures often need more than their fair share of attention. He had to pester Remus into getting him a raincoat and muck boots that could withstand the acidic slime, but weekend mornings found them strolling cheerfully through pens and cages and paddocks, tending to the bizarre flock. Anything to make the chore more of a fun activity and less of, well, a chore, when Remus really doesn’t suit stressed-out frowns as well as manic grins.

Virgil has a terrible habit of not asking for reassurance when he needs it. Janus regrets the part he played in making it that way. So, no matter how small and stupid Virgil may think it is, whenever he asks for help, Janus gives it. A tug on his cloak or a soft please will have him do anything from turn the light in the hallway on to checking the poor thing over for wounds after a brutal nightmare. It took long enough for Janus to re-earn that trust, he’s not going to lose it if he can damn well help it.

Out of everyone in the Mindscape, only Roman truly appreciates his love of theater. Sure, the others are game to help out here and there, but when it comes to the art of make-believe, Roman is the proud owner of Janus’s ‘yes-and’ partnership. The two of them make all sorts of stories together, from villains and heroes to morally grey adventurers, to simple fairytales and old plays. Roman needs someone else to help him play the roles and Janus is more than happy to play with him.

Perhaps one day, he might be able to reveal that everything he does for them, he does because it’s them, but for now, he’ll happily play the role they expect of him.

***

5. Gifts

Roman and Remus do not, in fact, fight over who gets to give the most presents to the other Sides.

Instead, they fight over whose idea they work on first.

For Logan, Remus’s self-writing pen narrowly won out over Roman’s proposal for a never-ending notebook, if only because said pen squirted ink into Roman’s mouth before he could finish his argument. They ended up giving both to Logan at the same time, but the pen was decidedly on top and did its own little celebratory wriggle when Logan used it for the first time.

Remus nearly challenged Roman to a formal duel when it came to designing a heat lamp for Janus that wouldn’t run the same risk of burning out the electricity in their section of the Mindscape. They managed to agree on everything up to the design on the lampshade. Roman said it should be a yellow snake, curled up and sleeping, and Remus wanted it to be a big leaf that Janus could lay under like he was actually outside. The compromise was eventually reached over many hours of almost bloodshed and now the sleeping snake under a leaf is a staple in the corner of Janus’s room.

Roman cleverly proposed Virgil’s weighted blanket while Remus was being crushed under said blanket, leaving not a lot of wiggle room until he had to agree. Of course, he promptly fell asleep and cuddled Roman into a pile of goo, so technically they made both the blanket and the plushie at around the same time. Virgil still brings the little skeleton to movie nights.

Patton gets their presents one after the other, because you need one to understand the other’s context. A rebreather designed to slip on over the person’s face just like any other face mask, to filter out particulates and allergens. Something that could be worn for up to two consecutive hours before it needed to be recharged.

The other present was a box full of kittens.

”Ro?”

“Yeah?”

Remus pushes his goggles to the top of his head and looks over the desk. “Do you think they’ll ever get it?”

Roman sighs, closing his notebook and leaning back to stretch. “I don’t know, Re. I love them, really, they just…”

”Don’t realize.”

“Yeah. It’s okay, though. We’ll get there eventually.”

“Of course we will. Hand me that wrench, would you?”

“The one that’s covered in guts, or the one that’s made out of foam?”

“The foam one. I need to whack this thing but I don’t wanna hit it too hard.”

“I’m not gonna ask any more questions.”

***

+1: I Love You

”Hey!” Patton rises up first, clapping his hands. “Oh. I’m the only one here.”

“Only by a moment,” Logan says as he joins him. “Is Thomas here?”

“No, I just got summoned by—well, I thought it was Thomas but he’s not here.”

“Whoa, hey!” Virgil appears on the staircase. “What’s going on? I was in the middle of watching someone.”

“Don’t you mean ‘something?’” Remus appears, covered in slime and cackling. “Ah. I see.”

“I’ve got it,” Roman says, rising up and spraying his brother with something that somehow manages to dissolve all the goo without staining or spraying anything else. “There. Now maybe you’ll think twice about surprising Uma when she’s feeding?”

“Oh, I’m gonna do this so many more times!”

”I felt the exasperation from my room,” Janus sighs, appearing, “what’s Remus done now?”

“Why did you assume it was Remus?” Janus just looks at Logan. “Fair enough.”

”Now that we’re all here, what is this about?” He looks around, frowning. “Where’s Thomas?”

“That’s weird, is he not the one who called for a meeting?”

“What’s that?” Virgil reaches out and picks up a piece of paper from the coffee table. “‘Each one of you needs a card, find the matches.’ What cards?”

“Here.” Logan picks up something that fell when Virgil picked up the paper. “There are only five of them, though, and six of us.”

“What do they say?”

“Let me see…one says ‘Physical Touch,’ one says ‘Acts of Service,’ one says…oh, I see.”

“I don’t,” Patton says, “can you share with the class?”

“Wait, wait, I think I know what this is, is one of them ‘Quality Company’ or something?”

“‘Quality Time,’ yes.”

Roman nods. “It’s the Five Love Languages.”

“Thomas doesn’t even speak Spanish!”

“No, no, Padre, not literal languages, it’s…it’s the ways you express your affection for someone. How you tell them you love them. There’s five: physical touch, acts of service, quality time…”

“‘Words of Affirmation,’” Logan continues, reading off the other cards, “and ‘Gifts.’”

Virgil hunches his shoulders. “So what, are we supposed to pick one?”

“I believe the intention of the exercise is to…select which one is our love language.”

Janus huffs. “Why? What does Thomas have to gain from doing something like this? And where is he?”

“Maybe he’s not the one who summoned us.”

“Well then who did?”

“Maybe if we do the thing we can find out.”

Janus sighs, peering over Logan’s shoulder and squinting. “I guess this one’s mine, then.”

“‘Acts of Service?’ Very well. I suppose I’ll take ‘Words of Affirmation.’”

“Can I have the touch one?”

“Certainly.”

“Twins get ‘Gifts,’ obviously,” Virgil mutters, “which means I get the…time one, or whatever.”

Logan hands out the last two cards and they stand there for a moment, waiting for something to happen.

Nothing does.

Patton looks back down at his card. “Wait, did you say these are how we tell people we love them?”

“That is a simple definition of this, why?”

“Because you guys do these with everyone!”

There’s a pause. Logan adjusts his glasses. “Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but…yes, I do indeed give you all words of affirmation, because, well…”

“Aww,” Virgil says, “do you love us, Logan?”

Logan coughs, blushes, and adjusts his tie. “I believe that is a logical conclusion, yes.”

“Aww!” Patton squeals. “I love you guys too!”

”So whoever set this up knew that we were all trying to tell each other that—“ Roman starts.

“—and needed to hammer it into our heads what was happening,” Remus finishes.

“Well,” Janus sniffs, even as a smile threatens the corners of his mouth, “how dramatic.”

Virgil tugs on the strings of his hoodie. “Yeah. How dramatic.”

There’s another pause.

Roman coughs. “Uh, this seems like a good a time as any, um…Remus and I put together a festival thing in the Imagination for everyone, if you want to…if you want to come and see it.”

“It has everyone’s favorite state fair stuff,” Remus sands, “and there’s supposed to be a northern-lights kind of thing after it gets dark.”

“Can we cuddle?”

“Of course.”

“Will there be food?”

“Your favorite, shadow-ling.”

“You two are so thoughtful,” Logan says softly, “I would love to come.”

“I can get the good blankets from the closet,” Janus offers, and everyone grins, “should we meet there in ten?”

“Oh, this is going to be so much fun!”

The Imagination is just happy they finally sorted it out. Now, to give the six of them a group date they’ll never forget…

General Taglist: @frxgprince@potereregina@gattonero17@iamhereforthegayshit@thefingergunsgirl@awkwardandanxiousfander@creative-lampd-liberties@djpurple3@winterswrandomness@sanders-sides-uncorrect-quotes@iminyourfandom@bullet-tothefeels@full-of-roman-angst-trash  @ask-elsalvador @ramdomthingsfrommymind@demoniccheese83@pattonsandershugs @el-does-photography @princeanxious@firefinch-ember@fandomssaremysoul@im-an-anxious-wreck@crazy-multifandomfangirl @punk-academian-witch@enby-ralsei@unicornssunflowersandstuff@wildhorsewolf @thetruthaboutthesun @stubbornness-and-spite @princedarkandstormv  @your-local-fookin-deadmeme @angels-and-dreams@averykedavra @a-ghostlight-for-roman @treasurechestininterweb @cricketanne @queerly-fluid-fan @compactdiscdraws@cecil-but-gayer@i-am-overly-complicated@annytheseal@alias290@tranquil-space-ninja @arxticandy @mychemically-imbalanced-romance@whyiask@crows-ace @emilythezeldafan@frida0043 @ieatspinalcords @snowyfires@cyanide-violence@oonagh2@xxpanic-at-the-everywherexx@rabbitsartcorner @percy-07734@triflingassailantofmyemotions @virgil-sanders-the-gay-emo@cerulean-watermelon@puffed-up-bees@meltheromanstan@joyrose-fandomer@insanitori@mavenmush@justablah65@10paradox10@uhhh-hi-there-i-am-nervous@cutebisexualmess@bella-bugatti-frogetti-baguetti@ultrageekygirl

[heavyhitterheaux]

Girls Night Out

First Babies of Private Garden Fic

AN: leaving Jack, Urban, Druski, and Clay in charge is bound to not end well lmao

Synopsis: First Lady's first girls night after having the triplets, and she has all the confidence in the world in her husband to keep everything running smoothly even if she is a little hesitant at first. Little does she know Jack is scared shitless. This escalates once he loses sight of two of his children.

Pairing: Husband!Jack Harlow x Wife!Reader

Requested by: my boo @nattinatalia and baby mama @harlowcomehome😘💕

First Babies of Private Garden Masterlist

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

“Baby, I thought you were getting dressed?” Jack asked as he came up behind you, currently staring in the mirror attempting to fix your hair for the third time.

“I was…I am. I….just are you going to be okay with them? I feel guilty leaving you by yourself.”

“Stop worrying. And besides, I have Clay, Urb, and Dru so I won’t be by myself. You deserve this and you need to get out of the house.” Jack replied as he kissed your temple and you slowly nodded your head agreeing with him.

“But…”

“No. Worst comes to worst, I call 911.”

“Uhh, babe. I hope we don’t have to get to that point. I thought that you were going to say that you were going to call Maggie or my mom.”

“Same difference.” Jack replied while shrugging.

He was putting on a good front right now seeing as that he was scared shitless. He wanted for you to go out and enjoy yourself seeing as this would be the first time you’ve gone out since they had been born.

Jess and B had helped you pick out a new outfit seeing as they would be the ones taking you out for the night.

However, you had all the confidence in the world in him and knew that he would be able to survive without you since you’ve seen first hand how amazing he is with them.

You had slipped on your dress, but couldn’t help to pick apart everything that had changed since their birth and things that weren’t back to normal just yet.

Jack noticed it and came up behind you in the mirror to wrap his arms around you and placed his chin on your shoulder.

“You look gorgeous, baby. No wonder I put three babies in you.”

You immediately rolled your eyes before laughing as you turned your head to kiss him.

“But you can kinda see my stretch marks.”

“And? If someone says anything, I’ll beat their ass. Now hurry up and get downstairs before Jess and B come up in here yelling.”

“Yes, I know. We’re full of hot chips and bad decisions.”

You walked downstairs to see Clay, Urban, and Druski all scattered around the living room while the triplets were currently on the floor having tummy time. You could tell Axel was over it and went to pick him up first.

“DAMN, okay miss mamas. I see why Jack got you pregnant.”

“BYE Dru.”

“I’ll do it again soon too.” Jack replied and all you did was eye him as Axel was now playing with your necklace.

You placed a kiss on his cheek and handed him to Urban, while you did the same thing with Autumn who got handed to Clay, and Ivy who got handed to her father.

“Now you all be on your best behavior.”

“Axel is saying ‘we will mommy’.” Urban quickly answered while bouncing him on his lap.

“Oh. I meant the four of you, not them. I don’t worry about Clay seeing as he has the most sense, but… yeah I’m not worried about the babies. Please call me if you need me.”

“What the? We have sense!” Urb said trying to defend the three of them, but all you did was look at him with a tight lipped smile.

Druski didn’t say anything because he knew that lowkey you were right. 

“No, we aren’t calling you because we got this. Now go.” Jack said as he handed you your black Birkin and was trying to push you towards the door.

“Look, my triplets and my little baby better be in one piece when I get back or else.”

“WHAT? What about me? YOUR HUSBAND?”

All you did was give him a blank stare as you heard Clay stifle a laugh from behind you.

“SERIOUSLY?”

“Umm yeah so I love you and I’m leaving.”

“I love you too, and you have nothing to worry about.”

Now Jack had something to worry about.

It was only an hour in with watching the triplets when he came back in the living room and noticed Druski looking around frantically.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Jack asked while looking at him confused while opening a bottle of water.

“Sooo, five minutes ago there were three kids in here, now there’s only two.”

“WHAT?” Jack asked and he could feel his heart rate start to increase. 

“SHE WAS JUST THERE!”

Even though the house was baby proofed, you and Jack just never knew with the triplets seeing as their newest obsession was climbing over the baby gates. 

“AND NOW SHE’S NOT! I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU LOST MY DAUGHTER. YOU HAD ONE JOB, ONE!”

“And your wife already thinks yall need supervision and she was proven right.” Clay added while Autumn was simply sitting next to him watching all of this go down.

“Shut it, Clayborn and you better not tell her either!”

“I’ll tell her if you don’t find them. Then she’ll have to divorce you and marry me.”

“I’m ignoring you.”

“You’re mad just because I’m right.” 

“SHE HAS THEM FAST LEGS FROM YOU. NO WAY IN HELL SHE GOT THEM FROM YOUR SHORT ASS WIFE.”

“OUTTA POCKET! YOU LOST IVY AND NOW YOU’RE COMING FOR Y/N? I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE CALLED NAS INSTEAD!”

“I mean… Y/N is on the short side.” Urb added, but now looked down to see  Axel wasn’t at his feet anymore like he was less than a few minutes ago.

“Oh um…”

“Urb, where’s Axe?” Jack asked, seeing as now the only baby in the room was Autumn.

“HE WAS JUST THERE!”

“I TOLD YALL ASSES THAT THEY CAN CRAWL AND TO KEEP THEM IN YOUR SIGHT AT ALL TIMES! BOTH OF YOU FIND MY KIDS, NEOW!”

“This is why I’m little baby and why your wife will always love me more.”

“Clay, not now. Just watch Autumn.”

“Yes, now! Have fun explaining to your wife how you lost not one, but two kids.”

As Jack, Urban, and Druski were scrambling throughout the house, Clay decided to put on Fast and Furious for him and Autumn to watch. 

Druski was checking underneath the couches

Urban was in the kitchen 

While Jack was on his way to the pantry when he saw what was on the television.

“CLAY! She is too young to watch that!”

“But she likes it! And you’re never too young for Dom Toretto. All about family, but you lost half of yours.”

Urban had just come back in the living room and heard what Clay had said and immediately laughed. 

“URB! WHERE’S AXE?

“Not in the kitchen, I can definitely tell you that.” He answered as he was now eating chips. 

“We need to find them before Y/N comes back!”

“Knowing her, Jess, and Blanca, they’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

“That was the case before we had children.”

Jack went back on his search when he opened the pantry and found Ivy eating some of her baby snacks and was as content as she could be. Jack then let out a sigh of relief, but he was only relieved for so long seeing as Axel was still nowhere to be found.

He quickly picked her while still allowing her to hold onto her snacks and went back into the living room. 

“Well look who found one of the lost children.”

“Clayborn, shut up.”

“I should call mom too and tell her about this.”

“DON’T YOU FUC-..... DARE! Just here, watch her.” Jack said as he handed Ivy to Clay who he put on the opposite side of him.

Just then Jack’s phone went off indicating a facetime call from you.

“Shit…”

“Answer it or I’ll tell her.”

“I swear I’ve been fighting for my life ever since your ass was born.” Jack replied to him before answering you.

“Baby! Why are you calling me?! I told you I got it and not to worry.”

“I’m worried! I can’t help it. Are all of you okay?!” You asked and he could see that you had your dessert in front of you which looked like a cheesecake of some sort.

“We’re fine, babe. Just watching movies with the babies.”

“Well I’m on my way back. You survived at least 2 and a half hours without me and I miss them.”

Jack could feel the panic start to set in. 

“Wait, what? Already? Babe, you can stay out longer and wait a minute…. you miss them and not me?!”

“I’ve been looking at you since I was fourteen, you can take a backseat for a while.”

“I swear between you, Dua, and Clay. That’s why I have gray hair now.”

“Love you boo bear! See you soon! I’m not far.”

“I love you too, mamas.”

Once you hung up, Jack simply sighed and looked at Clay.

“Soo, how long do we have before she gets back?”

“25 minutes at the most, but with the way she drives, make that 12.”

While Clay stayed in the living room, the rest of them continued with their search.

“Urb, how much time do we have left?” Jack asked while looking over at him. 

“She should be here in five minutes so you better make your son appear.”

“YOU’RE THE ONE WHO LOST HIM, NOT ME!”

“And I’m telling my bestie that it was you. You know you two are my parents too and that I need to be supervised at all times.”

“Oh like the time they left you at wingstop?”

“Dru! Not now!”

“Yeah, dark times and I never plan on letting them forget it either. I was ready to get put up for adoption.”

Just then, Jack went over to where the golden girls were and saw Axel terrorizing Blanche and quickly picked him up. He was thankful that she hadn’t bitten him and could only imagine how you would have had some choice words for him if that happened. The huskies were now full grown and one wrong move could come with a lot of bad consequences. 

“Axe, how did you even get over here and get over the gate?!”

All he did was look at him and laugh as all three of them walked back into the living room.

“I’m never babysitting with you again, not until they’re ten. At the very least.”

“Whatever wifey asks you, we NEVER speak of this.”

The door quickly opened and you made your way inside to see that everyone was still in one piece.

“Hey, I brought back food! Looks like the little baby and my triplets are okay, so I guess you can survive without me.” You said while reaching up to kiss Jack and quickly taking Axel away from him.

“I told you that we would be fine.”

Clay then stifled a laugh which earned him a smack in the back of the head by Jack. 

“I knew you could do it, I had nothing but confidence in you the entire time.”

“At least one of us did.” Dru muttered and Jack shot him a look.

You then looked over at Clay and was confused and he was wondering what was going on and why you were looking at him that way.

“Y/N, you okay?” 

“Clay, where’s Autumn?”

“Oh fuck. Not again.” Jack said and you immediately turned to him confused.

“What do you mean not again? Baby, what are you talking about?”

“Umm, nothing, babe. Just go get comfortable while we look for her.” Jack said as he kissed your forehead and took Axel from you.

You were hesitant, but you did as you were told. Once you were up the steps and out of earshot, Jack glared at Clay.

“She was just there!”

“SAVE IT! And help me find her before Y/N comes back down here!”

Taglist:

@harlowsbby

@babyharleezy

@hoodharlow

@stefansalvatoresgf

@jackiehollanderr

@primadxna-girl

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@jackmans-poison

[anogete]

Hi. Update of random shit in case anyone cares.

The scary test I was stressed over in the fall when I was posting my last fic? It was the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) exam. Yes, I passed it. The designation requires a bachelor's degree, so I had to go back to school to finish my last 10 classes. Then I had to take 7 more classes that are pre-reqs for the exam. Then I spent probably 700 hours attempting to cram everything you could think of related to personal finance (my god, there is a metric shit ton) into my head. The designation also requires 5,000 hours of experience in the planning field (which I thankfully already had). By the time I passed the test, I was no longer proud of the accomplishment, just relieved to have it behind me.

Work was intensely busy in November and December. I got little reading and no writing done.

I have a WIP featuring the Darcy/Rumlow pairing that has been languishing on my computer since 2020. To be honest, I've mosty forgotten what the conflict driving the plot was going to be. I think I was trying to tie it into the events of Wandavision. Took place after the show and had Monica Rambeau and Darcy kinda sorta working together and trying to figure out what, if anything, crossing the barrier that Wanda had thrown up did to them. Of course, Rumlow is alive and scarred and back with the good guys. And also really annoyed that his recent gunshot wound stuck him on desk duty watching the nerds complete their physicals as part of employee onboarding. Darcy doesn't want to have gym class with Rumlow, and Rumlow doesn't want to be there either but he's also kinda into the sassy brunette who tried to sweet talk him into passing her without making her run a mile. In the chapter or two I did write, the banter between Darcy and Rumlow was so fun, so I'd love to go back to it and try to move it along.

I got sucked into reading Draco/Hermione fanfic recently. Blame those damn Snow edits from the latest Hunger Games movie. Guys, I have never read those books or seen the movies, but blonde Tom Blyth is looking like the fanfic Draco of my dreams. How dare. This rabbit hole led to me deciding I needed to write a Dramione piece. It's maybe 6 pages and has gone nowhere even though I have a vague idea of the plot. My muse is struggling.

I found my old folder of all the fic I wrote in the past 20 years. There are still a couple hockey fics I haven't posted to AO3. There are also Anita Blake fics (I was a hardcore Anita/Edward girlie) and Harry Potter fics (don't cancel me but I used to write Snape/Hermione; NO student/teacher stuff though). I think I have an old Doctor Who fic featuring Nine/Rose (yes, I'm a Nine girlie). And a very old Forgotten Realms fic that paired Catti-Brie up with Jarlaxle. Look, I don't know. It was ages ago. With the exception of the hockey fics, I do not think any of these are of the same quality I've posted on AO3, but I've been toying with the idea of trying to clean them up and posting them so more of my work is archived together instead of spread over various fan sites. Does anyone have any interest at all in reading this shit? Like, at all?

I decided 2024 is going to be my book binding era. I bound isthisselfcare's Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love a couple weeks ago. I did all the typesetting with the help of some macros. Printed it, folded the signatures (the booklets that comprise the book), sewed them together with waxed linen thread, glued the text block together with some mull, and used chip board and book cloth to make the case. It feels and looks like a book, y'all! I could do a better job with lining the signatures up when punching the holes for sewing and with the measurements on the case, but overall I am pretty proud of it. If anyone is interested, I can link a nice tutorial series on TT and/or post progress pictures I took during my book binding experiment. I have to say, it's exciting to have the ability to put my fav fanfics on my physical bookshelf.

[blackjackkent]

Letter prompts - any or all!

Minsc to Hector

Lae'zel to Gale

Rion to Karlach

Shadowheart to Isobel and Aylin

Nine Fingers to Jaheira

(Letter fic prompts!)

TY as always for the prompts, friend! <3 Sorry it took a bit to get them done, but I did all of them bc I loved the ideas so much. XD

-----

(Minsc to Hector - a note scribbled on a crumpled piece of parchment with one corner slightly chewed off. Left on Hector's bedside table in the Elfsong, three hours before dawn on the cold, rainy morning before the battle with the Netherbrain.)

My friend! 

Do not fear to find Minsc’s bunk empty when you wake; know that I have gone ahead to clear the path! The sewers that stand between us and our wrinkly foe are well known to Minsc and Boo, and we shall see to it that they are well-scrubbed of evil that might hinder us in our final journey. A fine tale it would make for us to travel towards a battle for the world's fate and be delayed by a passing bandit!

Should we have no further time to speak before all is chaos, Boo wishes you to know you have been a fine companion, a hero to rank high among all those he has traveled with. And Minsc would say the same, though Minsc does not juggle words with Boo’s skill. 

Boo and I have traveled across many years in an instant, and much has changed. We did not think to find a company with which we could feel heroes again, not least after Minsc was made a puppet of the Absolute’s worm.  With Jaheira, with you, Minsc has remembered what it is to be alive, to fight for goodness, and this city's every shadow trembles to know it. 

Though evil brings the brain, Hector and his friends shall bring the brawn! And Minsc is proud to be among them!

(signed with the letter M and a very small pawprint in ink)

-----

(Lae'zel to Gale - a note carved in the spiraling gith script into a large flat rock, lacking the fine materials of true githyanki slate, written in camp deep in the Underdark.)

When you can read this, you may consider yourself a true scholar worthy of the secrets of githyanki magic. Until then, cease your inane questioning of matters far beyond your appreciation; my time is better spent in recuperation than in the education of overambitious istik.

A note is attached to the rock, written in Common in careful, precise handwriting: Ever so sorry to disappoint you, my dear sa’varsh, but my inane questioning shall continue unabated. I do, however, thank you for the opportunity to reacquaint myself with Comprehend Languages! I so rarely get a chance to turn that one out for a bit of exercise.

Below these words on the note is scribbled a considerably less meticulous tir’su spiral scrawled in ink: That is *not* what I meant, and you know it, kainyank.

-----

(Rion to Karlach - a note sent by standard post to the Elfsong, several days after the party's visit to Elerrathin's Home.)

Karlach,

You're kidding me - you're Pluck Cliffgate's kid? I carried messages for him now and again; he talked about you plenty, and I did see you once, maybe seven years old, darting all over the Wide like a little hurricane. Small world, I guess. Odd to think that I’m more or less the same and you’ve shot up to be taller than I am. Elf blood’s a funny thing.

I know you’re hoping for exciting stories about growing up with the High Harper but the truth is I don’t have much to offer. She wasn’t any kind of “heroic adventurer” to me - she was just Mother, and she never much liked to talk about the past, not even about my father. I heard more about her from bards in taverns than I ever heard from her own mouth - and some of it I wish I could scrub back out of my brain. 

You ever hear a bawdy called “The Harper’s Head”? Yeah, now imagine that was your mum they were singing about. Awful.

She was good to us, though, in her own way. I know you saw me bite her head off and her bite mine right back; that’s just how we’ve always been. But she saw to it I grew up strong, that I knew how to fight, and how to keep my head down when the time called for it. Harper things, mostly, even though I don’t think she ever wanted me to be one. 

She taught me how to take no shit, too. Her mistake, because now I don’t take hers either. But I think she’d rather that than otherwise.

After a while, the other kids just started drifting in - first for a meal here or there, then a bed, then before you knew it, this was their home. Another one in the pack. It’s strange, really. I always knew deep down - even when I was a kid who didn’t have words for it yet, just knew it was confusing and it hurt - that part of her really wanted to be back on the road, not tied down with us in this mess of a city. But somehow every time one of us moved out, she’d found another to bring in, almost like clockwork.

I think she’s been looking for something, all this time. But I don’t think she knows what it is, any more than I do, or what she’d do with it if she found it. 

Not an exciting story, like all the tales you’ve heard. But it’s truth; I can tell you that much.

It probably won’t surprise you that I haven’t had a message from her since you left. But you can tell her I’m off to the refugee camp in the morning. We’ll hold our end of things, and see they’re taken care of. Take care of that bloody brain, and maybe I’ll find a better story to tell when you’re done.

Rion

-----

(Shadowheart to Aylin (and Isobel by proxy); several conjoined messages by a series of Sending spells, dispatched from somewhere on the edge of Waterdeep) 

> Aylin… your mother's house is beautiful. I never imagined such a place. It's… foolish, perhaps, but I wanted to let you know I've seen it. 

> I still carry the spear with me. Once dark, now light. Like me. Still surprised you didn't crack us both across your knee like Lorroakan. 

> You gave me a second chance. I hadn't earned it; I wanted to kill you. The great difference between Shar and Selune. Cruelty versus mercy. 

> A lot’s happened since then. I found my parents. Shar's last joke at my expense. You were right about everything. That I had to act.

> So I'm free now. Of all of it. One day I will think of a way to repay you both for your kindness. Your wisdom. 

> I don't know what plans call you now, but should you travel near Waterdeep in the next fortnight-- OW! Yes, yes, I'll tell her, calm--

[a slight pause] 

> Please also tell Isobel that Buddy says hello. The morsels she used to slip him in camp have purchased her a permanent owlbear friend. 

-----

(Nine-Fingers to Jaheira - a note left in a dead drop at Danthelon’s in the middle of the night.)

Jaheira. You’ve GOT to call off the Rashemaar. He’s driving us all insane trying to teach us the good path; on all the gods, either I’m going to beat the hells out of him or someone else will. I don’t care what you do - take him on an adventure, lock him in the cellar, turn him into a statue again, hold the hamster for ransom. But something. Fuck’s sake.

He listens to you. Starting to think you’re the only one he does listen to. Like a pup with one master. It’d be cute if it wasn’t so infuriating.

We all want the same thing - this city safe and strong. But he’s got to learn that we don’t all go about it the same way, or sooner or later there’s going to be trouble.

Astele NF

[ballad-of-birdy-lamb]

hii! is it possible to do an atticus finch x male reader fluff fic?? if not thats totally okay :3

The only heaven I'll be sent to is when I'm alone with you.

Atticus Finch x Male! Reader romantic fluff headcanons

Summary: Basic headcanons for Atticus and Male! reader

Warnings: very small references to homophobia (not in detail), bad writing since I'm not a dude

Word count: 921 (short sadly)

A/N: I'm not a guy so this is definitely going to be a bit stiff. And I just KNOW you were living off gender neutral reader fics for Atticus 💀. Also, you didn't specify if it was supposed to be romantic, so I just said it was romantic.

ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐

The 1930s wasn’t an accepting time for queer people, and Atticus knew that. He knew the forms of persecution they would receive if found to not fit into the “norm”.

You were a new neighbor to Maycomb, having come to live in a smaller, quieter town. It would be under odd circumstances that you meet Atticus. Scout finds you fascinating and pesters you like she does Boo Radley. He’d apologize for his kid's behavior and go on a long talk with you about different things, Scout and Jem having gone home over ten minutes earlier.

It’s not that Atticus finds it outrageous that he possibly finds a man attractive, he knows people like that exist, the same can be said about him figuring it out later in his life. He finds it a bit odd that he even has the capabilities of doing so so late in his life, he’s had a wife and has kids. He can’t always keep up with that sort of love now!

Either way, he’ll treat you just as kindly as he would anyone else. Atticus would greet you in the mornings when he’d see you and say good afternoon if he sees you later in the day.

Atticus isn’t dumb when it comes to the world, he knows people aren’t accepting of others, especially with romantic relations between men. As much as he knows not to judge, hate others, or fear their opinions, he can’t deny that he won’t say a thing. Atticus will push his feelings away for a while, it’s mostly because he doesn’t want you possibly hating him for the feelings he would gain.

Once you start showing obvious sense you like him in a romantic sense, Atticus would find it easier to confess. It would be one night that he finds you after work, walking down the same road to your home, and he’d ask you out on your porch.

You obviously say yes and Atticus heads home with clammy hands but a better mood than earlier that evening. He’d set a date and told his family that he was going out for a night with friends.

Though it was normal to receive affection from someone close to you, romantic aspects would stay in private. Really romantic kisses are only behind closed (and locked) doors. Atticus would be rusty in those moments though; it’s been a bit so let him figure it out.

Dates are usually just chalked up to being friend dates and just wanting to go out. Of course, Atticus would dress well for the occasion, as he would any date.

“He’s a good friend of mine.”

You would be brought over to the house but in a friendly way. It would be awkward to the kids since it’s odd having a parent's friend over but you’re over at the house more times a week then a month then a year. They’d get used to your presence.

It’s eventual that Scout and Jem would wonder why you come around so much and why you spend the night at random dates. It’s either Scout would ask you or Atticus. “Why are you here all the time?” Scout would ask at dinner; you are sitting across from her.

“Atticus just likes my company,” you would answer her with a small smile. You knew how little his kids truly understood the things between you and Atticus, it’s just another thing to laugh about.

A lot of time together with physical touch would be in secluded rooms, especially at night. Atticus would allow you in the same bed and hold you close, telling you about his day quietly. He’d help you get things to go to bed and then hold you while he slept. Atticus does snore so worry about that a bit, it’s not CPAP worthy though, so if you’re a heavy sleeper you should be fine.

The days that Calpurnia isn’t at home already, but Jem and Scout ran off for something interesting with Dill, would be heaven for the both of you. You and Atticus would spend the morning doing mundane things together but knowing you had that sense of freedom is better than nothing.

Atticus has a forced habit of separating you from anything with his work, including the trials and before that. He advises you don’t go to the trial and make sure that Jem and Scout stay back too. Of course that doesn’t happen, and you go and take the kids anyway.

You’re never invited to holiday gatherings with the whole Finch family. As much as Atticus does want you there, he knows it’s for the better. His family is beyond judgmental and if there was any possibility they would catch on to your relationship, he’d be shunned and judged for the rest of time. Maybe they’d try pulling a gun on him if he tried going back. But if he gets the opportunity to have a holiday without the rest of the family, he’d bring you over and have a good time with you.

If you’re together for a long while, a long long while, Atticus would “propose” to you. Of course, it would be a nice ring he’d get, just expensive enough to not be cheap but not expensive enough to dent his bank account. He’d do the basics of taking you out to a nice place, butter you up just enough to get you to say yes. A wedding wouldn’t follow for safety reasons, but he’d adore you like a real husband would.

ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐

My TKAM masterlist

My request list

[violetganache42]

Here are my highlights from the Valentine's Day watch party, all in chronological order and categorized this time around:

"Mr. Duck Steps Out":

Just everyone's reactions to Daisy's voice when she made her debut

"Till Nephews Do Us Part":

The thirst counts for Missy and Mina overloading

The return of Bohemian Quacksody

Scrooge having paintings and a statue of Goldie EVERYWHERE (He is a fucking SIMP)

Corporate Cupcake, Money Muffins, Sweet Stocks …You know what? Just the pet names in general.

"KILL HER, BEAKLEY! GET HER ASS!"

WriteBackAtYa: "Spaceballs Ass Luggage"

Us when Millionara falls in the river:

Jamie: "PULL THE LEVER KRONK" Me: "WRONG LEVERRRRR" Tokuvivor: "Why do we even have that lever?!"

Magica cameo?!

And a Sixpence in Your Shoes

Goldie Shotgun!

"Fungus Amongus":

Godfrey and I sharing the same brain

Melody: "WHY ARE YOU BUYING CLOTHES AT THE DUCK SOUP STORE?!" Me: "FUCK YOU!"

Everyone going crazy over Morgana

hueberryshortcake: "Save me Scrooge McDuck" Me: "Scrooge McDuck" Godfrey: "Scrooge McDuck save me"

"Prissy is pissy"

DW not denying the girlfriend part

A sax play in the BG whenever Morgana is onscreen, just like Rouge in Sonic X

"NOOOO, NOT LAUNCHPAD!"

"The Golden Lagoon of White Agony Plains!":

RAID THE BUFFET!

Us going FERAL over Goldie

puffywuffy8904: "MY EX WIFE STILL MISSES ME" Me: "BUT HER AIM IS GETTIN' BETTER"

Let the lady lead

Jamie mentioning the "between the legs" joke from Life and Times (No filter, Don Rosa. lol)

THE FUCKING ELEVATOR JOKE

Bisexual waterfalls

Rexx shouting at Missy via an audio message

Foghorn Leghorn

"You loved gold more than you loved me."/"And that's why you loved me."

Jamie's storyboard project

Discord buffering during the FUCKING TANGO SCENE

"The Adorable Couple":

Me: "Piss on the moon, you cloud!" Godfrey: "YESSS PISS ON LUNARIS"

Rainbow connections

"The Duck Who Knew Too Much":

Us @ Fenton, M'ma, and Gandra's OG versions:

GONDRA

Learning OG Fenton was voiced by Hamilton Camp, thus bringing DT17 Fenton being voiced by Lin-Manuel Miranda full circle

Oppenheimer mention (Stop stealing from the ducks, Nolan!)

Goid

Missy: "cant believe they whitewashed daffy guys"

"SCROOGE, YOU DUMBASS"

Brunette Fenton

QUACKERJACK MENTION???

This whole fucking episode being worthy of the DT17 adaptation fic treatment *cough* Jamie *cough*

"Ghoul of My Dreams":

DRAKEPAD KISS

Archie being a hater

"WHERE IS GOSALYN?"

Jealous Launchpad

DEEEAM WORLD

Morgana needing better lipstick because of how fast it disappears in between scenes

WriteBackAtYa having so many jokes in his head about… goofy ass noises

"And now, with the city asleep, I can FINALLY STEAL ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY OFF MY STUDENT LOANS!"

Lottie pointing out how Archie looked like—

Me: "Goldie Shotgun sequel when?"

puffywuffy8904: "HOW IS THIS MF SLEEPIN IN THE DREAM WORLD" Us: "*Louie voice* I just am."

"The Dangerous Chemistry of Gandra Dee!":

DOOFENSHMIRTZ

puffywuffy8904: "Webby we need to get Fenton rizzed up"/"Please never say that again"

POWERPUFF GIRLS NARRATOR

Fenton's little growl

*seeing Fenton's hand-me-down suit from his dad* Goofy?

Prego

"YOU WILL RUE THE DAY!"

Gandra obliterating the wrong twink

"What kind of monster doesn't like glazed donuts?"

"Do you feel that spark?" ⚡️ZAP⚡️

The Beaks dab

"What? No signal? Boo!"

"TWO BAD THINGS COULD HAPPEN!"

"I've got your kids! Maybe. I'm not sure how this family works."

ANCHOR ARMS

Coach Dad

🎶IT'S A DAAATE🎶

"Two Can't Play":

Mullet Donald

AIRHORNS

"THEY'RE IN FUCKING TRON"

"A DuckTales Valentine":

DT87's love for mentioning Fort Knox for some reason

puffywuffy8904: *mentions the "DuckTales Apology Video" ranking* Me: "*Miles voice* I made a mistake."

Webby on Scrooge's desk like: She likes to be tall.

Me: "GOLDIE SHOTGUN THREEQUEL WHEN?!"

US IN UTTER DISMAY UPON SEEING WEBBY CRYING 😭😭😭

Sunglasses swag

GOLD FEVER REAL

"A swift kick in the ribs!"/"A what?"/"Aagh!"/"Aah! My ribs!"

Webby running up to Scrooge and hugging him! 💖

"Aww, he does love his family!"

"My Valentine Ghoul":

Gosalyn FINALLY appearing in today's watch party!

Negaduck appearance!

puffywuffy8904: "he's just darkwing after some cigarettes"

"TIME TO GO A COURTIN'"

Missy getting double whammied with emotes of Prissy and Scrooge getting sprayed with water

(Screenshot edit by @tealottie)

Missy's thirst levels reaching CRITICAL MASS

Quackrinomicon being voiced by KING CANDY

Archie still being a fucking hater

"Keen gear!"

Godfrey and I still being on the same wavelength

NEGMEISTER

THE GIRLS ARE FIGHTINGGGG

Rexx reviving the Missy thirsy count

Missy: "I NEED HIM JESUS" WriteBackAtYa: "No, you just need Jesus"

RED FLAGS! 🚩🚩🚩

"New Gods on the Block!":

Della using party cannons like Pinkie Pie

Scrooge's transition from wallowing to anger and his tail shake

"Why don't you turn into a swan and FUCK OFF?!"

THE FRAMES

"IT CONSUMES ME!"

"What are your intentions with my Donald?"

Megamind (literally) Huey

Pig couple: DESTROYED

Chris Diamantopoulos having the ✨RANGE✨

Greek God Groupchat

Webby being utterly TERRIFYING with god powers

Dewey having the best handling of his god powers through sick dance moves

"My Don-Don"

"You killed my boyfriend!"/"Boyfriend? Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!"

The immediate failure parallels

Just how much Della has improved as a mother

AND THEN ALONG CAME ZEUS

[princessleechan]

“Choi Seungcheol Must Die” profiles #2

Masterlink

📌synopsis: Mingyu wasn't the one with his heart broken. It was his little sister. And Seokmin's older sister. And Chan's best friend. Choi Seungcheol is a menace to society and needs to be put down. Immediately. The sure fire way to do it is to give him a taste of his own medicine: break his heart.

📌pairing: fem!reader x ??? (seungcheol, mingyu, seokmin, chan)

📌genre: slight angst, romance, humor

📌series tags: SMAU, inspired by “John tucker must die”, John tucker!seungcheol, college au, revenge fic, tags will vary from chapter

taglist: @mhlsymlysn @silvsie @christinewithluv @tara-drabbles @aiforyuu @2youngsworld @justcruisingalonguntilbamkpop @asyre @simpxxstan @anzellll @hipsdofangirl @plskillme22 @lirtha97 @nlklstan @lixiel0ver @notevenheretbh1 @leah-rose03 @ahuihoeeee @woozarts @expensive-idiot @doveblackboat @the-boy-meets-evil @tamakis-bbyy @esaxula69

📌Haru: Chan longest and best friend who he has feelings for since as long as he can remember. Communications major and has dated Seungcheol in the past only to find he’s been seeing her simultaneously with other people. Treats Chan like a brother and has never felt feelings other than platonic for him. Knows about his crush and treats him no differently.

📌Boo Seungkwan: social butterfly and insider to all things tea. live tweets from his twitter and treats it like a career as if he doesn't have better things to do like work towards his journalism major. "this is me working towards journalism. and i'm THRIVING." friends with Chan after sharing multiple classes and has become close friends.

📌Yoon Jeonghan: closest friend of Seungcheol and swiftie (mainly for the backstory). Is also a athletic scholar and does not encourage or discourage his friends actions, but rather neutral party and observer. Maybe submits anonymous to Seungkwan’s tea Twitter page.

📌Hong Joshua: friend of Seokmin and member of his acapella group. Public relations major with too much time on his hands and recently befriends Jeonghan under interesting circumstances. Likes to make things interesting.

📌Jeon Wonwoo: Friends with Mingyu after meeting in AV club and became his confidant. film history major that enjoys studio Ghibli too much and thinks it’s the best movie franchise in existence (maybe he’s right). Tweets once in a full moon but it’s usually the long movie reviews that usually always trends locally for his outlandish commentary.

📌Kwon Soonyoung: Wonwoo’s over eccentric roommate that tags along with him and Mingyu. Unsure of whether he goes to the same university because he’s never in any classes but always on campus. Tries to make himself useful as often as possible.

[nkirukaj]

I Want You, Simon- Chapter 3

I’m in love with Simon Petrikov and I need more content of him, so here’s a multi-part fic

Pairing: Simon Petrikov x Fem! OC

Warnings: implied sexual feelings?

Genre: Angst and Fluff?

Word Count: 2.8K

Link to Chapter 2

It took Simon an entire day to find the Enchiridion. He looked on his bookshelf, where it was supposed to be and all the books in that row were off-kilter and leaning, indicating that one was missing. The books were sorted alphabetically, and looking over them with his finger, upon reaching ‘E’, he found the spot where it was supposed to be, empty. 

“What?”

He checks under his covers and under his pillow. Nothing. He checks under his bed. Nothing. In his desk, in his bag, on his coffee table, on his kitchen table, on his kitchen counter. Nothing.  While checking the kitchen counter, he noticed that the cornish hen that he had bought from the grocery store yesterday was sitting there, unrefrigerated.

“I thought I put this in the freezer,” Simon mused to himself

He picked up the chicken while opening the freezer, and when placing the chicken inside, he glanced to the back of the freezer.

“You have got to be kidding me,” the Enchiridion sat at the back of the mostly empty freezer. Only a few bags of frozen vegetables to keep it company.

He places the chicken in the freezer, and leaves the door open. He returns with mittens and pulls as hard as he can. After a few moments, the book is free from the ice.

Ice.

Simon stares hauntedly at the open freezer before shutting it quickly. He stares at the frozen book before sighing in annoyance. How was this going to work? It’s not like he could put the book in the microwave or in the oven. And it could take days for it to thaw on its own. 

He hands Sami the book the next day, still wearing his mittens. She is confused.

“Why…?” she points down at the book

He chuckles awkwardly in response “I don’t know,”

“How do you not know?”

“You know how it is, I like to keep things chill?” What?

She raises an eyebrow “Boo!” she gives a thumbs down

“Yeah, I’m sorry.” he blushes “I don’t know how to get it off-”

Sami throws the book on the ground with great force. Simon flinches. “Wait! What are you-?”

She kneels down to retrieve the book, once she does she looks back up at him, smirking “Breaking the ice.”

It took Simon an extra second to understand the pun. 

“Oh,” he laughs a hearty laugh 

“SHHHHHHHHHH!” Turtle Princess is heard from the front of the library 

Simon and Sami stare back at each other, and laugh again, this time covering their mouths. Simon clears his throat “Enjoy the book. I hope you find it…enjoyable.” He grimaces at his awkwardness 

“Wait, are you giving me this?”

“No! It’s a…it’s a loan. Return it in 7 days.” He smiles

“Is that a library pun?”

“Yes.”

“We loan our books out for three weeks” she smiles back

“Three weeks then…or I could come back tomorrow and-“

She stares into his eyes “Or you could read it with me now,”

He looks back “Okay. I like that idea better.” He sits down on the library carpet, and pats the spot next to him, she takes a seat, sitting cross legged. He cracks open the large book-which was free from the ice, but still felt cool in his hands- to the first page, and Sami leans over to read it with him. 

For the next couple of weeks, Simon was at the library everyday. Not exactly surprising to anyone on the outside looking in. He did indeed love books. But what he loved more was discussing those books with other intelligent people. So for the next few weeks, his goal was not to find comfort in books, but to find comfort in Sami. 

Every day he would come in and ask for help finding a new book, and when he ran out of books to ask about, he started asking for the same one. Over and over again. Every day he would come in, skip the main desk and walk up to Sami, asking for the same book as he had yesterday, and she would respond by giving a look that told him she knew exactly what he was up to. One time she said:

“Getting a little up there in age Dr. Petrikov?”

“To what exactly are you referring?”

“You seem to be having issues with your memory. Seeing as how I showed you exactly where that book was yesterday. The day before that, and the day before that, and…shall I continue?” 

“I guess I’m just forgetful,” He shrugs playfully

“Because you’re old.”

He looks taken aback “I am not old,”

“Right, sorry Mr. Gray Streak- sorry Dr. Gray Streak,”

“Apology accepted…nerd,”

Sami stares around flabbergasted at his boldness. She found it endearing and amusing yes, but flabbergasted nonetheless.

“What?” she squinted 

“You’re a nerd,” he spoke casually, as though they’d known each other for a while.

“I….don’t know what I’m supposed to say to that.”

“You can help me find the book then.” 

She rolls her eyes “Come on then,” and led him there. “Here you go,” She hands it to him.

“Say..have you ever read this book?” He flipped through it absentmindedly

She shakes her head. He hands it to her. “You should. It’s a very good story.”

“Is this what you came here for? To give me recommendations?”

“No. But I came to have an intellectual conversation.”

“About this book?” She flips open the picture book “You strike me as more of a strictly ‘no pictures’ type of man.”

“I’m an all books kind of man,”

She shoves the book back into his arms “Then read it to me Dr.” in a deep, mysterious tone.

“Okay, take a seat nerd.”

She sits down and looks up at him as he begins to read. This was her first time realizing how tall he is. He looks down and notices her eyes wide as ever.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Am I boring you? I can give it to you to read.”

She stares back and shakes her head “No,” sounding mesmerized

“Alright,” he blushes from flattery and continues reading. 

After a minute or two, an alarm on Simon’s phone blares. Sami snaps out of it. 

“Turn that off!” She whispers yells as she gets up 

“Sorry!”  He reaches into his pocket and pulls his phone out, seeing an alarm EAT

NOW!!!!!!! He turns it off. Sami laughs a cute giggle. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s alright, I just don’t want Turtle Princess breathing down my neck. Remember she’s technically my boss.”

“SHHHHHHHHHHH!” went Turtle Princess “If you’re not going to be quiet then you can leave!”

“Who are you talking to?” Sami questioned

“Him!” she points to Simon

“Sorry,” he says again

She returns to manning her cart. Once she leaves, Simon looks back at Sami apologetically.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to be getting you in trouble.”

Samira appears amused “You’re not getting me in trouble, if anything you’re getting yourself in trouble.”

“Yeah, I suppose so.” he awkwardly stuffs the phone back into his pocket “Well, I guess I should get going. You know, to eat.” He hands her the book “Here, finish it on your own.”

“Aww, I need your impeccable reading to help me finish it.”

He blushes a little more “Well, I really have to go.  And I think your voice is just as amazing.”

She accepts the book and holds it tight, “Um, bye” she waves at him. 

“Bye,”

Back at his house, Simon hung up his blazer and removed his vest in silence. He entered his barren kitchen and opened his freezer. Donning his mittens again, he removed a tray of food from it. The tray had steak, mashed potatoes and corn each in separated squares. A sad tv dinner. As he peeled back the plastic of the tray and placed it into the microwave to cook, he thought about how long it would take for the night to be over.

The next day Sami was stacking books based on the Dewey decimal system of course and wondering what she would tell Dr. Petrikov of the book. Should she say that it was riveting? Horrifying? Or that she couldn’t really see the lesson that the author so obviously intended for the reader to take away? What exactly was she supposed to learn about two kids almost being eaten by a witch? Why would those kids even try to befriend the witch? Anyone can tell what a witch looks like and you can easily tell which ones are evil. These kids were a bit dense. 

Stacking books was a bit difficult for her, she wasn’t exactly a giant. She’s been this height forever. She never hated being short, but things like this were clearly meant for tall people.

Dr. Petrikov could definitely put these books away with no sweat. She noticed that he towered over her in a way that wasn’t intimidating, but was comforting for a lack of words. The warmth she felt from being near him was unlike anything she’d known before. She loved when he read to her, his voice did magical things to the words in books, filled them with a passion and a love for stories, that made even the silliest of tales come alive.

He had left so quickly yesterday, and it was the middle of the day now, maybe he wasn’t coming. Sami glances at thee entrance of the library, and saw nothing and no one entering the door. All there were the regular elderly who just enjoyed the quiet, and the “quirky” teenagers who thought they were better than everyone else because they read books. 

She had just one book left in her arms, and this one belonged on the 5th shelf, a shelf that was always notoriously just out of her reach. She never understood why Turtle Princess would give her these books to put away without giving her the mechanical arm to use as well. Sami’s toxic trait was thinking that she could reach things that she very obviously could not. If there was less than an inch of space between her fingers and the shelf, she would go for it. She jumped and jumped, grunting each time reaching and just barely missing the shelf. Each time the book would fall right back into her hands. She jumped one last time and the book did not land in her hands when it came back down. She was not aware of where it went, but then again she was not aware of anything in that moment, anything other than minty cool breath on the back of her head, and that comforting warmth on her back. 

Sami turns around and sees him holding the book.

“You need some help?” a smile on his face

She nods with a hint of shock on her face

“Where does it go?” he asked with a genuine desire to help

“Uh, up there on that shelf, right where I was reaching.”

“Directly above you?”

She nods again, and he obliges.

When he reaches up to put the book back, his arm goes straight past her face, and she can smell him. A peach candy smell hit her nostrils with full force, and took over her entire being. And for the few seconds that he was pushing the book into its place, he leaned into her slightly, putting his weight onto her back and leaving her feeling-

“Is that okay?”

“Hmm?” she looks up at him, barely listening

“Is that okay? The book?” he repeated

She nods a third time “Oh yeah. Totally. Thank you.”

“No problem.” His smile drops a bit when he takes a good look at her face. “Are you alright?”

She rocks back and forth on her feet, “Yeah, definitely”

“So why do you look like that?”

“Like what?” Her head snaps up in concern 

“No!” He catches himself before he accidentally began yelling. “You just have this look lik you’re upset. Not that you look bad or unattractive or anything,” He blushes a little and doesn’t meet her gaze

She smiles a little and looks down a bit “I just… didn’t think you were coming today. You weren’t here earlier, so I thought I’d be alone for the day.”

“I’m sorry, I just had to stop and talk to a lot of people on my way here.”

Sami looks back up with a smirk on her face “So what I’m hearing is that everyone wants a piece of Dr. Petrikov. I’d better get in line then,” 

“Ha,” he rubs the back of his head, “I don’t think there’s much of a line. It might be just you.”

She smiles “Do you have any friends. Honest question, I’m not trying to be mean.”

He purses his lips and touches his face, “Ehhh. I have people that I talk to, I’m not sure if I would call them my friends. I always feel so much older than everyone that I talk to. I like them a lot, but I do feel a bit more awkward sometimes.” He sits down on the floor. She sits down next to him.

“Do you have a partner?” She queried

Simon opened his mouth to explain the specific intricacies of the situation that he was in regarding relationships. However he thought that that subject may have been a bit too much for someone that he had only met about a month and a half ago. So he decided to go with the simple answer. “No,” he responded flatly. 

He didn’t know it, but his face betrayed how uncomfortable he was with the question. Sami saw it right away. They both played with the texture of the carpet on the library floor. However, Sami was just a bit too curious to leave subject alone.

“Why not?” She finally spoke up and broke the silence

Simon grimaced and fiddled with his jacket “The last time that I had one, a lot of….intense things happened that kept us apart.” He moved down to fiddling with his pants legs. “I’d really rather not talk about it.”

Sami looked away “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable” She looks back to him “I just think it’s a bit strange.”

“What is?”

“That you don’t really have anyone. It sounds like all you do is come here.”

Simon was beginning to feel slightly self conscious, was that all he did? “Oh, I didn’t realize you were getting sick of me.” He puts on a small smile with a hint of sadness.

“Oh God no.” She says “That’s not it at all. I very much enjoy your company. I just think that a peson like you would have tons of friends.”

“A person like me?”

She shrugs “You know, like smart and friendly I guess? Nevermind, I don’t know what I’m trying to say.”

Simon stopped playing with his pants legs and finally looked back at her. “No, I understand.” he said simply

“I don’t know, when you’re here you’re full of life and incredible insight. But when you have to leave it’s like ripping a kid away from a candy store. You seemm like you want to live here or something.”

“Huh,” Simon sits back in disbelief, he’d no idea that he was behaving that way. He now felt a bit embarrassed to look forward to coming here to the library everyday. Was it super obvious to everyone around him that while he was trying to work on himself, he didn’t really have anything going on?

“Just something I noticed.” She stares straight ahead at the bookshelf in front of her. 

“Is that bad?”

She purses her lips. “Not bad per se, but I think-based off of what little I know about you, is that maybe you should do other things? Or at least allow other people to enter your life? Ugh, I sound like those psychology books in section 57. Whatever, it’s just my opinion. You don’t have to do anything that I say. Do what you like.”

He reaches out and places his hand on hers “Can you please say more, I think I need to hear this.” 

When she looks back over at him, he is much closer to her face than he was before. She blushes from the warmth she feels. 

“Um okay…You don’t have to move too fast, just reach out to people I guess?” Her voice gets quieter and a bit slower the longer she looks at him. “Maybe even, just one…person?”

She pauses and inhales deeply “It’s nice to be able to rely on people. When I learned that I was finally able to relax. We as humans need others to truly live.” she leans a little bit forward, getting closer to him “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.”

At this moment the silence was enough for them both, as they for the first time, truly took each other in, and knew for sure, that they both simply enjoyed being in each other’s presence.

Chapter 4