#Brain go brrr

[scarlettjemily]

season 2 Emily is sooo daddy

as soon as she touches that belt buckle i get strap flashbacks omg

[patroclusdefencesquad]

YENNEFER WITH A SWORD YENNEFER WITH A SWORD YENNEFER WITH A SWORD

[super-sootica]

[thoroq]

hello! i’ve been very diligently hammering out this one-shot/short-story and it is now 12k (so far edited) so i thought id share a little blurb, it should be posted sometime by next week at the latest! 🤞

“Baggins.” Kili said the name, scrunching his nose in distaste. “What ugly sod gave you that?”

The sound of cutlery and gnashing of mead quieted in the wake of Kili’s, otherwise obnoxious question. Hobbits being an incredibly private species, to ask of one’s family was often taken as romantic interest. Knowing better, he cleared his throat before speaking.

“My father,” Bilbo responded flatly, more annoyed by Kili’s pestering than the question itself. His parents had both been dead twenty some odd years, he was well acquainted with the old grief. “—And he was quite ugly in his old age. Not as ghastly or brutish as a Dwarf, we have a reputation to uphold you know!”

The company grumbled in slight offence. Those who listened. “What of your mother?”

Bilbo raised an eyebrow from where he sat at Belen’s large, stretching wooden table. The Hobbit did his best to hide his amusement. “Before she married my father she was a took.”

“A took.” Kili exchanged glances with who, Bilbo could not see. Though the interaction only served to widen the young Dwarf’s smirk. “What is that?”

“They are names,” He huffed. “My father was a Baggins and my mother a Took. Should you ever find yourself with your nose in a book instead of in the business of others, you might learn that names have reputation.” Kili’s expression stuttered, cheeks darkening with amused embarrassment as he grinned. Non Perturbed by the Hobbit’s insults.

“Took,” Kili emphasised his prononciation with flying spittle. “Hobbits are strange little things, next time we visit you’ll have to introduce us to her.” The Dwarrow brought his mead to his face, taking a long swallow that sloshed out the sides of his mouth and down his face.

“Oh, my mother passed long ago.” Bilbo said as casually as you might tell someone the weather. Twenty-some years now, he’d long since stopped counting to save himself the heartache of reminder.

Kili choked on his food, eyes blown wide as he searched across the table for another pair of eyes to glance into to share in his horror. Bilbo felt Thorin’s eyes, burning concerned holes into the side of his head but he brushed the look of sympathy in their eyes off.

“My mother enjoys painting.” Fili chimed in, muttering under his breath as though it was a soft topic for him. Bilbo appreciated his consideration, but felt a lance of embarrassment with the attention. “She also enjoys cooking until there is nothing left; makin’ sure we’re stuffed. She makes a good stew. Plays the harp real well.”

“Aye.” Gloin hummed in agreement. “My Gimli loves it!”

Bilbo felt any and all prior grievances with the pair of brothers melt away from him. They were good boys, sons. Inwardly, The Hobbit swore that he would see them back to their mother at all costs.

“She sounds lovely.” He met Fili’s gaze; as intense and deep as his Uncle’s. Softer though, as he ducked his head in quiet appreciation.

When his gaze flickered to Thorin at the head of the table, he was pleasantly surprised to find The Dwarf looking back at him. His blue eyes softened for a moment before they flitted away again.

[comikissu]

women are so, so pretty 🥺

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Ok I think I’ve figured it out (probably not but I'm connecting dots !!)

Buck misunderstood the assignment right - but we never really knew what that assignment was, we had lots of theories about it being his heart - him thinking that it was his heart that needed fixing or working on etc. But he’s allergic to naproxen - he’s allergic to the drug they give to those who have heart problems (because its safer - thanks @rogerzsteven for that info in this post )

Bucks heart has never been the problem - that’s why he drew one that was full of sunshine and rainbows - his heart is there full of love and joy - but he thought that that wasn’t right or enough and so he’s spent all this time trying to understand where there is nothing to understand. No what Bucks assignment is is to trust in the love he receives from others, trust that he is valued and wanted and needed - his brain is what gets in his way, not his heart - the voices in his head that tell him he’s too much or not enough or whatever other negatives they are telling him.

Bucks assignment was never about his heart, it was always about him trusting his own voice, his own mind and actually what his heart has been and is still telling him

[ya-boi-haru]

Ok so:

Centross said that if he didn't go do what he had to, someone else would die. And they explained it as "oh, like how when Athena didn't die, Hayley took her place"

But now we know it was Icarus due to Fable, if Centross didn't get there in time, Icarus would have been killed, so it was a matter of "getting there in time" rather than a "swap".

Thing is:

Did the book write it out like that? Like Centross knew he had to go? Or was it more "Centross followed Icarus and good thing he did" cause if Centross never had the book, would he still have gone?

Also, as shown by As It Is and Hayley's reaction, Quixis isn't in any books, so how did this book write out Icarus possible demise and the lead up to it!?!?!?!?!

I have thoughts-

[the-kr8tor]

Well I just finished formatting the pages of BDAS (still needs the front pages and back pages) and... well...

427 pages.

OMFG WHAT?!!!! IM WOOZY I CANNOT BELIEVE I WROTE THAT MUCH

(tell me when u need that signature sent 😉)

[antaripirate]

ok but imagine being degraded by kell maresh and simultaneously praised by lila bard ????

or the other way round???? heaven.

[henry-fox-biggest-stan]

What if I say my favorite part from the poster are the different textures?

[scarlettjemily]

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for being so supportive and having our back ALWAYS, always, always”

[stevespookington]

Ted Lasso S3E6, Sunflowers. A friendly match takes the team to Amsterdam, where one night out unlocks truths for many.

Or, from sunflowers to Wilde to Whitman to Van Gogh and back to sunflowers once again.

Her Voice

"Oscar and sunflowers are a valid conjunction because perhaps no figure in history has been associated with a single flower as closely as Oscar Wilde was associated with the sunflower in 1882, when he visited the flower’s native America for the entire year." (Oscar Wilde’s Reception in Kansas and the Sunflower Soirée)

"Manufacturers of household items such as wallpaper, paint, and thread created thousands of business cards depicting Wilde in a variety of poses and postures, typically with sunflowers and lilies, the flowers that became his hallmark — he became known as 'The Sunflower Apostle.'" (The Wilde Woman and the Sunflower Apostle: Oscar Wilde in the United States)

Wilde has been mentioned in relation to Ted Lasso before in this interview with James Lance.

Regarding Oscar Wilde, is there any work of his that you would like to be in, any plays or any of the stories of his or even like a you know biographical thing — anything of his that you would like to to be involved in?

I don’t know — all I know is that the most interesting bit of Oscar Wilde’s material that I’ve read so far is the transcript to the court case, the trial, when he got sentenced. I think his last words were as he was walking out the door, “Is there nothing more I can say,” as he was being shunted downstairs for two years hard labor, which was ultimately kind of a death sentence.

Which is the interview that gave us:

In addition, there is a program of one of Wilde's plays in the Van Gogh Museum.

Theatre programme for Raphaël by Romain Coolus and Salomé by Oscar Wilde (Théâtre de l'Oeuvre, 11 February 1896) in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. In Sunflowers, there will be many truths unlocked.

“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” ― Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

No reporters were invited to witness the meeting between Whitman and Wilde. This was a strange choice for two dandyish men who loved self-promotion, but it was a canny one: they would each give separate interviews afterwards, and double the attention they received. In the two hours they’d spent together, both said they’d had a very pleasant time. “One of the first things I said was that I should call him ‘Oscar,’“ Whitman told a reporter afterwards. “’I like that so much,’ he answered, laying his hand on my knee. He seemed to me like a great big, splendid boy.” When Wilde Met Whitman. (and also, A Wilde and Whitman One Night Stand?)

'"Be Curious, Not Judgmental" ― (Not) Walt Whitman. Quoted by Ted during the dart game in season 1.

All is Truth.

In 1888, Vincent Van Gogh wrote of Whitman in a letter, “He sees in the future, and even in the present, a world of healthy, carnal love, strong and frank- of friendship- of work- under the great starlit vault of heaven a something of which after all one can only call God- and eternity in it’s place above this world.” (Traces of Whitman in Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night”)

Sunflowers, study (F377), Oil on canvas, 21 x 27 cm, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

Venus False Sunflower has masses of beautiful yellow daisy flowers with gold eyes at the ends of the stems from early summer to mid fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its serrated oval leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Many consider Sundance Kid to be the oldest dwarf sunflower. The small plant reaches a maximum of two feet, and it has semi-double leaves that are red and yellow, with a small brown disc in the middle. Sundance Kid flowers early and is easy to grow. It continues to flower longer than most sunflowers, allowing you to enjoy the beauty they add to your home for a longer time.

“The sunflower is mine in a way.” ― Vincent van Gogh

[jjaydazo]

it's 4 am

i have to go to school at 9 am

i miss frans

[personalzombie-tv]

There's so many things i wanna say re: informed consent and aftercare in regards to ttrpgs and other roleplay situations but i can not get the ideas in the right order. Gonna give it my best shot though.

A lot of people who suck have been yelling on tiktok about consent surveys and checkins becoming more popular with mainstream DnD. And like- it's just like in bdsm really. You gotta know what you're getting into, provide continuous consent to it, and have a way out if it gets to be too much. The only real difference between sexily pretending to be someone's maid or whatever and pretending to be an orc in a massive collaborative storytelling session is the content of the pretending and how likely anyone involved is gonna get their rocks off to it. It's still the same kind of effect on the brain and you're gonna be processing emotions that come from that. It's super important to know exactly what to expect and be able to set hard (and soft) boundaries about what you are and are not ok with experiencing there.

There's a reason safewords are considered so important in a lot of bdsm circles even when the scene isn't a situation where a plain "no" might go ignored. It's an immediate stop and return to the real world outside of the play. Having that in non-sexy rp is an amazing tool. It lets the gm or other players know "hey this needs to stop now" without having to say those words or worry about whether it's a full stop or a pause. It pulls everyone out immediately and gets them on the same level. I think anyone who's unexpectedly encountered more than they could handle in a game can appreciate the ability to do that.

The thing I haven't seen talked about as much as that though is the concept of aftercare. Like, especially in high rp settings where emotions are running high you gotta be able to take the time afterward to calm down. You need to be able to talk to your friends and remember you're playing a game, they still care about you even if your character and theirs just tried to murder each other. Maybe it doesn't get talked about much cause there's no real word for it that doesn't have the sex connotation but we really should be. I've seen first hand how dropping after intense rp can hurt someone and leave them not wanting to continue playing. You gotta make room to take care of your friends. Especially in online gaming where you can't exactly just hand them a slice of pizza and tell them how well they did acting and how much you love them.

I don't know how to end this. I've just been thinking a lot about these things. I'm glad consent forms and check ins are becoming more normalized in the gaming space. Good for everyone that that's happening even if the old guard dudebros are pissed off about it

[coulsart]

i may or may not be feeling a little silly rnm

hi also

[crimson-calligraphyx]

15: Mercy

A/N: Picture below for reference. Sexual content.

I had the absolute worst headache, my eyes felt like someone had thrown sand in them, and my stomach was somersaulting. I tried my best to settle my stomach by focusing on the calming scent and warmth of Noah's body around mine, but my mind kept replaying blips of last night—that made my anxiety spike, which in turn made my nausea worse.

I was so afraid of addressing the events of last night, unsure of how he really felt about it. Even though he apologized for yelling at me, I wasn't entirely convinced he still wasn't upset, I had never seen him so angry before. I was ashamed of myself for bringing that out of him with my actions.

I eventually decided to lift my face from his chest to look at him, and those feelings of guilt began to dwindle when I met his gaze. The sun melted his eyes into a pool of chocolate swirling with caramel, just as soft and sweet as he is. Those eyes paired with the delicate curl of his lips made my heart swell; I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

"Good morning," he murmurs, brushing a piece of hair out of my face to kiss my forehead. "Morning," I croaked, my throat as dry as my eyes felt. "What time is it?" I asked after clearing my throat. He shrugs his shoulder as he continues running his hand through my hair. "Does it matter?" I hummed at the sensation. "No, I guess not," I say with a chuckle. "I could stay here all day, honestly." "Well, we could make that happen," he ponders. "How are you feeling?" "Not great. Nauseous, splitting headache, regrets from last night." He gives me a sympathetic smile, still soothing me by playing with my hair. "Shh, let's not talk about that right now. Let's focus on making you feel better and get some food and water in you." I groaned and shoved my face back in his chest, holding him tight to me. "I don't wanna get up," I whine. He chuckles as he rubs the back of my head. "I'll bring you breakfast in bed, how's that sound?" "I'm not hungry," I lied, not wanting him to leave the bed. "Olivia, you're being a pain in the ass. You know that?" He laughs.

I found myself giggling knowing that he was right and released my hold on him. He gives me a quick kiss before rolling off the bed to stretch, promptly making his way out to the kitchen. I took the time to check my phone, seeing I had a voicemail from an unknown number. I put the phone to my ear after pressing play, only to laugh after the first two words: "You bitch."

I knew immediately that it was Victoria calling from the hospital, a huge wave of relief washing over me. I then pushed myself into a sitting position as I continued listening. "I can't believe you're not ripping someone's head off to be here with me! Kidding, only kidding. Ow, fuck!" I hear someone else's voice in the background, possibly a nurse. "These bitches are not gentle and super invasive, Liv. Don't get hit by a car. 10/10, would not recommend. Anyway, stop fucking Noah for like a minute and come see me. I was in your life first—you hear that, Noah?! I was hers first! Ugh, fuck, sorry, gotta go bye."

When the voice message ended, I couldn't help the laughter erupting from me, even if it made my headache worse. She was so high on whatever meds they were giving her, she had even less of a filter than usual. For that, I was extremely grateful; I'll take her profanities over her being dead any day.

When Noah returned, he handed me a glass of water and a plate of toast along with two Advil's. "I know it's not much, but I don't think eating anything heavier than that would be a good idea," he explains, taking a seat next to me. I shook my head in dismissal, "No, this is perfect, thank you." I took the medicine first and drank half the water before turning my attention back to his empty hands. "Nothing for you?" "Nah, didn't want the smell of whatever I made for myself to make you sick. I'd prefer not to clean up vomit from my sheets," he says with a wink. I rolled my eyes before taking a bite of the toast, savoring the light spread of peanut butter he slapped on it.

"Oh, I got a call from Vic," I say with my mouth still full. I watched his brows rise in surprise, "Really? How's she doing?" I snort as I remembered the voicemail. "I think she's okay, but definitely high as a kite. She told me to come visit her." "That's great! Did she say when?" I shoved the last bit of toast in my mouth, shaking my head 'no'. He eyes the now empty plate, giving me a playful smirk. "I thought you weren't hungry." I gulped down the rest of the water, washing down the peanut butter that was sticking to the roof of my mouth. "I'm not, I just ate." I try my best to stifle a chuckle. "Smart ass."

-

After my hangover mostly dissipated, Noah and I made our way up to the hospital to visit Vic. She looked terrible; her head was bandaged and pretty mangled from hitting the windshield and her left leg was suspended and in a cast. She had minor bumps and bruises scattered over her body, but other than those things, she was alive and well for the most part.

"You look like Hell," I say to her when I walked in, smirking. She gives me a lazy grin, "Yeah, could say the same about you." Noah laughs at her comeback while I rolled my eyes and chuckled. "Anyway, how are you feeling?" "Gooood," she giggles, clearly hopped up on morphine. "Doc says I have a pretty bad concussion, a broken tibia...or was it a fibula?" She scrunches her lips trying to jog her memory. "Whatever, broken leg. Oh, and a few cracked ribs. Looks like God had mercy for me." I cringed, "I'm so sorry, Vic. I tried to get here sooner but they wouldn't let me in—" She waves me off, "Pffft, I know the real reason, Liv. Y'all were too busy screwing." "Victoria," I scolded her, feeling my face flush with embarrassment. "That is not the case at all!" Noah winks at me with an amused grin while Vic cackles, which made my skin burn even more.

We stayed in her room for a little while to keep her company and took in the information from the doctor when he stepped in. Vic has to stay in the hospital for a few days just to be sure that there weren't any underlying issues. I volunteered to be her primary caretaker once she was to be discharged for the time being until someone in her family was able to come out and help. It was going to be a couple months until she was back on her feet, but that's what best friends are for.

-

Taking care of Vic the last few weeks was exhausting, but it was a commitment that I intended to keep. Thankfully, I still had vacation time accrued and was able to use that to stay and look after her until Ricky was able to take over for me. As much as I loved her, I was so relieved to be able to take a night to myself and sleep in my own bed for once. I gave Ricky the biggest hug and kiss on the cheek when I saw him to show my gratitude. I stayed for a little bit to catch up with him and fill him in on the details before I called it a day and headed home.

The first thing that I did when I got home was run a bath. After dropping a bathbomb in, I settled into the water, the warmth immediately lulling me into a relaxed state. I watched the bomb fizz, mesmerized by the blue and red swirls that expelled from it, morphing into a cloud of purple. As I relished the aroma of patchouli and vanilla, I found myself dragging my fingers through the suds, making different designs aimlessly. I never thought that I could enjoy taking baths more than I already do, but now that I could see color, it made it that much more enjoyable.

After soaking until I was basically a prune, I threw a bathrobe on and made my way back to my bedroom. Picking up my phone, I noticed the text I had from Noah.

Noah: have you been relieved from your duty? I chuckled. Me: Indeed. Just got out from taking a bath. He sends me a winking face, which made me roll my eyes. Noah: perfect, put something on that makes you feel good. i'll see you in an hour Me: Wait, what?

After waiting five minutes for a reply I never got, I realized that the clock was ticking and flipped through my closet to find something that 'made me feel good'. Noting it was still fairly warm out, I decided on a black halter top that hugs my chest but flows out comfortably down my midsection. I paired it with black and grey plaid jeans before stepping in front of the mirror to give it a look over.

Satisfied, I put on a light amount of makeup and scrunched up my hair, drying and styling my bangs. Not knowing what he had in mind, I kept everything minimal. When I threw on a pair of shoes, he texted me to let me know he was here. I grabbed my purse and headed out to his car.

"Sooo what are we doing?" I asked once I was situated. "Pick a restaurant, anywhere you wanna go," he replies, giving me a soft smile. I scrunched my brows in curiosity, hesitantly picking Longhorn's. "Longhorn's it is, but first..." he reaches into the side pocket of his door and brandishes the most beautiful rose I'd ever seen. I took it between my index finger and thumb, twirling it around to admire the crisp, blooming red petals; it was picture-perfect. "What's this for?" I asked, bringing it to my nose to breathe in its scent. He shrugs, a playful smirk on his lips. "Just because."

I grin and bring my leg onto the seat to turn my body towards him. "I don't believe you, but it's beautiful. Thank you," I cup his cheek and lean in to give him a kiss. "Alright, now spill it," I tell him once I break away from him. He chuckles, "Okay, okay. I saw the red and remembered that it's your favorite color and decided to grab it, that's it." I felt a blush crawl across my face, "Aw, that's really sweet of you. You're such a dweeb," I say with a giggle. "I was hoping that I could be your dweeb," he gives me a bashful smile, scratching the back of his head. I smirk, "Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" "I uh... I-if that's alright with you," he stammers nervously, a blush forming on his face. "Relax," I reassure him, placing a hand on his cheek again. "I'd love nothing more than to be your girlfriend."

He smiled ear to ear, his eyes crinkling in the outer corners with happiness sparkling in them. The pure joy in him made my heart swell with adoration.

-

When Noah told me to order anything and everything that I wanted for dinner regardless of the price, I was a little suspicious. Upon walking into his bedroom, that feeling multiplied as I took in my surroundings. The LED lights he had were set to red, the glow rising from behind his headboard. After he finished going around his room, I saw that he lit a few red candles and even had a little bowl of Dove chocolates on his nightstand—wrapped in red. Shocking.

He makes his way back over to me, placing his hands on my hips and gives me the kindest smile. I locked my hands behind his neck as he pulled me closer to him, planting his lips on mine. Closing my eyes, I melted into his hold, completely enticed by his touch. After a moment, he breaks away from me and puts his forehead to mine, leaving me breathless as I got lost in his gaze.

"What is all this?" I asked, barely audible. "How many days has it been since Vic's accident?" he counters with his own question. I pull my face away from him, shaking my head with confusion. "I don't know, like... three weeks, give or take." "29 days," he corrects me. I chuckled, "Okay, I'm lost. What does that have to do with anything?" "It means you've been sober for 28 days—a whole month. This is in celebration of you, Olivia."

I thought back to the very first day I visited her in the hospital to now, and he was right. I had been so caught up in taking care of her, I didn't even have time to hit a store to buy any booze, being by her side for most of the day. I gasped in realization, tears of joy welling up from him going above and beyond for something so simple.

"Noah, I-I can't believe this," I stammer, trying to hold back a cry. "This is so unnecessary." He wipes away the tears that escaped and rolled down my cheeks, shaking his head, "No, it's necessary. You've done an amazing job taking care of her, which isn't exactly a walk in the park. I'm so proud of you for not having a single drink this entire time." My lips trembled as I absorbed his words, shedding more tears. "Why do all this, though? I don't deserve it. I don't deserve you." He shakes his head, "Nope, stop that. I love you, and you deserve it. End of discussion," he says with a chuckle.

He cups my face with both hands and kisses me before I could deny his statement. I lean into him as he places his hands on my hips again, tangling my fingers into his hair as he deepens our kiss. He begins to walk me backwards, gently laying me down on his bed as our tongues danced around one another. He groans into my mouth, pulling away slightly to trail his lips down my jaw until he reached a spot below my ear that sends a tingle down my spine.

I sigh in pleasure as he delicately nibbles on my skin, one of my hands digging into his scalp as the other gripped his back. He starts to chuckle against my neck, his breath tickling my ear. "Do you want me to stop?" His voice was low, seductive. "No," I whispered after I contemplated in my head for a moment as my heart pounded with anticipation. "Okay," he murmurs, resuming the attack on my neck as he slips a hand under my shirt and trails his fingers slowly up my side.

His large hand palms my breast, his thumb rolling over my now pert nipple, forcing a moan from me. His lips sink lower, down my neck and across my chest before settling between my breasts, blocked by my top. I lift my head up to pull the straps down for him, earning a soft smile in thanks as he pulls my shirt down and takes a nipple in his mouth. The way he leers up at me sends heat to the pit of my stomach alone, nevermind the sensation as he flicked his tongue over the sensitive skin.

I found myself arching my back, pushing my chest against him as he continued. I could feel his chuckle vibrate through me, still gazing up at me with those dark, mesmerizing eyes. I whimpered when he removed his mouth from me and stood up, beginning to unbutton his shirt. Panting, I sat up and removed my shirt completely before lifting myself on my knees to help him undress.

Once his shirt was open, I ran my hands up his stomach, admiring the ink that I've never seen before; I never expected his entire torso to be covered. I lightly trailed my fingers over his chest, tracing the flowers he had surrounding the couple tattooed in the center of his chest. He hums to the touch. Reaching his shoulders, I pushed his dress shirt off, having it land behind him in a heap. He smirks at me before he takes my face in his hands again, kissing me passionately as I worked on unbuckling his belt.

I fisted his length once his bottoms were off, earning a moan from him. I smirked with amusement when he pulled away and managed to remove my pants as well. He lays me back down, settling his upper body between my legs and kisses the inside of each thigh before reaching my center. I inhale sharply to the sensation of his tongue rolling around my clit and fist his hair, holding him to me.

He slips a finger inside of me, causing me to buck my hips into him. I felt his hot breath swirl around me as he laughed and added another finger inside me, thrusting and curling them in just the right way. "Fuck, Noah," I moaned out much too loud. I was beginning to burn, white hot coursing through me as he kept driving his fingers inside of me. My legs were beginning to shake as I neared my climax, grinding my hips against him as he takes my clit into his mouth and sucks. It was all over then—the coil that was winding up in me released as a string of moans escaped me, throwing my head back and gripping the sheets. My legs squeezed against his head as I became over stimulated, only to have him push them apart again as he drove out my orgasm with his tongue.

I was in tears by the time he stopped, trying my hardest to catch my breath. He picks his head up and leers at me, his lips glistening with my slick. He licks his lips before he settles his hips between my thighs, planting a hungry kiss to my mouth—I could taste myself as he slipped his tongue in.

In one swift movement, he slowly entered me, groaning into my mouth. I sighed as I adjusted to his girth, him slowly pulling out and sliding back in. "Fuck," he mumbles against my mouth then places his forehead on mine, gazing into my eyes. "You feel amazing." My brain short circuits as he says this, not knowing how to respond—I smiled bashfully.

He continues to slowly rock his hips into mine, taking the time to assess my comfortability before picking up his pace. I yelped when he hit that sweet spot again, having him continue that exact movement, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips as he knew what he was doing to me. He hikes my right leg up, placing it around his hip, sneaking a hand between us to play with my clit again. "Noah, I—" I fumble with my words, only being able to focus on what he was doing to me. He brings his mouth to my ear, his breath warm as he pants into it. "Come for me," he mumbles. "Again," he growls lowly, thrusting harder as he said it.

I whimpered, his command spinning around and around in my mind as he continued to rub against me, coaxing the second orgasm out of me. I found myself clawing his back as my body trembled underneath him, hearing him hiss as I let out another string of moans.

When I calmed down from my high, he readjusted, pulling my limp body into his lap. His thrusts slow in pace, becoming more sensual as he plants one hand at the small of my back to steady me. His other hand cups my cheek, bringing my face down to his, having our lips meet. He nips my bottom lip after a moment, earning his way back into my mouth with his tongue. As our tongues battled for dominance, I laced my fingers into his hair, holding him to me while I slowly rocked my hips in time with his thrusts.

“Fuck,” he mumbles against my lips, letting out a grunt. His movements became sloppy, sporadic as he crushes his lips to mine again, moaning against them as he spilled inside of me. He pants through his nose as he tapered off his thrusts, slowly laying me back down to the mattress, his lips still pressed to mine.

He slips out of me and collapses next to me, promptly rolling to his back to scoop me onto him. I laid my head on his chest and draped an arm over his side, listening to the rhythm of his pounding heart while he tried to slow his breathing. I closed my eyes as I felt him run his fingers through my hair, lulling me into complete relaxation. I couldn’t stop the smile from forming on my face, feeling so happy, so appreciated, so loved. It was incredible, almost unbelievable, what this man has made me feel in just a few short months, but my God, was I more than grateful for all that he has done.

He stretches his arm out to the side and brings it back seconds later, placing something in front of my face. I opened my eyes, seeing one of the Dove heart-shaped chocolates lying on his chest. I chuckled, picking my head up to look at him. He had a smug little smile on his face, his eyes glistening. “Here’s a little piece of my heart,” he states, letting out a tiny laugh. “You are such a dweeb,” I laugh and shake my head as I accepted the chocolate. “Your dweeb.” I grinned, scooting up to give him a quick kiss as I unwrapped the foil from the chocolate. “Mine. And I love him,” I tell him and plop the candy in my mouth.

|Chapter 16|