#Cricket - A Bat & Ball Game

[uscricketstore]

Cricket Store In Bay Area is one of the leading store which offers all kinds of cricket bat in Bay Area and around USA. The high and low quality bat is available with us. Our aim is to offer high class standard products to upcoming cricket

[kyogos]

Sorry to once again be a cricket blog on main but certain high level officials need to understand that you can say England need to produce better talent (bowlers) without saying the kookaburra ball should be used all the time in the county championship when it is clear to everyone with a braincell that it is simply not a viable option for the conditions in this country most of the time

[fazcinatingblog]

When Luke wood starts the last over with a 2nb (2 runs from a no ball) that went for six and then ends with a hatrick lmao

[silenceismychoir]

nearly got happy for my clowns when they won today but then i saw boucher smiling and threw up and wished the match got rained out

[meowlier]

"we don't look at the ball", "we don't bat" bro the fuck do you even do in a game with a ball and a bat then /j

ciel's like: to win a cricket match we just don't play cricket

[romanoffsbish]

Full of Surprises

WandaNat x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Poor attempt at understanding cricket, I just couldn’t grasp a thing, but I still tried okay… (I go to Superbowl parties for the snacks—Sports aren’t my thing y’all)

Smut: Mommy (W), Daddy (N), Oral (R/W giving), Strap (R/N giving). Praising, Pussy Slapping.

18+ | Minors DNI | 3,820 Words

Happy Birthday @smalls-words 🥰, broke my hiatus for the special occasion. 🥹

Natasha was stood in the doorway of the compound, her expression was one of confusion as she watched you smacking a ball with a wooden beavers tail of sorts. Wanda sent her here to get you, but as she approached she found herself too intrigued not to ask you about whatever it was you were partaking in.

"Hm?," you looked up at her voice, then as you realized she'd been watching you you felt your body warming at the unexpected attention., "Oh um, this is cricket.," you replied with a shy smile, then you placed the bat down against a tree before making your way towards Natasha.

———

———

"What's up Natty?," she wordlessly pulled you in for a tight hug., "Happy Birthday sweetie.," she placed a gentle kiss to your temple, and her heart flipped when you melted into her hold. She felt your wide smile against her shoulder., "You remembered?," her arms tightened, and her face frowned., "Of course I did honey. No way I'd forget the day I have to thank for you."

"You're so sweet, thank you.," she wordlessly replied with a tightening of her arms, and a gorgeous smile to rival that of the Mona Lisa.

"Now, I was sent to collect you.," she playfully looked around to ensure Wanda wasn't here, then she smirked at you., "But I feel it's more important that you show me how to play this little game of yours so that you can have a person to play against, and eventually lose to."

You scoffed., "In your dreams.," then you reached for her hand and pulled her over to your set up., "I'm a master at my sport Nat."

Natasha stood cluelessly in front of the ball on the ground, you approached her and tried to hand her the bat but she only pouted at it., "Aren't you going to show me how to play?," you shook your head, but did so nonetheless.

Natasha watched you playing, but truthfully she was staring at your glorious butt as you bent to level your body with the ball and your gaze with the wicket. She listened to your every word too, as you explained the rules and told her all the best tricks and tips, but when it was time for her to go up she feigned cluelessness.

"Y/N/N, am I doing this right?," she asked in a whine, her stance purposefully wrong, and the bat was favoring the bulkier side even though you'd told her specifically to use the other end., "I'd probably get it if you maybe guided me."

It perplexed you how Natasha was struggling, she was a master at picking things up. Like that one time you were at a Stark party, and you watched in awe as she learned the game of pool through the laziest of observations. Then you watched her steal Rhodey and Tony's thunder in a matter of seconds as she pocketed damn near all her balls in one go with no partner.

Cricket wasn't that difficult, or so you thought, but you guessed it was just a bit too different to the Russian who didn't partake in sports often.

Natasha beamed when your body pressed into hers, and your arms wrapped around, and over hers to loosely guide her. Their plans to court you were falling into place ever so slowly, and for a second she forgot this was for the game., "Normally you'd have someone rolling the ball your way.," you reminded her., "But this is just practice.," you helped her hit the ball, she was a bit overzealous with the strength used though, and she squealed when it hit the wickets down.

Her excitement was adorable, so it honestly hurt you to remind her that wasn't the goal., "Natty, that's not a good hit, you're out now."

"I don't like this game.," she whined, and to your shock she simply turned in your hold over pulling from it. You mindlessly gulped as you took in her every feature, she'd never been this close to you before. Every sweet freckle on her face was noticeable, you wanted to reach out to softly trace them, but you fought back the urge. Her viridescent eyes shone beautifully beneath the bright sunny sky, and it almost seemed like she was admiring you just the same with the smile she wore as she silently gazed at you.

The clearing of a throat behind you broke the reverie, and now you were rather anxious, the scene you were in looked rather incriminating., "Am I interrupting?," Wanda added onto the tease, and you were quick to stumble out of the redheads tender embrace and towards her. Failing entirely to see the way that Natasha glared towards her now smug faced girlfriend.

"No, Wands, we-.," she cut you off with the wave of her hand., "Hush now dorogoy, I know you were only falling prey to Natasha's ploys to ruin my plans.," she yanked you into her, and stuck her tongue out at her approaching lover., "Happy Birthday sweet girl, are you hungry?"

You meekly nodded, and so she released you., "Then how about you go catch a quick shower, then you can meet us in the garden for lunch.," it presented as a question, but you knew it was really more of a expectation. Wanda cooked for you, and it would've been rude to say no, and fortunately you wouldn't ever have done so.

The couple walked hand in hand beside you as you all made your way into the compound, their conversation was playfully taunting, and it never ceased to make you giggle as they threw jabs at one another. It was their favorite thing to do—make you giggle, and had you not been daydreaming about what could be, you'd have seen the way they were ready to give it.

Wanda and Natasha were hopelessly in love with you, and you were as oblivious as they come. Today though, they were going to make sure you knew that every touch or word you overthought was exactly what you suspected.

"See you soon dorogoy.," you waved them goodbye from your partially closed door, then as soon as you were alone you shivered at the reminder of Natasha's hold, and Wanda's stare. You swiftly rushed into the shower to cool off.

—

When you finally made it to the garden your stomach roared at the smell, and your mouth was instantly salivating at the sight before you. Sat at the table was the couple, you noticed they had changed into the prettiest of dresses, Natasha's a low cut, strapless red number, and she paired it with her signature leather jacket. Wanda's was a more modest cut, in a gorgeous emerald green, and with a velvety texture.

Natasha and Wanda looked at you just the same, you weren't privy to the nice dress code, but it didn't matter, because even in your thin grey sweater, and short jean shorts you were something worth marveling at., "Come eat."

Your heart warmed at the notion when you realized Wanda had made your favorite food, then your body soon followed at what seemed to be hungry stares, but you couldn't place the inspiration, was it you, or the grilled steak.

Wanda immediately began to plate up the food while Natasha chivalrously pulled your chair out, then scooted you forward. The plate was full of your favorite fruits, the perfectly cooked steak, and all the proper sides for such a meat. Wanda watched you expectantly, you felt nervous under her gaze, but you took a bite of the meat, and gave her the top tier compliment of a deep moan of appreciation. No words were needed, and for the couple trying to calm their racing hearts they appreciated that wholly.

"We have quite the day planned for you.," Natasha eventually broke the silence, her eyes shone with mischief, making you question their intentions here, but her accompanying smile full of sweetness melted your suspicions fast., "Really? This is already so perfect.," the couple shared a hopeful gaze, then smiled at you.

"Yes really, we have to give you your gifts, and then there's cake and ice cream with the team."

"The team?," you squeaked., "Why of course, they were all so excited to celebrate with you.," Wanda continued., "They were even jealous that we stole you away for the afternoon here.," you giggled in disbelief, and their hearts fluttered right along with the adorable sound.

After the food was all finished you were stood off to the side in wait for what is to come. It was nerve wracking too as they refused to divulge their plans, and they looked to be whispering deviously about what they were. Wanda pecked her lover’s lips then scurried off, leaving you all alone with the lopsided smirking redhead making her way over to you.

"Y/N.,” Natasha purred against the shell of your ear, sending a wave of arousal straight through you., “Come with me.,” she gently grabbed your hand, and gave you no time to question her before she brought you to their shared bedroom., “Close your eyes baby.”

Unbeknownst to you Wanda was sat on the bed in nothing but a white, lacy lingerie set with a nervous smile on her face., “Open up honey.,” Natasha had stopped you right in front of the witch, your eyes nervously fluttered open just before widening, you went to cover them up, but Wanda was quick to stop you, her hand slid into yours, and she pulled you into her lap.

As gentle as ever she trailed her fingertip over your face, she gripped your chin lightly then leaned in to whisper in your ear., “I hear your thoughts honey.,” she held back a chuckle as your body shivered atop her., “Natasha catches the looks, and let me tell you.,” her lips traveled down your jaw in a hasty manner before she was faced with your nervous expression again., “We want you just the same baby girl.”

“So, what do you say detka?,” Natasha’s body was pressed to yours, causing you to whimper as you felt her nipples through the thin fabric of your sweater., “Can we make you feel so very good on your special day?,” she bit down on your earlobe and drew an affected moan from your quivering lips., “Finally make you ours?”

You nodded your head, and breathily pleaded for them., “Please… Need you so bad.,” Wanda grinned., “Yeah? Need your mommy and daddy to take care of you, hm?,” she laid you down on the bed in a fluid motion, then she straddled your lap and cut your answer off with her lips.

Cold hands slid beneath your sweater, coming into contact with your heated skin, and making you gasp, giving Wanda the chance to slip her tongue over yours, and explore your mouth. Wanda was working you up, her hands groping at your breasts, while she ground her pelvis into you, and when you became too breathless to keep up with her kiss she began to mark you.

“Can I?,” she murmured her request against your collarbones, her fingers were twisting the hem of your shirt, and you were desperate for her to do so., “Yes, please take it off mommy.,” she smiled down at you as she pulled away., “Such a polite little thing.,” your shirt flew over your head, and after you nodded she unclasped your bra and sent it flying across the room too.

Distant clanking in the room didn’t register much in your mind when you had Wanda all over you earlier, but now, when you finally caught a glimpse of Natasha you mewled at the sight of the strap dangling between her legs., “Like what you see?,” she was cockily stroking the faux appendage as if it were her own cock, and you were struggling to come up with a response., “Want daddy to fuck you detka?”

Your body began to squirm beneath Wanda’s, and the women chuckled in unison at your obvious neediness., “Honey.,” the witch cupped your cheek., “You’ll have to answer her, or daddy will just have to fuck mommy instead as you are forced to watch and wait your turn.”

“No, please, daddy I need you.,” you shrieked, and the brunette kissed you softly., “Good girl.”

Wanda stood up, and as she did her fingers were swift in removing your shorts and panties after you gave her the express consent in the form of pitiful pleading., “Mommy wants to taste you first, is that okay?,” you nodded, then quickly corrected your error with a meek yes after the brunette slapped your dripping cunt.

It wasn’t exactly what you expected, but Wanda brought you to your feet, allowing Natasha the opportunity to step up from behind you, and you bowed your head at the feeling of the both of them sandwiching you in., “Look at her Nat, such a nervous little thing.,” Wanda leaned over your shoulder, you watched in awe as they made out nastily, your knees buckled, but to your fortune Natasha had a firm hold on you.

“Pretty too.,” Natasha panted as they broke apart, she smirked lazily when noticing you flustering even further., “So fucking pretty.”

Wanda fell to her knees and tossed one of your legs over her shoulder., “Oh shit.,” she groaned as she caught a whiff of you., “You smell divine honey.,” she placed a few tender kisses to your thigh teasingly and just as you began to whine she sucked your clit between her lips., “Fuck!”

“We’re working on it.,” Natasha chuckled, then with a tenderness she turns your face to hers and finally gets her chance to kiss your lips. Her kiss was soft, yet fierce as she did her best not to devour you whole just yet, she wanted to—truly, but she chose to offer you comfort.

Wanda continued to eat you out expertly all while she slid her hand in between your legs, blindly reaching for Natasha’s strap. She then guided the thick tip to your entrance, and you gasped at the tantalizing feeling. Natasha smirked against your lips., “Daddy’s going to take such good care of you detka.,” she moved your head to rest against her shoulder, her lips settled over you pulse point., “Beg for it first.”

Natasha nipped at the thin layer of skin, her hips remained unmoving, but you were still in a great deal of bliss as Wanda’s tongue was still bringing you close to the edge you craved for., “I said beg!,” her hands groped your breasts roughly just as her teeth sunk into your neck.

“Oh my god.,” you screamed., “Please, daddy, I need you so bad, fuck me hard, and—.,” your pleas were cut off as she slammed her hips forward, bottoming out with ease, you cried out as their combined efforts had your mind foggy, and the pit in your stomach was tightening to a point of pain, you were ready to snap, and the couple were aware of this as your legs were of no use in keeping you up, and the redhead met resistance as she fucked her strap into you.

Natasha held tightly to your breasts as she pumped her strap in and out of you at a fast pace to match the flick of Wanda’s tongue over your engorged clit. The brunette’s jaw was growing tired, but the filthy noises coming from your mouth and slippery cunt distracted her well enough from the persistent ache. Not to mention the taste of you, she honestly wondered how she’d ever gone without it, and as you came she vowed she’d never do it again.

Natasha pulled Wanda into a bruising kiss as soon as she returned to her feet., “Oh.,” she moaned at the taste of you, her tongue was rough as it selfishly sought to garner it all., “Such a sweet thing, inside and out it seems.”

Natasha laughed boisterously when you buried your face against Wanda’s shoulder in a show of clear embarrassment., “Oh honey, don’t shy away from us now, you really are that sweet.,” Wanda teased, then she softly pecked your cheek in a silent apology before wrapping her arms around your hips, and hugging you tight. Partly for your comfort, but mostly to keep you upright as Natasha slowly pulled out of you, and away from your conjoined bodies.

“Thank you.,” you whispered., “Best birthday gift I’ve ever received.,” you smiled dopily against her shoulder, and the couple giggled., “It was a gift that we found benefited us all.,” Natasha mused from the bed, you turned to her with a playful smile, and a roll of your eyes.

In a matter of seconds you were laid down by the brunette, and the redhead was quick to pull you close to her. Wanda cleaned you up as the Russian snuggled you close, then her lips moved against yours in a slow kiss to distract you from the warm rag between your thighs.

“What’s next?,” you yawned, and the couple looked to you endearingly, Wanda tapped your shoulder, and you knowingly lifted your arms up and allowed her to dress you in their warm clothes., “Movies, snacks, and cuddles.,” Nat answered as you fell back into her arms, and melted into the mattress with a content sigh.

“Um…,” you nervously fidgeted with your hands as Wanda scooted into your body, and reached for her girlfriends hands., “What was this? Did it mean something to you? Or was it just fun? Because I can handle it, but I just—.”

Wanda kissed you, then as she pulled away Natasha turned your face to her to do the same. Then the witch sighed as she cupped your cheeks., “It meant the world to us Y/N/N, and though it was fun, we want this to be more.,” her eyes were glossy as she met yours, and you too began to cry as you processed the words.

“We want you wholly Y/N, the sex was great, but we want your heart just as bad.,” Natasha added hopefully., “Then I’m all yours loves.”

“Good, because we’re all yours too detka.”

—

After a few hours of movies and cuddling, where you found their warmth enough to lull you to sleep the couple had to rouse you., “Honey, the team is expecting your presence.,” Wanda coo’d while gently stroking your cheek., “There will be takeout, and presents.,” she began to list off what you were to expect, but all you did was shift further into her warmth., “…cupcakes, and mint chocolate ice cream.”

At the mention of your favorite creamy dessert you opened one eye, surveying her face, and once you found the honesty in her eyes you were sitting up., “Let’s go!,” you boomed., “There’s no time to waste!,” but as you got to your feet you stumbled into the redhead who was exiting the bathroom., “Detka, no need to actually fall for me, it’s just a silly phrase.”

Natasha allowed you to climb onto her back as you glared at her for teasing, she didn’t really mind, having you close brought her comfort. Wanda followed the both of you out, and with your back to her she managed to sneak the crate from their bathroom into the living room.

Everyone was waiting patiently for the three of you, they all looked to you with wide eyes, but they knew better than to comment on the marks littering your neck at Natasha’s glare. Instead, they allowed her to settle you into the huge chair designated for you, and after you all shared the delicious dinner over conversation it was time to open your many gifts.

Tony got you some very expensive spa retreat vouchers, and you smiled at your girlfriend’s when you counted three in total. Steve and Bucky got you a few old timey books, offering you excited smiles in the hopes that you’d love them, and you returned the gesture. Bruce gave you a pass to the lab, but reminded you that the privilege is revokable if you don’t follow the rules of safety to which you pouted in offense.

The Bartons sent you a new uniform, and a black, engraved bat for your cricket game. Clint had been the only person who understood the game, and the one you played against in the states when you felt compelled to play a bit. Thor sent you pop tarts, he recently discovered them after a grocery shopping trip with Jane, and has been actively trying to ensure all of his friends knew of the “delicacy of Midgard.”

Natasha settled a bag in your lap., “From Kate and Yelena.,” you smiled at the mention of the couple, and you tore into the bag eagerly, but as you pulled out a collar and sweater for a tiny animal your brows furrowed., “I don’t get it.”

“This might help you to understand.,” Wanda reached over you from behind, softly settling a pigmy calico kitten into your lap, and Natasha snapped a photo of your genuine reaction., “You guys.,” you whimpered, then pulled the tiny little thing into your chest as tears of joy fell from your cheeks and seeped into her fur.

“What’s his name?”

“You get to pick.,” you thought for less than a second., “Cricket.,” Natasha snorted., “Really?”

“Cricket is lovely honey.,” Wanda glared at the redhead, then returned to you with a smile., “Shall we go introduce him to Liho?,” you were on your feet in no time, thanking everyone for your gifts with rushed hugs before tearing off to the living space of the floor you all shared.

Wanda and Natasha collected your things, then they gathered your dessert before wishing the team a goodnight, and following in your dust.

When they reached the floor they saw you sat on the floor with Cricket in your lap, and they watched as Liho held her head high, as if she was too good for the little baby in your lap. Then the black cat seemed to get over herself as she trotted right on up to you, and nuzzled into your lap, falling asleep with the soft kitten, and the both of them purred as you gently pet them.

“Happy Birthday to you.,” you smiled over your shoulder when you saw the couple approaching with a lit cupcake, and a bowl of ice cream., “Happy Birthday dear Y/N.,” as the song came to an end you blew the candles out right away.

“What about your wish?,” Wanda asked in disbelief, but you shrugged., “Don’t need it. I’ve got all that I could ever want right here.,” you dipped your spoon into the bowl as the women stared at you in delighted shock, you didn’t even waver as you spoke, and it made their hearts melt to think they were it for you, because you were their found missing piece.

———

[sarahlizziewrites]

Maud Blyth getting kicked in the shins and comparing it to being whacked with a cricket bat doesn't make a huge amount of sense, considering cricket is distinctly a boy's game and Maud isn't particularly sporty

but then you remember that Robin invented indoor cricket when he was a kid so poor Maudie is probably intimately familiar with how many ways you can get injured with cricket bats and balls

[sergeifyodorov]

Bitter Brit here, cricket and baseball are not comparable at all.

The batting style would have to be unlearned and relearned. Baseball seems to be the same swinging motion every time, cricket has a much greater variety of ways to hit the ball (see cut, ramp, pull, hook, drive - each in forwards, defensive or reverse).

Same with bowling which is totally different to pitching. Cricket bowlers are not allowed to throw the ball, it’s a very specific action.

For batters, the bounce of the cricket ball is inconsistent & varies at every venue. Cloud cover and sun placement apparently affects the ball movement. (am not joking, cricket is bizarre).

There’s also the strategy. Playing for a draw was/is a valid target. Especially in Bradmans era. The kind of cricket he played lasted 5 days per match and for a lot of that he would have been fielding. So in addition to being good at his thing, he had to be a decent fielder (not an all rounder tho that’s different). Fielders don’t wear gloves either. Only helmets if they stand at the sillies.

Long story short, Gretzky might be able to pick up cricket before bradman learned to skate, but baseball experience is unlikely to help. (And it would take far longer to understand cricket rules than hockey rules).

FASCINATING

-> going to call it a draw in the "who would be better at the other's sport" game then. like you could philosophize about the amount of exercise/training a canadian from the 80s and an australian from the 30s are getting but im not that deep in sports medicine discourse for that to be happening

-> the only rebuttal i'll make to this because you obviously know what you're talking about and i do not think about cricket at all is that skating is Difficult As All Fuck; learning to so much as stop effectively can take days. that being said unlearning a baseball swing to have to re-learn 30 different cricket swings also sounds like mental and physical torture so fair enough

-> table tennis agenda STILL ON THOUGH!

[roosterbruiser]

𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ✯ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱

✯ 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞 "𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐧" 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐱 𝐘𝐨𝐮 (𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞: 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲) ✯ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: A baseball game goes awry. Things are tender. ✯ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 7.7k ✯ 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ✯ 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲'𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐞 #𝟏 ✯ 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞'𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐞 #𝟏 ✯ 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ✯ 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟖𝐭𝐡, 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟖 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩, 𝐓𝐗

“Alright, Filly,” Jake shouts, grinning at you. His vision is blurry, his chest is warm, his belly is full--but he’s still sober enough to gesture that he has his eyes on you. “You don’t even know what’s comin’, girl!”

You’re drunker than you care to admit. This is really the drunkest you’ve been since that first night Jake touched you, when he was still with Emmaline, when you were in your bedroom together and he was playing his invisible guitar. You haven't’ eaten much today, either--just a scoop of ice cream on shift and a handful of Jake’s Doritos--so your belly is sloshing with all the lukewarm Pabst you’ve drank.

But still you stand on home plate the dinky dirt field at McAnthem Park, squinting under the buzzing street lamp above you and adjusting your grip on the wooden baseball bat you’re holding. 

“You’ve got it, Filly! Don’t let him scare you, honey!” Hyde calls from third base, sending you a lopsided grin and a thumbs up. 

“Just remember--you only get three chances!” Ruth follows, standing in the outfield beside Jake. She’s swaying on her feet, your flask tucked into the waistband of her shorts. “Not to make you nervous or anythin’!”

Hyde’s scratchy little radio is playing Rocket Man by Elton John now.  

Jake is tossing the baseball up in the air jovially, grinning at you. You’re patting the bat on the dirt, trying to wipe that silly smile off your face and look more menacing. 

But you’re happy, too happy to stop smiling: you’re with your three best friends at McAnthem Park playing a low-stakes game of baseball under a wide-open night sky, drinking beers between innings and switching teams sporadically. It’s warm outside and the crickets are crooning and the owls are hooting. Moths are gathering above you on the streetlamp and lightning bugs are flitting across the field, landing on dewy blades of grass. 

“I’ve got nerves of steel,” you call, flexing your biceps as if to prove your statement. “You don’t scare me, Jake Seresin!” 

Jake bites his lip, shaking his head in amusement. You look like a goddamn newborn deer, wearing a tired tank top and too-big jean shorts, all limbs and curly hair. You’re swaying on your feet, just like Ruth, but you seem to have just the slightest bit more control of your body--enough that you hold the bat at ready, even if it’s wavering in your grip. 

“Hey, batter-batter! Hey, batter-batter! Swing!” Hyde croons, readying himself to sprint to homebase as soon as your bat connects with the ball. 

Ruth is eying Hyde--she’s already decided that she’s going for him instead of you. He’s been so cocky tonight, somehow getting all the way to third base while she was busy scrambling after the baseball in the outfield. She wants to take him down a notch. 

“Well, throw the Goddamn ball, mustang! I don’t got all night!” 

Jake nods, sucking in a breath. He’s good at this--he knows what he’s doing. He’s the best pitcher the Silver Bullets ever saw; he knows that and he knows that everyone knows that. He winds up, planting his feet in the dirt and filling his lungs. And then he lets go, the ball hurtling through the air.

It’s maybe when Jake feels most in his element--throwing a baseball. That or when he’s with you. 

It’s a low ball--which Jake rarely throws, but he is so very drunk--and you swing too early. You stumble at the perfect moment, just as the baseball sinks in the air. It collides with your bare knee with a thunderous clap, a shockwave of pain shooting across your body as you yelp and fall to a heap in the dirt. 

Jake, who started for you as soon as he realized that the ball was low, curses as his dirty tennis shoes squeak on the grass. Ruth hurries towards you, too, her jaw dropped and her eyes wide. Hyde, who was too busy making a plan of action to notice that you were hit, sprints to home plate and promptly begins to do a victory dance over your crumpled body below him. 

“Eat my dust, Ruth Gabriel!” He shouts, shuffling in the dirt.

Ruth, who has shifted her concern from you to Hyde, points an accusing finger at Hyde.

“Filly’s hurt!” She seethes. 

Hyde glances down at you as you gasp, the very breath knocked out of your lungs. 

“Well, how the Hell did that happen?” He asks. He plants his hands on his hips and then leans over, trying to catch your gaze. “You’re supposed to hit the ball, Filly. Not let the ball hit you!”

“Give me that fuckin’ bat,” Ruth growls, starting for Hyde and stepping over your form. “I’m gonna beat you dead, you idiot!” 

You’re biting your lip hard, hands over your knee. Fuck, it hurts--which scares you because you’re the kind of drunk that usually makes your senses dull. 

Jake immediately falls to his knees before you, body flushed with panic and a sheen of sweat on his tanned face. You’re looking up at him, eyes watery and slacked. Your lips are twisted and your face is pink. You’re in pain--he can see it clear as day. 

“Shit, you alright?” Jake asks. Red-hot guilt is already sitting heavily on his chest like something forged in fire, gathering all the saliva in his mouth under his tongue.

“Just peachy,” you grunt through grit teeth.

You’re rocking yourself, still gripping your knee. 

Hyde is sprinting away from Ruth now, his stringy hair blowing in the warm wind, as Ruth chases after him with the bat. 

“Alright, lemme see,” Jake insists, reaching for your leg. 

“No!” You hiss, pulling into yourself. “M’fine! Really!”

You’re perhaps a bit traumatized from the splinter surgery yesterday, your palms still sore and scabbed from the fish hook Jake was so uncareful with. You know that he knows what he’s doing--he’s basically been playing baseball since coming out of the womb--since there are very little parts of his body that haven’t been pelted with a ball.

Jake scoffs, swiftly grabbing your ankles and sliding you closer to him across the dirt. Again, he tries to reach for your wrists and you whine, shaking your head. 

“You really are such a baby, aren’t you?” He sighs, perching a brow at you. 

You stick your tongue out at him. 

“Fuck you,” you mutter. 

But then you’re blushing. Not too drunk to forget the past few weeks you’ve shared with Jake, apparently. 

“Where’s that spitfire?” Jake asks. He feels more sober now, the sound of the baseball ricocheting off your kneecap ringing in his ears. “Your daddy didn’t raise no baby, did he?” 

Without further ado, Jake holds onto your wrists and pries your hands away from your knee. You let him, thinking about your daddy telling you to buck up, buttercup. As if he didn’t pretend to have to take a phone call outside of the room when you got stitches in the third grade and cried the whole time.  

The wound is nasty. The ball hit you just right, the loose stitching slicing your already-welting skin. Blood drips down your knee, stains your hand. It’s starting to roll down your bony shin and into the dirt beneath you. 

Jake does his best to keep his face neutral, especially when you grimace at the blood. He doesn’t want your flip-flops to be stained with blood so he carefully holds your ankle, pulling your leg straight. 

Pain sits heavy in your chest. So much so that you hiss and bring your balled fists down on Jake’s shoulders a few times. 

“You son of a bitch!” You cry. 

He takes the hits, holding your calf in place. 

“Girl, I’m tryin’ to keep those damn flip-flops from gettin’ stained! You’re welcome!” 

Elbows against the dirt, you glance over and squint through the night around you. Ruth and Hyde are still going at it, always at each other’s throats. But Jake is right here, not even thinking about moving. 

“How am I bleedin’?” You ask. 

“Loose stitchin’ on the baseball,” he explains. 

“You cheap-ass,” you mutter. 

He smiles, rolling his eyes. He’s delicately wiping the dirt off your leg, trying to keep it from getting too close to the wound. If the cut on your leg was bigger, he would be rubbing dirt in it by now. But it’s not very sizable, just a little gash--but you’re a bleeder. 

“Ruth!” Jake hollers, not turning away from your wound. “Toss the flask!” 

Ruth, who’s out of breath, narrows her eyes at Hyde. 

“This ain’t over,” Ruth says to him. “I’m still gonna kill you. When you least expect it.”

“Lookin’ froward to it,” Hyde teases, grinning. 

Ruth begrudgingly hands the flask to Jake, tucking her hair behind her ears as she gazes down at you. You look like you’re in pain, biting your lip and watching every one of Jake’s movements. 

Jake quickly unscrews the cap of your ugly flask, motioning for you to open your mouth. You comply, tilting your head back. The Everclear burns your tongue and throat alike, lighting a fire all the way to your belly.

“Here,” Jake says. “Need somethin’ to bite down on?” 

“Hyde, this is your chance to help!” Ruth calls. “Quick, we need your dick!”

Hyde slings his arm over Ruth’s shoulders, much to her dismay, and pretends to start undoing his belt. 

“I always knew this is how I’d go,” he says wistfully, grinning as you glare at him. “With my dick in Filly’s mouth.” 

Blindly, Jake reaches out behind him and taps Hyde in the crotch, rolling his eyes when Hyde doubles over with a groan. Ruth is delighted by this, assisting Hyde in crumbling all the way to the ground with a swift push to the shoulder. 

“Bite down on this,” Jake insists, pressing his wallet into your mouth. It was his daddy’s, a tired old thing he left behind in one of the kitchen drawers. And between your lips, with your teeth sunk into it, Jake hasn’t ever been more fond of it. He pulls your leg over his lap and then nods at you. “Ready, girl?” 

He doesn’t wait for you to nod. He spills some of the Everclear out and onto your wound, holding your thigh against his so you don’t jerk away. You groan, biting down hard on the worn leather, digging your fingers into the dirt. 

The crimson blood becomes watery with the alcohol, dripping on the ground. Jake wipes the rest away with his hands, gentle not to press down too hard on your already-swelling skin. 

You spit the wallet out.

“Well, Goddamn!” You cry. “No need to be gentle!”

 Jake just sticks his palm before your mouth, biting a smile. 

“Spit,” he commands. You do without a moment of hesitation, the saliva warm and beer-flavored in his hand. “Good girl.” 

Something about hearing him say those words to you make your thighs ache, makes your throat quiver. You squirm, readjusting, and he pretends not to notice. 

“She gonna make it?” Hyde asks, still on the ground holding his crotch. His voice is strained with pain. 

“It was touch-and-go there for a while,” Jake says softly, smearing your saliva over the wound to staunch the bleeding. “But she’ll be fine.” 

“Will she ever play baseball again, doc?” Ruth asks, winking at you when you scowl up at her. 

Jake sits back on his haunches, rubbing your calm gently. 

“Not tonight, I fear,” he says, smiling softly at you. “We’ve gotta get the girl home.”

He takes his wallet back, brushes the dirt off it. There are teeth marks pressed into the leather now, distinctly you--a little gap between the front teeth. He lets his finger drift across the indents, which are still wet from your mouth. 

“Damn, Filly,” Hyde exclaims, pointing to the wallet. “Gotta get those teeth filed down or something!” 

“It’s alright,” Jake says, pushing the wallet into his pocket. That wallet, the one Wade left behind probably on accident and doesn’t even remember leaving, is suddenly more precious to him than ever before. “Can you walk?”

Hyde and Ruth walk ahead, collecting their flimsy backpacks full of empty beer cans and the remnants of your baseball game, towards Rusty sitting in the parking lot. 

You can’t walk--at least not without shockwaves of pain rolling up through your tense thigh and through your taut belly. You try to, though, until Jake has enough of seeing you bite your lip and squeeze your eyes shut. 

“C’mere,” he says, sighing. You try to keep walking, your shoulders squares, but then he swiftly hits the back of your knees so they buckle and scoops you up in his arms. “Hardass.”

You hold onto his shoulder, a hint of relief in your belly at not putting pressure on your knee.

“How the Hell am I gonna be a cowgirl in these conditions?” You mutter. 

Jake grins. Of course that’s what you’re worried about. He holds you close, pulling your bony shoulders against his chest and slowing his pace. He wants to hold you for as long as you’ll let him, which is oftentimes not very long at all. 

“With a trusty ranch-hand at your side,” Jake answers. He takes a moment to breathe you in, that lewd citrus sitting so heavily in your curls and over all your skin.

It’s quiet for a moment, just the crickets singing. Silverkeep is always quiet past ten o’clock, especially on Sunday nights when everyone’s getting ready for the work week. 

Tilting your head back, you look up at the vast sky above you. It’s beautiful tonight, not a cloud littering your view. All those bright stars twinkling overhead, that big old moon that you used to think followed you everywhere you went, all that endless black--it makes something settle in your chest. 

You and Jake were born under the same sky. Soon, you won’t be living under the same sky. Soon, he’ll be in Austin and you’ll be here. You will look up and see the same stars and he will see the same moon but you will be too far apart to ride your bikes to each other’s houses. 

Jake feels it when you pull into yourself, feels it when a shiver runs across your body. He looks at you, his feet practically dragging to prolong this walk, and sees that you’re gazing up at the sky. Your jaw is flexed and your lips are pursed and your eyes are wide. 

“What’s on your mind?” 

“Mmm,” you hum, sighing. “Thinkin’ about bein’ born under the same sky as you.”

He scoffs quietly. 

“Everyone’s born under the same sky,” he says. 

You tut, giving him a less-than-enthused look. 

“You know what I mean, smartass,” you whisper. “Don’t you feel lucky?”

“What do I have to feel lucky about?” Jake asks, wrinkling his nose. 

He’s wearing a shirt that’s older than the both of you combined--one his mama got at a garage sale a couple years ago. His shoes have holes in them. He has to get up before the sun rises and shovel horse shit. 

Jake isn’t looking at you now. He’s looking ahead, his hair flopping over his eyebrows and his mouth in a solid line. He’s thinking, you can tell. He gets pensive when he drinks sometimes. 

“To know each other,” you answer softly. 

That nearly stops him in his tracks. If he was less careful, he would’ve tumbled forwards and dropped you. But he would rather chew rocks than topple over with you in his arms. 

His heart is sitting low in his belly, pulsing. 

“Of course I feel lucky to know each other,” Jake says. “You’re drunker than a skunk if you’re admittin’ it, though.” 

You roll your eyes. 

“I’m not,” you insist. You are still pretty drunk, though. “Just feelin’ reflective.” 

“God, did you hit your head on the way down?” Jake teases. You scoff, shoving his shoulder. “I can’t say you’re beautiful but you can get all mushy on me?” 

“Oh, shut your trap,” you hiss.

Jake laughs, grinning at you. 

“Filly, I know I’m the luckiest guy in Silverkeep. I think everyone does.”

Pink paints your cheeks and you sink your teeth into your bottom lip, tasting all the dirt that’s landed there during your game. You tangle your fingers in his hair, scratching his sweaty scalp softly, sighing. 

“I don’t think everyone does,” you whisper. “But I’m glad you know. Knew you were smart. Must’ve been all that studyin’ you did.” 

Rusty rumbles to life just ahead in the parking lot, Ruth already clamoring into the front seat. Ruthless Ruth isn’t going to let you sit in the cab, even injured. She hates sitting in the bed of the truck--which she calls the smoking section. 

“Not sure all the studyin’ matters, anyway,” Jake says quietly. “I’ll just pay all the nerds to do my homework for me.” 

“Spoken like a true athlete,” you laugh. 

He sets you down on the bed of the truck carefully, letting you squirm and scoot yourself until you’re resting against the cab. Then he climbs in beside you, closes the bed, and knocks on the cab window.

Hyde throws Rusty in reverse and then you’re all moseying away from McAnthem Park. 

There’s a bead of sweat dripping down the side of your face, tracing every freckle on its way to your flexed throat. Jake’s watching it happen. If you were alone--thoroughly and completely alone--Jake would lean forward and let it fall onto his tongue. Not even in a sexual way--not entirely. Just to have a piece of you inside of his mouth, just to taste something that your body made. He thinks about it often: having pieces of you in his mouth, having pieces of you wrapped around him. It’s in his dreams sometimes: droplets of your sweat on the flat of his tongue, your thigh around his neck, those dirty nails tangled in his hair. 

You light up a cigarette, wrestling with the pockets of your jeans. Your knee is throbbing, but at least you’re sitting now. Jake is watching you as you bring the cigarette to your lips, looking out over the desolate town fading past you. 

“Can I come over tonight?” Jake asks. 

You take a long drag, eyebrows pulled together.

“Figured you’d wanna stay the night,” you tell him, smoke drifting from your parted lips and up to the night sky. “Figured we could…you know.” 

Jake’s thighs are tense just thinking about it. He’s anxious suddenly to get back to that little trailer of yours, to get you settled on the bed, to taste your mouth and kiss your breasts and feel your hand wrapped around his cock. 

“We could what?” Jake says. 

He’s teasing and you know it. 

You roll your eyes, ignoring the rapid pace of your heart.  

“Fool around,” you answer. 

Honestly, you’ve been thinking about it all night. Watching his Adam’s apple bob with every swallow of warm beer, watching his capable hands grip that baseball, watching his arms flex, watching his hair billow in the wind, watching his grin light up the field. Even watching him pour Everclear on your gash and spitting into his hands has a spot of arousal dotting your underwear now, has a tickle sitting in your belly. 

Jake throws his arm around you, pulling you against his chest. It’s a movement that you are both used to and it doesn’t feel different now that you’ve made him cum and he’s touched you the way he has. It still feels like it always has: safe, natural, warm, solid. 

“What’s sex like?” You ask after a moment. 

The Pabst is apparently sitting between your throat and mouth now. 

But Jake doesn’t laugh. He doesn’t chide or tease. He just swallows, inhaling your Marlboro and sighing gently. 

“S’different with everyone,” he answers. Then he reaches over and plucks the cigarette from your fingers, taking a long drag. He resists the urge to cough as the smoke coats his throat and lungs, his fingers drawing nervous shapes on your bare arm. “Like, it ain’t the same with Emmaline as it was with Grace Lynn or Christy.” 

You think about Jake’s cock, the thing you’ve held in your mouth, the thing you think is so pretty. And then you think about Emmaline’s pretty hands wrapped around it, her nails clean and trimmed and her palms soft. God, she’s such a priss that she probably wore gloves to touch Jake--the bitch. 

Something pulses across your chest, a little flash of white lightning. It hurts, makes your toes curl in your flimsy flip flops. It’s a worse pain than your throbbing knee.

“Okay,” you sigh, taking the cigarette back from him and bringing it back to your own lips. You’ve been wondering about this, like everyone does, since your very first encounter with Jake. You haven’t gotten anything even remotely close to the sex talk--you’re not sure where to begin. “So, what was it like the first time?” 

Jake breathes out, humming. 

It was bad the first time. He was nervous, she was nervous. He came very quickly. She didn’t cum at all. She cried. He didn’t even take his shirt off. 

“Not great,” he answers honestly. He knows you would call him out for lying if he dared. “Lots of people make real messes of it the first time. I definitely did.”

“Howso?” You ask. 

This time, you hold the cigarette to his lips and he takes another drag despite the ache in his chest. 

“Didn’t know what I was doin’, really. Didn’t use a condom, too, so I came, like, right away,” he laughs softly, shaking his head. You’re not laughing, though. The white hot pain is back. “And, you know, she just wasn’t someone that I wanted to have sex with again. We were just young and wanted it.” 

You think about it: are you just young and wanting it or is it something more than that? You glance up at Jake, who’s looking up at the night sky. And then the realization just dawns over you all over again, all doubt fading instantly: it’s something more than that. It is unequivocally something more than that.

You let your hand rest on his thigh as you press your cheek against his shoulder, inhaling all that sweat and beer on his skin. 

The night air is still warm and you know that Jake won’t confuse you for cold--but he still pulls you into him, letting his lips and nose rest in your curls. 

“And what about with other girls? Like Emma?” You ask softly. 

Jake’s palms are sweating. 

“It was fine,” he answers. He isn’t lying--it was fine. He likes having sex. He just didn’t like anything that came attached to it after: the mind-numbing pillow talk, the cuddling, the cooing. But maybe it’s because of who it was with--it’s a feeling that’s dawning on him as he holds you against him, totally content. “What do you, like, wanna know?” 

You shrug. 

Everything. You want to know everything. 

“What’d it feel like?” You ask. 

His chest rumbles as he hums. 

“Good,” he answers. “It’s like…a different kinda good. One that’s kinda overwhelmin’, you know?” 

“No,” you answer, stubbing your cigarette out and flicking out of the truck. “I don’t know.” 

He isn’t sure how to explain it, especially since he knows that it will feel different for you than it did for him. He thinks for a moment, chewing on his lip. 

“You know when you rub your eyes real good? And you feel like you can’t stop and you’re, like, seein’ stars?” He asks. You nod. “Like that, kinda. Overpowering.”

The thought excites you--sends a jolt straight to your clit. You press your thighs together, your lashes fluttering. 

 “And it…it felt like that with them? Emma and everyone else?” 

“Jesus,” Jake laughs softly, wrapping one of your curls around his finger. “You say everyone else like it’s the whole damn cheerleadin’ squad.” 

 “Well, isn’t it?” You ask. 

You’re only partly teasing. 

“No,” Jake answers. He grins. “Only half.”

You laugh--it feels like it’s the only sound in Silverkeep. 

Jake thinks about it again--your thighs pressed into his neck, your body writhing above him, his hands holding your hips. Just thinking about it is making all the blood in his body rush to his crotch, is making his chest tingle. 

“Let’s try somethin’ new tonight,” he suggests softly. “You’re gonna like it. Promise.”

You trust Jake more than anyone else in the world--so you nod, leaning into him, holding his thigh. 

In your bedroom, which is just as messy as it always is, there is no sound besides your measured panting. The radio is off, the window is closed, and blood is rushing through your ears. It’s almost entirely dark in here, all except for the moonlight streaming in through the parted curtains. 

It’s just enough light for you to make out the faintest curve of Jake’s features as he sits on his knees before your naked body, his palms resting on your thighs. He’s naked, too, and he feels like this is the hardest he’s ever been. He can see pieces of your body, too, like your pebbled nipples and the indent of your belly button.

You’ve been kissing since nearly the moment you climbed in through the window, discarding your clothing quickly and pressing your skin against Jake’s skin. You’re wet--but you have been wet since your discussion about sex in the back of the truck, just thinking about him pressing into you. 

“Spread your legs,” Jake whispers, thumbs pressing into your thighs. You do, very carefully, and without saying a word about it, Jake helps move your injured leg to the side. “Your knee okay?” He asks. 

You nod, a breath stifled in your throat. 

Wordlessly, he leans down and presses his mouth to your knee. The skin there is hot, swollen. He can taste the Everclear and the blood staining your flesh and he lets his mouth linger there. He’s tender with you--so tender that your chest grows tight, tight like you can’t breathe.

“All better?” Jake whispers, letting his hand rest on your belly. He can feel how tense you are, every muscle in your body tight.  

“Mm,” you mutter, laughing quietly and nervously. “This that new thing you wanted to try?” 

He chuckles, his breath warm against your wound. 

“No,” he whispers. “You’ll know. Trust me.”

Then he starts to kiss up your thighs, all that soft flesh making him feel a bit dizzy. You’re breathing rapidly already, your mind racing and your fingers fidgeting with the sheets. 

Jake lets his body rest against that stupid small bed of yours, his feet hanging off the bottom, as he hooks his arms around your thighs. He continues kissing your legs, glancing up at your silhouette in the dark, watching your chest rise and fall. 

You’re trying to keep yourself from moaning already. It feels so good--just this, even. Just the way his lips are tickling up your thighs and provoking gooseflesh, just the way his breaths are coming out hot and heavy on your skin. 

And when that breath fans over your core, a plume of pleasure wafting up your body and practically making your hair stand on end, your head snaps up to look at him. 

“It’s okay,” Jake soothes, squeezing the bend of your hips. “It’s gonna feel good, okay? I promise. And if you don’t like it, I’ll stop.”

You nod rapidly, trying to calm that anxiety sitting so heavy on your hips. 

But then it dissipates entirely because Jake reaches up and takes your hand in his. He squeezes it, squeezes you, then carefully sets your hand in his hair. His velvet locks between your fingers ease all that fear in your bones, all that uncareful panic. 

 Jake is nearly vibrating with anticipation, pressing his erection into the sheets in a desperate attempt for friction. 

Then he buries himself against your core, lets his nose nudge your clit, lets his tongue dip inside of you. And then you are on a different realm, somewhere above this sky that you were born with Jake under, somewhere further away. It feels so good that it makes your chest raise off the bed, that it drains all the breath from your lungs. 

And Jake knows he’s doing something right when you pull his hair for the first time. 

“Oh,” you mutter, your voice pitched and weak. “Oh, holy fuck.”

Jake can’t believe he’s tasting you now--this honey pot that he’s always wanted on his tongue. You taste just like he always imagined: just you. Nothing frilly about it. You’re all real, entirely authentic. And you’re so wet already, just from him stripping you, just from him closing his fingers on your nipples. 

He laps at your cunt, pressing himself against you and holding you close as you writhe and tug at his hair. You’re biting your lip so hard that metal is starting to invade your mouth, eyes squeezed shut tight.

“Fuck,” you moan, voice low. “Oh, fuck. Jake, Jake.” 

Then he moans against you, his cock twitching.

You said his name--you said it with no prompting. And it sounded fucking delicious in that voice of yours, edged with pleasure and overwhelmed with adoration. 

He’s done this before, of course. Only a handful of times when Emmaline would let him. He likes doing it, especially when he can lay on his belly and rut himself against the mattress. But this is on another level--this is fucking intoxicating. He’s sucking your clit, pressing his chin against your entrance, moaning against you when you pull his hair. 

And you’re both drunk still, drunk enough that every single bit of pleasure feels heightened. You’re the kind of drunk that would make every false promise under the sun if it meant that you would feel like this forever. And he is the kind of drunk that would let him eat you out forever. 

“Fuckin’--Jesus, fuck,” you moan, rutting your hips against his. “Fuck, Jake. Fuck.”

He lets his hand slide down from its spot on your hip, carefully dragging it down between your legs until he’s nudging at your entrance. You let him in with little resistance, hugging him tight, coating his finger easily. You’re so warm, so tight--it makes his hips buckle. 

“Oh,” you mutter, hyperventilating almost. You swallow hard, letting the sensation of his finger pumping into you slowly and his mouth attached to your clit wash over you. It feels like something is building, something rapid and all-consuming. “Oh, Jake. Oh, Jake.”   

He curls his fingers and that sends your hips straight up into the air, away from his lips, away from the bed. You grip his hair so tightly that a few strands rip, but he doesn’t mind. He doesn’t mind at all. 

You’re so overwhelmed with pleasure, so caught up in the moment, so unbelievably turned on, that you sit up and grab onto his shoulders. He’s shocked for a moment, leaning up. He’s about to ask you what’s wrong when you crash your lips against his, when you urge him to lay on top of you with a few careful tugs. 

He does lay on top of you, his body alight with excitement. He’s so hard that it’s almost making him lightheaded, especially when your tongue is in his mouth, especially when he knows that you’re tasting yourself on his tongue. 

“Fuck me,” you whimper. You mean it for a moment--you want to have sex with him. And you want it right now. You want to be the girl that he fucks, even if he cums quick, even if you don’t cum. “Please.”

He’s so caught up that he obliges for a moment. He brackets himself on either side of your head, pressing down on your curls. And he nudges your legs further apart, kissing down your throat and your chest. 

Your mind is racing, pulsing. Your heart is thrumming. This is it. This is it. You won’t be a virgin when you wake up tomorrow. You’re going to have sex with Jake right now. 

“Filly,” Jake whimpers, eyes nearly misty. He’s been waiting for this moment his entire life, it feels like--he isn’t entirely sure he’s awake, honestly. He feels like he’s going to wake up any moment and haul his ass to the Carolina’s as the sun rises. “Oh, Filly.”

Yes, it’s your name he’s whispering. It’s you he’s on top of. He’s about to press his cock inside of you and feel all of you, feel you hold him tight. And it’s making him dizzy. 

“Fuck me,” you repeat, desperately digging your nails into his shoulders. “Please, please, please.” 

He lines himself up, presses his forehead against yours. Fuck, even just feeling your lip around the head of his cock, even just feeling the slick that has gathered there--he shudders. You’re panting and so is he, your lips hardly touching. 

“Yeah?” He asks. 

You swallow thickly. Your mind is swimming. 

“Yeah,” you answer, nodding. 

He presses himself into you, just a tiny bit. But at the exact moment that he does, he accidentally lets his weight fall on your injured knee. And suddenly you’re hissing in pain and he’s jolting backwards, away from your heat, back onto his knees. 

“Fuck! Filly, are you okay?” He whispers harshly, scooting down the bed to hold your knee. 

You’re sitting up on your elbows now, tears dotting your eyes.

“Yeah, shit. Fuck, that hurt. Sorry.” 

“Don’t be sorry,” Jake insists. He presses his lips to your knee again, stroking your calf. “Fuck, I’m sorry. It was an accident.”

 “It’s okay,” you insist, because it is. “It’s okay.” 

But now you both feel more sober than you did a moment ago. You’re both still heaving, reeling. You’re wet and he’s hard. You fall back into the pillows, blinking yourself back into reality. And Jake watches, still holding your leg. 

You almost lost your virginity a few seconds ago. Jesus Christ.

Jake almost took your virginity a few seconds ago. Fuck.  

“Maybe we should just…stop for now?” He asks, voice thin. 

You nod a few times, not trusting your voice. 

Then you scoot over, making room for him on the bed. He collapses beside you, shoulder-to-shoulder. And you two stare up at your ceiling, trying to regulate your breathing. 

“We should wait, I think,” Jake says after a few moments. 

You nod. 

“Alright,” you say. 

He glances at you. You’re just twiddling your thumbs and staring up at the ceiling. 

“Say what you’re thinkin’,” Jake insists. He tucks a few curls behind your ear fruitlessly and you nuzzle your cheek against his fingers.  

You hum. 

“We almost did it,” you say softly, biting your lip. 

He sighs, nodding. 

“Yeah, we did,” he says. He rakes his hand down his face, tries to calm the racing heart in his chest. “Jesus.”

“I liked it, you know,” you tell him. “Like, everythin’ you did before. Jesus Christ, mustang, where the fuck did that come from? I mean…Jesus.” 

Pride swells up in Jake and washes over his chest, submerging him. 

“Good,” he says, nodding. “Figured you would.” 

Neither of you speak for a moment. He pulls you against him, just like he did in the truck, except now you’re both naked. He can feel every single bit of you against every single bit of him. All that endless skin, all that wetness, all that hot blood. You rest your head on his chest and count the beats of his heart. 

“I think we should, like, make it special,” Jake says. 

He’s terrified that you’re going to shoot him down. He’s terrified that you’re going to laugh in his face. He’s terrified that he’s giving himself away, that you’re going to know how in love with you he is. 

But your heart is swelling now, your eyes wet. If you speak, your voice will be broken. So, you just nod against him, just hold him tight. 

“How do we do that?” You ask. You really don’t know--you’ve never done any of this. 

“Maybe find a time when your parents aren’t home,” Jake suggests. “And we should use condoms.” 

Jake is being coy. If he had it his way, he would rent a nice motel at the edge of town. He would shower the room with flower petals and bum some champagne. He would light tea lights and fuck you slow and sweet on the bed. It’s the most romantic scenario his juvenile brain can conjure right now--you, him, and a motel room. 

“Yeah,” you agree. “That sounds good.”

You’ve never put much thought into losing your virginity: who will be there, when it will be, where it will be. But knowing that it’s Jake makes something click into place, like there was a missing piece. Yes, of course it’s going to be Jake. How could it be anyone else? The stars are aligned. 

“I’m glad it’s gonna be you,” you whisper. 

Now he can’t speak. He can’t speak because he’s worried that he’ll say he loves you. 

So, he just kisses your forehead. He lets his lips linger there.

The next evening, just after sunset, you’re leaning against the glass-lidded freezer in Dairy ‘N’ Berries, just about to untie your stained apron when the bells above the door chime.

Sighing, you straighten your apron and turn so you’re lingering near the cash register. But you’re instantaneously relieved when you find that it’s not another ratty-haired brat waiting for another free sample before you--it’s Jake. He’s leaning over the counter, grinning at you, his eyes heavy but shining in the harsh fluorescents. 

“Well, howdy,” you greet with a huff, mirroring his position so your elbows are pressed together. “Thought you were gonna be another rugrat. And you brought Misty!” 

He chuckles softly, shaking his head. He has his guitar strapped on him, resting against his back. He settles it beside him carefully, grinning.

“Disappointed?” He asks. 

He’s trying to take you in without you growing uncomfortable--not that his gaze has ever made you uncomfortable. You’re wearing the ugliest hot-pink collared shirt with the Dairy ‘N’ Berries logo on the breast, a faded pair of blue jeans, and clunky tennis shoes that he thinks used to be white. Your hair is pulled back--as much as you can pull your hair back--and your face is free of any makeup. You’re tired, like you always are when you pull a double, but he sees the relief written all over your features in seeing him.

“Entirely,” you tease right back. You glance at the clock. Only another hour until close. You have time. “Pick your poison.”

Jake glances down at the buckets of ice cream, all six of them, and ignores the fat black fly buzzing around in the glass. Beggars can’t be choosers. He points to the strawberry and you nod at once, grabbing one of the shitty paper cups from beside the register and scooping the ice cream hastily. 

“How was work, honey?” Jake asks, taking the cup from you and leaning against the counter. You don’t hand him a spoon so he simply digs his two fingers in the cup and sucks the ice cream off them. “Make enough money to get us the Hell outta dodge?” 

You shake your head, frowning. You untie your apron again and hang it up on a crooked hook. 

“Someone tipped me in fuckin’ dryer lint today,” you say, pointing to the measly tip jar. “Honestly, maybe they thought that was our trash can. Can’t blame ‘em, I guess.” 

Jake is making a proper mess--like he always does. He’s scooping the pink ice cream out and sucking his fingers clean devilishly, making lewd noises when his tongue twirls around his fingernails. He has cream all around his mouth now, doing his damndest to finish the free cup of ice cream as you watch with an amused smile. 

“You poor thing,” Jake tuts, sticking out his lower lip. 

You nod, throwing your hands up. 

“I know. People should just throw their money at me,” you say. “Like a stripper.” 

“Would if I could,” Jake sighs, eyebrows raised. 

That makes you laugh. 

“Think I’m stripper material?” 

Jake snorts, his eyes falling to his fingers dipped in the quickly-melting ice cream. His cheeks are dusted pink, which is strange because you hardly ever see his cheeks get pink. Not unless he’s pissed off or very drunk. But this is a new blush, surely--one that has something to do with the thought of you taking all your clothes off and performing for Jake. 

This is your usual banter, something you’ve probably joked about before. But now there’s something sitting between you two, something that makes your thighs feel weak and your tongue dry. You almost had sex last night. He felt you grip the head of his cock, felt you take him inside for a few precious moments.  

“I think you can do anythin’ you set your mind to,” Jake decides on, winking. 

The two of you look at each other for a long moment, watching each other’s mouths. 

“Slap that on a poster,” you whisper finally, biting your lip. 

Jake looks at your face--how earnest and lovely it is, even in this dingy ice cream shop with the awful overhead lighting--and sighs softly. 

“How’s the knee?” He asks. 

“Hurts like a bitch,” you tell him, smiling. 

He frowns, finally plucking a spoon from behind the counter so he can shovel the ice cream into his mouth properly. 

“Poor Filly,” he pouts.

He wants to ask you if everything else is okay. If you woke up and regretted almost having sex with him as you laid on his naked chest. It isn’t that you gave any indication that you did--which you absolutely did not regret at all--it’s just that Jake has been fretting about it all day. Since he kissed your sleepy lips early this morning and left through your window, you’re all he’s been able to think about. 

“Stupid games win stupid prizes,” you mutter. “And yes, I am callin’ baseball stupid.”

“Watch your mouth,” he teases, pointing the pink plastic spoon at you. “You could be talkin’ to the next Babe Ruth.” 

“Didn’t know Babe Ruth threw low balls,” you say softly, furrowing your brows in faux-confusion.

Jake settles into a chair behind the counter, strumming Misty as you count the register. He’s tired, having been up since six in the morning, but he’s happy to be here.  

It’s only the two of you in the dinky place, the fluorescents flickering and buzzing above. It’s hot in here, hot enough that you have the drive-thru window cracked open to allow fresh air in. At the very least, it smells like ice cream in here, even though you’ve already put lids on all the gallons in the freezer. 

“Sounds pretty,” you mutter to Jake as you finger the crumbled dollar bills, not glancing up at him. “What is it?” 

“It’s Leonard Cohen,” Jake says. “Suzanne.” 

You hum, nodding. 

He’s good at playing the guitar--he’s been doing it since his mama scrounged and bought him Misty a little over a decade ago. Taught himself with sound, obsessively replaying songs and strumming until they sounded identical. 

Glancing at the clock again, a breath finally leaves your lungs. You set all the cash down, lock the front door, turn off the neon open sign in the window, and shut off the front lights. 

“Thank fuckin’ God,” you sigh, smiling at Jake when you return to your place at the register. “Today’s been so fuckin’ long.” 

All that’s kept you going today is thinking about last night. You have to keep reminding yourself that it was real, that it happened to you. You can still feel his tongue against your folds, his cock against your thigh, his hair between your fingers. It makes you shiver just to think about. 

“Miss me all day?” Jake grins, glancing at you through his lashes as he continues to strum leisurely. 

“Yes,” you answer honestly, glancing at him. “Kept thinkin’ about last night.” 

His fingers falter, Misty crooning notes randomly. His throat is tight as he lets his hands rest on his lap, arms resting on the guitar. 

“Me too,” Jake answers. “Are you okay? Like, with everythin’ that happened?” 

You don’t break your gaze from his as you nod. 

“More than,” you answer. “And, you know, I think you’re right. We should make it special.” 

His fingers are stiff now. 

“Yeah?” He asks. “Any ideas?” 

You shrug, pink coloring your throat. You stuff the money back into the register and close the drive-thru window, locking it. 

“You’re the experienced one here,” you tell him.

He watches you move about the shop, wiping things down and double-checking machines. And he can tell that you’re just busying yourself, avoiding his gaze. But then when you’re in range, when he can swing it, he rests his guitar beside him and pulls you towards him. He wraps his arms around your waist and opens his legs so you’re standing between them. 

You look down at him, heart in your throat, lip bitten. But relief courses through your veins to just be touching him. You want to sleep in the same bed as him every night this week, want to press your belly against his belly and feel his hunger. You want to sit inside his mouth and feel every word he utters. 

“I’ll make it special,” he promises. 

He reaches up, strokes your cheek. 

You’re both very tired. But you both know, in a big and scary way, that you’ll never be too tired to fall into each other’s arms. It nearly frightens you, the way your bones seem to turn to liquid as soon as you’re in his arms. You want to give it all way, want to give it all up, want to give in and just lay against Jake. 

“Okay,” you whisper. 

And then you fall into his lap, your arms around his neck. You just breathe him in as he holds you tight. He smells like a barn--you love it. And you lace your fingers in his hair and nestle yourself against his face. 

“Sure you’re okay?” Jake asks. He’s only asking because of all this sudden affection, all this closeness. “Cause you can, like, talk to me. About anythin’.” 

You nod, sighing. 

“M’just tired. Wanna sit here with you.” 

His throat is warm. 

“Yeah, we can do that,” he says softly. “We can do that.”

✯ 𝐚/𝐧: yeefuckinghaw!! did I trick you with the almost-sex?

✯ 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫

✯ 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝

✯ 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

✯ 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬:

@violetta-ximena

@hazyretina

@illicithallways

@callsign-cacti

@chicomonks

@royalpurplehuskies

@widemiffyhappy

@djs8891

@shari_berri

@dempy

@ofxinnocence

@jmitxhieo

@jstarr86

@myfaveficrecs

@princess76179

@roosters-girl

@thedroneranger

@blahblechblah

@aemondssiut

@twsssmlmaa

@shawnsblue

@wolfiealina

@hangmanscoming

@whoeverineedtobe

@fragile-heartt

@averyhotchner

@jjlevin

@bradshawseresinbabe

@unhinged-btch

@bradshawbabe

@lt-spork

@maddievevo

@linkpk88

@eli2447

@cosmic-psychickitty

@shanimallina87

✯ 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝/𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬, 𝐃𝐌 𝐦𝐞!

[wariofranchisefanblog]

A new WarioWare has come out and I got enough playtime in to feel comfortable talking about it in full, so I’ll do just that.

Right off the bat I can say in short: this is a good game and a good WarioWare. Not up there with my favs, but it does a lot right. My experience did end up quite differently than anticipated and I’ll explain why soon enough.

First I want to talk about the presentation, which I think is an easy high point. Everything is vibrant and colorful, the art keeps showing the strengths of the current style and everything feels very much like it should. Microgames run that perfect mix of genuinely nice looking and deliberately cursed and the cutscenes are the best of both worlds, being smooth and lively, while returning to Gold’s full voice acting.

Speaking of cutscenes, that brings us to the story related stuff and that’s where the game shows some interesting tricks up its sleeves. In terms of structure it’s a return to the pre-Gold era, with the closest to an overarching theme being the vacation set-up.

I do think the Ware crew is in top form, likable, fun and full of life as always and two stories in particular even do something major.

Kat and Ana’s story marks the shocking return of Cractus, bringing a Wario Land character into WarioWare and Young Cricket’s story sees his Kung-Fu Ball partner finally brought into WarioWare properly. Both of those are really massive and show a willingness to more heavily utilize elements from other parts of the verse, which I find incredibly exciting.

Oddly enough, the weaker link of the story for me this time is Wario himself. Now don’t get me wrong, everything that happens here is usual Wario antics and I do like how non–english versions of the script like japanese and german, have him be actually be nice about bringing the others along. His confusion at the Crygor drawings and later ascending to godhood, with the cast roll confirming he got a happy end, are all good too, plenty of nice stuff here.

He just feels weirdly absent here. Having no presence in the Remix stages, no bonus mode in his image and even the final stage has him stuck being cursed to have his face be the avatar of an angry volcano. It doesn’t really feel like Wario and ends with him being the only one of the cast with no moment to shine during the climax, which I can’t help but find a little disappointing.

Still, it’s not a big deal, after so many games Wario taking a slight backseat isn’t a dealbreaker, it just stood out a little.

Moving away from that, there is the audio side of things. The music as usual is full of unapologetically catchy jingles and some major stand-out tracks such as MegaGame Muscles and the Form Guide theme.

We got full voice acting again and with it our first taste of Kevin Afghani as Wario. Pre-release stuff had me very on and off with how I felt about it, but having heard all of him in the game: yeah, I like him! He does have some wonky deliveries, but the overall voice still feels like Wario and has its own fun appeal. Certainly more noticeably different than Mario and Luigi, but I am optimistic Kevin will greatly grow into the role, as he gets to play him more and more.

Then we get to the big one, the gameplay and this is where I was thrown for a loop the most. With this being a direct Smooth Moves successor I thought I’d know what to expect, but was quite caught off-guard in many places.

This surprisingly ended up being the most difficult WarioWare for me by a long-shot, enough that I actually had to take advantage of the second chance mechanic, which I never had to do in Gold and GiT.

If I had to sum the game up in one word, it would be demanding, Wario commanding you to move it is not just a funny title, it’s the name of the game.

With the Wiimote, you could get away with just sorta doing the poses in a lot of cases, but Move It really demands you do the exact poses, down to holding the Joycon juuuust the right way. 

More than anything I was surprised how strict it could be in that regard, not following the form instructions is asking for trouble, but I have to say, at the same token I was amazed how well things worked once I got the hang of it.

I’ll admit, I was ill while playing the game, so maybe that caused me to be a little more daft than usual, but it took me a bit to really get into it and I had to consult the museum several times for some microgames to figure out what I even needed to do.

I do think the game is a touch more complicated than usual for WarioWare, since you have to take effectively two controllers and specific poses into account, on top of grasping what each microgame demands of you, but once it clicks everything feels well thought out and purposeful. Getting things down is immensely satisfying and shows some really stunning results of what the Joycon can do.

That said the game isn’t entirely without jank, Hand Model being a notable culprit of it. The game finds several fun applications for it, but anything regarding reading forms or how many fingers you hold up, can be really clunky in the heat of the moment. In general, the strictness of the forms also means you need to really be prepared for every microgame, since slouching with your form could lead to a bad desync

Still, even with some jank I do think stepping up to the challenge to get a feel of it and get better is very much worth it. I wasn’t sure how to feel at first, but my opinion on it only went up the more I played.

That covers it for the main stages, as for the side-content though, yeah, that is where the game shows a weaker side of itself.

Not so much in terms of what’s here though. You got your standard towers, as well as MegaGame Muscles, which no joke, may be my favorite stage in the game. It’s frantic, fun, the music slaps and the set-up of Mr. Sparkles having ascended to being a literal god of fitness, is pure WarioWare.

The new Pyoro game of the day is a fun, different take on it, much like the one in Smooth Moves was as well and Dirty Job is a cool bonus game expansion of a more stand-out microgame concept.

That is really it as far as the single player content is concerned though and it does feel a liiiittle on the meager side. No souvenirs, which Smooth Moves and GiT didn’t have either, but Smooth Moves had more bonus games and GiT had the final Pyoro stage, Penny Remix, more bonus games, unlockable art and the Wario Cup.

We do still have a decent variety of multiplayer modes to work with and I did get a friend to come on by to try them, save for the 4 player exclusive one.

I think it’s a good selection, in concept it has the best multiplayer mode offerings since Mega Party Games (though I did like GiT a lot too), but there is one issue I have with it and I think GiT was a little guilty of it too.

As I mentioned, I do think there is a learning curve on how to play this game most effectively and you feel that even more in multiplayer, where someone not as in the know, is naturally gonna accidentally grip his Joycon slightly wrong, despite doing the pose and need some extra instructions, much like the characters in GiT can take some learning.

It is something you can overcome and have a good time with, WarioWare is a very good ‘’don’t take me too seriously’’ kind of multiplayer experience, but on the whole, if they want a true party game WarioWare, I still think something simpler like Mega Party Games is in order and by all means, I wouldn’t mind them doing something like that again.

On a side note, I also find it a bit of a shame that the nice new models for the cast, updated to resemble their designs in this game, are ultimately watered down to sprites of their heads during multiplayer gameplay. With how much emphasis is being put on multiplayer to carry the game for longer, I think it would have been nice if they put in the work to fully animate GiT-style models for the multiplayer modes.

That small gripe aside, as I said, I think multiplayer is fine, but not quite the pick up and play experience for people new to the game, as I feel they wanted it to be and I do think a bit too much of the game is locked behind multiplayer.

But yeah, that’s WarioWare Move It. It’s good and if you like WarioWare, you’re getting what you wanted out of it. It’s not one of my top games in the series and feels a bit too lacking on the side content front, but on the whole, I had a good time and it gets a surprising amount out of a controller that I have an openly low opinion on.

[allsonicgames]

Sonic Cricket

Original platform: Java Mobile

Original release: 16th February 2011

Where to get: Unavailable.

Available to buy: No

This java mobile game was originally designed for India, celebrating Sonic’s 20th anniversary by combining him with their most popular sport. This mobile game is light on features, but the gameplay is surprisingly in depth.

In Sonic Cricket, you play through single cricket matches (with 5, 10, 15 or 20 overs), picking either Sonic, Tails or Knuckles to be team captain (sadly, Amy is relegated to being a cheerleader). Dr Robotnik acts as umpire. All the other players on the teams are robots, so you’ll be mainly seeing those for most of the game. Based on a coin toss, you’ll start by batting or bowling, then do the other after.

Batting has two options: a simple option where you press a button to hit, or a more complex mode using 8 numbers for different kinds of shots, and moving left to right to position yourself (if you have a left handed batsman, this is also swapped around). Once you’ve launched the ball, you can press 5 to run, cancelling it if you think you need to. 

Bowling isn’t a case of throwing the ball as hard as you can. First you choose to bowl from the left or right, then aim for a spot on the ground. Then a bar will fill up to determine power, and then spin. If you go for full blast, you’ll likely get a “no ball”, as the ball needs to hit the ground before it reaches the batsman, you have to choose your shot carefully. When fielding, you can choose to pass your ball to either wicket to try and get someone out. The team captain also has a power shot for a stronger bowl or hit, but this depends on how long the captain lasts before getting out (or one over for bowling).

The animation in the game is also really nice, with some strange tv-like overlays, and players petitioning to the umpire when they think a player is out (and then Dr Robotnik decides, although he’s actually a fair umpire). It’s a surprisingly nice little touch. I actually enjoyed Sonic Cricket. It’s very bare bones, but it does its job pretty well.

[hehehhe1d]

What I disliked the most about this World Cup final was the crowd. There was no response, no cheers, no enthusiasm.

Team India lacked confidence yesterday right from the beginning, because they knew the pitch wasn't what they would've liked, but still they gave their best, and the least they deserved was and INDIAN crowd cheering for them.

I saw a video this morning of the crowd in Wankhede during the semi-final, poking fun at Surya when he was fielding at the boundary, asking him to bowl. It wasn't much, maybe even distracting him from his job for a moment but it made him smile. It made him realise people were confident enough in the team's abilities to joke during a tense moment in the game.

If you love cricket enough to go watch a match in a stadium, you'll know the confidence Bumrah gets when the crowd chants 'Boom Boom'. And that's what should have been done with each ball.

When you trust Siraj, Kuldeep and Shami's abilities enough, then cheer at each one of their balls. Even if they're lacking in confidence for a moment, let them know that the billion people who back them never doubted them.

The pitch wasn't the best for batting on, and yet Rohit, Virat and Rahul gave their best. It was slow, but they tried, and none of us watching the match could have done that. The crowd should have screamed even when they got a single or defended a tough ball, because they deserve to know how much we appreciate them for the joy they bring us.

Shubman, Shreyas and Jaddu weren't at their best with the bat, but they tried so hard with the fielding. Every time they dived for the ball, every time they stopped a single, they should have been cheered on.

Ishan, Shardul, Hardik, Prasidha and Ashwin didn't even play, but watching the crowd cheer on the team mates despite seeing the conditions would have made them happy, and their smiles would have made the eleven on the field believe in themselves more.

When Cummins had openly declared that he wanted to silence the crowd, then it was the responsibility of every single person in the crowd to fight his challenge. It was their job to stay until the last ball, to instill hope in our boys till the very end. Maybe it could have made our team more confident, and theirs a bit afraid. Maybe things would have been different right now.

[itsprashimusic]

'I got it! I got it!!!!'

Pairings - Avengers x platonic!gn!Reader, Steve Rogers x Reader

Summary - It is team bonding time! This time the avengers are playing cricket on a Sunday afternoon. Just some fun and chaotic times. And somehow you ended up on a date with Steve.

Warnings - swear words, reader is 25/26 years old, the reader ogling steve (and bucky, like once), steve kinda ogling reader😉, reader takes their top off (girls don't worry, you can imagine them with a tank top on underneath), reader's got some rizz, descriptions of a broken nose?, no they do not end up kissing. NOT FULLY PROOFREAD.

Word Count - 3.6k

A/N - this is an au where everyone lives and a few of the newer characters are introduced, also for the sake of this fic let's pretend that cricket was popular in the US in the 40s. This ended up being more of a Steve x reader towards the end. though i tried to include the avengers as much as i could.

sidenote - if you're reading this as a guy and are not into guys, i apologize cause the reader and steve act flirty w/ each other in this. you may very well skip this fic if you wish.

It was a warm afternoon. The kind that either made you want to cozy up in bed for hours or go for a walk outside, each option depending on person to person. Although you wanted to do the former, Steve and Tony decided it was perfect weather to spend some team bonding time.

Even though the sun was out, and you wanted to stay in, you soon forgot about all your earlier protests of it being too hot and you wanting to finish a book you were reading, when the playing actually started, and your slight competitive nature came out.

So here you were, 45 minutes into the game, covered completely in sweat but still having the time of your life. It was probably no surprise when the two teams formed were namely Team Cap and Team Ironman. When you heard the names the teams you face-palmed yourself, but then again it was Tony who suggested the names.

Under team Cap came of course the Captain himself, Steve 'America's Ass' Rogers, the most likely vice-captain, Sam Wilson, the one who was forced to play to get 'social time', Mr. Bucky Barnes, the one who was excited to play because she played it with her brother and their friends when they were younger, Wanda Maximoff, the one who was excited just to be included in team bonding, Kate 'Clumsy' Bishop, the one who was over-the-top joyful to be there, Thor Odinson, and the little one who wanted to join his mom, Billy 'Mama's boy' Maximoff.

Under team Ironman was the self-proclaimed captain, Tony 'Showoff' Stark, the levelheaded one who is actually the captain, Natasha Romanoff, the one who doesn't know what to do but will gladly join for the fun, Vision, the one who is excited for no apparent reason, Peter 'I will not fail you Mr. Stark' Parker, the one who will be kicked off the team if he uses his powers, Pietro Maximoff, the other little one who wanted to play with his dad and (real) uncle, Tommy 'I'm the faster twin' Maximoff, and the one who would've preferred to stay inside but was dragged to play, one Y/N Y/L/N.

Playing the role of the umpire to this game was Rhodey, and bless this man's soul of being able to have patience with the Earth's Rowdiest Mightiest Heros, cause the game was just chaos entirely.

Team Ironman was batting first. The first ones up were Peter and Vision. "Remember keep a firm grip on the bat! We don't want it flying like last time!" Tony was yelling from the sidelines as Peter was readjusting the bat in his grip. At the same time Tommy was cheering on his dad with a "You got this dad! We can beat mom's team!" which was honestly really cute.

Where normal matches would've had 20 overs, the Avengers decided on having just 10. After confirming Peter was ready, Sam took a bit of a running start before throwing the ball. Keeping his eye trained on the ball Peter swung his bat hard, only to have it be flung over 25 yards (roughly 22 meters) from his hands. Just as Peter's hands immediately go to cover his face in embarrassment, Tony's hand ran down his face in frustration. "This is just what I told you not to do kid," Tony said while shaking his head, then turning to look at you he said, "Can you believe this kid?" "Nope, but you still love him" you responded.

"That I do"

Once Wanda returned the bat to Peter, the game resumed, and this time Peter actually held on to the bat and hit the ball scoring a 4. Nice. After another hit done by Peter, it was Vision's turn. He turned out to be surprisingly good at this game despite it being his very first time. Two balls later and Peter was out. Next came in Tommy and to make it a little easier for him to hit the ball it was Billy who would be throwing them for his twin. It was adorable watching the kids play along with their father like that. A sight like this was rare at the Avengers Compound lately. But sadly, Tommy too got out and had to leave. Next up was you along with Vision, who was surprisingly holding his own pretty well.

After promising Tony for the 100th time that the bat would not fling out of your grasp, you finally got to play. Your start was not that strong, but after a couple of balls you were getting better. Because you and Vis were both good players, Rhodey agreed to give you a tougher bowler. So instead of having Kate bowl, it was now Steve. And good god was this man frustratingly good at cricket. He was really making it hard for the two of you.

"Hey Rogers, mind making it easier for us here? It's kinda hard to hit a ball with you throwing it so fast," you said after completing a run.

"Kinda the entire point of me throwing them, sweetheart. Kate was making it easy for you." damn Steve and his constant use of nicknames. OK WE'RE GOING OFF TRACK. Steve took his stance again and began jogging. Your eyes followed his thighs as he stood and started jogging towards you...putting it plainly you were distracted. He threw the ball, which came hurling at you at lightning speed. You somehow managed to hit it, only for Kate, out of all of them, to catch it mid-air. Sighing in defeat, you made your way back to the bleachers handing the bat over to Pietro.

"You did good kid. Out of all of them, I think you've played the best." Tony said pulling you into a side-hug.

"Really?". Tony nods his head.

"You're on my team, and let's be honest, a Stark's choices tend to be the best."

"Next thing you know, Morgan will be using that when she brings a boy over," you say with a chuckle. To which Tony replies, "There's still time for that, she's not growing up that quick." he said more to himself that anyone. You nodded your head, stifling a laugh while Tony brought you in for a side hug. "Looks like Maximoff's out. Red, you're up."

It was now down to their last two players. Nat went up to the pitch that had been created by pulling out the grass. You see, when it's the Avengers playing, they don't care about safety equipment. Only the two kids were wearing knee pads and a helmet. But other than that, nobody was wearing something that would protect themselves. And that would make a clear path for some accidents to make themselves home.

Thor was bowling when Nat joined. "Alright, let's do this!" he exclaimed with a lot of enthusiasm. First missed red flag. Thor insisted on not doing what he called the 'pathetic little run'. He said he'd be fine without it. He took his place while Nat took her stance holding a bat that was a bit too heavy for her. It was meant to be used only by Peter, as he was physically stronger than the others on his team

Second missed red flag.

Thor threw the ball. Nat swung her bat hitting the ball, but not without hurting her wrist with the weight of the bat. But being the trained ex-assassin that she is, her face remained neutral. Hence why no one could tell she was in pain and continued the game.

After completing 2 runs Nat took her stance again. Thor was holding the ball in his hand, tossing it and catching it. When the average person plays cricket, they would normally use either a rubber ball or a much softer yellow tennis ball. But the Avengers are not normal. When Tony ordered the kit online, he didn't realize that he ordered the Season Kit. THIRD MISSED RED FLAG!

The ball that Thor was playing around with was a season ball, a ball much heavier than a rubber ball and much harder than a tennis ball. And in all his excitement, he one: got too into the game and two: forgot to check whether Nat was ready.

She wasn't.

He threw the ball at her without warning. She was not expecting it and it hit her in the face, hard. So now not only was Nat's wrist injured, but she almost definitely had a broken nose. When her wrist got injured, she acted as if nothing happened. But when the ball made contact with her face a loud squeal was heard from her.

Because of how rare it is to hear such a sound come from the world-famous widow, almost everyone ran to her the second her hands flew to her face. Tony's 'we are gonna win' smirk dropped from his face and his legs started moving forward.

"Ow. Tony what the hell is that ball made of?" Nat yelled when she saw him, sending him a terrifying glare. Rushing towards Nat, you knelt down in front of her. Her hands and face were coated in blood. Everyone crowded around her while Peter took the bat from her. You had already taken your t-shirt off and started wiping the blood from her hands and face. Steve had come back with an ice pack.

Now, the team has seen you without a top on countless occasions. So did Steve. But that didn't stop him from staring at you, his jaw slightly dropped. Maybe because your muscles became more defined since the last time he saw you shirtless. You, of course, didn't notice it since your focus was on Nat.

"Thanks y/n/n" she said, sounding very nasally. Her nose really was broken. "Can someone get me to the bleachers?" Before you could react Sam effortlessly picked her up and carried her to the bleachers. Nat kept your shirt with her to absorb any more blood which dripped out of her nose. Steve had not moved from his place as his eyes followed you. Bucky came up behind him, smacked him in the back of his head, took the ice pack and walked away with an all-knowing smirk on his face.

Steve shook it off and walked up to where everyone was coddling Nat. You were next to the group of people already on the phone with Dr. Cho and in the other slightly bloodied hand you held a hand towel, wiping the sweat from the back of your neck. Quite a sight it was for the Captain who could not keep his eyes off of you, eyes following where the towel went to wipe up sweat. That earned him a quiet whistle from Bucky in his ear and a smirk from you who knew he was staring.

Once everyone finally left Natasha alone and in the care of Dr. Cho, team Ironman finished all of their overs (which meant that Tony was forced to play against his will) and it was team Cap's turn to bat. Peter had already offered you an extra t-shirt of his which he carried with him, and that made Steve a little jealous.

Most of the game went by soon. Turns out majority of team Cap were pretty weak batters. But then Sam came onto the scene, and everything changed. The only score he seemed to be getting were 4s and 6s. Thor got out pretty quickly. And in came Bucky Barnes. He and Sam were among the last players but were the strongest at the same time. The score team Cap had to beat was 104. It proved a bit hard in the beginning, but eventually got easier.

You were currently stuck playing wicket keeper. Originally Tony wanted Peter to do it, but Rhodey didn't allow it when he saw Peter had his webshooters with him. No one else wanted to be put in a crouched down position, and you were pretty good at catching things, so it ended up being your responsibility.

Because of the earlier batters being so sadly poor at the game, you were able to score 7 wickets by the time Sam came along. 3 more and you would win. Pietro was bowling, while Sam was batting. It was starting to get really hot, so much so that Bucky even lost his inseparable leather jacket, entire metal arm on display. A sight that got you staring for a few minutes until Tony cleared his throat catching your attention.

Pietro took a short jogging start and threw the ball. Sam hit it sending in far enough to be considered a six and took off running. You couldn't hear your own yelling over Steve's. His authoritative voice overtook yours as he yelled at Sam and Bucky to run faster. Not gonna lie, you found that hot. Peter yelled your name and threw the ball to you. You caught the ball and hit the wicket just as Bucky's bat made its ground. Everyone looked at Rhodey, "Safe". Rhodey had called that out when Steve started wolf-whistling. With wide eyes you turned around to look at him, just like everyone else.

"You might wanna save those sounds for later Cap" you say with a smirk, knowing exactly what Steve will say next.

"Oh, and what might 'later' entail?" he asks as you toss the ball over to Pietro. "Later entails me and you in a pool at sunset" you call over your shoulder with a wink. Steve's red face from running around earlier had cleared leaving him back to his normal shade, but a bright shade of scarlet started creeping up along his cheeks. Yep, you just got Captain America flustered. You heard Nat chuckling from the bleachers. Her nose was bandaged up and she came back to watch the match.

The plan was to play a sport during the afternoon and then spend time in a pool during sunset. Not just you and Steve but the entire team. Though, you knew them well, they all would probably make some sort of excuse to leave you and Steve alone.

There were a few more overs left now it was just Sam and Steve who were batting. The ball was thrown and just as Steve was about to hit it with his bat, you whistled loudly right in his ear. This caused him to lose focus and hit the ball wrongly. It also was the reason you got a disappointed look from Rhodey but a proud and approving one from Tony along with a thumbs-up.

The game continued and soon they were down to their final ball. the score was 100, 9 wickets. You called out to Steve, "Aye Cap, wanna bet? Loser has to buy the winner anything they want." Steve turned around to face you. With a smile on his face he said, "Sure. We beat the score, I win. You hit the wicket, or I miss somehow, you win." You nod your head and you both shake on the deal, "Though there will be a price limit of $200." you say.

The bowler got ready and started running. He threw the ball. Steve hit the ball. It bounced on the field. Peter caught it. He threw it to you. Steve saw it and had to make a sharp turn to dash back. You caught the ball. You hit the wicket. You yelled, excitement in your tone. Steve was looking down but there was a smile on his face. It didn't matter to him that his team lost the match or that he lost a bet, all that mattered to him was that there was a smile present on your face.

Peter came running over to you and you both collided in a hug with chirpy squeals. Everyone started shaking hands. You walked up to Tony, "I guess a Stark does make good choices after all." He pulled you into a side hug and said, "We do, but you are a hell of a player kid. Good job, you did well. Now go claim your prize, the captain is waiting." and he shooed you away with a wave of his hands.

Steve came up to you with a grin on his face and held out his hand for you to shake, which you took. "So, Rogers. Where are we going for dinner?" "Why would we be going for dinner?" "Because you have to buy me whatever I want and what I want is a date with you, tonight." Should you start a counter for how many times you got Captain America to blush? Because once again Steve's cheeks started to turn pink. "So, Cap, am I gonna get what I want?" "We did make bet, didn't we?"

Just as you had predicted earlier, everyone slowly started leaving so that it was just you and Steve alone in the pool, at sunset. The atmosphere was serene. Being tired from playing all afternoon you just sat in the jacuzzi next to Steve, head resting on his chest while his arm was holding you. When you first came out to pool where almost everyone was, he stopped to take a good look at you. He would rarely get to see you in your swimsuit. You had tied your hair up, not wanting to get it wet since you'd have to wash it and were frankly too tired to do so. But now the sun had set, and it was time for your and Steve's date. It felt like it had already started while at the pool, but you both agreed to have a casual date.

You dressed comfortable and wore slip-on shoes. Steve was waiting for you by his bike. Offering you a helmet he said, "Is there any food you are craving right now?" you answered no and put the helmet on. "Where are we going?" Steve didn't reply. All you saw was a smirk before he pushed his helmet visor down hiding his beautiful face. He was in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt which was probably too tight for him, not that you minded.

You moved to sit behind him on his bike, one hand around his waist while the other rested on his thigh. And the two of you were off. After a 20-minute-long windy journey Steve stopped the bike in front of a local burger joint. They were a bit on the pricey side, but their food was delicious. You both got off and got some food.

Back on the bike he drove to a secluded location and stopped. You got off once again but this time in a grassy area. Walking slowly, you looked up to admire the stars that were now visible in the sky, like freckles dusted on a person's face which enhances their beauty even more. Your eyes moved back down to Steve when he called out your name.

"A picnic at night?" you questioned with a smile, "Now that's not your average date." Walking closer to him he holds his hand out to you and gently pulls you to the ground next to him. You and Steve unwrap your food and eat in silence, the tiredness from the day catching up to you. Until you out of nowhere you perk up with a random question, "Have you ever drawn the night sky?"

He looks at you a bit confused. So, you try to clarify. "Like have you ever drawn the moon, the stars, a comet flying in the background, maybe the shadows of some Christmas trees and mountains?" He seems to be understanding what you mean and chews quickly to reply.

"Yes, I have. I was sitting at my window when I got hit with sudden inspiration and pulled out my sketchbook. That night I not only drew the sky, but I also drew a picture of a very beautiful star which I also saw from my window." "How do you draw a star? Especially one which you saw outside." you asked, your mouth full. That made Steve chuckle, even more so when you covered your mouth to chew, hiding your grin.

"It was easy," he said, leaning in a bit closer. "I drew you." This time it was not the captain who blushed, it was you. You could feel your cheeks slightly hot and faintly hurting. Since your hands were filled with food, you leaned forward rested your head on his chest with a soft thump.

You softly squealed into his chest which elicited a deep laugh from him, whose vibrations you could feel. You looked up at him and he pulled you closer with his free hand. "I draw you quite often. Every time I look at you, I feel inspired to draw your portrait and have the urge to frame it on my bedroom walls. My favourite picture of you that I have drawn it one where you are laughing. I added a flower to it, an amaryllis tucked behind your ear."

At this point you were just looking at him with utmost adoration. He was looking straight while talking but your eyes were glued to him and how he looked while talking about drawing you. When he finished and set his gaze back on you, the two ended up just looking at each other. The electricity could be felt and the urge to move up a little was there, it didn't feel like the right time, so you settled for tilting your forehead against his, noses touching.

The moment felt like it was going forever but eventually you both finished eating, packed up and drove back to the compound. He walked you to your room and just before leaving you he gave you a soft kiss on your cheek before bidding you goodnight. Just before he disappeared behind his own door you said, "I enjoyed spending time with you Steve. I wanna do it again."

"How about we make a bet?"

Rest assured you were squealing into your pillow for the rest of the night.

A/N- So after working on this forever (September 20, 2022) I have finally been able to post. I am in the middle of writing 4 different posts rn and have started exams (i have a paper in a few hours). Just wanted to gift my 60-something followers a fic so that they know I have not died.

Apologies if i accidentally mentioned any specific pronouns for the reader, please let me know if i do, i will make the changes.

[woso-dreamzzz]

Magda try to teach Princesse other sport but always fail if it involve ball's because Princess would catch it with her hand instead even though it's tennis ball

She tries cricket too but Princesse refuses to bat and just tries to catch the ball instead. Princesse is literally only happy playing ball games if it involves her catching the ball every time

[legallysoup]

26.10.23 - thursday, jeudi, torsdag 13/31 of the studyblr community challenge

first image is so real though. im so tired. is this burnout? (credits to whoever made the image, i couldn't find the original i got it off pinterest 😭). at least tomorrow is a friday.

things i did today:

🌼all my french textbook work 🌼more economics definitions 🌼i got reassigned a mineral bc my old one had no content at all 🌼researched said new mineral

things i will try to do tomorrow:

🍃more of my research 🍃finalise a design for mineral cat 🍃plan a gift (its important :))

things i did for me today:

🌧️played a bit of cricket (is my australian showing?) 🌧️ate lots of m&ms, essential for the soul 🌧️played a couple of brain games

day thirteen: do you have an 'aesthetic'? if so, what it is?

so on this blog it's not very well defined but it's currently greenish light academia. in real life im a strange mix of dark academia, downtown girl and goblincore? i dont really know what i am so. there are so many aesthetics i would love to be and that i have the personality for, but looking the part is interesting lol.

someone said i had good batting stance even though i haven't played in years, so that was cool even though i missed a bunch of balls i. i found another stash of m&ms so yes chocolate ahahhahahah. the gift im planning for wont be needed for a while but if i dont start thinking about it ill forget and procrastinate then feel bad so. this is important.

love you all pookies <3

[school56df]

Cricketing Giants Collide: Notable ODI encounters between South Africa and West Indies Analyzing Face-Offs

 The cricketing competition among  Notable ODI encounters between South Africa and the West Indies is one characterized by way of exhilarating suits, dramatic moments, and the display of extremely good expertise. Both groups have wealthy histories and have contributed notably to the game, every bringing their particular patterns and flair to the sport. This contention, even though not as longstanding as a few others in cricket, has furnished lovers with numerous memorable encounters.

Historical Context

South Africa and West Indies historical cricket rivalry The West Indies, a group representing a group of Caribbean international locations, commenced making their mark on global cricket within the early 1900s, but it become inside the Seventies and Eighties that they definitely ruled the sport. Their group, beneath the captaincy of Clive Lloyd and later Vivian Richards, changed into acknowledged for its aggressive batting, speedy bowling assault, and typical dominance in world cricket. During this period, the West Indies had been in reality unbeatable, showcasing a number of the quality skills the sport has ever visible.

South Africa’s tour of West Indies 2024 itinerary cricketing adventure, then again, turned into marked with the aid of a long duration of isolation due to the apartheid regime. The country was banned from international cricket from 1970 to 1991. After rejoining the cricketing fold in 1991, South Africa speedy hooked up itself as a major pressure in international cricket. With players like Allan Donald, Hansie Cronje, and later, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers, South Africa brought a brand new degree of competitiveness to the game.

Early Encounters

The first Test fit between South Africa and the West Indies occurred in 1992, shortly after South Africa's return to international cricket. The series was considerable as it marked South Africa’s reentry into the worldwide cricketing area. The West Indies, led by way of their bold group, had been a robust test for the newly reintegrated South Africans.

In that series, South Africa won the primary Test suit at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, putting the tone for a competitive series. The West Indies bounced again in the 2d Test, demonstrating their resilience. The collection ended in a 2-1 victory for the West Indies, with the fits showcasing the excessive degree of ability and competitive spirit that would define future encounters among the two teams.

Key Players and Performances

Over the years, each groups have been domestic to some of the finest cricketers inside the world. For the West Indies, players like Brian Lara, who holds the document for the highest individual score in Test cricket (four hundred not out), were crucial. Lara's performances towards South Africa had been frequently sport-changers, as he might consistently score massive runs and positioned the opposition below pressure.

Similarly, for South Africa, gamers like Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn were instrumental of their cricketing achievement. Kallis, one of the greatest all-rounders within the history of cricket, has been a key figure in severa fits towards the West Indies, contributing with each bat and ball. Dale Steyn, recognized for his competitive speedy bowling, has often been the spearhead of South Africa's attack, supplying crucial breakthroughs and dismantling opposition batting line-ups.

Notable Matches

Several memorable suits have described the South Africa-West Indies rivalry. One such sport became the Test suit in Cape Town in 1999. South Africa, led through their captain Hansie Cronje, chased down a challenging target of 369 runs set by the West Indies. The suit is remembered for its dramatic end and the resilience proven by way of the South African crew.

In the One Day International (ODI) layout, the 2003 Cricket World Cup encounter among South Africa and the West Indies is in particular great. The healthy, held at Newlands in Cape Town, saw South Africa secure a win with the aid of a margin of 3 wickets. This victory changed into essential for South Africa, because it showcased their capacity to carry out beneath pressure in excessive-stakes games.

Another iconic fit turned into the T20 World Cup game in 2009, where the West Indies, led with the aid of their captain Darren Sammy, controlled to steady a win in opposition to South Africa. This in shape changed into sizeable as it highlighted the West Indies' prowess within the T20 layout, in the end leading them to win the event.

The Modern Era

In latest years, the contention has persevered to be aggressive, although the nature of the contests has evolved with modifications in the game. South Africa has remained a strong force in international cricket, whilst the West Indies have skilled a extra fluctuating period. Despite this, encounters between the 2 groups are always predicted with exhilaration.

The evolution of the sport, consisting of the upward push of T20 leagues like the IPL and CPL, has added a new measurement to the rivalry. Players from both teams now frequently compete towards every other in these leagues, adding a layer of intrigue to their international encounters. The affect of these leagues has delivered a new fashion of play, blending aggressive batting with modern strategies, which regularly reflects inside the worldwide video games.

Impact and Legacy

The South Africa-West Indies  cricket live streaming options contention has had a considerable effect on the game of cricket. It has contributed to the development of the game by using showcasing numerous kinds of play and introducing fanatics to tremendous cricket. The matches among these  teams have regularly been a show of skill, method, and sportsmanship.

Both groups have a rich legacy of manufacturing cricketing legends and providing enthusiasts with thrilling matches. Their encounters continue to be a spotlight of international cricket, celebrated for their competitive spirit and the excessive level of performance.