#Final Mile Logistics
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khusitms · 4 months ago
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Best Last Mile Delivery Solutions
nuVizz- Discover the best last mile delivery solutions designed to optimize your final mile logistics. Improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction with our innovative delivery technology. Click here:- https://nuvizz.com/solutions/last-mile-delivery-platform/
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lmdmax · 5 months ago
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As a fleet operator, you know that the true power of your business lies not just in the vehicles you run, but in how reliably and efficiently those vehicles are kept on the move. This is where preventive maintenance steps in as a critical, yet often underrated hero. By ensuring that your fleet undergoes regular checks and maintenance, you can significantly reduce unexpected breakdowns and enhance operational efficiency. Let’s delve into why embracing a proactive maintenance strategy isn't just an option but a necessity for modern fleet management.
The Importance of Regular Maintenance:
Routine maintenance might seem like an added expense or a time-consuming task, but its role in preventing costly repairs and downtime cannot be overstated. By regularly checking and servicing your vehicles, you can catch issues before they turn into major problems, ensuring that your fleet remains safe, reliable, and ready to handle the demands of the road.
Challenges in Fleet Maintenance: Many fleet operators face common hurdles that can impede the effectiveness of their maintenance programs:
Unpredictable Breakdowns: These can cause significant disruptions, leading to delayed deliveries and increased operational costs.
Inconsistent Service Quality: Depending on external services can sometimes mean varied quality in maintenance, which may not always meet the necessary standards.
Complex Record Keeping: Managing and tracking the maintenance history of numerous vehicles can be cumbersome and error-prone.
Streamlining Operations with Advanced Solutions:
As technology evolves, so do solutions to these age-old challenges. Advanced preventive maintenance services now offer comprehensive benefits that can revolutionize fleet management:
Automated Scheduling: Technology can predict when maintenance is due, scheduling services at the optimal time without human intervention.
Quality Assurance: With standardized service protocols, fleets are guaranteed high-quality maintenance.
Digital Recordkeeping: Modern systems can keep detailed logs of each vehicle's maintenance history, accessible from anywhere, which simplifies management and compliance.
Introducing LMDmax’s Preventive Maintenance & Repair Service:
We at LMDmax which is in the FMC network proudly present our Preventive Maintenance and Repair Service. With our local presence near your station having a team of certified technicians, we ensure your vehicles remain operational, efficient, and prevent downtime.
Here’s how we make it happen:
Guaranteed Repair Coverage:Thanks to Amazon coverage, 3,000+ covered repairs are FREE, ensuring you don’t spend a penny out of pocket.
Automated Monitoring & Scheduling: Our systems keep a vigilant eye on your fleet, scheduling maintenance as needed without disrupting your operations.
On-Site Service During Off-Peak Hours: We perform maintenance when it least affects your business, maintaining high productivity.
Evidence of Work: We provide transparent documentation of all work done, so you’re always in the loop.
Centralized Repair Logs: All repair and maintenance records are stored in one easy-to-access place, making management a breeze.
Conclusion:
Preventive maintenance is an essential strategy for any fleet-dependent business looking to boost efficiency and reliability. By choosing a partner like LMDmax, you leverage cutting-edge technology and expert service that keeps your vehicles—and your business—running smoothly. Connect with us to learn how we can help you transform your fleet management for the better.
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logistiservices · 1 year ago
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Navigating the Final Stretch: Unraveling Last-Mile Delivery and Its Impact on Retailers
In the fast-paced realm of e-commerce, the journey from a click to a doorstep is an intricate dance, and the final act is orchestrated by the vital concept of last-mile delivery. This phase, often underestimated in its complexity, holds immense significance for retailers. Join us as we demystify last-mile delivery and explore what it means for the future of retail.
Understanding Last-Mile Delivery
The Last Stretch of the Journey
Last-mile delivery, as the name suggests, is the final leg of a product's journey from a distribution center or fulfillment hub to the end consumer's doorstep. It's the bridge between a completed transaction and a satisfied customer.
The Crucial Time Factor
What sets last-mile delivery apart is its time sensitivity. Consumers, now accustomed to the convenience of swift deliveries, place a premium on speed. The efficiency of this last stretch can make or break the overall customer experience.
The Evolution of Last-Mile Transportation Services
1. Technology Integration
Modern last mile transportation services are embracing cutting-edge technology. From route optimization algorithms to GPS tracking, technology ensures that each delivery is not just timely but also transparent.
2. Sustainability Initiatives
As environmental concerns come to the forefront, last-mile delivery logistics solutions are evolving to incorporate sustainability initiatives. Electric vehicles, eco-friendly packaging, and optimized routes contribute to a greener final mile delivery logistics solutions.
3. Collaborative Solutions
last mile delivery logistics solutions often involve collaborative efforts between retailers, logistics providers, and technology companies. The integration of these entities ensures a seamless and efficient last-mile experience.
What Last-Mile Delivery Means for Retailers
1. Customer Satisfaction
In the age of instant gratification, timely deliveries translate to satisfied customers. Last-mile efficiency directly impacts the customer's perception of the brand and their likelihood to make future purchases.
2. Brand Loyalty
Retailers that excel in last-mile delivery build brand loyalty. When customers can rely on the swift and dependable delivery of their orders, they are more likely to choose the same retailer for future transactions.
3. Competitive Edge
In a competitive market, the efficiency of last-mile delivery can be a differentiator. Retailers that offer fast and reliable last-mile services gain a competitive edge, attracting and retaining customers in a crowded marketplace.
Conclusion
As we traverse the intricate landscape of e-commerce, last-mile delivery emerges as the defining factor in the retailer-consumer relationship. The evolution of last-mile transportation services and logistics solutions reflects the industry's commitment to meeting the demands of the modern consumer. For retailers, recognizing the pivotal role of last-mile delivery is not just a strategic choice; it's an investment in customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, and a competitive future. The final stretch is not just a logistical challenge; it's the gateway to lasting success in the dynamic world of retail.
For Original Post Content: - https://guestblogsposting.com/navigating-the-final-stretch-unraveling-last-mile-delivery-and-its-impact-on-retailers/
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last-mile-logistics · 1 year ago
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3 Best Brushes to Use For Painting a House
Painting your home can be a fantastic way to refresh its look and bring new life to the faded siding. Although you may have already chosen the perfect paint for your house-painting project, your choice of brushes will be just as important.
The best brushes to use for painting a house will be those that match the material you’re painting as well as the type of paint you choose. Because paints differ, and home exteriors can be made of different materials, including wood, vinyl and stucco, there is no one-size-fits-all brush.
Before you break out the paint and get to work, consider the following three brushes to use for painting a house:
Nylon Paint Brushes
Nylon paint brushes are very common, and you can find them at your local paint store or through your paint delivery company. Nylon brushes are usually best for water-based paints, and fortunately, most exterior home paints are water-based acrylic. These types of paints dry quickly, but you can fix mistakes using water and a rag as long as you get to them quickly enough, making water-based acrylics and nylon brushes a popular combination for DIY enthusiasts.
Natural Bristle Brushes
Natural bristle paintbrushes are made using animal hair, often from hogs, horses and even squirrels. These types of brushes work well for oil-based paints. Though most exterior home paints you purchase at your local hardware store will not be oil-based, you may ask your paint delivery company about procuring some if you want to take advantage of the durable nature of oil-based paint.
Polyester-Hybrid Brushes
Polyester is a type of fabric material that is man-made, and its synthetic nature allows it to stand up to tough paint jobs. In many cases, polyester paint brushes will be mixed with either nylon or natural bristles, and the resulting hybrid makes it easy to smooth paint along various types of surfaces. These brushes often last quite a while as long as they are taken care of, and this is good news if you have a large house to paint that may take days or weeks to finish.
Read a similar article about what is fleet insurance here at this page.
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amirasainz · 2 months ago
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Can you do reader is Landos sister and she’s his whole world but she’s away at school and she surprises lando at a race?
Of course!!! I hope you like this.
Send me some requests and enjoy reading
-XoXo
Little Norris
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It was no secret within the paddock that Lando Norris’ favorite person in the entire world was his younger sister, YN. No matter the context—be it interviews, casual conversations, or even playful banter with other drivers—Lando always found a way to bring her up.
The paddock had grown accustomed to hearing him wistfully complain about how much he missed her, and how unfair it was that she was stuck at school, unable to attend the races.
Sadly, this wasn’t just an exaggerated tale; YN was enrolled in St. Paul’s Girls’ School, a prestigious all-girls school in London, where students could only visit their families during weekends and holidays.
However, YN’s academic commitments were so demanding that even those weekends were usually spent buried in books, only leaving the school for holiday visits. Lando’s ever-busy Formula 1 schedule certainly didn’t make things any easier.
So, it came as no surprise to Oscar when Lando began lamenting once again about how much he missed his baby sister.
“I just don’t get why she still has to go to school. It’s miles away, and she can’t even come home on the weekends,” Lando groaned, his expression a mix of frustration and longing. “The last time I saw her was in February, Oscar. FEBRUARY. Can you believe that?”
Oscar, who had heard variations of this complaint countless times before, only raised an eyebrow and responded with a calm, “Really?” knowing full well that Lando wasn’t done yet.
“And to top it off,” Lando continued, his voice rising in exasperation, “I tried calling her yesterday. And instead of picking up, she sent me to voicemail. Voicemail, Oscar! Why would she do that? Do you think she’s mad at me? Oh no, what if Mum finally told her I was the one who ate the last cupcake at Christmas? She’ll never forgive me!”
Oscar couldn’t help but chuckle at Lando’s melodramatic worry, but the constant whining had begun to wear on him. Finally, he placed both hands on Lando’s shoulders, spinning him around to face him directly.
“Lando, relax. I’m pretty sure your mum didn’t tell her about the cupcake incident,” Oscar said, trying to suppress a smile. “She’s probably just busy studying. You know how much school means to her.”
Before Lando could cut him off with another complaint, Oscar pressed on. “Look, we all know how much you adore YN, and you’d probably move mountains to keep her by your side. But you’ve got to understand—she enjoys school. She loves hanging out with her friends, and she’s passionate about her classes. She’s smart, Lando, and she adores you just as much as you adore her. So don’t go saying silly things like this. You know it would make her feel bad.”
Lando let out a deep sigh, the usual playful glint in his eyes dulled by a hint of sadness. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he mumbled, his pout still intact as he was called away by one of the McLaren mechanics.
He gave Oscar a grateful, albeit slightly sheepish, smile before walking off towards the garage.
Oscar watched his teammate disappear into the distance, and once Lando was far enough away, he exhaled deeply, the weight of the secret he’d been holding onto starting to lift. No one had ever told him that lying—even for a good cause—could be so exhausting.
Because, of course, Oscar hadn’t been entirely honest. He was well aware of just how much Lando missed his sister. In fact, he’d spent weeks meticulously planning a surprise that would, if all went smoothly, bring YN right to Lando’s side.
After countless emails, flight arrangements, and some help from McLaren’s logistics team, Oscar had managed to fly 17-year-old YN out to Azerbaijan for the next Grand Prix.
The plan was to keep her arrival under wraps until after qualifying, ensuring Lando could focus on the race without the overwhelming distraction of knowing his favorite person was already there. The last thing anyone wanted was for him to lose focus during such a crucial part of the weekend.
While Lando busied himself with free practice sessions, YN was out exploring the local markets with some of the McLaren team’s family members. She was set to return to the paddock just as Q1 began, hidden away in the garage until the perfect moment.
Oscar had envisioned Lando’s face lighting up with pure joy, his usual calm demeanor shattered by the surprise.
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But things didn’t go quite as planned.
Qualifying that day turned out to be a disaster for Lando. From the very first lap, nothing seemed to go right. He struggled with the car’s balance, fought the understeer in nearly every corner, and couldn’t extract the pace he needed. Sector after sector, frustration built. The radio was filled with agitated comments, and by the end of Q1, he had been knocked out of qualifying altogether, missing the cutoff for Q2 by mere fractions of a second.
When he climbed out of the car, his body language said it all. Lando was livid—frustrated with the car, with himself, and with the result.
His helmet visor remained down longer than usual, as if he wanted to hide his disappointment from the world.
His walk back to the garage was slow, shoulders slumped, as mechanics and engineers exchanged worried glances but kept their distance. No one dared say a word.
Once inside the team’s motorhome, Lando stormed off to his driver’s room, eager for a moment alone. The air in the narrow hallway was thick with tension, and Oscar watched him go as his teammate finally ripped of his helmet, his heart sinking.
He knew Lando was hard on himself, but he also knew what awaited him on the other side of that door.
Lando opened the door to his driver’s room with a frustrated push, expecting to collapse onto the couch and stew in his disappointment. But as soon as he stepped inside, his breath caught in his throat. Standing in the middle of the room, a small, warm smile on her face, was YN.
“Surprise,” she said softly, her eyes twinkling as she took in her brother’s shocked expression.
For a split second, Lando didn’t move. He just stood there, staring at her, as if his brain needed a moment to catch up with what his eyes were seeing. Then, suddenly, it all hit him at once—the weeks of missing her, the frustration of the race weekend, the love he felt for his little sister—and his eyes immediately filled with tears.
“YN...” His voice cracked as he whispered her name.
Without another word, Lando rushed forward and pulled YN into a tight hug, burying his face into her shoulder as if he were afraid she might vanish if he let go.
His arms wrapped around her protectively, squeezing her like a lifeline. YN, used to Lando’s emotional side, simply hugged him back, gently running a hand through his hair.
“I missed you so much,” Lando mumbled into her shoulder, his voice muffled but thick with emotion. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“I missed you too, Lan,” YN whispered, a soft laugh escaping her. “Oscar helped organize it. He said you’ve been whining about me non-stop.”
Lando laughed, a watery chuckle escaping him as he finally pulled back to look at her, his hands still resting on her shoulders. His eyes were red and glassy, but his smile was the brightest it had been in weeks.
“You have no idea how much better this makes everything,” he said, his voice still shaky with emotion. “I had the worst qualifying. But... you're here now.”
YN smiled at him, brushing a tear from his cheek. “I’m sorry I missed qualifying, but I’m here for the race tomorrow. We’ll celebrate then, okay?”
Lando nodded, pulling her back into another tight hug, resting his chin on top of her head. “I don’t care about the race right now,” he muttered, his voice soft. “I’m just happy you’re here.”
For the next few minutes, they simply stayed like that, wrapped up in each other, the world outside forgotten.
Lando’s earlier frustrations seemed to evaporate, replaced by a warmth that only YN could bring him. He felt calmer, more grounded, like a weight had been lifted from his chest.
Eventually, there was a knock on the door, and Oscar poked his head in with a cheeky grin. “You okay in here? Thought I’d check in before I’m accused of kidnapping your sister.”
Lando turned around, still holding YN close, and flashed Oscar a grateful smile. “Mate, I don’t even know what to say. You’ve made my year.”
Oscar laughed, stepping into the room. “I figured you could use a pick-me-up. I was getting tired of the constant whining.”
Lando rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips. “Okay, okay, I get it.”
Suddenly, Lando’s mood shifted entirely, the disappointment from qualifying now a distant memory.
His eyes sparkled with excitement. “Right, we need to introduce you to everyone!” He glanced down at YN, who chuckled in response.
“I’ve already met some of them,” she teased, “but I’m sure they’ll appreciate your grand tour.”
“Trust me, it’s different when I introduce you,” Lando said proudly, his arm slung around her shoulders. He led her out of the room, a new energy in his step as if the earlier qualifying session had never even
With his little sister by his side, the world already looked a lot brighter than it did that morning.
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fast-van · 2 years ago
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Implementing a logistics management software solution is easier than it first appears. Although full implementation of the system may take some time, the rewards for your company will be substantial. A logistics management solution will allow you to see more of what's going on in your supply chain, spend less on storage, and keep your stock under tighter monitoring.
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Honey Girl. Chapter Six.
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Chapter One. Chapter Two. Chapter Three. Chapter Four. Chapter Five. Chapter Seven. Chapter Eight. Chapter Nine. Chapter Ten. Series Masterlist. The Playlist.
Chapter Synopsis - You finally start to appreciate the happiness that having a soulmate brings.
Pairing - Dad'sBestFriend!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader - soulmate au
Warnings - smut. cursing. alcohol consumption. so much fluff.
Age Rating - 18+
Word Count - 5k
Author's Note - the sixth installment!! thank you to everyone who voted in my poll - I listened, and decided to make this chapter as sweet as pie, because I think we all need it. it's nice to have a little break from the angst. just a liiiiittle break though. a tiny one. as always, thank you for all of your love and support and enthusiasm and patience and kindness towards this story. so much love for every one of you. <3
as always, reblogs, comments and feedback (even anonymous feedback) are immensely appreciated!! your reblogs are the only way to circulate my fics, which keeps me going <3
Masterlist. Inbox.
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"Are you happy?"
You stretch your feet further into the sand and sit up, wiggling to get comfortable on the picnic blanket.
"That's a big question to start with."
Stella laughs and closes her notebook, deciding to take a different route than originally planned.
"I just mean... be honest with me. I'm not gonna be offended if you say no."
"Do you think I'm gonna say no?"
"Do you always have to answer my questions with questions?"
You tilt your head and watch her, smiling softly.
"I thought this was supposed to be an employee performance review."
"You're not my employee and you know it."
Both of you laugh, the sound whipped away by the sea breeze.
"Then what am I, Stella?" you chuckle.
"You're basically my partner. Come on, we've done all of this together. You helped me build this business from the ground up - I couldn't have done it without you."
You go to protest, so she continues.
"I think you should be. My partner, that is. Obviously there's logistics to work out, but it'd be fifty fifty. You and I, co-owners. It doesn't feel right to me that you're my 'employee'. I'm not your boss. We're equals."
Your mind is running a mile a minute, trying to process what Stella's asking of you. Being her business partner is an opportunity you know is rare and incredibly special - and it could potentially set you up for life - but you can't help but think about the fact it's a big commitment. About home. About Bucky.
"You don't have to answer me right now - I just want you to think about it. We always talked about opening up businesses of our own. I should have asked you to be my partner at the beginning, but honestly... I didn't know if you were gonna stick around. It kinda felt like you had one foot out the door when we started."
You take a deep breath, nodding.
"Yeah. I, uh - I think I did. Don't get me wrong, I was super excited, but the idea of moving away when I felt like I'd just got home was a lot to process. I'd just settled back there, and then I was gonna be packing up all of my stuff again and shipping myself across the country. "
"I didn't realise it was so tough for you, you know. I just assumed you wouldn't mind moving. I mean, you were always up for it, back at school."
"Things changed, after I graduated. I got home, and a couple of things happened and I guess it just... turned everything upside down. Home is different now. In a good way, I think."
"You're different now, too."
You look at her carefully, half attempting to read her mind.
"How do you mean?"
"You're... more grounded. More careful. You think through everything way more than you ever did. Almost like you've realised you're not invincible anymore."
There's a feeling, when you're young, that you're indestructible. Unharmable. Broken bones mend, cuts and bruises heal, hearts and minds forget about their aches if you give them long enough.
Then one day, that feeling is gone. And you realise that you're mortal - made of flesh and blood and bones that will one day be returned to the Earth, whether you like it or not.
Meeting your soulmate is like having that realisation again, but bigger. Again, and again, and again. You don't live for yourself, anymore. You live for them. The pain they'd feel if they lost you is unfathomable, completely unimaginable.
So you become more careful. Less reckless. You drive a little slower, take things a little easier, quit your dangerous hobbies and unhealthy habits. You need to be alive for as long as possible. And you know your soulmate will do the same.
That's how you can tell a Tethered person from an Untethered one. Ask two people to go skydiving with you, and the Tethered one will tell you no. They can't risk it. It's not worth it.
Stella's right. You have realised you're not invincible anymore. You're a little more cautious when you climb ladders, you don't balance precariously on the kitchen counters anymore. You look twice when you cross the street, and don't risk it if there's a car coming and you could maybe get across.
You're also painfully aware that Bucky's older than you. He'll be turning forty in less than two years. Sure, he's not ancient, but it does mean you'll have less time together than Lacie will with Cameron, for example. And that hard truth makes you live a little less recklessly, every single day.
"I guess I just... grew up."
You're honestly not sure why you don't just tell Stella about Bucky. You know she'd understand. But there's a part of you that feels protective over what you have - territorial, even. Your Tethering is sacred, almost, and you feel the primal urge to guard it with your life. To lock it in a box and keep it away from anything that could harm it. The less people that know, the less damage that can be done. Maybe.
"I did too. The world is kinda scary now we're not in that little culinary school bubble, huh?"
"Yeah," you laugh. "We thought that was hard. Little did we know."
"Take your time, thinking about my offer. But just know that I really, really appreciate the fact that you're here. That you believed in me enough to move across the country. It means a lot."
"Of course," you say, reaching across to grab her hand. "I always believed in you, Stella. I always knew you'd do something great."
"We'd."
"Hmm?"
"We'd do something great. The two of us. Together."
"I always knew that we'd do something great," you correct.
You're starting to believe that, as time goes on. You were born to do this. You deserve to live your dreams.
Let the happiness seep through, you'd told yourself.
It finally feels like it is.
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"There's a guy here to see you."
Isabel pops her head around the door, grinning at you like she knows something you don't.
"Again?"
She nods, giggling.
"Let me guess... he's hot, tall, brown hair?"
"Bingo."
"Thanks, Isa. I'll be right out. Is it busy out there?"
"It's quieter than it was. There was a pastry rush this morning, but we're good now."
You laugh and hang up your apron, washing your hands quickly before making your way to the café.
You feel like you're having déjà vu, this situation oddly familiar.
Just like Isa said, he's stood waiting with his back to you, broad shoulders filling out his powder blue short sleeve button up.
You're excited to see Rafael again. You've been trying a new cookie recipe for his sister, and you're eager to get him to try it. You're mentally making a note to buy a nice box to put them in when you feel it.
The lights get a little brighter, the colours a little more vibrant. The tightness in your chest eases, allowing you to take a full, deep breath. You can suddenly hear the birds outside singing, melodies drifting through the open doors like a summer breeze.
The man turns around, and it's not Rafael.
It's Bucky.
You're moving before you can even process it, running and jumping into his arms. You inhale, revelling in his familiar scent. He's here. Your happiness has arrived.
"Surprise," he laughs quietly into your ear. "Miss me, honey girl?"
You beam a grin at him, pulling away to look at his handsome face.
"More than you'll ever know."
"Oh, I know. I feel it."
He places a hand over his heart gently, looking at you with pure adoration.
"What are you doing here?"
"It's been a month since your Mom's birthday. A month since I've seen your pretty face. A month too long."
You roll your eyes jokingly, so he continues.
"You don't mind that I'm here, do you? Because I'll go, if it's too much for you. I know me showing up unannounced is a lot to process."
"Don't go," you reply quickly, grabbing his hand. "I want you here, Buck. More than anything."
He leans in and presses his lips to yours, cradling your face in his warm hands. The background of the café melts away, the man in front of you the only thing that matters.
You pull away and smile at him, pressing your forehead into his gently.
"Come back to the kitchen with me. Let's get away from all the noise."
You grab his hand and pull him with you, ignoring the excited giggling from Isabel behind the counter.
Bucky perches against a counter, leaning back to allow you to stand in between his legs. You wrap your arms around his neck and peck his lips, stealing kisses in between giddy smiles.
"I hope you weren't expecting a day full of super exciting adventures. I've got a list full of stuff I've got to get finished by closing."
"Honey, I'm more than content to stay here and watch you work. There's nothing I love more than watching you bake."
You run your fingertips over his face carefully, gently tracing his features as you look at him.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I don't care what we do, as long as we're together."
You wrap your arms around his middle, holding him as tightly as you can.
"I feel like I hit the soulmate jackpot," you whisper.
"No one's as lucky as I am," he whispers back. "Now, come on. Let me see you work your magic."
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Bucky, it turns out, makes a damn good assistant.
Instead of just watching, he volunteers to help in whatever way he can. You set him onto weighing your ingredients, so you can focus on making and decorating. He takes his job very seriously, measuring down to the precise gram each time. You can't help but grin as you watch him concentrate, determined to get it right.
At lunch time, Isabel brings you both coffee and sandwiches, entering just as you're teaching Bucky how to properly fold in ingredients.
"Sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"You could never. Isa, this is Bucky. Buck, this is Isabel. Our best waitress."
He holds out his floury hand for her to shake.
"It's nice to meet you, Isabel. I've heard a lot about you."
"You have?"
Her eyes light up as she looks at you, fighting the smile off her face.
"My honey talks about you all the time."
Isabel glances between the two of you, clearly trying to figure things out.
"And you two are..."
"Soulmates," you say at the same time as Bucky does.
Her jaw drops for a moment, before she laughs.
"Yeah. That makes a lot of sense, actually."
You roll your eyes at her lovingly before Stella's voice calls her name from out front.
"I better go. But me and you are gonna talk about this later."
"Fine," you laugh.
"Nice to meet you!" Bucky shouts after her, pressing a kiss to your temple. "I like that we're just telling people now."
"Yeah, me too, actually. I thought it'd be scary, but... it feels right."
He slings an arm around your middle, pulling you into his side.
"We've still got the two most important people left to tell."
Your muscles tense and Bucky feels it instantly, running his thumb in patterns over your hip gently.
"I've been thinking about it a lot. I'm almost ready, Buck. We can't avoid it forever. Next time I'm home, I think we should do it. We should tell them."
Bucky hooks two fingers under your chin, forcing you to look at him.
"Are you sure? Once we tell them, we can't undo it. We'll only do it if you're one hundred percent sure."
"I'll be ready when the time comes. It'll be a huge weight off of both of our shoulders, which I think we both need."
"Okay then," he says, kissing your forehead. "Next time you're home."
Isabel clears her throat from the doorway, smiling sheepishly.
"I can't believe I'm saying this again, but... there's a guy here to see you."
You laugh, untangling yourself from Bucky with a kiss to his cheek.
"Send him through. Thanks, Isa."
The man you were originally expecting to see this morning walks into the kitchen, envelopes in his hand.
"Hey!"
"Hey, Rafael."
He gives you a quick hug, before waving at Bucky.
"Hey, man. You've gotta be the soulmate, right?"
Bucky chuckles, coming over to shake Raf's hand.
"Yeah, that's me. How'd you know?"
"Are you kidding? You can feel it the minute you walk into the room. There's like, electricity in here."
You laugh, hiking yourself up to sit on the counter. Bucky stands next to you, arms crossed over his broad chest.
"Here," Rafael says, handing you an envelope. "We're having a gala next month, for the charity that has supported my sister. We'd love it if you could come - and bring your date too, of course."
"I'd love to," you say as you read the invitation. "Do you need me to bring anything? You know I'll happily make something, if you guys need it."
"You would?"
"Absolutely! I could bring a cake, if you like? I haven't done a proper, three tiered cake in forever. I'd love to."
"That'd be... amazing. Seriously. We just want to raise as much money as possible."
"Of course. Thanks for these, Raf. How is she?"
"She's okay. She's getting a tiny bit stronger every day, and that's all we can really ask for."
You reach a hand out to squeeze his in support.
"You know where I am if you need anything."
"Of course. Thank you, so much. I've gotta run - I've got like a hundred of these invites to deliver. But I'll see you at the weekend?"
"For sure. See you, Raf!"
"Nice to meet you, Bucky."
"You too, man. Take care."
Isa shows Rafael out of the door, winking at you on her way out.
"Damn, he's handsome," Bucky laughs.
"Isn't he?" you giggle. "Nothing on my soulmate though, I'm afraid."
"Shut up," he blushes, leaning in to capture your lips. "You wanna get dinner when you're done here?"
"Yes, please. I'll show you around my new apartment too."
"Can't wait."
There's not an ounce of tension in your muscles as you finish up your bakes for the day, gliding around the kitchen while Bucky stands and watches your every move.
If you could pause time, this would be when you'd do it. You'd be content to live in this moment forever.
✵  ✵    ·  ✵    *  · ✵
The minute Bucky walks through your front door, he inhales deeply. The entire place smells like you, cosy and golden.
"You like it?"
"It's gorgeous, baby. I love the windows."
He makes his way over to your kitchen, where the glass panes run from floor to ceiling. Sitting on the bench pressed against it, he takes in the view, savouring the feeling of the sun on his face.
You sit down on his lap, draping your legs over him and wrapping your arms around his neck. Nuzzling your face into his jaw, you press a kiss to the stubble, resisting the urge to lick the salt off of his skin.
"Come on," you murmur. "Let me show you my bedroom. The sun sets in that direction, so it's always beautiful in there."
You grab his hand and walk him across the apartment, swinging open the door to your room and pushing him inside.
He takes in the space for a moment before turning in your direction, striding over to smash his lips to yours. You tangle your fingers into his shirt and pull him closer, letting him slip his tongue into your mouth with ease.
Bucky leans in to trail kisses down your neck as he slips your shirt over your head, making quick work of unclasping your bra with skilled fingers. He grasps your chest in both hands, massaging gently as he nips at your throat.
"So fucking pretty," he murmurs. "Haven't stopped thinking about you since you left me."
You whine and unbutton his shirt, shrugging it off his shoulders. You're desperate to see more, desperate to feel his skin on yours, desperate to bare every inch of him.
Your fingers make deft work of his belt, sliding it from its loops and throwing it to the ground. You unpop his button and slide down the zipper, pulling his jeans off his legs in no time. You shimmy out of your skirt, leaving you both in your underwear.
The evening sun seeps through the window panes, illuminating the room in hues of orange and gold. The light hits Bucky's skin, making him glow in a halo of love and adoration.
He walks you backwards, wrapping an arm around your back to throw you onto the white sheets of your bed. Crawling over you, he settles in between your legs, pressing gentle kisses from your ankles to your inner thighs.
"The way you look when you come has been burned in my mind," he whispers. "Need to see it again. It's been too long."
He slides your underwear down your legs and wastes no time, diving into you like a man starved. He devours you, tongue never ceasing it's movements. His hands pry your thighs apart, one arm thrown over your stomach to keep you still. When your muscles start to shake, Bucky doubles down on his efforts, lapping and sucking at you like you're his lifesource.
"Oh, Buck, I'm-"
You see stars as you come, white and silver shapes flying through your vision. Bucky never stops, prolonging your release for as long as he can. When you go boneless, he ceases, pressing kisses to the inside of your knee.
"You okay?" he murmurs, moving so his body smothers yours.
"I'm good," you smile, leaning up to kiss him. You groan when you taste yourself, wrapping your legs around his waist.
"Need you, baby. Please, Buck."
"You sure?"
You smile at him, cradling his face in your hands.
"Couldn't be surer."
He dips down to lick into your mouth once more, shucking his boxers off and throwing them across the room. Slipping a condom on, he lines himself up, eyes meeting yours.
"I need you more than I need air to breathe," he murmurs. "You know that, don't you?"
"Buck," you breathe. "I've been going crazy here without you."
He goes to speak, but stops himself, instead leaning down to kiss your forehead.
"I know," you whisper. "I know."
Bucky slides home in one smooth thrust, both of you gasping. One of his hands finds your hip, the other resting against your throat as an anchor. You wrap your legs around his waist, arms snaking around his shoulders.
"Fuck me, please."
"Fuck," he groans. "I'll be replaying that in my head forever."
You chuckle breathlessly, gasping when he draws his hips back and forward again. He sets an even pace - not too fast, not too slow. He has you right where he wants you, both of your bodies in perfect synchronisity. It feels like the stars have aligned. Everything's fallen into place.
Bucky dances his fingers from your hip to your clit, rubbing firm circles. He plays you like a violin, your muscles tensing as you get closer.
"That's it, pretty girl. Fuck, you're so good for me. You close, honey? Gonna come for me again?"
You nod frantically as he picks up his pace, hips colliding with yours. He groans as you tighten around him, head dropping to rest against yours.
"Come for me, honey girl," he whispers. "Please."
Your back arches as you find your release, nails scratching at the skin of Bucky's back. The pain tips him over the edge, spilling inside of you with a deep groan. He collapses on top of you, both of your chests heaving.
"I think we're naturals at that," you chuckle hoarsely.
"You think it's the soulmate thing, or are we just that good?"
"I think we're just that good," you laugh, pushing him off your body so he lands next to you. You link your fingers with his, resting your head on his chest.
"I need a drink."
"I was just thinking that, actually. You wanna go out? Know anywhere?"
"There's a cute little bar that looks out over the cove - it has good food and good cocktails. You wanna go there?"
"I'd go anywhere with you," he affirms, pressing a kiss into your hair.
"I'd kill for a pineapple margarita right now."
Bucky sits up suddenly, bringing you with him, arms wrapped around you.
"Then let's go get my girl a pineapple margarita."
✵  ✵    ·  ✵    *  · ✵
The golden lights adorn the beams of wood above your head, the deck illuminated in the gentle glow. The ocean waves break the shore in a comfortingly repetitive motion, a calming soundtrack to the evening. You sit across from Bucky at your table for two, the sunset casting orange hues across the horizon.
"It's beautiful out here."
"Yeah," you agree, smiling. "The view is pretty good."
Your eyes haven't left his, lost in the sea blue of his irises. He chuckles, running his thumb over the back of your hand where it rests atop the table.
"This is our first date, you know."
"Really?"
"I mean, we've been 'dating' this whole time - but we've never gone out and had dinner like this. Held hands and all."
"You're right. Our first date of many, huh?"
"Our first of countless," he grins, brushing his lips over your knuckles in a gentle kiss.
"Where do my parents think you are?"
"Visiting a cousin in Nevada."
You laugh, and the sound makes Bucky light up, electricity running through his veins.
"You're a scarily good liar."
"To everyone but you."
"I used to think I was a good liar. Until I met you, that is."
Just as he's about to respond, your waitress appears, two pineapple margaritas in hand. She takes your orders and leaves, smiling at you.
"Oh, shit. She forgot to give us straws. I'm gonna grab some - be right back."
You chase her inside, tapping her shoulder gently.
"Excuse me - could I get a couple of straws, please?"
"Of course. Sorry!" she apologises, handing them to you.
"Thank you! Your shirt is so cute, by the way."
"Thanks - it's thrifted! You're gorgeous, girl. And your boyfriend is stupidly hot too. You're a pretty couple."
You thank her and laugh, returning to Bucky with a grin on your face.
"What's got you smiling?"
"The waitress called you my boyfriend."
"Huh. As much as I love the commitment... boyfriend kinda sounds like we're in ninth grade, doesn't it?"
You throw your head back, laughing with your entire being.
"That's what I thought. There's gotta be a better word. Partner? No, that makes us sound forty."
"I am almost forty."
"Oops."
Bucky rolls his eyes, but he can't wipe the blinding grin from his face. He takes out his phone and snaps a quick picture of you, admiring the way the breeze caresses your face as the setting sun beats down.
"Sneaky," you tease. "Let me see?"
He hands you the phone, letting you look through. You swipe right one too many times, and accidentally land on a picture of a blueprint laid out across a kitchen counter. His kitchen counter.
"Babe... what's this?"
You don't miss the way Bucky's cheeks heat up, blush creeping across his chest that's exposed by the V neckline of his blue button up. He stutters for a moment, before finding his footing.
"They're blueprints. Plans for a house."
"A house?"
"I want to build a house."
When you keep looking at him softly, he doubles down.
"I want to build a house for us."
Your breath hitches in your chest, the world going silent momentarily.
"You... you do?"
"My Dad worked in construction my entire childhood. I watched him build houses, apartment buildings, bungalows... everything. I've always wanted to do it, but never had reason to. Until now."
You squeeze his hand, urging him to continue.
"I've been planning it for upwards of ten years. But I'm taking it more seriously, now. Those blueprints are the final ones. It's all mapped out, down to the square inch. I've made some modifications for you, obviously."
He zooms in on the picture, pointing out areas on the plans.
"I've added a big island in the kitchen with a tonne of storage in it, for all of your supplies. I know you have that huge mixer, so I've made sure there's enough space for it to fit underneath with the doors closed."
You take a deep breath, lump in your throat forming unwillingly.
"Up here, there's a window at the top of the stairs. I've added a sketch of a bench which I'll upholster, so you can sit and read in the sunlight."
Tangling your legs with his under the table, you urge him to continue.
"I've also made sure there's a balcony off the master bedroom that overlooks the garden. I know how much you love sitting on yours in your apartment at home. There's probably like a hundred more little modifications for you, but those are just a few."
Tears are running down your cheeks freely, emotion escaping you like a flash flood.
"Bucky..."
"If it's too much too soon, please tell me. I won't be offended, baby. I know it's a lot."
"It's perfect."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
You jump up from your seat and around the table, throwing yourself into his lap to kiss him happily.
"I can't wait to build a house with you, Buck."
He grins at you, joy radiating off him in waves.
"Buck?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
He blinks back tears for a second, processing the words he's been waiting to hear for what feels like an eternity.
"I love you too, honey girl. My pretty baby."
He leans in to kiss you tenderly, the rest of the world melting away. It feels like it's just the two of you, floating on cloud nine.
Suddenly, you get it. You understand why people say this is the greatest thing that'll ever happen.
It is. They were right all along.
✵  ✵    ·  ✵    *  · ✵
After several pineapple flavoured cocktails and a taco or four, you and Bucky take a slow stroll home, hand in hand along the sidewalk.
"You wanna have a sleepover tonight?" you ask, digging your heels into the ground to stop yourself from skipping with glee.
"Can't think of anything I want more," he chuckles.
You walk a little while longer, content to bask in the comfortable silence.
"Guess what happened a few days ago."
"What, honey?"
"Stella asked me to be her business partner."
He stops where he is, turning to face you but never letting go of your hand.
"Wait, really?"
"Mhmmm."
"And how do you feel about that?"
"I was unsure, at first. But I'm going to do it. I've been thinking about this for a while, actually. We had to take a business class in culinary school, and I actually learned a lot. I've had a business plan for the future of the café drafted up for months. Numbers, locations, investors, everything. I'm really serious about this, you know."
He's gazing at you like you hung the moon, eyes bright and adoring.
You sit down on a bench, looking out over the coastal path. Bucky joins you, arm heavy over your shoulders.
"I can't stay here."
His head whips around.
"Baby..."
"I mean it, Buck. I like this city, I do, but I just can't settle. It feels like a placeholder until I can go home. And it's not fair to Stella, if it feels like I'm half in half out."
He goes to speak, but you're on a roll.
"I'm suggesting that we franchise the business. It's the logical next step anyway, it was just a matter of choosing the right location. I'm proposing somewhere a hell of a lot closer to home. To you. To my parents. And that means we'll have one branch on the east coast, and one on the west. We can start filling the middle, in the future."
"Are you... are you sure?"
"I've never been surer of anything, James Buchanan Barnes. I wanna start my life with you. Telling my parents, building a house, furthering my career. I'm ready, now."
Bucky grabs your face in his warm hands, kissing you with more passion than you ever thought possible. It's all the answer you need.
"I want you to read over my plan, when we get back to my place. But it's tight, Buck. I've been perfecting it for months. There's no way Stella can say no - I've made it so she won't want to. Besides, she just wants me to be happy. And this... this will make me happy. Happy beyond words."
Bucky stands up, wrapping his arms around your middle to bring you with him. He spins you around, laughing when you squeal in surprise.
"I'm so proud of you, honey baby. I love you so much."
"I love you," you grin. "More than I ever thought possible."
Bucky practically carries you home, both of you giddy on excitement and hope.
You wake up tangled in his arms, sunlight beaming down onto your skin through the open window. Happiness, you think. It's finally here.
Happiness. It's finally here.
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eyeless-cunt · 26 days ago
Text
KINKTOBER DAY 12
PROMPT: Monsterfucking
CREEP: Slenderman
Word Count: 3.4k (no comments allowed, shut mouth)
CW: 18+ Sexual Content, Tentacles, Dub-Con, Outside Sex, Creampie (SHUT MOUTH), Slender is 10x monsterified, I'm talking we're straight up 8 pages in this motherfucker. Biblically Accurate Slender y'all. Is this technically not creepypasta anymore and actually 8 pages? Or is it both … It's actually something new me tinks. idk. just fuck him bruh.
KINKTOBER '24 MASTERLIST
You were carefully considering the idea that you were finally going mad. There could be no other explanation for you getting yourself into this situation. At any point you could have revisited the plan and thought, “this seems like it could get me killed.” At some point during the planning you could have considered the logistics of getting out alive. But you didn't. Instead, you stood here now in the woods with a dim flashlight and a crumpled paper in hand.
You'd been finding them stuck to trees, and 4 pages later you were starting to finally reconsider your venture. You stared down at the paper that was dirty with a sort of grime mixed with…something. You weren't entirely convinced the something wasn't blood, but it was too dark to tell for sure. As was expected by now, it was filled with charcoal drawings of various symbols and eerie warnings.
‘IT’S ALWAYS WATCHING’
“Right…,” you muttered under your breath, the idea of walking back to the car not seeming too horrible now. You hoped that whatever they believed was watching wasn't too hungry.
You rubbed at your forehead, cursing the headache that had slowly begun when you entered the forest and only gotten worse since then. It felt like static beneath your skin, a sort of numbness that had you pulling your phone out to check the time. A dark screen is the only thing that greeted you.
“Fuck, seriously?” You tsked, unsure of how the battery drained that quickly. Last you checked you had over half the battery left, so how…? A sharp crack coming from straight ahead through the trees has your head snapping up, the phone battery question phasing away to leave room for new ones.
You eye the four pages in your hand, shrugging as you begin to slowly turn around, cautiously beginning your trek back to the car. If you found some more on the way, great. If not, oh well. You'd come back another day–key word being day. Another crack, although farther away sounding, had you picking up the pace slightly. A brisk walk wasn't feeling amazing in this cold weather, but it was better than waiting around to get eaten by a bear.
The static in your head grew the further you walked, and at one point you wondered if you were walking in the correct direction. You shook the thought away, palm pressed to your forehand. How hard could walking in a straight line end up being?
The snap of a branch only a few feet away had you jumping in place, eyes wide as you stared into the dark expanse of wood before you. You pushed yourself to keep moving despite your aggravation and anxiety rising. A shrill ringing sound had begun to persist in your ears, drowning out any small sounds you should normally be able to hear.
The smell of fog had you looking around, noticing the extra chill in the air as you slow down, your thighs burning with an effort you shouldn't have had to make on the journey back. You know for sure now that you must have gotten turned around at some point. You'd been walking for what seemed like hours, but these woods shouldn't be that large. They were hardly two miles wide, and yet you hadn't found a single edge. Your head was pounding unbearably at this point, and you were permanently rubbing at your forehead in a failing attempt to calm the ache.
In the distance, a white paper rustling in the wind caught your attention. “Shit,” you whispered lowly, slowly creeping towards the paper. Despite your further time in the woods you hadn't found anymore. Yet here laid a fifth, just as filthy as the others and stuck to a tree trunk.
‘DON'T LOOK OR IT TAKES YOU’
Another warning against whatever ‘It’ was. You felt a shiver run its way down your spine, the fog from earlier persisting. You eye your surroundings, wondering if maybe you should just start screaming and hope someone comes to your rescue. One look at how the moon is still high in the sky makes you trash the idea immediately.
You fold the paper with the others in your back pocket, walking over to a stump to sit and breathe some focus back into your body. An animal's scream in the distance has you standing right back up, grabbing your dim flashlight and steadily jogging away. You switch direction for a change and head in the opposite direction of the scream–east, hoping to end whatever circle loop you were stuck in.
After only five minutes of walking you encounter another page, your headache still steadily increasing in pressure. The sound of static was ringing in your ears as you grabbed the sixth paper, eyeing it carefully.
‘NO NO NO NO NO NO–’
Your hands shake a bit as you read the page that's covered in the single word, every single ‘no’ basically ripped into the paper with the pencil tip. Whoever hung these was seriously messed up. You'd read online that people found these, but maybe your curiosity should've stayed unsated.
Flickering light sends your gaze down, immediate panicked curses spewing from your mouth as you hit the flashlight repeatedly, to no avail. It dies out anyways, leaving you stranded in the dark and alone. Despite feeling like crying, you hold it in, looking around and letting your eyes adjust to the darkness. Now focused on the space between the trees, your eyes focus on something tall in the distance. Your eyes furrow as you try to make sense of whatever it is, horror seeping into your bones as you realize it's a suit–which makes it a person. A person? No, you think, it's much too tall to be a person. The ringing in your ears reaches a crescendo as you watch it's ‘head’ turn as it watches you.
As it…watches you. Sudden realization and fear pools in your gut as you remember the long stick figure that was drawn on all the pages without fail. You thought nothing of it at the time, the doodle not even worth mentioning. Yet here it was, staring back at you with a white blank face and unusually long limbs. ‘Its always watching,’ plays in the back of your mind as your eyes tear up in horror. You're sprinting through the forest now, pure adrenaline and fear coursing through your veins and pushing you faster as you tear through branches and various bushes in your way. You hear it now, the static. It's not your headache, it's that thing.
The static grows louder as you run, and you feel the hopelessness and fear settle into your bones, knowing that means it's growing closer. A searing pain in your side has you screaming as you look down, realizing you've been slammed against a tree. You scoff as you look up and realize there's a paper stuck to this very tree. With your head pounding and screaming, you reach up and grab the seventh note. Useless, maybe.
‘CAN’T RUN’
Oh, you don't say? You gasp as you feel yourself being lifted, the burning in your side still nothing compared to the ache that's slamming against your skull walls by now. You open your eyes, trembling as you realize you're at least ten feet in the air now. A scream escapes you as you see that you're eye level with the faceless being. ‘Don’t look or it takes you,’ surfaces in your memory, prompting you to close your eyes. You open them again anyways, the fear forcing them open. You can't look away, noting how the suit the creature wears is still clean, somehow. Much cleaner than your now dirt stained clothing.
You struggle in its grasp, unsure of how you're being held as you eye its hands that stay straight at its side. A slick tendril of sorts shoots forward to hold you by the waist, halting your squirming. That's how then.
“Wha–wait, wait!” Your voice trembles as it leaves your body, panic overtaking you as you feel the tendrils that surround you begin to move. They slide up your body to snatch your hands, holding them together above you. You feel the strain on your shoulders as your body swings, sending you into hysterics. Your eyes widen in fright as its hand moves finally.
You shriek as you see it move towards you, legs kicking as it uses its hand to grab the top half of your face, blocking part of your vision. Your kicking is halted as more tendrils return to hold them in place, a shiver wracking through you as one slides its way to your waist.
“You must wish to die, human.” The sound of its voice in your head with you has you halting for a second, confused yet transfixed.
“No answer? Do you not know this tongue, after all?” You try to move, your headache easing as he speaks. Were you supposed to respond?
“Let me go,” is all you manage to get out, fear seizing your body before you could continue. Not that you were sure of what else could possibly be said.
You wait for a response, but what seems like minutes pass with you still hanging in the air limply, eyes attempting to peek behind its hand as you focus on where its eyes should be. Still, you can't gather the courage to speak again. You look up to find that the moon hasn't moved an inch. That shouldn't be possible.
“Where are we?” The question sounds weak coming from your lips, and it hangs in the air without an answer for an indefinite amount of time. Eventually, it removes its hand from your skull, the limb returning to its side.
“According to your brain, nowhere you know of, human.” Confused, you mull over its response in your head, realization washing over you like a bucket of cold water. It grabbed you for that reason, then? How much did it learn?
“Only that you're much stupider than I previously thought.” You gasp, the knowledge that it could read your mind only making you that much more fearful. The tendril on your waist tightens, causing you to whine in pain as you feel your side burn as though you're on fire. With your headache almost gone you're left to focus on that. That, and the fact that you're about ten seconds from death.
“You didn't come here to die?” It asks the question as though it doesn't know the answer. You can't even be bothered to say “obviously”, eyes searching the darkness around you as though help would be here soon.
“Why risk your life?” It continues as though it doesn't hear you cursing its existence in your head. You don't have an answer.
“Predestined, maybe.” You scoff. Well that's fucking stupid, you think. Everyone is ‘predestined’ to die, you don't have to be so goddamn pretentious about it. Your squirming only seems to bind you tighter, and eventually you have no choice but to give up and lie there, tired and limp, feeling hopeless.
“Predestined for other things, maybe.” Other things? Strangulation? Death by being eaten alive, 'maybe'? Death by fire, if this thing got creative.
A tendril moving up around your inner thigh to hold you has you flinching, warmth flooding your face as you shiver. Your face burns in embarrassment, wondering if maybe there was a possibility he missed your reaction to it. Or maybe his species doesn't have sex, or understand it for that matter. The remembrance that it can read your mind has you snapping your head down at the ground, mind racing to think about anything else. Instead of rushing to think about any number of important things like your wounds, your situation, or your inevitable and closely looming death–you instead just chant the first thing you lock eyes onto, ‘rock’ being the chant in your head. He speaks again, interrupting your steady stream of chanting.
“I’m a ‘he’ now? No longer an ‘it’. How nice.” He seems sarcastic, as though the fact that he was ever an ‘it’ to you offended him. “Chanting never does much for subconscious thoughts.” You tense, the embarrassment that was haunting you earlier coming back full force like a typhoon. You begin to chant, ‘shut up,” hoping it'll do the trick this time. His expressionless face seems unamused.
“I don't understand your shame. Are you not more worried about your death by my hands than my judgement?” You look away, realizing the absurdity of your worries, but unable to quell them all the same. Was he judging you? Or was he too worried about killing you? Neither were options you'd like to explore. A tendril slipping past your waistband has you gasping, the feeling causing your thighs to clench. He had to have done that on purpose.
“And if I did? What action would you take besides squirming in my grasp?” You balk, wondering what exactly he meant by that. Surely the attitude wasn't a species based attribute.
“Is rubbing your thighs together for a mate at any time an attribute of yours?” Your mouth drops almost comically, your eyes glaring daggers at him as you begin attempts to kick your way from his grip again. You scoff, the thought of trying to seduce a faceless, tactless, and murderous creature almost sending you into hysterics.
“And yet your body is readying itself for me all the same.” Gasping, you manage to flip him off, the tendrils wrapped around your wrist tightening as a result.
“You believe I'm a liar?” He questions, head doing the smallest tilt as his blank face stares at you. For once, you speak out loud.
“I believe you're a dick!” You shout, your attempt at kicking only serving to tire you out.
“But a liar all the same.” You scoff, wondering if he ever got tired of cryptic speech.
A tendril yanking off your shoe has you squirming yet again, watching in shock and confusion as your pants get yanked down over your hips. Your mouth opens to speak, only to clamp down on an unsavory noise that almost escapes by a pinch. You look down, finding a tendril slipped past your underwear, toying with your clit and sliding between your folds. You can't even attempt to open your mouth, legs squirming as you bite your tongue, trying your hardest to ignore the sudden but intense pleasure ricocheting through your body.
“Do you still find me to be a liar?” You can't possibly speak, the feeling he's putting you through far too much on your already overstressed mind. Your legs are forced open, and upon looking again you find yourself completely bare, but you're unsure of when that happened, your brain foggy.
‘I 'find you' to be a dick,’ you think clearly, hoping he caught it among all the thoughts that were going haywire through your head.
“And yourself the liar?” You don't bother to think up a response, only shooting a glare his way as you feel the cool air breeze past your skin, sending shivers through you.
You yelp as you feel him prodding at your entrance, wondering if he'll really take it that far. There can't be anything in it for him, can there? Was there any point in prolonging your death?
“Your mind is filled with worry. Is that an attribute of your species as well?” You scoff, deciding that attitude must certainly be hereditary for his kind. There could be no other possible way he held so much, it was practically unnatural. That, and the entirety of his existence.
Suddenly a mewl is slipping from your mouth, legs spread as you realize he's finally slipped inside you. You heat in embarrassment as you clamp your mouth shut again, trying not to roll your hips as he slides in and out of you easily. You're clenching around him, your insides practically trying to suck him back inside as he pulls out.
Despite your resistance, you find yourself letting your head fall back as another tendril joins to rub at your clit, the pleasure becoming too intense to bear stoically. You bite your lip as an orgasm builds in your core, too addicted to the way he's making you feel to beat it down.
Him pushing inside you again pushes it over the edge, the orgasm rolling through you in waves, your insides clenching onto him as it does. You can't help but whimper, the feeling pushing through you with little warning. You're breathing harshly, short pants leaving you as you hang limp and wet before him.
Movement has you turning to look downwards, only to find his hand has reached out to touch you as well. Your hips buck unwillingly as he slips a finger inside, swiping at the wetness he's left behind.
“Still, you ache?” He questions almost mockingly, and you close your eyes, shame coursing through your veins. As if that was your fault.
“Not a fault. Only an attribute.” His fingers return, pumping in and out of you steadily, your hips rolling into him for more despite your inner protests. Your mouth falls open as he hits a sweet spot, gasps and moans spilling from you now unabated. The feeling of him pulling out has you whining pitifully.
His tendrils slipping from your body catches your attention just before you begin free falling, mouth opening to squeal right as he catches you in his arms. You don't have time to question him, a burn at your entrance forcing your mouth shut as you feel what's probably him and not a tendril enter you slowly. You throw your arms around him, burying your head in the crook of his neck as the intense ache of him entering sends shocks through your body one after the other. His skin feels smooth, similar to yours. It's comforting in a way, but that thought is immediately squashed as you remember his ability.
The idea that he heard you think that despite the fact that you'll be dead by his hands immediately after this sends a feeling down your spine that's much more than merely embarrassment. Meanwhile he pushes the whole way in, the ache subsiding almost immediately as you feel him flush with all your walls. You can't help but moan at the feeling.
You hold him tighter as he rolls into you, shaking the thought away as you chase the pleasure he's giving you. It's not worth worrying about if you'll be dead soon. The only thing you have the capacity to worry about at this moment is cumming around his length.
Instead of his words in your mind you feel him in an entirely different way. It's as though he's conveying emotions to you rather than words–the main one being his pleasure at your submission. It's an odd feeling to have someone else's emotions flowing through your body, but not entirely unwelcome. It makes you wonder if he can feel yours.
Your nails are digging into his shoulders as he presses into you, your legs clenching around him tightly. You feel his hand holding the back of your head, and you think it may be a bit unnecessary to hold you, your arms and legs doing enough of the work to keep you up here with him. A deep thrust of his hips has you seeing stars, any and all previous thoughts you had melting away as the only thing that remained was pleasure. Your legs begin to feel weak as he ruts into you deeply.
“Your mind is entirely more tolerable like this.” You barely hear him, entirely focused on the budding orgasm that's somehow already hitting you, your body tensing as you chase it, the feeling of being filled so much more intense than it was only a minute ago. You understand why as he pulls out of you, a liquid something dripping out onto your thighs and the forest floor below you. You can't bother to think of what may happen next, the emptiness of your body causing you to clench around nothing, as though you still weren't satiated.
“Your attribute is far more persistent than mine, human.” He says it as though it will make any sense to you in this state, your mind still really only focused on the aftershocks of your orgasm. You can barely remember how you found yourself on the ground, the gate to the parking lot in sight. You look down to find yourself not only clothed but dry and clean. Your head whips to the treeline surrounding you, eyeing the shadows carefully as you feel he must still be watching–and yet, nothing hides there, leaving you much emptier than you ever thought possible.
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immajustvibehere · 1 year ago
Text
Touch Starved Arthur x fem!touchy Reader (Part 2)
Pairing: hh!Arthur Morgan x fem!Reader (fluffly)
Part1 here!
summary: Arthur takes you and Jack out camping for two nights. Both of you have to battle your feelings for each other until you finally....
warnings: one bed trope, fluff, domestic bliss
6000 words
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In the manner of Arthur’s approach, you knew he was up to something. His big hands rested on his gun belt, his expression was casual. His attempt to appear relaxed was almost perfect. You weren’t fooled so easily, though. By the smug grin that started to appear on your face as Arthur came closer, he understood that you had sensed his unease from a mile away. Your intuition was exceptional, and Arthur silently cursed himself for his own transparency. And suddenly, there were his subtle tells…the scratching of his neck, the scrunching of his nose, the restlessness of his fingers caressing the leather of the belt.
"Hey, what's up?", you asked and propped your head up with your elbow resting on the table.
"Uhm...I have a proposition to make", Arthur awkwardly sat down at the table. Thankfully, barely anyone else was around to witness this encounter. The sun hadn’t risen yet and people were only slowly crawling out of their beds. In fact, Arthur still saw the remnants of sleep in your features but the steaming mug of coffee in front of you suggested that you were diligently combating it.
"I'm all ears."
Arthur couldn’t help but detect the playful undertone in your voice. You had grown more comfortable around each other the last few days and weeks and some banter and teasing were commonplace by now, particularly in the presence of others. But when you found yourselves alone, which hadn’t really happened since last time, you’d feel like there was a more genuine connection and care for each other than either of you would normally let on.
"Ya can say no if ya don't want to but-...well, I already talked to Abigail. She said she was fine with it", Arthur started. You had no clue what he was on about, but he pressed on, "I suggested we take out Jack for a night or two. The boy needs to see something aside this patch of land and I thought...if you would wanna tag along? You know, I was fine fishing with him but I'm not sure if I'd be any good at the other stuff."
"Yes, of course", you immediately replied. Arthur wasn't sure why he had expected a rejection or a dismissal that he was stupid to suggest such a thing. You actually looked pleasantly surprised about the idea.
You smiled: "It's not just Jack, you know? I haven't left camp since we moved here, so I'll get to see some of the country too!"
"Okay, sure", Arthur said, still somewhat in surprise about what you had just agreed to. But his surprise soon gave way to a sense of anticipation, especially when he noticed enthusiasm. He couldn’t supress a warm chuckle, evidently relieved that everything had worked out.
You briefly discussed the logistics, and Arthur settled on a plan: a night between Dewberry Creek and Ringneck Creek for the first stop, followed by, if Jack was up for it, a night in a room at the Rhodes Saloon.
The following day, you were all packed up. Your horse carried a rolled-up tent, large enough to accommodate the three of you. Jack rode with Arthur, he was the experienced rider after all and would be much greater use in keeping the child from sliding off the horse. It was a fine day, the morning sun was veiled behind some clouds, offering a respite from the usual stifling heat. Rain wasn’t to be expected, the clouds looked like they would clear sooner or later.
For the ride, Jack was dead silent for ten minutes at a time but then asked any question he could come up with. Arthur appreciated your willingness to respond, particularly when faced with Jack’s more challenging inquiries that needed to be tailored for a child’s understanding. Arthur was outright impressed at your skill in addressing his questions, and kept silent, even if Jack wanted his view on something specifically.
It was a smooth ride. Once you had passed the first creek you kept looking for an ideal spot to build your camp. You watched happily how Arthur pretended to discuss the area with Jack, granting him the final say in where to put up the tent. Arthur was responsible for the tent while you went off with Jack to look for firewood. When you returned, the tent had been putt up and Arthur had already gotten out the fishing gear.
"Are we fishing again?", Jack asked with curiously.
"Well, we gotta eat something", Arthur answered.
"But fishing's boring!" Jack said back and Arthur chuckled warmly. The last time he took the boy fishing, it was anything but uneventful, though he understood that a four-year-old wasn't so keen on standing still and waiting.
You squatted in front of Jack: "Why don't you take your toys with you to the water? You can play and Arthur and I'll do the boring waiting."
"Mh, okay."
You walked over to Ringneck Creek. Arthur settled on the same spot he had been to while fishing with Javier a while back. It had a good overlook of the place, so Jack could play in the distance, while still being in eye- and earshot. You and Arthur sat down next to each other, not saying anything and prepping the fishing rod. Even when there were no words exchanges, both of you felt comfortable in each other’s presence. Arthur felt your eyes on him as he pierced a tiny bit of cheese through the hook and handed the rod to you.
“The fish get cheese for lunch? That’s mighty fine, don’t you think?”, you joked.
“This cheese? It has been mouldy for days now. It won’t do us any good. But for fish? The stinker, the better”, Arthur explained and added in a mumble, “Or so I’ve heard…”
You both threw out your line and before you quipped: “So you keep your mouldy cheese in your satchel with the rest of your food?”
Arthur watched the rings expanding around his line, then swallowed quickly before looking you in the eye. Not very convinced he answered: “No…?”
He had expected a lesson on proper food hygiene, but you only grinned cheekily: “Glad I took care of food for this trip. But you really shouldn’t do that, you know? Next time you leave camp for more than a day, I’ll pack you something.”
“Ya don’t have to do that, really”, Arthur replied out of politeness, but the idea of you walking up to him with a sandwich to take on his journeys sent tingles to his chest.
“Mh. I insist”, you said, “I’ll have to take care of you if your stomach goes mad, so I’d rather prevent that. Not that I wouldn’t like to take care of you. Don’t you never keep an injury or sickness a secret in front of me, got it?”
“Yes ma’am”, Arthur said, “You sound like Miss Grimshaw, it’s good yer away from camp for a while”, Arthur joked. Deep down, he knew that you didn’t want to control him, but that you sincerely cared for his well-being. Something Arthur couldn’t quite understand. Of course, he would do the same for you – but that’s different because he had already figured out that he liked your attention more than anyone else. No, that he liked you more than anyone else. Arthur got a little lost in his own thoughts. He wasn’t yet entirely sure about his feelings for you. Mainly because he wasn’t sure how you felt. You were so kind and caring for everyone in the gang, he sadly doubted that he was anything special.
“I missed spending some time with you. Sorry that it’s so hard to sneak away from camp”, you said after a while, bringing Arthur back to reality.
“Doesn’t matter”, Arthur mumbled. He was embarrassed that he felt his cheeks getting warm, “We got away now, didn’t we? I feel almost bad that I take up so much of yer time.”
“Please don’t”, you laughed, looking at the man next to you with a smile.
“I think I saw Sean shed a tear when he heard that you’d be away from camp for two days”, Arthur mentioned.
“Yeah. I think he’s sweet on me”, you said so casually, that Arthur was caught off guard, staring at you in disbelieve.
Arthur cleared his throat before he slowly said: “I thought he and Karen…?”
“Well, Karen is good for one thing”, you said with an ambiguous smile, not meaning serious offence with those words, “I’m good for another.”
From the distance, you heard Jack calling for ‘uncle Arthur’. Arthur sighed with a smile and handed you his finishing rod.
“Yer okay to watch that?”, he asked.
“Sure, go ahead”, you encouraged him.
Jack wanted Arthur’s help to balance on a dead tree. It was wholesome to see how Arthur helped him up on the trunk and then held his hand so he would have an easier time balancing. Then the boy would sit on Arthur’s shoulders and break a smooth looking branch from a tree, using it to play swords fighting with Arthur. You knew that Arthur was gentle with Jack and compared to some men in the gang, even to John if you were honest, he was doing a great job. Still, you hadn’t dreamt that he'd be ready to take on a whole swords fight, pretending to get stabbed when Jack’s twig poked his leg. You noticed Arthur’s stolen glances in your direction. It was as if he wanted to make sure you were watching, though you didn’t have the impression that he only played along to impress you. Arthur seemed to genuinely enjoy it.
“Caught anything yet?”, Arthur’s voice woke you up from your daydreams when he walked up to you after a while.
“No…”, you answered and admitted, “I was a little distracted.”
“Ain’t blamin’ ya. We gave you a hell of a show”, Arthur said and took his spot next to you again. Luckily, a few fish bit later on and by the time you walked back to your tent, a fire could be built and the fish were grilled. A lot of time had passed, and the sun was already low in the sky. Jack demanded to be read to from his favourite book. After you had read a few pages and Jack had settled in to listen to some more, you handed the book to Arthur. He had been busy with stoking the fire and cleaning the grit, so he was a little caught off guard by the action.
“What am I supposed to do with that?”, he asked.
“Read to the boy”, you answered with a grin.
“Why can’t you?”, Arthur asked, his eyebrows raised in wonder.
“My throat is starting to feel sore”, you lied so obviously, that even Jack could have seen through it, “besides; I want someone to read to me too.”
Arthur considered the situation for a moment before giving in. The last time he read a book to someone…well, he wasn’t sure. Was it to Jamie when he was still a little boy or to Isaac? Did he ever even read out to Isaac? Arthur was prompted into opening the book when you suddenly snuggled up to him. But that alone made him lose his voice for a moment, so he had to collect himself before starting to read.
You loved how raspy Arthur’s voice would get when he was nervous, but it soon smoothed out and he had barely read for ten minutes when you had to stop him, because Jack had fallen asleep.
“’s barely even dark…”, Arthur commented after he had carried the boy to his bedroll in the tent.
“He did have an eventful day”, you said, and Arthur had to agree. The bottle of whiskey Arthur had brought was soon opened up and half was gone by the time you could make out the first stars in the sky. A lot of your conversation was just recollecting the day or commenting on happenings on the last few days, but after some silence, Arthur started a new conversation.
"Maybe, if ya told me what the other men ask you to do, I'd feel less a fool for asking ya fer something", Arthur suggested. The undertone of his voice revealed curiosity, but he had tried to keep that intent hidden. You were surprised that he remembered what you had talked about the last time it was just the two of us.
"You're unbelievable!", you exclaimed and giggled so light-heartedly. Arthur's heart melted when he saw the crinkles around your eyes. "You just want the gang's gossip!", you accused him.
"No! I'm just sayin'", Arthur shrugged with a smile, "It would really help a lot."
You looked at him, his blue-greenish eyes staring right back at you. You were an avid eye-contact holder, it was required for your role in the gang. But no pair of eyes ever compared to Arthur's. It was his turn to catch your gaze wandering to his lips, he also noticed how your eyes fluttered, when they looked up again, and then briefly away, as if you considered something.
"Fine. I'll tell you some. But I won't tell you who asked me for what."
"Sure."
"Mhhh...it's not the craziest stuff, if you’re expecting that. Most men like when I play with their hair. Or head scratches. I told you I was good at them! Someone likes it when I feed them. Like...you know...we go pick some berries and I feed them. It can be really,...domestic, I suppose. But then it becomes a lot of fun because we try to throw the berries into each other mouths, trying to catch them. It’s great..."
You got slightly embarrassed. When you spend time with other men from the gang, you always tried to give them an experience that made them happy. Some of it was oddly intimate. It didn't bother you much, but now, speaking about it with Arthur, you somehow started to worry that you'd be worth less in his eyes. Just because you have done those things with his friends. It wasn't like you slept with them. No, none, with very few exceptional instances, have ever been inappropriate.
You were silent for a while, those thoughts taking over quickly. And yet, what should it matter? It’s just Arthur, it was okay if he knew that side of you.
You sighed deeply, still finding Arthur’s eyes glued to your lips.
"Some of them like to show off to me. It's real stupid stuff. Like 'look how quick I can draw' or 'check out this piece of wood I whittled'. I suppose these are just things they are mildly proud at...but embarrassed to show someone. I...like that, though. It's really cute and reveals something about the person. There is always something to praise or enjoy about it. And they really appreciate it."
Arthur stared into the fire, nodding his head slowly.
After a while, he started with: "I ehrm-..." Then he pulled out his journal.
"It's nothing special either...", he flipped through some pages, only to reveal a double-sided sketch of Clemen's Point. A beautiful sketch, well-observed with depth and detail. You knew Arthur kept a journal – you never knew he drew in it! And from all the sketches the other men had ever shown you, most of them could have been done better by Jack, this was honestly impressive.
"Arthur-"
"I know, 's silly", and he was about to close the journal when you snatched it out of his hand and placed it in your lap. Not daring to flip the page but studying the sketch in front of you.
"Are you kidding? It's fucking amazing."
When Arthur looked at you in disbelieve, you doubled down: "Fuck you, man. I can't even pick out things I like to praise because the whole damn thing's just-!"
"Yer teasing me..."
"Am not! When someone shows me a drawing, I often have to guess, like ‘Oh, that’s a nice bison you drew.’ And then they correct me and go like ‘It’s supposed to be a dog.’ and we have a good laugh about it…but this…Is that Dutch's horse?", you asked, pointing at the little white stallion. Arthur confirmed it. You started to point at things, accurately identifying what it was. John's tent, the chicken coop, even the figure in the distance, that only was a vague outline of a person, you identified as if you had been there when it was drawn.
"You have more drawings in there?", you asked.
"Sure. But- wait", he took the journal back, carefully skipping the pages where he had sketched you, which had happened suspiciously often recently, and only showing you the landscapes and animals. You never expected that Arthur had an eye for things like that. A doe was captured perfectly in its shy manner. A funny looking cabin, a crooked tree. For all those things, Arthur stopped and took his time to draw them. It was stunning. You felt like he had given you a better idea of what sort of a man he actually is. To say you liked that version of him, was an understatement and you started to realise this with every sketch of ducks or fish he presented to you.
"When you find someone, someone you really like. And start a family...you could draw and sell those pictures, you know?"
Arthur was shocked. Firstly, why you knew about his wish to start a family, and secondly, that you suggested his drawings are nearly good enough for anyone to pay money for.
"Y/n", Arthur lamented, almost with a painful voice. As if you were that naive girl that had no idea about how life works. That there could never be a family for him, never a different life than shooting and robbing to get to some money.
"Have you ever painted? Like with colour and a paintbrush?", you interrupted.
"Ain't worth it. I'd be no good with colour. And it's too expensive."
"When's your birthday?", you asked out of the blue. You were determined. If you had to work your ass off for it or drop to your knees in front of Miss Grimshaw, you'd get this man a paintbrush.
"No", Arthur said firmly.
"Come on!", you quipped.
"Stop it. It's just a stupid thing I do to pass some time it ain't-"
"But I love them!", you interrupted, "I really do. Every single one you showed me."
"Clearly, something ain’t right in your head then", Arthur joked and put his journal away.
"You are a charming man, Mr. Morgan," you teased back, bumping into his shoulder.
As if your words had confirmed Arthur's accusation, he comically tapped your forehead with his index finger: "Really messed up, aren't you?"
"Why?", you said, switching gears and skilfully capturing Arthur's finger that had went for another tap. It took both of your hands to open Arthur's hand, not that he resisted, but his hands were huge. And with your guidance, Arthur's hand cupped your cheek. "Is it because I like to spend time with you? Do you think one has to be mad to enjoy that? Because if you do think that...I have to give you ten reasons why you are wrong."
Arthur barely listened to your words. His senses were hyper focused on his hand which was touching your cheek. Warm and soft. Not smooth like a perfect hide, but skin isn't perfect. Hell, his hand must be mighty uncomfortable. It was calloused, beaten up, scarred. There was no rational reason why you would snuggle your face into it like it was a pillow you readied for a night's sleep.
With pleasure you watched how often he blinked, how flustered he became, how his hand twitched in excitement under your touch. As careful as you were some butterfly, Arthur’s thumb dared to caress your cheek. The movement was so small, it was like he didn’t even want you to notice that you he had dared to do that. Somehow, this rough and hardened outlaw was a real sensitive guy. A sensitive guy who made your stomach flutter.
"I'll head to bed and join Jack, you coming too?", you asked, guiding Arthur's hand into your lap and holding in lightly with your two hands.
"Imma...t-take care of the fire a little longer", Arthur answered with coarse voice, his throat entirely dried up.
"M'kay", you smiled and stood up without letting go of Arthur's hand. Halfway in the process of standing up you halted, pressing a light kiss on Arthur's cheek and whispered good night, before finally letting go and walking off to the tent.
Though you were exhausted, it was tricky to sleep. You listened to Arthur who was still attending the fire, walking up and down, whispering to the horses and occasionally took a swig from the bottle. Jack slept at the side of the tent, you had taken the spot in the middle. No matter how long it felt until sleep finally took over, Arthur crawled into the tent ten minutes later, only to find out that you had messed with the sleeping set-up. It wasn’t the way he had arranged it, namely, a very inequal distribution of blankets and ‘pillows’ (rolled-up jackets or other garments). Arthur had planned to spend the night without a blanket, so you and Jack had two. But you had given up one of yours, which neatly waited on Arthur’s bedroll for him.
“She ain’t gonna make this easy for me”, Arthur thought, before lying down.
-
“Uncle Arthur!”, Jack squatted next to the man who was still fast asleep. Well, until the boy started to shake him with all his might, though it barely rattled the man.
“Aunt y/n told me to wake you”, Jack smiled innocently. Arthur was trying to grasp the situation. For a fleeting moment, he thought there was danger nearby. Then he had been confused about why Jack was there. Only slowly, as Jack left the tent and the rays of sunshine hit his face, he remembered that he had went out camping with you and the boy. And clearly, he had overslept.
Arthur crawled out of the tent and stood up with a groan, stretching his tired limbs. The smell of coffee had reached his nose before he looked down to see Jack walking towards him, a half-filled cup in his hands.
“For you”, he exclaimed. Arthur took the mug and mumbled his thanks, looking up a little to finally lay eyes on you. The fire was on, the percolator boiling with water, and he saw that you were in the process of readying a little pan for some eggs you had apparently taken from camp.
“Good morning”, you said with a big smile.
“Sorry I overslept…”, Arthur grumbled, sitting down by the fire.
“Nothing to be sorry for. I’m glad you could catch up on some sleep.”
Breakfast was nice. You scrambled some eggs, garmented them with herbs you had collected earlier and re-filled Arthur’s mug. Jack was happy after eating a few bites and then playing with his toys in the distance. Arthur and you discussed the rest of the day and decided you would take your time, see if Jack was up for a ride and a stroll through Rhodes and spending another night at the Saloon.
Later, Jack helped you with washing the dishes at the creek. You managed to talk him into throwing a wet rag at Arthur, which he answered by throwing the rag back at you. This started a game of dogde or catch the rag. You laughed a lot. By mid-day you were on your horses, carefully navigating the shadows to escape the relentless sun. After one very slow hour of riding, with breaks whenever Jack discovered something interesting on the ground that needed further investigation, you arrived in Rhodes. After restocking on groceries, you made your way to the saloon, finding it relatively quiet and peaceful still.
“Can I help you, folks?”, the bartender asked, leaning on the counter.
“A room, please”, Arthur stated briefly. The bartender considered you for a moment, his eyes wandered from Arthur to you and finally your hand that rested protectively on Jack’s shoulder.
“We have a special deal for families. Spacious room, enough beds and a discount on a bath”, the bartender explained, opening the ledger where he kept track of which rooms were taken.
“Sounds great!”, you chimed in happily before Arthur could do as much as open his mouth.
“There you go. Walk up the stairs behind there, first door on the right”, the bartender handed you the keys, “Just let me know when you want the water heated up.”
“Will do, thanks!”, you answered. Your free arm was quickly intertwined with Arthur, who was taken by surprise. He stiffened a little but walked off with you and Jack rather convincingly.
“Whoa! This bed is huge!”, exclaimed Jack when you walked into the room.
“Ain’t for you though, little man”, Arthur chuckled. The room was equipped with a bed that was big enough to fit a couple and a toddler, but there was still a children-sized one in the corner. Arthur noticed how your arm slipped away from his as you entered the room, dropping some of your luggage onto the floor.
“Luxurious, isn’t it?”, you smiled. It was definitely better than the rooms you’d get in Valentine and probably even cleaner than the other ones the saloon had to offer. Jack was settling in, testing how bouncy his mattress was and unpacking his toys while Arthur walked up to you, clearing his throat.
“Yer fine with sharin’ a bed?”, he asked.
You raised an eyebrow: “We shared a tent last night, and that was a much tighter fit, wouldn’t you say so?”
“I guess…”, Arthur felt a little helpless. Sharing a bed felt more domestic and intimate than sharing the same tent. Also, Jack wouldn’t be all snuggled up to you, but in his own bed at some distance. Frankly, Arthur was excited. You watched his frown, not quite sure if its origin was because of discomfort or simple nervosity.
“Are you okay with that? I could bring my bedroll and-“, you wanted to suggest, but Arthur was quick to interrupt you: “I just didn’t know if you were fine with it. I don’t want ya to feel uncomfortable.”
“Don’t worry about me”, you smiled, “I’ll go down and ask for a bath. Abigail will be glad I we bring the boy back cleaner than he was before.”
Arthur was alone in the room for nearly an hour, before you and Jack appeared with damp hair, smelling of soap. It was decided that Arthur would also make use of the warmed-up water, and as he went off to the bathroom, you and Jack set your plan in motion.
By the time Arthur returned he was met with a sight that initially puzzled him. The two of you had transformed the little corner with Jack’s bed using the limited resources available to you, creating a makeshift fort out of pillows and blankets. Jack’s small bed had been turned into a cozy cave of sorts, sheltered from the outside world to the point where you needed a lantern to read a book within.
Arthur didn’t even see you at first, he only heard Jack’s bubbly giggle and you shushing him. For a moment, he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to play along and pretend that he didn’t know where you were…like some sort of hide-and-seek. But he decided against it, instead sighing happily, and sitting down on the big bed.
“I can hear ya, ya know?”, he said gently.
“No you can’t!”, Jack said back.
“Should have built it bigger, doesn’t look like I’ll fit underneath there”, Arthur commented. Now, you peeked out. Arthur saw how you opened a mouth, but something stopped you for a moment. His hair was wet and slicked back. He hadn’t even bothered putting on his shirt, but instead only wore his pants and union suit underneath. Hell, he hadn’t even bothered to button it all the way up. It hugged his muscles perfectly. You knew he was in good shape, but you hadn’t expected THIS.
“Shouldn’t have grown so big then”, you finally said, a fine blush on your cheeks.
As the evening advanced, you had read several chapters to Jack, lulling him into slumber. You then quietly slipped into the bed beside Arthur. After some casual conversation which both of you skilfully and awkwardly used to get closer to each other, Arthur asked something that had been on his mind for a while: "What do you get out of it? All the nurturing and caring for everyone in the gang? Has any one of them ever done right by you?"
"Well...I have a place to stay and sleep. I don't have to worry too much about earning money. And I like making others happy."
Arthur didn't like that. A place to sleep and food, he felt like, shouldn't be things you had to earn by listening to the complaints of others all the time.
"All you get is hearing the troubles of some dirty, foolish outlaws. Ain’t really a life, is it?"
"Some make me happy too", you admitted, quietly. You realised how Arthur tensed up slightly.
"I get to know y'all. Don't you think that's a privilege? For a woman my age? Others can't simply walk around in the street, offer some hand-holding a listenin' and expect this to pay for their meals."
"You want to do this for the rest if your life?", Arthur asked. You scanned his body, focusing on the dark hair that grew on his chest.
"No", you whispered, and gently, you put your hand on his chest. You felt his heart, no, you saw how it beat, the skin of his chest swiftly moving in an up and down movement.
Arthur...was different than the others. You didn't know if it was that there was an actual difference, or if it just felt differently. But the way he treated you, the way he held you...it was so gentle. Like it was touch meant for a lifetime. The others were slightly more prudish, because they knew they had a couple of hours with you and maybe they'd be shot and die the next day. Somehow...not Arthur. When he pulled you closer into a hug, it was always the same, as if it was a welcome back, a coming home. There was no holding onto it, because he sorts of knew you would always be there. And you wanted it to be like that too. Because you, as tricky it was to admit, had feelings for this man.
Now it was you who caught Arthur staring, staring at the unsure movements your lips made as you searched for something to say. Maybe to explain what this all meant to you.
"Do you think it's ridiculous, what I do?", you asked. You wanted to know Arthur's opinion, truly.
"What? No."
"Really?"
"Hell, we'd be a bunch of degenerates if ya didn't keep us together. Yer ignoring Micah. For good reasons, I gotta say, and look what a slimy no-good he is. We'd be all like that if it wasn't for you", Arthur said. There was humour in his voice, but he meant what he had said. You smiled slightly.
"I wish I had come to you earlier", Arthur said.
"We are making up for the lost time, aren't we?", you said and leaned into him. The gesture seemed so familiar that Arthur wrapped his arms around you with barely any thought. Arthur watched your fingers as they trailed through his hair on his chest, never resting somewhere for long but tracing lines from his collar bones to where his beard started on his neck.
“Do you mind?”, you whispered, your fingers resting on a button of his suit.
Arthur subtly shook his head and watched how you unbuttoned one button after another. You had him slip out of the sleeves so the suit could be pulled further down, now exposing his entire abdomen to you.
There was no way he could hide his hitched breath. Your touch tickled pleasantly as your fingers explored his skin. He was enjoying those careful attentions, you'd trace around bruises and old scars, Arthur was focused on how it felt differently, the abused flesh and the scar tissue that had lost sensitivity. He noticed, either for the first time ever, or he had forgotten in the meantime, how ticklish he was on his side, under the ribs. He had no urge to laugh, but his body reacted to your touch differently, squirming when your skin brushed over his. Arthur noticed that you took a liking to those reactions, because he felt the corner of your mouth, which was pressed into his arm as you leaned into him, curl into a smile.
It was quiet. Sometimes the yells of a bar fight could be heard or someone hammering on the piano, but that aside, it was only Jack's silent snores that disturbed the peace.
"Arthur?", you whispered and sat up.
"Mhm?", Arthur looked sleepy. It wasn't even that late yet, but something about the situation was making him sleepy in the best way. You said nothing more. You only put your hand on his cheek, briefly caressing his stubble.
"Would it be okay if I kissed you?", you asked.
For a few moments, Arthur's mind went completely blank. He only breathed a shaky "Yeah" and your lips brushed his already.
Instantly, Arthur's hands pulled you in closer. You were close, lips brushing, breathing each other's air. It was all you needed, before both of you finally pressed into each other.
You knew Arthur was gentle, but this sort of tenderness took even you by surprise. And Arthur- well, he was pretty sure he was dreaming. When was the last time he had kissed a woman? No, when was the last time he kissed a woman and felt like his heart was about to explode in his chest. He had craved this ever since the night you spent together. And by the way your hands wandered to his hair, fingers running through his strands, he knew you had wanted it just as much.
It was a soft kiss and both of you looked sort of surprised when it had ended. Arthur sat up slightly and pulled you on his lap, which earned him a happy grin. You started to pepper the man in front of you with kisses. Super light, as if a breeze was brushing his forehead, his cheek, his nose, under his ear, the corner of his lips. You had lost count, stirred on by a blushing Arthur underneath you.
"D-don't ya think that's enough?", Arthur said, kind of trying to dodge your kisses, but not really.
"Nope. You deserve this!", you said, but when you headed for his nose, Arthur managed to turn it into a proper kiss again.
Then you sank on his chest, lying on top of him with his arms wrapped around you.
For Arthur, this was a weird feeling at first. But he loved how your weight pressed him down into the mattress and how your hands always found a piece of his body to caress and tickle. He was embarrassed about how dry his mouth and throat became again, all of a sudden. He was convinced you realized how often he had to swallow and how hesitant he still was to move his hands any further down than the small of your back. Though if you noticed, you were very understanding. You clearly heard his heart hammering in his chest and waited patiently for it to calm down before speaking again.
"Can I tell you something silly?”, you said, lost in thoughts.
"Sure"
"I liked it when the bartender referred to us as family."
"Me too", and his hold on you became ever so tighter.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
@eyelovie @t3rritorial-piss1ngs @daenerysluvrr @cookiesandcreaminthetardis @tem60 @freshoutthewomb2 @itswormtrain @ineedyoubadly @lea-khena @anawkwardartistandgamer @pheesupremacy @tahitiansiguesss @c2ss1e @alyxhasonsocks @kagemaruzest69 @agaritas @lonesome-ranger @joelmillers-gf
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girlkisser13 · 4 months ago
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daylight
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"and i can still see it all (in my mind)" "all of you, all of me (intertwined)" "i once believed love would be (black and white)" "but it's golden (golden)"
pairings: addison montgomery x fem!reader
warnings/tags: slight angst but mostly fluff.
summary: addison’s in love with you.
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the seattle rain drummed against the hospital windows, a rhythmic backdrop to the chaotic symphony within. addison stood in front of the or board, scanning the names and cases, but her mind was miles away. specifically, it was in the warm, inviting space that you occupied in her heart.
the day had been relentless, filled with back-to-back surgeries and consultations, but none of it compared to the emotional turmoil she felt every time she saw you. the brief moments you stole together were the highlights of her day, yet each encounter was shadowed by the unspoken tension of addison's crumbling marriage to derek and mark's obvious feelings for her.
"addie," a voice pulled her back to reality. she turned to see mark, his usual cocky grin in place. "lunch?"
"not today, mark," she replied, forcing a polite smile. she turned on her heel, heading down the hall towards a quieter part of the hospital where she knew you would be.
she found you in the lounge, sipping coffee and staring out at the rain. her heart ached at the sight of you, making it almost hurt to breathe.
"hey," she said softly, stepping inside. you looked up, your eyes lighting up briefly before dimming with some internal conflict.
"addison," you greeted, your voice steady, though your eyes betrayed the turmoil within. "shouldn't you be with derek?"
she winced at the mention of her estranged husband. "derek and i... it's complicated."
"it always is," you replied, standing up. "but you still have him. and mark... he clearly has feelings for you."
"mark and i are just friends," she insisted, stepping closer. "and derek... derek and i are over. we just haven't figured out the logistics yet."
you shook your head, stepping back. "addison, i can't be the reason you don't go to either of them. i won't do that to you. or to myself."
"y/n," addison's voice broke, a desperate edge to it. "you have to understand. ever since i met you, i haven’t been able to think about anyone else. i haven’t even looked at anyone else since we’ve met. i don't want to think about or look at anyone else now that i’ve seen you. my life used to be in black and white, you brought the color."
tears welled up in your eyes as you looked at her, the sincerity in her words cutting through your defenses. "addison, i..."
"no," she interrupted, taking your hands in her own. "listen to me. i've made mistakes, so many mistakes. but loving you? that's not one of them. you’re the reason i wake up every morning with a smile. you’re the person i want to come home to. please, don't push me away because of derek or mark. they don't matter to me. you do."
you felt the walls you had built around your heart begin to crumble. "addison, this isn't fair to anyone. least of all to you."
"fairness doesn't matter," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "love does. and i love you, y/n. more than i've ever loved anyone."
you searched her eyes, finding only truth and vulnerability there. with a trembling breath, you nodded. "i love you too, addison. i always have."
she pulled you into a tight embrace, the weight of your shared feelings lifting as you held each other. in that moment, nothing else mattered. not derek, not mark. just the two of you and the rain outside, washing away the past, making way for a brighter, more colorful future.
you both stood there for what felt like an eternity, the world outside ceasing to exist. when you finally pulled apart, addison gently cupped your face, her thumb brushing away a stray tear.
"what do we do now?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.
"we take it one step at a time," she replied, her tone resolute. "i'll talk to derek, make it official. and mark... i'll handle mark. but you and me, we start now. no more hiding. no more pretending."
you nodded, a small smile playing on your lips. "okay. but i need you to promise me something."
"anything," she said, her heart pounding.
"promise me that no matter what happens, we'll face it together. i won’t let you do this alone."
her eyes softened as she pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead. "i promise. together, always."
as the two of you left the lounge, hand in hand, the rain continued to fall, but it no longer felt like a barrier. instead, it was a cleansing force, washing away the uncertainties and paving the way for your new beginning.
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yanderenightmare · 2 months ago
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heya! do you have any more writing tips for writing on tumblr? like, any tips to get as much attention as you, kinda
Sure!
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♡ Post in different lengths!
Or, more precisely, don’t only post long full-fics with multiple chapters.
I know it sounds weird, but the more effort you put into something doesn’t actually guarantee more payoff. Why would anyone read your hour-long fic if they have no previous experience with your writing that gives you credibility? In other words, how can they know spending an hour reading your writing is worth it?
More people are likely to grab a bite-sized appetizer than they are to sit down for a full five-course meal.
But! The more people like those bite-sized appetizers, the more likely they are to want to sit down for that full five-course meal, you know?
Think of those bite-sized appetizers as taste tests—kind of like commercials that bring more people in to give your actual meals a try.
Also, writing in different lengths is good for you! Only writing hour-long stuff makes you burn out quickly, which brings me to my next tip:
♡ Post often!
If you can, try posting something every day. Of course, you can’t post full hour-long fics every day, which is where writing smaller things such as drabbles, headcanons, and tiny prompts come in. Think of them as flings you have in between your long-term relationships. They’re fun little things good for your health!
But anyway, here’s a tip for when you do have those long-term relationships—as in, when you want to write full-fics or longer posts in general:
♡ Start with a hook! 
My attention should be seized by the first paragraph, if not the very first sentence I read. This is so important.
I’m a very picky reader sometimes—so if that first line doesn’t interest me, I’ll be fast to scroll to find something more enticing. And you can be sure a lot of readers are the same.
Under are some examples of my own start-liners.
Something foreboding:
There’s something very off about your roommate… something eerie that makes you keep your distance.
The plot:
Thinking about the big and burly behemoth Omega finally finding himself the cutest little Alpha to breed with…
Something catchy:
Give a brat an inch, and they'll take a mile. 
Something snappy:
You’re his favorite whore…
Dialogue:
“Feels like you’re luring me into some trap.”
A prompt:
Yanderes who keep you higher than a kite…
In medias res:
You lay on your belly on the bed.
Anyway, they don’t have to be groundbreaking—just anything that will spike interest in the reader.
♡ Write for different characters! And try writing inserts!
Inserts are when you don’t name any specific character in the story but either give options for what characters your audience can imagine or leave it completely up to them. This works best if you have a nice starter-line that tells you what kind of character this is without naming them.
Examples:
Bruiser boyfriend
Ex-military Yandere
Benevolently sexist boyfriend
Creep Step-bro
You can go further and identity the reader as well:
Big, brawny, chubby-muscled Boss and his perfectly bite-sized assistant
In other words, people like to know what they’re about to read before they start.
Otherwise and lastly:
♡ Something logistic you can have in mind is making your writing accessible. 
Say I like one of your posts, and I click your profile to check you and your other posts out, but all I see when I scroll through your blog is endless reblogs and one-off comments about this and that. My second instinct is to check out your Masterlist. If you don’t have one, my mission is fraught, and I’ll be out of there quickly. If you do have one, but it’s messy, then my patience will wane, and again, I’ll be out post-haste. 
The bottomline is to have a neat pinned post that makes it easy to navigate your blog, with all your relevant stuff easily accessible. Check out mine for reference. But the most important is for it to include your rules, how to request, and your masterlists.
Then, of course, this is obvious, but:
♡ Remember that things take time
I’ve been running @yanderenightmare since 2020. Back then, it took me half a year to get my first 1000 followers. And most of my posts would only get about 500 or so likes. And, that’s another thing—if I was doing it for the likes and follows I probably wouldn’t still be here, so make sure you enjoy what you’re writing and stuff. If you have that conviction, then the rest is just a nice bonus.
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lmdmax · 6 months ago
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Say Goodbye to Downtime! 
In today's fast-paced logistics and delivery industries, fleet management faces numerous challenges, from maintaining safety standards to optimizing operational efficiency. Traditional methods of fleet inspection often involve cumbersome paperwork, are prone to human error, and lack real-time reporting capabilities. This not only leads to inefficiencies but can also escalate operating costs and reduce the reliability of fleet operations.
Enter LMDmax's Digitized Fleet Inspection
LMDmax, introduces a transformative approach to fleet inspections with its RTS Checkout app and VIN Scan technology. Designed to streamline the inspection process, LMDmax utilizes the latest technology to ensure fleet management is not only easier but more effective.
VIN Scan Technology:  It allows drivers or dispatchers to quickly scan the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) displayed as a QR code on each assigned vehicle and perform inspection in under a minute. This simple action initiates a comprehensive inspection process, guided by the app’s intuitive interface.
Quick and Accurate Inspections: Gone are the days of manual checklists and time-consuming inspections. With LMDmax, fleet inspections are completed in under a minute, providing detailed and accurate results that help make informed decisions.
Real-Time Image Uploads and Automated Reports: The app allows the uploading of real-time images of any issues detected during the inspection. Coupled with automated report generation, it ensures that all data is up-to-date and readily available for review, thereby enhancing accountability and transparency.
Comprehensive Maintenance Checks: From routine safety checks to critical maintenance tasks, the app covers all aspects necessary to ensure that every vehicle in the fleet is road-ready and safe to operate.
Benefits :
Reduced Errors and Enhanced Efficiency: By automating the inspection process, the RTS Checkout app significantly reduces human errors and increases the efficiency of fleet operations.
Cost Savings: Early detection of potential issues and regular maintenance reduce costly repairs and downtime, thereby saving on overall operational costs.
Improved Compliance and Safety: Regular and thorough inspections ensure compliance with safety regulations, reducing the risk of accidents and legal penalties.
Better Fleet Utilization: With streamlined inspections and maintenance, vehicles spend less time idle and more time on the road, improving overall fleet utilization.
The Impact on Fleet Management
The introduction of VIN scan technology has improved the way fleet inspections are conducted. It not only simplifies the inspection process but also empowers fleet managers and dispatchers with real-time data and insights, enabling proactive maintenance and management of the fleet. This leads to improved service delivery, increased driver safety, and enhanced customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
As fleet management continues to evolve, LMDmax remains at the forefront with its innovative solutions. Embrace the future of fleet management with LMDmax, where technology meets efficiency.
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wantonlywindswept · 7 months ago
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adopted baby Guard Din idea that I am never going to write
because it would involve logistics and quiet moments and idle life which I am very down for reading but cannot for the LIFE of me actually sit down and write
So the war ends, Palps is outed as a Sith and an asshole and dies somehow, and the Senate eventually decides that the clones do count as people and thus are allowed to leave the GAR if they want. Give the bureaucrats another few years and they might even give out backpay and citizenship, so long as you stay in the service--wait what do you mean the entire Guard is resigning. What do you mean they've already left orbit?? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE ARE NOW MILLIONS OF FILES ON THE HOLONET ABOUT THE SENATE'S SHADY DEALINGS???
Guard, collectively: lol cya suckers
Fox is of course one of the last ones out, and since this was all planned on the down low, everyone's been split into groups so they can take commercial flights, since they're not about to be accused of stealing ships. (They also leave their weapons and their armor behind, in a giant macabre pile in the middle of Corrie HQ. Even their helmets, their faces, they discard: it's time for a rebirth.)
He and Thorn and a few other Corries have a stopover on some tiny station, waiting a week for a delayed transport to arrive, and in the meantime they're approached by some locals who just fled the planet below. Separatist remnants attacked their homes, forcing them to leave everything and everyone behind; can the big strong clones do anything about it?
The Big Strong Clones: Oh shit we finally get to kick some Seppie ass? Sign us the FUCK up.
The eager group does not include Fox, who could not care less about the Separatists and would very much like to finally catch up on his sleep. Unfortunately that means that the group that goes down to the planet is Unsupervised.
(Thorn does not count as supervision. Thorn, bereft of Senate oversight, has finally allowed his Inner Chaos Gremlin to fully emerge. Thorn needs more supervision than the shinies.)
Thorn, three days later, waking Fox from half-hearted sleep by dropping an entire natborn child on him: Hey boss, look what we found! None of the refugees claimed him, so we called dibs. Can we keep him? Fox, staring at the child: ...
Din, staring back: ...
Fox: ...no..?
Din: *sad but understanding big brown eyes*
Fox: Nevermind this is my child now.
Din has gone from two parents to one parent and hundreds of overprotective brothers.
Eventually his group makes it to their destination, Din in tow. I am uncertain of what the destination is but it is a planet that is as far away from Coruscant that the Corries could find. I am tempted for Tatooine not because I like Tatooine (I share Anakin's loathing of sand and deserts) but because Luke's description of Tatooine in ANH was 'if there's a bright center to the universe, this is the planet the furthest from'. 
Corries, hearing that: Fuck it sounds perfect. 
Anyway they make it to Tatooine, there is probably purchasing of some shitty land/buildings that nobody wants out in the wastes bc crime, scum, villainy, etc, but it's not like they have problems taking care of anything that tries to mess with them. 
Where did they get the funds?
Shh don't ask about it.
Stone takes up moisture farming. Thire takes up farming-farming. Thorn shoots gleefully at anything that shows up unannounced within a ten-mile radius. Literally everybody dotes on Din. There are a surprising amount of peaceful days.
Eventually some dumb shiny goes: Hey don't kids need friends? Shouldn't we set up some playdates for him or something?
The shiny is not called dumb for asking the question, but they are called dumb for thinking that the question would only ever be taken rhetorically. Fox disappears for two weeks and then comes back with a black eye and a yowling hissing Boba tucked under one arm, looking stupidly pleased with himself.
(Boba is also pleased to be back with people he knows will keep him safe. Boba will not admit to this under threat of death or dismemberment. Boba is a SERIOUS SCARY ADULT BOUNTY HUNTER.)
Boba also decides he will be Mortal Enemies with Din, which after about ten minutes of meeting him morphs into If Anyone Hurts Din I Will Kill Everyone In This Room And Then Myself because all clones be the same, really.
Din has gained another brother/bestie. (Or potential future boyfriend, whichever floats your boat.)
Somehow they still end up overthrowing the Hutts.
Officially the GAR knew and knows nothing about the Guard leaving Coruscant as soon as the metaphorical paint was dry on their sentient status.
Unofficially Fox's batch harangues him every single day for photos of his new kid(s). They eventually show up unannounced, demanding time with their nephew. (They are shot at by Thorn.)
Din gains five new uncles.
The batch proudly show pics and holos to their battalions. Din gains millions of new uncles.
Fox finally gets a full night's sleep.
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gay-dorito-dust · 1 year ago
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would you do basically reader's universe collapsed and she's in shock and horrified back at the spider society hq and miguel's basically grudgingly comforting this teenage spider version who says she failed?
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I know I say this about pretty much everything I write but this might be a lil -or a lot- like ass. My brain took a holiday and left this behind 😂
‘Miguel, you’ve got to go to them.’ Lyla said, looking at you.
‘No.’
She huffed and looked at him. ‘Why not?! If anyone here can relate to how they’re feeling right now it’s you.’
‘That’s different.’ Miguel replied, keeping his back to her. The reason why he was being so hesitant to comfort you was because of that familiar look of primal fear in your eyes; You were painfully reminded him of the things and the people that he’s lost, their bodies were warped and distorted until they vanished into nothingness before his very eyes as he was then left unable to prevent it from consuming everything-including his daughter, Gabriella- in their entirety until nothing remained but the memories.
‘How is it?’ Lyla asked, only understanding Miguel’s attitude towards your situation as heartless and unnecessary cruel, you had just been displaced from your home that starting as of now, quite literally does not exist, in what could be considered the worse way imaginable and were in dire need of a shoulder to lean; Lyla thought that due to shared experience, Miguel would be that comforting figure but to hear him downright refuse to check in on you made her put him under intense questioning.
‘Because it is.’ Miguel responded vaguely. Lyla huffs again but said under her breath, ‘what kind of leader are you if you’re not going to be there when it counts.’ Before disappearing, leaving Miguel to press his head into his hands, breathing in deeply and holding it for a couple of seconds before exhaling; On most occasions he hated to admit it but in this instances, Lyla was undeniably right in the fact that you were in need of support but for that support to come from him was where he hesitates. For Miguel was still very much hung up on what happened to Gabriella that he was trying to process what happened under a logistical viewpoint that he had yet to emotionally recover from his losses.
So when he looked back at you to see you staring off at a wall opposite, blankly, mentally having checked out the moment you were brought back to hq by the scruff of your neck. Your friends, Hobie, Miles, Pavitr and Gwen came to check on you regularly but even they couldn’t put your broken pieces together; so one of all of them would just keep you company by making sure you were that you weren’t neglecting your basic needs. While nice as that all was, it doesn’t get rid of the fact that you had no home anymore to return to, no family, no friends; and worst off you had nothing to remember them by but the memories that would forever haunt you to the point where even sleep felt like a method of torture.
‘Mr o’hara.’ Your voice reached out to him. ‘Did…did I fail?’ Miguel, forever a father at heart, felt pained by your words, he knew that he was partially to blame for putting it in everyone’s head that to have your home reality collapse was a fault upon the Spider charged with guarding it, but he thought by doing so everyone would work better at keeping their wits about them and keep their realities stable; unlike him who was more taken by the fact that he had a family elsewhere and wanted to indulge in a life that wasn’t his to experience.
‘No.’ Miguel finally said as he joined at your side. ‘You didn’t fail, you fought valiantly in protecting your reality.’ This didn’t seem to reassure you of anything as you responded with, ‘if I fought so valiantly as you say, then why does it feel like I single handedly destroyed everything I swore to defend as Spider-Man?’ Miguel thought the very same on a daily basis that he didn’t wake up or go to sleep without reminding himself as a way to keep him within that moment; and in doing so he had driven himself to the point where he didn’t recognise the person staring back at him in the mirror. He grew angry, he grew hateful, he grew spiteful and had grown to be condition himself into finding comfort in his isolation and solitude to the point he couldn’t remember who he was outside all of it.
He didn’t want you going down a similar route as he did, for it wasn’t a life he thought best suited you.
‘I was exactly where you are right now, to be honest I still am,’ Miguel admits, ‘I blamed and blamed myself to the point I lost sight of who I once was but you.’ He placed a hand on your shoulder awkwardly, it was obvious that he wasn’t use to having to comfort someone and you couldn’t help but appreciate his attempt. ‘Despite everything that has happened to you thus far, you are still you and that’s far more admirable then any feet of physical strength and you wanna know why?’ Miguel asked rhetorically as he moved to kneel in front of you so that you would be forced to look into his eyes. ‘It takes an extraordinary person to to come out of hell the same person they entered as.’ He tells you, smiling to himself when he saw a small flicker of light return to your eyes, even if it was minuscule and brief, it was a start.
‘You’re not alone, even if you may feel it more so then ever, you’re not and you never will be alone, especially with friends like yours.’ Miguel continues as his eyes lifted over your shoulder, causing you to look also as Gwen, Miles, Pavitr and Hobie could be seen poking their heads into the room; Upon realising that they’ve been caught, the quartet attempted to act as casual as they could with Hobie leaning cooly against the doorframe, tuning his guitar, whilst Pavitr began to talking to Miles and Gwen about something. You couldn’t help but smile a little wider upon seeing your friends, you were so lost amidst what you lost that you didn’t see what was right in front of you, and Miguel could tell that they mean more to you then anything and you wanted nothing more then to show them that you were on the mend of being okay again.
‘I just want to make them proud.’ You said but Miguel knew you weren’t talking about your friends in that moment as a melancholic look crossed over your face when you looked back at him. ‘I can’t speak on their behalf but I’d like to think you already have, they know you tried and they couldn’t be prouder of you. There’s no reason to hold unjustified resentment towards yourself over something that you couldn’t have possibly known was coming.’ He says softly. ‘The hardest part of healing is knowing when it isn’t your fault because we’ve conditioned ourselves to bear the brunt of the blame, to the point where it’s hard for us to understand that when something catastrophic happens, we have no real control nor dictation over it or how it happens. We can be doing our best and it’ll still come whether or not we spend our whole lives preparing for it.’
You reached over to hug Miguel, burying your face into his shoulder, clinging onto him for dear life as he goes stiff as a board at the contact. ‘Thank you.’ You said, voice muffled but it was still coherent enough for him to hear it. Miguel’s body relaxed once realising he wasn’t in any trouble and he brought his arms to cage you against him. ‘No problem kid, just don’t go thinking you have to be be responsible for everything in life because that’s not a healthy way to live and realise that you’re not alone in this for you will always have us to fall back on.’
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footnoteinhistory · 5 days ago
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Time for my big NYC Marathon 2024 recap post!! This post is very long, roughly organized borough by borough, and mostly for my own personal record since I don't feel like putting pen to paper rn
And because so many of you have supported me through all of this (like... all of everything in my life for a long time), I thought maybe some of y'all would be interested. Here is my detailed experience (+ some photos!) <3
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Got up Sunday morning at 4:30 am, on the Midtown bus to the start by 6 am. My start wasn't until almost 11 am but I was so anxious about logistics I was happy to get to the start village earlier and sit around bored rather than later and panicked. Fortunately my charity team had a heated tent where I killed three-ish hours by people watching, forcing myself to eat bagels w/ peanut butter and bananas and graham crackers until I couldn't stomach any more, and meeting Meb Keflezighi (!!!). I've read Meb's book twice this year and was too starstruck to say anything to him other than thank you but! What a neat surprise to start the day. A grizzled volunteer held out two water bottles and I took one, then he gave me this look and shook the other bottle at me until I took that one, too. He knew. Trust the volunteers.
I was battling serious nerves leading up to the start line, which I'll skip for brevity's sake bc this is going to be a long post anyway. But by the time we lined up on the Verrazzano Bridge (I was on the lower level), I felt good. Excited. The anthem, the helicopters, the cannon, Frank Sinatra, crossing the start.
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As you might know bc I've agonized over it extensively on this blog, my training did not go according to plan this year. I hurt my left leg in April, possibly a fracture, and struggled throughout the summer. I wrestled with the idea of deferring. Finally I decided that I would finish the race, even if I had to walk the entire thing. After a few weeks of speed-walking and rebuilding my strength, I felt okay enough to put a little more pressure on my leg and jog occasionally. I hadn't *run* more than 2-3 consecutive miles since the spring. Literally took a photo of my leg in the starting village with the thought it might be the last time it ever looks normal in case my shin snapped in half in some horrific freak stress injury mid-race. Peak anxiety brain.
So starting slow on the Verrazzano's uphill, I was so anxious I would feel that familiar twinge in my leg. I've felt it for months. Sometimes I'm not sure it isn't a phantom pain now. But I didn't feel it that first mile. Or the second, leaving the Verrazzano and thinking "oh, this could be fun." Or the next mile, entering the first neighborhood. So I ran for the next 10 miles straight.
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Brooklyn: The first half of the marathon goes through Brooklyn. It was such a fucking party the whole way. Our wave ran through some quieter streets and neighborhoods before hitting 4th Ave, but it was the perfect warm up. Everyone in the world and their mother tells you not to go out too fast in a marathon but it is IMPOSSIBLE not to—not only was I overjoyed to be running without pain for the first time in weeks, I was zooming around giving as many high-fives to the kids as I could.
I had my name pinned to my shorts and it was 100% the right decision. I've heard from runners who say it was too overstimulating or they had trouble locating friends and family when everyone was screaming their name, but I needed it. I'll get into that later, but even at the start it was such a boost. A woman on a highway overpass shouted "Hi Emily, welcome to Brooklyn!" The first kid I high-fived smacked my hand and said "LET'S GO EMILY"
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The entirety of 4th Ave was incredible. I loved running through Brooklyn during the half in 2023 and I loved it this time. So many kids, funny signs, people offering tissues, live music, flags and banners. There were many Israeli and Palestinian flags throughout the course, which wasn't a surprise but still stirred up feelings. There was an older man standing alone with a Palestinian flag and we connected (I don't know how else to describe those fleeting interactions between runners and spectators but I had many; it's not quite a wave, sort of a nod, mostly eye contact, you just both know you're focused on each other for a moment). He yelled "stay strong, run for peace!"
Around Mile 8 at the Barclays Center I felt a cramp in my right calf. I assume this was a consequence of not having run more than eight miles for months before (better to go in undertrained than overtrained, they say, but perfect-amount-trained would've been great). That cramp stuck with me for quite while until every muscle was so cramped they were indistinguishable. But we will cross that unfortunately literal bridge when we come to it.
I managed to stretch it out, walk it off, and power on through until I met my family for the first time just before Mile 11. I liberally applied some Biofreeze to my calf and accidentally dropped my bag of SaltStick chews—a crucial error. Goodbye proper sodium intake for the second half of the race 😰
But I was still blissfully unaware of that mistake, running through the Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods and the rest of Brooklyn. Until I realized it on the Pulaski Bridge headed into...
Queens: If Brooklyn was a party, the two miles I spent in Queens were a brutal reality check. My calf cramp was not getting better, I was mad about losing my saltsticks, passing the halfway point was more intimidating than heartening. My half time was around 2:50, which is MUCH faster than I was expecting, but I knew I couldn't keep it up. I really do not remember Queens. There is a 25-minute gap in my camera roll from the Pulaski to the Queensboro. I recall it being loud, and I was a little overstimulated. I hadn't used headphones yet but put them in to check on the Bills game. We were losing, which did not help my mood.
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Queensboro Bridge: I train in a hilly area, so I wasn't too scared when people spoke in hushed whispers about how difficult NYC's course elevation is. But the mood swings I experienced on this fucking bridge. First of all, it's never-ending. It goes up and up and up and up. I thought of Jareth, because they loved Simon & Garfunkel and The 59th Street Bridge Song is on the playlist they made that I listen to when I miss them. My calf was cramping in such a way that stretching could not reach, let alone fix. I started settling with myself—10 miles left, okay, I don't think I will be able to run again, I can walk the whole thing.
But then—we're going downhill again. I'm walking a little faster. We're taking the ramp off the bridge into Manhattan. I'm jogging. We're passing the 16-mile marker—from here on out, every step is the farthest I've ever run in my life. I'm running again. We turn onto roaring 1st Avenue!
Manhattan: 1st Avenue is very long. Everyone warns you about 5th Avenue, when you're close enough to the end you might fool yourself into thinking it's the home stretch—but no one (except Meb) warned me about 1st Ave, which feels uphill! Is it uphill?? It is also a 3.5-mile optical illusion. You look as far ahead as you can and that mass you see cannot be runners, that can't be where you're going, that is so far, the bridge to the Bronx must be closer than that. And yet.
My family also did not see me on 1st Ave as planned, which was kinda disappointing. They just didn't make it to the post we'd picked out ahead of time. I didn't want to be grumpy or ungrateful because they did travel all the way to New York for me, and I'm glad they were enjoying shopping and stuff on the UES, it's their vacation too! but like... you travelled all the way to New York for me. Maybe you could prioritize seeing me 🥺 BUT I was perhaps entering the mouth of the pain cave at this time. I'd been running for over 4 hours, the longest I'd ever done, I didn't have enough sodium.
The spectators were awesome. All along the whole course they were great—if it ever felt like too much, I just walked in the middle of the course and tuned them out fine. There's no way I would've finished without not just their vocal support but material support as well—a bag of pretzels was like manna from heaven. Spray-on Biofreeze. Drinks between the official hydration stations. Alcoholic drinks, too (I did not partake, but boy if there's ever a time to break your sobriety...). Tissues. Bananas and orange slices, cookies, Halloween candy, an angel who had my fave kind of Honey Stinger chews. I'd been eating my own gels every 30 minutes on the dot but I was starting to get sick of them. I took everything that anyone shoved in my hands, Gd bless the people of New York City and their generosity, foresight, and kindness.
The Bronx: Going up the Willis Ave Bridge I didn't know if I would be able to finish. I hadn't run in a couple miles. I looked over to my left and saw runners crossing the Last Damn Bridge and it looked unfathomably far away. I had over 6 miles to go, there was just no way. I wanted to lie down in the middle of the street, find a way to tell my family to pick me up here. But there was a woman on the bridge, the first spectator in the final borough, rocking a well-swaddled baby that couldn't have been older than just a few weeks in her arms, welcoming us to the Bronx. I had to keep going after that. I kept telling myself to just keep walking, step by step, and eventually I would finish.
I hoped crossing the 20 Mile marker would be a boost but it made me feel like crying, if I had been hydrated enough to cry. The Boogie Down Bronx was popping but I could not match their energy. My legs were not going to run another mile. I was literally staring at the road taking one step at a time, my head down.
Then out of nowhere I felt someone next to me. Another runner, a middle-aged guy I'd never seen or spoken to before, came up beside me and patted me on the back and mumbled something I didn't hear before jogging off, something short like "keep going," "you got this," etc it could've been anything we runners say to each other on the course from time to time. It doesn't really matter what he said because just that pat on the back gave me fresh legs. Literally it was like I was on the start line again. I cannot explain it at all, I am tearing up just remembering it right now, the most powerful moment of my race. I immediately picked my head up and started running again and ran the rest of the Bronx. Everything hurt, but I could run through it.
I thought about getting his bib # and looking him up but I decided not to ruin the magic. My literal savior. We bobbed around each other a few more times but I lost him when I stopped on...
The Last Damn Bridge: There's an annual hype squad on the 3rd Avenue Bridge, the final bridge of the marathon that takes you back into Manhattan, and I've connected with some of them on FB. Their project this year was putting the names of runners' late loved ones on posters to give us an extra boost at Mile 21. I'd completely forgotten about it until I started passing the boards, then backtracked to find Phil's name ❤️ The organizer saw my name bib and said "Your name is Emily? My name is Emily, too! We have to take a photo!" so we did :) That interaction gave me a boost out of the Bronx and onto…
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5th Avenue: You hear many warnings about the subtle but brutal elevation on 5th Avenue, which takes you from Harlem down almost 50 blocks to Central Park. I did not notice the elevation at all, or at least did not register it as elevation. I was mostly focused on trying to stay conscious. I wasn't ever urgently concerned that I was going to pass out, but if someone had bumped into me I probably wouldn't have gotten up. I was fighting back dizziness—but having fun again? Fun might not be the word but I have pretty positive feelings looking back on 5th Ave. The Bills won—I listened to part of the fourth quarter bc I needed to mentally be anywhere else for a few minutes. My walking speed was about equal to my "running" speed at this point so I mostly settled for walking.
Fun crowds, lots of people saying my name. Saw my family for the second and final time! I only stopped for a moment—my cousin said "How do you feel?" and I kind of fake smiled/laughed (?), my eyes not really focused on any fixed point, and said "I just need to keep going" and stumbled away into a jog. AND THEN I SAW MY FAVE TIKTOKER? I am not big into tiktok but if any of you know Dutch (dutchdeccc) I ran past him, did a double-take, TURNED AROUND and went up to him?? I spit out something incoherent like ohmygdiloveyourvideos, he was so sweet he grabbed my hand and said oh my gd thank you so much you are doing so great you are amazing! and I ran off into Central Park 😭
Central Park: There were making the miles longer here. I need to see the numbers and cold hard facts about the course measurements because these miles were longer than the other miles. I hated every second of miles 24 and 25 in the park. THAT was the pain cave. That was, of course I am going to finish because I came this far, but I have never felt this bad in my life. Running would get this over with sooner but my legs are no longer functioning and I might end up eating asphalt so we are walking 16-minute miles until we're out.
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I knew certain ways my body would react to the distance because I've done long runs, but I didn't know most of the ways. Like, of course I have a calf cramp, that's what happens. But your legs spasming like in those videos you see of shaky runners who collapse right before the finish line—suddenly oh shit, I understand how that happens. It's not just one foot in front of the other, if I can't run I'll walk—at some point you cannot walk, but you have to figure out how to keep walking.
Central Park was fucking The Long Walk by Stephen King. I keep trying to remember specifics but I think my brain is blocking them out on purpose.
Central Park South: I'm crying again just recalling this. The final mile. You leave the park and run from Sherman's statue and the Plaza Hotel to Columbus Circle before reentering the park for the .2 finish. The hugeness of the marathon and achieving this goal finally hit me and I started crying, like actual tears—but my chest was so tight and achy that crying made it very hard to breathe, instantly, which was actually scary, so I stopped crying QUICK. Gathered myself. Most people were sticking to the right-hand side of the course, along Central Park, mostly empty of spectators. But I fucking needed people.
I can't overstate the power of the crowds at the NYC Marathon. Of course hype spectators are fun at any race, the cheering really is uplifting, the signs are funny. But at 25.7 miles you need more (at least I did) and New York City fucking delivered. I started walking along the barricade on the left, lined with people, and stared as many of them as I could dead in the eye. Literally forcing eye contact with these strangers lmao. It happened throughout the race—you catch a spectator's eye and connect with them, they say something right to your soul and you believe them. But I swear that entire barricade came through for me. It was sunset but still light enough they could read my name on my bib. I started jogging, high-fiving the kids, just looking from one face to the next begging them to talk to me, kept running just to see the next person. And they were smiling and cheering and it worked. I felt like the only person on the fucking course. I kept running even when I had to go right back into the park, uphill .2 miles to the finish.
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I kept thinking "this is so fucking hard this is the hardest thing I've ever done if you just keep running to the finish you never have to run ever again." I truly felt like I sprinted across the finish line fast as Usain Bolt, but looking back at the video I was hobbling slightly faster than my 92-year-old grandmother.
The finishers area kinda makes you feel like a toddler, which is fitting because at that point, mentally, you can't think clearly. Like, your brain doesn't have any fuel left to process what's going on after running for 6 hours so the volunteers shepherd you through like a preschooler. Here is your medal, great job!, let me get you a warm poncho and wrap it up tight for you, do you see those big green signs over there, just follow them, yep!, is this bag too heavy for you, are you sure, okay, you did so good today. We must look like stunned baby deer.
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Walked to Lincoln Center to meet my family. Nightmare bc once you're on the streets you directly encounter non-runners for the first time all day and most of them do not give a fuck. And as I said, you are physically and mentally struggling already.
But getting that medal is really fucking cool. And worth it
I won't bore you with the rest of the night (mostly ouch ouch stairs ow big step ough lying down hurts standing up hurts shower hurts eating makes me nauseated sleep is impossible) but over 24 hours out, I've never been sore like this. Just uncrossing my ankles hurts. I've always enjoyed the ache of a tough workout but this is something else. Proud of it though. However, unfortunately, I will be losing a toenail. Some may say that is a rite of passage for a distance runner but unpleasant and painful and kinda makes me dizzy nonetheless.
I've still barely had time to emotionally process any of this. I've wanted this for so long. Even as I was doing it, and trying to live in the moment, I could not believe I was actually running the New York City Marathon. And in 2024—this year I've dreaded for so long, the 10th anniversary of Phil's death, a year that's been unexpectedly brutal on me in so many other ways, too. But Phil was with me every step of the way, literally.
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I've been wearing the medal all day even though it rubs against the sunburn on the back of my neck, trading little smiles and nods with my fellow runners. We fucking did it. I had no idea what that meant two days ago, what it took. If I did, I'm not sure I would've even tried. But we fucking ran the marathon babyyyyy
This is kind of the only thing I want to talk about so if you want to talk about it or have any questions or anything just let me know 🥺
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dnvrsmedia · 1 year ago
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Space Girl
Astronaut!Ellie x Astrophysicist!Reader 
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⁺˚⋆。 °✩₊⁺˚⋆。 °✩₊⁺˚⋆。 °✩₊ ⁺˚⋆。 °✩₊⁺˚⋆。 °✩₊⁺˚⋆。 °✩₊⁺˚⋆。
gender non-specific! no gendered terms or pronouns (they/them used)
inspired by the song ‘Space Girl’ by Frances Forever
some lyrics included at the end of the fic!
DISCLAIMER! although i absolutely love space & all things to do with it, i absolutely have no idea how NASA works HAHA. learning abt space & astrophysics is a hobby of mine so please suspend your disbelief on the logistics of it all lol.
°✩₊⁺˚⋆。 °✩₊⁺˚⋆。 °✩₊ °✩₊⁺˚⋆。 °✩₊⁺˚⋆。 °✩₊
From a very young age, Ellie knew what she was destined to do. When it came around to teachers, friends, and Joel asking what she wanted to do when she grew up it was always the same answer. “I’m going to go to space!” She said with a firm face and a serious heart. Yet, only a few people believed she would make it. No one believed that the spunky orphan with anger management troubles would be the one to make it out of the stratosphere.
People say that dreams change. That some dreams are meant to be just that, dreams, yet Ellie was determined to make her dreams a reality. Ellie Williams was a go-getter. When she had her eyes set on something everyone around her knew she was going to have that. Having that mindset has brought her to where she is today, a real-life astronaut at NASA. All the hard work and dedication that the auburn-haired girl spent years to lead up to this moment was finally here. She spent countless sleepless nights in college dreaming about the stars. Hours on the phone with her adoptive father, Joel, ranting to him about all the cool facts she has learned while away from him. So, when Ellie got the offer, she made sure that Joel was the first one she let know.
She can't recall before that moment when she first saw the old man cry, but that day, there was no dry eye between them. She brought him to the same museum he took her to when he adopted her on her 15th birthday. Due to her NASA status and undeniable charm, she was able to bribe the museum guards into allowing her to close the space section just for this moment. Ellie would never admit it, but she had no idea where she would end up if it went for the man himself. He was the one who took the broken-down orphan child with way too much pent-up angst, to a fucking astronaut!
It was her first day in Houston after leaving the small town - Jackson- she grew to love. The town gave her a heartful send-off and enough food and well wishes to fuel a small village. The first official day of training before leaving Earth was tomorrow. Her palms clam up and knots in her stomach arise at the thought. She didn’t want to fuck up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A sigh releases from her body as she pulls into her new home, a decently nice apartment complex a few miles from the base. Being an orphan who was tossed around from foster home to foster home until the age of 14, Ellie never had a big heart for items. Unlike Joel, Ellie never really found herself keeping too many items. Sure back home in Jackson, Ellie had some nicknacks and things she found enjoyable, but during the moving process, she found herself only really needing to pack up her dingy old truck. Her wallet was thankful for not having to spend extra on movers, yet the depths of her heart yearned for something more. Yearning for a place she could feel like her home. Jackson never felt like hers no matter how long she’s been there. Ellie wonders if that's why she yearns for the stars. The fast
Her calloused hand turns the key in the ignition off.
“Welcome Home, Ellie.” A small smile adorned her face. Yeah, she was ready for the challenge to come.
Droplets of sweat evaporate off of the auburn-haired girl’s body as she finds herself moving in under the hot Houston sun. Although she didn't bring much, Ellie still had quite a time hauling her things into her apartment. Past Ellie thought that it would be a genius idea to ship her furniture before leaving Jackson. Unluckily for her, all of her shit got rerouted due to some error or something? At least that is what the FedEx worker on the phone told her on the phone. She looks around the room with a bit of defeat. She has all of the “essentials” she told herself to bring with her in the back of her truck. These items include all of her gaming devices and gear, comic collection, clothes, TV, and the fuck ton of snacks she got from Jacksonites. Nowhere included in her array of shit was a bed nor a chair.
“Fuck!” Ellie yelled outside her door. Of course, everything had to go to shit the second she got here. The sound of someone clearing their throat snapped Ellie out of her self-pity party of one. A person of seemingly the same age as her stood before her with a concerned look on their face. Ellie’s face heats up in embarrassment.
“Oh uh, I’m Y/N… I live in 112 B. I heard you moving in and wanted to check in on you. Is everything okay?” You rock on your heels. Ellie takes you in with wide eyes. She doesn’t think that she has met anyone more beautiful than the person standing in front of her. You were in your casual wear since it was a Sunday afternoon, yet she looked at you like you created the sun and all of its stars. After realizing that she is standing before you with her hin to her jaw (like an idiot) she finally introduces herself.
“Oh! Sorry!” Ellie scratches the back of her neck– a nervous tick she does– “I’m Ellie,” Her calloused hand reaches out to give yours a shake. ‘Are all hands normally this soft or are they just godly?’ Ellie wonders.
“I’m okay! Well, minus the movers losing my shit and bringing it back to Wyoming. I don't have a bed and my first day of work at my new job is tomorrow so I’m just stressed.” Ellie finally allows herself to breathe after going on that tangent. You let out a short giggle at her frazzled state. Ellie’s frown turns into a small smile before she bursts out in a fit of giggles herself.
“What a welcome that is, huh? It’s okay, Ellie. When I first came to Houston, I completely had no idea what to wear for work and I was the only one under the age of 60 wearing a pantsuit.” Your smile sends a pang to Ellie’s heart. Maybe this won't be a terrible time living here. A laugh erupts from her belly
“Oh, that must’ve been terrible, thanks for that.” Ellie’s gaze lowers to her beat-up converse as she tries to calm her beating heart.
“Anytime, and um, Ellie? Would you maybe want to grab a coffee with me?”
You rush out in hopes that she doesn’t reject you. Ellie kind of stares at you, not sure if she heard you correctly or if her sleep-deprived delusions were messing with her.
“Or not, I mean I totally understand how difficult moving is. If it helps, I have my old blowup mattress and some sheets and pillows to spare in the meantime you can use.”
Embarrassment floods your body. What were you thinking? Now, you are gonna have to see her every time you leave your room and be reminded of the time you got rejected.
Ellie’s eyes shoot wide open with her eyebrows to the sky.
“No!”
Your face immediately sinks at her answer. Ellie shakes her head furiously, god she is such a loser.
“No! I mean yes! I’d love to go grab a coffee with you. I’d also love to take you up on that blowup bed offer. The least I could do is buy you a coffee, yeah?”
Your smile reappears on your face as you nod in agreement.
You ended up taking your car to your favorite coffee joint near work. There was a small shopping center filled with cute local small businesses that you thought Ellie might enjoy looking at as you sipped your respective drinks. You had gotten to know the freckled-faced woman the longer you two strolled along the plaza together. Her bashful smile that adorned her face after she mentions something that she is passionate about was probably your favorite part about her. She was so intriguing to you like you had known each other all of your lives.
“So, what made you make the move to Houston?”
Ellie sipped on the last bit of her iced coffee. She practically gulped all of the sweetened caffeinated drink down after the first sip. She stated that it was “the best she has ever had.”
“Oh, for work actually! I work uh for the government.” You start to feel yourself becoming shy. You hated mentioning that you worked at NASA. Not because you weren’t proud of your job, but because you had this irrational fear that everyone believed that you were bragging.
Ellie’s eyebrows furrowed in thought.
“That is so very vague, Y/N” She laughs. “What, you a government spy or something? You working for the FBI? The CIA?”
Now it was your time to laugh. Ellie had a way of bringing you out of your insecure shell only with hours of meeting you. You shake your head.
“Hmm…any other acronyms?” She asks.
“Actually, uh yeah.” You laugh. “And it has nothing to do with spy stuff. I actually work at NASA.” You proudly smile, your job was something you had dreamed about ever since you were little. Being in Houston and working with the people you do made your inner child beam. Ellie stops in her tracks as a look of shock spreads across her face.
“You’re fucking with me, no way!” She shouts in the store, customers turning and scolding her with their eyes. You laugh and shake your head.
“No, I promise I am not.” You laugh once again. “I’m an astrophysicist.” The proud look not leaving your face; feeling more comfortable with sharing after hearing Ellie’s response to your career.
Ellie’s hands find themselves on your shoulders as she gently shakes you.
“No way! I start at NASA tomorrow! I’m going to space!” She smiles widely, you can tell how passionate she is just from those words. Now it was your turn to let out a gasp.
“You’re an astronaut!?” You yell rather loudly. For the second time, the patrons of the store are not loving your outbursts.
Ellie gives you her toothy smile as she nods like a maniac.
Since that day, both you and Ellie have been inseparable. Having your familiar face around made Ellie feel a lot more at ease in her first few months. Whenever she had a break from the training she would sneak off to your desk with your favorite snack. Oblivious to her charm, her presence usually waned for the other women in your department to throw themselves at her— something you were not very fond of. Sometimes she got to work at the same time as you, those times being her favorite. Not just because she was able to sleep in a bit more, but because of the little routine the two of you worked up together. Just shy of a week of Ellie living across the hall from you, you both traded spare apartment keys in case of emergencies…or at least that is the reason why she gave you one. On days like these, Ellie would get ready and let herself into your apartment as you made breakfast for the two of you. To repay you for your service, Ellie would then drive the pair of you to your spot– the coffee shop you showed her on her first day in Houston. She then would pay for your beverage before bringing you both to work.
“See you in a bit, space girl!” You smiled over your shoulder as you made your separate way to your desk.
Space girl; that was the nickname you gave her after her third week of being here. The nickname made her cheeks hurt from her mouth involuntarily smiling at you.
When Ellie got to work hands-on with you, she couldn’t help but admire. There was just something about seeing you in your element that made her heart beat a little faster. Having someone else who was passionate about the things she was, just made her fall. Hard.
Six months before Ellie was scheduled to explore the stars above, you noticed that her attention would always wander while she was with you. Whenever you did catch her spacing out–pun intended– you liked to ask if her head was in the clouds.
Ellie responds with a smile, “No, but they are in the stars.” Her Ellie Williams smirk makes way to her freckle-filled face.
Yet, behind her flirtatious exterior, Ellie was worried. Her heart yearned for you at every waking moment. She was with you whenever she wasn’t training for her year-long trip. A trip that she has dreamed of making since she was a young girl. She wanted you to be hers, yet she could not bring herself into asking you to be hers. Making you wait a year while she’s miles and miles away felt incredibly unfair. Her leg bounces as her teeth pick at the thin skin of her plush lips as you both sit on her couch watching a movie. Your hand makes its way to her bouncing thigh in hopes to calm the green-eyed girl down.
“Alright, El, talk to me.” You pick up the remote in between you to pause the romcom you begged her to watch with you. You noticed that she has been a bit off for the last few weeks. The two of you would share a moment, you practically begging her to kiss you, and then she would revert herself to the time you first met. You thought that it was just her exhaustion from work, or the anxiety due to take off.
Ellie's thigh came to a halt, her body tensing at being caught. One thing that Ellie came to learn is that it was increasingly hard to lie to you. She found herself always wanting to be honest with you, so as the months have gone by, as her feelings grew, it was harder to hide them from you.
Ellie shakes her head and mumbles a very non-committed, “S’ nothin’.”
Your eyes roll so hard you swear they’d fall out of your sockets and onto the ground. You take her hands in yours as you try to gain her eye contact. Once that doesn’t work, you remove one hand from hers to caress her cheek every so gently. Your soft fingertips grasping her cheek as you turn her chin towards your face. Ellie’s furrowed eyebrows slowly loosen as she sees the worried expression on your face.
“C’mon, you can tell me.” You pout; wanting nothing more than to ease any worry within the girl before you.
An overwhelming sense of warmth encompasses Ellie as her eyes dart from your lips to your eyes, and to your lips once more before she pulls you in for a fairytale kiss. It felt like a mini-universe was being made between the two of you once her lips connected with yours. Months of yearning all poured into this one kiss. It was full of passion as the auburn-haired woman deepened her mouth into yours, her hands trailing up the sides of your body as she pulled you in close to her. God, did Ellie feel stupid. She could have had you this close to her for months if she only had the courage. Your free hand moves to the nape of her neck as you massage her baby hairs. A sigh of contentment slips out of her mouth; you could physically feel the tension in her body melt with every stroke of her head.
You pull away due to lack of oxygen as Ellie's lips trail, not wanting to pull away. You giggle as she pecks your lips, obsessed with the way they feel. Ellie finally allows the both of you to move from each other's lips before she kisses your cheek. Her face beat red and her lips plump from the make-out session you just had.
“That was-” You look up at her dreamily, you finally got the girl.
“Amazing.” Ellie smiles brightly. “I’m sorry I didn’t do it sooner, it's just– leaving for the year with little communication isn’t really appealing for a relationship.” Ellie blushes and looks away from your eyes. You were having none of that as you scoop hair behind her ear, her eyes trailing back to yours.
“I’m not an everyday person, I work at NASA with you,” You laugh at her bashfulness. “Plus, you are worth it, Space girl. I’ll be here waiting for you. I’m yours.”
Space Girl, I saw a lunar eclipse
Looked like how I feel 'bout your lips
Space Girl, the only way that we'd end
Was if you were sucked into a black hole
But I'd still spend my days dreaming 'bout you
Dreaming bout you… ๋࣭ ⭑
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