#Happy Birthday Gorgeous stamp set

[seidenapfel]

2024 in Review

In 2024, I posted 17 fics, ranging from 334 to 27,731 words. Although I feel I joined too many bangs this year, only six fics were bang collabs. Addionally, there were eight art collabs as well. I haven't counted the art pieces, though. However, it probably felt that much because there are nine collabs I'm currently working on for 2025. So, if you like my fics and art, please subscribe to me on AO3 for fics and art, and/or follow me on Tumblr.

Making a List, Checking it Twice (Rated: E | Word Count: 1,369)

Summary: Dean forgets a naughty list in the kitchen. There's only one person/angel who can have found it.

The year started smutty with my first fic for the 12 Days of Smutmas.

Heating Up a Snow Cave (Rated: E | Word Count: 2,907)

Summary: Caught in a blizzard, Cas and Dean have to find a way to warm each other up.

My second fic for the 12 Days of Smutmas.

You Ain't Him (Rated: T | Word Count: 840)

Summary: “Dean?” Dean winced. No. It couldn’t be. His entire body started to tingle as the gravel voice vibrated through him. A voice he thought he would never hear again. This wasn’t happening. He was gone. He was—

A little birthday fic for Dean Winchester.

Books, Pies, and Roommates (Rated: E | Word Count: 27,731)

Summary: Everything seemed easy when Castiel landed a job in Lawrence as a literature professor at KU. He even found a place to stay with his cousin in Topeka. But the daily commute quickly gets on his nerves and he begins looking for a room in town. When he finally lucks out on a house, it comes with a catch. His mysterious landlord/housemate works and lives in Topeka during the week, and will only be at home for the weekend while Castiel is back at his cousin’s to honor a promise he made. When Dean walks into his favorite pie shop, the new sales assistant takes his breath away. Steve is gorgeous, and part of the owner’s family. Dean doesn’t even mind that he picks up Gabriel’s stupid moniker for him. After all, Deano has one syllable more, and Dean will do anything to hear Steve’s voice just a little bit longer. Though, as breathtaking Steve might be, he isn't Angel. If only Dean's book-loving best friend weren't a mystery in himself — a guy who Dean has only met online, but who has slowly taken his heart away. And it seems that Dean isn't alone in his feelings. When the lines blur and fantasies merge three guys into one, disappointment and heartbreak seem to be inevitable.

Pinefest ( @deancaspinefest ) is always one of the highlights of the year and this year @kitshay claimed my fic and created some beautiful pieces. Besides, I had a great time writing this two-person love hexagon.

Maybe not yet, but eventually (Rated: T | Word Count: 1,032)

Summary: Screaming, Dean wakes from a nightmare, trapped inside his memories.

This is the first of several time stamps this year. This one was for my 2021 DCBB fic Maybe not a comedy (according to Jack), but he likes the happy ending that can be read as a standalone.

Setting Sail (Rated: T | Word Count: 334)

Summary: 1805: Nodding at Lieutenant Davies and Midshipman Alfie, and leaving command with Lieutenant Hester, Castiel walks towards his cabin when he sees him.

Another timestamp, this time for my 2022 Regency Big Bang fic Forty Shillings on the Drum. Written for the Tumblr May Trope Mayhem. Can be read as standalone.

Maybe not magnificent, but damn awesome (Rated: T | Word Count: 1,137)

Summary: Movie nights aboard the Impala have become something of a routine after they reunited Sam with his family on Terra. Once a week, Charlie picks some classic movie from back in the days, and their little found family comes together in the living room.

Timestamp number three, once again for my 2021 DCBB fic Maybe not a comedy (according to Jack), but he likes the happy ending. Another entry for the May Trop Mayhem. Should work as standalone.

Filling the Empty Space in My Heart (Rated: T | Word Count: 5,035)

Summary: After Cas let himself be taken by the Empty, Dean's life continues in a blur. Only Jack keeps him going, who has turned himself into an actual four-year-old boy after defeating Chuck and giving up the majority of his powers to stabilise Heaven. However, Dean knows he isn't good enough to raise a nephil. Jack needs his dad. And there might be one way to bring him back. Even if it leads Dean back to Hell, and beyond.

Inspired by an art piece for the DCRB 2024 where I ended up empty handed, and written for the Profound Bond Gift Exchange as a gift for @thecadenceimperfect. With art by me. I later wrote a smutty timestamp as well called:

A Place to Stay (Rated: E | Word Count: 3,157)

Summary: After getting back from the Empty, Dean’s entire body tingled, too edgy for his skin. He barely paid attention to the others and couldn’t stop fidgeting since he had returned to the library and joined them once again at the table. Cas’ presence was electric, pulling him into its orbit. Dean felt it in every fibre of his being as he slumped down on the chair next to him. Echoes of Grace pulsed through him, and for the first time since Cas pulled that stupid stunt and let himself be swallowed by the Empty, Dean felt alive.

TFW 2.0: Siren Adventures (Rated: E | Word Count: 4,727)

Summary: After Charlie and Sam's plan to save Cas and Dean goes sideways, Charlie doesn't give up. There must be another way. When she finds help in an unsual ally, the future is suddenly starting to look brighter.

My Crack in the Chassis catch ( @crack-in-the-chassis ) for @notreallyaroad 's fic TFW: Just Add Water. At first, I claimed for art, but due to the special kind of bang, we agreed for me to write an alternate ending / fix-it as well.

A Part of Me Shall Still Remain (Rated: T | Word Count: 6,918)

Summary: In 1805 Commander Castiel returns home after long years at sea. The Battle of Trafalgar has left him a broken man. For years, he shuns society and withdraws to his estate, until a scandal involving Sir Castiel’s disgraced cousin and a young noblewoman shakes the ballrooms of London and Bath. It introduces him to a doomed woman, who not only does approve of his deepest secrets, but who also does give birth to a child that will alter the commander’s life forever.

My fic for the Dadstiel Bang ( @dadstielminibang ) with stunning art by @twinone1221. This fic is set in the verse of my 2022 Regency Big Bang fic Forty Shillings on the Drum, but can be read as standalone. I had two other collabs for the Dadstiel Bang, both art.

Everlasting Fall (Rated: E | Word Count: 3,136)

Summary: Tendrils of Grace trickled from Dean’s fingers as his hand ghosted along Castiel’s flank. Gasping, Castiel shivered and Dean smiled. “You like that?” Stripped of their combined Grace for the night, Castiel gives himself over to Dean, ready to be taken apart.

Another timestamp because after demon and angel smut, I wanted to write some Grace kink. Set in my Calming the Weather verse.

That's Purrfect (Rated: T | Word Count: 1,262)

Summary: Castiel would do anything for him. He would level entire civilisations for Dean Winchester, or dress as a cat — it didn’t matter as long as Dean was happy.

Another Halloween fic to add to my annual tradition, and the only fic I managed to write for Suptober this year.

Highly Professional (Rated: E | Word Count: 25,565)

Summary: On his first day of college, Dean feels like a fish out of water. After years of working his ass off with several jobs at once to fund his brother’s studies, his family and friends have decided to pay him back. That’s how he finds himself panicking in the lecture hall. Thankfully, a fellow student distracts him. She promptly becomes a good friend, and Dean has no idea how badly he will need her. The moment he lays eyes on his physics professor, Dean is lost. Castiel Novak seems like the man of his dreams. And when the professor’s son appears from under the podium, several lives take an unsuspected turn.

My fic collab for the DCBB 2024 with wonderful art by @sasanka-27. I started this fic for the Dadstiel Bang, but changed it for the one I ended up with.

Your Own Personal Heaven (Rated: T | Word Count: 3,004)

Summary: After arriving in Heaven, Dean's nursing a beer in the crowded and snowed-in Roadhouse when the door opens and Cas enters. Crowding him, Dean makes out with him in front of everyone present, believing that he is stuck in his personal Heaven and none of it is real.

I haven't shared this Christmas fic on Tumblr before because I was too busy with bang collabs and the holidays. Inspired by a prompt by @macy2me.

It's a Stabby Life (Rated: T | Word Count: 4,370)

Summary: Dean Smith’s life as Director of Sales and Marketing at Sandover seems perfect. If there weren’t the dreams, and his new colleague. When he runs into Castiel and accidentally stabs him with a knife in the cafeteria, the guy walks away as if nothing happened. Maybe it didn’t and Dean is simply overworked. But then it happens again, and again, and Dean’s perfect life slowly falls to pieces.

The first of two fics for @deancas-stabfest. @arlington-chamber-of-gay claimed it an created beautiful pieces for the stabs. I had never written Dean Smith before, so this was really fun.

Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty or Nice (Rated: T | Word Count: 8,859)

Summary: During a case involving an entire coven of witches, Dean tries on a Santa hat. Nothing seems wrong, until he can’t remove the hat. Jingles start following his every step while his body changes. Slowly at first, then faster and faster, until he can’t hide it any longer from Sam and Castiel: Dean is transforming into Santa, and there seems to be no way back.

My Stabfest collab number two is the last fic for this year. This time, I claimed a wonderful art piece by @masoenart. It was the second collab with @masoena this year after our collab for the Midam Bang during the summer where our roles were reversed. One reader called this fic Christmas horror. I just had a lot of fun writing it.

Art Collabs

(you find the links to the fics when you follow the links to the art, either on AO3 or Tumblr)

Destiel Pinefest 2024: Art for 'Given to Fly' by MittenWraith, colalb with @mittensmorgul [art on Tumblr]

Bottom Cas Big Bang 2023/2024: Art for 'Raising Kids, Finding Love, the Family Business' by Mydestielbabies_67, collab with @spnisthewayoflife [art on Tumblr]

Dadstiel Mini Bang 2024: Art for 'Make a Wish' by Avonlady, collab with @avonlady42 [art on Tumblr]

Art for 'Always Memorable' by golbygloom, collab with @golby-moon [art on Tumblr]

Crack in the Chassis 2024: Art for 'TFW: Just Add Water' by notreallyaroad, collab with @notreallyaroad [art on Tumblr]

Midam Bang 2024: Art for 'Breaking Light — A Future Earned' by Masoena, collab with @masoena [art on Tumblr]

DCBB 2024: Art for 'Marriage of Heaven, Hell & Humanity' by draechaeli, collab with @draechaeli [art on Tumblr]

Stabfest 2024: Art for 'Monsters and Men' by FriendofCarlotta, collab with @friendofcarlotta [art on Tumblr]

Over the summer, I also posted several sketches I drew in my sketchbook.

And I posted some photos taken at PurCon which ended up my most shared posts of the year.

[stampwithtami]

BLOG HOP & VIDEO: Hummingbird Corner Flip Fold Cards [Series #1]

INTRODUCING THE CORNER FLIP FOLD SERIES Today is my Stamp It Demonstrator’s Group Blog Hop . We’re all really excited to unveil our projects, and announce a new contest giveaway. To continue on your journey through our projects, simply use the BLOG HOPPERS links belong. Welcome to my latest creative adventure – the Corner Flip Fold Card series! This new series is all about bringing a delightful surprise to your card-making projects. Each card features an exciting, interactive element that really makes opening them a magical experience. I'm thrilled to share these designs with you and guide you through making your own! About the SeriesThe Corner Flip Fold card is more than just a card; it's an experience. With an innovative fold that I've simplified using a handy template, these cards include a pop-up surprise that brings joy to anyone who opens them. In today's tutorial, I'll walk you through the steps to create this fold, ensuring you'll master it in no time. You'll be "flipping" out over how simple yet effective this technique is! Design InspirationFor the debut of this series, I've chosen to use the Thoughtful Expressions Stamp Set from Stampin' Up. The set's charming hummingbird and vibrant floral designs are perfect for showcasing your coloring skills. Plus, the heartfelt sentiments included are versatile for many occasions. Today’s design uses the gorgeous Flowering Zinnias Designer Series Paper, adding an elegant touch to the overall aesthetic. Occasions and CustomizationOriginally crafted as a sympathy card, the flexibility of the greeting makes it suitable for various occasions. Whether it's Mother's Day, a birthday, or just because, you can tailor the card’s message to fit perfectly. The ability to customize is what makes handmade cards so special, and this series embraces that wholeheartedly. Tutorial and ResourcesDon’t worry if you’re wondering how to start. Alongside the blog post, I’ve prepared a video tutorial where I demonstrate the creation of the Corner Flip Fold card and share tips on using Stampin’ Blends Markers for beautiful, blended coloring effects. The video makes it easy to follow along at your own pace. What's Next?This is just the beginning! There are more designs and tutorials in the Corner Flip Fold series coming soon. Each one will introduce new themes and techniques, ensuring there's always something fresh to inspire your creativity. I hope you are as excited as I am to dive into the world of Corner Flip Fold cards. These designs are not only fun to make but also a joy to give, offering a unique way to express your feelings and creativity. Stay tuned for more tutorials in this series, and happy crafting! Happy crafting! Tami VIDEO CLASS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8Kdj4-Jj1Y INSTRUCTIONS The guide provides detailed measurements and step by step instructions to create this card. Use the accompanying video for visual. DOWNLOAD PDF SUPPLIES I USED CORNER FLIP FOLD CARD SERIES Click the thumbnails below for more free tutorials in my series. STAMPIN' UP! CATALOGS CURRENT SPECIALS PHOTOS The front of the card features the Stampin Up Flowering Zinnias Designer Series Paper. I've chosen to use the Thoughtful Expressions Stamp Set from Stampin' Up. The set's charming hummingbird and vibrant floral designs are perfect for showcasing your coloring skills.  This is a view of the card opened front and back. I added the top diagonal cut just for a little special something. I added the polka dot pattern from the Flowering Zinnias paper for the inside. Whether it's Mother's Day, a birthday, or just because, you can tailor the card’s message to fit perfectly.  I've also created this Arrow Fold Card with the Thoughtful Expressions hummingbird. Click for the tutorial. Want to save these ideas for later? Pin them to your favorite Pinterest board. Have you tried these designs? I love to see your creations! Be sure to share them on #shareyourcrafts post every Saturday on my Facebook Page    BLOG HOP Blog Hop Index BLOG HOP GIVEAWAY & WINNER Read the full article

[andypantsx3]

confetti confessions | todoroki x reader

summary: “Shouto–?” you started, but you choked off as he suddenly shifted, leaning closer. It brought a tiny puff of some delicious cologne to your nose. “Hold still,” he intoned softly, his face drawing nearer. A wild thrill went through you, and the admission he’d just given you echoed loudly in your brain: “I am told I…kiss people.” This wasn’t–he wasn’t about to kiss you, was he?

tags: fem reader, birthday party, first kiss, slight misunderstanding, SFW

notes: Hello my loves! Please ignore how overwritten this is in some parts, and underwritten in others. I wanted to get it up in time for Shouto's birthday. I hope you enjoy it despite its condition!!

wc: 2.3k

The party was deafening.

Shouto’s apartment was stuffed with dozens of people, clamoring one on top of the other, armed with plastic cups and beer cans and little disposable shot glasses stamped with fire and ice emojis.

The space had been converted into something approximating a bar this evening, and festooned with absolutely heinous decor by Mina and several of the more enthusiastic former members of Class A until it was nearly unrecognizable. It was blanketed in red and white streamers, a riot of red and blue balloons, and hanging confetti poppers that people kept setting off anytime a new arrival walked through the door.

Almost all of the members of Class A were all accounted for, and they’d reeled in plenty of other friends and heroes besides. Some had taken the evening off, but you’d caught a great many in hero costume, too, dropping in for a beer on their way on or off a shift.

Mina had also produced a karaoke machine from somewhere, and you could hear it being put to highly creative use in the kitchen–-Mina and Kaminari serenading anyone who dared duck back in for a drink with a chorus of drunken wailing that only vaguely approximated a song you thought you might know.

They were so loud on top of the already voluminous chatter that you didn’t hear his approach, at first.

He dropped down onto the couch next to you, startling you so much that you almost sloshed your drink over your lap.

Which would have been a loss, considering the extreme amount of digging around in the various libations Kirishima had procured to find something even remotely above bottom-shelf. You’d learned that most pro heroes couldn’t afford to be picky, with the kinds of metabolisms they had and the sheer amount of liquor it took to get them drunk.

“Shouto,” you breathed out in relief, when you realized who’d sat down next to you.

Despite the sticky heat and the copious surprise confetti showers everyone had routinely been subjected to throughout the evening, the birthday boy himself looked just as inhumanly perfect as usual. His hair had been raked through with some kind of gel that you suspected was Camie’s doing, and he wore a pale blue button down that underlit his fading summer tan in the most horribly gorgeous way ever.

Not a single hair or stitch was out of place on him. The only real concessions to the fact that he’d been attending a party were the tiniest hint of a flush on his criminally high cheekbones, and a red plastic cup clutched in his long, unfairly pretty fingers.

“Happy birthday!” you said, happy to catch him for the first time since you’d gotten here, nearly an hour ago. You resisted the urge to smooth down your own dress, hoping you didn’t look too much of a try hard.

“Thank you,” he intoned, low and soft and barely perceptible over the sound of Mina and Kaminari’s howling. “I am…happy you could come.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” you promised him. If it had been anyone else, you might have preferred to retreat back to your own apartment after the kind of soul-sucking work week you’d had. But the very thought of seeing him always had your skin fizzing and your heart working double time.

You’d been nursing a crush on him for about a million years, and you were not about to miss his birthday.

A tiny smile pulled at his mouth, and he put an arm out over the top of the couch behind you, drawing in just a little bit closer to you. You clutched your drink tighter, like a protective talisman, as though Shouto was an obscenely persistent demon whose influence might be warded against.

“A Grammy-winning performance we’re hearing tonight,” you said, taking a sip of your drink. It was ostensibly vodka and some kind of juice, though you rather thought that the bartender–a smiling Kirishima–had taken significant liberties with the ingredients.

As if on cue, a third voice joined Mina and Kaminari, sweet and high but so uniquely detached from the appropriate key that you wondered if she’d ever even heard the song before–Ochako.

“Is that what we’re doing,” Shouto answered, tone bland. “Hearing. I rather thought we were...enduring.”

You laughed into your cup, almost inhaling the liquor when a huerrk! noise sounded in one the microphones like someone had snatched it, and an annoyed voice growled, “Oi, quit your fuckin’ caterwauling.”

“Some of us more gracefully than others, apparently,” you snickered.

Shouto’s unperturbed expression said it all.

“He offers very little grace, indeed,” Shouto said, taking a sip of his own drink. On the side, you saw a message spelled out in messy sharpie–FOR THE BIRTHDAY BOY! GIVE HIM MOSTLY JUICE, DO NOT LET HIM HAVE MORE THAN A SHOT AT A TIME!! It was followed by what looked to be a tally of how many shots he’d been poured already: three.

You suppressed a smile.

“You’re on a watch list, huh?” you asked, gesturing to the cup.

To your surprise, the dusting of pink on Shouto’s cheeks seemed to deepen. His mouth arranged itself into a little pout and he spun the cup in his fingers to reread the text to himself.

He seemed to contemplate it for a minute. And then he dropped a bombshell.

“I am told I am given to somewhat…amorous inclinations, if I drink too much too quickly.”

A shocked little thrill went up your spine even as you spluttered out an astonished laugh. “Amorous inclinations? Did you flash somebody??”

Shouto looked embarrassed, his long eyelashes fluttering. “I am told I…kiss people.”

Your interest fizzled like a bottle of newly-popped champagne. “You?” you asked incredulously. “The very man Hero Weekly described just last month as pro heroics’ most notoriously aloof ice prince?”

You knew he was nothing of the sort–altogether too kind and warm and thoughtful if you knew him at all–but a zoomed-in shot of the line in that article had done its rounds of all your group chats, and Class A had been milking it for weeks. Only two mornings ago, Kaminari had rolled a snowman in the snow outside his building and carved a set of abs into it, lobbing a photo of it into the discord with a “lookin good todoroki!!”

Shouto’s right ear appeared to be very pink against the white of his hair, and you found yourself transfixed.

“I have it from reputable sources,” he said.

You tried not to think about what the little flutter in your stomach meant when you thought of Shouto wanting to kiss someone. You pinched your leg just under the hem of your dress. Just because you had the world’s fattest crush on him did not mean you could have used those circumstances to your advantage.

You could be better than that.

“Well, I hope the sources enjoyed themselves,” you said, trying not to sound at all jealous.

Shouto turned his most strategically bland look on you, and you laughed.

“You’re right, you shouldn’t kiss and tell,” you said, smiling.

“You are making fun of me,” Shouto said. His full mouth pulled into another pout and you thought you might be having heart palpitations at how cute he was. That or your drink was getting to you.

You couldn’t help the way your grin softened. “Gotta get my licks in where I can, you’re otherwise way too perfect.”

That seemed to give him pause, however. A white eyebrow raised, and he stared at you for a moment, those mismatched eyes picking over you in surprise. You realized quickly that you’d maybe been a little too complimentary. “Well–I mean—you know. You’re nice and…heroic, and stuff…”

“Heroic and stuff,” he echoed, his tone dry.

You nudged him with the toe of your boot, a rebuff, but Shouto just shifted again, leaning in conspiratorially. Your heartbeat spiked as the angle brought his profile further into view. You tried not to stare at the way his open collar framed the strong lines of his throat.

“I am a pro hero,” Shouto said with zero inflection.

You could tell he’d flipped the tables on you, then, and was poking fun at you with his usual customary blandness so many people took for aloofness.

“Well then congrats on meeting your job criteria,” you said, trying to sound normal. “Our city can sleep safe.”

Shouto’s mouth twitched, the hint of a smile pressing at the corner. You suppressed the little lick of pleasure that went through you at having made him smile, ducking your head.

When you looked up, however, Shouto’s expression had changed. His mouth had slackened, and he was looking at you with a renewed focus, his eyes curious.

You froze–unsure what had just changed.

“Shouto–?” you started, but you choked off as he suddenly shifted, leaning closer. It brought a tiny puff of some delicious cologne to your nose.

“Hold still,” he intoned softly, his face drawing nearer.

A wild thrill went through you, and the admission he’d just given you echoed loudly in your brain: “I am told I…kiss people.”

This wasn’t–he wasn’t about to kiss you, was he?

But he drew even closer, his expression intent, and you couldn’t see what else he could possibly be doing. Your heartbeat picked up. Your eyes fluttered shut, and you took in a deep breath, feeling all of your focus concentrate on your mouth.

You waited. Exhaled a shaky breath–

And then long fingers touched the hair at the side of your head, and you felt a soft tug.

Your eyes shot open only to see Shouto’s hand retreating, something golden and glittery clutched in his fingers.

“You had confetti in your hair,” he said.

Mortification speared you, and you couldn’t help the horrified flush that rose to your face.

Confetti.

He had been leaning in for fucking confetti!

You were an idiot!

“Oh my god,” you choked, trying to stifle your embarrassment. But it was too late. Shouto glanced down at you, and his features grew concerned.

“Y/N,” he said, his tone growing urgent. “Are you well? Is something the matter?”

“Nothing!” you said quickly, flapping your hand. “Uh, thanks for getting that!” Your voice came out strangled however, the least convincing tone ever, and you could tell it registered falsely in his ears.

“Have I done something?” Shouto ventured.

“No–it’s not you–” you said.

Of course he hadn’t done anything! It had been you, suddenly off balanced by his unexpected admission, basically desperate to imagine any scrap of his affection! But he’d never even given a hint that he felt anything more than friendship for you.

“Then you–?” he murmured, his brow furrowing. It took a long moment, his expression puzzled. But then you watched with some horror as it dawned on him. His features went smooth and clear.

“You thought I was going to kiss you,” he said. Like he was stating an inarguable fact, the color of the sky or the grass.

His tone was once again horribly bland. Only this time it wasn’t anything to laugh at. This time it was like an arrow through your chest.

“I–no–well, yes, but I–” you floundered. “I didn’t, um, obviously you haven’t had enough drinks. Not that I would expect it anyway. It’s just that you said that thing and it was…in my head…”

“You thought I was going to kiss you and you…accepted it,” Shouto continued, as though he hadn’t heard you.

You cringed. Yes. You had all but puckered up for it.

“Y/N,” he said, and there was a note of something soft in his low voice. You did not like where this was going. “Did you…want me to kiss you?”

“I never want you to do something you don’t want to!” you rushed to reassure him.

But Shouto’s eyebrows just rose, and he leaned towards you again, those mismatched eyes going just a little bit wider. “I don’t believe that’s a no.”

You couldn’t have produced an answer if you tried. You just stared at him helplessly, heart pounding.

“And if I…did want to kiss you?” he asked finally.

You gaped, the question short-circuiting your brain. Maybe Kirishima had put a little something too much in your drink. Like a hallucinogenic or like, lead paint.

“You…kiss me–” you garbled out, your voice strangled.

Like that had been some kind of confirmation code, Shouto’s mouth quirked, and his face dipped nearer to yours again. “I’d like to kiss you,” he said.

You made the most embarrassing sound of your life.

But then his mouth was on yours. It was warm and soft and utterly perfect, just as devastatingly good as you might have pictured. Shouto tasted like his drink, sharp sake and some kind of fruit juice, and he kissed slow and sure, in a way that made lightning zing through your veins.

You were utterly certain you would never forget this moment for your entire life.

“Is it your birthday or mine,” you wondered stupidly when Shouto finally drew away. You could feel the huff of his laugh on your lips.

You opened your eyes to see him watching you closely, a wry little curl back at the side of his mouth.

“Definitely mine,” he decided, placing his cup on the coffee table in front of you. “The loveliest gift I have ever been given.”

Another hot flush crept down your chest. You smiled at him, feeling bubbly and giddy and stupid. Shouto reached out, tugging your cup from your fingers too, and then leaned back in to put his mouth close to yours again.

“I have been hoping for this particular gift for a very long time,” he said. “Perhaps you might indulge me with one more?”

You couldn’t believe this was real. You leaned in, grinning like an idiot.

And then you gave him the first of many more–your confetti still clutched in his fingers.

[cricketnationrise]

hi congrats :)) nursey, annie's, february 12

hi annie, thank you! hope you like this little look into Nursey's freshman year <3

_X_ _X_ _X_

Annies, Feb. 12

Nursey doesn’t know how long he’s been in Annie’s today. Long enough that what’s left of his latte has gone cold and the sun is mostly set. He straightens up, wincing at the number of times his back cracks, and blinks to try and clear the haze of calculus homework from his mind.

He rolls his neck and shoulders to try and loosen up, but all he wants to do is head back to his dorm and sleep until practice tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, his math being done is not the end of his misery today. Holding in a sigh that he suspects would sound more like a whimper, he swaps his math for his history reading. With a groan, he leans his elbows on the table and scrubs at his face, taking another minute for himself with his eyes closed. The scrape of a chair across from him has Nursey’s head jerking out of his hands and his eyes fly open in surprise. 

Dex sits down across from him, and hands him one of the cups in his hands with a slightly nervous smile on his face. Nursey blinks, taking the steaming mug reflexively, startling at the smell of hot chocolate and cinnamon beneath whipped cream. He takes a sip and raises his eyebrows at Dex over the rim. 

“Saw you in here on my way back to the dorm,” Dex shrugs. “It looked like you could use some company.”

“And the drink?”

Dex’s flush deepens. “It’s after five, if I got you more coffee you’d never sleep tonight.”

“Thanks,” he says, oddly touched. He and Dex are friends these days, pretty good ones, actually, when they aren’t arguing about stupid stuff. But this is the first time Dex has sought him out without Chowder.

“No problem,” Dex says. He pulls out the novel he’s been slogging through for his Gen Ed literature class with a sigh, and starts reading. Nursey sets the mug down with some reluctance, and starts his own work. One day, he’s not going to have to memorize facts about Christopher fucking Columbus and it can’t come soon enough.

They sit like that for a while, the easy silence broken occasionally by the squeak of a highlighter, the scribble of a pen, a distinctly Maine-flavored huff of annoyance, a groan that sounds like New York City frustration.

Finally, finally, Nursey finishes both his reading and his hot chocolate and starts packing up. Dex smiles softly at him, stowing his own book. He pulls out a wrapped package and slides it carefully to Nursey.

“For me?” he can’t resist asking.

Dex nods, biting his lip. The blush is back, faintly, but unmistakable on his freckled skin.

“What for?”

“It’s your birthday in two days. And – I wanted to make sure you got this since I’m going straight from practice to class to my late shift at the computer lab. And then probably right to bed,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Oh.”

Nursey doesn’t know what to do with that actually. He just stares down at the present, wrapped neatly in brown paper and a string bow. His fingertips brush the simple Happy Birthday Nursey, from Dex in Dex’s characteristically untidy scrawl.

“Are you going to open it, or just stare at it?” Dex chirps.

“Right, yeah, I’ll just—”

He unties the string and tears the paper and reveals a book – wait no, it’s a journal. The leather cover is worked to look like a star-filled sky, and the letters DMN are stamped in gold along the spine. The paper inside is a lovely cream, the pages not the perfect cut edges of a generic journal, but the uneven, almost ripped, look of something from the last century. There’s even an attached ribbon bookmark in a deep green color.

“Wow, it’s gorgeous, thank you, Dex. I’ve never seen anything like this before, where did you get it?”

Dex’s cheeks turn even deeper red. “I, um, made it actually.”

Nursey’s mouth falls open in shock. Dex made this. Dex made this. This work of art masquerading as a journal – Dex made this.

“What?” he croaks.

“I just – I noticed at the end of last semester that your writing notebook was almost full, so I was gonna buy you a new one, but when I was looking around I couldn’t find one that I thought you’d like, so, I made you one instead.”

“You just made a journal. Casually.”

“Well – yeah,” Dex says, bites his lip again, before— “Is it – do you like it?”

“Do I like it, he asks,” says Nursey, shaking his head. “Dex, it's probably the best present I’ve ever gotten in my life.”

“Oh. Well. Good then.” Dex’s face looks good with a smile.

“You just knew how to make one?”

Dex shakes his head with a shrug and his blush trailing down his neck now. 

“Wasn’t that hard to learn,” he mumbles.

Nursey throws his hands up in exasperation. “Fucking hell, Poindexter. Absolutely insane, you just fucking learned how to make a book over winter break?”

“Ayuh, I guess.”

“Seriously, man, you didn’t have to go through all this trouble. But, thank you. So much. It’s beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it. Happy early birthday.”

_X_ _X_ _X_

if you follow me and want your own ficlet details are here! 💜

[hilarychuff]

uptown girls in my asoiaf au graphic series

Who says money can’t buy happiness? Sansa Stark has everything a girl could want — a gorgeous apartment, a passport full of stamps from countries all over the world, a precious little pet pig, and soon the perfect 22nd birthday party. It’s poised to be one of the biggest nights of the year, attended by all the most famous socialites in the city and half of the music scene, and the second she sets her eyes on starving artist and upcoming singer-songwriter Jon Snow, she knows just who she wants to be her birthday present.

Myranda knows him from the industry, swears he’s supposed to be celibate or something, too committed to his art to invest any time in his love life, but Sansa knows how to make men want to go home with her. And Jon does, and then he stays there for three days in a haze of takeout and sex and songs he strums while bent over one of her father’s famous guitars. He stays until the constant candle light stops being romantic and her postmates account stops working, and then he tries to clumsily detangle himself and return to the real world while she tries desperately to convince him to stay one more day in this perfect fantasy she’s built for him. And then he’s gone. And then the money’s gone, too.

Before she knows it, she finds herself sleeping on her friend’s couch and playing nanny to a screaming, sickly little boy, spending her days bringing him to school and ballet and doctor’s appointments, trying to pretend she knows what she’s doing when an 8-year-old acts more like a well-rounded adult than she could ever hope to be. Her nights she spends alternately dodging Jon’s calls asking her to drop his lucky jacket at his record label and leaving him her own voicemails suggesting she could bring it to his place. 

When they finally meet at a restaurant, when she delivers his jacket scorched from a kitchen fire of her own making and made new with dye and shoe polish and the skin of a teddy bear she sacrificed to the task, he tells her he can’t see her again. He can’t get dragged back into her world, he says, a world where she seems free of the burdens the rest of them have to bear, especially not now that he’s finally landed a record deal, not now that his music is just as much a business as it is an art. He’s too close, he says, too close to having everything he wants, everything he’s been working for. She can’t make him stay, and so she lets him go, and she doesn’t mention how everything is falling apart around her as Myranda kicks her out, Robin fires her, Petyr tells her she has no choice left other than to sell her father’s guitars, her mother’s dresses, even her brother’s signed baseball card collection. 

All of it is gone, just like that, and Jon’s song, the one written about the four nights and three days he spent wrapped up in her bed sheets is playing on what seems like every radio station. But she’s strong. She’s a Stark, Ned and Catelyn’s daughter, Robb’s little sister, and she can make it through this. She can be brave. Her life may no longer be a fairytale, but it’s hers, and she’s determined to make something of it. 

ft. sansa as molly, sweetrobin as ray, jon as neal, littlefinger as roma sort of, cersei as bob sort of, harry as huey, myranda as ingrid, ned stark as tommy gunn

[kanmom51]

JM JK timeline.- my observations how they grew over the years

Disclaimer: these are my own opinions and conclusions.  Feel free to disagree, but hate or aggression will be unacceptable.

2017 - Part 3

Ooh, we have reached a major event here.  Serendipity. 4 September 2017, or is it 1 September 2017 (??), as I will explain bellow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEMaH9Sm3lQ&t=16s .  

Or what I like to call:  JM’s love ode to JK.

Now tell me this: If Jimin’s song Serendipity was released 4th September 2017, and uploaded to BangtanTv on 5th September 2017, why is the date stamped on the MV 1 Sep 2017? 

 Does that date mean something? Let me think for a second….oh, it does, doesn’t it?  It’s someone’s birthday !!!

JM tells us himself: “All of this isn’t just a coincidence”.

Serendipity is a beautiful love song, and I honestly believe it is JM’s love ode to JK, a birthday present to his love.  

I am aware that Jimin is not the one who wrote the lyrics for the song.  RM did though.  RM, that at this point was very much aware of the relationship and JM’s great love for JK. RM that had written JK’s Begin, a song that everyone agrees is a very personal song of JK’s.  

The “I am you, you are me” line actually originated from a song released by Zico in early 2016.  There are theories that Jikook used a reference from that songs MV (the band aids on their fingers) during a Puma fan sign on April 2nd 2016.  So, if this is true and the line had special meaning for them to start with, and it found it’s way into the song lyrics... feel free to make your conclusions...

And although we have no way of knowing just how involved JM was in the process of writing this song (did he ask for a love song? Did he give ideas to insert into the song, like destiny, not being a coincidence, the cat?), but at the end of the day, JM ‘owns’ the song, believes in what he is singing.  When he talks about the song you can feel the emotional personal connection he has with the song.  This is his song,  and he sings it for JK.  And JK knows this is Jimin’s gift to him.  

Serendipity related, check out the 18th September Dance with DNA Vlive -  https://www.vlive.tv/video/42069 .

JK’s reaction when JM says Serendipity is his favourite song.  So cute. The thing with this one is that you could easily overlook it or not read too much into it. Only Suga’s reaction here is the tell all.  

At the point that JK is acting all shy and smiley to himself, Suga moves closer to him, whispering “Jungkookah”, something that brings on a change to JK’s entire facial expression.  There’s even a slight head nod from Suga when JK wipes the smile off his face.  

Suga hinting to JK not to be so obvious, only made it more obvious.  I also noticed that just before JM starts singing Serendipity, just after he was asked what his favourite song from the album is, JK looks sideways to Suga, as if he knows he isn’t supposed to react too obviously – looks a bit like little JK might have been scolded or reigned in prior to the live broadcast.    Remember that this is really quite a short time after the song’s release, so JK’s excitement, happiness, is still really fresh.  The song is for him, and it’s JM’s favourite...

I am not going to analyse the MV, but there are many who have done so before me.  Was JM involved in the planning and did he have any input to the choices made?  Idk.  There is a similarity to the motif of the DNA MV. Is it a coincidence that the dominant colour used is JK’s favourite colour? Who knows. But doesn’t the song say “all of this is not a coincidence”?

Add to that JM starting to use the paw print emoji by JK’s name on Twitter?  A coincidence? Mmm… interesting.

From this point on it is clear that “you are me, I am you” is a JM and JK thing. 

21 September 2017 BTS comeback show.  JK was in charge of putting together each of the members DNA.  Very enjoyable.  But why did JM have to mention again that JK comes to their room to sleep?  Also, how does JK know that JM doesn’t wake up Hobi when he is playing games late at night?  JM telling us how he now learnt how to play games – then what games was JM good last year (re: Vlive 22 April 2017)?

22 September 2017 Love Yourself fan sign– JM singing Serendipity, JK joining in.  How happy JM looks when JK sings “just let me love you” with him all while making eye contact with each other at that point. The way JM looks at JK while singing the song.  Singing to him.  

Still think Serendipity is not JK and JM’s song?

They have a way of looking at one another that sometimes make me feel like I’m intruding on a very intimate moment.

24 September 2017 SBS Inkigayo Super concert – found it!!!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb-_jkdxgh4 start watching at 3.36min.

This is the one I remembered, where JM, saw the need to grab JK’s butt, run his hand up and down his back side, right through the crack, repeatedly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7fv0CaQT9M start watching 11:30min , JM walks to his place past JK, lightly brushing his hand against JK.  

When I mention the brushes or light touches – this is what I mean (see attached photos).   Obviously, there will be those who say it wasn’t intentional, that he was walking by him and didn’t mean to touch him.  I say bollox to that (excuse the language).  

First, there was plenty of room not to walk so close to JK.  Second, if you notice, he circles JK only to make it back to the same actual side he was on to begin with.  All he had to do was back up, just like JK did, and not circle JK to make it to his place on stage.  Third, to me it looks as if he was aiming to touch JK’s hand, only it was too high up.

26 September SBS MTV The Show.  Happy happy boys.  

30 September 2017  Love Yourself fan sign Sinchon –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMIdoK9rfAI .  

Another one I was looking for.  I have seen this moment and wasn’t sure where or when it was from.  This is one of those clips Jikook’s use to show Jimin being jealous, and to be honest, first time I saw it it made me wonder too.  But watching it again and again, I have come to the conclusion that that wasn’t the issue.  

To me this is more JM being protective than JM being Jealous.  Setting the boundaries for V when it comes to JK, and it is something we see with JM more than once.  

JM wasn’t happy.  V wasn’t happy.  Boundaries were set.  

I actually wrote a separate post about this moment.  

1 October 2017 BTS live – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwU-NOMLvqQ 

Tipsy JK must be a Jikooker. His guard is down, inhibitions are gone and he becomes really chatty and tends to say and do things that he most likely regrets later on.  We didn’t see the members drink what seemed to be alcohol, but the vibe I got from JK’s talkativeness and behaviour during the live was that he was tipsy.  Not outright drunk, but tipsy.

To the fan’s request to show his abs, JK starts checking himself out, looking under his T-shirt, only to be scolded by JM to keep it to himself.  This is also the first time we hear him Jikooking, talking about eating with Jin and JM, referring to them as Jin-jikook, and then turning to JM, while the others try to call them by another name (I wonder why…).  Did I not say tipsy JK is a Jikooker???

3 October 2017 Run BTS episode 22.  https://www.vlive.tv/video/43438 start 7.00min.

JM turns to JK asking him to vote for him.  The softness in JM’s voice when he asks him acting all coquettish.  The way JM approached JK and the way he spoke to him, that’s not the way someone talks to his mate, or to his ‘brother’.

There was a softness in the approach to JK.  coquettish is the only way I can describe it.

 Love hearts were added by the show’s editors, not me !!!! 

12 October 2017 BTS countdown. Can be found on Dailymotion. 

All JM had to say was one word – Jungkookah and JK, surprisingly (not) chose him.  The look of joy on their faces at that point.  And again the editors with the heart emoji effects.  Uhm… 

JM and JK’s team was the team chosen by the fans, and guess what song they both choose to sing, as JM piggy backed JK? Their song obviously… Serendipity.  

And yet again, JM gets to tell us JK comes to his room to sleep.  We hear you JM.  We hear you.

Jimin birthday surprise (BangtanTV 1 November 2017) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aAhNAl53ZY.

JM gets flowers sent from his father.  J-Hope and Suga pretend JM’s dad has arrived to surprise JM, Suga pointing and saying he saw him.  JK slowly backs up, shocked and alarmed smile on his face, trying to move behind RM.  Then the boys start laughing.  

Now, why do I think this is a moment worthy of my timeline?  Well, when the boys start laughing, revealing it was a joke, the one Suga points at, laughingly, is JK.  

The whole thing feels like a joke on JK, not JM.  JK is the one being teased.   Why would JK be so stressed out from JM’s dad being there?  And why would the boys be teasing him like that? Hm…

The funny thing is that the camera is on JK and Suga, not on JM, who was supposedly just told his father was there. That feels slightly strange to me. Wouldn’t they want to catch JM’s reaction? Not JK’s?

28-30 October 2017 JK and JM Tokyo trip together.  This trip was long anticipated by JM.  He had been looking forward for his trip with JK for a long time.  It was a private trip planned and paid for by JK as a gift for JM.  What we know about the trip is mostly what they tell us in retrospect.  

Saying that, this was truly a memorable trip for them both, and they both can’t seem to shut up about it, talking about it at any possible moment.  JK telling us how JM stayed up (only JM?) until 5 am, so they both woke up at 12pm and missed out on plans they had for the morning, JM tells how they went shopping in Harajuku, how during their trip was the longest walk they took, referring to their trip during interviews.  As I mentioned – a memorable trip.  

31 October 2017 - When returning from the trip JM posts a selca/selfie.  I know I said I won’t be doing this, but rules are sometimes meant to be broken, and this specific selca is gorgeous, so…

BTS Wings tour Japan documentary - filmed October 2017, published 12 November 2017 - https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7sz5rq .  

Both acting cute together. For some reason, they are the only ones that are paired for the one on one interviews, when Suga, Jin and Hobi were all interviewed by themselves. 

 Felt like JM and inhibitions were strangers during the group interview.  

Not really sure what JM was searching for in JK’s thigh during the group interview (when V was talking) – tupping, fingering and squeezing JK’s thigh.  And yet again RM and J-Hope’s reactions to die for.  Hobi eyes on the action throughout the whole episode, and RM when he notices, I would pay a lot of money to know what was going through his head at that point.  My educated guess is: “God, please get me out of here, why did I agree to be the leader????” LOL.

Then when asked what their impressions were when coming to the dome, JM tells how JK was crying, all while caressing JK’s ear.  JK tells how he was emotional, and they look at each other.  All the while, RM’s face when JM touches JK’s ear, only to continue to place his hands on their shoulders respectively.

JM continues to surprise, telling viewers to anticipate for JK’s sweat.  The minute he says that, RM turns to look towards Suga, the vibe I get is: “god, please help me here…”.  

Then JM goes on to tell us how in his opinion JK’s sweat is beautiful, Holy water.  What???? J-hope repeats JM’s Holy water, then glances for just a second towards RM and looks down nervously – great save Hobi.

The group interview was shot on JM’s birthday.  Maybe that had something to do with his good un-inhibited mood.

8 November 2017 – GCF in Tokyo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrTNLkqGrlc  .

While the Tokyo trip was JK’s birthday gift or JM.  GCF Tokyo is JK’s love ode to JM.  

One of JK’s grand gestures.  Up there with RB, as far as I am concerned.

This is not an analysis of GCFT, but I do have a few words to say on the matter. Explain why in my eyes this is a JK’s love ode to JM.  

This video was filmed and edited by JK, and JK alone.  It supposedly documents their trip together.  It was his choice and his alone to edit and publish this video and did so to JM’s surprise.  

In the video to start with, he lets us know that it’s the two of them, but from there on, other than seeing JK through the mirrors in the elevator while he is filming JM, the one we mostly see is JM.  JM smiling, JM goofing around, JM eating, JM enjoying himself on the Tea Cup ride at Disneyland, JM walking, JM dancing, and as a whole just JM having the time of his life. For a video that is documenting a trip to Tokyo, there is not too much of Tokyo we get to see.  

The end credits name JK as the photographer, director and editor, while naming JM as the actor.  

There is a strong romantic vibe to the video.  

JK’s editing choices, including his music choice for the video are well thought out.  His choice to edit to the beat of the song.  All cleverly thought out to accentuate both the footage and the lyrics of the song he chose:  ‘There for you’ by Troye Sivan and Martin Garrix.  

JM told us already: “this is not a coincidence”.  

The level of preparation from JK, acquiring the rights to use the song, the amount of time it took to go over the footage and edit the video, all while managing to do that will a full working schedule (working throughout the night). This was clearly something big for him.  His joy and pride when it was uploaded to Youtube, clearly showed, him smiley and dancing.

2 days prior to GCFT, on 6 November 2017, JM published his short clip of the trip.  JM too took the time to edit a cute footage of the trip, documenting both of them having fun. Putting them both side by side only emphasizes the difference and showcases just how much GCFT was all about JM, being JK’s love ode to JM.

To be continued...

[wayward-dreamer]

Life’s Lessons - Be My Valentine?

AO3 Link: Read here

Square Filled: Squirting

Pairing: Mechanic!Dean x Female!Teacher!Reader

Word count: 8,770 (oops. Sorry).

Rating: Explicit 18+!

Summary: It’s Dean and Y/N’s first Valentine’s Day, and he has a romantic evening planned, with surprises which he can’t wait to share with her.

Warnings: So much fluff. Like, so much. Dean being sweet and romantic (yes, that’s a warning). And then so much smut. Swearing, Dirty talk, D/S elements, Dom!Dean, Sub!Reader, Oral Sex (Female receiving), Vaginal fingering, Squirting, Gags, Brief impact play (belt), Restraints (belt), Brief spanking, Unprotected sex (wrap it up before you tap it, guys), Rough sex. More fluff.

Music: Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton (Dean and Y/N street scene)

Life’s Lessons Spotify Playlist 

Created for @spnkinkbingo

A/N: The first time stamp*! Wooo! I’m so excited for you guys to read it, I really hope you love it, because I sure had a great time writing these two again, all loved up and ready to celebrate Valentine’s Day! Happy reading and enjoy! :)

*This is a time stamp for my series Life’s Lessons so it’ll make more sense if you’ve read that first, but I do think it can enjoyed as a sweet and smutty Valentine’s Day fic! ;)

Dividers by the wonderful @firefly-graphics

Dean stood at the kitchen bench and smirked as he stared down at the date on his phone. The coffee brewed in the machine behind him, as sunlight streamed in through the little picture window. It the most important date on the calendar that all couples go through, and he was excited.

It was February 14th. Valentine’s Day. The designated day you show the person you love most how much they mean to you. This time around was going to be the most special this little holiday had ever been for him, because this time around he had a woman who was truly, undoubtedly, his.

Y/N was the woman he had been waiting for and he couldn’t wait to make tonight a great night for both of them.

As he poured himself a cup of coffee and some for her in a travel mug, Y/N walked into the kitchen, dressed in a tight, high-waisted pastel pink skirt and white shirt, with a small white with pink polka dots scarf tied into a bow under the collar of the shirt. Her hair was in a high ponytail and she had her red glasses on. Dean felt his body heat up, knowing how much he enjoyed her fulfilling his teacher fantasy, so much so that whenever she got dressed for work, he always needed to calm himself down.

Y/N smiled at him as she walked over, kissing him softly as he slid a plate across the bench, some toast and a little bacon which he had already made, ready for her.

“Thank you,” she said, kissing him again before digging into her breakfast.

“No problem.” He smiled as he leaned against the bench, facing her. He continued to drink his coffee as she ate, both of them in content silence.

“I’ve got a half day today,” he informed her. “Ready to take you out tonight and tomorrow off, too.”

She smiled, unable to hide how excited she was for their night out. He was being incredibly secretive, and she was dying to know.

She ate quickly, washing up her plate once she was done. As she walked away from the sink, she laughed as Dean took her hand in his, pulling her against him. Whenever they had a few spare moments in the morning, this is how they spent it.

“So… what are you planning?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck as she looked up at him.

He smirked, shaking his head as his hands rested on her hips. “That’s for me to know and for you to find out later.”

She frowned, a small pout forming on her lips. “There’s no such thing as secrets on Valentine’s Day.”

She knew it wasn’t true, but she just wanted him to tell her what he was planning so that she could coordinate her lingerie accordingly.

“Babe, don’t start making crap up just because you’re curious.” He called her out, throwing his head with a boisterous laugh as she stared at him, wide-eyed and mouth hanging open in shock.

“Well, then I guess it’s just going to be you and your hand tonight,” she threw back, feigning upset.

“Hey,” he warned, staring down at her as he pulled her closer. “Do that and you won’t find out what I have planned.”

“Fine,” she sighed, as she rolled her eyes. Looking at him, the frown returned but with a playful glint in her eyes. “You’re really annoying, sometimes.”

“I know,” he shrugged with a grin. “But you love me.”

“Yeah,” she smiled, unable to pretend anymore. “Fortunately.”

“Very fortunately,” he said, leaning down to kiss her softly. He bent down further, kissing her neck which made her groan, sadly.

“I’m going to be late for work,” she said, pushing him away slightly.

He moved back down, attaching his mouth to her neck again. “I was about to give it to ya good and proper, sweetheart,” he mumbled against her skin, between kisses.

She laughed as she lightly pushed him again, kissing him softly on his pout. “You can do that tonight. A good, proper,” she kissed him again, “hard, rough,” another kiss, “fucking of a lifetime.”

He groaned, closing his eyes as he thought about what he had planned for them. She really had no idea what was going on and he was excited for her to find out.

“You’re so on, baby,” he muttered, before pulling her into a searing kiss.

She reluctantly pulled away from him, frowning. “I better go.”

“See you tonight,” he said, smirking at her.

“I can’t wait,” she smiled, leaning in and kissing him again.

Dean watched on as Y/N picked her bag and slung it over her shoulder, grabbing her keys in her hand. She slipped on her nude heels as she picked up her fawn coat, turning and blowing him a kiss before walking out the door. He smirked as he thought about what she just said, and how he could incorporate it into the night he had planned. After she had made his birthday one that he would never forget, he didn’t want to wait for so long until hers to do the same.

Luckily, the most romantic day of the year was upon them, and it was the perfect opportunity to make it a memorable night for both of them. He had never really believed in a day to celebrate love, considering he never had much luck with it in the past, but now he was thankful to whoever decided to profit from February 14th and made it a big deal.

Dean got ready for the day and headed to work. He was happy knowing there wasn’t much to do that day with his half day of work. He was relieved when Y/N had managed to take leave for the next day just like him, knowing that his plan would succeed. After the big restoration job that he had told her about months ago had been paid them in full by the customer, they were doing amazingly well at the garage. It had been a lot of money and there was more than enough to go around. Dean was able to pull out all the stops for the night. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face at work, getting questioning looks from Benny, Garth, some of the other guys and even Ellen. The guys teased him all day, but he paid no attention to it. If they had a woman as wonderful as he did, they’d have a huge smile on their face all day too.

Y/N smoothed down her maroon, velvet, off-shoulder, knee-length dress as she looked at herself in the mirror. She had contemplated the style for a long time in the store a few days ago, wondering if she should go for a brighter red or shorter, but this caught her eye straight away. She just hoped Dean would like it. She also hoped he would like her strapless bra and panties set, of the same dark colour. She kept her eye make-up simple but went with a slightly dark red shade for the lipstick, and gave her hair a slight wave, sweeping it over one shoulder. She gave herself a nod as she smiled at her complete look in the mirror.

Y/N heard the front door opening, signalling that Dean had arrived, even if he was a little early. With one last check in the mirror, she picked up the gift she had for him from her bed and walked out of her room, her black heels clacking on the wooden floors. As soon as she saw him, her heart skipped a beat. He wore black dress pants and loafers, with a maroon sweater. He looked so unbelievably gorgeous that she just had to stand there for a few more seconds to appreciate him. He had his hands behind his back, and she knew it had to be something for Valentine’s Day.

“Who clued you in on maroon?” she laughed as she approached him.

“I… may have snuck a peek in the bag when you brought it home,” he replied, smirking as he took her in. She looked incredible and he was going to have a hard time keeping things PG for the first part of the night. “You look amazing.”

“Not so bad yourself, handsome,” she whispered against his lips as she leaned in and kissed him, softly. “This is very couple-y of us, though” she joked.

He shrugged, laughing. “It’s Valentine’s, baby.”

With that, he brought his arms forward, showing her the bouquet of lilies (she wasn’t a fan of roses; too overrated) and the heart-shaped box, no doubt filled with little chocolates.

“Be my Valentine?” he asked, chuckling.

She shook her head, laughing at his goofiness. “Of course.” She took the items from him and handing him his.

He smiled as he took it, quickly unwrapping the red wrapping around the small box. Opening it, he lifted the coffee mug out, smirking at the design. It was him and Y/N in animated form, with her leaning in to kiss his cheek, a little heart above their heads.

“That’s cute,” he said, smiling at her.

“It’s not too cheesy, is it? We said things that didn’t cost much, and this was relatively inexpensive. All I had to do was give the artist a picture of us, and she did the rest,” she explained, wondering if he really did like it and wasn’t just making her feel better.

“No, it’s not. I love it, really,” he reassured her.

She leaned in, happily letting him cup her face in his hands and pull her into a steamy kiss. It was over quicker than she would’ve liked, but as she looked into his eyes, she noticed a spark that wasn’t there before.

“Okay… put those in water and then pack a bag. Just essentials, clothes for tomorrow, that’s it” he instructed, rubbing his hands together.

She frowned, blinking a few times as she made sure she heard him right. “What?”

“Part of the surprise,” he said, not giving her anything else as he gestured to his watch.

“Okay…” she huffed as she snapped out of her trance, her mind reeling as she tried to figure out where he was taking her.

After putting the lilies in a small vase with water, Y/N went into her room and quickly packed a bag. Just her skincare and clothes for the next day were all she needed. She really had no idea what Dean was doing or where he was taking her, but she was now even more restless to find out.

Walking back into the living area, she saw Dean waiting by the door. He smirked as he reached for her bag, dragging it out for her as she picked up her purse and put on her black coat, locking the door behind her. Dean put her case in the trunk and then proceeded to open the passenger door for her. She snuck a quick kiss before she sat, putting her purse in her lap. Dean was on the driver’s side in a flash, quickly taking his seat and starting the engine.

“So… still no hint?” she asked, smiling through her impatience.

“Nope,” he replied, popping the ‘p’.

“Fine,” she sighed, sitting back in her seat properly as Dean pulled away from the curb.

She decided to stop asking. He always said he wasn’t great with romantic gestures but that he was trying with her, and she really appreciated that about him. He was expanding his comfort zone even though he didn’t have to. He wanted to.

They asked each other about their days as Dean drove towards the city. The anticipation for their night was overwhelming, and he was glad that Y/N kept talking. No doubt distracting herself just as much as him. As they reached their destination, he saw her eyes light up as he parked the car outside the restaurant, their first stop.

“Dean!” she exclaimed as she turned to him. “This is already too much! More than what we agreed on!”

He smirked, knowing that the fancy Italian place was one that she had wanting to go to for a while. It was definitely pricey, but his latest customer was making tonight possible. He really had to find a way to thank the guy.

“Not tonight it’s not.” He winked at her as he opened his door and got out of the car, a squeak coming from the hinges as he shut it.

He walked around the front and to her side, opening the door for her. Y/N couldn’t believe her eyes as she stood up and looked at the building, suddenly launching herself into Dean.

“I’ve told you before; I don’t need all of this to make me happy. You know that, right?” she asked, frowning slightly. She was worried that he may feel like he needed to do this just to make things special.

“Yeah, I do, sweetheart,” he replied, as he pulled back slightly from their embrace to look at her. “But if I can afford it, then why the hell not?”

“And you’re sure you can?” she asked, a frown still etched on her face.

Dean chuckled, shaking his head. “Yes! Y/N, we wouldn’t be here if I couldn’t. We did fucking great because of that big restoration job. Trust me.”

He had to wonder how she would react for the next part of the surprise if she was already shocked by the restaurant. Hopefully once he reassured her it was fine, and that he wasn’t doing this when he couldn’t afford it, she would relax.

“Okay.” A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth before it grew.

Dean smiled wide as he saw her face light up. He held out his hand for her, ready to start their night. “Let’s go.”

Y/N took Dean’s hand instantly, linking their fingers together as they walked to the entrance of the Italian restaurant. As they made their way in and Dean gave them his name, they were immediately led to a table in the back, away from most of the chatter of patrons. Dean helped Y/N with her coat, draping it over the back of her chair, doing the same with his. She smiled as she sat down across from him, causing him to smile back. His eyes wandered up and down as he looked at her, taking in her beauty. She always looked stunning, no matter whether it was casual or a bit dressier.

A waiter brought over the wine list, which Dean discreetly handed over to Y/N considering that wasn’t something he knew anything about. She gave him a wink as she looked over several pages before deciding. Dinner was far more delicious than either of them were expecting, so between the great wine and even better food, Dean was very happy he brought her here.

Once dinner was cleared, and the chocolate cake they ordered to share for dessert arrived (after he lamented that there was no pie), Dean let her dig in first as he folded his arms on the table, watching her. He smirked as she stabbed a piece with the fork and held it out to him. He winked at her as he took the bite, seeing her visibly shiver. He chuckled to himself as he chewed, watching her drop her head and focus on the cake.

“Stop,” she laughed, trying to avoid his intense gaze. He was trying to kill her; she knew he was.

“Can’t,” he said, joining in with her laughter.

They both continued to devour the cake until there wasn’t even a crumb left, both sitting back as the waiter cleared the plate and glasses.

After paying, Dean took Y/N’s hand in his and left the restaurant. Their walk down the street turned into a relaxed stroll, enjoying the glow of the city lights despite the cold weather of February. As they continued towards the car, a group of street musicians was playing, also not bothered by the chill in the air. As they continued to play, Dean slowly spun Y/N around, causing her to laugh in surprise at his sudden gesture. His hands slipped down to her waist and pulled her close as he began to sway them to the music, looking into her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck, refusing to break her gaze away from him. The slow melody of the familiar song caused them to get lost in each other, blocking out the noise of the street and cars rushing by.

In his arms, Y/N felt safe. She felt as if nothing bad could happen to her, ever again. She felt like Dean would always be there to hold her up and never let her fall. He would never hurt her, knowing her past and making sure she never felt that way ever again. She thanked all forms of a higher power every day for bringing this man into her life.

In her arms, Dean had never felt more loved. With her, he had everything he ever wanted in life. Love, comfort, passion – feeling wanted. Someone who would never make him feel any less than he was. He knew how lucky he was to have her.

Dean leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, the kiss becoming deeper and more passionate as he pulled her a little closer. Y/N’s hands combed into his hair at the back of his head as she kissed him. After a moment, Dean pulled away from her caress, his breathing slightly heavier.

“Come on,” he grinned, moving away from her and taking her hand in his again, leading her down the street.

As he drove, Dean’s mind kept swimming with possibilities of what would happen next. He looked over at Y/N, smiling at her as she gazed up at the city lights from the window, completely oblivious to the thoughts that were going through his head. He watched as she frowned, the destination now right in front of them. She looked up at the sign, gasping loudly. He had brought them to one of the best hotels in the city and her heart began to beat just a little faster.

“Oh my god!” she yelled, looking at him as he pulled into the valet parking of the hotel. He got out and walked over to the trunk, taking out her small suitcase and pulling it for her, as she got out of the car.

Y/N stood in shock as she watched him warn the valet about the car, and then hand over the keys. As the Impala rolled away towards the main parking, she looked at Dean and shook her head as she walked over to him.

“Dean, this is-” she started but he stopped her as he took her hand and tugged on it, softly.

“Save it for upstairs, sweetheart.” He smirked as he brought her hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles.

They walked towards the entrance, a doorman opening the glass door for them.

“Where’s your stuff?” she asked, as she suddenly noticed he lacked an over-night bag.

“I checked us in during the day after work, before I picked you up,” he replied, as he walked them through the huge lobby and towards the elevators.

Y/N marvelled as she looked around. Her stomach flipped as she couldn’t believe she was in such a swanky place.

The elevator arrived; announced by a soft ding as the doors opened. Dean stepped in with Y/N by his side, pressing the button for their floor. Y/N looked over at him, unable to contain her smile as the elevator moved up the floors. Dean leaned over, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her, passionately. She hummed as she grabbed the lapels of his black coat, pulling him closer. They broke away from each other, however, when the elevator stopped, letting in another couple. They were slightly older and both of them grimaced as they witnessed the young couple with their lips locked. It was the clichéd scene you would see in every rom-com or steamy romance, but neither of them cared.

Once they reached their floor, they left the elevator and walked down the hallway. Dean walked a little ahead of Y/N, wheeling her suitcase behind him. He reached their room, taking out the room card and sliding it in, the beep and green light signalling he could open the door. Y/N walked in, as he held it for her and quickly slipped the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign onto the handle, closing the door behind her.

If Y/N was smiling before, then she was practically beaming as she walked further into the room. The big window overlooked the gardens outside, and the room held a chic armchair with Dean’s brown leather duffle sitting on it, a round ottoman in front the armchair, a large bed with crisp white sheets, big pillows and royal blue cushions. Rose petals were scattered over the sheets with a tray that held little chocolates, an ice bucket with a bottle of Champagne and two champagne glasses on it, at the centre of the bed.

Y/N’s felt Dean’s arms wrap around her waist as he stood behind her, pulling her close to his body. She sighed contently, leaning her head against his chest.

“I know you’re not a fan of roses, but this is all they had,” he informed her, softly in her ear.

She shook her head, turning around to face him and instantly wrapping her arms around his neck. “It’s perfect. I love it so much.”

“Yeah?” he asked, a small smile on his face.

“Yes,” she sighed, smiling up at him. “I love you so much, Dean Winchester. Thank you for tonight. Thank you for loving me.”

“Well, you make it real easy, sweetheart,” he said, smirking.

“You make it easy to love you, too,” she whispered against his lips, and kissed him once, twice.

“So… champagne?” he asked, grinning.

“Yes,” she replied, without missing a beat.

Dean moved away from her, shrugging off his coat and draping it over the armchair. Y/N took off her coat and hung it up in the closet, taking a chance to look around the room. She wandered into the bathroom, biting her lip to keep from grinning as she saw the bathtub filled with water and rose petals along the surface. She fully intended to make use of it later. The bathroom also had another ice bucket and champagne with glasses kept near the tub, along with some chocolate covered strawberries, making her shiver at the possibilities of what could happen.

Y/N walked back out to the main part of the room, watching Dean open the wrapping from the top of the champagne bottle. He held the bottle carefully as he twisted the cork, letting out a “son of a bitch!” when it popped loudly. He poured some in each glass and handed her one as he took the other, his other hand slipping into hers. They looked into each other’s eyes as they clinked their glasses together.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Y/N,” he said, smirking.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Dean,” she sighed, her eyes sparkling with love as she looked at him.

As they both took a few sips, it was clear that no matter how great the champagne was, that wasn’t where their focus was at that moment. As Dean looked at Y/N, he knew he couldn’t waste another minute not touching her. In one big gulp, he downed the champagne and placed the glass on the tray. He moved it off the bed and placed it on the ottoman, turning back to her to see she had emptied her glass as well. She walked over to the ottoman slowly, the swing in her hips seductive and teasing him. As she bent down to put the glass on the tray, the curve of her ass looked glorious in her tight dress, leaving him powerless to resist.

Dean walked up behind Y/N, his hands slowly moving over the curve, feeling the soft velvet of her dress. He moved them up to her hips, swiftly pulling them back to meet his. Y/N bit her lip as she pressed her back to his chest, feeling his cock begin to stir through the fabric of his pants.

“You have no idea what I’m gonna do to you,” he whispered in her ear and placed a small kiss behind it.

She shivered as she felt his hands move up her body, lightly grazing over her breasts before moving back down to her hips. She took his hands and moved them up again, cupping her breasts and causing a soft moan to leave her lips. She smiled mischievously as she began to grind her hips back into his, feeling him become more aroused. Dean had instant flashes back to their first date, the night she did exactly the same thing on her front porch.

He suddenly flicked her hands off his and moved them down, grasping her hips and halting them. “You think you can do that again, sweetheart… you’re wrong.”

“Dean,” she whined, her frustration getting the better of her. She squeezed her thighs together, feeling herself getting wet between her legs already.

“Tonight, is all about you,” he told her as his hands moved to the back of her dress. He grasped the zip, pulling it down at a teasing pace. “Tonight… you’re all mine.”

A whimper left her lips as the dress opened in the back, and Dean’s pace suddenly changed. He roughly pulled at the dress, shoving it down her body and letting it fall to pool around her feet.

Turning them around, Dean faced Y/N towards the large mirror on the wall. He admired her dark red, lacy push-up bra, matching lace panties and black thigh-high stockings, as his hands roamed her soft skin. Their eyes met in the mirror, causing Dean to smirk at her and give her a wink. His right hand travelled down her body and over the lace of her panties, his fingers lightly teasing over her skin and the seam of the fabric. Her breath hitched in her throat as her left hand moved forward, trying to reach for his. She gasped as he roughly grabbed it and held it down by her hip, wrapping his fingers around her wrist to keep from moving.

“Only I get to touch you, Y/N,” he said, not breaking eye contact with her in the mirror. His hand moved down between her legs, his fingers rubbing along the lace and feeling her wetness through the material. She moaned, pressing her lips together to keep herself quiet.

“Already so wet for me,” he groaned, continuing to move his fingers in a moderate pace. “But… I want you practically dripping.”

Y/N moaned wantonly as Dean removed his hand and made quick work of taking off her panties, bending down behind her as they slid down to her feet. He helped her step out of each heel and her panties, smirking as an idea came to him once the fabric was in his hand. He quickly slipped them into his pants pocket as he took her hand and guided her towards the bed. Staring into his eyes, she saw them darken even more as he lifted his hands to her shoulders and pushed her, a squeal leaving her as her back hit the bed. The scattered rose petals bounced around, breaking the even pattern, as she moved up slightly on the bed and pushed herself up on her elbows to look at him.

Y/N smiled as she bit her lip, her eyes never leaving him as he lifted up his sweater and pulled his arms through, throwing it on the floor. He did the same with the white t-shirt he wore underneath as he moved closer to the bed. She reached over and hooked her fingers into the top of his pants, desperate to feel him against her. Before she could start working on the belt, he grabbed her hand with a firm grip.

“What did I say about touching, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice rough and authoritative.

A shiver ran down her spine as she looked up at him, unable to speak. His eyes were dark, and his face was unreadable, a commanding air around him. He was dominating in bed but never quite like this, and that had her excited to see what he would do.

Dean’s jaw clenched as he looked down at her, unbuckling his belt and sliding it through the loops. He gathered it in his hand and waved it at her. “One more time and I’ll have to use this.”

She nodded, still too stunned at his demeanour to speak. She breathed heavily as the anticipation got to her, wondering what his next move would be.

Dean placed the belt on the bed, close enough to reach for it when he needed. He quickly rid himself of his shoes and the rest of his clothes, pulling down his pants along with his boxers, dropping them on the edge of the bed. His cock twitched, hard and leaking pre-cum which she desperately wanted a taste of. He knelt on the bed, swiftly picking up both of Y/N’s legs and holding them up. He made quick work of taking off her stockings, rolling them down her legs and pulling them off, before leaning down and kissing her, roughly. She moaned into his mouth as she fisted the sheets in her hands, knowing she couldn’t touch him or herself. Dean continued to roughly kiss her as he reached under her and unclasped her bra, pulling it away from her body and flinging it across the room without looking.

Dean made a rough path of kisses down Y/N’s jaw and neck, reaching her breasts. He took a nipple into his mouth, flicking his tongue over the nub and pinched the other between his fingers. She moaned, throwing her head back, incredibly desperate to lift her hands and place them on his head to bring him closer. He continued his path down her body, finally reaching between her legs. She looked down to see him wink at her, his tongue slowly flicking out as it grazed her sex.

“Dean” she whimpered as she tried to move closer to his mouth.

Before she could say anything else, his head dipped down, his mouth covering her folds completely. His hands grabbed her legs and threw them over his shoulders roughly, causing a shocked huff to leave her lips.

“Oh my god,” she gasped loudly, her fingers clenching the sheets. “D-Dean, yes.”

His tongue moved over her clit in tight circles as his fingers dug into the flesh of her thighs, pulling her even closer. He moved his tongue up and down her folds, her juices coating his mouth as he moaned at the taste of her. She choked out a whimper at the vibration that ran through her as she looked down at him, their eyes meeting.

Pulling away slightly, he looked at her as he sucked at her clit. “Taste so fucking good, sweetheart.”

“Dean, please,” she begged, looking into his eyes. “Please, more.”

“Patience, Y/N,” he playfully scolded, smirking at her.

He continued to lap at her folds, the sounds of his moans and her wetness getting to her. She needed to touch him, but if she did, he’d restrain her. She wanted nothing more than to risk it and tug on his hair like she loved doing, but she couldn’t. He smirked against her as he continued his ministrations, lifting his right hand and inserting a finger into her wet canal.

“Shit, yes” she cried loudly, unable to stay quiet despite being in a hotel room.

“You like that, gorgeous?” he asked as he pulled away briefly, inserting another finger. He thrusted them in and out, his pace quick as she became wetter.

“Yes,” she gasped, nodding frantically. “Yes, I-I love it.”

He gave her a cocky chuckle as he took her swollen nub in his mouth again, his eyes never leaving her. He continued to thrust his fingers inside of her, his tongue licking at the bundle of nerves. He watched as her hands left the sheets and cupped over her mouth, her moans muffled under them.

Dean kissed and sucked at her clit, his fingers sliding in and out of her as he moved them along her walls quickly. Y/N’s hands barely covered her mouth, her moans loud as she couldn’t control herself anymore. He reached for his pants and quickly took her panties out of the pocket, knowing that if she got louder, she would need them.

“Open up, sweetheart,” he said as he placed the lace near her lips.

Y/N opened her mouth and let him slowly work the material in.

“Good girl,” he groaned as he looked down at her. His cock throbbed at the sight of her mouth stuffed with her dark red panties. He continued to work his fingers into her, picking up the pace. Her moans came out stifled around the fabric in her mouth, as she urgently grabbed at the sheets again.

Dean worked his fingers into Y/N, his pace getting quicker as they began to hit her g-spot with precision. He lifted her leg onto his shoulder as he sat up on his knees, his fingers never slowing. Y/N got louder despite her panties acting as a gag, her eyes shut tightly as she let out a string of muffled moans. He could feel her getting wetter with every passing second.

“You look so fucking beautiful like this, sweetheart. All spread out for me, desperate to cum,” he grunted as he worked his fingers at a faster speed. “You wanna cum, don’t you?”

She nodded wildly, too scared to open her eyes and look at him. She could feel something building inside of her, the coil in her stomach tighter than it ever had been, as if it was holding something at bay. She could hear how wet she was as he worked the digits inside her at a frantic speed, the squelching noises louder than her moans.

“You’re gonna be a good girl and cum for me, aren’t you?” he asked, his voice low and husky.

She cried out around the fabric in her mouth, the only way she could communicate at that point. Hearing him call her that always drove her crazy. He felt his fingers getting wetter, knowing she was closer than ever.

“Oh fuck,” he groaned; his fingers moving so quickly he could barely see them. “Fuck, cum for me, sweetheart. Fucking soak my fingers.”

Y/N threw her head back, her neck straining as she let out a stifled scream of his name around the material of her panties. One of her hands left the sheets as it latched onto his arm around her leg, needing to hold on. The damn within her broke, Dean pulling his fingers out as jets of liquid spurted out of her, drenching his hand. The vision behind her closed lids turned white, as a wave of the purest release she had ever felt washed over her. Her body shook as he held her, making sure she didn’t hurt herself. Her muffled scream turned into whimpers as she continued to come down from her high. She had never felt this way before as she continued to shake, unable to stop the waves of pleasure coursing through her.

Dean bit his lip, watching as Y/N slowly began to come down from the peak he took her to. That was a surprise, even for him. He didn’t know she was capable of that, but he was a little proud that he was the one to make it happen. Her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim light in the room. She rolled her head to the side, looking up at him as her chest heaved, her breathing erratic. He leaned forward, taking her panties out of her mouth, a harsh sigh leaving her.

“Oh my god,” she exhaled, still trying to catch her breath.

“It’s actually Dean,” he joked, a wide grin on his face.

She lazily lifted her hand and tried to hit him but couldn’t even manage that.

“You…” she trailed off, shaking her head as she still couldn’t believe what just happened. “You made me squirt.”

“Sure did.” He nodded as he looked down at her, the smirk not leaving his face. “That was awesome,” he stated.

“It was.” She hummed as she smiled up him. That was first time anyone had managed to do that, and she was happy that her first experience of that was with someone who loved her so much. Someone who wanted to bring her pleasure before himself. His pleasure came from hers. She had never been with someone who cared like that.

“Shit,” she sighed, closing her eyes. Her whole body felt like it was buzzing. “I’ve never… done that before.”

“That was so fucking hot, sweetheart,” he declared, smirking as he looked down at his lower body and his hand, both wet from her unexpected release.

She stared up at him as she bit her lip. The fact that he found it hot had aroused her even more. The fact that he was so completely turned on by her and her body, gave her a confidence in herself that she never had before.

“You’re definitely trying that again, sometime soon,” she laughed, winking at him.

“Oh, we’re just getting started,” he stated, putting her leg down.

“Really?” she asked, amused by his eagerness.

“Yep,” he replied, popping the ‘p’. “Oh and Y/N…” he trailed off, gesturing to his arm that had been wrapped around her leg.

Y/N looked down and cursed inwardly, seeing her hand wrapped around his wrist. However, a small smile spread across her lips as she looked at him, trying to act innocent. “Oops…”

Before any more words could leave Y/N’s lips, Dean tugged on her hand and flipped her over, pushing her down on her stomach. He groaned as he looked at her ass, running his hand along her skin, grasping it in his hand. He picked up the belt, folded it and held it tight in his hands. Lifting it, he twisted his wrist and flicked the loop lightly across her right cheek, gaging her reaction. She moaned as her head dropped forward onto the bed, her hips wriggling, taunting him. He couldn’t see her face, but he was certain she was wearing the little mischievous smile of hers that he loved so much.

“Harder,” she told him, her voice firm. No hesitation.

That was the only confirmation Dean needed. He lifted his hand again, bringing the belt down on the same area, slightly harder than before.

“Fuck,” she moaned, humming at the slight sting.

Dean leaned down, placing a kiss and small nip on the cheek. “Love this ass.”

Dean held Y/N’s hands together and wrapped the belt around her wrists, making sure it was tight enough so that she couldn’t get out of the binds. He buckled it, tugging on it a couple of times to test it. She whimpered softly as she laid the side of her face on the bed, excitement coursing through her. She felt him grasp her hips and pull her up onto her knees, her bound hands on her back. That feeling of thrill rose within her as she sensed him move behind her.

Dean stroked his cock as he lined himself up to her entrance, Y/N’s hips levelled with his. He entered her swiftly, a strangled moan leaving his lips as he felt how wet she was, his cock easily sliding all the way into her. A choked cry left her as she tried to move her hips back, but he grabbed them in his hands to stop her from moving. He slid out and back in, then quickly began to thrust in and out of her at a fast pace.

“So fucking tight and wet, sweetheart,” he groaned as one hand came up to hold onto her bound hands. “So perfect… like you were made for me.”

With each thrust, she moaned louder and louder. Dean wondered whether he should gag her again, but quickly thought against it. Everyone else in the hotel be damned. He needed to hear his girl.

“How does that feel, Y/N?” he asked, as his hand on her hip grabbed her flesh tight, his thrusts relentless.

“So fucking good,” she moaned loudly, her mind delirious with pleasure. “Your big cock feels so good inside me, Dean.”

“I’m the only one who can make you feel this.” He let out a grunt, feeling her walls clench around his cock with each thrust. “Tell me.”

“Oh fuck” she gasped, unable to think clearly. “Y-You-”

Suddenly, a hard, resounding spank landed on her right cheek causing her to jerk forward as she yelped in surprise.

“Tell me, sweetheart,” he growled, his grip tightening on her bound hands.

She huffed a small laugh, completely overwhelmed by what she was feeling. He was hitting that sweet spot inside her so perfectly with every thrust. His words had her spiralling by the second, and his grip on her, both mentally and physically, had left her completely at his mercy. It was an experience unlike any other; one that she had expressed she wanted just that morning, but she had no idea the delivery would exceed her expectations.

“You’re the only one who can make me feel like this,” she moaned, loud and shameless. If someone else in the hotel was getting railed as thoroughly as she was, they’d be shameless about it too. “The only one who can make me this good… so fucking good, so full.”

She struggled against the belt around her hands, the leather digging into her skin in a delicious sting. Her legs felt weak and limp under her, quivering as she could feel herself quickly losing resolve.

“Fuck, Y/N.” His undulating hips picked up speed, as he grasped hers tightly.

Her walls continued to clench around him, signalling she was close. The only other sounds that could be heard apart from their moans and groans were the smacking of skin as their hips met, and wet, squelching sounds of her sex as he continued to pound into her.

“De… fuck, I-I I’m close,” she cried out, lifting her head to try and look back at him. The same feeling that she had felt before had returned, as if she was holding something back. “I-I think-” she shook her head, unable to speak.

Dean’s hips started to falter, his release fast approaching. “Cum with me, Y/N.”

“I-I-I’m,” she stuttered. She felt lightheaded, overstimulated and overcome by the pleasure coursing through her.

“It’s okay, Y/N,” he reassured her, his left hand leaving her hip and moving down between her legs. He rubbed her clit in tight circles, bringing her closer to her release. “Let go for me, sweetheart… soak my cock like you soaked my fingers.”

“Oh god… Fuck! Dean!” she screamed.

All concern for the people in the other rooms went out the window as they both reached the peak of ecstasy.

Y/N’s whole body convulsed as Dean let out a roaring moan, quickly pulling out as her release gushed out of her, drenching his cock as his cum spurted over her folds. Her legs gave out as she fell forward and flattened out on the bed as she tried to catch her breath. His chest heaved as he leaned forward, carefully unbuckling the belt around her hands, releasing her from the restraint. Her arms moved up the bed weakly, one hand cupping over her eyes as she began to chuckle. He looked down at her with a quirked eyebrow, confused as to why she was laughing.

“Y/N?” he called her name, getting no response.

She descended into a fit of laughter, slowly turning onto her back as she cupped both hands over her eyes.

“Sweetheart, what’s going on?” he asked, his mouth lifting up slightly into a smirk. He was amused by her reaction.

“That was… that was amazing,” she said through laughs. “I just… I can’t believe you did that. Not just once but twice!”

Y/N continued to laugh, causing Dean to join in as he leaned down and gave her a kiss. She lifted her shaky hands and cupped his face, kissing him deeply and moaning at the taste of herself that still lingered on his tongue. Pulling away, his legs almost faltered as he got up from the bed, but he held himself steady as he moved towards the bathroom. He wet a washcloth and then walked back out to the bed. He cleaned between her legs, the warm cloth ridding her of his release and her own. As he did, he was relieved to see they hadn’t ruined the sheets from both of their orgasms, his lower body taking the impact of hers. He cleaned himself off and got up again, discarding the cloth under the sink of the bathroom.

As he walked back out, he spotted the ice bucket and quickly swiped a cube out before he laid down next to her, both of them on their sides. Picking up her right hand, he smoothed the ice over the angry, red lines across her wrist. She hissed slightly at the chill on the heat of her skin but sighed as it cooled the sting. He looked at her as he did, smiling softly when her gaze lifted up to meet his.

“I… that wasn’t too much, was it?” he asked, his voice low and calming, but slightly nervous. He hoped that he hadn’t gone overboard.

She smiled, shaking her head. “No. It was perfect.”

She leaned forward, kissing him deeply. She sighed into the kiss, feeling more content than she ever had in her life. The feeling of being safe with him had been there throughout, and she loved him even more for being able to make her feel that way as he dominated her.

“You sure?” He needed to be certain. “I just gotta-”

She cut him off with another kiss, before pulling back to look at him. “Yes, I’m absolutely sure. It was everything I wanted. A good, proper, hard, rough… fucking of a lifetime.”

He smirked, satisfied with her sincere answer and leaned forward, kissing her once, twice which led to them giving each other small kisses on every bit of skin they got reach. Dean gave her other wrist the same attention, before the cube could melt into his hand.

“Now I can’t wait for you to fulfill another fantasy” she smiled, a naughty glint in her eyes.

“Yeah?” he grinned, wagging his eyebrows at her. “What is it?”

She hummed as she moved forward, pressing her body into his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Maybe I want a certain mechanic to tell me there are other ways of payment when I can’t afford for him to fix my car.”

He groaned as his eyes shut tightly, feeling his cock begin to stir again. “Fuck, sweetheart. I can’t wait for that either.”

He leaned in, kissing her passionately. His hands smoothed down her back and softly soothed the sting on her ass from the brief belt treatment and spanking she got.

“Bath?” he asked, tenderly as he pulled away from her lips and nuzzled his nose against hers.

She nodded with a small smile on her lips, feeling the mattress dip as he got up first.

Dean offered his hand to Y/N which she took instantly, allowing him to lift her up from the bed. Her legs shook as she stood, still weak from the amazing sex they just had. Suddenly, he leaned down and placed his arm under her legs, the other around her and lifted her up, a little laugh leaving her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. As he walked past the ottoman, she reached down and grabbed the champagne bottle from the ice bucket and the glasses, placing them in her lap and holding the bottle so it didn’t fall. They looked into each other’s eyes as he carried her into the bathroom and over to the tub.

Y/N slowly dipped her toe in, sighing in relief when it wasn’t searing hot. She held the bottle and glasses as Dean slowly placed her in the water, the petals dispersing once she was in. She took out the other bottle of champagne from the ice bucket in the bathroom and put the open one in, after she poured a generous amount into each glass. Leaning forward, she smiled as he got into the tub and rested against it, allowing her to lay back against his chest. Clinking their glasses together, she took a sip and sighed as she made herself comfortable against him.

“I’m half expecting someone to come knocking on the door about the noise,” she told him, laughing.

He shook his head, chuckling. “Nah, no one’s coming up here to warn us on Valentine’s Day.”

“I sure hope so,” she said, taking another sip of champagne.

“I did put the “Do Not Disturb” on the door on the way in, though,” he grinned, leaning down and kissing her cheek. “Just in case.”

“Always prepared,” she joked, turning her head up to look at him.

“You know it, baby.” He smirked as he leaned down, kissing her softly.

“Thank you so much for tonight,” she whispered against his lips as he pulled away from the kiss. “It was perfect.”

“No problem, sweetheart,” he whispered back, pressing his lips to hers again. The kiss deepened, causing a small moan to leave her as she reached up and ran her hand through his hair at the back of head.

She pulled back, slightly out of the breath as she bit her lip, looking into his eyes. “I don’t think I can manage it tonight, but you can expect me to ride you into oblivion tomorrow as a thank you.”

His eyes widened as he nearly choked from the shock of her statement. He shook his head as he looked at her, wondering once again how she could be so innocent one minute and turn into a vixen the next.

“You better not threaten me with a good time and then not deliver, Y/N,” he warned her, a small smirk playing at his lips.

She shook her head, her gaze flicking between his and his lips. “It’s a promise which I absolutely intend to keep.”

“Shit,” he hissed, putting his glass on the ledge behind him. “Thank fuck I got a late check-out.”

He took hers and did the same and then moved his hands under the water, turning her around so that she was facing him and straddling his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her breasts pressed into his chest as she leaned in and kissed him, passionately. She pulled away after a few moments, looking into his eyes.

Y/N reached over to pick up a chocolate covered strawberry on the tray behind Dean and held it to his lips. Smiling at him as his plump lips closed around the fruit and bit into it, the juice ran down his chin as he moved his head back, trying to get the bite completely into his mouth. The fire that burned for him within her, that never extinguished, flickered at the sight of his beautiful, sinful mouth slightly stained by the sweet. She leaned in, kissing and licking the remnants of strawberry and chocolate from his lips. As he looked at her, he felt that feeling of being the luckiest guy on Earth wash over him again.

“I love you,” she whispered, a big smile spreading across her face.

“I love you, too,” he whispered back, his smile as big as hers as he pulled her back into their impassioned embrace.

They stayed that way until the water turned cold, and Dean carried Y/N back to the bed. They fell asleep in each other’s arms, their slumber peaceful as they both knew they were in the arms of the person who loved them unconditionally.

The next morning, Y/N kept her promise. Once they came up for air, they enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at the hotel before they finally made their way back home.

The rest of their day continued the way it began, locked in each other’s loving arms…

With promises made that they absolutely intended to keep.

-x-

Tags: @deanwanddamons @winchest09 @downanddirtydean @jensengirl83 @wonder-cole @that-one-gay-girl @flamencodiva @ellewritesfix05 @roonyxx @akshi8278 @hobby27 @michellethetvaddict @spngirl05​ @kyjey​ @halesandy​ @440mxs-wife​ @stoneyggirl​ @deanswaywardgirl​ @redbarn1995​ @marianita195​ @babypink224221​ @deans-baby-momma​ @parinarain​ @thoughts-and-funnies​ @mandalou29​ @jerkbitchidjitassbutt​ @supraveng​ @supernatural-love14​ @vicmc624​ @prettyboyswow​ @lunarmoon8​ @supernatural-bellawinchester​

[sequinsmile-x]

As the Years Go By

Chapter 1 of 2. (Part 2 coming tomorrow)

Part of the Whatever Tomorrow Brings universe

A birthday present for my dear friend @sweetsecretskeptinside

Happy Birthday my love!! Becoming your friend has been one of the best things to happen to me this year, and arguably one of the best things to happen to me ever.

You are kind, and funny and so smart (and gorgeous btw) and you make me laugh every damn day. You are insanely talented (to the point where sometimes I am still in shock that I get to be your friend?! Seems fake) and it is a true privilege to read your work.

I know you’re working today, but I hope you have a lovely day. And that you know how treasured you are <3

The tags are also mushy you haven't escaped that

Love you so much!

Now onto the fic - which has been specifically designed to make you cry.

Words: 4.3k

Read on Ao3, or below the cut

Aaron knew his wife better than he knew anyone else. Part of it came from all the time they’d had together, the almost 15 years since she had first kissed him, creating a good basis for them. They were each other's person, the one each would seek out when they looked across a room. A cornerstone in each other's lives.

He was also a profiler, so he could read her like a book. Her tells were as obvious to him now as her beauty, striking in the way they would blow him away. Take his breath away for a moment at the first signs of distress on her face, the way her brow would tighten slightly, her eyes hardening under his gaze. Everything in him would itch to make it better, to hurt whatever, or whoever, had hurt her.

She was nervous. He’d noticed it the moment she woke up, the way she was keeping her hands busy. Helping Theo with his breakfast even though he was definitely old enough to do it himself, folding laundry without comment even though Jack should have done it the night before.

“Em.” He tries, his voice soothing as he places his hand on her back as he joins her by the kitchen counter, the boys both sat at it eating their breakfast.

“I’m fine.” She says, far too quickly for it to be true. She looks up at him and she huffs out a laugh, moving her hand to her belly. “The baby is kicking.”

He smiles, letting her redirection of the conversation go for now, knowing she will always speak to him eventually.

“It’s because she knows we are seeing her again today.” He says, putting his hand over hers.

“You’re still sure it’s a girl?” She asks, smirking. “It’s not too late to back out of our bet.”

He stamps a quick kiss on her lips, and rolls his eyes when Jack, and Theo because he always copied his brother, made noises of disgust.

“I’m not backing out because I’m right.” He kisses her again, just to get a reaction out of his sons, and pulls back. “Your $50 is mine.”

They go about their morning, and she continues to act like everything is fine. It’s only when they get to the doctors that he can practically feel the anxious energy roll off of her, her leg bouncing as they sit in the waiting room of her OBGYN.

“Em.” He says, putting his hand on her knee, stopping the movement. He grabs her hand at the same time, knowing her next move would be to bite the skin around her nail, her cuticles already torn up. “You’re ok.”

It was a scheduled appointment, her 20 week scan, but he had sensed her nerves building in the lead up to it. She spent most of the time convinced that something was going to go wrong, that this would get taken away from her. After so many years of thinking that this wouldn’t happen for them again, that their family was complete as it was, this still felt too good to be true.

He caught her sometimes, standing sideways and looking at herself in the mirror in their closet with her hands on her belly as if she still somehow didn’t believe it.

“I know.” She replies, forcing a smile at him. “I’m just worried.”

“I know you are, love.” He says, placing his hand on her back, rubbing gentle circles there. “But it will be ok.” He squeezes her shoulder, the firm line her mouth set, making him change tactics from reassurance to distraction. “Is your money still set on the baby being a boy?”

She beams at him, her hand on her bump as she nods. “Definitely.”

“Emily?” Joanne walks out of her observation room, interrupting them before they can continue their playful argument, and she smiles at them. “Do you want to come in?”

Emily’s nerves return instantly and he holds her hand tightly, his thumb tracing back and forth over her wrist as Joanne goes through the results of the battery of tests that had been done, all of them thankfully the results they wanted. Joanne encourages her onto the bed so she can do the ultrasound, and they watch in fascination as she points out different parts of their baby. Aaron kisses his wife's temple when the sound of the heartbeat fills the room, a beautiful sound that he knew would always leave him breathless no matter how many times he heard it.

“Are you ready to find out what you’re having?” Joanne asks, a knowing smile on her face. They both nod and Aaron feels Emily’s hand tighten its grip on his, and he looks at her to see a tremor to her smile. There was so much happiness flowing off of her it almost burned him, leaving him happy to be caught up in the flames, a wildfire of a thing that he was easily swept up in.

Her joy had always been addictive to him, her smile making something bloom in his chest the first time he had seen it, a bright spot in an otherwise dark time in his life. Her laugh was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard, making him always seek to tear it out of her.

“Well, I hope the boys are ready to have a sister.” Joanne says, beaming at them. “You’re having a girl.”

“A girl?” Emily chokes out, her voice thick with emotion that overwhelms them both in an instant.

It was something he hadn’t realised he wanted until that very moment. The final piece of the puzzle falling into place. He looks at the screen, at his daughter, and he feels overwhelmed immediately. He kisses Emily’s forehead, his eyes not moving from the screen as Joanne points out that the baby was waving.

“Oh, honey.” Emily says, her voice unsteady. She puts a hand on his cheek and makes him look at her. She laughs at him as she wipes tears off of his face with the heel of her hand as if she isn’t crying too. “I’ve never been so happy to be wrong.”

Aaron laughs, and tells her she can keep her $50 because she had already given him everything he would ever need.

They tell Theo and Jack they are having a sister when they get home from school and they are both delighted, even if Jack tries to hide it in his teenage aloofness. Aaron doesn’t miss the way Emily’s smile flickers slightly when Jack mentions Elizabeth, asking what she would think. Aaron watches as Emily’s mood sours throughout the day, her initial joy fading into something that seemed a little too close to apprehension.

He waits until the boys are in bed, Theo having to be allbut dragged from his mothers side, always happy to curl up next to Emily on the couch. It was something that had been the same way since he was a newborn. A tiny baby that wanted nothing more than to be near his mother.

Aaron had never been able to blame him, Emily’s side was his favourite place to be too. He sits next to her and waits her out, knowing she would always speak to him eventually. That she needed to process things herself before she brought them to him.

“What if I’m not any good at it?” She asks finally, her voice small as she focuses her attention on her hands.

“At what?” Aaron replies, catching her hand in his to stop her from picking at her cuticles before she can even start. She looks up at him with a sad smile on her face.

“Being a mom to a little girl.”

It throws him, his brain briefly short circuiting and stopping him from replying. It wasn’t something that had even crossed his mind. She was an amazing mother, the best. The way she loved Theo and Jack was endless, unconditional in a way that somehow made him love her more.

“Em-”

“It’s just…my relationship with my own mom has always been so hard.” She says, sniffling as she wipes her nose and cheeks, the tears she has clearly been holding back for hours finally slipping free. “And I’d hate it to be like that with her.”

Her hands fall to her bump, cradling it with such devotion and care he wishes she could see herself. That she could see how much of an amazing mother she already was to their daughter.

Not for the first time, he really wants to give Elizabeth Prentiss a piece of his mind.

“I want to be the first person she calls when she’s engaged, you know?” She says, wiping her face again. “I don’t want to accidentally find out because she doesn’t want to deal with my reaction.”

It had been 13 years since they got engaged. 13 years and soon to be 3 kids, and Elizabeth would still bring up on occasion that she found out her only child was getting married through someone else telling her. He still remembered the look on Emily’s face when she got the call from her mother, furious that she had found out that way.

“Emily.” He says, finally getting her attention. “She’s still got another 20 weeks to go inside of you, I think we can hold off worrying about her engagement.”

She glares at him, but there is no strength behind it, not an ounce of actual anger or annoyance. He smiles at her and wipes a stray tear off of her cheek. He decides to try a different tactic. Make her see herself through his eyes like she so often did for him.

“Do you think my relationship with my father affects how I am with the boys?” He asks bluntly, putting his own insecurity out there. Her eyes widen, fury flooding them immediately. Fierce protectiveness for him briefly overriding any lingering anxieties.

“Of course not.” She seethes, her eyebrows furrowed. She was the one who had comforted him over the years, telling him that he was not and never could be his father. Soothing him when he would discipline the boys, her gentle reassurance that it was justified was the only thing that would pull him back from the edge. She narrows her eyes at him and the tension leaves her shoulders and he watches as she physically reacts. “Very clever, Hotchner.”

“I thought so.” He replies, closing the gap between them to kiss her, his palm splayed across her bump. He pulls back and rests his forehead against hers, both of them laughing when the baby kicks against his hand. “You’re an amazing mom, Em. Our sons are lucky to have you, and our daughter will be too.”

“I love you.” She says as she reaches up to cup his cheek. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’ll never have to find out.” He promises, stamping a kiss to her lips. “We’ll have to come up with a name.”

She smiles at him widely. “Go get me the book.”

Emily names her, their daughter. She smiles at him as she claims that he had come up with the name Theo, so it was her turn. He remembers teasing her at first, asking just how many pages she had got into the baby name book before deciding on the name Ameila.

She sheepishly admits it’s because she likes how it sounds with his name, how she’d always dreamt of the relationship he’d have with a daughter she never thought they’d get to have. Any other teasing he had lined up falls away and he pulls her into his arms. Grateful that somehow this was their life. ____________

He wakes to the bed shifting, his wife grumbling next to him as she desperately tries to get comfortable.

“Em, are you ok?” His voice is thick, rough with sleep as he sits up and rubs at his eyes.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She sounds far too close to tears for that to be true. “Go back to sleep.”

He turns on the lamp on his nightstand and turns to look at his very pregnant wife. She’s facing away from him, curled around her pregnancy pillow, her hand rubbing at her stomach.

“She won’t stop moving.” She says, moving her hand to briefly wipe tears away from her cheek before returning it to her abdomen, rubbing soft circles there in an attempt to calm their daughter down. “And I love her so much, but I am so tired, Aaron. I just want to sleep. I need to sleep before she gets here and I can’t.”

“Sweetheart-”

“Just go back to sleep.” She sniffs, her voice wavering. “I’ll be ok.”

“We both know I’m not going to go back to sleep when you’re upset.” He says as he leans down to kiss her temple. “How can I help?”

She laughs mirthlessly. “Well if you can go in there and tell her to sleep that would be great.”

“Ok.” He says nodding, guiding her to sit up, turning her body towards him. “Face this way.”

“Aaron-”

“Trust me.” He leans over her to grab her pregnancy pillow and lays it between them, helping her settle back down next to him. He shifts down the bed so he is in line with her stomach, his palm coming to rest on her bump. “Amelia, you’ve got to start being nice to Mommy. She needs her rest before you make your appearance.”

His answer comes in a firm kick against his palm, and a laugh from Emily.

“Not even born yet and she’s already ignoring you.” She says, her hand coming to rest on the top of his head, her fingers trailing through his hair.

He shushes her. “You’re meant to be trying to sleep.” He turns his attention back to her stomach and starts to talk about everything and nothing. About his day, how he’s looking forward to meeting her, how much her mother and brothers are too. He even sings at one point, poking Emily in the ribs when she laughs at him as he tries to remember the lyrics to Blackbird.

Eventually he notices Emily’s fingers have stopped trailing through his hair and he looks up to see her fast asleep, her face half buried in his pillow. ____________

He holds Amelia first. His impossibly tiny baby was placed in his arms on a day when he didn’t even think she’d be born. She was born a whole month early, her arrival the complete opposite of Theo’s long, drawn out labour. The love he feels for the tiny baby rushes through him, and he’s grateful he’s sitting down. He looks over at Emily and sees the fear on her face, mixed with adrenaline and love as she lays torn open to bring their baby into the world. He holds Amelia to her, lets her kiss the little girl's forehead and wipes a stray tear from her face before it falls into her hairline.

He promises them both right there and then that he'll do anything to protect them. It’s less than 12 hours later when he needs to for the first time.

The doctor who had initially assured them everything was ok with Amelia, despite her early arrival, walks into Emily’s room with a slightly solemn look on his face. It was one of the first times in his career that he wished he didn’t know how to read behaviour, that his wife didn’t, because they instantly know something is wrong. He can sense the panic rise in her, the fear as she grabs at his hand, her eyes fixed on the doctor standing at the end of her bed.

“What’s wrong?” Emily asks. “Where’s my baby?”

“Mr and Mrs Hotchner, there have been some concerns overnight about Amelia’s breathing, so we have moved her from the general nursery to the NICU for a few days.”

“Wh..what?” Emily chokes out, her grip on his hand so hard Aaron can feel the bones shift beneath his skin, his knuckles almost cracking together. “You said she was ok.”

“She was, she is.” He reassures them, and Aaron can quickly feel the emotions building in his wife. Her usual control torn down by the stress of Amelia’s arrival, the pain from her surgery and the rush of hormones after birth. And their kids were her soft spot, they were for both of them. He puts his arm around Emily and pulls her closer. “The nurses overnight had some concerns that I shared and we made the decision to move her. We don’t believe there is any cause for concern in the long run, if anything we are being overly cautious. She is very small, even for a 36 weeker.”

“Can we see her?” Aaron asks, attempting to maintain his cool. Keep his strength for the two of them.

“You can go see her now Mr Hotchner.” He purses his lips and turns to Emily. “You can in a while Mrs Hotchner, but you are recovering from surgery and we’d rather you stayed in bed a little while longer.”

“I need to see her now.” Emily chokes out. “She needs me.”

“Someone will come by and get you later.” The doctor says, as if the conversation was over. He turns to Aaron. “If you ask one of the nurses where to go they will show you.”

When they are alone again he expects the last tiny bit of Emily’s resolve to snap, for her to fall apart. But he can feel her recoiling in on herself in his arms.

“You need to go see her.” She’s still crying, with all the will in the world she wouldn’t be able to stop it if she wanted to. She pulls away and looks at him, her face screwed up as she sobs. “She can’t be by herself.”

“Em-”

“Aaron, she’s so small. She’ll be scared.”

“And what about you? You’re scared.” He says, cupping her cheek and wiping away her tears. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”

“I’ll be fine.” She says, smiling at him even though she's trembling. “Please? Until I can be there.”

He reluctantly agrees, leaving her in her room alone with a kiss and making her promise to text him if she needs anything.

His heart snaps in two in his chest when he hears her start to cry in earnest the second the door to her room closes behind him.

He sits next to Amelia, looking impossibly small, for a few hours before Emily is wheeled in, looking furious about having to be in a wheelchair and delighted to be able to see their daughter.

She keeps a vigil after that. Barely returning to her own room to rest, only agreeing when she was practically strong armed into it by Aaron or the nurses.

He tries to reason with her at first. He tries to get her to go home once she’s discharged, to remind her that she had just had major surgery and needed to recover herself. Emily’s wilful nature has her ignoring him, a barely disguised wince on her face as she sits upright in the uncomfortable chair near the incubator Amelia was being kept in, an impossibly small cannula on her face delivering her oxygen. Emily’s eyes were fixed on their daughter as she rested a hand low on her own abdomen, gently covering her new scar, the physical evidence of what she had gone through to bring their little girl safely into the world.

He knows he’s playing dirty when he tells her the boys miss her. That it’s unfair when he tells her that Theo isn’t sleeping well and Jack’s anxiety is getting worse with her long stay at the hospital, the vigil she is keeping at their daughters side. She glares at him, and he knows he deserves it, but she gives him a short, sharp, nod. She only agrees to go home if he stays, quietly admitting she could do with sleeping in their own bed.

Aaron agrees, and he takes her home only to immediately return to the hospital. He sits and watches Amelia sleep, his hand through the slightly too small hole in the side of the incubator so she could grip his finger.

When she opens her eyes and looks up at him he falls in love all over again. ____________

“Theo, Jack. If you aren’t in the car in the next 2 minutes I’m telling your grandmother that you want to go to Germany with her this Christmas.”

Aaron barely suppresses his laughter when he hears the rush on the second floor of the house, Jack down the stairs in a matter of seconds, Theo on his tail, the threat of an extended period of time with Elizabeth over the holiday’s enough to get them moving despite his insistence for the last twenty minutes. He turns to Amelia, already in her car seat, and smiles at her.

“Your brothers are silly.” He says and she smiles back, like she always did when he spoke to her, and it makes warmth spread through his chest. He lifts up the car seat and leaves the house, securing the front door behind him before he walks down the porch steps.

Theo and Jack are already arguing in the car about what music they would play on the journey over to Elizabeth and John’s house. As Aaron clips Ameila’s car seat into the back of the car he feels the hair stand up on the back of his neck, a familiar feeling of being watched prickling at his senses. He looks up and briefly thinks he sees a man standing a few cars down, watching him intently.

“Dad! Theo won’t let go of the aux cable.” Jack seethes, turning from his place in the passenger seat in the front of the car.

Aaron sighs and looks at him as he does the final clip on Amelia’s car seat. “Who picked the music last time?”

“I did.” Jack says, avoiding his gaze, knowing he has already lost the argument.

“Then it’s Theo’s turn.” He says, looking at Theo with a raised eyebrow when the 6 year old celebrates in a way a little too close to gloating.

He closes the car door and looks back to where he had seen the man standing, and there was no one there. No sign of anything unusual in their street.

As he gets into his car he convinces himself that he imagined it, that his first time alone with three kids since Emily went back to work was getting to him. That the lack of sleep was making him less sharp than usual, and he was looking forward to having his wife back soon.

“Daddy, when’s Mommy coming home from Canada?” Theo asks as the car starts.

“Tonight, bud. She’ll head over to Grandma and Grandpa’s to see you when she’s back.”

He thinks he’s imagined it, the man stood staring at him, until Dave drops him home to an empty house almost a week later. His family gone, and the slamming of a car door reminding him of the moment he saw George Foyet watching his family. ____________

He’s woken up by the sound of Amelia crying. It shocks him awake, makes him sit up in bed a little quickly and he looks at his wife sleeping next to him, mercifully still asleep thanks to the heavy pain killers she was on. He knew how much pain she must be in after the car crash she was in to even agree to take the medication. He was still so sad, so angry that she had been hurt on her first case back, and he wondered when their family would catch a break.

It was unlike her to sleep through one of the kids crying, so attuned to their needs, so he quickly stands and rounds the bed to pick up Amelia.

“You’re ok, sweetie.” He says as he picks her up, settling the fussy 10 month old onto his chest.

She was still small, certainly smaller than Theo had been at her age, and every time he held her he felt a wave of protectiveness for her, the need to stop anything from harming her.

Amelia was slowly warming up to him. It still stung, cutting through his chest worse than Foyet’s knife ever had, when he thought about the way she didn’t remember him when they were first reunited. That his daughter, his precious little girl, didn’t know who he was.

Things were getting better. She’d reach out for him now instead of hiding in Emily’s arms when he walked into a room, and she’d smile at him, babble nonsensical sentences at him whenever he was near.

It felt like something new, something that George Foyet couldn’t touch.

He settles back into bed and Amelia almost immediately calms down, pressing her forehead into his chest as if she was trying to crawl under his skin.

“You just wanted to cuddle, huh?” He asks, his hands securing her to him, holding her close.

“She ok?” Emily murmurs, her words slurring as she turns to face him, her hand resting on Amelia’s back as she snuggles closer to them.

“She’s fine, love.” He takes one of his hands from Amelia’s back and pushes some of Emily’s hair from her forehead, his thumb gently tracing her skin. “Go back to sleep.”

He’s not sure she was ever fully awake because she’s asleep again in seconds, her hand over his on their daughter’s back as Amelia drifts off on his chest.

He feels happy, like things were slipping back into place after everything they almost lost, and he falls into a dreamless sleep.

[natromanxoff]

25 - Just Chatting...

Hello one and all.

It's been a long time since I graced these pages and, believe it or not, nothing much has been happening in my life, apart from the odd soiree or two. Winter has finally left us and spring has sprung, and it's nice to see the sun again. Let's start by wishing my old mate a happy birthday and I hope you all had a little drinkie for him, I know I did. In fact I got legless, he would have been proud of me. Whenever we were in London there was always a party at Fred's on his birthday, be it a handful of friends, or one where he invited half of Britain, but which ever one it was there was always a good time to be had and a lot of chaos. One year he actually took over Pikes Hotel in Ibiza and chartered a private plane to fly his friends in. Roger and myself were already on the island recording some of his solo stuff so we didn't have far to travel to the bash. When I say we were working, it's kind of true as we spent a lot of time on his boat "Ga Ga" whizzing around having lunch and fun. The party was held outside around the swimming pool, now is that an invite for trouble or what? There were hundreds of balloons hanging from every available fixture, and of course there is always an idiot that thinks he's a clown. This particular clown, who will remain nameless, decided it would be funny to light one of the balloons, and needless to say the whole lot went up in flames. Phoebe and Crystal to the rescue. We had to get this "fire" off the wooden rafters before the whole hotel went up in smoke, so we were pulling bits of string while burning rubber was dripping down on us. I was so traumatised by the whole event I had to have another drink ....... a lame excuse I know, but hey, it's my story. Back to the pool. Edwin Shirley, of trucking fame and also an all round good guy after a few too many, decided to have a swim, so he removed his clothing and was flapping around the pool when some daft countess told him to get dressed and behave himself. Wrong move lady. Edwin was not impressed by his telling off and threw her in, and she was even less impressed with that and started ranting and raving, much to the amusement to the rest of the party hounds. She left with her tail between her legs and didn't look at all glamorous in her soaking wet dress, running makeup and failed hairdo. We continued till mid morning and went straight to the airport and caught a flight home. Thanks F for the great parties and good times, you will never be forgotten.

I still get asked a lot if I'm gonna write the "Real" story about Queen. Well the answer is no, and the reason is that the guys gave me a great job and a great life and I have far to much respect for them, their wives/girlfriends, children and families to tell the world what we got up to in private. I feel that is our business and ours alone. Most of us are all in relationships and telling tales could make life awkward for a few people, band and crew alike. I'm sure at some point in time someone from the organisation will write a book, have 5 minutes of fame and make a quick buck, but it sure as hell won't be me, and I'll still be able to sleep at night and when I see the guys I will still be free to say, "Wanna beer MATE."

I've had a few questions asked me that I'm gonna answer quickly.

First off is "Do you have any stories about Freddies cats? (ripping furniture etc.)" Here's a good reply, No. So moving right along, "Of all the famous people you've met, who impressed you the most?" Tricky one this. After years in this "Biz" they all become "Just normal people," and some become good pals, but on one occasion I was in Paul McCartneys studio and I was handed his violin bass and I was sitting there holding it when someone said, "Paul is left handed, hold it like he would." When I turned it around, still taped in the cutout was the Beatles set list from their days in Hamburg, now that impressed me.

Deaky and myself were the only two reggae lovers in the outfit, and Bob Marley turned up to see the show at Madison Square Gardens. Strange choice of show for Bob, but he loved Another one bites the dust, and he happened to be in New York on a stopover on his way to Germany for laser treatment. Show time and our intro tape was playing, and someone told JD that Bob was in the audience, so he cranked his bass up and played "Lively up yourself" over the tape. This was very possibly the last time Marley ever heard this played as he died shortly after. I didn't get to meet him, but I did get to meet Tyrone Downie, Bobs keyboard player in the Wailers, and Tyrone and myself got up to all sorts of mischief that night. RT on the other hand hates reggae music, but I did manage to drag him to the Circus Krone in Munich to see Peter Tosh. I loved it, he hated it. I look at this as payback because years before he insisted that I went to Hammersmith Odeon to see Laurie Anderson, of O Superman fame. This show he loved, but I put it alongside Cher as one of the worst concerts I have ever seen. Needless to say I have also met a couple of stars that I didn't see eye to eye with. Like the American rock star we encountered in a club one night, and he was such a pain I had to take him into the toilets to have a quiet word with him. He finally got the message so I released my hand from around his neck and let him drop back down to the ground. To finish this segment I wanna tell you something that Bev Bevan said. Bev was the drummer with ELO, and them and us were touring the US at the same time, and as it turned out, staying in the same hotel in one city. Roger and myself were leaving the hotel and waiting for the elevator. When the doors opened Bev was in there and him and RT said their hellos. Rog then said, "Bev, this is Crystal, he looks after me." Bev turned to me, shook my hand and said, "Pleased to meet you. If it wasn't for guys like you, guys like us wouldn't be where we are today." He didn't need to say that, and was genuine when he did. I wasn't impressed with meeting him, but he is certainly in my top ten of nicest people I have ever meet.

Over the last few months I've spent a lot of time in the Chatroom, and I highly recommend it to you all as it can be a bit of a laugh. For anyone who has never visited the room please remember a couple of things, if you come in and start swearing you will be kicked out. I know, it happens to me all the time. Also don't come in and start going on about knowing axemen and murderers and other such garbage, cause that also warrants a kicking. Some buffoon from Ireland, who went by the name of "Death" turned up with an attitude and was going on about how f***ing awesome Queen were at Slane Castle. He was not known by anyone in there so I asked him to watch his language. He said he was the Grim Reaper and could do and say what he liked, so I told him otherwise and he was most put out when I kicked him. What a fool. A while ago there was some prat who called himself F***queen, good name eh! Anyway, he/she/it was picking on a lovely young lady called Raisa, and was saying some awful things to her and completely freaked her out, so I went to her defence and FQ turned the attention my way. As far as I'm concerned it's only letters on a screen and it didn't phase me at all, but at least he/she/it gave up on Raisa. In all fairness to FQ, whoever you may be, he/she left a message on the Bulletin Board saying sorry to Raisa and myself and would never do it again. So FQ, from the both of us, thanks for the apology, we accept it. What other weirdos have we had? Well, there was a brightspark who decided it would be funny to use the nickname QueenRshite, another bad move from this person who was honoured with a ban.

While in there I've seen a lot of friendships made, and a couple that have fallen apart. I got a private message one evening from a very drunk girl who, how shall we phrase this, offered me her body and wanted to do all sorts of naughty things to me, I thanked her and declined...must be getting old or something. I have also witnessed relationships being made and, usually there is a lot of humour involved, but needless to say some arguments do occur. I have also seen some of the daftest things said. One guy was so convinced that one of the regulars was either Deaky or she was chatting with him in private that he actually started tracking her every move on the net. He also told me about some highly illegal activities he was up to concerning the band. I wouldn't have thought I was the best person to tell such stuff to, and needless to say I had a go at him. Just to add to his stupidity he's been recently boasting about his affair with an underage girl, and I reckon if he had any more sense he would be half witted. Having mentioned all the twits I'd like to say a quick hello to all the regulars, White Queen and Killer Queen, the lovely girls Blue Rock and Rannnnnnni, SQJan, Mayflower and her boys, Farookh (aka Leroy Brown) MarshMallow, the three Tigers - Babe, Lily and Stripes and the mighty Falc, also to all the rest who I haven't mentioned by name, you know who you are. I'd also like to say hi to Daddy Cool who is the singer in the Dutch cover band Miracle, and Dad, if you never make it as a singer you could make a great career from being a stand up comedian. Finally an extra special hello to the gorgeous MTB, who is about to make an honest man of me ;)

Before I go I'm sure I don't need to remind anyone of a certain date in November that is engraved in all of our minds. And I know that a lot of you will be heading to Garden Lodge to leave flowers. I don't wanna preach and tell you what to do, and I know flowers are a nice gesture, but they do die and the only people to really benefit from this is the florist. This year lets all give a donation, no matter how small, to Aids research, this way the cash will be used to try and stamp out this awful disease. If you really wanna leave flowers, buy a smaller, cheaper bunch and donate the balance of what you would have spent to these charities. It's been said a million times before but it is true, Every penny counts.

As always, Loadsa Love.

Crystal

[platypanthewriter]

The Tanning Rock

Harringrove April prompt 28, Tanning--Creatures!AU (This one grew to nearly 6k and I’m so sorry) @wasting-time-again​ HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, HAVE A MERMAN!  XD

The lawyer who summoned Billy—about an inheritance, he said—was...weird.  Straight out of a movie, with long incisors and a cravat, and he steepled his fingers as he talked.  

Max said he was probably actually a vampire, and Billy agreed—which was weird, because as far as Billy knew, his mom’s family wasn’t exactly old money, and it was hard to imagine a vampire getting on a plane to fly clear to California and summoning him to a crypt full of file cabinets, all just to read a will about his mom’s collection of surfing stickers and pile of old National Geographics.  

Billy knew his father had disowned him, so he bit his lips together, waiting to hear that his mother had died.

“I am here about the estate of your grandmother,” said the vampire lawyer, and Billy drew a shaky breath of relief.  “Your mother was disowned—” he said, and Billy almost snorted a laugh—like mother, like son, he thought, “—and so her domicile has passed to you.”

“Wait, what,” Billy breathed, wide-eyed.

“It is an unusual case,” said the lawyer—Fangun and Stayk, est. 986, read his card, but Billy wasn’t sure whether he was speaking to Fangun or Stayk, or whether the whole thing was a joke yet, so he kept his mouth shut.  “You will take ownership of the house and land, however, you may not live there—that is, not year-round, not unless you are given an invitation by a resident.  It is a closed community.”

“...can I sell it?” Billy asked, and the deepset eyes of the lawyer stared back at him, bloodshot and dry.

“At well below market value,” he said, steepling his fingers again.  They made a dryish noise.  “As I said, they dislike outsiders.  And a stranger will be even more of an outsider than you, in whom runs...the blood of the place.”

Billy wondered, dully, whether he’d inherited a haunted graveyard, or a den of werewolves, and groaned into his hands.  Maybe he was part zombie somehow.  Just his luck.  “Where is it,” he sighed.

“It is not on commonly available maps,” said the vampire, and Billy nodded.  It figured, he thought, though his ears perked up considerably when his grandmother’s lawyer laid out a map of Hawaii.

 They got a ride from the shore on a fishing boat at four o’clock in the morning.  “It’s barely tourist season yet,” said the fisherwoman, showing Max how to steer.  “There will be a ferry, in a week or two, but I can give you two a ride out the day your visa’s up if the ferry quits sooner.”

“We want enough time to look around,” Max said, glancing at Billy.  They’d let their lease run out, and sold most of their things, because a few orange crates of records were a small price to pay for never running into Neil Hargrove around town.  “You could get a job on one of the normal islands,” Max had suggested, quietly, over and over.  “If they don’t like us enough.”

Billy’d never suggested moving Max so far away, but she’d assumed they were going, and after a while he went along with it.  It wouldn’t be so bad, he thought, getting a job in a hotel somewhere after the islanders threw him out.  Max would probably love it, in Hawaii.  

A fresh start, she had said, and it sounded good.

He and Max were greeted by a woman in a wheelchair, who stamped their passports.  “Technically, we’re a different country,” she said, smiling.  She had very brown skin, and looked contentedly half-asleep in the sun.  “You’re the only visitors on the island, for a week or two,” she said, cocking her head.  “We’re not always in a big hurry to scrub up the ferry for the summer.  We love the money, but the tourists...” she laughed, shaking her head.  “Three-month pleasure trip visa.  Have a nice summer,” she said, waving them away.  

Her benign lack of interest lessened Billy’s initial fears that he’d inherited membership in some rich, yoga-pants-wearing, white Human Superiority cult.  

 The house was traditional-ish, with a grass roof and walls, big open windows with no glass, only shutters, and a wide shaded veranda all the way around.  It looked over a beach with rolling waves, and Billy couldn’t wait to get his board out there.

“I’m gonna look around the house,” Max said.  “See if I can find any neighbors.  Maybe I can bring them cookies.”  She set her jaw, frowning around at their luggage, and the scattered pillows.  “Maybe we can buy some furniture somewhere.”

“...we can always just come here for summers,” Billy told her, breathing it in.  

“Yeah, you’re gonna have a great time getting a tourism job where you don’t work summers,” Max said, raising a sarcastic eyebrow, and Billy realized with a sinking feeling in his stomach that she expected him to figure it out.  Find someone who wanted him to stay, here, on the island, at his grandmother’s house.

“I’m no good at making friends, Max,” he reminded her, and she snorted.  

“Better get out of my hair, then.”  She folded her arms, taking another deep breath of the smell of grass in the sun.  After a long moment, she looked back at him again.  “...we’ve got a little over three months, Billy.”

He suspected it sounded longer to her.

 When he wandered down to the beach, Billy could see someone’s tanned shoulders lying across a jutting rock about fifty feet out, and he paddled a ways towards it on his surfboard, getting the lay of the ocean.  There was a rip tide, dark and eerily quiet, to his right, but the rest of the beach had shallow, warm, clear waves over white sand and coral until a dark dropoff about fifty feet out where the rolling waves began.  

As he paddled closer to the rock, he could see the man on it—asleep, Billy thought, just lying in the sun as the waves lapped at his skin.  As Billy drifted closer, paddling with his hands, he could see a long-fingered hand hanging in the water, and he paddled faster, suddenly wondering whether the man wanted to be out on a rock, or whether he was a Dude In Distress, his leg cramped, needing a ride to the beach on Billy’s surfboard and a trip around the boardwalk, and maybe some shaved ice.  

As Billy approached, the guy opened his eyes, frowning over at Billy with wide, half-awake brown eyes.  He pushed himself up on the rock with his arms like the goddamn Little Mermaid, Billy thought, amused. His throat went dry watching the flex of muscle, and the water droplets where the dude had lifted himself out of the bay.  

Billy paddled at random, a little, unable to tear his eyes away.  He cleared his throat.  “Just, uh, making sure you didn’t need any help,” he said, staring at the tanned arms and swimmer’s chest in front of him, nearly triangular, like a superhero.  “I, um.  Guess you’re fine.”

The guy raised his eyebrows, starting to smirk, and then his eyes widened, and Billy realized in a flash of blue and foam that he’d drifted right into the fucking rip tide.  Right in front of the gorgeous dude on the rock, Billy thought in the back of his mind, trying to hold onto his surfboard and let the rip tide take him wherever it would.  Just his luck, he thought, dying because he was so damn gay he saw nice shoulders and his brain switched off.  He hadn’t even gotten a chance to breathe before he got sucked down, and his lungs and sinuses were starting to ache worse than the rest of him, even as he was buffeted around against his board, when an arm slid around his waist.

He wanted to yell at the guy—and he did, in an explosion of bubbles—because what the hell good was it gonna do, swimming into a rip tide, but the muscles against his back and butt flexed, and they were moving sideways out of the rip tide, and then Billy’s head was above water.  He gasped and choked, coughing up half the sea.  The ocean moved soothingly around them, as this dude had no trouble holding Billy up, and Billy tried to clear his throat and eyes.  

“Have you seriously never seen a tail before,” the guy groaned, hauling Billy along like he was no more effort to lift than a little kid at the pool.  Billy felt rock against his thigh, suddenly, and scrambled onto it, coughing and wiping his eyes to see he was on the jutting rock the dude must have jumped off of, to save him.  

“How-how fucking humiliating,” he gasped out loud.  “Can’t believe.  C-can’t believe I fucking p-paddled into a rip tide.”

“You drifted back into the...yeah,” his hot rescuer said, still in the water, with one hand on the rock to hold him steady as he frowned at Billy.  His voice sounded a little odd—Billy was reminded of the Chinese grocery by his house, where their English was perfect, but they had a lilt as they tried to speak an atonal language with a tonal ear.  Up close, he was even prettier, with moles Billy wanted to track down his neck and shoulders, and a doubtful, scrunched-up mouth Billy wanted to kiss.

“Sorry,” Billy wheezed, still coughing.  “Sorry, I’m such a moron, sorry.”  He tried to keep his eyes above the water level, but some part of his brain kept looking for tanned legs kicking under the surface, and he suddenly registered that the moving colors weren’t just fish and anemones.  “Holy shit,” he coughed out.  “You have a tail.”

His rescuer frowned harder, probably worried Billy had brain damage.  “I figured that’s why you swam into the rip tide,” he said slowly, and Billy shook his head, groaning.

“No—fuck, I’m sorry, you—you’re just hot as fuck, I’m just a moron, I’m—damn it,” he sighed.  “Sorry, jesus, I’m so fucking rude, sorry, I just didn’t notice, I was like ‘How the hell did he get me out of there?  OH!’, sorry,” he muttered, sighing.  “...drown me.”

“I am though, right,” the merman said, grinning, “—hotter than you,” and Billy realized he’d found the only person on the island more annoying than he was.  

“Yeah, yeah, just laugh at the poor gay moron who nearly drowned staring at you, that’s nice,” he huffed, lying back against the warm rock to catch his breath.  

“Was it love at first sight?” asked his rescuer, and Billy opened his eyes to glare.  

“Shut up, asshole,” he grunted.  

“Just asking,” his tormenter asked.  “Are you gonna pine away, sighing over me?  Hey, d’you think you’ll always do that?  If I swim over in town, you think you’ll fall off the boardwalk?”

“Fuck you,” Billy told him, leaning his face in his arms and laughing.  “Yeah, probably, you shithead.  Are you gonna...follow me around?  So I can look like more of an idiot?”

“Mmm, can you though…” the gorgeous merman asked thoughtfully, and Billy growled into his arms, feeling his whole body warm.  He blamed it on the sun.  “Why,” his rescuer asked, pulling himself up to laugh against Billy’s ear.  “—you want me to follow you someplace?”

“Oh my god,” Billy groaned, laughing harder.  “Are you afraid to leave me alone now?  What if I try and eat my surfboard?”

“...are you gonna?” 

“Maybe?!” Billy told him, then pushed himself up, frowning around to look for it.

“I’ve got it, it’s right here,” the smug asshole told him, waggling the surfboard in the water.  “Want me to take you back to shore?”

“No!” Billy laughed, sighing.  “I’m going surfing, just because I nearly died making an ass of myself doesn’t mean—”

“Hrm, maybe I should keep an eye on you.” 

“Why,” Billy asked, then pitched his voice just a little lower.  “You like what you see?”

“I could get used to it,” the merman said, and Billy started to preen, but the dickhead finished with “—kind of a comedy special, kind of thing,” and Billy reached over and smacked a big splash of water at him.  

He laughed, his throat arching back, the gills along it thin dark lines that Billy fantasized kissing around.  

Just as Billy was considering grabbing the surfboard and using it as a weapon of blunt force trauma, the merman leaned in close, his smirk widening around pointed teeth, and his cool, salty lips pressed firmly against Billy’s.  Billy made a weird gulping noise in his throat, and the asshole started to pull away, but Billy leaned in, and fell clean off the rock.  His weight dunked them both, and they rose sputtering and laughing, Billy held securely in his merman’s arms as his surfboard floated away.  He couldn’t really bring himself to care.

“...my name’s Billy,” he panted.  

“...Steve,” the mer-dickhead said, raising his eyebrows, like it was weird to want to know his name.  

“...I inherited a house here,” Billy told him in a rush, drunk on kisses.  “I’m from California.  My mom used to talk about this place when I was a kid.  Surfing here.  With her mom.”

“...is she here?” Steve asked, steadying them with one hand on the rock, and glancing back at the beach.

Billy laughed, shaking his head.  “Fuck, sorry, you don’t need to know my shit.  We can make out.  You’re short-circuiting my brain.”

“...I should probably get your surfboard,” Steve told him, grinning, but he leaned his head in again, gentle with his sharp teeth, and Billy inhaled shakily as the points grazed his lips and tongue.  

“Jesus,” he whispered, once he could talk, and then he licked his lips and wrenched himself away to swim after his surfboard, just so his smug rescuer wouldn’t have to fetch it for him.  The waves got bigger as he got out to where the trees weren’t acting as a windbreak, and he clambered up on his board, glaring back as Steve wolf-whistled.

 When he let the tides pull him back towards the gorgeous merman on the rock, he lost his mind again, telling him his tail looked like a peacock butt, and Steve cracked up, grinning at him.

“...so, neighbor, you have to win someone over enough to invite you to stay,” he said, cocking his head.

“Yup,” Billy told him, pointing up at the house he’d inherited, built into the hill, the old grass vacation cottage blending in with the trees.  

“And your method is to tell me I look like bird ass,” Steve continued, and Billy grimaced, waving his hands.

“No!  No, I don’t—I know people have to get to know you.  Here.  I’ll…” he sighed.  “I’ll try for a few months and see what happens.  If nothing...clicks, maybe I’ll try again next summer,” he said, grimacing, and wondering what Max would do, if they weren’t allowed to stay.  Leave, maybe, he thought—she was seventeen, and she could get a job herself.

 He ended up teaching Steve to surf, after showing off his best efforts.  When he swam back, panting, Steve looked properly impressed, and even more tanned.  “Teach me,” he said, and Billy leaned in to kiss him again, nodding.  

“That gonna get you to like me enough to let me stay?” Billy asked, and Steve frowned at him, but Billy laughed, and leaned in for another kiss.

“Tomorrow?” Steve had whispered against his lips, and Billy got no sleep at all that night, he just rolled over every couple hours to check the clock, and see that another two minutes had passed.  

Steve was fascinating to watch on the board, his tail trailing as he controlled it with his hands around either side, his abs flexing as he held himself in a kind of plank pose with the support of his tail.  Billy watched, and realized he was drooling.  

“You like me enough to keep me?” he asked that night, teasing, and Steve laughed.  

“Ask me again tomorrow.”

 Merpeople—or at least, Steve, Billy corrected mentally, realizing he was dealing with a sample size of one—loved bread.  Like a cat, Billy thought, watching Steve eye his croissant, or bagel.  He started just bringing one every morning for Steve, and some coffee, and it was hilarious watching the fluffy flesh of a croissant dangling between Steve’s shark-like teeth.  He waited every morning, and even though Billy wasn’t sure whether Steve was waiting for Billy or the bread he was carrying, he got heart palpitations every time he came down the ramp to the dock, and he could see the little lump of Steve’s head on his folded arms, the rest of him hanging off into the water.

“A few bagels aren’t enough to win me over,” Steve told him, and Billy’s stomach twisted, a little.  He wished he hadn’t brought it up, kind of—the knowledge that he might have to leave hurt, like a sore tooth he couldn’t stop worrying at in his mouth.  “Maybe more croissants,” Steve said, smiling, and Billy brought him more croissants.

 When they’d arrived, they’d discovered the town was filled with mermaid stuff, and at first, Max and Billy had snickered at it, because surely even if there’d been a merperson or two living near a human town once, they’d died decades ago, or they just traded with fishing boats, far out at sea.  They hadn’t considered the amount of people in wheelchairs, or the spray bottles close to hand.

When Billy suggested he bring lunch down from town, Steve swam over to haul himself up—his tail flashing in the light—through the bottom of one of the little sheds on the dock.  Moments later, he banged the door open, wheeling out in an old rusty wheelchair.  He spun it in a circle, waiting for Billy to climb out of the water, and then zipped ahead up the ramp to the path.  

“Wait up, jesus,” Billy yelled after him, and Steve laughed, the muscles in his arms mesmerizing as they spun the wheels.  He slowed down eventually, panting, enough for Billy to jog and catch up.  “...lemme know if you want me to push,” Billy told him, and Steve snorted.  

“Touch my chair and die,” he said.  

“Fair enough,” Billy said, holding his hands up, and Steve laughed.  

“It makes me…” he squinted, thinking.  “...seasick…?” he offered, and Billy nodded, trotting along next to him.  

“Motion-sick, probably,” he suggested, and Steve mouthed it as he rolled along.  

 The lady at the shaved ice stand leaned out and folded her arms on the edge of the little window, laughing at Steve.  “You know they make those that work!” she called, and he flipped her off.  “They don’t have to be electric!  They make ‘em that just move smoothly.”

“It’ll just rust in my shed,” Steve told her, shrugging.  “It’s fine.”  As they waited for their tacos, Steve pulled up to a table, and his rusty, janky wheels kept rolling backwards, until Steve sighed and bent down to stuff some rocks under there.

“My friend Robin and I went in together on a nicer one,” he said, “—but I can’t park it in the shed.  This one’s not so bad,” and Billy’s perception of it shifted a bit—maybe it was more like getting stuck with an old beater car occasionally, instead of something Steve needed help with.  “...want to wander around, after?” Billy asked.  “I haven’t got any souvenirs yet.”

Steve paused, then licked his lips.  “Planning your trip home already?”

“...dunno yet,” Billy said, the invitation unspoken between them.  It seemed ridiculous to want to stay so badly just because he’d met a pair of gorgeously tanned shoulders and a teasing smile, but it also wasn’t...hard to imagine, lingering on the island to go snorkeling with Steve, and learning about the reefs—he’d absorbed enough for a few semesters of marine biology, he was fairly sure, but told as stories, just off-handed things Steve had seen—and Billy was already wanting a drysuit, so he could go in the fall.  Maybe Billy could get a job on a fishing boat, he thought vaguely, or help out in one of the shops.  

If Steve would invite him.

Steve had slid his hands under Billy’s swimsuit a few times, pressing him back on their rock, or on the docks, rocking into him as Billy panted and gasped and fell apart under his hands—but he never said anything, after, and Billy hesitated to ask whether it was...anything, to Steve.  Maybe he picks an idiot every summer, he thought, watching Steve smile at the depictions of mermaids on every surface of every shop on the main street.

“You all spend so much time keeping everything dry and dead,” he said, grinning over at Billy, who’d been anticipating a comment on the mermaid’s hourglass-like proportions, not her lack of water damage.  

“...oh,” he said.  

“I have a figurehead like that, but covered in anemones,” Steve said, cocking his head.  “It’s beautiful.”

“I mean...you could...plant a vine on it, maybe?”

Steve nodded.  “Put it outside in the rain, let it grow.”  The lady behind the counter sighed, rolling her eyes, and Steve laughed.  

“There’s a whole movement to ‘preserve’ our art,” he whispered to Billy.  “Which mostly means they don’t let it become our art.”

“Huh,” Billy said, wondering whether human houses looked like museums, or mausoleums, to merpeople.  

“Not to say that I’d pour water on your television set, or drop your mattress in the bay,” Steve said, grimacing a little, and watching Billy’s face.  “I get that much.”  He looked kind of uncomfortable with the lady behind the counter glaring at him, ducking his head.

Billy leaned to kiss him.  He nearly steadied himself on the chair, and then remembering it would roll, and just held his hands away.  Steve grinned up at him, particularly at his outstretched hands, and yanked Billy down on his not very much of a lap, hurriedly curling his tail up and around Billy’s waist as Billy threatened to slide down the smooth scales to the ground.  Billy threw his arms around Steve’s neck, wide-eyed, as Steve held the wheels firmly, keeping the chair from rolling backwards under the weight of two grown men.  

“Let’s go,” Steve whispered, and Billy nodded, breathing Steve’s sun-and-salt smell, and wondering whether it was okay to ask whether Steve would consider inviting him to stay—just until the next season, Billy thought, as the chair and Steve’s tail moved under him.  Until the next summer, when he could ask whether Steve wanted him to stay again, or whether he wanted Billy gone.

After staying a whole year, Billy thought he might not have it in him to ask whether Steve was tired of him yet, but the thought of waking every morning to run down to the docks with coffee and banana bread was addictive, and he tried not to think about the end.

 Billy ran into the lady who’d stamped his passport, and caught himself staring at her tanned legs propped up on the railing.  “Oh, I’m human,” she said, laughing.  “But I love it here.  I can even shop in the little bookstore, imagine,” she said, and now that Billy thought about it, he realized it had an elevator in the back, and little lifts for the walkways along the higher shelves.  “I’ve never had someone offer to lift me into their cafe, here,” she said, her nose wrinkled, and Billy nodded slowly.  

“Shoot that thing!” she yelled, when she saw Steve’s awful old wheelchair, and he flipped her off.

 “We can only invite a few people,” Steve told him, as they ate noodle bowls.  “It’s for somebody you marry, you know, their family, maybe.  Or if you leave the island, and have a kid.”

“Yeah,” Billy said softly, hearing the message clearly—invitations were not to be wasted, and Billy wasn’t special enough to keep.  He finished his lunch, trying not to feel all butthurt about it.  Max would probably understand.

Steve kissed him again, on the docks, and Billy leaned into it, feeling the familiar pressure of tears in his sinuses, and behind his eyes.  He had three weeks left, he told himself.  Three more weeks.  Steve slid a hand up the back of Billy’s head, humming against his mouth, and Billy let himself go soft in his arms.  

When they returned to the docks, Steve dug a big beach blanket out, and they spread it out on the sand, and Billy stayed out that night, losing himself in Steve’s warm hands and mouth, under stars like he’d never seen before.  

 Steve was watching his face the next morning, with a little frown, and Billy pulled away, sitting up.  

“Better than croissants?” Billy asked, smirking a little, and Steve sighed.  

“Was that what this was?  Fucking me won’t make me give you an invitation,” he said.  He didn’t look amused, the way he had over the bagels, and Billy wondered whether it had worked, a little.  Billy’d always had a talented mouth.

“I won’t know if I don’t try, will I,” he said, laughing.  “Maybe another round will help?”

“...I have to go,” Steve said, and he didn’t even fold up the blanket, just pushed himself off the edge and slid over the wet sand into the water, gone in a flip of tail.  Billy watched for long minutes to see whether he’d come back—they’d been spending every day together, but probably Steve had stuff he needed to do, all the things he’d done before Billy had shown up at the island, easy with his body and his affections.

Billy folded up the blanket, and sat it in the shed, looking around.  There really wasn’t much in there—it was the size of a small bathroom, with some knives for fishing, and a frayed net, and the beat-up wheelchair.  

It smelled like Steve, and Billy stood and breathed, his eyes blurring with tears.

 Steve didn’t come back, and after an hour or so Billy walked home, and ran into Max returning.  “Billy!” she said, with a wide grin.  “Nice night?  I was out getting breakfast.”  She told him about somebody named El, and somebody else named Lucas, and a Dustin.

Max was making friends too, he realized, which kind of made everything worse—she was doing her best, and Billy was just mooning over some guy who thought he was barely good enough for a fuck on the beach.  She’d even met their families, he realized, listening, and registered that he hadn’t met any of Steve’s friends.  He groaned into the pillows tossed around on the mat floor, and sighed.  

“Should I stop seeing him?” he asked, mostly at the ceiling.  

“I dunno why now,” Max said.  “You’re not gonna find somebody else in a couple weeks.”

“Shit,” Billy groaned again.  

“We can try again next summer,” Max said.  “I like it here.”

The idea of returning the next summer, once Steve was bored, was enough to make Billy clench his jaw tight against the pillow he was hugging, squeezing his eyes shut against tears.  “...yeah,” he said softly.

“God, you sound tragic,” she sighed, wandering over and dropping to sit on his butt.  He grunted.  “It’s fine, jesus.  Worst case scenario we have a, like, vacation home.  The vampire dude said we didn’t have to pay taxes on it.”

“Yeah, just pay for plane fare,” Billy sighed.

“He’s out there, y’know,” she said, “—tanning,” and Billy scrambled up so fast he dumped her with a drum noise on the taut mats.  

 When he swam out, Steve just stared out to sea, and Billy clung to the edge of the rock, biting his lips.

“I’m not giving you one of my invitations,” Steve said.  “So stop trying to manipulate me into it.”

“Yeah,” Billy said, kind of wishing they’d never met.  “Yeah, okay.  Do—is that all, or are you sticking around?”

“I’ll stay,” Steve said, frowning at him, “—if you still wanna waste your time on somebody who’s not—how do you say it?  Putting out?”

“...it’s not a waste of time,” Billy told him, swallowing hard.  “I just wanted it to last longer, is all—” and Steve’s eyes narrowed intently.  He grabbed Billy around the back of the neck, and yanked him into a kiss.  

 The remaining weeks, he took Billy snorkeling, and they had sex every night under the stars, Billy panting Steve’s name, and Steve holding him so tightly it almost hurt.  Billy took him to meet Max, and she eyed him warily, but Billy fought and succeeded at securing Steve a plate of brownies, and he was vocally appreciative.  She softened a little, at that.

 Two days before they had to leave, Steve was lying next to Billy on the wet sand, the waves lapping up nearly to their waists.  His shoulder was warm under Billy’s head, and smelled like the high ocean waves.  

“...d’you think you’ll come back next summer,” Steve asked, and Billy snorted.

“Depends on whether I can afford airfare,” he said, sighing.  “Depends on whether I can get a job somewhere that doesn’t need me in the summer.”

“...so I might just never see you again?” Steve asked flatly, and Billy laughed, shrugging.  

“I don’t know,” he said, “—do you want to?”

“...fuck you,” Steve sighed, and Billy pushed himself up to frown at Steve’s face.  

“I don’t know what you want,” he said, glaring back at Steve’s narrowed brown eyes.  “You wanted me to shut up about staying.  What am I supposed to say?”

Steve bit his lips together, and looked away.  “...you know I’m gonna give you an invitation.  You can just tell me.”

“What,” Billy whispered, scrambling to sit up, his heart pounding as Steve flopped over to scrabble around under his wheelchair, his tail flapping around a little in concentration, like a cat’s.  He held an envelope out to Billy without even looking over.

“There,” he said.  “All yours.”

“What,” Billy breathed, and then he half-crumpled it, opening it clumsily.  “You—you’re giving me one?”

“Two,” Steve said, flatly, frowning down at the sand under his hands.  “You and Max, right?”

“Holy shit,” Billy whispered, scrambling over to kiss him, once, then twice, relishing the little noise Steve made in the back of his throat when his lip slid between Billy’s teeth.  “I have to go tell her,” he said, half laughing, his vision blurring with tears.  

“Okay,” Steve said, quietly, and Billy hugged him before scrambling up and running back to the house.  

 Max stared at the two calligraphed invitations on the odd plasticky “paper” the merfolk used, written in Sharpie, and shook her head slowly.  “You did it,” she said, and Billy laughed, nodding.  

“He wanted me to stay enough,” he said, wiping his eyes, and desperately wanting Max to offer to handle the paperwork, so he could run back and kiss Steve.

There was a knock on the door.  Max ran and opened it, and a short-haired woman wheeled in in a rainbow overall dress, and a small, fancy electric wheelchair, her tail the reds and oranges of a sunset.  Billy never quite stopped being envious of how pretty the merpeople were.

“Steve gave you his invites, didn’t he,” she said, and Max slid them around her back, her eyes narrowing.

“...yeah,” Billy said, warily.

“Give them back to him,” she ordered, glaring between them.  “He’s been saving those a long-ass time.  He’s got plans for those, and he doesn’t need guilt-tripping by a pair of manipulative orphans, jesus.”

“I didn’t guilt-trip him,” Billy said, feeling guilty, suddenly, and remembering Steve’s stiffness as he handed them over.  “I didn’t,” he said, less certainly.  “...he...he just likes me, he wants me to stay—”

“He’s known you three months, and you told him you fucked him to get someplace nice for your sister to live,” she said crisply.  “Give them back.”

“He’s not giving them back,” Max hissed, but she was staring at Billy in horror.

“I didn’t say that,” Billy said, waving his hands.  “I didn’t!  Not...exactly.”

“Fuck you,” the woman said, glaring.  “You pressured him.”

“Fuck,” Billy agreed, his eyes tearing up again.  “Lemme—lemme go talk to him.  Max, give—give ‘em here.”

“No,” she said, sounding choked, but he walked over and grabbed them, and hugged her.  

“We’ll figure it out,” he said under his breath, for her ears only, and ran back out.

 Steve was perched up on his rock again, and Billy grabbed his surfboard and sat on it to glide out, paddling with his hands.  The water was clear under him, his shadow passing over the anemones on the reef, and he watched the fish darting around, swallowing repeatedly.  

“Hey,” he said, when he got close enough, and Steve’s head jerked around, glowering warily.

“...you came back,” he said.

“...you want me to stay, right,” Billy said, cutting straight to the chase.  “You gave me these because you want me to stay.”  Steve frowned back at him, and Billy’s heart sank.  “Answer,” he said, his throat closing around the word.

“It’s what you wanted, isn’t it,” Steve said, reaching out, but he just grabbed Billy’s board before he could drift into the rip tide again.  “You wanted to stay.”  He was tense, and he wouldn’t meet Billy’s eyes.

“What do you want,” Billy asked again.  “...because I think your friend Robin’s in my house, and she says I guilted you into it, talking about Max.  Do you...if I didn’t need an invite.  Would you want me to stay?”

“...I guess,” Steve sighed, and Billy swung his leg over the board, dumping himself straight down in the water, because he was definitely about to make some kind of awful noise, and the sea felt good on his hot, wet cheeks.  Steve couldn’t see him crying underwater, he thought, grabbing a jut of rock to keep himself from floating back up.  

He wished he could take a few slow breaths, he thought, closing his eyes, and then something brushed his arm.  He opened his eyes on Steve’s wide-eyed face, his hair swirling in the water.  Billy bit his lips together harder, his hands clenching on the rock, and Steve shook his head, pointing up. 

“Up,” he mouthed.  “Come on.”

Billy let himself be hauled upwards, and pushed up on the rock again, like when they’d first met.  

“What are you doing,” Steve asked, hanging on to Billy’s surfboard.

“Nothing,” Billy said, keeping his voice level.  “I thought you wanted me to stay.  For me.  You can have your invites back.  I didn’t—” he took a deep breath, hearing Steve’s voice say stop trying to manipulate me, and Robin’s guilt-tripping.  “I fucking know I’m pathetic, okay, you don’t have to pity me.  Sorry I—sorry I fucking tried, jesus, I just—” he shut his eyes tightly again, laughing as he imagined Robin’s disgusted look knowing Billy’d gone out and cried.

“Wait, fuck,” Steve whispered, clambering up next to him, where Billy barely fit by himself, since it was high tide.  He was warm from the sun, his tanned skin gleaming with water droplets, and Billy salivated, because his dick obviously hadn’t gotten the message it wasn’t wanted.  “Wait,” Steve said, half on top of him, his weight grating Billy’s shoulder blades against the rock.  Billy didn’t really mind.  “You only want to stay if—if I want you, what—what does that mean—”  His brown eyes were huge.

“...don’t really know how to be clearer,” Billy told him, unable to pull his eyes from Steve’s mouth.

“You don’t want to stay unless I’m happy about it,” Steve said, grabbing Billy’s hands.

“Yeah, that’s kinda how it gets, when you fall for somebody,” Billy told him, raising his eyebrows, and Steve took a shuddery breath and kissed him again.  He didn’t stop, though, he just kissed Billy and kissed him, laughing shakily, his eyes welling up with tears.  

“Don’t go,” he whispered, as Billy clung to him and the rock, trying to keep them from tumbling off.  “I want you here, I want you.  Stay with me.”

“I’m what you want?” Billy asked, startled, his brain hazy from warm kisses, and the scrape of pointed teeth.  “‘M yours then,” he whispered.  “All—all of me.  S’yours.”

They laid there so long, whispering and giggling, that Billy had tan lines of Steve’s fingers on his shoulder for months.

Here are the other Harringrove April prompts I’ve done!

[getitinbusan]

Locked -

Taehyung 

Smut with Taehyung in Paris what could be better? 19+

Happy Birthday Taehyung! You are my sun my moon and all of my stars.

Part of the The Juis Suis Fou de Toi Universe.

Artist Tae AU. 4213 words.

While convincing his girlfriend he should paint her, things get a little sexually abstract.

Contains sex (M/F), Oral (M) Mutual Masturbation (M/F), Swearing, Slight Dom Tae, OC is insecure. Do not be fooled before the read more, there is no cheating in this fic. 

"We're almost home, please don't make me carry you."

Yeontan looked up with big eyes as he defiantly sat in the middle of the sidewalk. Crouching down to his level in defeat you tore a piece of your pastry off and began bargaining.

"It's strawberry your favorite, you can have some if you just stand up."

He let out a little bark seemingly in agreeance with the bribe and stood, tail wagging frantically.

"Tannie," Taehyung scooped the excited dog into his arms while placing a kiss on your cheek.

"Camille, this is my girlfriend Y/N and this," Yeontan wiggled in his arms while licking his face, "is Tannie."

"Oh, Hi."

Shocked you took in the tall gorgeous blonde who accompanied you boyfriend. Why Taehyung was walking around the streets of Paris with her you were unsure, and honestly not very happy. 

"It's really nice to meet you Camille."

Suddenly feeling self conscious you pulled your coat tighter around yourself.

Taehyung, noticing the sudden shift in your mood wrapped his arms around your waist.

"Camille is helping me with the gallery opening. We were going to grab some dinner before we started. Do you want to join us?"

Your mind raced, what do you do?  He hadn't invited you in the first place so obviously you'd be intruding.

If you stayed he'd be looking at you side by side, comparing Pomme to Pomme De Terre. But, if you left they'd be alone, getting to know one another or worse. Maybe they already knew each other better than they should.  

In either scenario your insecurities would be winning. 

"Tannie's getting pretty tired and I was going to stop at the Butcher to grab us dinner." Your eyes fell on his searching for guilt and found nothing but adoration. "But I guess you've already got plans so I'll just catch up with you later." 

He passed the dog back to you, a new look of concern on his face.

"Okay, I guess I'll just see you at home later," he kissed your cheek. 

"Bye Tannie, bye Y/N."

The woman smiled and looped her arm through Taehyung's as they walked towards the cafe. 

"That doesn’t mean anything right Tan? It’s just a French thing I’m sure.” You must be going crazy standing in the street talking to your dog. “So, how do you feel about stopping for some wine?"

You frowned at your four legged companion and for once he seemed sympathetic offering a head tilt and a whimper.

"Don't worry, you can have his Steak." 

Walking home in a daze you searched your memory, had he told you about this? Taehyung liked to work alone, surely you'd remember him mentioning he'd hired an assistant. 

Your feet had suddenly become as tired as your mind. The blue mansard roof of your apartment peeked through the greenery of the blowing trees urging you forward, calling you home.  

Rounding the last corner, the Pont Des Arts had been covered in gaudy yellow caution tape. In the hour and a half you'd been out, workers had begun pulling off rail sections of the love locked bridge.

You felt dizzy, was this a sign? The lock that you'd placed on it signifying your commitment was being taken away. Helpless you stood watching thousands of couples promise's to one another being disassembled.

Pulling your phone from your satin lined pocket your first instinct was to text Taehyung. 

Y/N: I can't believe it, they're dismantling the bridge and taking away our lock 💔 I'm so sad Taehyung, It really meant so much to me. 

Tears rolled down your cheek as you reevaluated the message. Instead of hitting send you deleted and replaced your words

Y/N: The bridge is under construction, maybe take a different way home later. 

You hadn't heard him come home and had no idea how late he'd been out. With sadness and worry getting the best of your brain, sleep seemed like the only way to curb your anxiety. It had been quite an effective method until you found yourself wide awake tiptoeing through your house in the wee hours of the morning. 

The worn floorboards creaked underneath your slow step, the vintage wood was cold to the touch of your bare feet. The old apartment was drafty on the best of days but 4 am carried its own specific type of chill.

A shiver ran up your spine, perhaps one of Le Marais famous revolutionary ghosts had joined in on the quest to find your boyfriend. Or maybe it was just the ominous feeling in the pit of your stomach that the universe was trying to tell you something. 

A faint light glowed yellow under the warped door at the end of the hallway and the sounds of Thelonious Monk's piano drifted through the air the closer you got. 

The painted metal door handle gave way opening to a wall of heat from the radiators lining the enormous windows. 

"Go figure I'd find you in the warmest room in the house."

He was shirtless and seemingly debating the fate of the canvas before him.  With his paintbrush clenched between his teeth he turned, a huge smile warming you instantly. 

"Why aren't you in bed?" He set the brush down and walked over to wrap you in his embrace. 

"I don't like sleeping without you, you're the only thing that keeps me warm in that freezer of a bedroom." 

You stood on your tiptoes to place a peck on his lips. 

"What are you working on? Is it for the gallery?" 

He sighed heavily, "Just another Lavender Field I guess. I'm so uninspired. Why won't you just let me paint you, hmm?" 

His fingers splayed over the lace covered small of your back pulling you in tighter. "What are you so afraid of."

"Tae," you buried your face into the crook of his neck. "Isn't the point of art painting things that people want to look at? You should be painting women like Camille not me."

Pressed to his chest you swear you heard his breath halt. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully before he spoke softly.

"Camille is pretty but there is absolutely nothing unique or inspiring about her."

He kissed the top of your head before tugging on your chin to make you look at him.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the world, but you are a terribly uncooperative muse." 

"I don't want to be Tae, I'm just afraid" 

"What is there to be afraid of? It's just you and me, If you don’t like it I'm the only one who will see it." 

"That's it though, what if…" a tear slipped from your eye, "What if you don't like what you see, what if painting me makes you see all my flaws. I can't stand looking in the mirror for 5 minutes and you want to immortalize my every imperfection on a canvas." 

His face was soft and serious, the lights from the city streaming through the large windows across his honey skin. 

"Sweetheart, how do I make you believe me? I never want you to be uncomfortable but I think if I can show you how you look through my eyes you'll understand what my heart sees every time I look at you.”

Stepping back from him you nodded. Sliding the thin straps off your shoulders you stepped out of the white lace puddle that now lay at your feet. 

"Okay." 

His face lit up like he'd received divine inspiration.

"I have an idea." 

He scurried for a palate, squeezing colors on it like a man possessed. Rummaging for the right brushes he returned presenting them to you like a cat who'd dragged home a mouse. 

"Trust me?"

You nodded, "I do." 

Loading his brush with paint you stood waiting for him to lay the first stroke to the oversize canvas leaning on the wall beside you. 

Raising the tool to his mouth he exhaled a warm breath over it as if trying to take the chill off.

"I've never seen this technique before" 

"It's because I've only just invented it." 

He ran the paintbrush down your torso sending a shiver from head to toe. 

You gasped, "You're not just painting me... you're literally painting Me?"

The biggest smile overtook his face, "You said you trusted me." 

Trying to remain still and not ask questions you watched him work. Diligently mixing colors and trading brushes his design slowly revealed itself. 

"Are you painting me as starry night?"

He stepped back to admire his work. "Like the stars, you guide and inspire me. I think it captures your spirit." 

He shifted the canvas so it was flat to the wall. 

"Come over here." He reached for your hand, "Are you ready? I want you to press yourself against it." 

"Here?"

Sliding in close behind you he raised your arms into position, holding them up.

"Like this, right here." 

His breath felt hot on your skin and your nipples hardened with his words. Gently he used his body weight to press you onto the canvas. 

"Now step back to me slowly." 

Pulling back, the paint had transferred to the canvas. It was stamped with starry breasts, stomach and thighs, it was you and it was beautiful. He dragged his lips down your shoulder as you stood looking at it.

"Now let's do the right side." 

You repeated the process but this time you could feel him growing hard against you. His hands trailed down your sides and his lips moved warm against your ear.

"You've never been sexier."

His rumbles of admiration set your insides on fire. 

"Taehyung I want you."

All the gentle brush strokes and touching had left you aroused aching for him to fill you. 

"Do you need me to take care of you baby?" 

He slid his cloth covered cock over your bare ass, grinding, teasing, slowly torturing your needy cunt. 

"Fuck you until you're screaming my name?" 

Sliding two long fingers deep inside you he held them there motionless. 

Leaning over you, dominating, he growled into your ear.

"Show me how you like it, fuck my fingers like you want to fuck my cock."

You clenched immediately around his digits and he laughed, "that's my dirty girl, now use me to make yourself feel good." 

Throbbing wet and desperate you used his hand to pleasure yourself. Harder and deeper it felt good but it wasn't him.  

"Tae, It's not enough I need your cock."

He snickered again, "why is that, maybe you should tell me." 

He reached his free hand around to pinch your nipple. 

The truth was, nothing could satisfy you once you'd had him inside you. He was huge and perfect and he knew how insatiable you were for him. 

"I need you to stretch me, wanna feel you against my cervix fucking me so hard."

You sounded whiny and it flipped the switch inside him from teasing to wanting instant gratification. 

Pulling his hand away from your breast he undid his pants and kicked them away. His erection fell against your ass as he pressed you back to the center of the canvas. 

"Right here, arms up for me." 

You did as you were told as he took a stance behind you lining himself with your entrance. He could be the most generous gentle lover when needed but right now you both wanted something animalistic and dirty. 

Thrusting hard and deep your whole body slid in an upward motion streaking the paint vertically onto the canvas. 

"Fuck."

It was pleasure, it was pain and it was satisfying to your core. 

"Is that enough for you?" His large hand feel heavy against your ass. 

"Harder." 

"Such a greedy little girl you are." 

Another thrust and you were seeing stars. Splayed across the canvas your cheek dragged through the midnight blue acrylic.

Trying to desperately catch your breath your mouth hung open panting the words fuck me and faster while he pumped furiously into you. 

His fingertips traveled from their grip on your hip to the protruding bud engorged with arousal that lay starved for attention between your thighs. He pressed and rolled your clit softly in contradiction to the rough pounding your pussy was taking. 

"Tae."

His name moaned out of your mouth and it was the only signal he needed to know he'd done his job. He slowed his hips and pulled you down impaling you onto his cock until your walls convulsed around him. He held you there, still for a minute until your senses had come back and you were able to stand on your own. 

His mouth hung open in a grin while his erection still stood hungry for more. 

Pulling the canvas from the wall he laid it on the ground. 

"I think this painting needs some pretty little knee marks on it."

"Show me where." It was your turn to tease. 

He pointed where he wanted you to kneel and shoved his finger into your mouth.

"Right there, and right here," he stroked your tongue with his thumb. 

He pulled his finger away and rubbed his tip around your lips. 

Opening up wide for him he gently began fucking your mouth. Head was always a challenge given his size so it was never rushed.

Gingerly you wrapped your hands around him stroking the length that didn't fit in your mouth. His head was thrown back, eyes closed as puffs of air heaved from his chest in pleasure. 

He was getting close, his now careless thrusts began making you choke around him.

"Fuck, sorry," he pulled back.

You kitten licked and sucked at his tip while he wrapped his hand tightly around himself and began rubbing. 

You looked up at him from the position on your knees. His beautiful body was covered in paint splatters everywhere it had connected with yours 

"Fuck Tae, I love watching you touch yourself." 

"Yeah?" he took a long stroke thumbing the tip. 

"Yeah," you could feel yourself getting worked up again. 

"Lay back. "He stood over you, "Can you see how beautiful I think you are now?" His hands wandered between his legs and he rubbed his balls with one while he resumed stroking with the other. "How sexy I think you are?" 

His words washed over you, arousal peaking you nipples. 

"When I can't find inspiration I imagine you just like this and I masturbate thinking about your perfect tits." 

Your pussy was pulsing at the thought of him in here clearing his head by milking himself. 

"Can you touch yourself for me? Give my imagination something to use next time I'm stuck in here?" 

You nodded, breath heavy in anticipation of cumming again for him. 

"Stick your fingers in your pussy for me." 

You did, moaning instantly. You were sensitive, every nerve was lit like a fuse ready to explode. Pumping your fingers in time with his strokes you were both unravelling quickly. 

His exasperated breathing got louder signaling his immanent release. Picking up speed he came in warm droplets that landed on you and over the canvas on which you lay. 

So turned on watching him you finished your own orgasm mere seconds after he did.

Opening his eyes looking down at you shocked he smiled, "Did we just do that?" He held out his hand to help you up. 

"Yeah, I think we did." you blushed.

Grabbing a clean drop cloth from the shelf he draped it around you as you both stood looking over the painting. 

"It's really not bad, I can still make out the important parts. The way the stars smeared looks intentional like their shooting through the sky." 

Laughing you shook your head, "It's definitely an abstract." 

"As are you," he turned you to the mirror. Painted cheeks, wild hair, dried yellow stars flaking off the skin of your stomach.

"Let's go out!” He abruptly declared. “I want to see you all messy and fucked out with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop." 

"You're crazy Taehyung, What will people think?" 

"They'll think they're in Paris and that an artist and his muse just made wild passionate love in the wee hours of the morning because they couldn't stand to keep their hands off of one another."

He grabbed his coat from the corner and tied the belt tightly around your waist. 

Placing his hands on your cheeks and cradling your face his lips pressed and lingered against yours.

"They'll think, that must be what true love looks like and they’ll all be jealous."

Taking leisurely steps across the bridge the quiet of dawn was only broken by the water lapping beneath you. The absence of the locks amplified the little wakes and you tried to mentally record them as one of the many new memories you'd made tonight. 

Coffee in one hand and Taehyung's in the other. He pulled pieces of chocolatine from the bag tucked under his arm and fed them to you as you walked.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get over the fact you don't like coffee." You took a big sip. 

"It's strategic. If I had to hold a coffee and the pastry bag I wouldn't be able to hold your hand."

He stopped abruptly lightly jarring your arm. 

"Hey, Did you know that right here, this is the exact spot we first met."

His dark eyes reflected the lamplight just like they did as he looked at you that night.

"You were leaning over the rail," he pointed, "right here, waving to the passengers in the boats."

"Ughh, I was such a tourist." You laughed in retrospect. 

He took the coffee from your hand and set it on the base of the lamppost.

"Go pose for me, I want to take your picture so I can paint you from the night we met, I'll even add the locks back in."   

"It won't be the same." You sighed, "I'm covered in paint, my hair's a mess and all I have on is your trench coat."

"You're crazy if you think I don't remember everything about the way you looked. How that loose strand of hair fell," he tucked your hair behind your ear, "and still falls over your eye.  You had on that green sweater, I remember It was so soft against my fingertips when I reached out to hold your hand.” 

He kissed you and whispered, "Let me have that moment again." 

"You're such a hopeless romantic my love." You smiled fondly and obliged. Leaning over and looking down you re-enacted the opening scene of your meeting. 

After a few minutes of waving to an imaginary boat you turned giggling. "Did you get what you wanted?"

He was kneeling on the ground a few feet away looking pensive.

"Almost."

"Do you want me to do it again?"

His smile grew as his hand reached into his pocket and he held up what appeared to be a padlock. 

"No," He paused. "I want you and I to be locked together forever."

Turning back towards the rails you inspected them closely. "I don't think we can Tae, they pretty much made them lock proof." By the time you'd spun back to face him he was standing beside you. 

His large hand was wrapped around the lock with only little glimmers of metal peeking out.

"But this is a magic lock. I'm going to give you the key and you're going to have to make a decision, just like when we first met." He pressed the lock's pronged companion piece into your palm while simultaneously unfurling his fingers. 

"Marry me?"

Shocked floored, not even an ounce of intuition had told you this was coming. Hooked onto the shackle an enormous pear shaped diamond awaited your answer.

"Tae," your hand shook and tears blurred your vision as you moved to free the ring from it's restraint.

"Of course, Yes." Turning the key Taehyung pulled the lock apart and slid the diamond onto your finger.

Under the lamp, on the bridge in the middle of Paris it was like lightning had struck twice. You stood kissing the man who'd once again changed your life.

"But what are we going to do with the Lock?" The bridge was stark under the first rays of sunrise and heartbreakingly void of the promises it once guarded.

"So superstitious." He put the lock back in his pocket. "You're just going to have to hold on to that key until the time is right."

Fresh paint overwhelmed your senses. Guiding you with his large hands he steered you forward for what felt like forever.

"Is the blindfold necessary?"

"In order to surprise you, yes, yes it is."

He'd been working hard on his new exhibition and it had been kept tightly under wraps. One advantage of sleeping with the artist was the private advanced viewing from the curator himself.

"Are you ready?" he stilled you adjusting your angles. "Hold out your hand."

"Oh, it's an interactive piece?" you chided him. "I agree to do one painting and suddenly we're Marina and Ulay."

Placing something that felt like cool metal into your palm he slipped the blindfold off. 

Before your eyes stood a huge section of railing, thousands of padlocks adorning it. Behind the rail, a life size painting, a girl in a green sweater. Leaning forward she waved, looking happy, as her hair blew softly. Her eyes naïve, not knowing she was about to fall in love.

The words on the wall named the piece, "Locked"

"Tae," a tear fell in awe at his recreation. "You made me look beautiful."

"No mon petite, you make you look beautiful. Do you have your key?"

Lifting the chain from around your neck you held it up for him.

"Let's find our lock. It was closer to the top if I recall correctly."

"There's no way? This isn't a recreation? This is the real bridge?"

He laughed, "I know what it meant to you. They were selling pieces for charity. That's what I was really doing with Camille that day. She's a broker for the auction house."

The memory of your insecurities came back in a flash and your cheeks blushed pink at how foolish the notion of him straying seemed now.

"Here it is!" He crouched down holding it in his hand, your inked initials a little worn but still visible.

Slipping your key into the new lock you popped it open and knelt down beside him. Hooking it through the original it stood out higher than the rest and you both smiled.

"You're stuck with me now, triple locked." He fiddled with your ring suddenly shy.

"I don't need metaphors to know we'll be together forever Taehyung." You kissed his soft lips. "but I really like them."

The gallery had been taken over by a hum of excitement, the air hanging heavy, was full of compliments and bids. Everyone was clamoring for the chance to own a Kim Taehyung original.

You hadn't seen the man of the hour in a while. You'd been kept dutifully in one spot regaling everyone with the romantic story behind the girl waving on the bridge.��

Finally breaking away you grabbed a glass of champagne from the nearest waiters tray and made your way to the back of the gallery. He stood by a painting you'd yet to see with an eclectic looking woman in large red framed glasses. Her bangle bracelets chimed together as she theatrically asked him questions about his work.

Noticing you moving towards him, his face pleaded silently with you to come to his social rescue.

"Ah, the girl in the Green Sweater!" She pulled you into her side grabbing and holding your hand. "Are you also The Reluctant Muse?" she pointed to the secretly cum splatterd piece.

Taehyung held back his smile, biting his lip.

"Yes, I guess I am."

"The abstract way he displayed your body, it's very sexy. You know I used to be someone's muse." She patted the back of your hand. "From the size of this ring I'm guessing you're not nearly as reluctant anymore."

Knocking back your champagne you reached for another, "I'm currently working on lowering my inhibitions."

Focusing back on Taehyung she continued, "I simply have to have this painting, it reminds me so much of my younger days."

He shook his head to reinforce what he was about to say. "Unfortunately this one has already been curated to a private collection." He winked nodding discreetly in your direction.

"Don't be silly, I'll give you $20,000."

You choked on your drink surprised while he reiterated his statement.

"I'm sorry, It's just a very special painting to me."

You had to interject, "Let's not make any hasty decisions."

Taehyung raised a scolding eyebrow, "The piece is simply priceless, I've put too much of myself in it to sell." 

You smirked at his secret admission. "What if," feeling emboldened with confidence you put forth the suggestion, "we make it a series?"

Taehyung's eyes lit up as you explained.

"It'll be one of a kind, just for you madam."

Her bangles declared her excitement as she clapped. "Yes, I love that! But I have two conditions."

Leaning forward you both eagerly waited.

“I want extra splatters, I really like the way they look. And I'm going to need it finished in time for my party next week.”

Taehyung shook the woman's hand and grinned proudly at you.

"No problem, we'll start working on it tonight."

[stampwithtami]

MEMORABLE MEADOWS SIDE STEP CARDS

MEMORABLE MEADOWS ALTERNATES This month, I embarked on a creative journey making alternate cards for the March Memorable Meadows Paper Pumpkin kit. Inspired by the need to replenish my birthday card stash, I decided to delve into the beautiful world of side step cards. The Inspiration Behind the ProjectEvery project has its muse, and for me, it was the charming wood elements included in the kit. There's a rustic beauty in these elements that I felt needed to be highlighted. Using Stampin’ Blends markers, I colored these wooden pieces, transforming them into vivid components of my cards. The result was nothing short of gorgeous, breathing life into the cards and giving them a unique charm. Crafting for Every OccasionWhat started as a quest to create birthday cards evolved into a versatile card-making session. The beauty of the Memorable Meadows stamp set is its flexibility. By simply changing the greeting, these cards can suit any occasion, from expressing heartfelt sympathies to celebrating joyous milestones. This adaptability is what makes card making an endlessly creative craft. Standard SizingThese Side Step cards fit perfectly in a Medium Stampin’ Up Envelope, these cards are standard-sized, making them ideal for sending out to loved ones.  Guiding You Through Every StepFor those eager to try their hand at this project, I’ve prepared a comprehensive guide. Complete with step-by-step instructions, a handy template, measurements, and a complete supply list, creating your own side step card has never been easier. Plus, I’ve included a video tutorial to walk you through the process, ensuring a smooth crafting experience. Continuing the Side Step JourneyThis project is just the beginning. Below in the SERIES section, you'll find more Side Step tutorials, offering a plethora of creative ideas to explore. And the journey doesn't stop here. Stay Inspired with Upcoming TutorialsThe crafting adventure continues with the APPT (A Paper Pumpkin Thing) Blog Hop this Friday. Join me as I share a new fun fold alternate card tutorial, along with more innovative ideas from the APPT crew to keep your creativity flowing. Kit Refills are AvailableFor those who have fallen in love with the March Memorable Meadows kit, I have good news: refills are now available in my online store. And looking ahead, join me in April for some Paper Pumpkin fun with the Delicate Wings kit. Expect butterflies, beauty, and, of course, more alternate card tutorials and exclusive videos from myself and the PPX crew. Happy crafting! Tami INSTRUCTIONS, TEMPLATE AND VIDEO This pdf contains step by step instructions & a template for the Side Step fold. I've also included a video tutorial for the fold from a previous class. DOWNLOAD PDF SIDE STEP VIDEO SIDE STEP VIDEO CLASS SUPPLIES I USED Click the thumbnails to view these items in my online store. MARCH PAPER PUMPKIN UNBOXING VIDEO Send elegant thank you, birthday, or thinking of you cards to friends and family with the Memorable Meadows kit! We love the detailed landscape scenery, vellum pieces, and wood-pressed embellishments, and all-occasion sentiments inspired by nature. Plus, this kit comes with an exclusive FREE gift—an additional photopolymer stamp set featuring florals that can be used with this kit and other crafts!  SUBSCRIBE TO PAPER PUMPKIN LEARN MORE ABOUT PAPER PUMPKIN SIDE STEP SERIES TUTORIALS Click the thumbnails below for more free tutorials in my series. STAMPIN' UP CATALOGS CURRENT SPECIALS PHOTOS This month, I embarked on a creative journey to explore an alternate use for the March Memorable Meadows Paper Pumpkin kit. Inspired by the need to replenish my birthday card stash, I decided to delve into the beautiful world of side step cards. What started as a quest to create birthday cards evolved into a versatile card-making session. The beauty of the Memorable Meadows stamp set is its flexibility. By simply changing the greeting, these cards can suit any occasion, from expressing heartfelt sympathies to celebrating joyous milestones. This adaptability is what makes card making an endlessly creative craft. Every project has its muse, and for me, it was the charming wood elements included in the kit. There's a rustic beauty in these elements that I felt needed to be highlighted. Using Stampin’ Blends markers, I colored these wooden pieces, transforming them into vivid components of my cards. The result was nothing short of gorgeous, breathing life into the cards and giving them a unique charm. Designed to fit perfectly in a Medium Stampin’ Up Envelope, these cards are standard-sized, making them ideal for sending out to loved ones.  I’ve prepared a comprehensive guide. Complete with step-by-step instructions, a handy template, measurements, and a complete supply list, creating your own side step card has never been easier. good news: refills are now available in my online store. I colored the wooden elements in the kit with Stampin' Blends Markers. Cards created with the March Memorable Moments Paper Pumpkin kit. These are the card created per the kit instructions. There are also matching envelopes. Join me Friday as I share a tutorial for how to make these carousel fun fold alternate card tutorial Want to save these ideas for later? Pin them to your favorite Pinterest board. Have you tried these designs? I love to see your creations! Be sure to share them on #shareyourcrafts post every Saturday on my Facebook Page. Read the full article

[believingispowerfulmagic]

“Second Chance, Best Chance” Chapter 20: A Happy Beginning

And so this story ends. Thank you for everyone who has followed it to this conclusion – you all have been amazing!

I will happily write any prompts in this verse if you have them and may revisit it from time to time but this story is finished.

Thanks again and have a great weekend!

-Mac

"Have a good weekend, Regina," Tink said, smiling as Regina left her office for the evening.

Regina paused by her desk, knocking on it. "You too. Go home and get some rest."

"I will," Tink promised. "Goodnight."

Nodding, Regina continued to the elevator. She hit the call button and was pleased when the doors opened a few seconds later. Within minutes, she had entered the parking garage and was in her car. She headed toward the gate, waving to the security guard as he let her out and onto the roads of Storybrooke.

Her commute home was a short one and she soon was parked in her driveway, her Mercedes right next to Robin's SUV. She grabbed her bag and headed into the house. "I'm home!" she announced.

Nothing.

There were no shouts of her name and her children didn't come rushing to greet her. All remained quiet and she frowned, wondering what was going on.

"Hello?" she called out. "Robin? Regan? Henry? Anyone?"

"In here, sweetheart," Robin replied, his voice coming from the dining room. She followed it into the room, stopping short as she took in the sight before her.

The lights were dimmed, really letting the candles placed on the dining room table glow brighter. Two China plates were set at two chairs and her good silverware was set out next to them. Wine glasses sat there, waiting to be filled for what was clearly a romantic dinner for two.

Robin stepped out of the kitchen, wearing a blue button-down shirt that brought out his eyes and navy pants. As he approached her, he held out a bouquet of roses. "For you," he said.

"Thank you," she replied, taking the bouquet from him. "What is all this for?"

"Well, in all the excitement, we didn't really get a chance to celebrate two big events - your birthday and Valentine's Day," he said. "So we're going to celebrate both tonight."

Her insides turned to goo and she couldn't help but smile. "You are so sweet. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied, kissing her cheek. "Do you want to change or are you okay?"

She glanced down at the black dress she had worn to the office. While it was nice, it was business and she wanted to be sexy tonight. After all it was both her birthday and Valentine's Day. Looking back up, she grinned at him. "I'm going to change. I'll be back soon."

"No need to rush," he replied, kissing her cheek. "I'm not going anywhere and we don't have any reservations to make."

"Understood," she said, heading up to her room as she went through her closet in her mind.

Once she got to it, she immediately pulled out a favorite red dress of hers. She laid it on the bed before going to her lingerie drawer to find something for Robin to find later. After all, they had all night and they were celebrating both her birthday and Valentine's Day.

Which meant at least two rounds of sex at the very least.

It gave her a thrill.

Regina found the perfect set for that night and placed them on her bed as well. She then shed her clothes and put some lotion on certain parts of her body to assure her skin wasn't dry from the cold winter air. After that she put on the lacier pants and bra she had pulled out before pulling the dress over them. Completing the look with her favorite pair of ruby studs and red heels, she took off the remains of her lipstick and put on a fresh bright red coat.

She headed back downstairs and posed in the doorway, holding out her arms as she did a little spin for Robin. "What do you think?"

"Bloody gorgeous," he said, awestruck as he took in the dress as it clung to her curves. It also had a lower cut neckline than she would wear for work, giving him a better view of her breasts. And she knew it made her ass look even better, which was a plus since it was Robin's favorite part on her.

"I thought you would like it," she said, sashaying up to him. She smirked as she leaned in, kissing his cheek.

He cleared his throat before pulling away, motioning to the table. "Shall we?"

She let him pull out a chair for her before she sat down. As she placed a napkin on her lap, she looked up at him. "What are we having?"

"Eggplant parmigiana," he replied, "with some angel hair pasta."

Her stomach growled and she gave him a sheepish grin. "I think that was a stamp of approval."

"Sounded like one to me," he agreed with a laugh. He disappeared into the kitchen and returned with their plates. "Let me go get the wine and we'll be ready to go."

Regina looked down at the plate and her stomach growled again. She licked her lips just as Robin returned, pouring some red wine into her glass. "This looks amazing," she told him.

"Thank you," he replied, handing her the glass. "I have some free time but not for long."

She perked up when he said that. "Did they offer you the position?"

He nodded as he took his own seat. "You are looking at the new art teacher for Storybrooke Academy."

"Congratulations!" she said, joy surging through her. "We should also be celebrating that as well!"

"We will - tomorrow, with all the children," he said. She nodded - they would have Roland for the weekend and so it would make sense that he would want to wait until they were all together to celebrate.

He raised his glass. "A toast to you. I am so lucky that we found each other again and that I get to spend my days by your side once more. You are a wonderful mother and an amazing partner. I couldn't ask for more. I love you."

"I love you too," she replied, clinking her glass against his. They took sips of their wine before digging into their meal. She let out a soft moan as she tasted the eggplant. "This is delicious, Robin."

"Thank you," he said, pleased. "I wanted it to be perfect for you."

She swallowed her second bite before saying: "You did a great job."

They ate a bit more before she paused, sipping her wine. "What else do you have planned for tonight?"

"Some dessert, a bath, and then dessert," he replied, wiggling his eyebrows.

She chuckled. "Sounds like a good night."

"That's the goal." He winked at her before taking another sip of her wine. "Can I get you seconds?"

"I don't know. I think I should leave room for dessert," she said, glancing at her plate. "But I also get the feeling I'll need plenty of fuel for dessert."

He nodded. "I can see your conundrum."

"Do you have a solution?" she asked him, resting her chin on her hand.

"Yes," he said. "I think dessert will be able to sustain us through dessert. So let's enjoy it."

She nodded. "I defer to your decision."

"Thank you." He chuckled, giving a little bow. Robin then stood and started to gather their dirty dishes. "I'll be right back."

"Do you need any help?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "I'm fine. Besides, this is also supposed to be your birthday. So relax."

"Alright," she said, leaning back in her chair. She held up her wine glass. "Please bring the wine bottle out. I can at least help finish that off."

"Whatever the birthday girl wants," he said, placing the bottle next to her. "Just don't overdo it. I'd rather you be on the sober end of things for dessert."

She chuckled, pouring the rest of the wine into her glass. It barely filled it halfway. "Don't worry. I think I'll be fine."

"Alright," he replied, calling from the kitchen. "I trust your judgment."

Regina smiled as she sipped her wine, waiting for him to come back. He returned a few minutes later, setting down a slice of cheesecake covered with cherries in front of her. "Enjoy," he told her.

"Oh, you do know how to spoil me," she said, using her fork to take off the tip. She placed it in her mouth, enjoying the tastes of the cherry and cheesecake.

It was perfect.

"You look happy," Robin said, taking his seat with his slice of cheesecake. "I made a good decision?"

She nodded as she swallowed another bite. "You made a great decision."

They finished their cheesecake and he cleared away the dishes. Regina followed him into the kitchen this time, leaning against the island. "So, time for our bath?"

"If you want," he said. "I also thought we could enjoy a dance in the living room."

"A dance sounds perfect," she replied, taking his outstretched hand. She leaned against him, smiling. "You're certainly pulling out all the stops."

He kissed the top of her head. "I am. Our first Valentine's Day should be one to remember."

"Even if it's not really Valentine's Day?" she asked.

"Shh, we're pretending it's Valentine's Day, remember?" He stopped as they arrived in the living room, pulling away from her. Robin started some music before approaching her again. "May I have this dance?"

She grinned. "You may."

He took her hand and pulled her close, placing his hand on her waist. She gently gripped his arm as they swayed in time to the soft ballad playing. Regina pressed her forehead to his, closing her eyes as she just enjoyed the moment. She felt herself relax as happiness and love flowed through her.

It was the best birthday/Valentine's Day she had ever had.

Continue reading here

[dimpledpran]

#ShowYourProcess

From planning to posting, share your process for making creative content!

To continue supporting content makers, this tag game is meant to show the entire process of making creative content: this can be for any creation.

RULES — When your work is tagged, show the process of its creation from planning to posting, then tag 5 people with a specific link to one of their creative works you’d like to see the process of. Use the tag #showyourprocess so we can find yours!

Thank you for the tag @fengqing ! It was very interesting to read through your process! Also huge thanks and special mentions to @lan-xichens  @suibianjie @highwarlockkareena @nyx4 @aheartfullofjolllly for coming up with this awesome idea! It is a great way to show exactly how much work goes into making gifs.

I was tagged to show my process for this post that I made for Wen Ning’s birthday. To date, this is the post that I spent the most time on, also because this has the most gifs in a single post. The date stamp shows 7 days between the first scene saved and the last gif exported. Mainly because it was a busy time and I only had time to work on one gif in a day. This is why i started early as well.

Oh and I use Vapoursynth (tutorial) and Adobe Photoshop 2021 (Paid subscription).

1. Planning

I try to plan as much as I can, but it always ends up that my final versions are never 100% what I started out to do. I saw this poem on a uquiz, and thought it was very apt for Wen Ning and decided to use it for his birthday edit. I was still not sure if I wanted to use the whole poem or just 2 stanzas, so I decided to pull as many scenes as possible. I then spent a Saturday fast-forwarding through all the episodes to find scenes that focussed on WN, and saving them. 

So this is my mess of a folder once I saved the scenes. I usually save them by which gif I would use them for (1.1 would be Stanza 1, 1st half, and so on), and there some extras in case they don’t work well with the gif or I did not like how it looked. My initial plan was to leave the last stanza as the caption, and so the scenes for those were only saved much later compared to the rest. One of the lessons I learnt while making this was to plan better in terms of the size. Initially I cropped the video to focus on WN, but then I realised that I needed a wider gif (540px) if I wanted to use it as a Base for my gif. So I had to go and re-save some scenes or find alternative ones. I also planned out which word from each line I want highlighted, so that I could choose scenes that were more apt for it.

2. Creating

So I knew I wanted something dark, and probably B&W. But everything else was just me tinkering with buttons and adding effects until I was happy. Since I did not save the same number of frames for the scenes, I always import the scene, make it into a smart object and then choose which 2-3sec portion of it I want for my gif. Sometimes I also do cheat by changing the duration of each frame if I want it to be longer or shorter. I do not know what else to say here as what I did differed even for the gifs within this post. Some had to be edited more to get the colouring to match better, and some seemed alright with minimal adjusting. (Now I know that it could all have been edited better). I just realised that I didn’t even use the B&W filter and just adjusted with Hue/Saturation. 

For some gifs, such as 1.1, 2.2 and 3.2, I thought the initial gifs were a bit too plain and missing something, so I added the smoke overlay (on the left half of the right column of images) to give a darker feel. It might not very obvious, but it was bugging me a little that things were empty.

After I am somewhat satisfied with how the gifs look, I save them for web and see how they look together.100% of the time, I am still not totally happy with how things look, so I go back to PS and edit either the colouring or add in certain stuff. In this case I realised I wanted a gradient from B&W to bright colour for the last two gifs (idk how well it came through). So cos of such habits, I always have numerous files saved for one gif.

3. Posting 

Once I am finally satisfied with how everything looks, I type out my caption and save it in my drafts. I come back the next day to make sure I am happy with it, and then I immediately schedule/post it. Otherwise the more I look at it, the more issues I would find with it and it will never get posted. 

So that is the process. I did not expect it to get so long and wordy. 

TLDR; I am a mess with this and I do not have any idea what I am doing. I just click buttons and hope they turn out alright.

I would like to tag:

@suibianjie for this amazing set

@cloudylotus for this gorgeous set! 

@sarawatsaraleo for this set (love the colouring here!!!)

@zuyilong for this really cool  and interesting edit! 

@wuxxxian for this stunning art 

@surii for this beautiful set 

@claudiablack for this gorgeous set or this

@blinkplnk for this beautiful set or this interesting edit

@bluelightsaber for this cool edit 

@eyupdaisy​ for this cool edit 

No pressure at all to do this if you do not want to or have already done one before! Can’t wait to see your process if you choose to do it! :)

[thedirtpreferences]

PREFERENCE #18 - LINGERIE (REQUESTED)

Mick: He would say absolutely nothing, though his pupils would give him away seeing as they would dilate making his eyes black with lust. By no means was Mick a shy man, for Christ sake he got up in front of thousands of people to perform everyday of his life. What he was, however, was respectful. He never wanted to make you feel like he was objectifying you or treating you like you were a tasteless piece of meat. Furthermore, he made a very good point at always making sure you knew you were beautiful and gorgeous, not just sexy and hot. But right now, he was fighting for the right words to describe without being crude. “You’re being awfully quiet, Mickey. Do you not like the color?” Your words would be dripping with sex appeal, your face sultry and feigned with innocence as he gawked at you in horror. You looked like that and yet you were somehow afraid that he didn’t like the color? Surely you were joking. “The color, er, the color is just fine.” He would mumble trying his best to maintain eye contact with you as you pulled down your hair, shaking it so fell sensually over your shoulders. He nearly lost his bearings when you bit your lip and batted your eyes at him. “Just fine?” Pouting you walked over to his spot on the couch, pushing his chest so he was pressed firmly against it. “Mhm.” Mick mused, stifling his moan as you straddled him, your breasts now eye level with his face. “For some reason, I was under the impression that red was your favorite color on me. Perhaps, I’ve been mistaken. Oh, well.” Pretending to leave, you let out a squeak when Mick grabbed your wrists pulling you back down onto his lap forcefully. “So, you do like the red?” You would let out a breathless laugh, gasping as he flipped you over onto your back, hovering over you with a touch as light as a feather. Typical Mick; always so gentle. “I love the red. You look beautiful,” He would whisper at your ear, nipping it softly. “Beautiful? C’mon Mick, you can do better than that.” You pleaded, reaching your hand on his lower thigh, dangerously close to his progressively hardening member. “Would you like me to completely degrade you then?” Mick spoke with a perplexed look on his face, catching your hand as he brought it against his heaving chest. “Please.” You begged causing him to let out a groan as he nipped down your neck, his hands tangled tightly around your ragged locks of hair. “You have no idea what you just got yourself into,” He would laugh causing you to sigh in relief. You had finally awakened the inner freak in Mick and you couldn’t be happier.

Tommy: “C’mon, babe. You know the rules, you lost the bet.” Tommy would giggle knocking relentlessly on the bathroom door you had locked yourself in. A week ago, you had compromised with him: if he made it one week sober and well behaved, you would do anything he wanted for an entire day. In your head, you had expected making him grilled cheese sandwiches and letting him spend money on idle things while giving him frequent back rubs. Little did you know that the little devil was a secretly sex deprived animal. Furthermore, the moment he had showed up with the black lingerie set you had nearly choked on the water you were swallowing out of both fear and confusion. “I’m embarrassed.” You would groan examining yourself in the mirror with distaste. Everything about this screamed confident and lord knows you were anything but despite the endless hours of Tommy trying to plead with you. “You’ve got five seconds before I’m kicking that fucking door down,” Tommy threatened causing you to let out a sigh in defeat. You wouldn’t put it past him after all to do such a thing.

“5...4...-“

“I’m coming you idiot,”

“Not yet, you aren’t. Soon though..soon.”

Letting out a disgusted scoff, you would roll your eyes before finally unlocking the door and sauntering out with your head hung low. “Holy fuck.” Tommy would utter, instantly dropping to his knees pressing his head against your thigh. “Baby, if I stay sober for the rest of my life do you promise to wear this everyday for me? Oh, the things I’m gonna have to do to you tonight...” Pressing kisses to your inner thighs, his large hands gripping you tightly you would try to stifle the moan that bubbled to your lips, the lack of confidence slowly starting to dissipate with each gentle kiss. “Do you really like it?” You would ask genuinely curious, biting your lip sheepishly. “Oh, Y/N. Oh, baby. This is the best day of my fucking life.” Lifting you up so that you were hoisted over his shoulder, you would let out a loud squeal as he slammed you on the bed. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m about to fuck you for this whole 24 hours. You did promise after all,” His voice would be husky, a small groan slipping past his lips when you lifted you knee to press ever so slightly against his hard member. What an affect you had on him already? If you would have known this would have got him to behave by some lingerie and sex you would’ve volunteered a long time ago. “Your wish is my command, sir.”

Vince: You would clear your throat a couple of times, recieving no reaction from him whatsoever as he wrote in his office. Letting out a frustrated sigh, you would finally say something a little less on the romantic side but bold enough to get his attention. “Hey, idiot. Do you want to bang me or not? Kinda going out on a limb here.” His head would snap up the moment he heard ‘bang’. Oggling you for a second, Vince would surprise you by dropping his pen, dipping his head back, and letting out a boisterous, hysterical bellow. “Hey, shut up. I spent a lot of money on this,” You woud pout, crossing your arms across your chest and stamping your foot. “You look so fucking sexy, I just, I wasn’t expecting it. It’s so out of character.” Wiping the forming tears from his eyes, Vince would beckon you over with an outstretched hand, pushing himself from the desk in his rolling office chair. “Get over here, you little minx.” He would chuckle, wrapping his arms around you as you awkwardly straddled his body. “Mind telling me what this is about?” He would inquire, kissing your collarbone with vehemence. “I...Okay. I see the kind of girls that throw themselves at you. I’ve seen the girls in your videos. I didn’t know if you preferred this over, well, how I usually look is all.” It was if a light switch flipped in his head as he tilted his head back and let out a small ‘oh’. How could you think that? Had he seriously let you down that much as a boyfriend? “You’re absolutely crazy. You know why we choose to feature those girls? For the aesthetic. You know why our fans look the way they do? Because they want our attention. You, however, already have my attention. I love the way you dress, the way you look, the way you are. So, please, Y/N, don’t change yourself for that. Because I love you for who you are, not what your clothes say about you.” You cheeks would turn bright red as you looked down in sheer embarrassment. To say the least you were relieved, it had taken you twenty minutes to learn how to get it on anyways plus it was so extremely uncomfortable you could cry just from that. “Plus, I’d much rather see you with nothing on.” He would purr in your ear as his hands reached around to unclasp the lacy bra. “You did that far too easily,” You would say accusingly, your eyes narrowing as he pressed kisses down your chest. “Wait till you see what comes next,”

Nikki: For once, Nikki was speechless. Out of all the women he had been with, all the horrible, naughty things he had done, he had never felt so hot and bothered in his life. For, there stood his sweet, unassuming girlfriend clad in nothing but leather and lace, her body displayed in a way he had never seen it look before. He was in awe, but more importantly he was overwhelmed with lust. Furthermore, it took everything in his willpower not to tear each article of clothing off with his teeth as he gazed at her. She was irristable, practically begging to have his hands on every inch of her body. Was he actually salivating? “Happy Birthday, baby. You can open your gift now.” Oh, yeah. He had forgotten about the small box sitting in his lap until you had reminded him that it was there. By that point, however, he could have cared less about some meager gift even if it did come from you. You were the only thing that consumed his brain in this particular moment in time. Especially looking like that. Reaching toward you instinctively, you slapped his hand hard enough to make it sting. “No touching till you open that. Trust me. You’re gonna wanna see that before we begin,” Nikki felt like a child who was being told to eat their vegtables before dessert, but still he obliged because god damn he couldn’t wait to get his hands on you even if you were being bossy. Throwing open the top of the box, he would let out a low, drawn out moan examining the best gift he had probably ever recieved: a golden pair of handcuffs. He oggled at them for a moment, his mouth slightly ajar before meeting your desperate gaze. You had thrown your arms up in the air in an ‘X’ signalling him to chain you up. Nikki couldn’t leave his seat fast enough. “You are going to regret making me want you this badly.” Nikki had snapped the handcuffs on you instantly, tugging down the thong you were wearing in one swift motion, licking your naval and working his way down. “Good.” You would state simply, grinning as he looked up at you with stars in his eyes, lust and need practically oozing from his pores. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?” He would mumble against you, your head leaning back from his hot breath being so close to the area you needed him at the most. “No, but you can prove it.” After you spoke those words, there wasn’t much talking after that; however, he definitely proved to you that he loved you in many, many ways.

(I’ve never really done anything like this before, so hopefully it doesn’t suck)

[elle-smells]

Birthday Kisses -- one shot

20:03

Robbe had been waiting all day. 

The two hands in the old living room clock seemed to be moving slower than usual and that just wasn’t going to do it for him. There wasn’t a word in any language that could describe the way he felt right now. After all the birthday wishes and cake and blowing out candles all the newly 17 year old wanted was his boyfriend; the same person who was running late. 

Not that Robbe is an impatient person, he prides himself in being able to not stress when things run a little behind schedule, but Sander had promised him he’d be here tonight to celebrate with Robbe and yet every time someone passes by his mama’s house it’s not the person he’s expecting.

“Dude, chill, you staring at the clock isn’t going to make him appear out of thin air” Jens teased as he took as seat next to his best friend who grew more anxious by the minute. 

Robbe sighed, “I know but it’s been a long time since he last texted”, Sander had been spoiling his Robin all day with sweet messages complimenting him and others that were a little more suggestive and made Robbe blush more than he’d like to admit. “I just want to make sure he is coming, you know, so I can... save him a piece of cake...”

“Cake?! There’s some cake left?!!” Aaron suddenly spoke from where he was playing video games with Moyo.

“Can I have more, pleaseeee”

“No, it’s not for you, it’s for Sander” Robbe got up to cut a slice before he muttered “If he ever decides to show up.”

Robbe served the cake on one of the plastic plates his mama had bought the day before and sat back down grabbing his beer from the living room table. 

“I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation, when has he ever dispapointed you- oh wait, never mind”

“Jens!” Robbe hit his best friend on the shoulder “That was a long time ago! And of course I trust him, I’m just a little confused as to what is taking him so long, that’s all”

Reluctantly Robbe decided to let it go. Jens was right, Sander wouldn’t be late unless he had a good excuse. He’ll just have to be more patient...

21:21

He’s starting to get little more worried now.....ok, he’s REALLY worried. I’ts been over an hour and Sander is still a no show. Robbe looks at the time, 21.21. He feels a smile forming on his lips. Once, on a rainy afternoon during a day-long cuddle session, Sander had told him that was the time they got together for real. That exact time stamp is when Sander told him it was them, 100%, in every universe. Of course, Robbe knew it was nearly impossible for the art student to know one of the most special moments in their realtionship happened at such a specific time. 

However, he didn’t dare question it out loud, because as soon as Sander said it, the words felt more right than Robbe could’ve ever imagined. Like it was bigger than them, their love or even the universe they were so glad to live in with each other. That day they decided 21:21 would be like their 11:11 (but much more more meaningful than those weird tumblr posts everyone used to quote). Sometimes the couple would send texts simply whishing their lover a “Happy 21:21″ 

It felt perfect. Which is why Robbe couldn’t help but feel slight disappointment when Sander didn’t walk through the door at exactly that time. 

The Broerrrs were one drink away from reaching their “limit”, which basically meant that they were one drink away from not being able to stand, and kept asking Robbe to join them. “It’s your birthday! Come on, you only get turn 17 once!” Robbe hated to admit it but his friends were right. He invited them over to have fun, and that’s exactly what the were going to do. 

25 mintues later...

He was having the time of his life. Seriously, after going so long without proper partying, dancing like an idiot with his friends was exactly what he needed. It was almost enough to make him forget about- oh....

Robbe had pretty much given up at this point, though he didn’t exactly know how much time had passed since he last checked he had almost fully accepted that it was way too long and maybe his boyfriend wasn’t coming. It saddened the brown haired boy to the core. He wanted those birthday kisses, cuddles, giggles and everything he had always secretly hoped for while he was still hidding a huge part of himself. 

One thing was for sure, Robbe was expecting one hell of an explanation-

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“I’ll get it” Robbe dragged his body to the door trying, and failing, to not get his hopes up. He slowly opened the door and his heart sunk yet again when he realised there was no one there.... and then he saw it; the drawing.

It was of a day Robbe remembered well. There was some stress with his mama and he had stayed up with her all night. He loved her very much and would do anything to make her comfortable, but he was human after all and his body had limits too. Sander had noticed the purple bags beginning to form under his eyes and practically begged his boyfriend to get some sleep, god knows he needed. He remembers waking up however many hours later to the sun hitting his eyes with so much intensity he felt like never opening them again. And then a giggle, and then a soft “Don’t move Robin, you’re gonna make me mess this up, it’s a good one”. 

There it was, a sketch of him peacefully sleeping into the late hours of the morning with a white comforter covering everything below his hips, leaving his bare back completly exposed. It was beautiful. There was no mistaking who the artist was, Sander.

Robbe felt his phone buzz in his pocket, he pulled it out and saw a notification for a single text, “Look up ;)” 

His boyfriend was standing a little to the right of the door almost as if he had been hidding. Wearing a simple white graphic tee and black jeans, Robbe thought Sander had never looked so gorgeous. 

“Happy Birthday Robin” he said with an easy smile that perfectly translated into the way he was looking at the birthday boy. Robbe forgot all the frustration he felt throughout the night and jumped into his boyfriends awaiting arms. Like always, it felt like coming home. 

Sander held him as tightly as he could while whispering countless “happy birthdays” and “I love you so much” or “you are so beautiful”.

When his lover finally placed him down on the pavement Robbe looked at him with gentle eyes and asked “What took you so long?”

“Hey, I’m sorry I wasn’t here earlier but setting up your surprise took longer than I thought it would”

“Surprise?” Now the older boy had Robbe’s full attention

“Come, you’ll see” Sander grabbed Robbe’s hands and led him to a small green area right next to where he lived. The brown eyed boy couldn’t believe it. Sander had set up fairy lights all around a triangular white tent big enough to fit the both of them. There were pillows, snacks and a small speaker that would most likely end up playing something by Bowie soon. 

Robbe felt arms wrap around his waist from behind, “So, do you like it? Is it too much? fuck I knew it was too much, I´ll just take it down sorry-” 

At those words the birthday boy immediately spun around and gently grabbed his boyfriend´s face “Sander stop! It’s perfect, you’re perfect I love this and you so much” he tilted his head up to join Sander’s lips with his own in a reassuring kiss. 

“Look, honestly, I was a little upset that you took so long to get here but it doesn’t matter. You’re here now and that’s all I wanted”

Sander’s smile was so big it took up half his face, his brown hair had grown out a little since he cut it and now it was long enough to have a messy look to it. Robbe has never felt so lucky.

“So what you’re saying is that I’m the best birthday present you got today”

Neither could contain their laughter as they kissed once more, this time with all the passion and love they had built up inside. The broerrrs won’t mind if Robbe disappears for a little while, and if they do then at least he had this moment with the best thing that ever happened to him.

Eventually they do notice Robbe's absence and join them outside making the obvious kissy faces and "oohh" sounds which got them a glare from their best friend in love. They all walk around as far as their tired and almost sober bodies will take them without a destination in mind. The cool late night air makes everyone shiver and yet Robbe has never felt so warm, so loved.

Yup, this was defintely the best birthday ever.