#Happy Holidays Everyone!!! I hope you all had as much fun following this event as we had making it :D

[manor-tea-time]

Finale -  Merry Christmas!

꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆⋆꙳

Wayne awoke with a start, tumbling off of his comfy chair and collapsing onto the floor with a resounding thud. He sprung up, his chest heavy with cold air, as the fireplace was now nothing but cold ashes. Morning light trickled in through the curtains as he looked around the room.

“I am alive! By Jove!” He laughed, a true smile covering his face for the first time in years. “But was it all a dream? Could it have been?”

⋆⁺₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.

As he looked to the window, he ran to it, bracing his hands upon the sill. The sun was still low in the sky but the rosy colors of dawn were beginning to decorate the snow covered cobble streets. Below him he spotted three carolers, one holding a candle, one dancing as she sang, and one with a hood covering their face. 

“You there!” He called out to them, “Hello! What day is it?”

The caroller holding the candle looked at their friends curiously, then back up at Wayne. “It’s Christmas?”

“Christmas! Indeed! Merry Christmas! I have not missed it! I have time to make it alright!” He left the window to spin around the room and sing, hot tears streaming down his face. He collected himself quickly, and ran back to the window to see the carollers long gone, yet a boy was outside shoveling snow in the streets in their place. 

“Boy!” He called out to the teenager, who about jumped out of his skin. “Merry Christmas, child!”

“... Merry Christmas?”

“Do me a favor! Go to the butcher and get the largest goose you can find! Tell them Strickland sent you! Oh and tell them all of their debts are forgiven!” He rustled around in his nearby desk to pull out a small bundle of coins. He threw them down to the auburn haired boy and smiled, “Use that to pay for the goose! And keep the rest!”

The boy looked at the great deal of money in his hands with starry eyes and looked up at Wayne. “I… I will! Thank you, sir! Merry Christmas!”

“Yes! And a Happy New Year!” He laughed as the boy dropped his shovel to run off and gather the goose. “Ah. I have much to do.”

⋆⁺₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.

The rest of Christmas morning, Wayne spent writing a great deal of letters. Most of them were notes of loan forgiveness, ensuring that all who had borrowed from him in the past were free to move on without debt. He also wrote a great deal of apology letters to those he had been unkind to. And lastly, he wrote a letter to Jaime, apologizing and not asking for forgiveness, only to see eachother again one day. 

When the goose was delivered he set off, knowing that he had a great deal left to do before the day was over. His first stop, which was quite hard to find and required asking about, was the home of Alden. 

He knocked upon the flimsy wood door with a great deal of awkwardness that only expanded when his employee appeared.

“Mr. Strickland!” Alden startled. “What are… I know I have the day off, sir! We talked about it yesterday! Is there an emergency? I really can’t-”

“Alden. All is well… I just…” Wayne cleared his throat. “I know that I have been rather… Stingy as an employer and I wanted to ensure that you and your family would have a proper Christmas dinner.” He held up the goose.

Alden’s eyes went wide as he looked at the massive bird. “Oh! Wow! Thank you! Thank you so much! That’s so kind of you! Here let me hold that for you.” He rushed to take the heavy item away from the old man and bring it inside.

Wayne stood at the doorway and coughed into his hand. The first part was complete. “Alden. One more thing.”

“Yes?” He called out from inside the house as he scrambled to find a place to find the monster of a bird. 

“You have been an excellent employee. A wonderful man. I was hoping that you would join me in… Well. We used to be Crowell and Strickland. Now we are just Strickland’s Loans. Would you like to… Oh god wait, what is your last name?”

“... You want me to be your business partner?”

“Yes! Absolutely!” Wayne smiled as Alden hugged him and gave the younger man a good pat on the back. 

“Thank you so much, Mr. Strickland. This is going to change everything for my family! Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas, Alden.” Wayne decided he would just have to ask his last name again later. 

As Alden rushed off inside to tell the good news to his family, the old man smiled, knowing that they would be able to afford treatment for the little girl he had seen. That there would be no more Christmases Alden’s family spent unsure of the future. He hummed and walked off to his final destination for the day, a smile ever-present on his face.

⋆⁺₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.

Soon he came upon a beautiful house decorated in holly, candles, candy canes, and many other festive things. He knocked upon the door and when his niece answered he smiled. 

“Hello,” he said, “I apologize for my rudeness yesterday… And the many days prior. I was wondering if I may still attend your party?”

“Oh Uncle!” Therese threw her arms around him. “I always save a place for you at the table! Of course! Please, come inside! Oh, what a wonderful Christmas this has turned out to be!”

Wayne nodded bashfully as he entered the room of shocked guests, all surprised the fabled and wicked Wayne Strickland had showed up. Yet, as the evening went on, every single person there including the old man himself had a merry time full of laughter, joy, and love. 

And for the first time in a long time, Wayne had a very merry Christmas. 

꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊❅.☃︎⋆⁺₊❅.⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆⋆꙳

⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆

And now, a quick word from Emma!

A/N: Hello! This is the end of A Very IDV Christmas! Thank you all for reading! I know the writing has had it’s ups and downs (FINALS GRRR) But I have been so happy to share this holiday experience with all of you. Happy Holidays!

⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆

[hariboz]

NEW YEARS KISS

“your best friend decides to volunteer when you complain about not having anyone to kiss on new year’s eve!”

pairing: bff!gyuvin x gn!reader

genre: fluff!!, friends to lovers!!

warnings: reader is somewhat of a romantic (?), reader is also said to be a little inexperienced in terms of dating!!, a little (implied?) jealousy from gyuvin, seunghan cameo (1. FREE HIM!! HE DID NOTHING!! 2. he was the first non-jebi guy i thought of <3), they’re cute <3, this is nawt my best work i literally wrote this on new year’s eve while with my family 😭

notes: HAPPY NEW YEAR MY POOKIES!! i hope all of you have an amazing, healthy and happy 2024 🥹🫶🏻 may all your goals come to fruition!! also, i’m very excited for a new year with my jebis, may they continue to thrive and be as happy as they can be <3 also, hope wakeone burns down xoxo MWAH LOVE U ALL <33 ALSO!! i picked gyuvin for this bc some knetz are pissing me off currently with their stupid hate for gyuvin, so i decided to write this bc i LOVE KIM GYUVIN!! IF YOU DONT MAY GOD STRIKE YOU DOWN

word count: 1.6k

you don’t mind being single, really. it’s not really the ‘being single’ part that makes you feel weird, but rather just…not getting to have the same experiences as your friends. always having to sit and nod along when they talk about a date they went on, or how they celebrated a holiday with their partner. it’s exhausting being surrounded by couples all the time. they’re all your friends and you’re happy for them, but when it comes to events like this, you really wish you’d have more single friends.

new year’s eve is supposed to be fun, filled with laughter and loud excitement for the coming year — it is all that, but it’s also you watching your friends huddle together once the countdown to midnight starts, sharing sweet nothings before celebrating the new year with a sickeningly sweet new years kiss.

all while you kind of just stand there, celebrating the arrival of yet another year on your own. for those few lips-locking seconds, at least. is it a little silly to feel left out? of course, but is it really that absurd to want to experience a new years kiss just like everyone else? well, you don’t think so. gyuvin, your best friend, sees things a little differently, though.

“it’s so stupid, i don’t get why you’re so hung up on it,” gyuvin huffs past his snacking on some chips, throwing you a sideways glance. “just think about it, most of them have a different new year’s kiss every year. does that seem like something you want?” you roll your eyes, snatching the bag of chips from his hands. “you don’t get it,” you stuff a handful of chips into your mouth, “it’s romantic. it’s like saying ‘i have no idea what the new year will bring, but at least i will always have you.’ you’re not romantic enough for this.”

gyuvin just gives you a skeptic look, turning his attention back to the drama playing on your tv. it’s silent for a while, both of you a little lost in your respective thoughts until gyuvin quietly speaks up, “does it really bother you? that you don’t have someone to….” he trails off, voice a little unsure. his voice is sincere and doesn’t have the teasing tone it had earlier so you’re a little caught off guard.

you clear your throat, answering in an equally small voice, “well…yeah, kinda? i don’t know. i just think it would be…nice, for a change, you know? i want to experience stuff like that too, instead of just always watching from the sidelines.” gyuvin nods, seemingly understanding where you’re coming from, and that was that. for now, at least.

you didn’t think much of that little one off conversation, neither of you bringing it up again in the weeks that followed. though, unbeknownst to you, that seemingly unimportant conversation kept knocking at the back of gyuvin’s mind every single day. he thought about it an embarrassing amount, really. he kept telling himself that it was because he thought you were being silly, and all those times he thought about being the one giving you your new year’s kiss were definitely nothing more than fleeting, stupid thoughts. nothing more.

which is why gyuvin is so conflicted when he walks through the door of your little friend group get together on new year’s eve, bags of snacks in hand, only to see you laughing with a guy he hasn’t seen before. there’s an unfamiliar feeling bubbling in his chest and he almost involuntarily thinks back to your conversation, to the fact that you really want to kiss someone once the clock strikes midnight — and it starts to mess with his head.

he’s quickly roped into a conversation with ricky and some of his other friends, though his eye seem to be glued to you instead of the people talking to him right in front of him; his eyes drifting back to you giggling along to whatever that strange guy was talking about every few minutes, the unsettled feeling in his chest spreading all over his body. “are you even listening?” gyuvin’s attention is ripped away from staring holes in that guys head when ricky addresses him directly, ricky’s hand on his shoulder bringing him back to reality.

“yeah, sorry.” the smile on gyuvin’s face is tight, ricky glancing to where you’re still speaking to the guy and it all makes sense to him. he sends gyuvin a sympathetic look and tries to keep up the conversation, though it’s clear gyuvin’s mind is entirely preoccupied.

when the calls for new snacks start, gyuvin immediately volunteers to filling the bowls back up in the kitchen, if only to avoid his eyes from drifting back to you and the guy — whose name is seunghan, he learned — and in turn dampening his mood even further. today is supposed to be fun, why is he moping around like this?

“what did the chips do to you? you’re practically glaring ar them,” gyuvin’s head whips around at your voice, the playful smile on your face lifting some of the heaviness in his chest when he sees you standing in the doorway.

“oh, hey.” gyuvin gives you a small smile and goes back to his snack duties while trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, “who’s the guy you’ve been talking to? you bring him along?”

shaking your head you reach over to steal a handful of cheese puffs gyuvin had just emptied into a bowl, “not me, but ahrin. his name is seunghan and she has her eye on him,” you mumble, “he’s funny and they both seem to like each other.” gyuvin nods, hand absentmindedly playing with his sleeves, “you think she’ll go for the new years kiss with him?” gyuvin asks, and you can tell he regrets the question as soon as he asked it.

you just shrug silently, the sudden mention of the kiss rendering you a little speechless. “ and you? you got anyone to kiss this year?” gyuvin says in an overly sarcastic tone, seemingly in an effort to loosen the tension a little. you snort at that, “ha ha, very funny. leave me and my romantic aspirations alone,” the lightheartedness in your voice makes gyuvin relax a little, and just when he’s about to speak, someone bangs against the kitchen door, demanding your attention.

“c’mon you two, we’re playing some games,” matthew calls before rushing back to the living room. you and gyuvin share a short glance before loading up on all the snacks and following suit, excited for the mess that is most definitely about to ensue.

two screaming matches, one round of (rigged, according to hao) just dance, three bowls of snacks and dozens of tears spilt through laughter later and the almost dreaded countdown to midnight is inching closer. the couples are slowly starting to separate from the group again, looking for an area that is less crowded and a little more romantic. your high mood is slowly starting to go down, the feeling of once again being the third wheel, in a way, accompanied by this off-putting feeling of loneliness in a room full of your friends bringing the self-doubt at the back of your mind to the forefront again.

gyuvin plops down next to you, stretching his long limbs with a groan, “god i hate sitting on the floor,” he looks around, the amount of couples in your friend group only now really hitting him, “damn, is that kiss really that important?” it was a rhetorical question, really, and he was speaking to himself more than anything, yet you turn to scowl at him.

you open your mouth to go on a rant about the lack of romance in gyuvin’s mindset when he suddenly turns to you, cheeks a little flushed but eyes filled with determination, “i’ll do it.”

you blink at him, “huh? do what?” gyuvin swallows, “kiss you. give you the new years kiss you want.” it takes a second for his words to register, before you splutter at him incredulously, “what— gyuvin why would we—“

“okay, time for the countdown! ten!” you hear from the other side of the room, and panic starts to fill gyuvin’s expression. “because i want to. i’ve been thinking about it ever since you mentioned it, and—“

“seven!”

“you said it was like saying that i have no idea what the new year will bring, but at least i will always have you, right?” his eyes search for yours, his pupils shaking and you nod, still a little stunned.

“four!”

“that’s exactly i want to tell you. so please—“

“three!”

“i want to be the one to give you your new years kiss. if you want—“

“two!”

and then, it happens. you grab his face and pull him close, hesitation for just a millisecond before your lips meet right as it reaches midnight. the fireworks outside colouring the sky feel almost pathetic in comparison to the burst of emotions exploding in your chest, it’s warm and fuzzy and just feels so right.

both of your faces are flushed bright red as your lips separate, but neither of you can keep from biting back the goofy smiles spreading on your faces. before you can even begin to think of something to say gyuvin leans back in, pressing another kiss to your lips.

and another. and another…and another.

you only separate for good when your giggles break through the kiss, gyuvin’s hands cupping your face, “i’d say that was a pretty good start into the new year, no?”

[elixirfromthestars]

A Snow Day With You

Pairing: Athlete!Bucky Barnes x Artist!Reader (college au)

Summary: The end of the semester has you stressing beyond belief, so Bucky decides to cheer you up by spending a snowy afternoon sledding.

Word Count: 1.4k

Warning(s): none. pure fluff.

Prompt/Event: @the-slumberparty december daze -> sledding isn't as fun as when we were kids

a/n: This fluffy drabble is my holiday gift to you my dear Ray @whatever-lmaoo ♡♡ Your comments on my first fic of these two have forever carved a home in my heart, so this one is for you ♡ I hope this fluffy piece can bring you a bit of happiness whenever college gets stressful ♡ This is a standalone fic, but everyone is welcome to read more of their story!₊˚⊹☆ Thank you everyone for reading! ₊˚⊹♡ Likes, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated!! ♡♡♡

where their love story began ♡ || fluffy winter fics masterlist ❆

“Babe, we're going to get hypothermia,” you grumble out, hugging your coat closer to your body. The frosty wind shoving past your face, chilling you to the bone. Bucky plops the wooden toboggan onto the snow, laughing in disbelief at your assertion, “Sweetheart, we’re not getting hypothermia.” He’s not wrong as he says this, since apart from the wind, the weather was tolerable. Last night’s snowstorm ended this morning, leaving behind ten inches of snow. Enough for a multitude of winter activities—like sledding—to be possible. 

“Maybe not, but one of us will break a bone,” you retort, watching in growing concern as other people slide down the snowy hill and end up tumbling out of their sleds when they reach the bottom. Bucky follows your line of sight and playfully rolls his eyes, “No one is going to break a bone, Y/n.” He goes to adjust your scarf, the indigo fabric a little too loose for his liking. Up close he can see the look in your eye, the one that tells him you’re not done trying to back out of this just yet. 

“Maybe you won’t, but I might. I’m not athletic enough to go sledding.”

“Baby, you don’t have to be athletic to go sledding.”

The more you speak the more Bucky’s amusement grows, but he tries not to show it too much as he sees the underlying nervousness dancing in your eyes. He finishes fixing your scarf and you plant a soft kiss on his cheek as a thank you. He smiles at you fondly, noticing your grumpy mood subside slightly. He doesn’t take your mood to heart, knowing the real reason you haven’t been feeling the best lately is because of one thing and one thing only. 

Finals.

More specifically, final grades—or the lack thereof. Most of your professors haven’t submitted them yet, leaving you in a state of limbo unsure of whether you managed to save the semester or not. 

Bucky has been your rock throughout finals season. Supporting you with extra study sessions, holding you close to soothe your frustration when it got the better of you, kissing all your tears away, and on those days you needed a break, he would put on your favorite comfort show and order takeout from your favorite restaurant. He did anything and everything he could to make you feel better. 

These last few days, however, all of that wasn’t enough to shake away the dread that insisted on making a home in your heart. Bucky knew he needed to do something different to cheer you up and get your mind off of things. After seeing how the snow had piled up overnight, he was either going to ask you to build a snowman or go sledding.

Your boyfriend—captain of your university’s baseball team—naturally chose sledding. 

“Just trust me, okay? I’ll hold you tight and make sure nothing happens to you,” Bucky promises as he makes his way over to the sled. He sits down on the end of it, his left hand gently outstretching to grab onto yours. Your gaze locks with his, your trepidation melting away the more you look into his eyes. There’s something about the snow all around him that makes his eyes a little more blue and it pulls you in with the assurance of safety. You nod, taking hold of his hand and letting him guide you to the front of the sled—slowly pulling you down to sit in front of him. 

He instructs you on everything you need to know to keep yourself stable and inside at all times. You’re not entirely paying attention as you focus more on the way he scoots forward and presses your back against his chest. His arms are on either side of you, encasing you in a protective embrace. You lean into it, letting the steadiness of his presence soothe the remaining unease in your body. 

“I’ll countdown from five and then I’ll push off, okay?” he mentions kindly, his chin resting on your shoulder as he awaits your response. You watch as others go down the snowy hill without a care in the world. Children and adults alike coasting down on sleds and pool floats, merriment written on their faces and echoing in their laughs. It helps subdue the butterflies in your stomach somewhat. 

At your silence, Bucky presses a comforting kiss to your cheek, the coldness of his lips bringing you back to him. You look over your shoulder to give him a reassuring smile, “Okay, but don’t you dare let me go, Bucky Barnes.” You warn playfully, feeling the way his chest rumbles with a laugh before he replies, “I wouldn’t dream of it, sweetheart.” 

He pulls you tighter against his chest as your hands grasp onto the steering rope. He starts the countdown from five gradually inching the sled to the edge of the peak. When the countdown ends, you feel the butterflies in your stomach flutter intensely as the descent begins. Your breath gets caught in your throat and your eyes close tightly the entire way down. While a shriek of adrenaline escapes you, Bucky chortles the entire time as he’s having the time of his life. 

“See, that wasn’t so bad was it?” Bucky poses the question when you reach the bottom, a boyish grin on his face. Your eyes open when you look behind you, noticing the way the apples of his cheeks and nose are rosy from the cold, his hair blown across his forehead, and yet the sparkle in his pretty blues unaffected by the chill. You’re reminded then and there that you’d do anything for him. Even sliding down the hill a million times if it meant keeping that joy on his face. 

“I think I left my stomach at the top of the hill, but apart from that—it wasn’t so bad,” you concede, your smile matching his. He hums in amusement, “We should probably go get it then. Shouldn’t we?” You know he’s really asking you if you two could go down the hill again, and there’s no way you would ever be able to say no, so you nod—knowing you would follow him anywhere. 

The second time you go down the hill you keep your eyes open. Marveling at the sight of the snowy trees blurring into one. By the third time, you're laughing along with Bucky and by the fourth you have the same sparkle in your eyes—enjoying the rush of the fall. And by the fifth, the stress of finals is long forgotten and Bucky feels an overwhelming sense of pride knowing he was able to lift that weight off your shoulders. 

On your last descent, things don’t go as smoothly as the other times. Halfway down the hill, the sled bumps into a large rock hidden beneath the layers of snow. You barely have time to register when Bucky yells your name, as the sled derails from its path—your stomach flipping along with the sled. 

You end up tumbling a few feet down the hill. Bucky holds you like a lifeline to his body as you land in the blanket of snow. You’re disoriented for a moment, but Bucky lifts himself to his knees in an instant, hovering above you to scan you from head to toe for any injuries. The worry etched into his features tugging at your heartstrings. 

“Y/n, are you okay? Sweetheart, please tell me you’re not hurt. Do I need to—” The fit of giggles that erupt from you cuts off his distressed rambling, a bewildered expression replacing his concern. Instead of telling him you’re alright, you decide to show him. Your hands reach out to grasp the edges of his coat and pull him down for a kiss. He melts into it faster than ice does, a cheesy smile replacing his frown. 

“I think that’s enough sledding for today,” you mumble into the kiss. He nods, agreeing wholeheartedly as he deepens it, “Mm, I second that. I can think of other ways we can spend the rest of the day,” his tone drips with suggestion, his eyes glimmering with playful mischief. You slap at his chest lightheartedly, which only elicits a deep chuckle from him before he plants a gentle kiss on your forehead. 

No matter what comes next, you know there’s nowhere else you’d rather be on a snowy day than with him.

[bunnyinfoxclothing]

Holiday headcanon for you :)

I imagine Christmas is a big thing in Heaven, and Vaggie really enjoyed it. Once she was cast out she figured she wouldn’t get to celebrate again, since why would demons do Christmas? Then Sinsmas rolls around, and while it’s not Christmas Charlie gets really into it and Vaggie thinks she might actually prefer it.

This was so much fun to write. Send me more headcanons. Plz and thank you!

----------- Vaggie can feel the holiday season. It twitches in the muscles that were once used to support her wings. It burns in the acid of her stomach that rises to her throat. It chills in the heat that no longer exists in the bodies around her. It stings her eyes as she peers at the fires down below, just as it did when she awed at the lights above.

She remembers the grand celebrations of the Nativity. The praises of Christ's birth. Music played without the need for speakers, it was a heavenly tune that one couldn't help but hum. The hums turning to hymns of praise. The virgin Mary with child was depicted on every corner. It was her that took focus, because it was only though her suffering that He could walk the earth.

She remembers the banquets, with abundant, radiant food, shared among saints and angels. They shared stories and culture as they feaster on each of their own favorite food. There was no shortage of divine feasts, everyone welcome to each one.

Each one accompanied by a joyous gathering. Loved ones reunited, sharing love and stories in peace and harmony. A time to remember moments alive and bask in the happiness that you can only gain loved ones from here on out.

She remembers choir performances. Heavenly choirs singing sacred Christmas carols, filling the air with joy. Some brought together after years of practice to perform for events. Others brought together when hums became hymns.

She remembers the gift giving. There was the traditional gifts of hand knits sweaters and gaming consoles. But in a place where you can have anything spiritual gifts were more common. Spiritual gifts of grace, blessings, and peace exchanged among the faithful.

She remembers the light displays. The light displays. Radiant and ethereal displays of divine light, symbolizing the arrival of Christ. There was nothing comparable to its beauty. The night sky would clear of stars and the sky would bloom with ribbons of light. Streaks of gold and violet unfurling like celestial brushstrokes across the dark canvas. The air felt charged, alive with the quiet majesty of something beyond comprehension, as if the universe itself had paused to witness its own beauty. Everything breathing in perfect harmony.

It was a time for quiet reflection on the meaning of Christ's birth and all that humanity had suffered and will suffer. Every body was living proof of the hope that love brings. And hope that people continue to choose good.

It was gone.

It was all gone.

The only time God's name was spoken here was if damnit was quick to follow.

Vaggie leaned against the railing resting her head against her hands as she stared down at a flickering fire as she watched as yet another sinner was tossed into the pile of boring bodies.

God damnit.

She rubbed at her eyes as they stung with the ash from below. She hoped it was just ash.

A hand came to rest on the small of her back. She jumped just enough for her back to meet the soft front of a body she knew all too well.

"Charlie." Vaggie smiled.

"Hey, pretty bird. It's the Sinsmas Season and I feel like I'm doing all the work." Vaggie smiled. Charlie rarely used pet names for her, mainly because they did things to Vaggie that made it hard to focus and they had a hotel to run.

"Shit. Sorry Hon, I was just lost in thought. I can help now. Do you want me on Hotel work or..." Vaggie froze at the look on Charlie's face.

"I want you," Charlie kissed her nose. "To come downstairs and sit with everyone and just relax." Charlie placed another kiss on her vacant eye. "Please."

How could she say no.

Walking downstairs, Vaggie was met with quite the sight. The hotel residents getting along wasn't rare. The residents getting along while doing the same activity was. The residents getting along while doing one of Charlie and Vaggie's bonding activities, and not making fun of it, was impossible.

Yet here they were.

Everyone was in their own little area of the hotel lobby. Each person decorating their own little tree. Tinsel was wrapped around in each persons signature colors.

Angel decorated some parts with pictures. Most from his photoshoots at work, most were surprisingly tasteful with not too much on display.

Nifty's had cleaning supplies unsurprisingly, but also tufts of fur and both surprisingly big and surprisingly small bugs threaded together like popcorn on a string.

Alastor, Vaggie had expected to be covered in gore, like sinner parts with a head on top like a twisted angel. But no. It was mostly decorated with fabric. And various pieces stolen from Charlie's dad. Namely a duck at the top, disfigured and bloody.

Lucifer himself was glaring at Alastor, his own tree not too far away decorated solely with ducks. Each one depicting a different person.

Husk had cards decorated around as well as one of angel's pictures or the entire hotel crew. Alastor pointedly crossed out. There were also mini shots hung around the tree. And the two things that caught Vaggie's eye the most was one of her feathers, as well as one of his own.

Charlie pulled her along to two trees. They were extremely close together, considering the distance every other tree had from one another.

One was vary obviously Charlies. Aggressively red and gold with imagery of the whole hotel, but also a lot of Vaggie. Primarily Vaggie. Where husk had one of her feathers Charlie had been collecting feathers from at least the last month or two.

The other tree was bare.

"Okay." Charlie smiled and bounced in place. "You can decorate it however you like and- I mean..." Charlie seemed to get a little nervous. "No pressure, but if you want anything from me, just let me know. I don't know what specifically you can take, but i'm sure we can-"

"You should put her jizz in a small vial and hang it up!" Angel called from across the room, barely able to get it out through the laughter.

"I mean if that's what you want?" Charlie seemed genuinely confused, but not opposed.

What.

"I am confused."

"This is your sinsmas tree."

"Yes. Got that."

"It's for pride." Charlie gestured to her own tree, then tilted her head "Well technically this is for both Pride and Greed. There is some overlap."

When Vaggie didn't immediately answer Charlie explained. "Well it's about what you are most proud of. And that sort of extends to greed in the sense of look what I have." Charlie's eyes widened. "But like not in an ownership way. But also very much in a possessive almost ownership way. So I guess it can also count as Envy?"

Vaggie's eye widened this time.

"What I mean to say, is this is what I have. It is what I am proud of. And if you so much as lay a finger on it. I am going to fuck you up. Maybe this is also Wrath??"

"Is there something for every sin?"

"Oh yeah!" Charlie sits herself down in front of the tree, grabbing Vaggie's hand and bringing her down too.

Vaggie gets pulled down until she is comfortably leaning against Charlie. With enough room that she can move and adjust to rest her head in Charlie's lap if she wanted.

"So there isn't just one thing for you to do, you don't have to decorate the tree for Pride if you don't want to."

"Tell me how you like to."

"Okay." Charlie smiles. "I like the tree for Pride. It is something nice for me to look at. I have everything I want here. When you're upstairs and my dad is in his tower and Angel is at work and with Sir Pentious in Heaven and my mom..." Charlie trailed off. "You're all right here."

Vaggie nodded letting Charlie speak.

"Pride is about reveling in your own greatness, showing tokens of achievement and power, celebrating yourself and all you have done. And I have you. You are my greatest achievement. It's possessive. I know it is. A part of me wants to tie you to my tree."

Hot.

Charlie sighs adjusting herself. "Anyways, there is also Greed. The Hotel itself is our Greed. You can have your own if you want, but Greed is about over abundance. To fill that desire to amass, and own, and indulge without limit. It's like the gluttony of material things. It's a symbol of prosperity and success. I like to amass and over indulge in people. It's like my own personal hoard here."

Vaggie couldn't help but be curious. "What about Wrath. There's not some fight I need to worry about breaking out is there?"

"Wrath isn't about violence." Charlie shakes her head. "It's about passion through action. It isn't something you need to build or make, but something you change in yourself. Sinners and Hellborn are encouraged to embrace their anger to fuel self-improvement and transformation."

"Like a new years resolution?"

"What's new years?"

"It's basically a celebration of the end of a year and an excuse to get drunk and kiss someone."

"That's extermination day."

"So tell me more about Sinsmas."

"Uhhhh, Envy. Right. Well Envy is a time where we take in what we have done for Pride, the trees, and see what makes us jealous. Alastor took Dad's duck. I'm half sure that's just out of spite, but there could be a reason."

Vaggie held back a laugh.

"But Um Husk. He took one of Angel's photos. Husk talks to everyone sure, but it's like he says. Everyone looks to the bartender for advice."

"I don't think that's what he says specifically"

"AND so, he doesn't have the same relationship with everyone that angel has. He is jealous of that. If he wants he will use that as his Wrath."

Vaggie smiled. This was all such positive take on each of the sins. She wanted Charlie to keep talking. "I imagine gluttony is just a big feast."

"Nailed it right on the head. It's a time to savor the moment. And the flavor, but it's about indulging in food and drinks and in a way companionship."

"Tell me more."

"Sloth and then you decorate your tree."

"Deal."

"Sloth is about taking a break. It's hard. Living in Hell I mean. I'm- the sins, Dad, me. We're not blind to it. People are suffering here. It's a moment to take a break from all of that. To just sleep and know that tomorrow you will be okay. It's about taking as much self care as you can."

Charlie smiled.

"Speaking of... I booked us a spa day in sloth. It's not for another few weeks, but that will be my sloth covered. You pick yours and we'll do that too. I'll plan it if you want."

Vaggie giggled. "Sure, hon."

"Okay. Up an at 'em. It is tree time."

Vaggie still has no idea what to put on the tree. So she starts small. Pride was weird. The earliest thing she can remember taking pride in was the exterminations. But that's not something she can say she's proud of anymore. She likes her spear. She's proud of how well she uses it, but she can't just hang it up.

She looks at Charlie. That's an obvious one, but Charlie didn't loose feathers the way Vaggie did.

That was a start. Vaggie was proud of her wings. A proof of her love to Charlie. She unfurled one, taking it in hand and forcefully plucking a few feathers. It hurt, but only for a few moments. Like plucking her eyebrows, just with a bigger surface area of pain. She littered them here and there.

Tomorrow she would fly to the Carmines. Ask for a spare spear. Something from them if she had the courage. If not the spear could work for both. Maybe just a spear head to work as a tree topper.

Vaggie began to work. Starting with the purple tinsel Charlie had ran to fetch just for her. Running upstairs she grabbed a picture of her and Charlie. She grabbed a few knickknacks that Charlie had gotten her while out on trips to other rings. Back when she didn't know Vaggie could join her.

There was just one thing missing.

Vaggie turned to Charlie. "Can you make something for me."

Charlie's eyes brightened. "Absolutely." Her creation magic already bursting to light. And as Vaggie spoke it slowly took form.

It was Vaggie gilded in gold.

Not how Charlie saw her. It was Vaggie with all her imperfections. Without the eyepatch or the X over her eye. In all her short stature, muscular almost man-ish back and weird stomach. Both coming from the muscle of her wings. Her wings not out on display but neatly tucked behind.

This wasn't Vaggie the protector.

Or Vaggie the angel.

Not even Vaggie the girlfriend.

Just Vaggie.

In all her imperfect glory.

Charlie smiled as she looked up at the tree. It's perfect. They were only in the lobby for three hours at most. The other Hazbins were settling down to watch a movie. Lightly arguing over which to watch as Charlie gently took Vaggie upstairs.

"You know. There was a sin I forgot to mention."

"Hm?"

Vaggie smiled as Charlie picked her up. Her legs naturally coming to wrap around Charlie's waist, as Charlie unlocked the door to their room.

"It's about indulging in the beauty of passion. Attraction. Sensuality." Charlie started to sway slightly. "It is celebrated with decadent feasts and sultry dances."

Vaggie shivered as Charlie annunciated each syllable of decadent.

"Love and intimacy are celebrated as powerful here. They are divine forces that unite people in their most authentic forms." With a burst of heat she felt Charlie change under her fingertips. Her own wings coming out in full force. Flapping once. twice. Three times before settling on her back.

One of Charlies hands came up to caress the feathers a low moan escaping her as if it were Charlie's own body she were playing with.

"Lust." Vaggie gasped.

"At your command." Lust answered.

[the-blind-assassin-12]

A Little Christmas Magic

A PEDROSTORIES SECRET SANTA GIFT FIC

A/N: Huge thank you to the moderators of @pedrostories for organizing this event again! I had so much fun getting in the holiday spirit while writing this, and I cannot wait to read all of the other festive stories that others have written! This story follows along with the same Frankie/Reader pairing as a few of the other things I've written, but it can also be read as a one shot. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone who sees this!!

Gift Tag: SURPRISE @something-tofightfor - I deceived you with my decoy Joel story, because THIS was what I was actually working on. Sorry for the white lie, but I hope you like what and who I chose (you gave me some REALLY excellent choices in Joel, Frankie, Jack and Oberyn) to write about in the snow. And I hope you have the best, merriest damn Christmas ever. I love you!!

WC: 4,150

Warnings: some brief smut mentions, talking about having divorced/ separated parents

Summary: When Frankie needs a little help making Christmas special for his son, you are more than happy to step in and lend a hand. The again, you're more than happy to do just about anything for him.

As soon as he came through the door, you could tell that something was off. 

All night long, while your home had been filled with friends and family, Frankie’s smile had been constant. You saw it in his eyes and in the way the corners of them folded into crinkles when he laughed. You felt it on his lips when they found your cheek as he passed you in the kitchen. You heard it in his voice when he thanked everyone for coming. It was the first time the two of you had hosted Thanksgiving since you’d started living together, it was his year to have Ollie for the holiday, and Frankie had been undeniably happy.  

But by the time he got home from dropping Ollie back off with Tori, something had changed. What could have happened, though? He’s only been gone for twenty five minutes. 

You knew that Frankie and his ex got along well, so you doubted that they had gotten into an argument. He didn’t seem annoyed or angry. There wasn’t a scowl on his face, he hadn’t thrown his hat. If anything, you realized, he looked almost sad, his mouth downturned slightly, a sort of distance in his eyes that wasn’t there when he left. You watched him lock the door and drop his keys into the bowl on the table beside it from where you stood in the dining room, your heart clenching as you pushed the last chair back into place. Oh, Frankie, what’s wrong? 

“Hey, you.” You crossed your arms loosely and leaned against the arched doorway that separated the living room from the dining room, waiting as he stepped on the heel of one shoe to remove it before doing the same with the other, not bothering with the laces. 

He sighed, the quiet sound a confirmation that something was amiss. But as he straightened up to look at you, there was a small smile on his face. “Hey, Flamingo.” 

You huffed out a breathy laugh, your lips quirked to the side, and pushed away from the doorframe. “You know? I break my ankle one time, two years ago and…” You shook your head and rolled your eyes playfully, Frankie crossing the room to slip his hands around your waist. Yours landed on his chest, the right one sliding up his neck to twine your fingers through the curls behind his ear. “How long are you gonna call me that, hmm, Fish?” 

You already knew what his response would be, but it still sent a rush of warmth through you to hear him say it. “Forever,” he mumbled, leaving a whiskered kiss to the corner of your mouth, his fingers curling in the fabric of your shirt. “Everyone else gone?” 

“Mhmm. Pope, Yovanna, Will, and my sister all cleared out right after you. Benny and Alana just left about five minutes ago. Alana insisted on helping me get the kitchen cleaned, so she put Benny on dish duty and-” 

That earned you a small chuckle and assured you that whatever had changed Frankie’s mood wasn’t something too serious. Good. I still need to know what it is, though. “Oh, I’m sure Benjamin was thrilled about that.” 

One of your earrings had gotten flipped upside down without you noticing, and Frankie reached up to fix it. You closed your eyes and let out a hum at the brush of his thumb over the skin of your earlobe. “He didn’t seem to mind.” With a shrug you opened your eyes, and they were immediately met with his deep brown ones. “And Quinn had just fallen asleep, so they weren’t in a rush to leave because they didn’t want her to wake up as soon as they picked up the car seat. It was actually a really big help.”

“Good.” He gave you a half-smile, leaning in just long enough to press his lips to yours. “I’m glad Miller pulled his weight.” You felt him tighten his grip on your hip before he dropped his hands from your body and turned towards the couch, sinking into it with a groan. 

“Hey...” You tilted your head and nudged his foot with yours, Frankie looking up at you. “What’s wrong?” Frowning, you sat next to him, pulling one leg up and tucking it beneath you. “Is everything okay with Ollie?” 

He nodded, letting out a quiet laugh as his warm, wide palm came to rest on your knee. “Yeah, Ollie’s great.” He adjusted his position on the couch, making himself more comfortable and releasing a few small pops from his spine. “Your cornbread was a real hit with him. He told me again in the car how good it was.” 

You leaned your shoulder into the couch cushions and laughed. “I’m glad he’s a fan.” Watching the little boy’s face light up with glee as he tasted his first bite had been among the highlights of your day. “Looked like he was having fun running around with you and the guys during your football game, too.” Watching Frankie scoop his son up under one arm while Ollie’s tiny hands gripped the ball to run them both into the endzone he’d set up in your backyard had been another. The whole damn day was a highlight. “He was very excited about his touchdown.” 

“He was.” Frankie’s fingers moved lazily over your thigh as he sighed, the remnants of his smile fading. “He had a good day. We all did.” He gave you a light squeeze as he swallowed. “I’m upset because -” He stopped himself, closing his eyes with a quick shake of his head that tossed his curls. “No, upset isn’t the right…” Trailing off, he blinked and resumed the motion of his fingers. “Ollie was with us today, which means he’s with Tori for Christmas.” He rolled his eyes. “And, obviously, I knew that already.”

Nodding, you reached your arm across the backrest of the couch so that you could run your knuckle up and down the curve where his neck met his shoulder. “Right.” Eyebrows pinched together, you tilted your head. “You guys alternate. But you’ll still go over there to see him on Christmas morning for gifts, yeah?” 

You loved how hands on Frankie was when it came to raising Oliver, how much he wanted to be involved in his son’s life, and you were extremely thankful that he had an excellent co-parenting partner in Tori. Given his past - especially the time period just before and after Ollie was born - you knew that the woman could easily make things difficult for Frankie when it came to shared custody. But despite the fact that it was too late for it to matter for their relationship, you also knew that Tori genuinely believed that he had put all of his mistakes and the worst of his demons behind him, and that he was more than capable of being the father that their son deserved. And she’s right. 

But your frown returned when Frankie’s answer to your questions wasn’t what you were expecting it to be. “Not this year.” What? Why? Your expression asked the questions for you, prompting him to continue. “Remember when I told you her parents finally retired? Back in like March, I think?” 

You did, so you nodded. “Yeah, I remember. But what does that have to do with Christmas?” 

“Well, they weren’t sure it was going to happen until it did so they didn’t say anything earlier, but they pulled the trigger on a cabin. Steve’s been talking about it for years. Anyway, it’s officially theirs as of next week, and they decided they wanted to host Christmas there.” 

You didn’t see the problem yet. You knew Frankie was willing to spend as much time as he needed to in the car even for just an hour or so with his kid. “Okay… Where is this cabin?” It must be pretty far if- 

He let out a humorless sound. “Upstate New York.” Your eyes widened, brows jumping at his response. “Yeah. Usually it’s the New Yorkers buyin’ places down here when they retire, but they’re doing the reverse.” 

There it is. You winced. “Oh.” 

Keeping his hand on your knee, he brought the other one up to run it back over his hair as he blew out a breath. “And I’m happy for them, you know? Because I know they’ve wanted that for a long time. And it’s great or Ollie, too, because it means he gets to do new things. Maybe even see snow. I’m sure he’d go nuts for that.” 

Oh he absolutely would. “Of course he would.” What kid doesn’t lose their shit at the first sign of snow? 

“So I’m not upset, because I know he’s gonna have a damn blast. it’s just that… This is the first year I won’t be with him on Christmas. And now he's old enough to remember things, and…” He looked at you, and you could instantly feel the ache in his eyes as it settled in your chest. Oh, Frankie. 

He didn’t want to be absent from Ollie’s first real Christmas memories. Even if it was out of his hands.

“Hey.” You spoke softly, still dragging your knuckle soothingly over the skin above his collar. “I get it.” Unfolding your knee, you repositioned yourself so that both of your legs were draped over his lap, moving your body closer to his. He adjusted by resting one arm over your thighs and the other around your back, never looking away from your face. “You know I grew up with the same every other holiday thing with my parents, yeah?” The huge difference being that my parents ended up hating each other and you two do not. 

Frankie nodded wordlessly, but you explained anyway, wanting to make sure he got your point. 

“I’d do a holiday with one parent on the actual day, and then I’d do it again with the other on a different day. And you know what that taught me?” 

He shook his head. “What did it teach you?” 

“It taught me that calendar dates don’t mean too much. Celebrating Christmas was just as good on the 26th or the 28th or the 30th as it was on the 25th. And some of my favorite holiday memories? They aren’t even from Christmas day. They’re from all the things leading up to it, like decorating the tree and baking cookies. Things you can do-” You lifted your shoulders in a nonchalant shrug, quirking your mouth to the side. “Basically any time from tonight until the end of December, now that the turkey’s had its day.” You reached up to brush a loose strand of his hair behind his ear. “Christmas magic doesn’t have to be a one day thing. We just have to make the most of it the next time Ollie’s with us, that’s all.”  

Frankie stared at you for a few seconds, lips parting as he let out a breath. “We. Us.” He repeated your words, affection slowly changing the sadness in his eyes into something warmer. Yeah, Frankie, you don’t have to do things alone anymore. You have me. Always. “You’re incredible, you know that?” He reached up to encircle your wrist with his fingers, bringing your hand away from his neck and lifting it up to kiss the back of it. His mumbled words and warm breath tickled your skin. “Fucking amazing. You wanna help me make things special for my kid?” Of course I do. 

“I sure do.” You twisted your wrist to free it from his hold, Frankie letting go of you so that you could slide your palms over his cheeks, taking his face between them. “I love you, Francisco Morales. And I happen to be really fond of that kid of yours, too. So we’re gonna brainstorm and come up with some things we can do to make sure that he has some great memories with his Dad, and-” 

He didn’t let you finish that sentence though, surging forward to catch your lips with his, his tongue slipping into your mouth to lick the rest of your words right out of it. Taken by surprise, you gasped into the kiss which only spurred him on more, and in one swift motion he had you on your back, laying you down on the couch and laying his weight on top of you. You still had your hands on his face, but they slid to the back of his neck and head, fingers threading through his hair to pull a groan into your mouth. 

“I love you so goddamn much.” He murmured the words against your lips. “Been thinkin’ about how lucky I am to have you all night.” He nipped at your lower lip, then let his kisses rove behind your ear so that his next words couldn’t be missed. “You know how hard it was to keep my hands to myself while everyone was here?” You felt the tip of his tongue flick out to dampen your skin, and you sucked in a breath at the sensation. “Fucking impossible.” 

He rolled his hips into yours on the last word, and you couldn’t keep a whimper from slipping out at the way the motion stirred heat low in your belly. “You didn’t keep your hands to yourself, Frankie,” you reminded him, though you doubted he needed reminding. One of his hands started moving down your body, his touch trailing towards your waistline. You let out another near-moan at the combination of what he was currently doing, and the memory of what he’d done earlier - when he pulled you into the laundry room, his deft fingers delving down the front of your pants while his mouth silenced any noises you made. Because we’d never hear the end of it if Will or Maddy heard and came to see what was going on. 

“I didn’t,” he agreed, dragging the tip of his nose along your throat to drop a kiss to your pulse point. “But that was just the tip of the iceberg.” He caught you off guard again, the pads of his fingers sliding beneath your underwear and over your slick skin. “Now that we’re alone?” You felt his mischievous grin, felt the gravely rumble of his voice through his chest- and then you felt him plunge two fingers inside you. At that you cried out and he let you, no one left to keep quiet for. “I’m gonna finish what I started earlier.” 

–  –  –  

Two weeks later, you still caught yourself thinking about Thanksgiving night, and you knew that you would be for a long time. 

Frankie had made good on his claim, making you come twice right there on the couch before he took you to bed and took you apart all over again. It was almost dawn by the time the two of you fell asleep in each other’s arms, completely spent and sated, and since neither of you had to work the following day, you spent Black Friday with bare skin and lazy, lingering kisses instead of fighting with crowds at the shopping centers. 

But on the Saturday after, an idea came to you - an idea about how Frankie could still make a special memory with Ollie even though he wouldn’t see him at all the week of Christmas. Oh, it’ll be perfect. Excitedly, you brought it up with Frankie, explaining what you’d thought of. 

“So it’s about an hour away from here, but it’s worth the ride. They set up a whole Christmas town with a little train, and they hire sand artists to make these big elaborate winter-themed sculptures. There’s carolers and they do a big tree lighting event with ice skating and frozen hot chocolate and all kinds of activities for kids. I think Ollie would love it.” 

Frankie agreed enthusiastically, arms winding around you from behind to hold you close. “Sounds great.” I didn’t even tell you the best part yet. He dropped a kiss to the line of your jaw. And I’m not going to. “Thank you. For coming up with something.”

You grinned, your arms covering his where they wrapped around your belly. “Told you, Frankie. We’re a team.” 

“Yeah.” He nodded, his beard scratching your cheek as he tightened his hold. “We are.”

He’d cleared the trip with Tori, even though she’d already okayed any activities or day trips Frankie wanted to take Ollie on when he had him, the woman agreeing with both of you that it sounded like something that the little boy would enjoy. And at your suggestion, the two of you had invited Benny and Alana to come with Quinn. She was just over a year old and would likely sleep through most of the festivities in her stroller, but you knew that the Millers wouldn’t pass up on a group outing, and you knew that Frankie wouldn’t view their presence as an intrusion on his time with Ollie. They’re family, too. 

So when it came time for Ollie to spend the week with you and Frankie, the three of you climbed into his truck - Benny driving his little family separately in case they had to leave early - and headed east to a small town just outside of the Disney zone, called Celebration. 

There was a 50/50 shot that the thing you were trying to keep a secret until the last minute would be spoiled upon your arrival, banners or posters advertising the wintery phenomenon that visitors were about to witness, but luck was on your side. There were plenty of signs and decorations, so there was no missing the blocked off area that the town had designated for the holiday event, and it was just like you told Frankie it would be - food stalls and little craft and gift stalls set up to look like gingerbread houses, carolers in Victorian era costumes walking the street and singing Christmas songs new and old, an enormous pine tree towering over everything in the center of the square and dripping in bright lights. Even though it was 65 degrees and there were palm trees lining the streets, it was almost enough to make you feel like you were in an old world Christmas market, or like it was about to start snowing at any moment. 

And you were right about Ollie’s reaction to everything, his already large brown eyes going wide as saucers when he saw the big man in red waving and tossing candy canes to the crowd. “Daddy! Santa’s here!” He grabbed Frankie’s hand, pointing vehemently in the direction of the man in the Santa suit. “He came all the way far from the North pole! Do you see him?!” 

The joy on his little face was mirrored in Frankie’s, and your heart swelled at seeing them both wear the same expression. “I see him! He did come a long way, huh?” Ollie nodded, curls just like his father’s bouncing as he did. “We should probably go say hi, then, since he came all the way down here to see you.” 

“Yeah! C’mon Daddy! Let’s go! C’mon Uncle Benny!” 

You had to take a breath when your name was added to the excited babble, Ollie’s empty hand slipping into yours so he was between you and Frankie, his gleeful grin beaming up at you. “Come and see Santa with us too!” 

“Yeah,” Frankie spoke softly, stepping close and giving you a wink. “Come see Santa with us.” 

Blinking back the unexpected tears brought on by Ollie’s enthusiastic inclusion, you winkled your nose and smiled down at him. “Do you think I’m on the good list this year?” 

Without a moment’s hesitation, he answered by springing up and down, still holding both yours and Frankie’s hands. “Yeah! You’re on the good list already because you’re always really nice and fun and you’re always making my Dad and me happy.” 

You let out a chuckle at that, glancing up at Frankie, the sight of his smile enough to send a rush of warmth through you. “She sure does, Buddy.” He jostled Ollie’s hand. “Now let’s go before he has to get back to his workshop to finish making presents.” 

Keeping Ollie between you, Frankie started walking towards the area designated for photos with Santa, but he leaned in over the little boy’s head to kiss your cheek and whisper in your ear. “You were right. This is great. And he’s gonna remember this just the same as if we were doing it on Christmas Day.” Ollie turned to say something to Alana, and Frankie looked down at him before finding your eyes again. “Thank you.” 

It was your turn to lean over and brush your lips to his cheek. “Anytime, Morales.” 

For the next hour and a half the six of you strolled the area, stopping occasionally at the different displays or to take pictures or grab a snack from one of the booths. But the highlight of the night, and what you were looking the most forward to since you remembered that this event existed, came at 7pm - when “snow” started falling, a chorus of gasps and shrieks rising up from the crowd. 

“What! It’s snowin’?!” Ollie’s incredulous question joined the dozens from other children gaping in awe up at their parents and family members as big puffy flakes fell on their cheeks and noses. “How’s it snowin’ if it’s not even cold?” 

Lifting him up, Frankie answered without missing a beat, leaning in to bop Ollie’s nose with the tip of his. “Christmas magic, Buddy.” 

You snapped a picture of the two of them, making a mental note to find a photo ornament to put it in so that the moment would have a place on the tree for years to come. That done, you watched them play in the faux snow - a biodegradable non-toxic substance that would be gone in a half hour but that would provide a lifelong memory - until you felt Benny’s elbow nudge yours. 

“Hey. You did real good.” Turning your head, you met Benny’s eyes, the younger man already looking at you. “Ollie’s beside himself, obviously, but I mean… with Fish.” He smiled, the expression soft and warm, a sort of platonic affection for you almost palpable in it that you weren’t expecting even though you were quick to call him your friend now, too. “I’ve never seen him happier than he is with you.” 

He didn’t wait to let that sink in though, nodding over to his wife before clearing his throat and stepping up to where Frankie and his son were playing. “Hey, Olliegator, I think I saw penguins over there. You wanna come see ‘em? We can show Quinny.” 

Just as Benny knew he would, the little boy ran over, shouting in agreement, leaving you standing in the snowfall with Frankie. There were easily a few hundred people around you, but as he came to stand in front of you, his hands on your waist and big white flakes fluttering all around him, it was as though the two of you were in your own little snowglobe, sharing your own private moment. 

“Hey, you.” You spoke through a smile that pulled at your cheeks, your hands resting on the rolled up cuffs of his unnecessary for the weather but seasonally appropriate flannel, thumbs brushing over the worn material and into the crook of his elbow. 

He smiled back at you, brown eyes brimming with affection. “Hey, Flamingo.”  Reaching up, he plucked a flake from your hair, the substance vanishing as soon as it hit his warm skin, just like real snow. “You knew about this, didn’t you?” 

You moved your head from side to side to feign thought. “Maybe.” Pressing your lips together, you took the bottom one between your teeth. “Yes. I knew about this. My sister was really into chorus in highschool, and her music teacher suggested that she try out for the carol troupe one year so-” You shrugged. “I’ve been to this a few times because of that, but that was ages ago. I hadn’t thought about it in years. And then when you mentioned that Tori’s parents’ place was up in New York and that Ollie might get to see snow…” You lifted one hand from his arm, palm skyward to collect the sudsy white stuff. “I remembered this.” 

The kiss he gave you then was brief, but you knew there would be much more where it came from when you were no longer surrounded by so many strangers. “Ollie’s gonna remember this forever.” He nodded, the curve of his forehead resting against yours. “And so am I. Merry Christmas.” 

“It’s not Christmas yet, Frankie,” you mumbled through your grin. 

“No,” he agreed. “It’s not. But with enough Christmas magic? Does it matter?” 

You shook your head, nudging his nose with yours. “Nope. Sure doesn’t. Merry Christmas, Francisco.” 

.

.

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Fun Fact: The event that I based this fic on is real! It's called Now Snowing, and it's been going on for 25 years! I embellished it a little bit for the story, but you really can see "snow" (the same stuff they use in movies and TV) every night from the end of November through December :)

tags: @something-tofightfor @cannedsoupsucks @dihra-vesa @littlemisspascal @alraedesigns @mishasminion360 @stevie75 @nyctophiliiiiaaa @practicalghost @tanzthompson @harriedandharassed @woodlandmouth @thescarletfang @trickstersp8 @imtryingmybeskar @wildmoonflower @mswarriorbabe80 @theredwritingwitch @silverstarsandsuns @competentpotato @pedro-pedrito-pascalito @jedi-in-crocs @hannahkatharine @anoverwhelmingdin @chiyo13 @myloveistoolittle @Noisynightmarepoetry @Severin-proud

[0celesteisthebest0]

Floating in Space

Summary: Trapped in an enclosed ship with a stranger you've barely met, what could possibly go wrong?

Word count: 5,099

Pairing: Ezra x female reader (no y/n)

Authors notes: MERRY CHRISTMAS TO @julesonrecord !!!! from your Pedrostories Secret Santa :) I do hope you enjoy this dear friend and I hope your holiday season is calm and peaceful! I had so many ideas going into this and I really am happy with how this turned out so I hope you feel the same way. Thank you for @pedrostories for putting this event together and making this so fun and joyous for everyone involved.

Warnings: Porn with Plot?, face riding, cum eating, P in V, enemies to lovers? (they’re mean to each other and then they aren't), man handling, one bed trope, lots of sci-fi terms, and explicit language

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Vibrancy shimmered through the gem as you angled them in the light. The delicacy of this small piece of pressurized rock always throws you off. How can something so small and insignificant change the course of your life.

Aurelac, a small jewel, so powerful in the Bakhroma system. This power doesn't only extend to one system or even governmental regime, it extends through bargaining between prospectors.

You didn't use that ability too often, afraid that you'd end up stiffed at the end of the exchange. Mostly when you traveled off world your confined yourself to your own little space. Maneuvering yourself out of risky situations was easy when you avoided any sign of prospectors on outer rim planets and you would often choose the emptier planet. Places like the green moon were of no interest to you. Too much variables that you could not predict.

It often lead you to areas just out of that satellites reach, somewhere where the sling back would take days to respond to movements. It wasn't as lush and full of dust as the green but it didn't mean it wasn't any less dangerous.

Especially with moments like these where you didn't have any thick trees covering you or a partner to cover your back. Tension rolled over your shoulders after successfully extracting your final aurelac stone. But you could still feel something over your shoulder, a sensation that made the middle of your shoulders pinched. With moments like these you had to suppress the feelings of flight that your body was pushing on you, to scurry away from any encounter.

So you slowly breathed in and deposited your treasure into a small safe. Shoving the safe into your pack, you looked at your surroundings slowly, checking whether their was someone or something really looking over you.

The barren land stood still as you lifted yourself from the soft soil. Not even the dust of the moons blew for you, it seemed that everything from the voice channels to the sounds of nature was quiet today.

There was always an association with quietness, an inner peace was achieved through silence. But living in a world of deep space, silence was often a suffocating force, pushing a harbinger of disaster and decay.

Only being able to feel your uneasy breathing didn't soothe your nerves. Pacing back to the security of your ship is the only way for this silence to go away, a place where you didn't have to constantly look over your shoulder to be sure someone wasn't there to hurt you.

The large strides did nothing to quell your beating heart, the gusts of hot breath fogged your suit, blurring your vision until all you saw was faded foliage leaking and blending into the colors of the auburn sky.

Crackling of the radio channels connected to the suit overlapped against the harsh steps of your suits boots. Uneasy connection kept fading in and out and you stopped trekking the hill that your ship was landed on, wanting to hear what might've been following you on this far away moon.

Hoping it wasn't a proposition for the gems you just extracted, you turned to knob of your helmet against your better judgement.

The slight turn made an enchanting baritone voice fill the confines of your helmet.

"The gleam of your eyes besiege me my dear, for I have traveled to see beauties and all I see is you. The sky above you has the pleasure to preen and plume under your ethereal glow, oh how Kevva has forsaken me for not guiding me to your loving gaze sooner. "

You stood frozen to your spot, heart racing from much more than a flight or fight response. This has to be a trick against you, a ploy to keep you off your path back to the pug, to the worries of your life that beckon your attention. Yet here you were getting lured by the siren's call of enchantment and passion.

Maybe the loneliness has finally driven you mad, there was no way that your mind wasn't playing tricks on you. Turning every direction to see whether you were experiencing some delirium from the constant trips you were making to pay of debts and loans you've taken from people on the pug.

In the distance you think you could see a figure going towards you. Backing away, you decided it was best to run from the immediate danger of an unknown entity trying to seduce you into the unknown.

"Run!" The same voice from before echoing a much more grim sentiment. Just one single word sent immediate shivers down your spine and that made your jog turn into a full sprint to the safety of your ship.

Sharp and quickening exhales of shaky breathe was stinging your lungs, the harsh land was crumbling under your boots made the ground uneasy. The following steps made you sink into the floor, your leg getting caught in the underbrush of the dead trees.

Stuck, unable to move, unable to breath without the sting of your lungs hurting your chest. The upcoming danger of what's been following you now has caught you in it'd trap. Your loneliness has officially trapped you.

You did your best to try to pull away from the thick roots but all it did was pull at your ankle.

"Fuck!", You were gasping for air at this point and it didn't matter to you that your voice could be heard from the voice channels.

"While I do appreciate your posthaste following of instructions, I did not mean for your to run and trip." The crackling sounded much closer than it originally did and a heavy weight started to pull at your leg, cutting at the roots of the underbrush. Whoever this predator of the moon was, they were pulling at your arm to try and get you up from your dismay. Your body on instinct turned to dead weight. There was a grunt from your efforts to not get picked up and finally there was a huff heard in your ear.

"Movement is indeed appreciated but it seems to me that you have already accepted a fate that has not been written yet. So I urge you to get up before you truly lack the ability to do so. " His words didn't sound as harsh as his tone came across, so you acted accordingly to his final warning.

"I'd appreciate it if you kept your hands off me," he was helping you, yes, but it meant nothing in the larger schemes of things. Especially since he was the voice from before, this could all be a trap if you aren't careful.

His hands lifted in surrender and slowly inched away from you, despite that he seemed to be constantly looking over his shoulder for something.

"I do believe introductions should come after we move away from this clearing. There is something out there and despite my demeanor I do not take kindly to strangers." The mysterious man started to move up the hill not waiting for you to move with him. With no other choice, you caught up with him, your breath still trying to recuperate itself. "Now where is your ship."

You stopped and turned to him, the worries of before vanishing with that very statement.

"My ship? I'm not letting you on my ship. " You eyed at the stranger, waiting for any movement.

"If it's a death wish you crave, so be it. I have no desire to escape death twice," annoyance tinting his static filled voice. "Make it easier for yourself and give me your starter."

Ever-growing exhaustion stung the muscles of your legs, but you did as you do best and ran.

You could get to the ship before this stranger took your only home away from you.

Pushing yourself to the top of the hill, your battered up ship shined bright in the Bakroma sun. Salvation was only a couple of steps away, you could feel the soft material of your small cot on your skin.

The only skin contact your feeling right now is a harsh shove to the ground by the unwelcomed stranger. His body encompassed yours fully, you could hear him heaving in frustration.

"Now I do appreciate a good chase but I am quite sick of this game." His arms pinned your wrist, his helmet bumping into yours awkwardly. Big brown eyes leered at you, shining brighter than any aurelac gem you've ever seen. You couldn't quite look away from his steely gaze, even if he looked like he wanted you dead.

"This is a sick game you're playing, at sweet talk one minute, larceny the next," it was a ploy you knew it. But you still at least wanted some confirmation that he was doing all this for your treasuries.

His tension lessened at your words and immediately he let go of your wrists.

"Are you seriously, you're just going to let me-" he shushed you and looked towards the distance, way beyond your ship. Vines curling and expanding against the dying environment, with every gust of wind, the vines moved into shapeless lifeforms. The planet breathing into something chaotic and unsightly.

Beings that moved and breathed the planets life twitched and curled the thorny vines in your direction. Slithering to grab and pull you into the very planet, the thought of that made the planet quake underneath you.

No words were exchanged between you two strangers but it was either immediate death or uncomfortable survival. Picking the ladder, you grabbed onto the strangers arms and started tumbling towards your ship.

The vines seemed to grow around you two, almost encapsulating you in it's greenery. Shoving and pushing each other into the little ships door, the vines snapped and tried to pull your bodies closer to it's earth, luckily escaping with a resounding slam of the door.

Sprinting into action was all you could do as you went to the control board of your ships and charted your way back to the pug. The ship hummed to life as you punched your destination and guided the wheel upwards.

Unlike most freeing pushes of air the ship leaks out, the creaking of restraint pushed you into a further frantic state. Increasing the rate of the ignition did nothing to move you anywhere close to the atmosphere, you were at a stand still, no where to go and no ability to move.

Despite the ongoing frustration building in your throat, the stranger once again pushed you from your chair.

"This is a T9-27 I presume, the caliber can out do the resistance of the the creature with just a crank from the- " you knew where he was going with this and immediately tried to stop the ship from imploding within itself. But as your hands were reaching towards his, metallic crushing was making the ship lean against the ground, the past height that reached is now just sinking into the ground.

In a last ditch effort, your pulled on the crank, making the dying engine roar. Emergency signals turned the ships interior a bright and blinking red and white, telling you to stop this plan before it even started. All your craved now was salvation so the words that tumbled out of your mouth were purely from a need to survive.

"Increase the altitude! " you yelled as you scurried off to the other side of the ship, trying to increase the coolants to the engine by twisting and turning knobs in hopes that you wouldn't crash. Thankfully the stranger pushed your ship to its limits and got the sputtering engine to lift itself higher into the stars.

Clunking of the vines still were heard but as you got farther and farther into the cosmos the remnants of the earth seemed to burn up behind you.

Slumping on the floor of your ship, your adrenaline was mixing with your pure exhaustion of the situation. You couldn't really give yourself a moment of peace either since now you are harboring an unwanted stranger in the confines of your ship. Eyeing the man warily, you looked at how he grew comfortable in the seat of your ship. This broad shoulders stretching and leaning to handle the modules controls. Crackling of the ships audio, made you focus on your knew potential predicament.

"Slingbacks operation system is at a halt, no request will be carried out till a full cycle. Thank you for your services and do continue using the slingback." The automated voice rung out through your ship, repeating itself in a constant loop. Getting annoyed with its third repeat, you went up to the main console system and put the channel on mute.

"Well friend, it seems to me we have time to get to know each other. A prospector with a ship is a mighty rich thing to find here in the fringeling. Why aren't you in greener parts, somewhere where aurelac isn't just under the surface? " The questions were a tad to uncomfortable for your taste. Ignoring them seemed like the best option at the moment, so you turned away from him to the little nook you called your room. You needed to get rid of your suit and put something more comfortable on.

Despite your deliberate ignoring of his questions, he still moved towards where you went to letting the ship run on autopilot. Rummaging through your cabinets, you tried to find your crew neck sweater to replace the sweaty clothes underneath the suit.

"I go by Ezra, do you have a name or are you not the talking type? Arguing seems like more of your strong suit if anything but that is simply just an observation on my part. Do you live on this vessel, that is a mighty interesting cot you have their, it has enough room for a guest if you would be so kind." You huffed a little at his insistence to insert himself to the fragile ecosystem that is your ship.

"I have slurry packs that you can have and the bathroom is at your disposal. Everything else is off limits," you stated quite sternly and proceeded to haphazardly take off your suit.

"What hospitality you give so graciously, I must humbly ask if you can spare a blanket for the cold floor, if you so please." His sarcasm was chockful in his statement and you felt like immediate groan slip from your lips.

"I am not going to share my bed with a stranger who is potentially trying to take my treasures from me." You didn't turn towards him as you said your peace, you simply just grabbed an extra blanket and gave it to him. "Now excuse me, I have to change. "

Ezra's movements were slow, but his words didn't seem to match his pace.

"This loneliness must kill you. Spending all these cycles alone without a companion. It makes sense to your harsh attitude towards someone who was trying to help." That alone set you off.

"Please, you act as if you know every little thing about me. How can I have a companion if their is no trust between prospectors. Of course I'm not going to have faith in you, all the encounters I've had with people on the fringe range from trying to kill me or trying to steal from me." This time you turned around, you had to face him headfirst to show him you meant business. "Especially with that stunt you were trying to pull before the planet started attacking us, I have every right not to trust you!"

Ezra's lips twisted, he finally had nothing to retort back at you, his brows seemed to furrow at your implication that he tried to trick you in some way. Huffing at his lack of response you grabbed your clothes and wondered to the bathroom to see if you could change in peace without a constant presence surrounding you.

A quick slip in and out of clothing, you tucked the sweat filled clothes in the tiny hamper you left in the room. Unease filled your stomach as you turned to the door out of the restroom. Wishing you had a moment alone again was all you hoped for but the stars above you were often cruel forces. So you pushed yourself out, trying to not make eye contact with Ezra. His chatter returned once you made it into his field of vision though and he seamed to want to continue your previous argument.

"I pulled no stunt on you to get to your ship or your treasures. I needed refuge from the thing that was calling out there. If anything I was lured into your trap, you were calling my name for help and stupidly I followed. " You scrunched your face in confusion what does he mean that you pulled him into a trap?

"I never called for help. You were the one practically flirting with me through the channel, getting me distracted!" You poked at his chest, noticing that he took off his suit and remained in a simple black tank top and trousers. A single tan arm caught your attention, there were scars from his prospecting adventures but his most prominent scar seemed to be replaced with a metallic arm.

"You seem distracted right now," he grinned at you, enjoying the long looks at his body. "Care to share what my imposter said to get you off your course?"

"It was nothing. Quite frankly it was unimportant if you weren't the one saying it. " If Ezra wasn't the one saying it than who was?

"Well it is mighty important to me if it got the two of us stuck in this situation, so why not divulge me in my curiosity and tell me what I didn't say?" He moved closer to you, slightly crowding your space, you were close enough to notice his crescent moon scar.

Trying to brush aside any feelings from before, you wanted to figure out the potential mystery of what attacked you both on the lonely moon. Ezra seemed more entranced by the idea of teasing you for whatever reason, but it is becoming distracting to say the least.

"Please, I think it's strange that the planet was able to interfere with the radio so easily maybe it could-" Your thoughts were caught off with the flickering off lights going one again but instead of the red from the overheating the counsels lights were flickering. "Fuck no!"

Removing yourself from Ezra's presence you ran to the main counsel to see what was going on and if your hasty decision to survive was the reason for your ships slow decline of disuse. The blinking monitor sent a message signaling that the temperature of the ship was going to shut down from the lack of coolant.

Sighing into your hands you have officially wished this day would be over, everything that could go wrong has happened. Footsteps of Ezra moved slowly close to you, his warm hand clasped over your shoulder and tried to soothe your fried nerves.

"If the only issue is temperature changes, we'll be able to survive with shared warmth." His statement lingered in the air and for what you've had to deal with today, the idea of being surrounded by another person's warm body sounds peaceful.

"I do only have one cot so if you have any objections with close proximity- "

"I have no qualms sweet star, now I only hope that you aren't mortified with having to share a space with a stranger." He eyed you, trying to see whether or not your previous feelings still carried weight because of revelations you have made or necessary circumstances that have occurred.

"As long as you aren't trying to take my aurelac or my ship again, then I won't bite." You promised him, a little uneasy about what possibly this could mean to you in the long run.

Ezra didn't seem phased by your acceptance, he just smiled a little wider and pulled your body closer to his. Warmth engulfing you like it never has before, Ezra maneuvering you to your small dwelling. Effortlessly he pulled your body so that it is snug against his, chest against chest, your eyes meeting his blown pupils that twinkled similar to the precious stone that you've extracted not long ago.

"I must say, whatever my imposter said to you couldn't have been so scandalous that you proceeded to fight with me any second you could get. So what was it that lead you to a rage with me, a complete stranger who came to your aid, " his hands roamed your back, exploring the new found touch that was previously limited to pushing you away.

"I didn't realize you were so touchy," his movements stilted a bit, now hesitant by any move.

"I can stop-"

"No-please don't. I just didn't expect it." His exploratory movements continued and the wall of distrust seemed to flicker. You know nothing about him, if he is true to his word or just blowing hot air and you could lie and tell yourself that this is all for your survival. The lowering temperatures can cause you both to freeze to death but it wouldn't be immediate. Yet you were here cuddled against a man whose warm body and broad arms seem to engulf any movement you made.

"You do not answer questions well do you?" He hummed, hands seemingly fixated on the small of your back.

"I don't answer questions that don't interest me," you stated plainly, letting your own hands wander against his chest, feeling the beat of his heart against your fingertips.

"Interesting philosophy, yet painfully fixated only on your perspective." You scoffed, his long lashes batted at you innocently as if he wasn't telling you that you were stuck on how you view things. " All I wonder is what the planet could've said to you to make our paths meet is all then I will shut my mouth and let you float away into sweet dreams."

Sleeping in such a warm and comfortable state seemed like a dream in itself, being embraced while drifting away was becoming more and more possible by the minute and Ezra wasn't too keen is stopping you. Yet the looming question still seems to circle his mind, maybe as a gift to him you'll just tell him what got you sidetracked and distracted.

"You-well the planet, it used your voice to call me pretty in a rather poetic way. Nothing scandalous just that," his eyes swooped down at your features, lingering on your lips until he met your eyes again.

"It was right, you are quite an ethereal beauty, there is no shame in admitting you were distracted by that." His calloused hand moved from your back to your face, tilting your chin up so he could see you in the muted light of your room. "Your beauty distracts, and I simply must devour it whole."

His kiss was searing, warmth that you felt from your fingertips to your center. Engulfing matter, devouring what it wanted from you and how you yearned for it to eat you up. Strangled gasps and groans shared between the two of you increased with the pressures and weight of each kiss. Incessant hands pull your body on top of his, slightly grinding against his groaning length.

Your whining elicits ad guttural groan from him and he began to babble on about something, hips pushing against yours.

"Ez-ra" your choked out moan stopped his blistering kisses, but it didn't stop his motor mouth from spewing everything that his mind supplied him.

"A treasure beyond the stars, I need to taste you, I need you rutting against my mouth until your begging and whining for me to stop. Fuck I need to know how you taste against my lips, something so sweet- " he trailed off, slowly losing himself with the feeling of you against him. Both you and him are too painfully touch starved to function.

The hand that isn't fixed on your hips, moves upwards to your stomach than to your breasts. His metallic hand cooling the bubbling heat that he created, kneading and pulling at your sensitive nipples. The shock of temperatures made you shiver and heave for more.

"Take off your clothes and ride my face sweet thing. I don't want to be able to talk because your beautiful cunt is stopping me from speaking." His hands reached for your shirt, taking it off swiftly same with your bra. Desperation growing between you, as you tried to pull his shirt off of him to feel more of his skin against yours. " Sweetness I need you naked first, you could have me however you like in a moment. "

Whining at the thought of taking him however you'd like, you complied with his request and started to strip yourself of any remaining clothes. Wetness leaked onto your inner thighs as you displayed yourself to him. His eyes grew darker and he instantly pulled your thighs to his face. His statement from before becoming a reality now as you hover over his face not wanting to crush him.

Ezra instantly did not care if you suffocated him or not and pulled your hips directly to his face and quickly started to lick up the wetness that started to gather around your opening. Your moans of surprise only seemed to spur him on and his tongue started the lap with more vigor. Eating you out nice and slowly was not his plan, he wanted to devour your whole being and you craved it. Craved it so much you started to grind against his face, needing mores simulation on your clit.

Whimpering a little from a need of more simulation you moved your hand away from the support of the cot and started to rub circles against your sloppy wet clit. Gasping at the added stimulation, the coiling feeling of pleasures expanding was ready to burst and Ezra seemed to notice with your unsteady thrusts. His hand reached for yours and held it to your hip. Then he started sucking on your clit with force, his only goal to make you come hard on his face.

Shakiness of your thighs and legs were signaling how close you were, how much you needed this and with a particularly harsh suck on your clit, your legs and thighs spasmed with release. Bright burst of lights flooded your senses, shimmering and lengthened by Ezra's insistent need to drink you fully.

Teetering on the edge of over stimulation Ezra flipped your slumped body firmly on the cot. Your tired back hit the familiarity of your cot and you instinctively reach out for him. You needed his warm skin against yours, anchoring you to the present where he touched you and made you feel worshiped.

Ezra stripped himself of his clothes and let your arms loop against his neck, his has fitting against your neck where he safely murmured his wants and needs to you. His plump lips sucking on the tender flesh of your neck making your hoarse voice cry out for him, needing him in any form he'd give himself to you. You just needed him.

"Need you inside-please," you moaned, hoping he'd fuck you so hard that you wouldn't have to think of the nauseating horror of the world outside your little bubble.

"Fuck-sweetheart, I'm a lot bigger than your used to. I gotta prep you so it doesn't hurt." You whined at that, you want him to be frantic just like before, not at all careful. Looking at what he meant by that you eyes his weeping tip, precum smearing down his cock. Drool escaped your lips at he beauty of him and you needed him inside you even more now.

"Please- you can go slow and fuck the tip in only," your fingers reached to your entrance, spreading them wide so he can see how bad you need it. Ezra couldn't help but whimper at the sight of you and finally tapped his shaft against your slightly overstimulated clit making you moan in the process. He slowly gathered the wetness, not quite going inside your entrance but tapping the tip on it.

Pumping his cock, you couldn't help but clench at the noise he made. He smiled at how shameless you've become in such short hours and he started to slowly insert the tip of his dick inside of you. He was following the instructions to a T and only fucking his fat tip in you, making you get used to the width before getting any more length in you.

You couldn't help but start to get antsy, you wanted everything now, you started to become greedy and your inhibitions continued to dissipate. You begged for more, tearing up because you weren't full of him yet.

"I thought you just wanted the tip sweetheart," Ezra teased, his previous frantic exterior has been reeled in just so he could tease your for being so needy. "You gotta ask nicely, be a good girl and tell me what you want. "

At this point your mind was swimming and begging for more pleasure, it wanted to drown in everything Ezra has to offer.

"Please I want-fuckk…I want you to fuck me, make me feel full." You tried to pull him closer but he stopped you in your tracks. Instead he slowly pushed himself inch by inch until he pulled himself out and start the process again. At this point you were drooling and the feeling of him going so deep only to feel empty again was killing you.

Ezra's teasing finally stopped once he pushed himself fully inside of you and started moving at that harsh pace. Wet noises and high moans fill the rooms as Ezra's pace continues to fold you in two. Slapping of skin and sweaty bodies overtake your senses and with the onslaught of his brutal pace your body tumbles into another orgasm before you can even register what the sensations you were feeling. Darkness covers your visions and after you clench around him he soon follows, coming inside you leaving you warm, the threat of cooling temperatures doesn't even feel possible anymore since you and Ezra have joined together as one.

Slowly and softly you felt like you faded into the vastness of the cosmos. You might be floating in the deep vacuum of space but you are tethered to a force that echoes and craves you.

It seems like you were stuck with Ezra and frankly you were more than okay with that.

[karniss-bg3]

Hey guys, hope you're doing well.

I apologize for being quiet/less active lately. I've hit a bit of a creative wall where I'm feeling the bite of burnout and it's been a struggle to write anything I can feel good about. My cat has also gotten sick which has resulted in a mad dash to the vet and a great deal of worrying on my end. She is fine for the moment which is a relief but the bill that came attached right before the holidays has added a new layer of stress. It will all work out but the events compound one another and it has tossed my mind into a vast, bleak fog.

For this reason I'll not be accepting new writing prompts for the time being. The ask box will remain open for all other inquiries/comments. I suspect the earliest I'll reopen writing requests is early next year after things have settled down. I do still have a few prompts to address so folks may see writing still pop up here as I move through the queue.

I know I often thank people for their support but I do want to delve into that a bit deeper. I never expected much from this blog when I first started it. I figured it would just be a depository for my ravenous Kar'niss obsession so I wouldn't flood followers on my primary blog with material they didn't sign up for. Instead it's morphed into a little haven for fellow drider enjoyers to congregate and discuss amongst their peers. From theorycrafting to praising their favorite Absolute loving arachnid, this spot became so much more than I ever imagined. Three-hundred plus followers later I still see the enthusiasm thrust into the comments and tags for a character that deserved more than he got.

Fandom can be beautiful and it can be ugly. Just like any community, it's subject to the flaws of its contributors. I am happy to say that, by and large, I've bore witness to more beauty than anything else and it's part of what has made this journey special to me. I am not Kar'niss, I don't work for Larian Studios, I am just a guy who gravitated toward a character I felt I could relate to and I ran with it. I am by no means a world class writer, merely someone who enjoys the art of storytelling. I am proud I was able to enrich an already bustling community with my little blurbs of text and I hope to continue to do so in the future.

So when I say thank you for your support I mean it. This has been some of the most fun I've had over the last two months and it is because of your passion and willingness to reach out. Hype comes and goes and I don't expect Kar'niss to be at the forefront of someone's mind forever. Should the day come that the devoted screams fade into hushed whispers I will still look back on my time here with great fondness. All of you are wonderful and I wish you nothing but good fortune for the end of this year and all throughout the next. Thanks for sticking with this old fart.

Have a fantastic holiday everyone!

[ryuichirou]

Replies

Continuing some of the previous conversations + talking about random stuff…

Anonymous asked:

I meant by the new prison warden info since you mentioned you been thinking over.

Ohh, I see! Sorry for misunderstanding, Anon.

No, unfortunately we don’t really have anything new to share for now :( That being said, whenever we get asked about the AU, we kind of come up with a lot of new stuff on the spot  lol so if you’re interested in any particular character, feel free to ask.

artfulhero-m asked:

Ryu that office worker Lilia art got me feeling like I'm at work cause as someone who works in an office herself with coworkers who are decades older than her (I'm in my 20s) I cannot express how extremely common the scaring prank is between my coworkers, at least once a week I'm hearing someone yell "BOO!" and hearing in response either a scream or complete silence followed by laughter.

Based off of real events, you got me thinking about Lilia leaving some kind of noise machine underneath other's desks playing fart sounds when the office reaches rare moments of quiet in the day. That fart machine will circulate around the office for a few days.

I am so happy to hear that you have no idea!! I’m very glad we came up with something that has this very specific office vibe lol As someone who has 0 experience with the office environment, I had no idea this type of behaviour was common in any way. I hope these interactions are mostly positive though and not annoying lol

Lilia ABSOLUTELY leaves all kinds of noise machines and whoopee cushions around, you can also never shake hands with him because he has that ring that shocks you, all kinds of classic pranks he’ll absolutely do. And as time goes, they’ll get more and more elaborate.

And if Lilia gets closer to Idia in any way shape of form, it’s over for everyone, because if they join forces… With Idia’s genius mind and skills, he could enhance that noise machine in a way that’ll make the whole office shudder…

Anonymous asked:

Oh, I sent the cursed asks about what Lilia bullied Idia into telling and Lilia’s past crimes. Those were what I was apologizing for XD

So those were yours!! Good to know. I liked these asks though lol

Anonymous asked:

After reading about General Lilia’s sordid past, the song Weedkiller by Ashnikko reminds me of him. Just….major psychotic, unhinged, creature vibes.

Psychotic unhinged creature is such a good way to describe this particular version of Lilia, and I feel like this song could fit perfectly into his personal mixtape! Along with a bunch of death metal songs, so the sound is going to be quite contrasting lol

Anonymous asked:

Do you have any designs for Ace's brother? I've always thought of his brother as Jack Hearts from Disney recruiters if you don't, but I've slapped so much angst onto those boys it's hard to imagine they wouldn't want to "support" each other whenever Ace comes home for the holidays.

Well… it’s kind of awkward, because our view of Ace’s brother is closer to Eddy’s brother from Ed Edd n Eddy lol Ace used to think that his older brother is cool and maybe even idolised him a little when he was a kid, but then got disillusioned and annoyed as he grew older. They bicker a lot because they’re siblings + both of them are kind of mean and quick to throw each other under the bus. His brother isn’t necessarily malicious (although scenarios in which he is a complete jerk could be super fun too), but they often have heated arguments + there is this sense of “I’m older, therefore I win” between them.

Sooo… while this design isn’t something that we’re 100% sure about (if I ever draw him again, he might look COMPLETELY different, so keep that in mind lol), but the overall vibe is kind of like this. A jerk that kind of looks like a slightly older Ace.

That being said, Ace’s brother being supportive of Ace and overcoming complicated stuff is a sweet idea, Anon! I really wonder what their actual relationships are like…

Anonymous asked:

Ohhh, you would LOVE Criminal Minds. Serial murderers, mind games, sympathetic backstories, cursed people doing cursed things, it’s a beautiful, terrible show. ☺️

I can’t believe this is my first time hearing about this show considering the fact that it’s rather old?? But thank you for recommendation, Anon! <3

We very rarely watch live action series, but anything that is described as both beautiful and terrible (and cursed!) is always intriguing.

[romaine2424]

Daily Blog July 3, 2023

Not feeling chatty today, too many errands and chores to do. At least I don't have to buy fireworks this year for the 4th of July. They were just outlawed last year where I live. Before that, we were all out in the street shooting of aerials and and lots of other things. Neighbors around the corner always put on quite the show. Had a few scary moments over the years. But it was all fun until the clean up!

What I'm reading:

Oh wow Everybody Hates a Tourist by anon for the @hd-wireless fest definitely earned it's right to open the fic portion of the fest. It created quite the atmosphere in Brighton were we find one Draco Malfoy living the gay Muggle scene for the last 8 years.

Summary:

On a stag do in sunny Brighton with the Gryffindor lads, the last person Harry expects to run into is Draco Malfoy. After a glimpse of Malfoy’s Muggle life in Britain’s gay capital, Harry’s curiosity gets the better of him and he finds himself returning to the seaside again and again, drawn to the city, drawn to this new version of Malfoy that Harry barely recognises from school. Meanwhile, Draco’s just trying to live his big and best queer life: working for the weekend, chasing hot men, getting lost in Brighton's nightlife, and making friends with the neighbourhood cats. Why does his former school rival and crush have to show up and spoil everything?

There was so much to enjoy about this fic given the summertime atmosphere and just hanging out in the pubs, having some smokes, and eating bits of this and that. Harry in this fic is going through some changes in his life but is still on solid ground physically and mentally. We think Draco is too, but there is a vulnerability there and, of course, Harry wants to fix it. One of my favorite things about this fic is Harry's innocence but also sense of adventure. Draco introducing him bit by bit to his lifestyle and the atmosphere of Brighton and Harry is wide-eyed but also enthusiastic. Very cute. Oh and asking for gossip about fellow classmates was a riot. Poor innocent Harry. :) A lovely feel-good fic with definite moments of seriousness. Read and definitely give MA some love with comments!

Everybody Hates a Tourist on AO3

Drarry Tumblr Fic/Art Resources

I know most of you are probably already following @thedrarrylibrarian, but not everyone goes to the home page of someone's Tumblr site. This is a must for @thedrarrylibrarian because there is so much packed into a few links. The first thing you should do is read the FAQ on the home page before you get started. Especially if you're looking for a type of fic. Some fic genres and tropes aren't covered. Also, if you're looking for a specific fic, this is not the place as noted. That is @lostdrarryfics, another great drarry fandom resource.

What is on here is a Card Catolog, which gives a plethora of subject matters to find fics under. Like Beach Reads, or Spy!Draco or Raising Teddy. And even better, they are being continually updated.

Also there is the Reference Section, which is extremely helpful. Here's a few examples: How to Tag your Fic, How to Gain Friends & Friends Writing Fanfic, and How to Write Fanfic Summaries!

The last category, I've mentioned before and that is Friends of the Library, which is a list with links to the collaborations with other writers/artists/reccers/friends, which includes The Happy Hour events.

And finally, you can always ask for a type of fic(s) to fulfill a certain want or need. :)

A lot of work has gone into the site. It's very easy to use, which I particularly am a fan of. So go play around and see what you can discover in the @thedrarrylibrarian!

Tomorrow is a holiday and I'm not sure I'll be making a post as we have some family plans. Hope everyone enjoys their week!

Rom

[dollycas]

Sunday Salon / Sunday Post – A Week in the Life of Dollycas – Weekly Rewind – New Arrivals

The Sunday Salon is a Facebook group that has become an informal week-in-review gathering place for bloggers. It is also a place to share our thoughts about things of a bookish nature. You can also link up weekly on Readerbuzz. The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received, and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE! September already. Why is this year flying by so fast? Remi had his 1st football game of the season last Saturday night. It is tackle, no more flags, this year. Sadly the 6th grade didn't have enough players to field their own team so they are now combined with the 7th graders. That means playing a little less and learning new positions. The team took a little time to find their rhythm and lost 0-6. Remi had some great plays including one that caused an interception. They didn't have a game this week due to the holiday weekend. You can see I have a new ride. Mr. Dollycas surprised me with a scooter. So I traded in the wheelchair for it for sporting events and other adventures. It's my favorite color - Purple! I am still getting used to operating it and just like when I was driving a car, reverse is not my strong suit.  Hopefully, I will get it all figured out soon. Two of the grands started school on Wednesday—Thomas in Second Grade and Charlotte in Kindergarten. The Varsity boys played Friday night against the team that kept them from playing for a championship last year. They went on to win the state championship. So it was time for some redemption. Kaden did not play, nor did he play the first game last week. He suffered a concussion a couple of weeks ago at practice and has been following the concussion protocol. He was finally cleared to practice last Monday and has some catching up to do. They also have a new head coach this year so all the boys are adjusting to new ways of doing things. The game was a nail-biter and there were some mistakes but the Cardinals took the lead and held it to win 20 - 16. This week is a huge game against another state champ. Kaden hopes to be ready to play. It is hard for him to stand on the sidelines and watch. He loves playing this game. It was also Youth Night at the Varsity football game where kids from Kindergarten - 8th Grade were recognized. Of course, I did my reading, blogging, and book tours all week but chasing the grandkids is so much fun. How was your week? Weekly Rewind - August 26 - 31, 2024 Monday - My Reading Itinerary Monday! – Week #35 – 2024 Tuesday - Murder at Vinland (A Gilded Newport Mystery) by Alyssa Maxwell #Review / #Giveaway @KensingtonBooks @Alyssa__Maxwell Wednesday - Cozy Wednesday featuring In the Event of Murder (A Starlit Bookshop Mystery) by Cynthia Kuhn #Review / #Giveaway – Great Escapes Book Tour @cynthiakuhn Thursday - A Poisonous Palate (A Key West Food Critic Mystery) by Lucy Burdette #Review / #Giveaway @LucyBurdette @crookedlanebks Friday - Dear Little Corpses (A Josephine Tey Mystery) by Nicola Upson #Spotlight / #Giveaway @crookedlanebks Plus - Ellen Byron Saturday - Death at the Manor (LILY ADLER MYSTERY) by Katharine Schellman #Spotlight / #Giveaway HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE! Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent Read the full article

[theharrowing]

hello there harrow, i am brand new to following you, and I saw that you posted, and I thought "oh wow neat i will read some of this while killing time and then come back to it later" and now i am finished with reading it, and I am currently losing my mind?! hello?! I'm just casually sitting at my mother in law's house, hiding away in the guest room while my partner helps their mother cook some new year treats, reading your fic and discovering a lot about myself. hello, new kinks! 🤝new year new kinks!

how do you manage to write something so sexy and so comforting? the way the characters in truth or dare communicate is so refreshing. is it tmi to ask if you have experience with some of this stuff because it feels so authentic.

so glad i followed a friend's advice and found you! i have been quietly reading dollhouse and I plan to give you all of my thoughts but I have been too shy to reach out until now. what a masterpiece. (dollhouse and this one, although I see the unhappy ending tag on dollhouse and I am so fucking scared)

thank you for representing non-binary/agender people!!!!!!!!!!!! i am obsessed with you already!!!!!!!!!!!! happy new year!!!!!! 🎉

ME WHEN SOMEONE MENTIONS DOLLHOUSE:

ANON HI HELLO OH MY GOSH HELLO!!!!!!!!! you are so kind!!! 🥺 i hope that you and your partner and their mom (and anyone else present!!!) has such a lovely holiday. i definitely understand needing to hide away at the function and read something absolutely depraved to pass the time. 💜💜💜

THANK YOU FIRST OF ALL FOR FOLLOWING ME, AND TO YOUR FRIEND FOR SUGGESTING IT, AND FOR READING DOLLHOUSE MY BABY FIC MY PRIDE AND JOY MY ANGSTY LITTLE SWEETHEART i miss Dollhouse everyday i am not joking. i love them so much.

not tmi (i have talked about it before and i am happy to answer any questions as long as they are not terribly invasive lol!) but yes, i was in a kink/bdsm community for a while, and even participated in events/shows where i was a submissive in front of an audience 🙊🙈 and i dated the dominatrix who i participated with hehehehe. although i am not part of the community anymore, i do love it, and i love to exploit those experiences for my fics and attempt to write from my experiences (but tbh my fics are much softer and the communication is much more rampant/insistent because i try to go above and beyond to set a good/safe example. even though it is fiction and i hope that people are not using my work as a lesson to learn or as a blueprint or anything, i think it is important to be responsible with how i depict bdsm [unless stated otherwise; i do have fics where consent is not respected, and so on, but they are marked as such in warnings.])

i am so grateful that the writing feels authentic. 💜 and i am honored that you enjoyed it!!! i hope that, should you choose to practice those new kinks, you have a lot of fun!!! communication is key!!!

please feel free to yell at me about Dollhouse!!! i'll be here!!!!!!!! ahhhhhh!!!! but no pressure. and don't fear the ending!!! it's not as bad as i hyped it up to be, i promise. i was just scared that people wouldn't see my vision, but so far, everyone who has commented on it has had good things to say. 💜💜💜happy reading!!! and happy new year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!🎉🥳✨

[witchsbrewillustrations]

Goodbye 2023

Hello everyone! I know it’s a little early, but I want to start off by wishing everyone a happy new years. I hope you all all had a fun and safe holiday season this year and that 2024 brings you twice as much happiness and joy as this year had. For those of you who are going though a though time right now, I hope next year is kinder to you. Please know that whatever pain you are feeling may not all go away, but will get easier to carry with you as time passes. There is ALWAYS someone out there who loves you and you are never alone though sometimes it may not feel as such.

I also want to apologize for being AFK for quiet some time. As some who follow me on my other social media platforms may know, this fall and winter season has been a hard time for myself and my family. My family has suffered the sudden losses of loved ones starting back in October with my sister’s husband. Most recently, on December 14, my sister and I also lost our Mom to cancer after she suffered a cardiac arrest witch left her without oxygen for over 10 minutes.

Needless to say, it has been a tough and emotional time for our family and it has been hard to stay motivated to work on art especially now that I will no longer see a notification from my mom liking my artwork and leaving comments telling me how wonderful she thinks it looks. Even though she might not have understood my interest and hobbies, she always made an effort to show she cared because she knew they where important to me.

I sincerely want to thank everyone who has liked my posts or recently started following. I see you and truly appreciate your patience with me. I’m not a “fast” artist in general but recent events have made it difficult to stay motivated in all areas of my life.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone and I truly hope that next year is better for all of us.

[dreamingcloudie]

congrats on 100+ followers!!! 🐊

--

#31 - “Let’s go out into the snow!”

#36 - “Darling, why didn’t you tell me you feel cold?”

#48 - “To be able to spend every day like this with you… is not something I object to.”

Dottore x Sick!GN!Reader (yk the chronic illness x doctor trope things wink wonk) n reader was like begging to go outside as a way to spend the holidays cuz they knew Dottore wasn't one for all the Christmas-y things (2nd harbinger tings) and he's like omg fine

aaaand just take it from there!!!! congrats again love♡

✨️The First For Us Both✨️

✎ Prompts:

#31 - "Let's go out into the snow!"

#36 - "Darling, why didn't you tell me you feel cold?"

#48 - "To be able to spend every day like this with you... is not something I object to."

⤷100+ followers special event✨️

Pairing(s): Dottore x Sick!GN!Reader

Genre/Format: Fluff (oneshot)

Warning(s): None!

wc: ~1.7k

Notes: AHH Thank you so much Anon!!! I'm in love with that trope 😫👌 and I had fun writing it! I hope you'll enjoy 💕 Happy holidays everyone!

Any feedback is greatly appreciated! ♡

“Holidays are just excuses for people to laze around.”

A statement you’ve heard more than you could count left his lips as he studied the vial in his hand. He never bothered to celebrate something so frivolous—claiming that it was a waste of time. While the others were too busy cozying up in their blankets; he was making tons of scientific breakthroughs. He just couldn’t see the point of why people would rather spend their time chatting over a table of Sweet Madame and cocktails! Wasn’t turning a mortal into a celestial being far more intriguing?

You knew convincing Dottore to go outside with you would be a challenge. He wasn’t one to indulge himself in things that have nothing to do with his research, and he obviously had a role to fulfill. Putting off his work whenever was just not possible.

You let out a quiet groan as you got rejected. Again.

“Let’s go out into the snow!” You pleaded. “It’ll be fun!”

Dottore didn’t even bother giving you a glance, having gone through this conversation many times. “We’ve talked about this, dear. And may I remind you, doing anything rash could worsen your illness—your respiratory system, specifically.”

Of course, it was always that illness of yours. Your condition wasn’t exactly optimal to really do anything. For every holiday as a child, rarely would you go outside and join the other kids. You just sat aside attached to an IV as they chased each other around. Now that you’ve grown up, with the help of your lover he was able to make your illness a bit more bearable for you. But still, it wasn’t enough—It wasn’t enough to let you do whatever you wanted to. Though it did not stop you. Holidays like these come by once a year and the desire burns within you. It was either now or to wait for another year for there to be a chance to convince him again.

“Please, Dottore? It’s only going outside, that’s all I’m asking.”

He moved around his lab, elegance followed his every step. You’d honestly be content just by watching him if you weren’t making it your life mission to persuade him.

“Why don’t you go back and rest now? Remember to also take your medication.”

Was he getting annoyed? You couldn’t help but think to yourself. He didn’t sound like he was, nor did he act like it. But he was a master at hiding how he felt so there was no way of telling. Maybe he really didn’t want to… Pressing him on wouldn’t do, as much as you yearned to go outside with him, you’d never force him to do anything. Without saying a word, you only gave him a nod.

He continued his research as you retreated to your room with your hands on the wall supporting you. With an eyesight as keen as his, he didn’t fail to catch the bitter look on you when you left. He sighed to himself. Why were you so eager to go out there? It was just a barren land of snow, nothing more. And it wasn’t like you’ve never seen or touched it before… Then again, he’d always listen to you as you blabbed about how you wanted to make snow angels in it, whatever that means.

It’s only going outside, he thought back to your words. He then looked at the clock on the wall. Twelve-fifteen.

---

You were sitting on the bed with a snowglobe in your hands, shaking it and watching as sprinkles danced around. Lost in your own train of thoughts, you didn’t acknowledge someone came into your room until they picked you up. Startled by the sudden touch, the snowglobe fell out of your hands onto the bed and you were being carried away. Your scream died down in your throat when you saw it was only…

“Dottore? W-what are you doing?”

He only kept silent as his boots tapped against the floor, taking you through a series of long corridors. You were panicking inside, was he getting tired of you? No, it couldn’t be. He would never hurt you. But the only time where he’d stay silent was when—

A rush of icy breeze blew onto your face when Dottore opened the doors to… the back entrance of the palace? He walked a few steps not too far away from the entrance before putting you down onto the snow gently. Thoughts were running wild in your mind, what the heck just happened?

“You said you wished to go outside, correct? The sun is still high in the sky, and the palace is able to block most of the winds. I suppose it is suitable enough for you to be out here today,” he spoke.

You couldn’t believe your eyes, you sunk your fingers into the powdery snow beneath you. It was a lot softer than you remembered. Too mesmerized by the snow, you didn’t even realize you were shaking. Was it from excitement? Or was it from the cold? Regardless, Dottore draped the coat he brought with him over you anyways, not taking his chances.

“Dear, why didn’t you tell me you feel cold?”

Though you didn’t answer him, you carefully laid your back onto the snow and started to move your arms and legs around. Dottore only stood and observed you. What were you doing?

After a while of moving around, you rolled a bit to the side and showed him what you made. “Ta-da!”

You giggled as you saw him putting a hand under his chin, a little gesture that he did whenever he felt perplexed. “May I ask, what is it that you’ve made?”

“That’s a snow angel!” You told him.

“A snow angel?” he hummed. “How so?”

“There’s the head, its wings and the dress,” you explained, pointing out the parts as you did. The confused frown on him then turned into his usual smirk, letting out an “Aha!”

“You should make one too,” you suggested.

“I don’t take part in trivial activities, my dear.”

“Exactly! This is no trivial matter, it’s time you learn what’s so fun about holidays,” you said, tugging on his sleeve to get him to sit down next to you.

You couldn’t see it, but you could tell he rolled his eyes behind the mask when he reluctantly laid down, not without grumbling about how foolish this was. Not needing any further instructions, he copied your movements from memory, moving his arms and legs just like you did.

“Like this?”

“Yup!”

He was lucky no one else except for you was there, who would’ve thought the sight of the intimidating, second Fatui Harbinger—moving his limbs around in the snow, could make him look so harmless? If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he was just an ordinary guy, and not a mad scientist.

He moved to the side and showed you his snow angel, it looked almost exactly like yours, albeit a lot bigger. You went on to draw a tiny heart between them, seeing as they reminded you of both you and Dottore.

“And now, they’re in love like us.” You snickered at your own little antics, not noticing the corners of your lover’s lips lifted up ever so slightly.

Moving on to the next on your list, still sitting on the ground, you started to roll some snow together into a ball. Dottore’s eyes followed your hand as it moved around, curious to know what you were doing. “What is it that you’re doing now?”

“You’ll see,” you told him, now making a second ball.

Without thinking much, he also started to do what you were doing, rubbing his hand against the snowy floor, creating a sphere with rough edges. From the corner of your eye, you could see the tip of his tongue peeking out a bit as his attention was fixated on forming a perfect snowball. It was odd—in a good way—to see such childlike behavior from him. Adorable wasn’t a word you’d use to describe someone like him. But at that moment, it very much suited him.

As he was focusing on making his fifth, he was suddenly hit with something cold on his arm. He turned his head to where the snowball came from and saw you holding another one in your hand, aiming at him and ready to throw. He leaned back and dodged the snowball you threw at him, grinning at when you missed and hit a rock instead. He picked up one from the pile he made and gently threw it in your direction, careful not to hurt you. It ended up landing on your thigh, earning a squeal from you.

And thus started a mini snowball fight between the two of you.

You were about to throw another one when you began to cough uncontrollably. Dottore hurried to scoot a little closer to you, wrapping his arms around you.

“Are you feeling alright, dear?”

“Y-yea, just a bit tired.” You assured him, trying to catch your breath.

“Of course, all that throwing makes you breathless.”

The both of you fell into a comforting silence and you snuggled a bit closer to him, loving the warmth it gave off from the embrace. He took a glance to check on you, not expecting to see you looking up at him dreamily with your half-lidded eyes. Even with his eyes covered, you could still somewhat see his crimson ones were meeting yours.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” He asked.

This was the most lively you’ve ever been since you were restricted to do pretty much most of the things due to your illness. So without a doubt, you were ecstatic to do what you wished to as a kid.

“I did. Very much too, in fact,” you told him. “I wish we could do this again.”

“Well, the snow is permanent here. And…” he trailed off. “To be able to spend every day like this with you… is not something I object to.”

This was the first you’ve ever seen him having fun. Not the experimenting-on-people kind, but the ones where he’d let out that charming smile that could rival the brightest star in the sky. He’d never admit it, but you knew that he genuinely enjoyed his first time doing what he thought was pointless with you. And you certainly enjoyed your first time spending the holiday in the snow with him as well—just like the little you had always wanted.

[flslp87]

Updated 12/30/2022 for New Year’s 2023

It’s been three years since I put together this little ficlit together. But every year, I pull it out and add to it. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll have a complete story.

Life has changed a lot for many of us since OUAT ended. While I’ve not been writing (or really even reading) fanfics, I haven’t said goodbye to writing, though. I’ve been writing small town mystery romance. My books are available in all Estores. You can check them out here.  Swan Harbor Books 

Some of my friends that I met through our love for CS @imagnifika  @duathadun @lfh1226-linda and Maggie for hanging with me through it all. 

My hope is for 2023 to bring peace and happiness to all. Remember - without hope, there would be no happy endings. 

This ficlet follows canon from my Season 7 Canon divergent -- A Happy Ending Begins with Hope. It can be found on AO3, FF, and tumblr with gifs. 

Summary: Hope has a date.  How will her family react?

Hope’s New Year’s Date

Words ~ 1500

During Hope Jones’ young life, Storybrooke had gone through many changes, and none more so than around the holidays. They had town Easter Egg hunts, fireworks and picnics in July, bonfires for Halloween, family feasts at Thanksgiving, and caroling at Christmas. 

Hope had memories of each one of them. However, there was one event that she had been looking forward to for years, and that was the Snowflake Ball. 

Held every New Year’s Eve, the Snowflake Ball was only for those who were sixteen and above. Everyone brought out their formal clothes and danced until midnight. And, if she was lucky, the man she was crushing on would ask her to go with him. 

Gideon Gold was ahead of her in school and so dreamy, he made her head spin. Plus, when he looked at her with his chocolate brown eyes, her heart raced, and her breath stuck in her throat. 

She’d been crushing on him for years, but it had only been in the last six months that he’d given her the time of day. Did that mean that he was seeing her as more than a girl? If so, was it possible she’d finally get to spend the evening with him — as his date? 

Two weeks before the New Year’s Eve Ball, Hope was at Granny’s with her best friends, Melanie and Robyn, bemoaning the fact that Gideon still hadn’t done as she wished. Her only saving grace was that he’d not asked anyone else either — of that, she was sure. So far, she’d tried everything she could think of to let him know she was available. At the speed he was moving, though …. 

“Earth to Hope.” Melanie snapped her fingers several times. “Earth to Hope.” 

“I’m sitting right here, Melanie,” Hope grumbled. “What’s the problem?” 

“You were staring off into space again,” Robyn replied. “Were you dreaming about Gideon?” 

“Shush,” Hope hissed. “He’s sitting right over there!” 

“He can’t hear us,” Melanie assured her. 

Hope glanced over her shoulder toward where Gideon was sitting with her uncle, Neal, and had to agree with Melanie. There was no way they could be heard from that far away. 

“You should have told your uncle to tell Gideon to ask you out,” Robyn suggested. “It would have saved a lot of circling around each other.” 

“Don’t you know circling around each other is part of the fun?” Hope grinned. “Or at least that’s what my mother says.” 

“You don’t believe her, though. Do you?” Melanie followed up. 

Hope glanced up from where she’d been pleating and unpleating her napkin. “Why would you say that?” 

Melanie nodded down at the table. “Because you’re nervous. If you were having fun, you wouldn’t be nervous.” 

Did she agree with her friends? She wasn’t so sure. Yes, she enjoyed flirting with Gideon. But it would be so much easier to enjoy flirting with him, if she knew what he thought of her. 

“You could ask him, you know?” Robyn offered pragmatically. “This is the twenty-first century, after all.” 

“I know,” Hope sighed. “But …” Again, her gaze was drawn over her shoulder to the table where Gideon and Neal were still involved in a deep conversation. Robyn was right. She could ask him. 

“Go on,” Melanie encouraged. “But what?” 

Hope shrugged. “My father is a little old-fashioned and well …” 

Robyn frowned. “But didn’t I see in the book that your mother asked your father out first?” 

“That was different,” Hope murmured. “My father didn’t think he was good enough for my mother.” 

“And you don’t think that’s an issue with Gideon?” Melanie asked. “After all, his father and your father have a history.” 

“Which I’m fully aware of,” Hope snapped. “But I want him to ask me. Do you think I’m expecting too much?” 

“I would say ‘have hope,’” Melanie grinned. “But something tells me you don’t need it.” 

“Why?” 

“Because,” Robyn tipped her chin slightly in Gideon’s direction, “ he’s headed this way.” 

“He’s what?” Hope squeaked. 

“On his way over,” Melanie whispered. 

Hope glanced over her shoulder, and when her gaze briefly met Gideon’s, her heart dropped into her stomach. 

Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! She leaned on the table. “How do I look?” 

Melanie rolled her eyes. “You look fine. Stop worrying.” 

“Hope,” Gideon’s aftershave titillated her senses, “can I speak with you for a moment?”  

Hope’s gaze slowly lifted until her blue eyes clashed with his dark ones. “Sure.” She wanted to roll her eyes at just how breathy she sounded. “Can I help you with something?” 

Gideon’s gaze touched on Melanie and Robyn, then back to Hope. “Can we speak alone? Would that be alright?” 

“Oh, Okay. That would be fine.” Then she wanted to roll her eyes at how ridiculous she sounded. 

“Can we talk now?” Gideon asked again. 

“Go on,” Melanie mouthed. 

Hope took a nervous breath and slid out of the booth. The butterflies in her stomach took off at once. It forced her to focus on putting one foot in front of the other as she followed Gideon across the floor. 

He led her around the building to a secluded corner and crowded her, pushing her to back up against the wall. Being close to him was everything she’d ever wanted, but now that it was happening, her heart was racing, and the urge to giggle was strong.   

“Is this okay?” Gideon asked hesitantly. “I noticed that—“

“—Everyone was staring at us?” Hope muttered. 

“Yes.” Gideon smiled. “Are you okay with that?” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” 

“Well,” he went on. “Our fathers …” 

“Will never be best friends,” Hope replied. “Why?” She hesitated for a beat. “Are you scared of my dad?” Then she wanted to smack herself in the head that those words had fallen from her mouth. “Scared?” Gideon laid his hand on his chest. “Me?” 

“There’s no one else out here.” 

“I’m not scared.” Gideon propped one hand on the building next to her head and leaned in a little closer. “Should I be?” 

“It depends.” 

“On?” 

“Why you brought me out here?” 

Gideon’s gaze dropped to her mouth, then right back up. It caused her lips to tingle and made her wonder what it would feel like if she just went for it. 

“Hope.” He brushed her hair behind her shoulder and took a half step closer. His dark eyes mesmerized her, and his heat reached out. “I was wondering if you would go to the Snowflake Ball with me?” 

Her breath caught, and the words Be cool! Be cool! were on repeat inside her head. But having Gideon ask her to go to the dance had been her dream for longer than she could remember. “Yes!” She fought to keep from squealing. “Yes, I’ll go to the dance with you.” 

A slow smile crawled across Gideon’s mouth. “You will?” 

“I will.” 

His eyes twinkled, and before he even opened his mouth, somehow, she knew what he was going to say. “And you’ll protect me from your father? If it’s necessary, that is.” 

Hope giggled. “I’ll protect you.” 

“Good,” he replied in a husky voice. “I’ll pick you up at 8:00 p.m.”  

“I’ll be waiting.”  

Gideon brushed his knuckles down her cheek. “We’ll have fun.” 

Her breath hitched, and she fought to push the lump in her throat down. “We will.” 

“Shall we?” He inclined his head toward the diner door. 

In a daze, Hope followed him back inside and slid into her booth seat. “Well,” Melanie and Robyn cried simultaneously. “What happened?” 

“What happened?” Hope asked absently. 

“Did he ask you to the dance?” Melanie pushed. 

“Did you say yes?” Robyn followed up. 

“What are you going to tell you parents?” Melanie questioned. 

Hope glanced from one friend to the other. “What do you mean?” 

“You know the history between your fathers,” Robyn stated. “Will there be bloodshed?” 

“Bloodshed?” Hope giggled. “Aren’t you the one who said this is the twenty-first century?” 

“True,” Robyn sighed. “But that had nothing to do with the possibility of a duel.” 

Hope rolled her eyes. “There’s not going to be a duel. Everything will be fine.” 

“Good luck with that.” Melanie smiled sympathetically. “I’m glad I’m not you.”  

“Gee, thanks.” Hope glanced over her shoulder in Gideon’s direction again, and their gazes clashed. “I told him I’d protect him if I needed to.” 

Robyn waggled her eyebrows. “But who’s going to protect you from Gideon?” 

“Do you think I need to be protected from Gideon?” Hope murmured. “I’m not so sure.” 

“I guess it depends on what you want,” Melanie replied. “What do you want?” 

Once again, Hope’s gaze clashed with Gideon’s. What did she want from him? The memory of how he’d made her lips tingle when he’d looked at them had her turning back to her friends. “What do I want?” 

“Yes, Hope,” Robyn nodded. “What do you want?” 

“A kiss,” Hope sighed. “I just want a kiss.” 

***

Fin ... at least for now. 

Will she get it? Should the story be finished? 

Happy 2023! May all your dreams come true.  

Tagged a few people who were on the initial one.

@sailormew4 @annaamell @emmateo26 @bethacaciakay @ultraluckycatnd @effulgent-mind @ilovemesomekillianjones @kat2609 @brooke-to-broch @missgymgirl @galadriel26 @the-lady-of-misthaven​ @charmingturkeysandwich​ @jennjenn615​ @kimmy46​ @snowbellewells​ @iamanneenigma​ @daxx04​ @nickillian​ @in-spirational​ @gillie​  @britishguyslover​ @ginnyjinxedandhanshotritafirst​ @kmomof4​  @linda8084​ @golfgirld​ @captain-swan-coffee​ @searchingwardrobes​ @hollyethecurious​ @laughswaytoomuch​  @allyourdarlingswans​  @winterbaby89​ @facesiousbutton82​ @therooksshiningknight​, @lfh1226-linda​ @tiganasummertree​  @jrob64 @jonesfandomfanatic    @everything-person @girl-in-a-tiny-box @resident-of-storybrooke @qualitycoffeethings @sherifffjones  @countrybroadwayprincess    @tiganasummertree   @hufflepuffinstorybrooke   @kristi555    @nikkiemms @gingerchangeling @marcella2727    @idontdothatveryoften @lady-bell

[carnal-lnstinct]

End of Year Wrap

Another year coming to an end and another joy in working behind this blog. There has been so much good to come this year that of course I have to give the credit where it is due and it comes from everyone who follows, interacts with, and encourages the content of this blog. Thank you all! Always for the support, the idea sharing, the requests, and everything that has helped make this an unforgettable and fun experience for me. From the bottom of my heart, the love I have received has been so meaningful to me.

Happy Holidays and A Happy New Year to everyone!

Individual appreciation

For those who made this year much more enjoyable than it already was and just some kind words to those who, even without realizing it, never fails to be just what I needed at the right moment ♥

@blue-wristbands

My dearest friendo! You have been nothing less than a blessing to this blog. ♥ Always supporting my wild musings and inspiring me left and right without even trying. Plus your art is amazing and I hope we all get to see more of it in the year to come. Your kindness and friendship has been very special to me, I hope only the best for you!

@emmacornell

First off, thank you for opening my eyes to the joy of Raditz and his thighs potential. I'm thrilled that in this year I had the chance to interact with you, share interests with you, bounce ideas off you (EVERYONE THANK EMMA FOR SCOURGE OF THE STARS RIGHT NOW), and actually get to see your writing! You catch a lot of references I make in my fics and tags and that always puts a smile on my face! You are without a doubt someone who keeps me excited about writing and I need you to know your writing is beautiful and with your blessing we may see more of that in the future! And I mean be feral about it

@kayisonline

We've gotten to interact more towards the end of the year and you've really been a delight to talk to! I feel honored that you trust to speak with me about things in your life and share some of your interests with me! Especially about Gohan and Vegito ♥♥

@beneathstarryskies & @actuallysaiyan

Protect these two at all costs! I had to acknowledge you both together because I consider you guys the dynamic duo of my dash! ♥ You are more than an inspiration to me than you know and I lose my mind when you reference me in your posts. We have a lot in common which is an even bigger bonus and there are not enough words to say how great a pair of writers you are. I am looking forward to what ideas you bring out for the next year! Please always be kind and patient to yourselves, your writing is always amazing and we will always love it!

@missnebulaasnebul

fellow Vegito lover 🤝The niche you created with your blog is so special and that one VegitoxBlack!Reader fic killed me please always write more for the fusion boys. Your headcanons especially are so well versed and thought out, it gives so much more depth to fusions than "they're just goku and vegeta fused". That is love and that is care put into what matters most to you and these are so important! I'm happy to know your blog exists and can't wait to see what you make next. ♥

@miss-taura

You are very kind and have been since the first time we spoke! You have also encouraged fics for SS4 of all saiyans and that is crazy but I'm crazy with you and I cannot lie. ♥ Our interactions have been brief but always so pleasant!

There are so many people that have brought so much friendly interaction and support whether one-offs or on the regular that I can't quite think of everyone, but thank you all so, so much! You all have my love.

For the future

At this time, I'm not certain of all the events and holidays I will be participating in, but I will keep everyone updated as much as I can. Favored events will definitely come back and feel free to recommend any events you think would be a good fit for this blog. Requests will continue, but I will be using the rest of December to work on my own fics. I look forward to doing more events, get into collabs, creating new series, and, as my comfort grows with writing characters, expanding on writing requests if possible!

Lost WIPs

Can't send off the year without some writing wips that didn't quite make it, so since I have nothing better to do than to reflect on the stories and wips here's a synopsis of things I thought I wanted to write but didn't 👌🏾 (yes they are mostly dwd-related it rules my thoughts 24/7)

Neither Goku, Nor Vegeta - Vegito

Because of course I wanted a Vegito version of it! Though, I wouldn't have written him as jealous as Gogeta was rather than just obnoxiously confident of the impression he would leave on the reader. What can you do about it with his dick inside ya? Nothing, that's what!

Pouncy Super Saiyan 4s

This one was just a headcanon post for signs SS4!Saiyans give off before they "pounce" on the reader. I love an excuse to write feral, needy boys okay. there was gonna be cuddling

Toppin' Vegeta

Gotta get wasted and top saiyans, that's the key. But I got writer's block with this one and didn't go back to it.

Yandere!Goku

This one was less yandere and more of some just straight-up evil au. Like if the wishes made on the dragon balls worked like a monkey's paw or evil genie's wish. So if Goku dies and you bring him back to life, what did you bring back with him? Did you bring all of him back, or what is this creature possessing the body of the strongest warrior on Earth who fucking READS MINDS? Kinda inspired by AHS:C0ven

Hard At Work - Lifeguard!Raditz

When you go to a resort and thick-legged lifeguard keeps finding you around the beach. All from an ask I sent emma ♥ Would have been about that ONE THING I can't avoid in writing but actually on purpose.

Remaining Saiyans AU

That AU I wrote before about how surviving saiyans are basically hunted and captured as the last of their kind to be put to work or...used. And of course it would have been an au where SS4 is the default look. My dropped Vegeta fic for smu//tember would have been an introduction to it to see if I really wanted to delve into that au but I guess I didn't. Actually I might still do it but it would be a loooong time before it comes out xD

DWD Sex Pollen Trope

I didn't know EXACTLY what the SP Trope was until I looked it up and realized it was basically the Elysia fruit from DWD Valentines Day fic. I loved the idea of the fruit so much I wanted to write another fic about it where A) Chi Chi actually got Goku to grow an Elysia Fruit Tree to sell the fruit and it just fucks up the atmosphere and those around it get super horny for science or B) Kamidere goes to the planet Ambrosi to get another fruit and takes Goku and Vegeta with her.

DWD Yamoshi!Vegeta x Kamidere Reincarnated Trope

I don't fully remember, but I did want it to be like if Yamoshi was reincarnated as Vegeta and upon becoming a SSG remembers his past life and interactions shared with the God of Destruction who came to Planet Vegeta. As in Goku and Vegeta were not her first saiyans to be fond of. Also further going into the dream of the Super Saiyan God (or seer fish prediction, whichever is "canon") that is really why she went searching for him.

Divinely Favored Follow up

This was just going to be two fics, one for each pairing where Vegeta and Goku reveal what the winner wanted from Kamidere. also more threesomes with the wives because why not. It was just gonna be "normal" for the pairing now. Spice up your marriage with a destroyer god 👌🏾But I think where they ended is fine and didn't need a follow-up.

Lot of good, fun ideas with poor timing and planning put into them. Maybe they die with the year, maybe I come back to them and tweak them with a fresher approach. We will see ♥♥♥

[tarlosweeklyprompts]

✨ THANK YOU ✨

Thank you to everyone who follows this blog. Thank you to those who reblog my prompts. Thank you to those who write fic's and create edits for my prompts. Thank you to those who support this blog and the creators who work to write amazing and fantastic fan fiction.

I have had so much fun this past year since creating this blog and have come up with so many prompts. I've read some incredible fan fiction and have made so many amazing friends because of this blog.

I absolutely love coming up with prompts for people and reading what you all come up with. It's such a joy. It's been an amazing year and I am so excited to see what next year brings.

We've just finished our last event for the year, and with that coming to an end, I am going to take a tiny break.

PROMPTS WILL START POSTING AGAIN ON JANUARY 8, 2023

Because of the holidays I don't want people to miss out on prompts they want to write and I know a lot of us will be busy with family.

That being said, I have created a survey for you guys to complete if you would like to with questions for both @tarlosweeklyprompts and @tarlosmonthlyprompts

I would absolutely love your feedback.

Happy Holidays,

- T