#Help i was about to hit post and my roommate started suddenly loudly playing the funeral by band of horses HWLLO

[shopcat]

what if jugheads name was bughead ...?

just something to think about

[morganbritton132]

I read ‘zoomies with the kids.’ and assumed it was one of the boys running around the house with the fur babies lol. I see it being Steve and Eddie watching on found but annoyed because Steve is zooming in socks on the hardwood floors and head injuries…

Can I just say how happy this series makes me? I love these two and the world you’ve made for all of the party; your posts always brighten my day. Thank you for sharing them and for letting Eddie and Steve survive and be happy <333

First, I just wanna say thank you for the kind words! I think this little world is a group effort and I really appreciate everybody that throws their ideas into the ring and allows me to build upon them. It’s truly been the best even if I’m a lot slower at getting to them than I used to be.

No one considers how hard quarantine was on pets.

Some people have dogs that are trained to be around people and it’s weird for that to suddenly stop. Suddenly they aren’t going to school anymore or to the grocery store. Steve’s not doing trivia night or taking classes at the community center. They’re just home all the time now and Eddie is always with Steve so Ozzy just… doesn’t really have anything to do.

Not needing to be as vigilant as he is when Steve is more active, Ozzy’s left with an excess of energy and it makes him antsy. Much like his owners, he’s bored.

Joan gets stressed out if Steve is home when he’s not supposed to be because that usually means that there’s something wrong with him. The only time he’s ever been off work for more than a couple days at this time of year was when a medication switch caused cluster seizures. It takes a bit of time for her to get used to him being there.

The solution: They go on walks.

It calms Joan if Steve leaves the house for a bit and it helps Ozzy burn off some of that unused energy, and it also helps Steve who would otherwise be doomscrolling Facebook and thinking about Lucas at the hospital. He already had a semi-regular walking schedule for Ozzy a couple days a week but once COVID hit, they started walking daily.

Unless it rained. Eddie hates when it rains because…

Eddie looks visibly distracted during a zoom interview with the band. You can literally see him tracking something beyond the camera with his eyes because Steve is chasing their pets through the house, and they keep running by the room he is in.

Eddie finishes up what he was saying and then hits mute before shouting, “Stop running!”

Steve literally slides into the room on his socked feet, having to hold onto the doorframe when he lists too far over in one direction. He’s breathy and smiling when he asks, “Your interview over?”

“I’m muted,” Eddie says. “Stop with the zoomies before one of you get hurt because we can’t go to the hospital….Or, at least, take off your socks.”

“Why? So you can look my feet?” Steve asks, scrunching his face up with mock disgust. “Freak.”

Eddie can’t even formulate a response to that before Gareth’s voice is coming out loud and clear from his speakers, “Dude, you did not hit mute.”

“Shi-oot,” Eddie swore, looking away from Steve for just a second. He’s gone when he looks back up, already running back down the hall to play with the animals. He just shakes his head and asks, “We’ll cut this out, right?”

The interviewer asks if he has a roommate and Eddie is in the middle of trying to figure out what the funnier answer to that question is when he hears a loud crash. He nearly blows Gareth’s eardrum out with how loudly he shouts, “Did you fall?”

When this part is inevitably kept in the interview, you can hear faintly over Eddie’s mic, “I’m good!”

[strawberrymilkgeorge]

Part Two. Jackbox Shenanigans

warnings: swearing word count: 2.6k (not including pictures) behind the screen (irl dream x reader) series masterlist ultimate masterlist

Y/n flinched awake, startled by the sounds traveling from the kitchen. Once again, the frosty air pricked her skin, trying to convince her to not move, to stay in bed under the warm blankets. Despite the feeling pulling her into her bed, she rubbed her eyes and sat up, grabbing her phone from her nightstand. Texts from Karl flooded her screen and she replied as she took her comforter off her mattress and wrapped it around herself. She pattered to the source of the noise to find her roommate was making food.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Naomi asked, eyes wide with concern as she looked at Y/n. "I dropped a pan."

Y/n, who was observing the world through one squinted eye, shook her head and she sat at the counter in the kitchen. "No, I should be awake anyway."

"You're usually awake much earlier. Late night?"

Y/n nodded. "George streamed and we all talked for a little after."

"Oh, yeah, I watched his stream this morning..." she started, eyes focused on the food in front of her but Y/n still caught the mischievous glint in her roommate's eyes.

"Of course you did," Y/n laughed through a yawn. "That's your lover."

Naomi rolled her eyes. "Maybe if you gave me his number he would be."

"He doesn't give it to many people. I just barely got it and I've been friends with him for a year. I'm pretty sure Karl doesn't even have it."

Naomi groaned, though Y/n knew it was a joke... for the most part. She got another text from Karl, and consulted Naomi for a second opinion.

"Should I post this?" Y/n asked, lazily holding up her phone with a picture on the screen. Naomi squinted as she looked back over her shoulder. "Karl keeps yelling at me too."

"Yeah! That's a cute outfit. Make sure to credit Karl or he'll yell at you for that as well."

"No chance I'm doing that."

.

Incoming FaceTime... karol <3

Y/n hit accept and held the phone up to make a face at Karl. He mimicked the position. "Hello, sir."

"Hello, ma'am."

"What are you doing?" she asked him, walking to the bathroom to brush her teeth, her comforter dragging on the floor behind her as it continued to protect her from the cold.

Karl got distracted and started messing with something out of the camera view. "Um, trying to figure out what to do for my stream tonight. What about you?"

"I'm waiting for you to give me a fit check!" Y/n yelled. Karl quickly looked at the camera and smiled. He set his phone down on his desk and ran backward so his whole body was in frame. He posed awkwardly a few different ways before running back and resuming his position.

"Yes!" Y/n hyped with a mouthful of toothpaste. "Let's go, Karl! Karl with the old man sweater!!"

He giggled. "You're the one that told me to buy it."

"Because it's sick. Doesn't mean it didn't belong to an old man before you."

Karl pouted before his face lit up. "Guess what. I met a girl."

"Oh?" Y/n cooed. "Where? Do you have pictures? Is she cute?"

"She's Jimmy's new cameraman. Camerawoman. I don't have pictures, and yes. She's very cute." His cheeks turned red and Y/n smiled, flipping off the bathroom light and heading to her closet. She threw her comforter back on the bed and tried to pick out an outfit.

"Come on, bud, elaborate. What's her name? Have you asked her out yet?"

"You don’t get to know her name, I don’t want to jinx anything. Plus, you’ll just look ‘Mr Beast crew’ and find out anyway. Also, no, I haven’t. I'm pretty sure she thinks I hate her because I have not said a single word to her. I get so nervous when she's around I freeze up and just like... act weird. And then as soon as she's gone, Chris freaking roasts me so bad."

"Aw, I can teach you how to flirt if you want!"

"Yeah, okay," he scoffed, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"What's with the attitude? I'm great at flirting."

"No, you're not. I watched Gogy's stream last night."

"What does that have anything to do with anything?"

"I heard the way you spoke to Dream."

"What?!"

"You have zero game, Y/n. Absolutely none. Zilch, if you will."

"Yeah, because I wasn't flirting with him?"

"Not successfully, at least."

"Karl, what?" Y/n laughed but she was so confused. "No part of me was trying to flirt with anyone in that stream."

"Oh, come on," Karl groaned. "Don't do this again. Don't pretend to not like a guy and then cry to me when you're wack ass attempts don't win him over."

"Karl," Y/n started, looking directly at him. "I genuinely have no idea what you're talking about. I wasn't flirting with him. I do not like him."

"I'm just saying, you talk about him a lot. Like, you always panic when he interacts with your posts because you're scared he's going to DM you right after. And you gush about him a lot."

"I do not gush. I admire the hard work he puts into his videos but I talk the same about him as I do with George and Sapnap. The only difference is I'm friends with them and not Mr. Minecraft. He's intimidating, that doesn't mean I have a crush on him."

Karl stared for a moment, trying to read Y/n's expression to detect any lies. "You'd tell me if you did, right?"

"Karl, I tell you everything. I'd tell you if I murdered your family." They both laughed. "It's impossible to hide anything from you, you're my best friend."

"Okay, sweet, but please don't murder my family, just to be clear."

"I won't. I love your mom too much."

"Well, how was meeting Dream, then? Despite apparently not being in love with him?"

"It was cool. Terrifying because it felt very forced but the four of us hung out on the call after George ended his stream and he was much more relaxed."

"That's true. Aren't we all?"

"Not you! You're the exact same person on and off camera. Just a little ball of giggles."

Karl giggled which made them both laugh more. Suddenly, as if he completely forgot until that moment, Karl sat up quickly and yelled, "What am I going to do for the stream?"

Y/n shrugged. "See if anyone wants to play Jackbox. Chat always loves those and it's relatively easy to throw together last minute. You just need to find people that are free to play."

"Genius. Who should we invite?"

"We?"

"Yeah. It was your idea, you have to play."

"But, I've never played! And I barely know all your friends so I wouldn't get half the inside jokes. I'd be a boring addition."

"Please? They're your friends too! You just talked to Sapnap and George for four hours yesterday and George was the only one playing anything. That's friendship if I've ever seen it."

"But... others.... like literally everyone besides Sap and George...."

"Things like this are how you get to know them better. Besidessss, you're never boring."

"Fine, I'll play."

"YES!" he shouted. "Okay, who should we invite?"

**********

**********

Y/n huffed and scooted her chair closer to her desk. She pulled up Discord and hovered over the voice chat everyone was in. An overwhelming number of voices chaotically spoke over each other as soon as she joined.

"Oh no," she mumbled.

"AYYEE!!" a voice yelled, the green bubble lighting around Quackity's name confirming her suspicions.

"Aye," she said back less enthusiastic. "Hi everyone."

"She's here!" George cheered.

Y/n could hear Sapnap huff. "Finally. Geesh."

"This isn't even your stream, calm down." Y/n's eyes scanned the names on the left to read who else was involved in tonight's games. She had suggested a few people to Karl but wasn't sure about the final list. Besides the boys who had already greeted her were BadBoyHalo and Dream.

"Hello, Bugsy! It's nice to meet you! I'm BadBoyHalo."

Y/n smiled widely at his voice. "Hi, BadBoyHalo! Nice to meet you too."

Her eyes slowly traveled to the last name on the list, which had yet to greet her. She wasn't bitter, but she was curious why he hadn't said anything yet. The boys hyped up him talking about her so much but she had yet to feel that energy from him. She picked at the bottom of her hoodie, eyes darting between the names as they lit up when someone spoke.

"Is Dream still AFK?" Sapnap asked.

"I think so," Bad replied.

Maybe that's the only reason he hadn't said anything. Y/n felt stupid for thinking it had anything to do with her.

"He's probably coding something or something like that," George teased.

"Haha nerdy ass man," Quackity cackled.

"Language."

"Don't you also code shit, George?" Sapnap called out. "You're probably helping him test something after this, huh? As Quackity said, nerdy ass man."

"You know what, Sapnap? I'm not sure I like your attitude all that much."

Y/n smiled. Despite feeling nervous, she was already having fun just listening to everyone talk. The real nerves would kick in when they were live in front of tens of thousands of people and she would have to be funny.

A message popped up in the general chat, notifying everyone that Karl was joining the voice call soon so they shouldn't say anything bad.

"Everyone say something weird," Quackity directed.

Discord dinged and Karl's name joined the list on the side. "AAAHHHH-!" he started yelling over everyone to let them know he was here in case they were saying anything bad. With his luck, they were going to say stuff anyway to mess with him.

"So, yeah, that's how I lost my virginity," Quackity said as if he just finished a story.

"To a prostitute?" Sapnap added quickly. "Wow, I never thought you... oh Karl!"

"Language!" Bad gasped.

"What the..." Karl laughed loudly. "What did I just join?"

"Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry," Quackity apologized, which was hard to make out since he was laughing so hard, surprised at what Sapnap added to his joke.

"Bad, you can't say language about a prostitute," Sapnap defended. "That's really rude of you. Maybe it's a little unconventional but they're just tryna make some money the best way they know how."

George laughed with Quackity as Bad sputtered. "I-I said language about what Quackity said!"

"What, virginity?" Karl asked innocently and Bad yelled again.

"Bad hates people who have had sex!" Y/n called, causing Quackity to laugh loudly.

"Bad! How could you?! That's so messed up!"

"Wait, guys, is everyone here?" Karl asked.

"Dream isn't. We don't know where he went."

Karl groaned and started typing something, presumably yelling at Dream to join.

"Let's goooo! We're popping off!" Quackity started saying, stalling. "We're popping off!" George joined him, becoming absolute fools to keep the chat entertained.

"Okay, he's here!" Karl said. "Everyone's here!"

"I'm here, I'm here, sorry. I was... yeah, sorry," Dream stuttered out.

"Welcome back, Dream!" Bad chirped.

"Hello!" he replied. Unexpectedly, his next greeting was directed at Y/n. "Hi, Bug."

Y/n instantly got shy for no discernable reason. She blamed it on his voice and its ability to manipulate emotions any way he wanted. That and she was getting attention from someone first. "Hi," she squeaked back, hoping the contrast of her icy hands would cool her face enough to focus on the game.

"Bugsy, you are adorable," Bad stated simply.

"Sapnap! What did you just send me?" George asked loudly, and just like that, the attention was off of her and she could breathe again.

"What?" Sapnap feigned innocence.

This was going to be a long game.

"Let's play!" Karl decided. "Should we warm up with some Quippy?"

Y/n focused intensely on her answers, silently hoping the others would find her funny.

"Oh my gosh," she mumbled as everyone else finished writing. "Y'all, I'm about to get Quiplashed so hard. Don't make fun of me."

"I seriously doubt it," Dream said. "You can't possibly be worse than George at this game."

"Shut up, we always-  it's like 3 am my time. I can't, like, think of things 'cause my brain isn't functioning."

"Yeah, that's why," Sapnap teased.

"Surreee," Dream said.

The first round wasn't too bad. Y/n was in 5th place but she got quite a few laughs so she didn't care too much about where she stood. She got a notification from Dream on Twitter as everyone laughed at one of Quackity's answers.

Y/n looked back at her screen and saw the new prompt and answers. She read them quickly as everyone was laughing and with a few seconds left to choose, voted for the one on the left. It was funnier anyway.

She loosened up substantially after another round, and she knew it was mostly because Dream had reached out to her. Something about him comforted her and made her feel safe, which warmed her heart.

"Bugsy! What the hell, that's so messed up. You're so messed up," Quackity yelled, laughing at the answer on the screen. They were playing Survive the Internet and her comment got taken way out of context, just as the game intended.

"Oh my gosh!" Karl cackled loudly. "Bugsy, I didn't know you felt that way. Oh my gosh? They're just kids?? Bugsy out the gang?"

Y/n hid her face in her hands and laughed. "Noooo!! Wait I never knew- I didn't know I was ever in the gang?"

"She really said, 'infant children? slaughter them all'," Sapnap joked.

"You know, I think you'd get along really well with Technoblade," Dream added. "Though his specialty is orphans, as it appears."

"No, no, no, whoever wrote that heading is SO messed up!" Y/n defended, rereading the heading that made her comment look bad. She knew it was a game but all the attention on her was making her embarrassed. "Who would think to put that?"

"Everyone cancel Busgy!" Karl yelled.

"Karl, no! You're supposed to be my best friend!"

"I don't know how I feel about my best friend killing children..."

"Karl!!"

"Nooo," Bad protested softly. "I like Bugsy. Don't cancel her."

"Everyone vote!"

The article with Y/n's name turned out to be Dream's. "Dream! What the hell is wrong with you?" she yelled, causing him to wheeze loudly.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I wanted point."

The whole night ended up being like that. Y/n had a lot of fun and by the end, she felt a lot more comfortable with all of them. Quackity, Karl, and Sapnap were loud and very high energy while George and Bad were quieter. Dream was half and half, sometimes matching Quackity's volume and sometimes going a while without saying a word. Overall, Y/n had a lot of fun and hoped to let back in the gang in the future.

**********

PREVIOUS • NEXT

**********

A/N: WOOO PART TWOOO!! Hope you guys enjoyed this part! Also thank you so much for all the love on the first part!! I did not expect it to get as much attention as it did!!!!!

we clearly haven’t got to dream and yn being close yet bc they literally met the day before this but i added a small little dream/yn moment :] pls let me know how you liked this part!!!!!!!!!!!! 

taglist: OPEN (at the time) @hydrate-tion @loraleiix @tinaswagbd @charsdummb @smileyyuta @1ghoste1 @cerberus-hellhound @gaysludge @queestionmark @carnations-red @letsloveimagines @the-fictionwriters-hairdo @boiled-onionrings @a-cryptic @fee-btheweeb @letsloveimagines @erwinss @just-a-stan

[misscorn]

Day 7: Future/Post Confession

I can't believe yet another @takaritsuweek has come and gone so fast 😭❤ everyone in this Fandom is so talented and im obsessed with the nostalgia content 💘 please enjoy my last one shot for this week ☺

***

Onodera Ritsu was being weird, which could only mean one thing: something was wrong and he wasn't talking to Masamune about it.

Masamune had really hoped that things would go smoother after Ritsu confessed, but that was foolish. Masamune was so, undeniably happy, but they weren't perfect people. Both of them still had things to work on, separately and together. One of those things was more readily relying on one another. So, Masamune was determined to find out what was wrong.

Ritsu just seemed a lot more...spacey than usual. And anxious. And maybe a little gloomy? Masamune couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew that he didn't like it.

Currently, Ritsu was over at Masamune's apartment, helping to clean up the dishes as the two of them had just finished dinner. Ritsu was at Masamune's place quite frequently and Masamune always brought up the idea of moving in together, but Ritsu hadn't quite come around to it yet, mostly because he knew for a fact that it would affect any work the two of them brought home. Masamune got...distracted easily and Ritsu tended to get swept away. So, for now Ritsu was content with a lot of sleepovers.

Once they finished cleaning, Masamune led Ritsu into the living room by his hand. He sat down unceremoniously on the couch before pulling Ritsu down with him and on to his lap, making Ritsu's face burn red.

I kind of hope he never gets used to this, Masamune thought, loving the sight of Ritsu's adorably embarrassed expression.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ritsu asked, trying to sound scolding, but he only succeeded in sounding nervous.

Masamune wrapped his arms around Ritsu's waist. "I just want to talk and I figured if I have you like this you won't be able to run away." Like how you love to do.

Ritsu couldn't even argue against that logic, but he made a displeased face anyway. "Fine. What is it?"

"Is everything okay with you?" Masamune asked.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." Ritsu said dismissively.

"You just seem like you've had something on your mind lately." Masamune said. "Making me worried."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you." Ritsu apologized immediately.

"Don't say sorry, there's nothing to be sorry for, I just wanna know if there's something going on." Masamune said, trying to sound reassuring.

Ritsu chewed on his lower lip nervously before he spoke again. "I guess I have been thinking a bit..." He started vaguely.

"What about?" Masamune pressed gently.

"Well, my mom's gotten off my back about An-chan, but not about settling down. She's been trying to set up matchmaking sessions, introducing me to daughters of friends of hers whenever I visit, sending me info about singles events." Ritsu tried not to cringe at the thought of going to one of those. "And I just...I think maybe it's time I tell my parents about you. About us." Ritsu said. "I mean, I know we only started officially d-dating not too long ago, but I feel like we're both kind of in this for the long haul." He laughed nervously. They've both been in this for the past ten years, after all. It was hardly too soon to let his parents be in the know. "So, um, it seems only right to tell them..."

"If you want to tell them then you should." Masamune said.

"You make things sound so simple." Ritsu sighed. "It could go really, really wrong, you know?"

"I know. But the other option is keeping it a secret forever. Which, you can if you want, but it might be difficult to eventually explain to your parents when they visit why you have a longterm male roommate and you both wear matching wedding rings and share a room and take care of a little girl who calls both of you dad."

Ritsu's face flushed at Masamune projection of their future together, his heartbeat picking up in pace. "You want to have a daughter?"

"Someday, I think it'd be nice. But we're not even past the step of me meeting your parents, so I don't think they're going to get grandchildren anytime soon." Masamune planted a quick kiss on Ritsu’s shoulder.

"W-Wait, meeting?! I was just going to tell them, I didn't plan on having you meet them yet!" Ritsu said quickly.

"Ritsu, this is your mom we're talking about. If you tell her I exist she will track me down and interrogate the hell out of me whether you want her to or not." Masamune deadpanned.

Ritsu groaned and slumped against Masamume, knowing that he was right. "Maybe I should just test the waters first? It doesn't seem fair to throw all of us in at once."

Masamune hesitated to agree, subconsciously playing with Ritsu's hair. "I want to be there." He said firmly. "I understand you're worried, but like you said, things could go wrong and I want to be there for you if they do."

"You're only one door away." Ritsu said.

"Too far." Masamune insisted, pressing a kiss to Ritsu's forehead.

Ritsu rolled his eyes, trying hard not to smile. "You're absolutely ridiculous."

"Mhm. Besides, I can't charm the hell out of your parents if I'm busy next door worrying about you."

"Oh, is that your plan? To be all cool and suave until they can't possibly reject our relationship?" Ritsu asked sarcastically.

"Yes, exactly."

Ritsu shook his head before he refocused and took a deep breath. "How's this weekend?"

"I can do this weekend." Masamune said.

"I'll invite them to my place for dinner and hopefully it will be totally boring and uneventful and they won't care about us being together at all."

"Yeah, the woman who has hounded you about marriage for over ten years is going to not care about you being in a romantic relationship." Masamune said sarcastically.

Ritsu groaned loudly.

Masamune chuckled. "What about your dad? How do you think he'll react?"

"No idea, which is honestly worse."

"We'll handle it." Masamune promised and sealed it with a kiss.

-

"I can't do this, I think I should call them and cancel, tell them I'm sick." Ritsu said as he and Masamune cooked dinner together. Technically it wouldn't be a lie since Ritsu was feeling pretty nauseous.

Ritsu had spent all day yesterday making sure his apartment was spotless and then earlier today he and Masamune had gone grocery shopping together since Ritsu’s options for dinner had been a little slim.

"Oh, yeah, tell your mom that you're sick, I'm sure that will make her stay away instead of making her want to come over more." Masamune said sarcastically.

"You're no help."

"I thought I was being a lot of help, unless you wanna cut the onions." Masamune said, not looking up from the cutting board where he was working on the veggies.

Ritsu huffed and turned away to sit at the kitchen table, putting his head in his hands. He couldn't do this, he was such an idiot for ever thinking that he could. Introducing his parents to Masamune? He had never even mentioned liking men to them! And now suddenly he was going to announce that he had a boyfriend! There was only one way this could go: badly.

"Hey," Masamune said softly, abandoning his cutting station to sit next to him. "Its gonna be okay."

"You don't know that."

"I know, and honestly I'm kind of freaking out too. I don't think there's anything that could prepare me for meeting your parents. I want them to like me, I want them to think I'm a good fit for you because I know they're always going to be a big part of your life. Even if they can be a little overbearing, they love you, and it would kind of really suck if the people who loved you the most hated me." Masamune said. "But, either way I know that no matter what happens we'll still be together and for me that's enough." Masamune placed a comforting hand on Ritsu's knee.

"Even if my mom spends every single family gathering trying to drive you away? Even if she keeps trying to set me up on blind dates? Or, worse, tries to convince my dad to mess with your work?"

"Ritsu, the only thing your mom could do to keep me away from you is put out a hit on me."

"Don't joke about that."

"Oh come on, your parents don't have that many connections." Masamune said. "...right?"

"I really couldn't tell you."

"Jesus Christ." Masamune said, breathing through a laugh. "Look, the point is; we're gonna be okay."

Ritsu placed his hand on top of Masamune's and gave it a squeeze as he slowly nodded. "Okay...okay." He said. "Let's hurry and finish dinner then. My mom likes to get places early."

Masamune smiled softly and stole a swift kiss before happily helping Ritsu in the kitchen once more.

Eventually, there came a knock at the door. "I'll keep an eye on the food while you go get it." Masamune said. Dinner was just nearly done.

Ritsu swallowed hard and nodded, turning to leave the kitchen.

"Wait." Masamune grabbed his hand and kissed him quickly. "For good luck." He winked.

"Y-You're such an idiot." Ritsu scolded before quickly going to the front door and opening it.

Youko and Tatsuo Onodera stood side by side at Ritsu's door. Youko broke out into a smile and threw her arms around Ritsu before anyone could get a word out.

"H-Hi, mom." Ritsu smiled nervously as he hugged her back. "Hi, dad." He said to Tatsuo over Youko's shoulder as he was still being tightly squeezed.

"You feel skinny." Youko said as soon as she pulled away, pouting at her son. Ritsu was not surprised to be scolded instead of greeted, but he knew his mother meant well.

"Well, its a good thing I've invited you over to eat then. Come in." Ritsu said with a sheepish expression, attempting to play it off.

"It smells good." Tatsuo said.

"Ritsu, don't tell me you've left the food unattended for long." Youko said worriedly as they shuffled toward the kitchen.

"No." Ritsu's hands started to shake. "The foods being watched. Right now. B-by my b-boyfriend."

""Boyfriend?!"" Both Youko and Tatsuo exclaimed.

"How long has this been a thing?" Tatsuo asked.

"Oh...ten years or so..."

"Ten YEARS?!" Youko had heard enough, marching into the kitchen with her husband and son following not far behind.

"M-Mom, wait, maybe we should talk a little more-"

"You." Youko pointed accusingly at Masamune. "Are you my son's so called partner?"

"I am. My name is Takano Masamune, it's nice to-"

"Takano? I'm not familiar with that name. What's your family background?" Youko interrupted.

Masamune blinked, glancing between Ritsu and his parents, a little confused by the question. "Uh, my mother is a lawyer and my step father is a doctor, but I'm not on speaking terms with either of them."

"A boy with a troubled family history? Hardly seems like a good choice for a partner." Youko commented to Ritsu.

"Mother! That's incredibly rude!" Ritsu defended Masamune immediately. What was she even going on about?

"What do you do for a living?" Youko asked Masamune.

Masamune played along with her questions as he didn't know what else to do. "I'm the editor in chief for Marukawa Publishing's shoujo manga department: Emerald."

"Emerald? Onodera Ritsu, do you mean to tell me that you are dating your boss?" Youko said, putting her hands on her hips.

"I've heard about the great things you've done for Emerald, Takano." Tatsuo admitted. "But it does seem to be a conflict of interest to be dating a subordinate."

"I've been in love with him since I was twelve! Way before he ever became my boss!" Ritsu said quickly before a realization dawned on him. "Wait...these are the things you're upset about? His family and his job?"

"They're very important things to consider when picking a partner, Ritsu." Youko said. "You know, if you had told me that you were rejecting all those lovely girls because they were girls I could have been setting you up with perfectly charming and handsome men!" Youko pouted.

Ritsu wanted to laugh. And cry. And hug his mom and kiss Masamune and melt into the floor in total relief.

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to object to any matchmaking sessions." Masamune jumped in.

Youko frowned sternly at him. "Just what exactly makes you worthy of my one and only son?"

"I know I'm not the kind of person that you would normally want for Ritsu, but I love him. I've loved him for over ten years and there's nothing that could ever stop me from loving him. I will always, always take care of him and make him happy and if there ever comes a day that I don't then please feel free to come back and snatch him away from me because just like you I think Ritsu only deserves the best. I will always be loyal, reliable, and honest with him. And, if you'd still like to join us for dinner, I can show you that I'm not completely useless around a kitchen."

Youko did not move, nor did her disapproving expression melt away, but Tatsuo stepped forward to put a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"So, ten years huh? That's a long time. Why don't you tell us how this all started?" He smiled as he ushered his wife to sit down.

Ritsu beamed, tearing up a bit.

"Well, I was in our school's library..."

[alitaimagines]

“all I want is everything, yes everything, too much is not enough. I’m sick of settling for in between and I’m not giving up."

YUKIO OKUMURA ☆ BLUE EXORCIST

☆ previous imagine: ♡  ☆ masterlists: ♡ ♡

☆ note: I wanted to write an au! with jealous yukio. PLEASE VIEW MY LAST POST!!

“hey Yuki!” you said as you plopped yourself down next to him, “whatcha doin’?” you asked giving him puppy eyes.

Yukio sighed knowing you wanted something. you never came up to him with that face unless you did something wrong or wanted something from him. he looked over to you with a semi-annoyed expression.

“so, Rin and Shima are having a party later tonight and you should totally come,” you mentioned as you sat on your knees, pouting your lip, “Rin told me to tell you that as his twin brother, you need to been in attendance of the first party of the year,” you added on.

Yukio growled lowly.

ever since you moved in with Yukio, Rin had to compromise and find another roommate, leaving him to bunk with Shima. the two of them were finally ‘settled in’ as they liked to call it and wanted to throw a party.

“and I’m guessing he wanted you to tell me so I couldn’t deny the offer?” you nodded cutely making him sigh, “fine but I’ll only be there for a few hours. you know I hate partying,” you clapped happily before placing a kiss on his cheek and texting Rin that Yukio attending the party was a go.

throughout the entirety of both of your college careers, Yukio attended maybe at least two parties with you. you usually went out with Rin considering Yukio oddly enough trusted Rin to keep you safe if anything ever went wrong.

he would usually ask how the party was and left it at that. however, there was a few times where you had to hide the fact that some of the people were little overly-friendly and Rin had to step in and tell them to back off. it wasn’t that you were trying to hide it from him but Rin, as well as yourself, knew Yukio would more than likely try to find whoever it was and give them a word or two.

a few hours later, you were putting the final touches to your outfit when Yukio walked in to see if you were ready to go.

“hey Yuki!” you said giving him a kiss, “you look...nice,” he murmured under his breath. you laughed knowing exactly what he meant, “I’m dressing this way only for you, Okumura. don’t start getting jealous!” you joked.

Yukio rolled his eyes as he brought you closer to him and hid his face in your neck, “I’m not jealous. just don’t expect me to let anyone come near you,” he warned making you laugh, this time a bit more nervous.

after you put your shoes on, you and Yukio hopped into the car and made your way to Rin’s apartment. you could tell Yukio was a bit annoyed that he actually had to leave the comfort of his house, on a Saturday no less, to attend a party with college students acting like completely idiots.

“we have arrived!” you screamed to Rin and Shima as both of them whipped their heads up, “hey!!” Rin screamed back as he ran to Rin.

Yukio patted his twin on the back as you grabbed yourself a White Claw [I frankly find them disgusting] and a water for Yukio, “did you invite half the damn campus? why is there so many people?” you asked Rin as he looked over to Shima.

“he invited almost every person who was in a frat or sorority and told them to bring friends” Rin replied a bit annoyed. you chuckled as you found an empty couch for you and Yukio to sit on, “but have fun and I mean that fully towards Yukio,” Rin joked making Yukio punch him on the arm.

you and Yukio talked with a few of your friends as Rin turned the lights low and the music suddenly turned to a few slow song. you looked over to Yukio and offered your hand to him to which he reluctantly agreed.

“Yukio, enjoy the damn night!” you whispered in his ear as you noticed him becoming more and more stiff the more the two of you danced, “it’s not that I’m not enjoying it. I can see the looks some people are giving you and it’s annoying,” he responded making your face warm up in a flustered manner.

you shook your head before going in for a kiss. luckily for Yukio, the living room was dark enough to where no one could see the two of you making out. you knew that sometimes your kisses could distract him from whatever was bothering him.

“and they can look as much as they want. I came here with you and I’m leaving here with you,” you whispered in between kisses, “now forget everyone else and slow dance with me. when’s the next time we’re going to be like this?” you asked rhetorically.

Yukio put his forehead on yours, “our wedding,” you let out a mixture of a squeal and a nervous laugh as the song ended.

you and Yukio watched Rin get on top of a chair with a pan and spoon in his hand before hitting it vigorously. you knew whenever Rin did that, it usually meant that a round of some drinking game was set to begin.

“I bet he’s going to want to play beer pong,” you whispered to Yukio, “he lost at the last party and he’s so determined with beating Bon,” Yukio laughed as he watched Rin come up to you.

“dude! you’re the only good person who knows how to play. be my partner?” he asked as you sighed, “Rin, I told you I would never be your partner again, especially after what happened last time,” you stated blankly making Rin start begging for a solid thirty seconds before Yukio told you to play with him so he could stop complaining.

you walked up to the table with Rin standing next to you excitedly. Yukio was standing on the side with a few other people.

Yukio was watching you talk with Rin but he couldn’t help but overhear what the others were saying about you. he tried to ignore the comments they were saying about the way you were dressed but the anger eventually became too much and he looked to them with a deadly glare.

“I suggest you stop making those comments about my girlfriend before I give you reason to shut your mouth,” the boys looked at him before laughing a bit too loudly, “or what? you’re gonna hurt us,” one of them mocked, “maybe you should reconsider the outfit your girlfriend wears out if you don’t like the comments she gets,” the other continued.

Yukio looked at you as he set his drink down and gave you a quick look before sending a wink and turning back to the two boys.

you stared back at Yukio, confused as to why he was so upset all of a sudden. before you could react, however, Yukio swung to one of the boys as his hand landed a clear punch to the boys nose.

“YUKIO!” you screamed as you and Rin dropped the game completely and ran over to him, “what happened?” you screamed as you stared down to the boy who was now bleeding profusely.

Rin and Shima looked at Yukio for an answer, “he was making comments about you and I dealt with it the way Rin would,” your hands covered your mouth in shock.

you grabbed Yukio’s now bloodied hand and dragged him to the bathroom as Rin, Shima, and Bon kicked the two boys out of the apartment.

“Yukio, you shouldn’t have done that,” you reprimanded softly, “you should have let it go or at least called me over,” you grabbed the only thing Rin had in the medicine cabinet to clean the small cuts on his hand.

“and you were going to do what?” he asked jokingly, “I don’t know. I could’ve punched them or Rin could have!” you exclaimed as you grabbed the gauze to start wrapping it.

“if I would have let Rin do that, he would’ve done a lot more damage than I would have,” you nodded knowing had a point, “still! the next time that happens, just walk away. I don’t want my boyfriend getting a ticket for assault,” you finally finished wrapping his hand before placing a kiss on it.

“but I appreciate you defending my honor,” you giggled as Rin walked in, “YO! THAT WAS THE SICKEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN YOU DO!” Rin yelled as you and Yukio told him to quiet down.

Rin grabbed Yukio by the shoulders before shaking him, “you broke his nose! do you realize that?” he continued to yell. you shook your head knowing Rin was probably too drunk to realize how loud he was being.

“we’re heading home now,” Yukio told Rin making his twin groan in annoyance, “it’s only two in the morning!” you nodded before slipping your hand into Yukio’s gauze wrapped one, “exactly. I’m tired and I’m sure Yukio wants to forget the rest of tonight. we’ll see you tomorrow,” you told Rin as he shook his head.

as you and Yukio made your way out to the car, you could help but lean into his ear, “and for defending my honor so well, as soon as we get home, I’ll show you my appreciation,” Yukio’s eyes widened, realizing what you meant as he chucked you over his shoulder and ran towards the car making you laugh.

ALITA

[blossom-hwa]

I’ll Be Your Home - MARK

remember when I did that wip tag?? yeah I decided to clean this one up and post it as a drabble instead of a full scenario :) wanted to start out thanksgiving break on a pleasant note <3

Pairing: Mark x gender neutral!reader

Genre: fluff, slight angst, producer!au

Triggers: none

Word Count: 1.2k

Mark receives a call he’s been waiting for for a long, long time. 

Masterlist | Drabbles Masterlist

It’s a sleepless night, just like all of the other nights that have been plaguing Mark for the past month. He sighs, rolling over in bed. It’s not that he isn’t tired. He just can’t sleep.

He gropes on his bedside table for the photo that’s been consuming his mind and switches on a lamp. He gazes intently at the photo, right into your smiling face and laughing eyes.

Mark wonders what he wouldn’t give to see you happy again.

It’s no use. He puts the photo down, forcing himself out of bed. He knows he’ll get no sleep tonight, so he makes his way to the desk littered with scraps of paper and scribbled ideas surrounding his laptop, equipment scattered around his chair. In his stupor, he almost knocks over a keyboard when he walks into it, banging his hip. He curses loudly.

If you were here, you’d laugh, he thinks. You’d laugh, raising an eyebrow, before helping him up and teasing him for not being more careful. And then he’d smile dopily and stare into your eyes, and then you’d lean up on your toes to peck him on the cheek.

“God, I miss you,” he whispers, settling down on his chair. He can envision you wheeling around in it, laughing and spinning as he watches on in amusement.

It’s impossible to stop thinking about you, it seems, because when Mark’s computer starts up and the screen reveals the last thing he was working on and he goes to start a new project, he accidentally hits play and the song comes on over his speakers.

He’s really glad his roommate, Donghyuck, is visiting family, because he would’ve gotten an earful if he’d been woken up by the song.

After the initial shock, the lyrics finally hit his ears and he sighs, placing his head in his hands.

Just like every rap he’s written for the past three months, it’s about you.

Mark groans. He knows he promised to wait, and he doesn’t intend on breaking that promise anytime soon. But it’s just so tiring, sometimes, waiting for someone who may never even come back. The thought of you is always at the back of his mind – are you safe? Are you comfortable?

Most importantly, are you happy?

He starts losing himself in the depths of his mind again, and this time he doesn’t try to pull himself out. If he can’t sleep, if he can’t work, he might as well think. And hey, at least the lovesick songs he’s been writing have been good for business, even if his friends are starting to look at him with a bit too much worry in his eyes.

The ringtone of his phone just barely jerks him out of his thoughts. Frowning, he gazes blearily at the number flashing obnoxiously into his eyes. It looks vaguely familiar.

He swipes his thumb across the screen. “Hello?”

Silence on the other end, so long that he’s debating hanging up. Then…

“Mark?”

Suddenly, he feels like he’s traveling back in time.

No way. It can’t be.

There’s no way it can be you.

But then your sweet voice crackles on the other end, unsure and nervous and warped by the fact that you’re talking on a phone, but Mark swears he could recognize your voice anywhere. “Hello?”

“O-oh… shit. Uh, yeah. Hey, Y/N,” he greets awkwardly. He winces, having no idea why he feels so shy all of a sudden. His cheeks are hot, and he’s only heard your voice. “What’s up?”

“I…” You hesitate. Mark listens intently, ears straining for anything on your end.

“I’m here.”

It takes Mark a few seconds to comprehend your words.

“You’re… you’re here?” he finally manages. “Like… you’re actually here?”

There’s a slight shuffling on your end, and then you answer. “Yeah,” you breathe. Mark can practically hear your smile through the phone. “I’m here, Mark.”

“Hold on,” he says breathlessly, already standing up. “I’ll pick you up. Incheon?”

“Mhm.”

“I’ll be there in half an hour,” Mark promises.

“I’ll be waiting,” you reply, your voice music to Mark’s ears.

There’s a short silence as Mark shoves his arms into his jacket, the two of you wanting to say it but unsure of whether you should. Then, quickly, you speak. “I love you,” you whisper.

A slow smile crosses Mark’s lips, a smile that splits his face and that he knows won’t go away anytime soon. “I love you too,” he replies. “See you soon.”

. . . . .

For a long, long, minute, you stand, facing each other, tears clouding your eyes and his, unmoving, only drinking in the features of the other’s face that you haven’t seen in far too long.

He’s not quite sure how, but suddenly you’ve surged towards each other, clutching the other desperately, tightly, never wanting to let go.

“I…” Mark breathes, reaching up a hand to brush the tears off his cheeks. “Fuck... I can’t believe you’re here.”

You laugh slightly, squeezing out another tear, and then another. The sound is music to Mark’s ears. “I told you I’d call back, didn’t I?” You laugh again, more tears escaping your eyes. “I told you I’d call you when I found my home.”

“And you told me to remember your voice,” Mark says thickly, allowing you to wipe away his tears. He laughs. “As if I could ever forget.”

For several long seconds, you grip each other tightly, tears spilling down cheeks in rivulets, drinking in the sight of the other in silence.

“God, I missed you,” you finally whisper, futilely wiping your eyes.

“And I missed you too,” Mark replies. “I could never stop thinking about you. Fuck, I… I thought I was moving on, but then I saw a picture of you and it… it all came back to me. I…” He swipes his arm across his eyes. “I thought I’d never see you… I kept wondering if I’d never see you again.”

You swallow hard, eyes bright with emotion under the artificial lights of the airport. “But remember what else I told you?” You don’t wait for an answer. “I told that goodbyes don’t have to mean forever.”

You’re so close now, foreheads touching as you stare into each other’s eyes. Mark gets lost in yours, gets lost in all the different colors that mix and twist and swirl in them. He can feel your puffs of breath against his lips and the feeling of your fingers gripping his skin makes his head swim.

“And then I told you to trust me,” you add in a whisper.

Thank God he did.

“So did you find your home?” Mark asks shakily.

You nod ever so slightly. “Yeah.”

“Where is it?”

Silence.

“Wherever you are,” you breathe.

The next few moments are a blur, but when Mark’s brain finally catches up to the present, his lips are pressed against yours in a gentle, sweet kiss.

All he knows is that he’s never felt more at home.

[roommatesandwiches]

Hoof and Paw

An old Alastor x Reader WIP I found that I thought would be good enough to post but can't be bothered to finish. I've lost interest to write for Hazbin (and pretty much Hazbin itself) but I am writing an Invader Zim fanfic series (it's a Reader-insert, of course) if any of you are interested. As always, it's on my Ao3 account, TwinklingMayViolets (EDIT: I changed my username. It's dinosaurus_maj now)

I know this blog has been sort of dead, but like I said in the tags of my first post this is just for HH wips and nothing else so it will be pretty inactive most of the time.

Some context for the following WIP: I imagined the reader character to be a wolf demon and an Overlord and there are some descriptions of that here. You knew Alastor when you were alive and had (still has) a massive crush. You didn't know about his life of crime.

---

There he is. Alastor. The one and only. You sigh as you stare through the window, your eyes never leaving the brown-haired man you have been pining over since you were alive. He says something and his colleagues laugh. You don't know what the joke was, but you know that if you heard it you'd laugh, too. Alastor just had that effect on people, with his constant, bright and cheery smile and likeable personality. His good looks also played in the factor of women falling all over him, not excluding you.

A strong wind blows over you, threatening to steal the parasol out of your hands and lifting the skirt of your dress. You huff to yourself, brushing some stray strands of hair out of your eyes. You adjust the grip of your gloved claws on your parasol that effectively hid your more inhuman appearance from the living. Your ears squirm uncomfortably and irritatedly underneath your hat. Look at yourself. You're a demon Overlord feared all throughout Hell, and yet here you are, swooning over some human in the living world. He wasn't just 'some human', though. "You hunt?" "Yes. What of it?" "Nothing. That's just... A rather unladylike thing to do." "Sewing and cooking is not considerably 'manly' either." You find yourself sighing at the memory, at a time long past. This was your punishment. You had missed your chance when you were alive, and now you'll never get one again. There's a chance that he might follow after you into Hell when he dies--whenever in Hell that'll be--and you've heard of friends, families and lovers reuniting in the afterlife, but you shouldn't bet on it. Sure, you've got the money to now, but you shouldn't. The café bell jingles, pulling you out of your thoughts. You turn away right as Alastor and the other men working at the radio station step out of the establishment, deep in a conversation you'd love to be a part of and once could've been. Shoot. Well, your time is almost up anyway. You better head to the rendezvous now before Lucifer makes on his own promise and leaves you stranded up here. Like Hell you're gonna lose all your hard-earned power and territory because you'd been staring too long at a man. Still... You had been hoping for more. It was merely wishful thinking, but you couldn't help it. Slipping a handkerchief out from your sleeve, you quietly drop it on the pavement and start walking. Please notice it, please notice it... "Excuse me, miss." Your ears almost knock your hat off your head when they prick up with excitement. You turn slowly, making sure to keep your head low and nose hidden behind your scarf. Your hat hides the rest of your pale face, but it shows just enough for your eyes to be able to meet his. They're just like how you remember them; striking ambers that steal your breath away and send your heart fluttering out of your chest. You never thought you'd ever see his bright, beaming smile directed at you again. In his hand he delicately holds the dropped handkerchief, offering it to you. "I believe this is yours?" His voice is like honey to your pointed hound's ears, sending your mouth curling into a smile on your face in a mirror of his own. "Yes, it is," you say, your voice embarrassingly soft and almost breathless. You reluctantly reach out, conscious of your clawed fingers hidden beneath your lace gloves. Without any incident, you accept the handkerchief and quietly release the breath you had been holding. "Thank you." Alastor gives you one last, wide smile that makes his eyes squint before rejoining his colleagues. You tear your eyes away before you can see him go. When Lucifer asks, you deny the tear that rolled down your cheek and tracked a dark trail on your pale skin. --- There's a purge going on all around Hell. It's not the yearly extermination, no. Another demon is going on a killing spree, and it's not like one Hell's ever seen, according to your allies that have been here for centuries and Lucifer himself, who's no doubt sitting with his wife and daughter in that fancy manor of theirs with buckets of popcorn as they watched the carnage unfold. You can't say that you're doing the same. You would've, if some of your allies hadn't gone ominously silent. Well, not exactly 'silent'. As soon as you lose contact with them, your radio would switch on and you'd hear their screams as this genocidal demon turned them inside out. You were impressed, but also on the defensive. Whoever this was obviously had some mad power if they can take down some of your long-standing allies and fellow Overlords. You'd love to run out there and face the challenge, but whatever rational thought and sanity you had left in your mind told you that that would be suicide. You didn't want to lose your territory as well along with your life. Besides, if this demon kept this up, they would become an Overlord in no time, and you could meet them then when they're not on a murderous rampage. So you're huddled in your bunker, cozied up in your chair with your wolves sitting around you as you cleaned your rifle. Your radio is playing the carnage from your coffee table and your puppies keep a good distance between it and them. You'd tried to mute it, because one could only listen to agonized screams and chaos for so long, but it wouldn't go any lower than it already was. This demon's power was rather interesting. What you found amusing was the jazz music playing as well as the bloodcurdling screaming. When this is all over, you'd love to exchange techniques and maybe form an alliance with him. He's quite the entertaining fellow. The demon is talking among the loud music and screaming. The other sounds are too loud for you to hear him clearly but you catch a few words now and then. He's cracking jokes in a chipper tone, as if he were simply having a grand old outing with some friends and not splitting heads and tearing out organs. There's a brief moment when the screaming stops, and you're able to hear him loudly and clearly. "We're all just having a clot of fun out here!" There's a squelch and a loud groan. "If any of my listeners would like to join, feel free to—" You don't hear the rest as his victim continues their pained screeching, which suddenly silences in the next minute. You don't really notice, though. Because this radio demon sounds strangely like Alastor. --- As many expected, the Radio Demon quickly rose in the ranks and is crowned the Overlord title overnight. You're envious of how quickly he's made a name for himself and yet you're intrigued. Just who was this fellow? How and why was he so powerful? You yourself had impressive power with the ability to create your hunting dogs, but it pales in comparison to what Alastor could do. Alastor. That's right, his name was Alastor, the same name as the man you had loved while in the living world. This may only be wishful thinking, but could he be your Alastor? The only way to find out was to meet him and see for yourself. That's why you're sitting in Lucifer's lounge this evening, awkwardly squeezed in the spacious room filled to the brim with demons. There are Hellborns and mortal souls alike present, some of them looking rather bitter at losing some good allies to a fresh manifestation. In celebration of the Radio Demon's beautiful mass-genocide and new title, Lucifer had arranged a gathering and invited all Overlords to give everyone a chance at forging an alliance with him—or to start a bloodbath, either is good. You had come just for the sake of meeting him and maybe exchange a few words, but you'd be lucky to even see him in this turn-out. You just might start the bloodbath now with how many times someone's stepped on your tail in the first hour already.

(Yeah, that's all. If you're curious: the Reader was supposed to see Alastor and not recognise him. You dance with him, and his voice sounds too much like the man you once knew. You both end up hitting it off and going out to either the balcony or just somewhere less packed to talk a bit. You ask him his name, you tell him yours, and after recounting some of your time in the living world you know for sure that this was your Alastor and he knows you. Idk what happens next, maybe he confesses that he has feelings for you and maybe you kiss or something. I think when writing this I hit the same problem as when I was writing Movie Night: I realised I had no idea how to write dialogue lol. Also, I think I wrote this while I was having ideas for part 2 of the Roommates series and abandoned this in favour of writing that.)

[sidemenimaginesss]

and they were roommates - simon minter

requested: yes - “Hey can you do number 40 with Simon?☺️”

prompt: 40. “stop saying things that make me want to kiss you”

summary: you barely know your new roommate simon. what happens when the tension between you keeps rising after multiple inconvenient run-ins?

wordcount: 3500

-

you got linked up with simon through your mutual friend vik after he found out that the both of you were looking for a roommate in london. you couldn’t contain your excitement and immediately agreed to live with this unknown man. he’s a friend of vik’s so he must be nice. you’ll probably get along just fine... right?

you’ve been texting him back and forth about certain aspects of your new home, such as who gets which room, who brings which piece of furniture et cetera, but you haven’t really had the chance to get to know each other. guess that’ll have to wait until the day you actually meet.

-

it’s the day of moving into your new flat and you and your parents are the first ones to arrive. simon texted you earlier that he still needs to figure some stuff out before he can move in. and so box after box filled with your belongings and pieces of furniture fill the room. you sigh when you’re finally done bringing them all in. you thank your parents and say your goodbyes before you sit down on the floor for a few minutes and take in your surroundings. finally, your own place.

you put on some music and spend the next few hours unpacking. you start with your bedroom, making sure your bed is all set up so you don’t have to sleep on the floor tonight. you continue by setting up different pieces of furniture around the living room, making sure that there’s still enough room for simon’s stuff.

at around 9pm you realise you’ve been working the entire day and still haven’t eaten any food. you decide to quickly order some chinese before continuing the unpacking process.

-

at around 10pm you’ve finished your takeout meal and you decide it’s time to get some rest. you want to take a shower, but are simply too exhausted to do so. instead, you simply jump into bed and fall asleep soon after.

your alarm goes off at 8am, reminding you that you still have a lot of work to do. before you start though, you decide it’s time to go take a shower first.

grabbing a towel and some shower gel, you walk into the bathroom and get out of your clothes. you put on some music you can sing along to and figure out how the shower works before jumping in.

whilst washing your hair, you receive a notification on your phone, but you decide to ignore it. about 15 minutes later, you turn off the shower and get out.

you grab your towel and dry yourself off before realising you need to grab some clean clothes. you put your hair up in a quick bun, ready to walk to your room, before the bathroom door suddenly opens. “oh my god!” you scream loudly when the man who opened the door looks at your naked body in shock and quickly turns around.

you slam the door shut and start breathing heavily. you grab your phone, thinking of calling the police, when you notice a text message from simon on your homescreen: ‘surprise! almost here. finished up packing everything last night. can’t wait to meet you.’ you quickly wrap your body in a towel and call out “simon?”

when you don’t get a response, you open the bathroom door slightly and peek around the corner to see simon’s back facing you. you realise your music is still blaring loudly through your phone’s speakers and you turn it off completely before trying again, “simon?”

this time, he turns around slowly and you’re met with a smug face. “that’ll be me. nice to meet you, roomie,” he extends his hand and you awkwardly shake it through the small gap.

you let out a small laugh when he lets go of your hand. “hey, you wouldn’t be willing to grab me some clothes, would you?”

he smirks and answers coolly, “not a problem. where can i find them?” you step out of the bathroom slightly to point towards your bedroom door and he follows your finger with his eyes. “that room, box next to the wardrobe. you can pick out something nice,” you smile. he nods and looks back over to your face, suddenly making you realise how close the two of you are actually standing. you meet his eyes, lick your lips and look down to the floor, only looking up again when you can’t feel the heat of his body next to yours anymore.

-

“so how do i look?” you ask simon when you’re finally done getting ready in the bathroom.

after looking up from his phone, he looks you up and down from the couch and nods. “you look great.”

you nod and can’t help but feel flustered when you remember he didn’t just see you naked a few minutes ago, but also picked out your underwear for you. talk about a first impression.

you join him on the couch and try to start a conversation. “so, simon, tell me about yourself,” you smile at him as he puts his phone away and sighs. “well i’m simon, but you already knew that. i do youtube, just like vik. did i ever mention i have like nearly 9 million subscribers? it’s no big deal. but you probably already knew that though, right?” he asks for confirmation and you nod slowly, feeling weirded out by his big ego. you didn’t catch that vibe through his text messages.

“oh by the way, because of that, don’t get confused when i have some people over and throw parties here from time to time. that won’t be a problem, right?” he stares you down with confidence, seemingly trying to intimidate you. “as long as there aren’t too many people, it should be fine,” you answer skeptically and smile, trying to hide how uncomfortable you feel. “good. well what else do you want to know about me?”

you cringe slightly at his tone and think of how to phrase your next question without sounding too rude. “where did you get that arrogance from?” you perk up one eyebrow and watch his jaw tense, your own lips curving into a smile. he quickly readjusts his demeanour as he once again looks you up and down. he narrows his eyes at you and tilts his head to the side slightly, poking his tongue in his cheek before a sarcastic smile settles upon his lips. “where did you get your feistiness from?”

“i asked you first,” you shoot back, quick-witted. “and i asked you second,” he smiles sweetly.

the two of you stare each other down for a few seconds before you sigh and look away, making him puff out a chuckle and say something under his breath, “that’s what i thought.”

-

the rest of the morning was spent pretty much avoiding each other. you went back to your room and continued unpacking the boxes whilst he worked on the living room. you didn’t do any bonding, getting to know each other or even much more talking except for when you asked simon if he wanted anything to eat during lunchtime. he declined and kept on installing your new tv whilst you sat in the kitchen, munching on some leftover takeout from last night.

you watch him struggle with several cables for a while from the kitchen island, minding your own business until he groans out of frustration. you let out a snort and see his head snap up to you in anger, “what‘s so funny?”

you chuckle softly and smile it off, “nothing, please continue putting those cables in the wrong places, i’m quite entertained.”

after a few seconds of silence you look up from playing with your food to see him staring at you. “oh, so you think you can do this better?” he answers, nostrils flaring in anger. you nod cockily, jumping off of your barstool and joining him in front of the tv.

you grab the instructions out of his hands and feel his breath on your neck when he towers over you to read where you’re pointing on the paper. “see, you keep putting them in this,” you point at a real plug-in, “but you should be putting them in here,” you hold the paper next to the right plug-in post to compare the two.

you look up to see his jaw tense up once again as he nods at you stiffly. “i guess you’re right. how do you even know this stuff?” he mumbles, earning a victorious smile from you. “i studied cinematography for 4 years. i also learned how to install cables there. see, i would’ve told you earlier if you had asked. but you were too busy bragging about all your 9 million subscribers or whatever. anyway, i’ll be in my room if you need me.”

-

it’s 7pm when you hear a knock on your bedroom door. you look up from the box you were digging through and towards the door and answer, “you can come in.”

the door opens slightly to reveal simon holding a bag of more takeout. “so i noticed you eating chinese during lunch and didn’t know what other kind of food you liked so i just ordered us some takeout.” you laugh, making him look at you confusedly. “why did you order me chinese?”

he blinks, taken aback, “oh, uhm, i can just order us something else if that’s what you want. if you’d rather have, like, i don’t know, pizza? or anything, i don’t mind ordering-“

“that’s not what i meant, simon,” you look at him sternly and let him think over your words for a few seconds, watching the realisation hit him through his facial expression.

“right. i just wanted to say thank you for helping me earlier and sorry for accidentally walking in on you as well, i guess,” he answers awkwardly.

“and?” you smirk, liking the fact that you’re in control of the situation now. he sighs, “and sorry for pretty much being a dick the entire day without reason.”

“i accept your apology, roomie. now, let’s go eat before the food gets cold.”

-

about a week after moving in, your new apartment is almost fully finished and you and simon both agree on throwing a housewarming party. the two of you have had time to get to know each other better over the past few days and you’ve realised that a kind heart lies behind that stupid smirk of his. you just gotta make him feel guilty for being an absolute pain in the ass to reveal his sweeter side.

you’ve also learned that the two of you have loads of stuff in common and you seem to be hitting it off pretty well. except for the unexplainable tension the two of you have from time to time. you brush it off and blame it on your similar personalities clashing and competing for the title of the alpha in the house.

you snap out of your thoughts when you hear the front door open and simon yell “honey, i’m home!” you let out a giggle and get up from the couch to help him unpack the groceries for the party tonight.

“that’s... a lot of alcohol,” you laugh as he puts down several bags full of bottles onto the kitchen island.

he looks you in the eye and smiles, “there are going to be quite a few guests, remember? better too much than too little!”

you help him put the stuff away in silence for a few minutes before you attempt to start some small talk, “so how are you when you’re drunk?”

“i get really horny,” he answers within a heartbeat. instead of bursting out into laughter, you can feel your cheeks heat up and so you quickly turn your back to him, pretending to be putting something in one of the cupboards to hide your red face.

“oh, i-“ your breath catches in your throat and you can feel your blood stream through your veins when you suddenly feel simon’s presence right behind you. you turn around, biting your lip when you see him tower over you. he innocently smiles down at you, “well? are you going to move out of the way so i can put these chips away or what?”

you quickly close your mouth when you realise you were gaping up at him and move away from the cupboard when he gives you the space to do so.

“sorry about that. uhm, is it just me or is it getting hot in here? i think i’m just going to check the thermostat real quick,” you stutter out an excuse to leave the room, still feeling the blood pulse through your body in certain places.

you lock yourself in the bathroom and try to catch your breath. you can’t believe that just happened. you can’t believe you’re feeling this way about your roommate after meeting him just a week ago. you want this feeling to stop so you don’t ruin the small beginnings of the friendship you’ve only just started to create.

so you decide then and there that you’re going to shut him out. at least, in that way. you’re just going to ignore the sudden attraction you feel towards him. well, you’re going to try to.

-

it’s around 11pm when the first people start showing up. you and simon entertain your guests with tours of the house, beer pong, music playing loudly on the dance floor created in the living room and enough booze in the kitchen to pass out from. you don’t hold back on the alcohol yourself either.

“vik! oh my gosh i cannot thank you enough for messaging us about this place. this truly is all thanks to you,” you greet him with a tight hug and kiss on the cheek. he smiles at you brightly, “no thanks needed! i just felt like you and simon would be a perfect fit!” he grins and you try to shake off the stupid smile forming on your lips. “thank you again vik, please help yourself to something to drink in the kitchen! i’ll try to catch up with you later.”

-

after the next hour of greeting guests your house is fully loaded with people and it’s going to be a lot harder to move around in. abandoning your hosting duties at the front door, you go to grab yourself another drink in the kitchen when you bump into an old friend. “harry! hey! when did you get here?”

you can tell just by the look on his face that he has been here for a while: he looks absolutely shit-faced. “i don’t remember, to be quite honest,” he slurs out his answer, making you giggle a little. “what are you doing here? i didn’t know you knew simon,” he asks and you raise your brows. “i’m literally living with simon. this is our housewarming party!” harry seems to be in thought for a moment before it all clicks, “oh! you’re the hot bird he said he was living with, it all makes sense now. hey, wanna dance?” he practically drags you over towards the dance floor when not only your vision, but also your thoughts get a little cloudy.

your mind wanders over all the reasons why simon could’ve said that to harry. what else did simon tell him about you? does he usually describe his girl friends as ‘hot birds’? does this mean he is as attracted to you as you are to him? lost in your thoughts about simon, you barely even realise the fact that you’re grinding against harry.

when you open your eyes the room is spinning. you blink a few times until you can see clear. only now you notice simon standing across the room looking at you, jaw tensed as always, nostrils flaring and steam practically leaving his ears. still oblivious to your close proximity to harry, you eye him with a frown on your face.

you can see simon roll his eyes and disappear into the crowd so you decide to just ignore him, like you promised yourself you’d do. you continue dancing to the blaring music, swaying your hips dangerously from left to right. you finally remember harry dancing behind you when he grabs your sides and pulls you even closer. you lean into his touch, your head pretty much on his shoulder. you close your eyes, letting yourself get lost in the music.

after a while, you can feel yourself get tired and tell harry you’re going to get yourself another drink, leaving him on the dance floor.

suddenly getting overwhelmed by the huge crowd in your living room, you make a beeline for your bedroom instead. you close the door behind you, still feeling the bass of the music in your body but only hearing muffled lyrics being sung.

you sigh and make your way over to the bed to lie down for a second. you’re so intoxicated and don’t know what to do with yourself. that is, until someone barges into the room.

you sit up straight and see simon at the door, looking at you angrily. “what the hell are you doing in my room?” your eyes widen when you take in your surroundings. “shit, i thought- thought this was my room,” you stammer and stand up quickly, a little to quickly: your knees give in and you stumble to the floor. “fuck,” you groan, simon immediately coming over to help you up. “how many have you had to drink? christ, you can barely stand up,” he shakes his head in disappointment.

“i don’t- don’t remember. what about you? are you horny yet?” you ask him in a sudden boost of confidence.

he once again shakes his head in disappointment, biting his lip at but ignoring your comment. “we should probably send everyone home now, i think the party is over.”

you sit back down on his bed and pout. “you’re no fun! it’s only- it’s barely 1 am! right?” you slur out, looking at the blurry numbers of the alarm clock on his bedside table.

“it’s 3 am. i think it’s best if we send everyone home-“ you cut him off, “but harry is- he’s still waiting for me out there. i- i told him i’d be back.”

this immediately gets a reaction from simon: tensed jaw, narrowed eyes and crossed arms. “you’re not getting back out there. especially not to dance with harry,” he spits out his name in disgust, making you giggle, “hey, hey what’s up with that? i thought you were friends?”

simon rolls his eyes while he runs his hand through his hair in frustration. “i don’t want to talk about harry right now. just- stay here for a sec and i’ll-“ he is about to open the door when you cut him off. “wait wait wait! did i just hear... jealousy? in your voice?” you bat your eyelashes at him innocently while he grits his teeth.

“no, i-“ he tries, but you cut him off once again, standing up when you speak. “it sure sounds like jealousy to me! what, you didn’t like it when i was dancing with harry, huh?” you slowly make your way over to him, continuing your innocent act.

“is that it? you’d rather have been the one who was dancing with me? the ‘hot bird’ you’re living with? right? harry told me that’s what you called me. i bet you still think about that first time you saw me-“

“shut up! we’re not having this conversation right now. you’re- you’re not able to think straight right now,” he frowns, yet his cheeks still redden when you get close to him. you smirk and touch his chest with both of your hands.

“maybe not, but jealous you is like... really turning me on right now,” you bite your lip coyly and look up at him through your lashes.

you leave him breathless for a second as he rolls his head back for a second, slightly gasping for air. “you know what you’re doing to me, don’t you? you’re making it very hard for me to control myself right now,” he licks his lips and his eyes flicker between your eyes and your mouth.

“then stop trying to fight it, simon. i want you,” you drag out your words slowly. at this, he switches positions with you and pins you down against the door, foreheads touching.

“stop saying things that make me want to kiss you,” he mutters to you, breathing heavily.

you finally close the space between you and kiss him harshly. after a few seconds, you gasp for air and he leaves your lips to work his way around your neck, locking the door whilst doing so. “simon,” you moan, throwing your head back as he trails kisses down your neck. once again, you feel your blood and the bass from the music pulse through your body. “fuck,” you trail off as his hands roam your body. you meet his lips again in one of many heated kisses that’ll follow that night.

[nomstellations]

Lunch Break

Just felt like writing a cute rp-inspired thing before I got started on my vore day story. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Yawning and stretching himself out a bit, Devon casts his frankly bored gaze out of the window. It was a quiet day here at Song of the Sea, though inklings were currently into the idea of buying records today was one of the slower days he’s had. Sighing, the blue ribbon eel rested his head in his arms and wondered when his shift was over. At the very least he wanted his lunch break to get here already, it was in about 20 minutes. It was boring being alone in this tiny store, and he was pretty starved...the chime of the door got his attention, and he gave it a disinterested look to greet whatever customer came in. A tall pink-inked inkling strides in, regarding the eel’s expression with an amused smile.

“Aww, not happy to see me Dev?”

Upon seeing just who it is he beams, the tip of his tail that's peeking out from behind the counter starting to wag in delight. "Sierche! I didn't think you'd come in today!" His mood's improved greatly now that his boyfriend is here, and he leans over the counter as he walks up to it. "What, and miss out on seeing you? I wouldn't dream of it." He leans up to kiss him, and Devon returns the sentiment with a smile. “So, what brings you by? I thought you were going to be battling today, I had planned on going in to watch you after my shift.” Sierche smiles, shaking his head gently. “I had wanted to, but I decided I wanted to surprise you by bringing you lunch!” Devon smiled, Sierche was always so thoughtful and it was one of the many things he loved about him. However, he doesn’t seem to have a food bag or anything on him...where was it? “I appreciate the thought, but where’s the food? My lunch break is coming up but you don’t have anything…” Sierche smirks, before throwing his arms up and making a dramatic sigh. “Oh noooo, it seems as though I forgot to bring the bag!" He leans up against the counter now, giving Devon a sly look. "I suppose I'll have to make up for it some other way…" Dev gives him a curious and confused look, but when he realizes what he means he flushes. "H-hey, I'm on the clock! I can't do that!" The inkling just smiles, leaning over the counter and poking his belly. "I know you've got a pretty big appetite, and a taste for squid...and I just so happen to be a pretty big squid~" Devon huffs, the red on his face showing that he doesn't truly mind being called out. A loud grumble from his stomach grabs their attention, and he sighs as he rests a hand on top of it. "Alright, you got me...but can you get small for me? I don't want anyone to walk in on me while I'm swallowing you." Sierche beams and nods in agreement, hopping up onto the counter and transforming into his smaller pink squid form. Devon picks him up, he's still pretty large but being all inked up will help him go down easy. He kisses him on his head, making his boyfriend wriggle a bit as he starts to get pushed into his mouth. Dev hums at his savory taste as he licks at him, his hunger starting to take over as he greedily starts to gulp him down. Sierche remains limp to make things easy on him, already comforted by the sounds of his body and the fact that his boyfriend enjoys his taste. It only takes a few gulps to get him down, with Devon slurping on his tentacles and sighing happily as he feels him start to fill his first stomach. He rests a hand on the gentle bulge he makes, gently rubbing it as he feels Sierche doing the same from within. "Uh, Devon? Is it okay if you move me to your second stomach? I want to stretch out…" "Mmh? Oh, alright." He starts to gently press his hands to him, pushing him down into the bottom of his stomach. After a moment of this pressing he's pulled deeper into his body, this time it takes a good few minutes for him to reach his longer but more cramped destination. Sierche unshifts back into his regular form, earning a surprised hiccup and a groan from Devon who now has a large bulge sitting in his coils. His stomach is more than happy with the sudden change, and it grumbles in delight as it starts to churn around the inkling. "A-ah, love...you always hit the spot, thank you…" Devon shifts his coils a bit to make sure he's comfortable, laying his head down on the counter to enjoy his filling meal and hide the bright blush on his face. Sierche doesn't respond, opting to show his love by giving his stomach a nice massage from the inside. This stirs it up more, causing it to groan loudly in satisfaction as the churning picks up. Devon's eyes start to grow heavy, nobody's here anyway...he could get away with a little post-meal nap on the job, right?The chime of the door says otherwise and he sits up quickly, trying to play off the fact that he was almost asleep. An octoling with bright yellow hair spotted with blue rings strolls in, regarding him curiously. "Oh, Ruth, it's just you...thought you were a customer." Ruth was his roommate and another frequent visitor, and she laughed quietly at him. "Sleeping on the job, huh? I wonder why that is….did you eat?" Still a bit flustered from before, he tries to hide his face from her as he's suddenly very invested in a poster on the wall. "Uh, yeah. Just had lunch, see…" Ruth smiles, being fully aware of her roommate's predatory behavior she decides to press further. "Really? What did you have? Or...who did you have?" She grins at the surprised face he makes, unable to hold back a snicker. Not one to just let himself be teased, he retorts with some of his own. "Why so curious all of a sudden, huh? Are you asking because you want in too? My first stomach's got plenty of space in it, you know…" He leans close to her, licking his lips and giving her a smug look. The octoling pushes his head back, giggling a bit as he playfully licks it. "No way! I've got a battle to get to in a bit, I was just stopping in to say hey. I'm gonna head out now, actually…" Before she does, she leans over the counter and notes the large bulge in his bright blue tail and the quiet burbling coming from it. "Tell Sierche I said hi, too." She winks at Devon, who flushes at being caught. He shifts a bit, calling out to her as she turns to leave. "Uh, do me a favor Ruth…Could you ah, flip the sign on the door for me? I want to enjoy this for a bit." She looks back at him, nodding and doing so as she leaves the store. Devon sinks beneath the counter, scooting himself underneath it a bit to make himself invisible to any onlookers. He sighs, resting in his coils and laying himself atop Sierche, who squirms gently at the pressure. 

"Is it just us now, Dev?" "Yup. Wouldn't have it any other way, either." He sighs contentedly, rubbing at his boyfriend through his tail and listening to the sounds of his stomach harmlessly working at him. He'll keep him through his entire shift, and though he has to get back to work eventually he figured he could afford some time to cuddle with him on what was his lunch break. The perks of being a predator...lunch and cuddles can very easily become the same thing.

[our-time-is-now]

July 16, 2019 (2): Favorite color!?

(previous play)

You can find more information about the authors, translators, content warning and additional information about the plays in the pinned post on our blog.

Tuesday, 12:14 pm:

Matteo: *is relaxing on the jetty with Abdi, Amira and Mia* *knows that David went to take a shower and that according to Mia Alex is at the cabin to read* *the others are in the water, but he didn’t feel like swimming* *can hear Abdi and Amira talking about something on the blanket next to his and Mia is just relaxing next to him* *then sees Abdi and Amira get up and hears Amira announce: “We’ll just go over to the tent real quick…”* *draws up his eyebrows in amusement* *gets hit by Amira: “Not what you’re thinking… I just want to show Abdi a book!”* *just grins and nods* Have fun! *watches them leave and then looks over to Mia* That would be some couple… *isn’t serious about this*

Mia: *is lying on the jetty on her stomach dozing a little until Abdi and Amira suddenly move and she notices them getting up* *raises herself on her elbows and nods* *sees Matteo’s pulled up eyebrows and hears Amira’s answer and grins* *wanted to lie back down on the jetty when the two left but then hears Matteo’s words* *thinks about it for a moment, but then chuckles and shakes her head* Abdi isn’t Muslim and he’s into Sam… so no chance. I’m even surprised that they had a conversation about books. I didn’t even know that Abdi reads…

Matteo: *grins slightly at Mia’s dry answer* *could tell her now that Abdi might no longer be into Sam, but doesn’t* *shrugs one shoulder* Well, people often surprise you… maybe it’s a book about a country he thinks is cool? *tilts his head a little* What would happen if Amira fell for someone who isn’t Muslim? That could happen, right?

Mia: *shrugs slightly at Matteo’s answer* *actually knows that he’s right* *then grins again at his next question, but shakes her head nonetheless* No that won’t happen! *but then chuckles again and shakes her head* And even it one day did, Amira would probably never admit it… *is lying with her head facing the cabin and sees David coming out of the cabin and joining Alex* *grins slightly because she somehow finds it cool that the two of them seem to talk yet again* *then looks back at Matteo and says* By the way, your boyfriend is back from his shower…

Matteo: *somehow thinks that it’s a pity that Amira has to limit herself so much because of her religion* *but thinks that there’s probably a meaning behind it* *thinks that he might ask Amira about it one day* *then turns onto his stomach so that he’s lying next to Mia and also able to look at the cabin* And it’s your boyfriend’s fault that he isn’t coming to join me… *grins slightly* If someone had asked me before this holiday, I would never have guessed for those two to be a team…

Mia: *has to turn her head now to look at Matteo after he lies down next to her* *hears his words and draws up her eyebrows with a smirk* Jealous? *then looks back at the two for a moment and presses her lips together at Matteo’s words* *eventually says* I would have. *shrugs and explains* Sorry, nothing against you guys, but I know that Alex can’t really do much with you guys as a group. Maybe with Jonas… but apart from that… And David and he basically came in later, right? They can’t really contribute when we’re talking about “back then”. And David is quiet, calm, intellectual… that somehow fits.

Matteo: *shakes his head* I’m neeever jealous. *laughs briefly* No, but I’m really not. *looks over at her when she says that she did expect it* *then hears her explanation and has to grin* *likes it that she sees David this way but still has to make a comment* So does that mean that you don’t think that Abdi, Carlos and I are quiet, calm and intelligent? Noted. *looks back at Alex and David and nods* But you’re right., somehow it fits… even though I don’t really know what Alex is like. He doesn’t really let anything on so… *shrugs one shoulder* Therefore it also fits… David has this way about him that makes you open up…

Mia: *looks at Matteo with her eyebrows drawn up when he says that he isn’t jealous and nods in amusement* Of course not! *but then grins slightly at his next words and tilts her head* If you want for people to see you guys like that, then maybe you should show more often that you can also be like that… *scrutinizes Matteo and realizes that she actually doesn’t really know him that well, which is weird since they are living together* *then sighs quietly and shakes her head* I think hardly anyone knows what Alex is really like… that’s why actually think that it’s a good thing that David seems to be able to crack him open.

Matteo: *laughs loudly at her comment* Then maybe you should talk to us for more than two minutes? *shrugs one shoulder* Just a suggestion… *smirks slightly* He can be happy about that… I know I’m biased, but you can really only hope for a friend like David… *then looks at Mia* And you? How did you crack him open?

Mia: *hears him laughing and gapes at his comment because even if it’s hard for her to admit it, he’s somehow right* *grimaces and murmurs* Ouch! *then grins slightly and tilts her head* Maybe you’re right – maybe I’ll do this one day… now for example… *then laughs* Yes I also think that you’re biased… but even if you look at it objectively you can see that David is a nice guy. *then hears his question and wiggles her eyebrows* I was provocative… and I think I shocked him with the fact that I was able to see right through him… *but then shakes her head* Actually he cracked me open first… and then I did the same with him… long story… *puts her chin on her arms and briefly looks toward the cabin again*

Matteo: *laughs and then says theatrically* Aaaaah! Now I’m totally under pressure to come across as super intellectual. *grins and then nods when she says that David is a nice guy* Yes, I think so, too… *then listens to her and can somehow really imagine it that Mia has simply surprised Alex with her behavior* I can really imagine that… *then nods again* So there was also some back and forth with you guys? I know what that’s like… but ultimately, it’s worth it if you keep trying, right?

Mia: *laughs when he acts so theatrical and briefly pokes him with her elbow* We had three classes together, Matteo. I think if you were a complete numb nut I wouldn’t have realized that only now… so… no pressure! *smirks at what he says about David* But you’re actually not allowed to comment on it since you’re biased as we just noticed! *then nods when he asks about the back and forth and smiles when he says that it’s worth it* *then raises herself a little again and says* Yes, it was worth it… *then looks over at him and grins slightly* Just as it did for you guys… *then shakes her head and laughs quietly* Even though I have to admit that I didn’t notice much… probably because I’ve never talked to you for more than two minutes… so… Matteo Florenzi, former classmate, roommate, holiday company… what do I have to know about you apart from the fact that you eat other people’s sausage and sometimes forget to clean your hot chocolate mugs? *slightly wiggles her eyebrows and grins*

Matteo: *laughs slightly* I couldn’t have known that you’re observing me so closely. *shakes his head with a small grin* Only because I realized faster than you guys what a great guy David is… *sits up cross-legged so that he can look at Mia* *nods slightly* Like with us… *then grins slightly when she uses his words* Or because you’ve barely been at the flatshare? *thinks briefly* Okay, Mia Winter… that’s a very important question to which I only have one answer: What you should know about me is that I really dislike talking about me… which makes this whole thing here a little difficult, but that’s what it is… *then looks at her questioningly* Are you really interested? You do know that we don’t have to build a deeper bond just because our boyfriends are doing that right now? *thinks that you don’t really know where you’re at when it comes to Mia* *is she really interested or does she only want to prove that she can talk to him for more than two minutes* But if you want to know something, just ask me directly.

Mia: *tilts her head when she hears his assumption about her absence at the flatshare* Or maybe because of that… *shrugs* *then listens to him attentively and laughs at his words and also when she hears his addition* *then sits up as well so that she doesn’t have to keep looking up to him and pulls her legs up* But maybe I am… but of course I’m also interested, but just imagine those two really manage to create their “deeper bond” *makes air quotes* … and they insist on double dates or something. You know Alex’ living room – just imagine the four of us sitting on that huge couch and they are constantly talking to each other. Are we just supposed to sit there feeling lost? Well, I think it would be a lot nicer knowing what we could talk about in a scenario like that… *smirks really broadly and scoots a little into position* Okay… we’ll do this another way… *thinks briefly, then looks at him and asks* Hmmm… favorite color?

Matteo: *listens to her and nods slowly* But the couch is really cool… really comfortable… we should have double dates exclusively at Alex’ place… *grins slightly* Alright, we’ll get to know each other better now just in case that happens? *slightly laughs at her question* Uhmmm… dunno… maybe green? Or blue? *shrugs one shoulder* But that doesn’t really help much, does it? What’s your favorite sandwich topping? Since you’re always judging me for my sausage consumption…

Mia: *grins* But then you’re the one who can explain that to Hans… *nods at his question* Exactly! Just in case! *frowns at first but then nods at his answer about his favorite color* Good, you can have two. Green and blue. Mine is red… *waves it off when he says that this doesn’t really help much* Hush! We’re just getting started… *then grins again* I’m only defending Hans’ sausage, so that he doesn’t think that I secretly took it… *which isn’t really true – she’s actually quite meticulous about what belongs to whom in the fridge* My favorite sandwich topping is cream cheese with tomato and cucumber. And yours?

Matteo: *laughs slightly when she says that they’re just getting started* Okayyy. *nods with a grin* Yeah, yeah, I know… but I’ve always bought him new one… *then hears her favorite topping and grins* Very healthy… mine’s… cheese and whipped cream and mustard… weird, but somehow good. *smirks to himself a little* Okay… then… favorite travel destination? Is it really Spain or was that just by chance?

Mia: *frowns when he tells her his favorite sandwich topping and hesitantly says* O-kay… *shakes her head* Madrid really is nice. But it was just mostly by chance. My parents live there. Apart from that, I’d really like to go to Panama. *thinks that this is a quid pro quo and that Matteo will probably also tell her his favorite travel destination even if she doesn’t explicitly ask him* *then thinks for a moment and asks* Favorite room in the flatshare?

Matteo: *nods at her answer about Panama* Unusual… for me it’s actually always Italy… although I think that Scandinavia would also be really interesting… *then laughs slightly at her next question* Well, mine of course… apart from that I think the kitchen… *then thinks about another question he can catch her off-guard with* *then asks* If Alex proposed to you tomorrow, would you say yes?

Mia: *nods to Scandinavia and adds* I’ve already been to Sweden – it’s really beautiful there! *then grins when he tells her his favorite room in the flatshare and nods as well* Same… maybe we should make the living room a little more comfortable… *feels her grin freeze up a little at his next question and laughs briefly* *feels herself blush and hesitates* *knows that this is contrary to all her principles and perceptions, but then simply says* Yes. *would probably be against it at first and tell him all the cons and that it would be irresponsible and way too soon, but ultimately she already knows that she wants to be with him, even though that realization really scares her* *but still asks her next question without explaining her answer, even though she’s not sure if Matteo will answer it truthfully* Your biggest fear?

Matteo: *laughs slightly* We can do that once you’re back from Madrid… *watches her after he asked her his question and really finds it interesting to see all her different emotions* *then only grins at her yes and nods slightly* Okay. *then suddenly stops grinning when he hears her question* *a few months ago he would have said “being alone”* *but now automatically looks toward the cabin and David* *swallows slightly* *but then just tells her* That something happens to David.

Mia: *smiles and nods to the project of redecorating the living room* *realizes only when she already asks him the next question that Matteo didn’t answer the proposal question* *plans on asking about his answer afterwards but first wants to know his answer to the new question* *immediately sees that he’s getting serious and briefly thinks that he’ll answer either honestly or not at all* *sees him looking over to the cabin, but doesn’t follow his gaze and instead keeps looking at him* *then hears his answer and briefly lowers her gaze because she feels like somehow this was really personal and that she doesn’t really know if he maybe wants to be alone with it* *is still pretty surprised that he answered her so openly and thinks that she really might have underestimated him* *clears her throat after some time and looks at him again* *doesn’t really know what she could say but decides on* You’re looking out for each other so well… so it’s very unlikely… *briefly nudges him again with her elbow and smirks a little* If it helps you, we’ll all keep an eye on him, as well…

Matteo: *has lowered his gaze after his answer* *almost regrets it after saying it, because he feels like that’s somehow too personal and that Mia might think he’s too dependent on David* *then hears her clear her throat and then looks up, after all* *smiles slightly when she says that they’re looking out for each other really well* Yes… but that’s not always possible… *has to think about the surgery again and swallows slightly* *then smiles more openly and even more at her addition* Thanks, that really helps… *briefly looks to the cabin again and then back at Mia* I know that this sounds stupid, and I also know that the guys are making fun of the fact that we’re constantly hanging around each other… but… it’s somehow like I slept my life away before… or not that I slept it away, but… I was somehow weird… you know that… and then he came and… *shakes his head when he realizes how open and personal he’s getting* Well… somehow everything shifted, so… suddenly everything became clearer somehow. *shrugs one shoulder almost as an apology and then laughs slightly*

Mia: *briefly presses her lips together and nods when he says that they can’t always watch out for each other* *can somehow understand what he means* *then smiles when he says that it helps if they all have an eye on David and wraps her arms around her legs* *then puts her head down on them while she keeps listening to him* *feels like she’s getting to know a completely different side of him right now and doesn’t interrupt him because she thinks it’s really nice how much he’s opening up and how honest he’s being and she doesn’t want to interrupt that by making a comment* *notices at some point that he’s floundering a little and that he’s searching for the right words but gives him the time and after he’s finished she waits for a moment to see if he’s really done* *then smiles and shakes her head* That doesn’t sound stupid at all, Matteo, you hear!? Not one bit! That sounds as if David was able to draw out things inside of you that might always have been there. But until then probably no one else had been able to access them – not even you yourself. That sounds as if you two are terribly in love with each other and that’s not stupid! And don’t let anyone convince you that you’re hanging around each other too much! If that’s something you both want and need and if you are good for each other, which is pretty obvious, then that’s totally okay! *shakes her head at herself because she realizes that she has just shot herself in the foot with that comment, because she does like to spend time with Alex and really enjoys that, but every now and then she’s also scared that she’ll lose her independence and that causes her to get into conflict about it with herself*

Matteo: *looks at her in relief when she says that it doesn’t sound stupid* *then listens to her further and has to smile more and more* Okay, Mama Mia… *also pulls his legs closer and puts his head down on one of his arms* I used to find couples like this super annoying… I thought why can’t they just also do stuff alone… *laughs slightly* Sometimes I’m just waiting for it to happen… that it annoys David, after all… *shakes his head and brings the focus back to her* And you and Alex? I mean, actually you’re also like that, right? When it’s not girls’ night?

Mia: *laughs when Matteo calls her Mama Mia and shakes her head* Please don’t! *shakes her head at his words* But it’s not about the fact that couples like this /can’t/ do anything alone. It’s about the fact that they don’t /want/ to do anything alone. And as long as both of them feel similar about it, everything’s fine and it doesn’t matter what others think. It only gets complicated if one of them wants to do something alone but the other one doesn’t want that. *frowns and looks at him questioningly* Why? Has David ever said anything? He doesn’t seem as if it would bother him… *hides her face with a chuckle when he asks about her and Alex and groans quietly* Yeeah… basically we’re also like that. But sometimes I’m standing in my own way because of it… independence and such… *looks at him again and shrugs* When it comes to that, I’m super complicated!

Matteo: *listens to her and then shakes his head slowly* No, he didn’t… but still… you never know *shrugs one shoulder* *isn’t going to say just now that sometimes he doesn’t understand how someone wants to spend so much time with him* *thinks that it sounds like he was fishing for compliments and doesn’t want that* *then hears her answer and smirks slightly* Oh, yes, independence… a woman can do it by herself right? *grins slightly* But Mia, it’s not about the fact that you /can’t/ do anything alone. *shakes his head* No but seriously, you do know that this won’t do any damage to your independence, right? I mean, think about it how incredible lucky we are… we’ve met our great love with 17/18… others have to wait for that their entire lives. And you’ll soon be gone for three months. You would be really stupid if you didn’t want to spend every minute with him, right?

Mia: *keeps looking at Matteo with raised eyebrows* Have you ever asked him? *then grins a little desperately when he talks about independence and nods* Exactly! A woman can do it by herself! *then laughs quietly and kicks him when he imitates her* *sighs when he says that it won’t do any damage to her independence and listens to him further* *smiles when he says that they have met their great love and knows that he’s right, at least when it comes to Alex and her, and nods at the rest of his words* *smirks slightly* You’re wiser than you look, you know that!?

Matteo: *shakes his head in answer to her question* No… he does tell me if something annoys him, but it might still come… *laughs when she kicks him and even more when she says that he’s wiser than he looks* I told you… *grins again* Believe me, you won’t lose your face… *then looks around him to see if there’s anything edible lying around* I think I’ll just go make myself a sandwich, do you want something?

Mia: *sighs quietly* But it annoys you that you don’t know it! Just ask him! Then you don’t have to worry about it any longer! *then smirks at his next words and pretends to look into an invisible mirror to see her face* *then sighs quietly and says* No, I won’t… but my face looks a little crumpled… *laughs quietly, smooths her face out and looks at him* *then shakes her head at his question about a sandwich* No, thanks. *sees him get up and make his way toward the cabin and suddenly remembers that he still owes her an answer* Matteo? *waits for him to look at her and smiles slightly* If David proposed to you tomorrow, would you say yes?

Matteo: *shakes his head* No, I didn’t mean it like that… I know that he isn’t annoyed now… so he’d tell me no if I asked him… but you never know what the future holds. *then laughs when she pretends to inspect her face* *shakes his head* Nothing crumpled! You’re imagining it… *then gets up and has already walked a few steps down the jetty when she calls after him again* *turns around* *then hears her question and immediately feels something flutter in his stomach* *smiles back* Of course… not. He first has to find a decent job and prove to me that he can provide for me… Not everyone can be born rich… *grins and sticks his tongue out at her* *then quickly turns around and hurriedly goes toward the cabin* *makes some sandwiches for him and David, gets at least one kiss out of it and then goes back to the jetty, a sandwich in each hand*

Mia: *laughs at Matteo’s answer* *calls after him* You know, you could also find a decent job and then provide for him instead… equality and such… *then stretches out her legs when he disappears toward the cabin, leans onto her arms, closes her eyes and holds her face toward the sun* *dozes a little and enjoys the sun, the quiet and being comfortable* *opens her eyes again when she can hear steps on the jetty after some time and smirks about the two sandwiches Matteo has brought* *then asks* So? Are the two of them still working on their bond?

Matteo: *sits back down next to her and swallows first* Yep… *grins slightly* But it looked quite good… I think they had some sort of discussion… didn’t really pay attention… *takes another bite and offers her the untouched sandwich* You sure you don’t want any?

Mia: *nods with a smirk when he says that the bond between Alex and David already looked quite good* *is really glad that Alex has now found at least some connection and that he’s letting himself have conversations with David* *nods at his question about the sandwiches* I’m still full from breakfast… but enjoy! *then crosses her legs and looks at him expectantly and curiously* How can you not pay attention?!? Aren’t you also interested in what kind of things they’re talking about!? *grins slightly*

Matteo: *grins slightly when she asks* Hmmm… they stopped when I came… so they were probably talking about something personal? *shrugs one shoulder* We could guess… maybe Alex was recruiting him for his super-duper secret team that’s planning world domination? *grins slightly and takes another bite*

Mia: *humphs in frustration when Matteo says that they stopped when he came* *then laughs and shakes her head* Alexander isn’t planning world domination – that would be far too many people he would have to deal with – way too exhausting! *then tilts her head and thinks* Maybe… *then laughs and shakes her head* I really don’t know what they could be talking about… hasn’t David told you anything?

Matteo: *laughs and nods* Yes, that’s true… maybe he’s planning extinction and only you and David are allowed to survive? *grins and shakes his head* No, not really… only that he thinks that Alex isn’t actually so unapproachable, but that he simply has a protective wall… but he didn’t tell me what exactly they talked about. *then looks at her* Hasn’t Alex told you anything?

Mia: *grins when he talks about extinction* But David wouldn’t let that happen. He would make sure that at least you’ll be allowed to survive as well, and if their bond is already strong enough, Alex would probably agree for David’s sake… *then thinks about Matteo’s words* Hmmm… the thing with the protective wall is actually pretty obvious. But I do wonder how much David has managed to make it crumble… *then shakes her head at his question* Not really anything, either. Only that he had a really good conversation with David* *groans quietly* I think he doesn’t tell me any details out of principle because I told him before the trip that he shouldn’t always seclude himself and to give you guys a chance… so that I can’t say: You see, David is really nice after all… *grins and shrugs* He sometimes tells me things in hindsight… after the situation during dinner the other day, when suddenly everyone had been wearing jackets and I didn’t really understand what had been going on… later in bed he told me that your fight had been about the binder and that David had talked about it with him and that he had been planning to take it off for the first time that evening and how difficult that was for him and such…

Matteo: *grins* Well I hope so…. *then nods when she says that the thing with the protective wall is obvious* *then smiles slightly* I can tell you from experience that David is really good at making protective walls crumble… *then laughs* Ha, he doesn’t want to give you a “I told you so moment”… I can understand that… *is really surprised to hear that David has talked about the binder and his dysphoria with Alex* Wow, really? Then I can at least tell you that David already really trusts Alex… usually it takes some time for him to talk about this topic… but Alex has also always been great when it came to that topic… when Sam asked such stupid questions, for example…

Mia: *tilts her head and then smiles* I don’t really know your protective wall, but Alex’ is made out of really sturdy reinforced concrete… *laughs quietly and tilts her head* And weren’t you also really successful with David’s protective wall? I really didn’t hear much, but I’m pretty sure that you had a lot to do with the fact that he came back again after he disappeared… after the outing at school, right? *pulls her legs closer again and puts her head down on her knees* *smiles slightly and shrugs* But maybe all of us are simply experts on protective walls if someone means a lot to us… *then smiles again when Matteo says that David must trust Alex* *thinks that it’s pretty nice that there is someone that apparently also likes Alex* *then grins* Well, at least with Alex there’s no risk that he’ll pass on any secrets… considering how little he has to do with the rest of the group…

Matteo: *shrugs one shoulder* Maybe no reinforced concrete in my case… *then tilts his head and grins slightly* Yeah, well, I’d say I didn’t give up… and then managed to find the right words at the right moment… *then nods* Yes, I think maybe it’s just like that… that’s also what is important, right? That you know how to build trust, right? *then laughs slightly at her last comment* *but then shakes his head* No, it’s not like that with David… it’s not about passing anything on… but about him talking about it in the first place… *then looks at Mia* Do you think that sucks? That Alex isn’t interested in any of us?

Mia: *smiles when he talks about building trust and shrugs* Do you really know at such a moment what you are doing? Or do you act more on instinct? *wiggles her eyebrows* *thinks that when it comes to Alex, she usually failed when she had a plan and was only successful when she listened to her feelings* *then tils her head and looks at Matteo questioningly* Is that usually really so difficult for him? He keeps telling us to just ask if we want to know something… *then sighs quietly at Matteo’s question* Suck might not be the right word… I don’t like it that he’s sitting all by himself so often and that he rarely tries to connect with people. But I also don’t want to talk him into it or anything… if he really feels uncomfortable, then he shouldn’t do it just for my sake. But he’s just not the type for superfluous banter. You can do that with him, as well, but mostly with people he gets along with otherwise and has a “deeper bond” with…

Matteo: *thinks about it and then nods* Yes, mostly by intuition, that’s true… *swallows slightly and thinks about David* If I think about it, then I also screwed up more when I had a plan… rewrote a message 10 times to which he didn’t reply anyways. *laughs slightly and shrugs one shoulder* *then looks at her when she asks him about David* Well, it’s getting better now… since the guys are really cool about it and you girls are mostly cool with it, as well… he didn’t really have that before… and Alex is rather new, after all… apart from a few run-ins in the hallway… *then listens to her about Alex’ seclusion and nods slowly* Maybe it just takes him longer… he joined us when we were on the raft… and the way I know David, he’ll also pull him along once you’re in Madrid…

Mia: *smirks when Matteo tells her about plans and texts and then says* And my plan was always to keep him at a distance and to not let him get close to me… *shrugs* *then watches him as he talks about David and gapes* What didn’t he have in the past? People who are cool about the fact that he’s transgender!? *then sighs when it’s about Alex again* Yes, maybe. I really hope so. If I think about the fact that he’s sitting in his apartment by himself all the time once I’m in Madrid, then I really want to just cancel it. It would be really cool if David managed to get him out of his hole a little…

Matteo: *laughs slightly* Keep him at a distance? That doesn’t really sound like you… *but then gets more serious again* But it also sucked a little, with Kiki and stuff, right? *then nods at her question* Yes… he didn’t change schools right before Abi just for fun… *then nods again and nudges her slightly* Hey, it’s going to be okay… we can pull him along a little if you want to… and besides, if he’s in David’s mind now, then he’ll also keep an eye on him… don’t worry…

Mia: *throws him a small secretary’s-office-look again* Ha-ha… hey, I’m not that bad! *then nods when he mentions Kiki* Yes, totally! I’m so glad that she has Carlos now! Otherwise I’d probably still feel guilty about falling in love with Alex! *grimaces when he talks about David’s past and only murmurs* Shit… *smiles when he nudges her and tilts her head* Naa… I hope he’ll let you… I’ll trust you guys with that… or rather trust this… *points toward the cabin and laughs* …deeper bond – whatever that means… *stretches a little* Although I’m thinking about interrupting that bond-building so that Alex can take a little walk with me… somehow I need to move a little right now…

Matteo: *nods when she says that she’s glad that Kiki has Carlos* We’re also glad that Carlos has Kiki… *grins slightly* So everything worked out so that it fits and iis as it should be… *laughs slightly* Yes, trust that deeper bond… I’m afraid you and I will never understand it… *looks to the cabin and nods* Do that… then I’ll also get the chance to see my boyfriend again after… what must have been 1.5 hours… *grins slightly and lifts his hand in goodbye when she gets up* *sees her take a few steps and then suddenly says* Mia? *waits for her to turn around and then says* I’d marry David in a heartbeat. Because I think that it has nothing to do with dependency… *grins slightly and then nods in the direction of the cabin* Have fun on your walk.

(next play)

[writingthingsisdifficult]

Oh my god they were roommates part 3

You are forced to take over the monitoring of Loki. Snapshots from the life of being a god handler.

It’s weird how a phrase or sentence can inspire a whole story. In this case it was “A polished turd is a turd nonetheless.” This is what grew from it. The whole story is almost 13.000 words long, so I felt I had to split it into parts. 

The next part will be the last part, and I’m hoping I’ll get around to posting it tomorrow.

If you like it, let me know. Knowing that people enjoy my writing is what keeps me posting my stories.

Word count: 2299

Part one   Part two

_______________________________________________________________________

The months passed quickly as you and Loki settled into a sort of quiet routine together. You learned a lot about him; his favourite books, that he preferred the autumn to the summer, and that he was surprisingly gentle if you only allowed him to be.

Another thing you learned quickly was that Loki preferred a savoury breakfast. He was usually up before you anyway, and had eggs and bacon ready when you stumbled into the kitchen fantasising about extra strong coffee.

But every now and then you woke early, either because you had extra work to do, or simply because you couldn’t sleep, and then you made pancakes. The first time that happened, Loki scoffed.

“Pancakes are a dessert, Y/N. Not a breakfast food.”

Shrugging, you continued cutting berries into halves. “Well then, Loki, let’s be adults and have dessert for breakfast. What’s stopping us? I mean, if you aren’t.”

Rolling his eyes, Loki looked at you as if you were crazy, but he sat down to eat anyway, and by the second pancake he was positively glowing.

Once you were full and had moved to the living room again, you decided to get some work done. Having a home office was a plus with this new mission. You didn’t even want to think about the looks from the other agents in the office if you had to come in every day.

“Hey, I read a book I think you’ll like,” you said, producing a battered soft cover from your bag and tossing it at Loki.

Of course he caught it just before it hit his head. Sharp reflexes were another skill you noted behind your ear. “Something from the Nightside?” He frowned, turning the book over to read the back. After a short silence, he opened it to the first page. “Thank you.” You heard nothing much from him for the rest of the day, but when the clock struck five, he asked you if you had book number two too.

_______________________________________________________________________

Loki looked like a thundercloud, even more so than he used to. His eyes were dark grey, and his face was drawn. He had pulled his lips into a tight sneer that never seemed to loosen, and when he moved through the flat, it sounded like he was trying to stomp the pictures off the walls.

You tried to mind your own business, as you usually did when he had these little moods, but this time he was infecting you as well. By lunchtime you were both on the verge of war.

After his fifth groan in the span of two minutes, you walked over and sat down on the sofa next to him. “Bad day?” It was obvious, but you had to try to be understanding if you were going to get through the day alive.

“You could say that. I’ve got a headache that would even put a frost giant to shame. And yes, I am aware of the irony in that. Don’t talk to me.”

You let out a small huff; surprised he was even answering, let alone giving you a reason. “Oh. Should I go get a –“

“No. I’ve tried everything. Nothing works. After the… incident in 2012, my head sometimes feels like it’s about to implode.” He rubbed his eyes and got up.

“Wait,” you said, your own frustrations dissipating fast, pulling him back down by his sleeve. “May I try something? My sister used to get these horrible migraines and the only thing that helped was when… I played with her hair.” It sounded silly, and you cringed having suggested it to a man who were considered a god by some.

“Fine. Why not?” He shrugged and scooted closer to you.

You blinked. He was really that desperate. That headache must really be of another world. “Wait here,” you muttered and went to close the curtains. On your way back, you flicked off the light too. The darkness was almost complete, and the only thing providing some light for you to navigate by was the blinking green light from the internet router behind the TV.

Keeping your voice as airy and light as you could, you climbed onto the backrest of the sofa and asked Loki to lean on your knees. “Close your eyes if you can. And let me know if I pull too hard.” As gently as you could, you separated his hair into equal parts. It was softer than you had expected, and you let it glide over your fingers before gathering it in your hand again. Suddenly you had an inexplicable urge to sniff it, but you resisted, and started braiding instead.

Small warrior style braids on the side of his head met larger ones in the back, and once all of his hair was done, you ran your fingers through and loosened it again. Twisting a lock into a knot, then releasing it again made him sigh loudly. Combing your hands up through his hair and running your fingers over his scalp had him sag against your knees. You smiled.

You had played with his hair for over an hour, and to be honest you had forgotten that it was supposed to be for his benefit, not yours. It was just that his hair was so incredibly silky and luxurious to touch that you lost yourself completely in the sensation. It wasn’t until his head lolled over and rested heavily on your knees and thighs that you returned to reality.

Loki had fallen asleep while you played, and the peaceful look in his face made you all tingly and warm inside. Without jostling him too much, you slid out from underneath him and lowered him back on the sofa. He sniffed and clutched a cushion to his chest with a tiny, tiny smile. Fighting the urge to go get your phone to snap a picture, you grabbed the nearest blanket and draped it over him. It was your time to make lunch anyway.

_______________________________________________________________________

You stumbled through the door, knocking over the umbrella stand, a pair of wellingtons, and the coat stand, scattering jackets and scarves all over the floor. “Shhh…” you hissed, gesturing to the pile of clothes before clutching your mouth gingerly. “Owww.”

“Isn’t it a bit early to be drunk, Y/N? While I completely understand, I thought it was generally frowned upon to drink in the daytime.” Loki was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning on the frame with a spatula in his hand.

“Not drunk.” Rubbing your jaw, you felt tears pool in your eyes. Great! Now you were crying too.

Taking you by the arm, Loki supported you into the living room, making sure you were comfortable on the sofa before stepping away, his face stiff and cold. “What happened? Who did this to you? Were you on a mission? I thought you had desk duty while minding me.”

You shook your head, but that made you dizzy, so you stopped. As you opened your mouth to answer, a long string of saliva dripped out. Your ears burned as you wiped your mouth on your sleeve. “Dentist.”

Loki frowned.

“Had to fix a cavity,” you muttered, sinking deeper into the soft cushions. “Don’t react too good to local anaesthesia. Fuzzy,” you added, tapping the side of your face with a languid finger. “Sleep?”

Loki nodded. “Yes. Maybe you’ll be more comfortable in your bed?” he asked, but you were already snoring. Smiling to himself, he fetched a blanket and draped it over you and brushed away a stray lock of hair from your eyes. “Sweet dreams, Y/N.”

A couple of hours later you woke up feeling like someone had punched you in the face. Your jaw was pounding, and the corner of your mouth felt stretched and cracked. Groaning, you pulled the blanket over your head, dreading the short walk to the kitchen for water and painkillers.

When the pain got too much to endure anymore, and you decided you would finally brave the walk, you carefully sat up, sliding your legs over the edge of the sofa. The movement made your head swim, but you steeled yourself.

Giving yourself an extra push to get up, you noticed a glass of water and two aspirin on the table. “Huh. Past me was pretty smart. I’m amazed I had the awareness to even find this,” you muttered.

_______________________________________________________________________

You had lived together for almost a year. It was a comfortable partnership, and you had found you really liked Loki. His calm demeanour and creative humour was a welcome contrast to the monotonous days in the office. Whenever you had the opportunity, you opted to work from home.

“I’m heading out. You want something from the shops?” Loki called from the door.

Jumping out of your chair, you tried to stop him. “Hey wait up!” You hobbled after him, trying to pull on your boots while walking.

He turned around, looking inconvenienced as always. When you caught up with him, he grimaced, picking a piece of lint off your jumper. “What?”

You smiled and finally managed to wrestle your foot down into the boot. “Nothing. Just figured I’d come with you. Can’t have a repeat of the Chocolate Incident.” You made a show of shuddering, exaggerating both movement and sound.

“Right,” Loki replied with a roll of his eyes, but there was a ghost of a smile lingering on his lips. “The Chocolate Incident.”

The memory made you both wince and smile. It seemed so long ago now, just after you had moved in: you had woken up from your back aching, making it difficult to turn over in the bed, and as you lay there trying to ignore the pain, another one punched you in the guts. Days like these were the worst.

Sliding out of the bed, you pulled on a pair of grey sweatpants and wrapped yourself in the blanket, not bothering with changing out of your sleep shirt. Your hair fell in knotted tufts in your face. Blowing them away didn’t help, so you let them be and continued to the kitchen.

You stopped in the door, watching as Loki cooked. With a sigh you entered the room: you really just wanted to be alone and wallow in self-pity. This was not a situation that had crossed your mind when you had been forced to volunteer for the mission.

Loki turned around, on his way to put a spatula in the dishwasher when he spotted you. “Good grief. Are you sick?” He looked at you with distant concern, and you felt tears pool in your eyes.

Blinking them away, you shook your head to buy your voice enough time. “Shark week,” you muttered.

He frowned and tilted his head. “I don’t really see how a TV programme has anything to do with your condition. Do you want me to call a doctor?”

Sighing again, you rolled your eyes, not wanting to have to explain. “I’ll be okay. Just gimme the chocolate in the back of the small cupboard and nobody gets hurt. My back hurts like a motherfucker, and satan’s waterfall isn’t making things any better,” you said, gesturing to the general area of concern.

“What? …oh.” With that realisation he turned to the cupboard in question. “Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate…” For a moment he was silent, moving the other contents around on the shelf before freezing. “Oh. That chocolate.” He sucked air through his teeth and turned slowly to face you. “I… am truly sorry,” he said, and his face showed exactly that.  “When I could not sleep the other night, I… Had I known it was your… time, I would have replaced it immediately.”

You groaned to stop yourself from crying, and turned dramatically on your heels. Marching through the hallway, you growled: “I’ll be in my room if you need me. Don’t disturb me unless it’s an emergency.”

There was a half eaten packet of Twizzlers in the bedside table, and luckily you had a handful of painkillers, but you weren’t going to forgive Loki anytime soon. That chocolate was your favourite, and it was notoriously hard to find, so when you did find it, you hoarded and saved it for difficult days. Like this day.

Shaking yourself out of the memory, you smiled to Loki and followed him down the stairs.

Loki’s preferred shop was just around the corner; a medium sized shop with an amazing fresh produce section, and you liked it because they had several aisles of candy.

“Hey, can we get PopTarts?”

Loki turned, looking like an exasperated parent dealing with an annoying kid.  “Absolutely not!”

“Aw, why?” you pouted.

“Because that’s a sure way to attract my brother, and I am not in the mood to deal with him these days.”

“Ooh. I’d love to meet Thor some day,” you thought out loud.

Loki glared at you.

Holding up your hands, you smiled apologetically. “Okay, okay. But then we have to buy cookies.”

Loki sighed and shook his head in defeat. “Why do you have to be so happy all the time?”

“Because we’re shopping for candy.”

“We’re not just shopping for candy. What do you want for dinner?”

Your eyes lit up. You didn’t often get to choose. “Spaghetti.”

“Again?” He made a weird face, but put a packet of pasta in the shopping basket.

You stuck out your tongue. “So I like pasta. Sue me.”

“Don’t think that would do any good,” he snickered, continuing to the next aisle. “Pretty sure they’d rule in your favour.”

A distant rumble made you both stop in your tracks. Another one came, followed by a loud chime from your phone. The chocolate in your hand was immediately forgotten when you read the text: “Code RED. Report to HQ.”

Part four 

_______________________________________________________________________

@80percentmarvel @tardis-is-mine @schwarzwaelder-kirschtorte @jessiejunebug @thefuriousquake @wolfgar15

[today-only-happens-once]

Tight Spaces and Brave Faces

Title: Tight Spaces and Brave Faces

Word Count: 5141

Summary: For as long as they’ve all known him, Patton Foster has had crippling claustrophobia. One night at a cast party brings that all bubbling back to the surface, and Virgil can’t get the door open. College AU. Platonic Moxiety, platonic LAMP/CALM.

Warnings: hurt/comfort, some angst, claustrophobia, being trapped in a small space, descriptions of crowds and tight spaces (specifically closets), alcohol mention, panic attack (mostly off-screen), cursing, spoilers for Heathers the Musical, feelings of guilt, a bit of fluff towards the end, please let me know if I forgot anything.

A/N: Been a while, yeah? Thank you to everyone who was so kind and patient with me during my writing hiatus. The hiatus was… needed and helpful, although I only hope this fic makes up for the lack of writing content the past few weeks. I’ve never written a focus on the Moxiety dynamic for a one-shot before. The rough draft was extra rough and this had to go through some major revisions… I hope this turned out okay. Nervous to post, but when am I not? <3

…

The lobby of the performing arts center is packed as the theater spills out into the tiled space. Excited voices bounce off the marble pillars with words of congratulations and greetings. Virgil Shea stands at the far outskirts of the thickening crowd, pressing against the wall to create as much space from the sea of bodies as he can. His roommate, Patton Foster, is already pressed flat against the wall.

His smile is a bit stiff as his gaze scans the crowd for their roommate, Roman Prince. Their fourth roommate, Logan Sanders, stands with his arms crossed on the other side of Patton. Virgil frowns at the way Patton seems to be trying to melt into the wall, even though he understands. For as long as Virgil has known him, Patton has struggled with debilitating claustrophobia. It was worse when it was small, cramped spaces, but crowds could sometimes be hard for him to handle too.

Virgil spots the spiral staircase, noting that the swarm of people that had been working their way down it after the curtain had mostly thinned out by now. He nudges Patton beside him. “I’m gonna head over there. See if I can’t spot Roman from further up.”

Patton follows his gaze, and a note of relief floods his eyes at the lack of a crowd in that part of the room. “I’ll come too!”

At Logan’s quizzical look, Virgil jerks his head towards the stairs, and the three of them skirt the outside of the crowd and make their way through the lobby. The red carpeting does little to absorb the sound of cast members chatting excitedly with their friends and family that had attended the opening night production of Heathers The Musical!

As the three of them head up the steps—stopping about half-way to lean over the railing and scan the crowd for their roommate—Virgil hears Patton take in a deep breath.

“I may not entirely understand theatre,” Logan says suddenly, “but seeing Roman perform a role so unlike his usual demeanor was certainly interesting.”

Virgil watches the people milling around below them. Some of the girls in the cast are handed flower bouquets. People are exchanging hugs, cast members laugh loudly with eyes bright from the flood of post-show adrenaline. Virgil may have stopped getting involved in theater after high school, but he’s glad that Roman didn’t. Though he’d never tell his roommate, Virgil knows that Roman is talented and works hard at it.

“He was so good!” Patton adds, nodding in agreement. “His whole performance was just… J-D-lightful.” He laughs as Logan groans.

Virgil smirks at the pun. “Always knew Princey had a dark side.”

“Don’t worry,” chimes a new, familiar voice coming up the stairs behind them. “You’re still the Emo Nightmare of the group.”

All three of them turn as Roman jogs up the stairs towards them. The dark clothes and slicked back hair looks suddenly odd on the young actor, if only because the brightness of his smile and revitalized energy in his eyes has turned him back into Roman, not J.D anymore. His stage make-up that had looked edgy and dangerous on him while on stage looks thick and dramatic up close. He’s got a fake blood streak down his temple starting somewhere up in his hairline.

“Roman!” Patton gushes, giving is roommate a hug. “You were amazing! I was actually a little scared of you when you killed Kurt. It felt so real.”

Roman grabs hold of the railing on the stairs to keep his balance as he hugs his roommate back. When they separate, Roman gives a dramatic bow. “You’re too kind, Patton.”

“I don’t know about that, Patton,” Virgil quips. “Roman Prince being straight? Unrealistic.”

Roman holds a hand to his chest. “I’ll admit, ‘Dead Girl Walking’ is always an exercise of my greatest acting ability…” Roman trails off, then smiles with a note of uncertainty. “But really. Did you guys like it?”

Logan inclines his head. “The performance was adequate.” Roman rolls his eyes with a sense of affection.

“Not that you need the ego boost,” Virgil says when Roman looks at him, “but yeah. It was really good, Roman.”

Roman beams.

“Actually,” Logan says, adjusting the frame of his glasses, “I was hoping to ask you about the technical design of—“

“Roman?”

Roman turns at the sound of his name being accompanied by someone ascending the staircase. The girl that Virgil recognizes as having played opposite Roman as Veronica stops a few steps below the four of them. She’s got a soft, warm smile that—not unlike Roman’s transformation—seems somehow to be such a stark contrast to her character they’d just seen on stage. Her dark hair is mussed, her own stage blood streaking her left cheek. She smiles brightly.

She offers Roman a hug, and the young actor accepts it warmly. “Nicole, you were exquisite as always.”

She smiles. “You kidding? You brought the house to its feet when you came out at the end!”

“Funny,” Roman says, “I got a very different reaction when I came out in high school.” Virgil snorts.

Nicole rolls her eyes before her gaze falls on the three of them standing on the stairs behind Roman. “Oh! Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”

“Don’t worry about it, kiddo,” Patton jumps in. “You were amazing!” Nicole seems briefly startled at the enthusiasm, but her smile is sincere and Virgil swears he sees a faint blush underneath her thick layer of makeup.

Roman laughs and sweeps an arm up the staircase in a grand gesture. “Nicole, these are my roommates. Patton, Logan, and Virgil.”

Virgil nods a greeting as Logan chimes, “Salutations.”

“It’s great to meet you guys,” Nicole replies. A second later, her face lights up with an idea. “You all should come to the cast party tonight! Alex is hosting it at the music frat house. It’s supposed to be a ton of fun. I don’t know everyone who will be there, but the more the merrier, right?”

“We’ll be there,” Roman answers immediately for the four of them. Virgil shoots an exasperated look at the back of his head. Did Romano really just sign us up for a party?

“Great! I’ll see you guys there, then!” Nicole waves and hurries back down the spiral staircase.

When Roman turns back around and sees the dry look Virgil is giving him, he waves a hand. “Don’t give me that, Sweeney Toddler. It’ll be fun!”

…

The music frat house is jammed with people.

Virgil shoulders his way through the bodies pressing against one another in the living room as a rap song blares from the big speakers in the corner. Colored lights are projected in changing patterns on the walls and ceiling of the room. The air is hot and thick with the scent of sweat and beer. When the song hits the bass drop, Virgil feels the floor beneath his feet vibrate.

The whole thing sets his nerves on edge. It doesn’t help that he has this weird feeling in his stomach that something is distinctly wrong. A part of him wants to leave, and given how crowded the house is, he wonders if maybe Patton would want to come with him. Their apartment building was only a few blocks away anyway.

Virgil makes his way to the far end of the room, doing his best to avoid the drinks sloshing over the rim of the solo cups as they jumped and danced to the music. He sees Roman sitting on the sofa, chatting with a member of the tech crew. Virgil recognizes them as someone he’d had freshman year history with; Elliot, Virgil thinks the name is. Roman’s face brightens when Virgil breaks through the crowd in front of him.

“Hey, Virge!” he shouts, either still running off the post-show high or simply to be heard over all the noise. The graphic design major isn’t sure which.

“Have you seen Patton?” Virgil asks, unable to ignore the squirming in his gut.

Roman seems to see it in his face, too, because his brows pull together in concern. He straightens up slightly, his gaze scanning the crowd of people. He shakes his head as he looks back at Virgil. “I just saw him like, ten minutes ago. He said something about finding the bathroom.” He looks back at Elliot. “Hang on,” he says to them. “I’ll be right back.”

Roman gracefully jumps up from his perch on the arm of the sofa and starts making his way through the house. He ducks into the small dining room that had—intentionally or not—been turned into an overflow space of dancers. Couples lined the walls, heads ducked towards one another in flirty conversation. Two girls giggle as one kisses the other’s nose. Another couple is kissing sloppily in the corner and Virgil quickly averts his gaze.

He follows Roman through the entryway at the far end of the room, down the tight hallway, to the staircase that led up to the second floor of the house. Logan stands at the foot of it by the railing, chatting idly with some people that Virgil distantly recognized as being part of the pit orchestra and production team.

“Hey. Specs.” Roman claps a hand on Logan’s shoulder as he comes up from behind him. Logan’s cool brown gaze flashes up in annoyance before turning to confusion at seeing Roman and Virgil.

The sense of urgency is ballooning slowly in Virgil’s chest, getting harder for him to ignore even though he can’t exactly pinpoint why. “Have you seen Patton?” he asks before Logan can respond.

Logan meets Virgil’s gaze. “I did see him go upstairs, although that was several minutes ago. A few other students are up there as well.”

Something doesn’t feel right. It’s a vague weight over his head that Virgil can’t shake for the life of him. He brushes past Logan and takes the stairs two at a time. He hears Roman say his name before two sets of footsteps following up the stairs behind him.

The hallway at the top of the stairs is tight and dark and the floor creaks beneath him. All of the doors are closed except for the one just slightly to the right of the staircase. The door is open, the light is on; it’s the bathroom. Patton is nowhere to be found.

There are a few guys further down the hall crowded around a door on the left. It’s a slightly smaller door, probably to a closet of some sort. One of them jiggles the handle before snorting in laughter. He slaps his friend’s shoulder. “Dude, dude, dude,” he says between laughter, “I think he jammed it. Guess he’s not getting out now.”

Roman reaches the top of the stairs as Virgil’s mind starts racing. “Hey, man,” Roman calls out to them, oblivious to their conversation or the way Virgil pales beside him. “You didn’t see my roommate come up here, did you?”

“Who’s your roommate?” one of them asks. “Wait, the weird guy in the blue polo?”

Virgil’s hands twitch into fists at his sides. “Tell me you didn’t…”

The one closest to Virgil rolls his eyes and scoffs. “Learn to take a joke, man—“

“Is he in there?” Virgil demands, his sharp gaze startling the other three into silence. When the one in the middle glances at the door and says nothing, Virgil sees red.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Roman demands, crossing the short length of hallway to stand almost nose-to-nose with the one in the middle. Virgil pushes past all of them to get at the door, trying the handle.

It won’t turn. It’s locked, or jammed or… Virgil knocks softly on the door. “Patton?” He doesn’t hear anything on the other side and he feels his stomach drop. He tries the handle again, but he can’t turn it. Blindly, Virgil shoves his shoulder into the door with a small thud. “Patton? Can you open the door?”

There’s still no answer. It’s hard to tell whether the heavy beat vibrating the floor from the music below or Virgil’s heart is faster. He jiggles the handle again and shakes the door slightly, trying to force it open. It doesn’t budge.

“Maybe he’s enjoying the seven minutes in heaven by himself,” one of them jokes. Virgil doesn’t turn around, but he’s pretty sure he can hear the smirk in his voice.

“I suggest,” Roman says in a low, dangerous voice, “that you either find a way to get that door open or you don’t let the front one hit you on the way out.” His voice reminds Virgil suddenly of when he’d been J.D from earlier that night.

“Whoa, calm down, man,” one of them says. “Look, we didn’t mean to actually jam the door. That was your guy. He like, totally freaked out when we closed the door on him. We were just messing with him.”

“Evidence suggests that you did more than simply close the door on him,” Logan cuts in. His voice is a lethal, savage calm. “If the door is jammed because our roommate pulled on it, then you likely where holding the door closed on him. Otherwise, opening it would have been no problem. Now, there’s a chance I may be mistaken, but I’ve found that I am rarely incorrect.”

Virgil knocks on the door again. He can feel his heart in his throat. “Patton, can you please try to open the door?” He doesn’t hear the rest of the conversation behind him as he grabs the handle and jiggles the door again. He presses his ear against it, listening for a moment. “Pat, we’re trying to get you out, okay?” The music and crowd noise from downstairs make it hard to tell, but Virgil swears he hears a quiet whimper come from the other side of the door.

He hears rapid footsteps behind him that recede down the stairs. When he glances over his shoulder, only Logan and Roman are left in the hallway.

“I can’t get it open,” he says in a tight voice. He backs up from the door, then throws his weight into it with his shoulder. The impact is jarring, but the door doesn’t budge. “Come on,” he growls under his breath. Can he kick in the door? No, he doesn’t know how to do that. And even if he did, it could easily end up hurting Patton.

“Virgil.”

He pulls back from the door and is about to throw his weight into it again—he has to get through that door—but feels a firm hand grab his shoulder.

“Stop,” Logan says softly but firmly from behind him. “You are more likely to dislocate your shoulder doing that than you are to open the door.”

Virgil roughly shrugs out of Logan’s grip. “Then what do you suggest, Logan?” he snaps. “Patton is in there and I can’t get the door open—“

“Keep him calm,” Logan tells him. “I will find a way to get the door open, but right now you and Roman focus on helping Patton stay calm.”

Virgil looks up into Logan’s steady gaze and takes a breath before nodding. “Okay.” The corner of Logan’s mouth quirks slightly before he nods back and hurries down the stairs.

The graphic design major turns back towards the door and leans his head against it softly. “Patton, if you can hear me, I need you to breathe.” The party downstairs is still too loud for him to really hear if he gets a response. He just hopes that Patton can hear him and is listening. “We’re gonna breathe in for four seconds, okay? Here we go. In…” Virgil counts out loud to four. “Hold for seven seconds.” He counts again. “Now let it out for eight seconds.” When he counts to eight, Virgil swallows and pauses. “Good. We’re gonna do it a few more times, okay? Breathe in for four seconds…”

The dark, cramped hallway creaks as Roman takes a step closer. Virgil walks through the exercise once or twice more. He doesn’t know if it’s actually helping, if Patton can actually hear him, and it kills him a little that he doesn’t know. He feels Roman place a hand on his arm as he steps closer.

“Hey, Patton,” Roman says in an unusually soft voice. “Did I ever tell you about the field behind my house back home?”

Virgil’s glances at Roman, confused. What? He mouths. Roman holds up a hand and mouths back, Trust me. He hesitates a moment, then takes a step back to let Roman get closer to the door.

“It was this huge grass field. In the far distance, you could just barely make out the trees silhouetted on the horizon line. Wildflowers in the spring and summer would coat the field in yellows, reds, and blues that matched the sky above. And the sky out there…” Roman has his eyes closed, looking lost in his own world. “It goes on for miles on a clear day. The brightest sky you’ve ever seen. Don’t even get me started on the sunsets out there. The reds and golds and violets would bleed into one another and reflect off the clouds, endless colors filling the vast sky above you. And since we kind of lived in the middle of nowhere, the night sky was just full of stars. I used to think you could see the farthest corners of the universe out there.”

Roman’s voice is smooth and effortless. Virgil can feel the tension in his shoulders easing just a little bit, and he realizes what Roman is doing. He’s painting a picture of wide, open, colorful spaces as a way to combat the tight, dark one Patton is trapped in. There’s a flicker of uncertainty in the actor’s eyes as he opens them and looks at Virgil. He isn’t sure if it’s working. Virgil doesn’t know either.

Roman opens his mouth and takes a breath to continue when the rapid but methodical sound of footsteps coming up the stairs signals Logan’s reappearance. Virgil straightens up and looks at him expectantly.

Logan holds up a butter knife. “It was the best I could do.” He squeezes past Roman to kneel on the thin carpeting and wedge the knife by the lock in the door. It takes him a couple of seconds before they hear a quiet click, nearly drowned out by the thumping bass from below. Logan tosses the knife to the floor and twists the handle, the door swinging open effortlessly. Virgil squeezes past Roman and through the door into the closet as soon as there’s enough of a crack for his body to slip through.

The walls of the closet are lined with shelves full of cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, and toiletries, and on the floor in the middle of it all is Patton. His knees pulled up to his chest, his face buried in his arms. Trembling.

Virgil unzips his hoodie and shrugs out of it as he kneels in front of him. “Patton,” he says in a soft voice. “Hey.” He knows the trembling isn’t really because Patton is cold but he drapes his sweatshirt around Patton’s shoulders anyway.

Patton’s breath hiccups as he pulls his head out of his arms. Virgil feels his heart constrict at the tear tracks that mark his cheeks. He hears movement behind him and when he glances over his shoulder, he sees that Logan has a hand on Roman’s shoulder as if keeping him from coming into the closet too. He whispers something in the actor’s ear. Roman nods and takes a small step back.

Virgil looks back at Patton. “You’re safe now,” he says. “What do you say we get out of here?”

He offers a hand, but he sees the way Patton’s shoulders tense and he pulls back. He doesn’t take it personally. Patton needs as much space as he can get right now. The vacuum in the corner is tipped over and shoved into a pile of toilet paper under the bottom shelf. Virgil wonders in the back of his mind if that might have been Patton’s doing.

“Patton,” Logan says from the hallway, his voice softer than Virgil can ever remember it being, “Can you stand up?”

There’s a moment of hesitation. Then, so quietly that Virgil almost misses it: “Y-yeah.”

Patton uncurls himself, scrubs a hand against his tear-stained cheeks, and stands on shaky legs. Virgil stands with him, slipping his hands into the back pocket of his jeans and moving out of the way of the door. Instinct is telling Virgil to grab his arm, to steady him, protect him like you failed to do in the first place, but he doesn’t want to overwhelm or overstimulate him. So Virgil hovers in the corner, follows Patton out the door, and pulls the door shut behind him.

Logan offers Patton his hand with a gentle, reassuring look. Patton swallows and glances up at him before slipping his arms through the sleeves of Virgil’s hoodie and quietly placing his hand in Logan’s outstretched one.

“Let’s go home,” Logan says softly.

…

The moment they are out of the house and the door has closed behind them, the world becomes immediately quieter. The brisk autumn air tugs at the strands of hair falling into Virgil’s eyes. Roman rushes down the steps of the porch towards the sidewalk with his arms spread out.

“You wanna know what song I feel like singing tonight, Logan?” Roman announces as he grabs hold of the nearby streetlamp and spins around it.

The chemical engineering student adjusts the frame of his glasses as he follows Roman down the sidewalk, his other hand still entwined with Patton’s. “What would that be, Roman?”

“All we see is sky for forever!” Roman belts out, a show tune that Virgil immediately recognizes from Dear Evan Hansen. The young actor isn’t exactly being subtle. The out-stretched arms, spinning around, walking ahead of them, singing a song not from the beginning of the tune but from that particular line… he’s emphasizing all of the open space around them as much as possible.

The corner of Virgil’s mouth quirks upwards in an almost-smile. He glances at Patton out of the corner of his eye and notices that he seems steadier now as he smiles warmly at Roman’s antics. He seems to be breathing normally.

It’s something, at least.

Virgil can’t quite shake the feeling of guilt gnawing at his stomach even as he crosses his arms over his chest to brace against the cold air, keeping stride a few steps behind the other three. He doesn’t know what to do. Not really, anyway. He’d been useless to get Patton out of the closet. Useless to prevent him getting trapped in it in the first place. He’d always been the one who focused on keeping the others’ safe, but he’d failed. Where did that leave him?

Patton is safe now. That should be all that matters. But the weight sits heavy and uncomfortable in his chest anyway. He wants to ask Patton if he’s okay—just to make sure, to actually hear him confirm it so maybe his gut will stop twisting—but Patton smiles and laughs at something Roman says and the words die in Virgil’s throat. Maybe bringing it up is a mistake. Patton probably just needs a distraction right now.

Virgil could do that.

Patton glances over his shoulder at him, his brow pulling together in sudden concern. “Holy smokes, kiddo,” he says and starts shrugging out of the hoodie, “I wasn’t even thinking. You must be freezing.”

Virgil’s eyes widen and he grabs Patton’s arms to stop him before he twists out of the sweatshirt. No, Patton,” he insists. “Really. It’s fine. Keep it until we get back to the apartment.”

Patton stops, but looks at him doubtfully. “I don’t want you getting sick.”

Virgil dismissively rolls his eyes. “I won’t, dad. Leave the hoodie on, will you?”

Patton purses his lips. “If you’re sure…” He shrugs it back over his shoulders and slips his hands into the pockets. Virgil gives him a small smile. He feels some of the tension loosen in his chest at the warm look in his friend’s eyes. “Thank you,” Patton adds, a weight to his words that Virgil pretends he doesn’t notice.

Instead, he shakes his head teasingly and bumps his shoulder into his roommate’s. “Don’t mention it.”

…

When they get back to the apartment ten minutes later, Roman dramatically stretches and announces that he needs his “beauty rest” before the matinee tomorrow. Virgil doesn’t miss the soft, uncertain look he gives Patton—the brief crack in Roman’s normality checking that Patton is okay—and Patton gives him a sincere smile and tells him to not let the bed bugs bite. Roman says something about “vanquishing such vile creatures in my sleep!” before he heads into his and Patton’s shared room and closes the door.

Logan stifles a yawn. “Patton, if you’re certain that you don’t require assistance or companionship, I think I may retire for the night as well.”

“You’re sweet for offering, Logan, but you don’t need to worry about me!” Patton flashes him a bright smile but there’s something just a little off about it to Virgil.

The exhausted chemical engineering student glances at Virgil as if to assure himself that someone would be staying up with Patton a little while longer. Virgil nods subtly, and Logan inclines his head to Patton, bids them goodnight, and heads into his and Virgil’s shared room.

There’s a quiet moment after the door clicks shut behind him when neither of them says anything. The quiet living room separated from the kitchen by a wall and short hallway feels small and noticeably silent given the party they had just come from. The heating unit kicks on with a quiet rumble. The thin carpet and mismatching furniture feels like home.

He hears Patton take in a deep, slow breath. He’s still wearing Virgil’s hoodie, but Virgil doesn’t mind. He looks like he feels safe, even as the warm light of the lamp in the corner shows just how much the sweatshirt engulfs his frame. It’s a comforting sight that helps the lingering tightness in Virgil’s stomach, the one that twists a little more each time he thinks about Patton crying on the floor of the storage closet…

“You don’t have to stay up,” Patton says softly, breaking the quiet air around them. “It’s pretty late, kiddo.”

“I’d probably just be scrolling through Tumblr for an hour anyway,” Virgil replies with a tone that is lighter than the weight in his gaze. He looks at his friend a moment longer; Patton looks almost normal, really, if it isn’t for the way he won’t meet Virgil’s eyes. “D’ya want some tea, Patton?”

Patton blinks in surprise. “Oh. Uh, sure. That’d be great.”

“Cool. One sec.”

Virgil takes his time in the kitchen, grabbing a mug with a cat pun for Patton and a black and purple one for himself as he heats the water. He doesn’t rush the process. He has a feeling that Patton could use a moment by himself, to be alone and recognize that he is safe. To not feel like he has to put up a front for anyone else.

Patton had been getting better about not hiding his negative emotions—he really had—but old habits die hard. And Virgil knows all too intimately what it is like to feel exposed and need those tried and true defense mechanisms.

After he drops the tea bags into the mugs of steaming water a few minutes later, Virgil heads back to the living room around the corner. Patton is already sitting on the couch, his shoes discarded by the leg of the coffee table in front of him and his feet tucked up underneath him. Virgil hands him the cat mug and sits beside him, setting his own cup on one of the coasters Logan had bought for the apartment.

Patton gives him a faint, appreciative smile and curls his hands around the cup. He inhales the steam and scent of lavender and cinnamon. He relaxes back into the cushions of the couch a bit.

“Thanks, Virge.”

“Any time, Patton.”

Patton shakes his head and looks down at the floating tea bag in his mug. “No,” he insists quietly. “I don’t just mean the tea. I mean… for tonight. For coming to find me and… helping me get out.”

Virgil nudges the lid of his laptop—which had been sitting on the corner of the coffee table from before they’d left for Roman’s performance—up as he glances at Patton over his shoulder. “I know,” he says. “But we’re here for you as much as you’re here for us.”

Patton swallows and nods. His eyes flicker up to meet Virgil’s before averting them again. Virgil busies himself by quickly logging into his laptop. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asks, his tone light and casual. He doesn’t want Patton to feel like he has to. Virgil figures he’s felt trapped enough tonight; he doesn’t want to add to that.

“Not… not tonight,” Patton admits quietly.

Virgil nods, and pulls up the Netflix tab on his browser. He can’t say the answer surprises him. That’s okay. Patton knows that they’re there for him, and when he wants to talk about it? Virgil and the others will be there.

“Do you want to watch some Parks and Rec instead?”

He doesn’t miss the relieved smile that pulls across his friend’s face. “Sounds perfect, kiddo.”

 ...

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[trashcanmarvelfan]

Best. Job. Ever. (Tom Holland x Reader) 1/?

Summary: Reader gets a job on the set of Spider-Man: Far from Home for the 3 weeks they are shooting in New York City as what she thinks is a production assistant, but a twist of fate has her reassigned as Tom Holland's personal assistant. As she & Tom grow close during filming, will their budding friendship turn to more or will they go their separate ways after filming concludes?

Warnings: Language, but that’s pretty much it? This is basically a PG-13 rom-com.

Word Count: 2109

Author’s Note: As this was written WAY before Spider-Man: Far from Home was released (actually before Avengers: Endgame was as well) I've kept plot details and which scene was being shot on what day extremely vague. Also, I'm American but tried to write Tom as British as possible, although I do think he'd try to stay(ish) in character and use as much American slang as he could while he's still playing Peter.

Requests are always open! 

Cross-posted at AO3.

“I really need your help here,” Y/N's best friend Laura said over the phone. “Please, Y/N.”

Laura had wanted to direct films, so she immediately moved to L.A. upon Y/N’s & her college graduation that past spring to work in the film industry. So far she had worked as a production assistant on a few feature films and was currently scheduled to work as part the Spider-Man: Far from Home crew, but she had been offered a position as a 3rd assistant AD on another film after the director saw one of her student films, which unfortunately required her to drop out of the Spider-Man crew. Before leaving Laura had promised that she would find a reliable, trustworthy replacement.

“I don’t know,” Y/N replied.

“I promised Anna I’d find a replacement PA since I had to back out. You don’t start your new job for like a month, right?”

“Right…”

“It’s only for the final 3 weeks of shooting, while they’re in New York. They’ll put you up in a hotel, you’ll get to meet the cast, and you’ll get to see the city! Think of it as a paid vacation… that makes you work for it. You might actually get to meet Tom Holland himself!”

Y/N sighed wistfully.  She had had a crush on Tom Holland ever since she had seen him in Captain America: Civil War, and had loved him in both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War. Laura wouldn't have recommended her if she didn't believe that Y/N could do it, right? “You’re so lucky I love you… and that I really need the money.”

Laura squealed. “So you’ll do it?”

“Yeah, I’ll do it.”

“Great! I’ll let them know and send you the details.”

One week later, Y/N stepped off of the plane in NYC. She grabbed her bags from luggage claim, caught a cab, and headed to her hotel to check in and drop her luggage off before catching an Uber to the crew meeting.

She nervously tapped her foot the entire way to the filming location. Once she had arrived, she made her way through security and to the set.

She spotted a woman holding a clipboard, who was directing various people where to go, so she walked over to her. “Excuse me, I need to check in. I'm the new production assistant, taking over for Laura Pearson.”

The woman peered over her glasses at Y/N. “Name?”

“Y/F/N.”

The woman glanced at her clipboard. “Y/N, Y/N”, she muttered, running her finger down the page. “Ah. Yes, we’ve been expecting you. You’ve actually been reassigned from production assistant to personal assistant to Tom Holland.”

“Wait, excuse me-- What?”  Y/N thought that there was no way that she had heard right. “Did you just say that I’m Tom Holland’s personal assistant?”

The woman nodded. “Yes, well, Tom’s in need of an assistant for this leg of the shooting and you seemed like the perfect choice.”

Y/N was still convinced that there had been a mistake. “But I’ve never even worked on a movie set before. When I was told I’d be a P.A. I assumed that meant I’d be a production assistant to the director or something.”

The woman arched an eyebrow. “Is there a problem? You came very highly recommended, and your background and references were excellent.”

Y/N shook her head. “No, no problem. Just surprised, is all.”

Suddenly things started to make sense.  She had thought that the NDA Sony had made her sign had some extra clauses to it regarding speaking to the media about the cast, and the hotel she was staying at was more fancy than she had been expecting. Tom must be staying there.

The woman handed her a manila envelope. “Here’s Tom’s schedule for this week. On Saturday I’ll give you his schedule for next week, and next week I’ll give you the final week’s schedule.  You’ll be meeting with him at the hotel restaurant at 5 pm today to go over it and to make sure that nothing conflicts or has changed in his availability. We start shooting tomorrow. Any questions?”

Y/N took a deep breath and shook her head. What is my life?

She went back to her hotel and reviewed Tom’s schedule, noting with relief that she would have Sunday off, which would at least give her one day this week to go sightseeing. Better than nothing, I guess. She had hoped to be able to do some exploring before filming started the next day but instead opted to take a nap before her meeting with Tom.  Jet-lag must’ve hit her harder than she thought, because Y/N slept for longer than she thought she would’ve. Luckily she had set an alarm, which gave her enough time to shower, throw some fresh clothes on, and get downstairs to the restaurant about 10 minutes early.

She gave her name to the hostess and was led to a small table in the back of the mostly-empty restaurant. A few seconds later their server came by. “Hi, my name is Michael and I’ll be taking care of you. Is someone joining you tonight?”

“Ahh, yes, actually. He should be here any minute,” Y/N replied.

“Ok, great. Can I get you anything while you wait?”

Y/N bit her lip. She was working, so… “An iced tea and a water would be great to start with.”

“Ok, I’ll get you that tea and water and be back momentarily.”

“Thanks so much.”

As Michael walked away Y/N checked her phone and noticed that she had a message from Laura. How was the crew meeting?

I have so much to tell you, Y/N responded. But it’ll have to wait.

She put her phone away.  Michael came back with her water and she thanked him before pulling out Tom’s schedule.  She was reading over it again when she heard a crisp British accent. “Excuse me, Y/N?”

She looked up and her heart skipped a beat. Holy shit. Tom Holland himself stood in front of her. “Um…” she stammered. “Yeah. I mean yes.”

“Hi, I’m Tom,” he said, taking a seat across from her and sticking his hand out.

Y/N shook his hand. “Y/N… but you already knew that.”

Tom grinned. “Nice to meet you.”  He leaned back in his chair as Michael returned once more.

“Hello there! I’m Michael. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Um, yeah, I’ll take a water.”

“Ok then, I’ll give you a few minutes to look over the menu and then I’ll be back.”

Tom picked up the menu. “I’m famished. Y/N, would you like something to eat?”

At the mention of food Y/N’s stomach growled loudly, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten yet that day. Her eyes widened in embarrassment.

Tom laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He picked up his menu.

“So,” he said once Michael had returned with his water and they had placed their orders, “tell me about yourself. I figure if we’re going to be working with each other for the next few weeks we ought to get to know each other, am I right?”

“Um, right,” Y/N agreed. “Well, I’m originally from (hometown) but I recently graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in English with a focus on journalism.”

Tom looked impressed. “How on earth did you wind up as an assistant on a movie set then?”

“My friend and former college roommate Laura was originally scheduled to be a production assistant on this shoot but had to back out, so she asked me to fill in. I was recently offered a position with a publishing company in Los Angeles, but I could really use the money while I’m waiting on my background check & paperwork to go through, so I agreed to help her out, plus this is my first time in New York so I thought it’d kind of... be like a vacation? I really wasn’t expecting to be your assistant for the next 3 weeks… Not that it’s a problem!” she quickly corrected herself. “I just… It’s just not what I expected to be doing.”

Tom was obviously amused. “Well, it’s not the most glamorous job in the world since you basically have to follow me around everywhere, but I promise to make it easy on you.” He winked then pulled out his phone. “Since we're going to need to stay in touch over the next few weeks how about you give me your mobile number and email address? Anna didn't give me your personal information, just your name.”

Y/N flushed slightly. “ Oh um, sure. And thanks.” She rattled off her phone number and waited while Tom added her contact information, then  picked up Tom’s schedule. “So since shooting starts tomorrow, shall we go over your schedule?”

They hashed out the details of the next week in between bites, Y/N making notes in her phone and setting alarms so she wouldn’t forget anything.

Once they were finished, Tom insisted on taking care of the check. “It’s on me. It’s the least I can do to thank you in advance for keeping me on schedule.”

“Oh, well, thank you so much,” Y/N said.

They left the restaurant and headed toward the elevator together. “Which floor?” Tom asked.

“10,” Y/N replied.

“Oh, is that so? I’m actually on the 10th too.”

“Cool,” Y/N replied. “Oh that reminds me, since I have to come pick you up from your room… which one is it?”

“Right, I guess that would be important, wouldn’t it?” Tom chuckled. “I’m in 1043.”

“Ok, so, a car is supposed to pick us up at 7:30 tomorrow morning to make sure you’re at the set for 8,” Y/N confirmed, so I’ll be around about… 7:15ish?”

“7:15 it is,” Tom nodded.

“Umm… do you want me to pick you up some coffee in the morning? Oh wait, you’re British, you probably don’t drink coffee. Tea then?”

Tom laughed. “Actually I DO drink coffee, and that would be lovely, thank you.”

“Great! There’s a Starbucks in the lobby of the hotel, is that ok?”

“Yes, that’s perfect.”

The elevator doors opened on their floor and they stepped out into the hallway.

“Ok, well, I’m this way,” Y/N said, pointing in the opposite direction of Tom’s room.  “I’ll… see you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow. Good night, Y/N.”

“‘Night, Tom.”

As soon as Y/N got in her room she pulled out her phone and Facetimed Laura.

“Hey, Y/N,” Laura answered. “What’s up?”

“So when were you going to tell me that I was going to be Tom Freaking Holland’s personal assistant on this shoot?” Y/N hissed.

Laura’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “What? You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope. I walked on set fully expecting to be a production assistant helping everyone out, not personal assistant to the star of the freaking film! What the hell did you tell these people about me?”

“Just that you were super reliable and trustworthy and a little about your background. You’re the one who sold them on you with your phone interview and resume. This is a good thing,” Laura reassured her. “I’m sure it’ll be a lot more fun keeping Tom on schedule than running around set as a glorified gopher who hands out scripts and fetches coffee for everyone.”

“Well that's true, plus the pay is actually double what I would’ve originally made, and they put me up in a swanky hotel,” Y/N replied.

“Well see, it’s definitely working out!” Laura paused. “Have you met Tom yet?”

Y/N sighed. “Actually, yeah. We just had a dinner meeting.”

“Is he as cute as he is on screen?”

“Oh my gosh, Laura, he’s even more adorable in person, and he seems really nice. And that accent-- So dreamy.”

Laura squealed. “Take lots of pictures and send them to me!”

Y/N laughed. “I have to be professional, but maybe I’ll be able to get a selfie with Tom before filming is over.”

A bell rang in the background and Laura looked over her shoulder. “I’ve got to go, but have fun and keep me posted!”

“Will do! Bye!” Y/N ended the call.

She brushed her teeth and got ready for bed. 8 PM in New York City and I’m already in bed, she thought sardonically. What a wild life I lead.

She snuggled in bed with her tablet and rewatched Spider-Man: Homecoming before falling into a dreamless sleep.

[thenarcolepticone]

Sanctuary

By TheNarcolepticOne

Day 1 and Day 4: Cozy Weather

(AO3)

Summary: It's in the middle of a rainstorm when Alfred gets an unexpected visitor who had been missing in action for the last couple weeks.

Warnings: None

A/N: This story was meant for the @aphfallfandomweek (2018) but I was too caught up with school work to be able to post anything relevant within the first 3 days. I'll post those days sometime later (but I'm cheating this entry to count both as Day 1 and Day 4 since it's relevant LOL). I was in the middle of writing it for Day 1 before realizing this prompt fit both days. Hope this is okay.

Expect some new stories finally seeing the light sometime soon; I'm getting back into the writing mood again, but out of practice enough to not be able to participate in NaNoWriMo.

This story was formatted and edited over an old Omegle RP in 2012. 

##

Alfred was absolutely bored.

The storm had completely defeated his short-term plan of staying home for the weekend and completing his planned Achievement Hunter video game marathon. But the lightning had gotten the better of this plan, and Alfred groaned, rolling over on the couch. 

Thankfully, his phone was still at a solid 91%, which indicated that he was still able to answer some of his students’ emails. But Alfred already had a rule in place that physically disallowed him from answering such emails: he worked his ass off so much in the week that he kept that rule strictly followed to stop himself from accidentally forgetting to eat his meals again. Treating himself was not a practice that he felt accustomed to, but he was forcing it upon himself before he ended up too focused for the next 18 hours.

But that didn’t necessarily solve his primary dilemma: Alfred was still bored. 

There was nothing in the house that he felt he could physically do, and honestly killing his phone off would be the worst thing that he could end up doing right about now. So, for now, Alfred had decidedly turned off the phone’s LTE status and let it sit silently in his pocket while he waited impatiently on the couch for the storm to end. 

Alfred could hear the rustling of the fall leaves outside, with the rain hitting his window like a coordinated attack. It caused instances of randomized droplets to hit his window. This was paired with the wind as if it were knocking gently on Alfred’s door to open it for him. And Alfred mentally exhausted himself thinking about all the leaves he would have to rake up later. Alfred exhaled through his noise quietly, turning over to lay on his side as he stared at the television. Come on, Jones. Where was the creativity he had when he was a kid? What would his 8-year-old self even do in this situation to make it less boring?

After having almost talked himself to make a pillow fort, Alfred sat up at the sound of angry knocking on his door that didn’t sound at all like the weather outside. He blinked, sitting up as he stared in the direction of the sound. He tugged his phone out of his pocket for 2 seconds to read the time. 

10:49 PM

Alfred frowned. Well great. This was the most opportune time for someone to rob his house, isn’t it? In the middle of a rainstorm? Where no one would hear his screams...
The knock was heard again, causing Alfred to jump. In an instant, he stood up, grabbing his University sweatshirt on the couch as he made his way to the door.

“I’m coming,” he called to the door lazily. ‘Oh well,’ Alfred thought. Honestly, if a person did come to rob his house directly, it would at least give him something to do. Maybe he put those PUBG skills to the test. Something. Anything.

Using his phone, he turned on the flashlight, opening the front door and shining the light down on the man’s feet. The wind almost blew the door enough to slam into the wall, had Alfred not caught it.

The light had made it a lot easier for Alfred to see his visitor’s face; it was one that looked too adjusted to the darkness enough to cringe from the sight of the brightness.

“Oh!” Alfred smiled, turning the phone away from the other. Not a robber. “Hey, Arthur. I didn’t expect that you’d be here.”

“Of course not,” Arthur murmured irritably. His rain matted hair had a scent of earth to it as he pushed past Alfred quickly to get into the house and out of the rain. Without permission. Alfred closed the door as he locked it tightly with three locks for good measure, though a bit bothered by the sudden intrusion.

“Nice to see you too,” Alfred said tiredly back, going to follow him.

The Englishman hung his coat on the side of the leather couch that Alfred had lain on ear-lier, dripping rain all over onto it. Alfred rolled his eyes, retrieving scooping the coat up and bringing it to the clothing rack he had next to the door to let it drip dry there instead. When Alfred returned, Arthur was found lying on the couch where he previously was, and exactly the same position Alfred was too.

“Okay, time out,” Alfred said suddenly, arms crossing as he went to then go up to Arthur. He couldn’t quite see his face well in the darkness, so he grabbed his phone and shined it directly into his face. It caused the other to wince, holding a hand up to cover the beam. 

It’s from this decision that Alfred was able to see that Arthur looked absolutely tired and at the same time, soaked. His clothes were sticking to his skin and his face looked absolutely pale from being outside. The raindrops that were on his face were reflected from the light, and it showed just how drenched he was.

But this did not make Alfred any more sympathetic.

“Dude. I know I said you were welcome into my house anytime,” Alfred said exasperatedly. “But literally crashing inside of my house without even explaining what the fuck happened to you in the first place... I could report you for trespassing.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Arthur apologized laxly as he kept swatting the light uselessly away. Alfred turned off the light and Arthur opened his eyes again to meet Alfred’s, revealing half-lidded, unfocused eyes. “I wouldn’t have come here if I had known your power was out. But I didn’t know where else to go.”

Alfred sighed loudly at that response. “Come on. I was going to take a shower before the water got cold later. But I guess you can have it. I don’t want your dirty germs all over this place or else Matt’ll have my head next time he visits.”

“Right.”

With a heave, Arthur eventually got up from the seat, wobbling a little in his stance on the way out of the living room. Alfred caught him before he was able to lose his footing, arm around his shoulder as he began to help him stand up straight.

“Okay,” Alfred exhaled as he began to help him step by step. “So, you’re getting fatigued from being outside in the rain for too long. How long were you even out there?”

“Oh, you know,” Arthur sounded hoarse when he began to speak again. “A few hours.”

“Hours?” Alfred almost shouted incredulously. But before he could inquire more, Arthur began to wobble again, causing him to stumble with him to catch him. And with some effort, the two of them made it to the bathroom. Alfred set his phone flashlight on and placed the device on the sink counter. It’s then that he began to start smelling something else faint from Arthur’s breath. Alfred deadpanned.

“You’re drunk, aren’t you.”

“A little.”

Alfred just let Arthur sit down on the toilet as he began the water and gathered towels. It was a thunderous noise that rivaled that from the rumbling outside.

“Why?”

“Stress. Why else would anyone drink?” Arthur snorted, leaning back against the toilet seat frame as he watched Alfred tiredly.

“Well yeah. But everyone has a reason.” Alfred said passively, pulling the knob to turn the shower on. He let Arthur undress, though he was familiar with helping him if he needed. Alfred’s brother hadn’t been too much different in high school with his marijuana addiction; always lethargic and slow.

“Alistair,” he said as he got into the tub as if it were an explanation. Alfred closed the curtains and sat on the toilet seat, finally taking a moment to catch his breath before waiting for him to finish. The sounds of flowing water were heard against the curtain, just like the windows. 

“He finally kicked me out,” Arthur finally clarified. The sound of a stressed, squeezing bottle was heard. “Gave him a good shiner for being a selfish spaz and letting his girlfriend take advantage of him again. She’s ugly too.”

“... well, no wonder why he kicked you out.” Alfred commented. “You know you don’t just call your brother’s girlfriend anything worse than ‘a bitch’ and expect to get away from it without an injury.”

“He deserved it though!” Arthur complained. “He’s been playing into her selfish demands like he doesn’t have his own sense of restraint. I already told him off once about it and he didn’t want to fix the problem. Kept saying that I was the problem.”

The water shut off immediately and instinctively, Alfred tossed in a towel from the top of the curtain. Arthur grabbed it.

“Well, anyway,” Arthur continued as he pulled the curtain open and stepped out; towel wrapped around him comfortably. “I was hoping to get to Francis’ by bus. But I had the unfortunate luck of standing outside for a good thirty minutes before decidedly walking here for an additional 2 hours.”

Alfred frowned. Hmm.

Alistair and Arthur had shared an apartment together in the hopes of saving some money and the trouble of putting up with a new roommate who might potentially be a worse candidate. But Arthur had eventually been unable to keep up with the pay, last Alfred had heard. The University’s English Department recently began some budget cuts that were more than just a few thousand dollars. And because of this, Arthur had gotten the short end of the stick and was fired immediately, even after recently being hired for the last few months.

Which was a waste, honestly. Arthur had become a quick favorite amongst others in the department. But since getting fired, Arthur hadn’t been himself lately. And Alfred knew that his own choice of words of ‘my house is open for you’ seemed appropriate at the time. And he definitely needed that help, evidently.

Alfred, as well as Alistair, didn’t think it would take this long for Arthur to find a job, of course. But after about two weeks, Arthur stopped texting Alfred on updates. Alfred already assumed the Englishman had gone away to a different state by then, or even back to England.

Alfred stretched his legs in the seat as he went to retrieve the clothes for him.

Arthur followed his stance a bit better after the shower.

“Sorry I ain’t got nothing to entertain you with; power being out and all.”

Arthur shivered visibly as Alfred went to his bedroom, swinging the closet open. Inside was a stockpile of University-sponsored clothing but a healthy amount of professional wear which were reserved for when he had to teach.

“Perhaps it was a bad idea to come to your place in this weather,” Arthur was heard grumbling, trapping his hands under his armpits in an attempt to keep warm as well as keep the towel around him. “And I assume that means you aren’t spending your weekend on your consoles again?”

Alfred practically threw his sweatshirt and striped pajama pants at Arthur, letting it plop against his face.

“I don’t wanna hear you start disrespecting me after I just let you use my shower,” Alfred huffed. “And video games are completely valid as a way to relieve stress. You know. Instead of drinking.”

“Touché.” Arthur agreed as he took the sweater and wrestled the sweater on. But even after this, he was still visibly shivering.

“You’re still cold?”

“No.”

“Yeah, no. I’ll be right back.”

Shutting the closet door, he began for the living room again, opening up a drawer right next to the fireplace that held a stash of ridiculously thick blankets reserved only for the winter. Arthur trailed behind again like a lost puppy.

“Even now, you still don’t like to listen to me,” Arthur murmured, sitting back on the couch. “But thank you.”

“I never like listening to stubborn people anyway,” Alfred retorted back. “And you’re welcome.”

Alfred went over to sit next to him, now realizing that he was starting back again at square one and staring at his blank television screen. After a few moments, Arthur interrupted the silence.

“Well? Aren’t you cold?

“It’s not like I was out in a storm,” Alfred snapped back, already irritated that Arthur was still talking.

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Right. Then what exactly were you even doing here before I got here? I was hoping at least you could think of something for us to do.”

“How should I know?” Alfred was annoyed now. “I wasn’t expecting company before you got here. All I really did was sit here and planned to wait until the power went back on. Or maybe make a pillow fort.”

“Well, that’s hardly anything productive. I would have thought someone like you would stay organized. I mean. You’re the one who still has a job.”

Alfred ran a hand through his hair and groaned. The last thing he wanted as a fight with Arthur when he was being unreasonable and tipsy.

“You know, I could also kick you out too.”

“I know.”

Silence followed.

“Have you any flashlights?”

Alfred closed his eyes. “No batteries.”

“Not even the batteries?” Arthur gawked. “I thought you were the engineer type and owned at least a few backups.”

“Geez, keep your voice down,” Alfred flinched, turning his head to face the other. Despite the harshness of Arthur’s voice, he was found leaned back against the chair with the recliner up, eyes closed. He still looked angry, even with his eyebrows furrowed.

“And I was going to get some tomorrow the next time I went shopping,” Alfred continued. “Which was going to be tomorrow. My bad that I didn’t know the power would get blown out by tonight."

“That’s entirely inexcusable,”

“Like I said, how was I supposed to know that I needed batteries the day before I planned to get the fucking batteries?”

Arthur opened his eyes again, staring at the ceiling a moment before turning his gaze to Alfred’s. Alfred briefly wondered how he even had the energy to retaliate responses being so sluggish.

“Then do you want to talk then?”

“Huh?”

“It’s an idea,” Arthur sighed. “Sorry. I’ve just been... very quiet about everything for a while. At home with Alistair. I just want to talk. You’re the first person who’s actually held a civil conversation with me within the last week.”

Alfred sighed. “Every time we talk, it ends up in a fight, remember? Back at the coffee shop when we hung out after work?”

“Well, fighting is at least something to do, isn’t it?” Arthur remarked. And Alfred couldn’t help but actually crack a smile at that.

“That’s true.”

It’s at this moment that Arthur was seen moving again, turning to meet Alfred’s face as he shifted in his lain position to look at him. Alfred just pulled his feet up, looking at Arthur curiously.
“... so,” Arthur began first. “What’s been going on with your life?” 

“Not a whole lot,” Alfred admitted, leaning his head on the side with the cushion. “Organizing my teaching schedule. Playing video games. Sitting around.”

Arthur crinkled his nose. “And eating at McDonald’s?” 

“Well, not so much. I haven’t been feeling like leaving the house lately. Hard to when all the budget cuts keep happening and all your colleagues move away from you. Friends are hard to make.”

“I didn’t take you for the type to be avoiding the opportunity being social. Why?”

Alfred averted his gaze, staring at the blank television. “I just haven’t been in the mood. Do I need to have a reason?”

“Rationally,” Arthur was heard shuffling in his seat. “But I mean. Me myself as a bit of an introvert, I can’t necessarily condone you for wanting time to yourself. I would much rather spend the time reading on weekends than attempting to find a teaching job.”

“Well, reading makes you a lot smarter and all that jazz, so I don’t really think it’s a waste of time.”

Arthur yawned. “Perhaps.”
“Sleepy?”

“A little. I’m still cold.”

“Still??” Alfred sat up. “Well, I don’t know how many blankets you need, Art. But...” his eyes went to the fireplace. And in a few minutes went to collect some paper and a lighter.

Arthur, sensing what Alfred was doing, eyed the man around the pace of the room. And when Arthur noticed the fire, he began to stare at it. Alfred blew onto it, starting it enough to begin a flame. Arthur got up, going over to the fire and sitting on the rugged floor. And Alfred went to sit down next to him, staring at it. And after a while, the flame built itself up to get larger, warmer.

“It’s really cozy,” Arthur mentioned, keeping his gaze on the light. But not before giving Alfred a look.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Let’s go find you a job tomorrow, okay?”

“You don’t have to do that, you know.”

“Hey,” Alfred gave him a serious look. “You’re staying at my house so my rules.” Arthur couldn’t help but feel himself smile at that. “... you’re too good for your own good, you know that.”

“So, I’ve been told. But I heard downtown, they opened up a new elementary school. Wanna go check that out?”

“Maybe,” Arthur sniffled as he rubbed his nose. The congestion was starting.

“Though, I’m not good with kids.”

“Kids are a lot better to handle. At least they act their age. It’s more frustrating to deal with adults acting like kids in a college classroom.”

Arthur laughed. “Honestly.”

Alfred smiled back, eventually giving Arthur a light punch to his shoulder. Arthur stayed smiling now. 

“I’m here for you, dude.” 

“I’m very grateful for it. Thank you.” 

“But also, if the power doesn’t come back on by the morning, I’ll blame you for taking all the hot water in the shower.”

Arthur’s smile faded. “Fair enough.”

[monstablaq]

Noona, You’re So Pretty (with Wonho of Monsta X)

Details: One Shot, Smut (18+), Monsta X story Characters: Wonho, Monsta X members, unnamed noona (older woman) Synopsis:  Minhyuk has found Monsta X the perfect noona. She cleans when they're away on tour, plays video games with them, drinks with them and just is a ton of fun. Every member enjoys her company, except one. Wonho always tries to get her attention but the other members always seem to get it first. Will he finally be able to get her to notice him?

Chapter 1

"Hey can you help me with this?" Minhyuk called, trying to blow up a balloon.

"Heh, what's all this for?" Wonho asked, taking the balloon. With a quick strong breath he filled it the whole way.

"Did you already forget? It's Noona's birthday!"

"Ah..." Wonho looked surprised. "Yeah..I forgot."

Noona had been hanging around now for about a year. Minhyuk became friends with her by frequenting the coffee shop where spent most of her time studying. She was living abroad and teaching English, but would spend her free time writing down Korean words and practicing speaking to those that would listen. Soon they became best friends, always exchanging words and sharing sweet treats along with their coffees. One day he brought her to the dorm and everything changed. The other members often started to hang out with her, so much so the manager just accepted her as the group's unofficial housemate. She'd show up when they were away on tour and would clean for when they came back. She'd often be called over to play video games with I.M or cook with Kihyun; she just became a close friend. She was a bit older than everyone, so they looked up to her in a certain way. That was everyone, except Wonho.

She sparked something in Wonho that couldn't be explained. Her matured, curvaceous body was always tempting him. She'd always wear low cut shirts and bend just the right way, revealing all she had to offer. She'd hang out late at night and fall asleep on his lap without realizing the frustration she was causing. Yet anytime he'd make a witty pick up line and wink, she'd be completely oblivious or possibly ignoring it. He couldn't be sure. She always seemed to pay the others more attention and it drove him crazy.

"Where is everyone else?" Wonho looked around the room.

"Mmm..Kihyun and Jooheon went to pick up groceries, Shownu is picking up the cake, Hyungwon is getting more decorations and I asked I.M to grab the gift I ordered from the Post Office and then pick her up."

"Why are we having the party here?" he whined a bit.

"I wanted to take her out to the club but she said she rather just be around friends. Besides we can drink and not worry about traveling. It will be fun!" Minhyuk set up the table and hung up a large 'Happy Birthday' sign. "Could you do me a favor and pick up in the living room?"

"I guess so," he reluctantly responded.

Over the next hour or so they finished decorating. Hyungwon came and made some finishing touches, adding glitter to just about everything. Kihyun returned and led the cooking while Jooheon acted as his sous chef. Eventually Shownu came back with the cake and a half eaten pastry that he couldn't resist. They waited patiently for I.M to return with their guest of honor. Finally, their buzzer rang. Minhyuk quickly grabbed the door.

"Noona!!" he excitedly hugged her.

"Hey!" she giggled at his excitement. He took a step back to let her move into the room. Everyone's eyes were ogling her. "Sorry if you were waiting long...my roommate gave me a makeover for my birthday."

"Ahh..I can see that," Jooheon winked. "Noona is sexy." The rest nodded in agreement, even Shownu giving an approving smile. Wonho's jaw dropped to the floor.

She stood there in a rose colored miniskirt and fishnet stockings. Her mesh jet black hung loosely accompanying a black bralette and revealing an almost risque amount of cleavage. She wore a choker to fit the theme and a pair of silver dangly earrings. She slipped off her short black boots and looked down at her feet, feeling embarrassed from all the compliments.

"You're sorta like.. sexy vampire style," Hyungwon commented.

"Yeah I told her that on the way over," I.M laughed.

"Wow your makeup is really on point," Kihyun gave her a thumbs up.

She brushed her brown hair back and looked up. Behind her thick glasses, her silver eyeliner was almost as fierce as her red lips. Wonho's extreme expression caught her eye for a moment. He swiftly looked away.

"It's like she knows she's torturing me," he thought.

"Wow, you did all of this for me??!?" Her eyes sparkled as she glanced around the room. Streamers and balloons lined the outsides of the living room. She could smell the delicious food from the kitchen and see the large cake on the counter.

"Well of course!" Minhyuk pleasantly responded. "It's my best friend's birthday." She squeezed his hand gently.

"Uh.. we should probably eat soon," Shownu's stomach rumbled softly. Minhyuk led her to the living room table as everyone besides Wonho headed to the kitchen. He set down a pillow for her to sit on. She carefully lifted her miniskirt as to not reveal anymore of her skin as she sat.

"Ah, I need to grab something," Minhyuk ran off. Wonho was the only one left standing in the room. She smiled up at him.

"Hoseokie!" She waved. She always called him that. He both despised it and loved it.

"Yeah?" His throat got a bit scratchy. He tried to stand there and look tough.

"Come sit by me." She patted the ground beside her. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

It was partially true. He'd hit the gym when she came over. That was the only way he could work out his frustration. Sitting close to her would be a dangerous feat. Still, it was her birthday, so he had to oblige. He reluctantly took the seat beside her. She wrapped herself around his right arm. It took him aback.

"Omo you were always strong but you got even buffer lately." She admired his hard work.

"Well I uh.." he smirked a bit, "I've been you know..preparing for our tour." He could feel her breasts pressed against his arm and a chill rode up his spine. This skinship was already too much. He flexed while trying to sneak from her grasp. Suddenly Minhyuk reappeared and popped down to her other side.

"Birthday girl needs a birthday tiara." He playfully accessorized her.

"Mmm.. I'll only wear it for you," she played along.

Everyone began carrying out the food. A variety of side dishes were placed around the table, including three types of kimchi, bean sprouts, seasoned tofu, and her personal favorite, baked sweet potatoes. Jooheon placed a bowl of rice for each person as Shownu followed along already starting on his bowl. I.M brought out a few bottles of soju as Hyungwon followed with a pitcher of water. Kihyun carefully brought out his pride and joy, the main course, marinated short ribs. He set it right in the middle and found his spot next to Shownu. The aroma filled the air and excited everyone's taste buds. Kihyun sharply nudged Shownu to stop picking at his rice so they could say a prayer. They bowed their heads for a short moment, then jumped right into the feast. Minhyuk quickly served her first, giving her a healthy helping of everything.

"This all looks so good," she complimented. Kihyun anxiously watched as everyone tried his food. She made a lettuce wrap with the meat and finally tasted his efforts. It was amazing. She lit up. "Oh my God, this is so good." He took a sigh of relief. Her sincerity was all too real.

"Ah, good." The rest of the members nodded and piled up their plates.

"Here I'll get yours noona." Minhyuk was being extra affectionate. He grabbed her plate and loaded it with her favorite side dishes. Wonho stuffed his face with meat while glaring at Minhyuk in jealousy. "He always spoils her," he thought. He reached for the bottle of soju to pour for her but I.M beat him too it.

"Ah, the soju." I.M shook the bottle then popped off the cap. He poured her shot first then continued around the table.

"I'm so happy you're hanging out with us for your birthday," Jooheon commented.

"Kihyun cooks better when you're here," Shownu joked. Kihyun smacked him.

"We should have a toast," Hyungwon suggested. They all raised their shot glasses.

"To the most amazing noona in the world," Minhyuk smiled. Wonho scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Cheers!" They all finished their drink.

They continued to eat, drink, and enjoy each other's company. Everytime Minhyuk spoke to her, Wonho tried interjecting. He'd laugh loudly and make a comment, but her attention would always end up back on Minhyuk. Eventually he gave up and went back to eating.

"Ah, I forgot I got your favorite wine," Minhyuk said. He got up and headed to the kitchen, At that moment, she looked at Wonho and poked his side to say hello.

"Sorry about that," she apologized. "We had a lot to catch up on."

"It's no problem," he responded cooly. "So, I meant to tell you earl-"

"Here we go!" Minhyuk interrupted, pouring her a glass of wine. Wonho sat there blankly.

"Oh thank you!" She said. "Uh, sorry Hoseokie, what were you saying?"

He pouted a bit. "It's nothing." His eyes were like darts shooting at Minhyuk.

"Ah...okay," she awkwardly looked away. Wonho sighed.

Eventually, all the food was finished. The empty bowls sat on the table as the seven members each waited for someone to clean them up. After a quick round of rock-paper-scissors, Minhyuk and Hyungwon cleaned as Kihyun went to get the cake. I.M happily covered it with candles and lit the fire as Jooheon grabbed ice cream. They sang a rather energetic rendition of 'Happy Birthday' then she blew out the candles. Kihyun dispersed the cake and it was enjoyed by all. After the dessert was finished, Minhyuk grabbed a large wrapped present from his closet. She opened it and revealed a large brown teddy bear. She gave it a hug then set it beside her as she opened the other presents. Wonho sat with his arms crossed the whole time, feeling guilt ridden he was the only one that didn't give her a gift.

"Hyung, where's yours?" I.M asked. Wonho shrugged.

"I uh.."

"He forgot it was her birthday today," Minhyuk quietly said. Wonho looked down.

"It's okay," she reassured him. "I feel so spoiled by everyone today.. I'm just really happy you're here." She patted his hand. He couldn't just leave things this way.

"I got you something, don't worry," he lied. "I just can't give it to you yet."

Everyone sat there in awkward silence for a minute. Quickly, I.M grabbed the video game he gave as a present.

"Noona, let's go play Mario Party." He helped her up and dragged her to the living room. Jooheon and Shownu quickly followed. The other three started cleaning again as Wonho sat in silence. He felt as if he missed his chance. He poured himself a glass of wine from the already opened bottle and drank it all in one gulp. He watched as she played video games with the members. She seemed so happy with everyone else. He poured another glass and drank it just as quickly. He knew he couldn't just sit back. He observed the sitting arrangements, trying to find a way next to her. She sat right in between Shownu and I.M; he knew the easier target. As the round wrapped up, he swiftly made his way in, pulling I.M out of the way.

"Yah you should let your elders sit," he teased. I.M smacked him with a pillow but found a spot on the floor.

Wonho wanted her to notice but her focus was on the game. He sighed again. "I need a drink," he said, mostly to himself.

"Hmm that's an interesting idea," Jooheon responded. "What if everytime someone loses a mini game, they need to take a shot?"

"Yeah!" They all said in unison. He grabbed a few more bottles of soju and readied the glasses. Wonho snuck a bottle for himself. He uncapped it and started drinking from it, hiding it under the couch pillow. He watched as they continued the game.

With shots on the line, each of them took the rounds more seriously. The rules changed as they continued, sometime doubling the amount of shots being taken. Noona seemed to purposely be playing worse than the others, giggling each time she lost. It was apparent the punishment of liquor was all she wanted. Each time she took a shot, Wonho secretly took a shot of his own.  With each passing drink, he gained confidence. He'd shift just a bit closer and she didn't seem to mind, moving into the new crease of the couch cushion. As she became more inebriated, she leaned on him to regain her balance.

"I got you," he said, putting his arm around her waist. She gently held onto him.

"You're so sweet," she blushed, hiding her face.

"You can call me Wonhoney," he laughed drunkenly, feeling his own face blushing. She suddenly kissed his cheek and his heart felt as if it had stopped.

"It's your turn noona," Jooheon called. Her attention quickly turned back to the game as Wonho's face went blank. He tried to process what was going on. He looked back at her, watching as she took her turn. She suddenly became even more beautiful than before. His eyes would barely blink as he didn't want to miss a moment. She finished her turn and looked back at him; her eyes meeting his. She still smiled, unaware of his thoughts. He had to taken this opportunity. Slowly, he leaned in for a kiss when-

"Noona!!" Minhyuk suddenly wrapped his arms around her from behind the couch. He just finished cleaning and was oblivious to the situation. "Are you enjoying your birthday?"

"Uh.." her mind went blank. "Yeah..it's the best."

Wonho was shook. His drunkenness seemed to instantly melt away. He couldn't take it anymore. He immediately stood up and grabbed her hand.

"I have to see her alone," he boldly stated. Minhyuk let go.

"Oh, okay," he seemed a bit surprised. "Be careful, she seems a bit drunk."

She shook her head. "I'm fine." She stood up and passed on the controller. "Can you play for me?" she said. Minhyuk nodded. She brushed off herself then let Wonho lead her to his room. He locked the door behind him. She glanced around the room.

“I’m not in here much,” she said. “Usually Minhyukie takes me to his room.” Wonho scowled.

“Yahh what is Minhyuk to you?” He got frustrated. “Hmm?” she fixed up Hyungwon’s bed. “Are you and Minhyuk dating..” He muttered. “Ah, no. He’s just my friend,” she smiled. “He does get a bit clingy but I think it’s cute.” “So…” Wonho scratched his head. “Just friends?” “Just friends. Why do you ask?” She sat down on the edge of his bed. Her legs spread just enough to reveal her panties. Wonho began to sweat. “As long as that’s true,” he deviously smirked, “then..”

He stood in front of her, his eyes, ready to devour. She smiled innocently, seemingly unaware of his dirty thoughts. “Are you giving me my present?” she joked a bit. “Present?” he thought. “Ahh… well.. If you want it to be.” He stripped his black t-shirt off. Her eyes lit up. “Oh my God, birthday striptease is the best present!” She got so excited. He laughed.

He put his hands on her shoulder and rolled his body. She bit her lip and rubbed his chest. He slid between her legs, rolling her skirt up a bit and danced for her. He dropped to his knees and slowly rose up, keeping his eyes on hers. She seemed to love the show. “Hoseokie, you’re so sexy,” she egged him on. He felt himself become braver. He wrapped her legs around his hips and pushed her further onto the bed. Her hands moved up around his neck as she laid back. He kneeled over her, his hands holding him up plank style above her. His black hair dangling in his face. “You’re really dedicated to this performance aren’t you,” she teased. “Thank you for the present.” “Present?” He felt a little disappointed. “You think I’m just doing this for your birthday?” “What do you mean?” She looked puzzled. “This was you wanted to give me right? I see why you couldn’t give me this earlier.” “Ah..that,” he remembered. “Aish, what do I have to do to make you notice me?” “Notice?” She sat up a bit and played with his hair. “I do notice you.” “I’m sick of the other guys always stealing your attention. Now I can finally have you to myself.” Her eyes widened. “To yourself?” He took off her glasses, looked deep into her eyes, and he couldn’t hold back. He slammed his lips against hers, kissing her passionately. Her head landed against his pillow as he slipped his tongue inside and danced it around in her mouth. He separated to take a breath and noticed her stunned face. He sat up, feeling like a major mistake. She finally smirked up at him. “So that’s what you meant,” she giggled. Her eyes were becoming as fierce as his. She reached for his shoulders and pulled him back down. This time she kissed just as aggressively; her tongue slipping into his mouth as well. He sucked on her lower lip then began kissing down her jawline. Her chest heaved in and out as she felt her body getting hot underneath him. Her fingertips dug into his shoulders as he continued his lips down her neck. He smirked as she already began making little moans.

“I haven’t even started,” he smirked. “You’re already excited aren’t you.” She nodded, biting her lip.

His right hand fondled her left breast as he traced his lips along her collarbone. He played with her breast through the mesh shirt and bralette, trapping her nipple between his middle and ring fingers. He worked his other hand to her other breast, exposing her breast out of the bralette. His tongue danced around her nipple, licking through the mesh material as he began sucking on it. She fidgeted, trying to shift the fabric off of her but couldn’t budge. His eyes staring straight up at her as he sucked harder. “My poor shirt,” she whined, tugging at his hair. “I’ll take it off for you.” He popped her nipple out of his mouth. “You look hot like this,” he responded, then went back to work. He pinched the other side, feeling it getting as erect. He fully slipped off her bralette now exposing both breasts through the mesh. He began sucking this side as his fingers massaged the other. She giggled and began tracing his nipples, pinching them playfully. He gasped, surprised by the feeling. “You’re sensitive too,” she teased. He pinned her arms over her head. “Noona, I’m in charge,” he smirked. He let go and continued kissing down her tummy. She kept her arms up and gripped the headboard. He unzipped her miniskirt and slid it off her curves onto the floor. He admired her body only being covered by a mesh shirt, some fishnets, and a black pair of panties. He pulled her hips closer and kissed her again.

“Why is noona so sexy,” he whined, spreading her legs and massaging her lady bits through the cloth. She moaned at his touch. She couldn’t stand her top anymore and stripped it off along with the bralette. It excited him more. “Fuck,” he breathed out, devouring her breasts again with his tongue. He nipped at both nipples again, biting ever so lightly making her arch her back in pleasure. He could feel her wetness seeping through her panties. He couldn’t to play.

“How expensive were these tights?” he asked, slipping his fingers through the holes. “Mm..” she thought, “about 15 dollars?” “Ah..I’ll buy you new ones.” He ripped them right at the crotch and slid her panties to the side, exposing her pussy. He licked his lips and smirked. “Let’s see how noona tastes.” He moved further down the bed to position himself to play. He slowly grazed his tongue up her opening, making eye contact the entire way. He wanted her to know her Hoseokie was the one making her tremble. Her hands gripped the headboard tighter as he flicked his tongue against her clit. She moaned louder as he spread her opening and slid his middle finger in. “You’re already soaked noona,” he chuckled, covering his finger in her wetness. He slipped in another finger. “Don’t tease me,” she whined, throwing her legs on her broad shoulders. Her thighs gripped his head as he sucked her clit. Another finger entered as he slid in deeper, wanting to make her cum from foreplay. His fingertips running along her most intimate parts, making her body become more sensitive. Her knees became weak and slid off his shoulders. His tongue took the place of his fingers as he licked every bit of her opening. She tugged his hair hard as he tongue fucked her. “Ah..Hoseokie,” she moaned, begging for him more. He was pleased, feeling her pussy pulse around him. “You taste amazing,” he smirked, licking deeper. Her body started to fight against him. “This isn’t fair,” she pouted, closing her legs a bit. “What’s wrong?” he asked worriedly. She sat up. “Why am I the only naked one?” He laughed. “Ah I see.” He stood up and unbuttoned his belt. She crawled over to him. “Nononono, I’ll do it.” She quickly unzipped his pants. “You seem so… restricted.” She stared at his huge bulge. He blushed. “It’s because you’ve been driving me crazy all night. It always makes me jealous when the others get your attention.” “It’s not my fault everyone wants to spend time with me,” she teased. “I’m sure Minhyuk is wondering what I’m doing.” “Well he can stay annoyed,” he sneered. “I want to be the one touching you that much for now on.” “Eh..?” she looked up. “You heard me.” He kissed her, pushing her back onto the bed. He stripped his pants the rest of the way off and kneeled in his boxers. She tugged at the waistband with her toes, begging for him to continue. He loved watching her yearn for him. “You’ll only let me do this to you right?” She anxiously nodded. “Good.” He took off his boxers, revealing a huge hard cock. Her eyes widened at the size. “Omo.. you’re bigger than I thought,” she blushed. “Aish, I’m afraid to ask what you thought before,” he said, nervously scratching his head. She crawled towards him and playfully licked the tip. He gasped. “Noona..” he stuttered. “It’s still your birthday so let me do all the pleasuring tonight.” He reached in his drawer for a condom and slowly slipped it on. She shifted so her ass was in front of him and that she was on all fours. She spread her legs a bit to make the access easier. “Ah..so this is your style.” He kneeled and guided his cock to her opening, poking the tip inside just a bit. Her sensitive pussy already reacting to his touch. “Are you ready?” he asked, rubbing her back. “Yes..” she breathily responded. Enjoying every bit, he slowly inched his entire cock inside her. She let out a squeak. He gripped her hips and started thrusting in and out, increasing his pace each time. Her walls tightening around him giving him a euphoria he hadn’t felt before. He leaned down more, wrapping his hands around to squeeze her breasts as he nibbled he back of her neck. His hot breaths making her moan louder as he pounded her hard. “You’re so tight noona,” he whispered in her ear, feeling his cock already seeping. She twisted her neck to bite his lower lip and beg for kisses. Her knees began to shake and made her lose her balance. He quickly supported by pulling her hips closer to his lap. As he continue to slam his cock into her, their moans both got louder. The pace of their breaths began to match each other as they continued to connect. She felt so amazing he could barely take it any longer. “How close are you, noona?” he begged for an answer. “Ah..” she tried to speak but only moans escaped her mouth. “I..” Her body was out of her control has her orgasm took everything over. She was louder than ever as her pussy squeezed his cock. As he tried to reposition to reach his own limit, there was a sudden series of knocks at the door. Panic struck. “Nooonnnaaaa…” they could hear a drunken Minhyuk calling. She shoved her face into a pillow to stifle her moans.

“Yes?” she weakly responded. “Whatcha doin?” He leaned against the door. “I uh..” she squeaked. “Hoseokie and I are playing together.” Wonho winced, trying not to cum. “Aww…” he whined. “I.M finally went to bed so we can play the Switch now.” She squeaked again. “Oh...kay. Let’s do it another time.” She couldn’t stay like this anymore. “Okay..” he sadly responded and walked away. Wonho quickly came. He moaned hard as he slid out of her. Her juices dripping out as she fully collapsed on the bed. He took off the condom, tying the end then laid down beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her soft kisses, from her forehead to her lips. He leaned on his arm and admired her beauty as her body still tingled with sensations. She nuzzled into his chest.

“Hoseokie,” she giggled. She felt so cozy beside him. “I hope you know that I always liked you.” His heart fluttered as he held her. “I always thought I was your least favorite,” he remarked. He kissed her forehead again. “I’m happy I finally get to spend alone time with you.”

She snuggled into her arms until she fell asleep. All the liquor and passionate sex hit her all at once and wore her out. He snuck around to find one of his old t-shirts and slipped it over her head. He covered her up then dressed himself and unlocked the door. He walked to the living room and found his roommates both passed out on the floor. He felt a bit bad for hogging the room. He saw Minhyuk sitting at the kitchen table, half falling asleep. He glanced at Wonho. “Is noona still awake?” he asked, yawning after his words. Wonho shook his head. “She fell asleep in my bed.” He tried to hide his smile. “Well, I happy you two are getting along finally.” He stretched out his limbs. “You didn’t seem too excited before when I said she was coming.” Wonho laughed. “Don’t worry. I think we’re closer than we’ve ever been before now.”

Click here for Chapter 2

[midtownvaledictorian]

My Turn

Your busy schedules have left Tom in desperate need of your touch, and you decide to shake things up a bit...

(1800 Words)

Warnings: smut, language, the usual

A/N: I’M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG OMG but hey midterms are DONE. hopefully I’ll be posting Part Two of A New Hero in Queens, so stay posted and as always, REQUESTS ARE OPEN

Your favorite thing about moving out of the apartment with your roommates and into one with Tom was easily the fact that you never had to wear pants. On days when you didn’t work, you could just lounge around in underwear and one of Tom’s sweatshirts. Not only did you love it, but so did Tom. He loved hearing you squeal and giggle whenever he’d give your ass an unexpected squeeze while you were making breakfast or playing with Tess.

Today was definitely a no pants day. You had the day off from work and your class got cancelled so you had the entire day to lay in bed with Tess and work on your thesis paper. Tom was going to be shooting until the evening, so you were all set up for a day of getting shit done. You were nearly done with your rough draft when you thought you heard the front door open. “That’s odd, Tom’s not supposed to be home for another hour,” you mumbled to yourself. It only took a moment to convince yourself that it was just a UPS guy or Tess messing with the handle. You were completely refocused on your editing when the door to the bedroom swung open. You gasped loudly at the sudden intrusion, but it was only your loving boyfriend. “God you scared me! How was shooting?” You asked, but he didn’t respond. Instead he just ripped his shirt off and laid down next to your legs. He spread them open and fit himself in between them. You were lying on your stomach, giving Tom perfect access to your particularly bare bum. He began massaging it and placing little kisses and nips, whispering “god, you have the most perfect ass.” “Tom! What’re you doing?” You chuckled as he began massaging harder. It wasn’t until he began pulling your underwear down that you flipped yourself around to face him. His cheeks were flushed and his pupils were dilated, making his deep brown eyes nearly black. Instead of answering he just pulled himself upward and began pressing desperate kisses along your jawline. Finally he broke the kiss and looked into your eyes with a hunger you hadn’t seen in a while. “I was going through my pictures at work, and I saw the one you sent me a couple weeks ago. The one where you were wearing that bra I love so much. It’s all I was able to think about, baby,” he admitted almost sheepishly. You were somewhat shocked that a mere picture that you quickly sent him before changing for work could get him this worked up. There was a moment of silence as you were thinking of what to say next. “I’ve had a hard-on for like, three hours,” Tom eventually blurted out. You couldn’t help it. You threw your head back into the pillow, laughing so hard that tears were almost falling down your cheeks. “Dear God, you poor thing,” you laughed out. “Why is it that part of me almost wants to make you suffer more?” You asked teasingly. God, his face was priceless. Mouth agape, eyes wide; he really thought you were going to torture him. But you knew there was no way you’d be able to resist him. You pulled him down for another kiss. He bit your bottom lip and pulled it slightly while running his tongue across the bit in his teeth. When he released your lip and came back in for another kiss you let your mouth part open slightly, allowing him to slip his tongue in. He explored every corner of your mouth while slipping a hand up the sweatshirt, palming your breasts. Suddenly, the desire hit you. You wanted him more than ever and wanted to let him know it. You skillfully undid his belt and unbuttoned his pants. Aware of what you were doing, Tom broke the kiss to look you in the eyes, “I love you so much,” he whispered. He always made sure to tell you that he loved you before you two did anything sexual, you loved it so much. “I love you too,” you whispered back before slipping your hand into his jeans and working his length through his boxers. Tom let out ragged huffs at the long awaited touch. You could tell how worked up he was, and since the two of you hadn’t been intimate for a few days because of your busy schedules, you were pretty worked up too. Suddenly an idea popped into your head and you knew exactly how to make the few days without each other worth it. “Get a tie,” you breathed into his ear. He shuddered at your hot breath on his neck before nodding. He got up quickly and nearly ran into the closet, quickly returning with a black tie. He smirked and bit his lip as he reached for your wrists. Tying you up wasn’t uncommon for the two of you, Tom loved being dominate and you loved that about him. But you had a different plan in mind tonight. You pulled your wrists from his grip. He looked at you confused, but you merely shook your head pushed him down so that he was laying on his back. You took the tie from his hands before grabbing them and holding them above his head. You could see the sheer excitement in his eyes as he realized what was about to happen. You tied his wrists to one of the posts in the headboard, tight. He bit his lip in the slight pain from the tightness, but you could tell he liked it—something you both had in common. Once he was secured to the bed, you began kissing down his stomach. Small satisfied moans escaped his lips as you got farther and farther down his torso. When you reached his jeans you slowly unzipped them, letting the anticipation grow even stronger. You began tugging them down. Tom did what he could to shimmy himself out of them. When he was finally rid of the denim, you began placing kisses along the hem of his boxers. The muscles in his thighs would twitch with nearly every kiss. “Please,” he whispered, barely audible. You smiled widely at the power you had over him. But he had been so good, he deserved to be rewarded. You reached for the band of his boxers and pulled down, allowing his hard length to spring free. Even though you had seen it a million times, his size always intimidated you. You locked eyes with him, and licked your lips dramatically before slipping them over the head. He moaned loudly, clearly overwhelmed by the amount of teasing you put him through. You sucked lightly at first, letting the taste of his pre-cum fill your mouth. When you were ready, you took almost his whole length, pumping what you couldn’t reach with your hands. He tugged at his restraints, desperate to run his fingers through your hair. You smirked at his attempts before continuing your motions, bringing him closer and closer to a climax with each bob of your head or flick of your tongue. His breath became shaky and you knew he was close, but you weren’t going to let him have it that easy. You came up from your work and Tom let out a desperate groan at the loss of contact. You tried to hide it, but you were absolutely throbbing for him. You couldn’t wait to feel him inside of you, so you gracefully pulled yourself up so that you were straddling him. “Doing all right?” You teased. Tom looked to be absolutely spent, but god it made him look even sexier. “Oh just fuck me already,” you both chuckled at his eagerness. You lined yourself up above him and slowly lowered yourself down. “Fuck, you feel so good,” he groaned once you had finally allowed him to fill you up. You were absolutely dripping, and you felt your wetness running down your thigh when you came back up only to grind against him once again. Tom tugged at his restraints once more, going to place his hands on your hips. You stopped your motions and gave him a raised eyebrow. “I’m sorry, I’ll be good,” he promised. The phrase that so often came from your mouth sounded so sexy coming out of his. You continued to grind on him again, allowing moans to escape your lips as the pleasure grew and grew. You could feel the heat in you cheeks rise as the coil in your stomach began to tighten. “Let me kiss you,” Tom blurted out suddenly. Grinning at his desires, you leaned forward to kiss him again. You loved kissing during sex, you felt more connected than ever. This new angle felt even better, and you could tell you wouldn’t be able to keep going much longer. Loud moans and whines slipped through your lips as you pushed yourself closer to the edge, “oh fuck, Tom!” You practically shouted as the coil finally came undone. Tom lifted his hips up so that he could help you ride out your high. When you came down, you started grinding faster and harder, knowing that it would bring Tom to orgasm as well. Soon, his breath was heavy again and his arms were instinctively pulling against the tie. “Fuck, babe, oh you gotta stop. Oh fuck I’m gonna…” before he could finish his sentence you got off of him and slid down in between his legs again. Just as you put his length in between your lips, you felt his cock throb. The familiar taste of his hot cum filled your mouth as he groaned and squirmed beneath you. When he had released completely, you let yourself fall on the bed next to him, wrapping your arm around his waist and resting your head on his chest. “Hey, babe,” he said suddenly, “are you gonna untie me or?” “Oops!” You laughed, “sorry, I’m not quite used to this role.” You undid the knots that had him restrained and rubbed at the redness of his wrists. “I think that was the sexiest thing you’ve ever done,” he admitted as he pulled you under his arm again. “Even sexier than roleplaying Spider-Man?” Tom was silent for a moment, “Okay that was the second sexiest thing you’ve ever done.” The two of you busted out laughing at his verdict. “I’m sorry I distracted you from your schoolwork, babe.” “Definitely worth it,” you said smiling up at him, “besides, I needed a break.” “Well, back to work for you. I’m gonna go make dinner, I’ll call you when it’s ready.” He hopped out of bed and threw a pair of sweatpants on. Before he left you to your schoolwork he placed a warm kiss on your forehead, “I love you so much.” “I love you more.”