#Hire Kitchen Appliances

[idk-bruh-20]

Irondad fic ideas #152

Every year around the holidays, a "bug war" breaks out in the Parker-Stark households 

Not bugs as in creepy crawlies. Technology bugs. Surveillance.

Tony and Peter are both determined to figure out what the other wants for the holidays 

The two are on surprisingly even ground: Peter's spider-sense doesn't consider this a threat, and FRIDAY won't snitch. They both have to find any "bugs" the old fashioned way.

Bonus:

Soon enough the whole Ironfam is wrapped up in it. November and December become a time of yearly paranoia, everyone watching what they say and "checking for bugs." 

Even Peter's friends discover tiny bugs on them. When Ned first learns the itty bitty robot behind his coat button is from Tony Stark trying to find out what he wants for Christmas he faints on the spot

Bonus 2, Crack Taken Seriously Boogaloo:

For a bit of drama: it's all fun and games until one year Peter gets kidnapped. The situation is bad. They only find him in time thanks to one of the "holiday bugs" Tony recently snuck on

[morallygreyyn]

Can i pls get some clingy ass illumi x reader who hasn’t seen them in days because of his missions?

Have a nice day!! Make sure to drink water💓

miss me? (illumi zoldyck x reader)

description: illumi has been gone for a week and when he returns, he seems slightly off. it didn't take you long to realise that he wanted attention, namely yours...

authors note: another super old ask but i love this one with all my heart and soul. illumi? stunning. clingy illumi? immaculate. seriously there is nothing i love more than illumi so this is how i think he would be when he's clingy and wants attention! have a lovely day anon and i really hope you drink lots of water! (seriously i've just found out how important this is so pls everyone drink lots of water to flush out that bacteria) 💗

warnings: none

word count: 1.1k

requests are open! please read my rules!

You hadn’t seen Illumi Zoldyck for the better part of a week. While you were used to the assassin leaving often for work, usually you were in a position to follow him. This time, however, was one of the rare occasions where you had to stay home at your apartment, all for that blasted electrician who kept cancelling on you. If he called you one more time to cancel, while you stayed home when you could have followed your boyfriend to a sunny location that you would have treated like a holiday, you swore you would hire the Zoldyck yourself to track him down. 

As though he had heard your silent threat, the electrician came and went, and your kitchen appliances were once again fully operational. Happy that you could finally restock the fridge, you left to get groceries. You couldn’t admit this out loud, but your apartment often felt too empty without the assassin occupying it too. While he didn’t own the space where you lived, he stayed there often enough that he may as well share it with you. 

It had surprised you when you brought up the offer of living together and he didn’t reject the idea immediately. Illumi actually seemed contemplative, as though it was almost a pleasant thought. That was what you assumed anyway, you could never truly tell what he was thinking most of the time. 

By the time you returned home, you knew something was different immediately. For one, you were certain that you had locked the door. Cautiously stepping into the apartment, you coiled and prepared to strike whatever or whoever was lurking. Despite not being an assassin, you were still a qualified Hunter, and those licences did not come easy.

It turns out that you needn't have bothered as, when you approached the living area, Illumi was sitting calmly at your kitchen island watching you. 

“Oh, Illumi!” Setting down your bags, you ran to him, throwing your arms around your boyfriend as you held him tightly. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?”

“No signal.” He said simply as he let you hug him, hands gingerly settling around you. You had to fight tooth and nail for him to learn how to hug properly, and even now he still hadn’t quite managed to perfect the act. Despite this, he still tried, and that was good enough for you. 

Pulling away, you looked at him with a smile. “How was it?”

He shrugged, a clear sign he was disinterested in the topic. “Simple.”

Nodding, you stepped back to put the groceries away, not wanting them to rot on the floor. Illumi sat back down, fathomless eyes locked on you while you completed the task you had set for yourself. You liked to think that you knew the Zoldyck rather well, and that included when something was bothering him.

Turning around, you raised an eyebrow as you met his gaze. “What?”

“What?”

“You’re staring at me.”

“Why are you pointing that out?”

“Because I’m wondering why.”

“I stare at you a lot.” He stated, tone very matter of factly.

“I know, but now it seems different.”

“It isn’t.”

“If you say so, darling.” You rolled your eyes and finished putting the food away. Once you had, you turned to face your boyfriend once more, looking for an explanation.

“You forgot something.” Illumi said, and while his voice was the usual light and expressionless one, his eyes still bore into yours.

Looking around, you couldn’t see anything out of place, and you had certainly left nothing on the counters. “What did I forget?”

Illumi didn’t answer, only continued to look at you expectedly. Now you were really confused, and slightly unnerved by his odd behaviour. Illumi rarely acted like this.

With no answer to give you clarity, you grinned in feigned annoyance, kissed his cheek and whispered you were happy to have him back before you left to head into the room you used as an at home office. 

Sitting down at your desk and opening your files, you stared blankly at the screen while you mentally observed Illumi’s behaviour. There was something amiss, and you couldn’t put your finger on what. He wasn’t usually the expressive one; well, he was never the expressive one. All physical, verbal, and emotional affection fell on your shoulders to deliver. While this may seem one sided to most, you didn’t mind as you knew Illumi was not able to express much by way of love. Despite this, you knew he loved you, in his own way. He had threatened to kill the electrician for you when you complained about the situation to him, and that spoke millions. Not only that, but he also allowed you to be as affectionate as you are with him, and he accepted it whereas anyone else wouldn’t have a chance in hell of even approaching him, let alone the things you did together.

What was bothering him?

Just then, you saw a shadow move in your peripheral vision, and your heart dropped to your ass. “Fucking hell, Illumi! At least knock!”

He ignored your outburst. “What are you doing?”

“Working.” You said as you willed your heart to calm down.

“Oh.” Illumi stayed standing behind you, hovering ominously. 

Then it clicked, Illumi was being clingy. This was how he acted when he wanted attention. Unable to control yourself, you laughed loudly at the realisation.

“What?” He asked, watching you stand from your seat to face him.

Your smile was incredibly smug as you approached, wrapping your hands around his waist. “Did somebody miss me?”

Naturally, he didn’t respond and it might’ve been your imagination, but he seemed to relax under your touch. 

“I think I know what I’ve forgotten.” You captured your lips with his own, smiling as you did so. It was moments like this that made you realise that Illumi did in fact love you, and that he was quite attached to you. Even if he didn’t show it much, his hands resting on you, the slide of his lips against your own, the way he seemed unwilling to let you go spoke for him.You pulled away for a moment, bringing a hand up to caress his cheek. You had the Illumi Zoldyck as your lover, and no matter what anyone said, he loved you. “Miss me?”

[rheya28]

Leila Square Apartment + Next Stop Cafe [ Apartment + Cafe ] ♥ The Sims 4: Speed Build // CC

♥ Apartment Includes:

An open concept floor plan. Kitchen with all new appliances Bathroom with shower and bath

♥ Apartment Units:

1st Floor [Unit 1: 1 Bed, 1 Bath] [Unit 2: 1 Bed, 1 Bath] 2nd Floor [Unit 3: 2 Bed, 2 Bath] 3rd Floor [Unit 4: 2 Bed, 2 Bath] 4th Floor [Unit 5: 2 Bed, 2 Bath]

Note: Obviously The Cafe wont function like an actual cafe lot if this is set as a residential lot, However its can still work as a shared space/hangout area for the apartment residence when the new pack comes out! Also im sure you can still hire a barista or pretend to be as one no?

♥ Please make sure to turn bb.moveobjects on! ♥ Please DO NOT reupload or claim as your own. ♥ Feel free to tag me if you are using it, I love seeing my build in other peoples save file ♥ Feel free to edit/tweak my builds, but please make sure to credit me as the original creator! ♥ Thank you to all CC Creators ♥ Please let me know if there's any problem with the build

♥ SPEED BUILD VIDEO

00:00 Beginning 00:02 Intro 0:48 Speed Build 13:41 Photos

♥ LOT DETAILS

Lot Name: Leila Square Apartment Lot type: Apartment Complex Lot size: 40x30 Location: Magnolia Promenade

♥ MODS

TOOL MOD by TwistedMex

♥ CC LIST:

Note: I reuse a lot of the same cc in all my builds, specifically cc's from felixandre, HeyHarrie, and Pierisim so if you're interested in downloading past, present, future build from me i suggest getting all their cc sets to make life a little easier! other creators include Sooky, Charlypancakes, Sixam, Thecluttercat, Myshunosun, awingedllama, and tuds. This will also ensure that the lots are complete and are not missing any items upon downloading !

- House of Harlix: Bafroom, Baysic, Harluxe, Livin Rum, Tiny Twavellers - CharlyPancakes: The lighthouse Collection, Slouch - Felix Andre: Chateau (all), Colonial pt 3, Grove (all), Kyoto pt 2, Shop the look 2, Florence pt 4, Soho (all) - The clutter cat: Dandy Diary - Harrie: Brownstone (all), Brutalist, Coastal (all), Country, Klean (all), Kwatei (all), Spoons (all), Kichen - Little Dica: H&B Store, Rise & Grind - Peacemaker: Pointless Renovation, Terra Tiles Horizontal - Pierisim (all): Coldbrew, David's Apartment, MCM, Unfold, Winter Garden, Woodland ranch, Oak house - Simplistic: Rustic rug trio - Sixam: Boho Bathroom, Stylist wood - Tuds: Beam, Cross - Syboulette: Fency

♥Tray File: x ♥Origin ID: Applez ♥Twitter: Rheya28__ ♥Tiktok: Rheya28__ ♥Patreon: Rheya28 ♥Youtube: Rheya28__

[superbat-love]

Clark banished Bruce from his apartment after letting him stay for just one night. Bruce left the bed unmade, dropped dirty clothes and towels on the floor after showering, and routinely left used cups and plates on the table. His kitchen was a disaster zone after Bruce tried to make himself an omelette. Worse, he never turned off the appliances, and Clark nearly had a heart attack when he saw the utility bill.

To avoid being responsible for a dead Superman, Bruce promised to clean up and cover the expenses. Unfortunately, he hired a house cleaning slash renovation crew, turning Clark's apartment into Metropolis’ fanciest, complete with a private elevator and a backyard pool. Clark didn't even have a backyard. Now he has to figure out how to explain the whole thing to his landlord.

[illubean]

Hi ! Can I request a famous cook reader with Kurapika,Killua,Gon and Feitan?

HXH W/ a FamousCook!Reader

Characters: Gon Freecs, Killua Zoldyck, Kurapika Kurta, Feitan Portor Type: Headcanons, Gn!Reader

I FIGURED OUT HOW TO MAKE GRADIENT TEXT OH YEAH

Warnings: none

Gon Freecs & Killua Zoldyck

these kids literally beg you to cook for them all the time

they both can eat a LOT; they're growing boys and your food is good so you can't blame them

every time you are available there is a new food request and you would be evil to tell these sweet boys no especially when they ask you so nicely >:(

if Killua actually liked his family he'd hire you to be a personal in home chef

the white haired boy probs likes to brag about you to Leorio (or anyone else who will listen, really)

he just likes the eating part but Gon on the other hand can be a big help

he will go out and find the freshest ingredients for you every time he has a request because he is such a sweetheart

you need fish? he will go catch some for you. you need a very specific herb that only grows on the side of high cliffs? gear up Killua, they're going rock climbing

Kurapika Kurta

he never really cared much about cooking and saw it more as a chore if anything

before meeting you that is

he's not the best cook and knows enough to get by and survive; meaning he doesn't really pay much mind to taste

but when he tries your cooking for the first time; a well renowned PROFESSIONAL; he cannot go back

like no wonder why your famous this shit is DELECTABLE

he may ask you politely to cook for him every blue moon but he usually waits until you offer or show up with something new for him to try

since you both are usually busy with work, most of the time when you use him as a guinea pig for new recipes its in your restaurant's kitchen, way after closing

it's almost like it becomes your guys' weekly date night ^__^

Feitan Portor

another one who only cooks for survival and still barely knows what he's doing..

pls don't let him anywhere near the kitchen he will burn the entire building down

he is only allowed to watch from a safe distance. do not let him near any kitchen appliance.

if he REALLY wants to help though maybe he can chop veggies or something

the guy really knows how to use a knife...

you probably have to cook for him all the time if you care about him getting enough nutrition because this guy probably just survives off of packaged stuff

[lunar-years]

I LOVE thinking about royjamiekeeley's future home together and how all three of their styles would come together to create a living space that is so very them :)

I think it's especially important to Jamie because he's never really had a space of his own as an adult that he's actually considered home before. Like, he bought his place in Manchester when he was just coming into having actual money--and a lot of it--for the first time, and he was spending it not just on himself but also on updates and renovations to Mummy's place and eventually on a home for his dad as well. So for himself he bought his car and a house but then didn't quite know what to do with the rest of it. As a result, for years his home there is just sort of an un-curated mix of the random shit he bought on a whim because he suddenly had the money to do so. Like the painting he walks past everyday and thinks "do I actually like that?" and the foosball table and the garish furniture he picked out because it looked dead cool in the showroom but really doesn't go together at all in his house.

Then when he moved to Richmond, he didn't really want to be there anyway, did he, so it was easier to just hire someone to furnish it for him. And he was on the outs with mummy, so even having family photos up made him feel weird and sad, and there were a couple of things he slowly acquired (like his balloon dog and his lavish headboard), mostly when shopping with Keeley, that he does love, but the house itself is sleek and modern and sterile, and it never really feels quite like his. By the time he comes to think of Richmond as home, he's spending most of his time at Keeley's or Roy's anyway, so he never bothers to make it more his own.

Then they all buy a house together, and Jamie is thrilled but also so overwhelmed, because he's never felt like he had such free reign before in a space since he was hanging up those posters in his childhood bedroom. Thus: his grand idea, presented with great enthusiasm and pride, of framing up his and Roy's England kits side by side in the living room, to which Keeley says absolutely fucking not. But then Keeley brings in her pink chandelier and her neon wall art from the moving van and Roy says absolutely fucking not, and Roy tries to hog all the shelves in the bookcase for his mystery/thriller paperbacks, to which Jamie and Keeley are both like, absolutely fucking not!! Eventually the living room (where they spend most of their time) becomes the perfect mashup of all of them. The furniture is neutral enough for Roy, but accessorized with a ton of throw pillows courtesy of Keeley, and one of Jamie's transformers is next to Roy's books and Keeley's knick-knacks on the shelves, and they've got a gallery wall with photos and framed bits and pieces of all of them.

They have a two-floor home but the main bedroom is of course on the first floor (Roy can't do stairs), and a giant ensuite with a spa tub for Keeley (and for Roy when his knee is acting up), and a shower big enough so that Jamie rarely has to shower alone, if he doesn't want to. Then there's Roy's office and a media room for all of Jamie's gaming consoles and for the boys to watch match tapes that's filled up with all of their medals/trophies/awards. Keeley rarely goes in there, but when she wins like, Boss Ass Bitch of the Year or something (a real award TO ME), Roy and Jamie insist it goes up right alongside their premier league medals, and ceremoniously place it there in a way that has Keeley giggling kicking her feet in love with them <3

Roy's more set in his ways from years of living on his own, so Jamie and Keeley distract him as they decorate the rest of the house by giving him full control of the kitchen, because he's the one who's going to be using it most often, anyway. He gets all the appliances and everything configured, top-grade, with Simon's helpful input. And most importantly, he also makes sure there's a big island he can work at with stools for Keeley and Jamie to sit in and sip their wine prettily or "help" him by aimlessly chopping vegetables as he goes about all the hard work of actually cooking their meals. This is secretly his favorite part of being in the kitchen. He makes sure the stools are very comfortable for them. Also, the fridge is always covered in Phoebe's report cards and drawings and homemade cards :)

Then the upstairs is used for the guest bedrooms for when any of their parents or friends come to stay, plus Phoebe's bedroom/bathroom and Keeley & Jamie's overflow closet and Keeley's home office (she likes to be a floor above to help drown out the noise and help her stay focused when Roy and Jamie are home and screaming at the television about sports on the main floor, or else shagging each other senseless in their bedroom while Keeley still has emails to attend to, thank you.)

And there's a half pitch in the backyard because of course there is, when you're that rich you've got to have a least one thing that lavish. And a garden that Roy really takes to tending, surprisingly, and loungers for Keeley and Jamie to suntan as Roy hovers over them menacingly with a bottle of sun cream.

Ultimately it's theirs and it's home and it's wonderful and even though they all keep a hold of their former houses for financial and media purposes, they rarely ever go back to them. ❤️

[novelant]

Everything and the Kitchen Sink pt1

Pairing: Phillip Graves x Fem! Reader

Summary: You meet Phillip at your local homeware store while figuring out how to fix your sink

Genre: Fluff

Words: 3.2k

Warnings: None

Reminder: This is purely fiction and will have no correlation to in game character or backstory

Masterist Here !!!

You had taken it upon yourself to repair the sink so you decided to visit your local homeware store to purchase the necessary tools. However, you were faced with the challenge of not having any knowledge about appliance tools. "What to do?" As you muttered to yourself in frustration, you noticed a man standing a few feet away. When he noticed your intense gaze, he turned around and greeted you. “Can I do something for you?” Your intense gaze focused on the materials in front of you. Biting your lip as you scan over every pipe and fitting to find the one you quickly scribbled down on the first piece of paper you saw before rushing out of your house. Noticing a man down the same aisle as you, you look over at him debating if you should ask him for help. He seemed to notice you before you did and his voice seemed to startle you. "Oh ... Umm yeah. My kitchen sink sprung a leak and I need to find the right things to fix it and I seem to be as useless as a white crayon." The man could not help but chuckle at your amusing analogy. 

“You know, as much as I’d love to laugh at your comparison, I understand that it must be frustrating to be confused in an unfamiliar environment.” He gestured to the large array of products in front of you. “You definitely chose the most confusing part of the store to get lost in. I’m Phillip Graves, and I’d love to help you pick out the correct pieces for your leaky sink.” "Go ahead, laugh. I'm not wrong. I'm so confused here." I giggle. You introduce yourself and smile up at him. You hand him over the scrap piece of paper with the scribbles of what you need on it. "Seems I need a few things. Sink spraying water from a few places. Say I need a tailpiece, a swivel P- Trap, a housing and a drain elbow. And none of that makes sense let alone what it looks like." “Oh boy! Your sink has definitely sprung some issues.” The man eyed the paper closely, he was impressed by the detailed information you had provided about the problem. “What a surprise to see that a woman as gorgeous as you is taking on plumbing! Your paper indicates that you are pretty knowledgeable with your parts and their functions. I’d gladly help you find the pieces and answer any questions you have as we search.”

"Oh no don't get that idea, I took photos and compared them to a deconstructed photo of a sink online to make sure I was getting the right thing. Not that knowledgeable, I don't know how to fix the damned thing once I go back home." You follow Phillip down a couple aisles to make it to the plumbing section to find the correct items to fix your sink. "Ah, I see. You're quite the crafty planner, aren't you? You certainly came prepared for fixing your little plumbing issue and that shows how smart and resourceful you are." Phillip complimented you with a sweet smile. He continued guiding you to the aisle that held the parts on your list. "This one looks like the one you need for your tailpiece." He pointed to a black and chrome metal joint. "Oh thank you. I had to come prepared though. I can't really afford to hire a plumber right now." I smile weakly back at him. He picks out the tailpiece and you grab the drain elbow a couple of rows over from him. Standing back you scan the shelves to see if you can find the last two pieces left on your list. Phillip kept nodding as he understood your current financial situation; he had gone through something similar before. “Ah! Here’s the P-Trap piece, and lastly, we have the housing.” He picked out the last two pieces you needed from the shelves and collected them both. 

“I think that’s all you need. Let me know if I can do anything more to help.” "Thank you Phillip I really appreciate your help." You thank him profusely. "Oh gosh. I've just realised I've taken you away from what you're doing here. Can I try and help you gather what you need as a thank you?" A sweet smile formed on his face at your offer.  "That would be really sweet of you; let me think, I'll need a couple of wooden boards, a circular saw for a project, and some light-weight fabric." He scratched his head as he tried to remember what else he needed. "May I ask what for? Is it for home?" You're already heading in the direction of the fabric aisle knowing easily where that is. Your curiosity made him chuckle softly, he would gladly tell you what the fabric was for. "Actually, I'm creating a play castle for my young son. He's been asking for one for a while, so I figured it'd be more special if I built it myself."

Your features soften as he mentions it's for his son. "Oh Phillip, that's so cute and thoughtful of you. We're going to find the perfect fabric for this castle." Trailing over all the fabrics you stop at a dark blue one with gold stars on it. You haul the long roll of fabric out to show Phillip. "I'm not sure but this is pretty perfect to me." I say "obviously you can say no though."  Phillip's eyes shone at the sight of the fabric. "Oh wow, this fabric is incredible. Its vibrant tones and vibrant colours really capture what I want to portray for this project. It matches with the overall aesthetic of the play castle." "Thank you for picking it out. I'm sure that my boy will adore it. He loves the stars and these are quite exquisite!" "I'm glad I could help you Phillip. It's the least I could've done after you helped me in my predicament." You could tell that he loves his son a lot.

"I don't mean to come across strong but if you need pillows or blankets made for  the inside of this little fort then... I mean I sew." Phillip could not resist but to raise an eyebrow at your offer. "Oh? You sew too?" he asked with a smirk, he could not believe how many skills and talents you have. "Well, I suppose I would need some pillows and a couple of blankets to make the play castle feel cosy for my dear boy. Could you be able to craft those?" "Of course and saves you money on a professional seamstress as well... Well all of the money, you don't have to pay me of course." I measure out the fabric to a rough amount for the blankets and pillows. Cutting it and placing it in the basket with the plumbing materials for the sink. "That is very sweet of you, but I could never accept something like that without at least giving you a little something in return." To show you that he was willing to pay, he pulled out a twenty dollar bill and held it out for you. "At least take this. You can get yourself a nice drink or something for being such a great help." "Please I insist it's okay. I mean I won't take too long to complete anyway so it won't take much time at all." I push his hand back to refuse the twenty dollar bill. 

"All I ask, if it's not too much, is your number so I can message you when they're complete." A soft blush formed on Phillip’s cheeks as he tried to conceal the growing smile that was growing in his heart. Your request warmed his heart and made him truly believe that this encounter was not an accident, as if fate itself was bringing the two of you closer. “You’ve done so much for me already that I’ll gladly accept. Please take my number.” You take out your phone and hand it to him to put in his number. Instantly messaging him that it's you. "I appreciate all your help Phillip but I have a leaky sink to go and try to fix. I'll message or call you when the cushions and blankets are finished." You smile before turning on your heel and heading to the cashier to pay. Before you took your leave, Phillip offered one last smile of affection and said, "Sounds like a plan. I hope you have great luck fixing your sink."

As you walked away, he could not help but smile in satisfaction. His son was going to be extremely delighted with this gift, but the prospect of having another interaction with you brought him just as much joy. You pay for the items then drive back to your flat to try and fix the sink. You put on a step by step YouTube video to explain how to fix it. As you're doing so you unscrew something that wasn't meant to be and water sprays in your face. Trying to quickly screw it back in. You grab a towel and start wiping at your face and hair. You debate calling Phillip as he mentioned he was handy at DIY. Your fingers hover over the dial buttons before hitting call and putting it on speaker phone so you can look at instructions online while on call. You hear a few rings before Phillip finally picks up the call. The sound of his voice instantly calms you down. “Hello…is everything alright?” His worry quickly spread through his tones. It was apparent that he was concerned for your wellbeing when he heard the water spraying behind your words. "Hi Phillip, sorry to call you like this but I am definitely as useless as a white crayon when it comes to fixing this sink. I've just drenched myself." Phillip could not conceal his amusement at your remarks. At least you had retained your sense of humour. He chuckled softly for a few seconds at the thought of you being drenched with water. “Aw, it’s perfectly okay. I’d be lying if I said I don’t find this a bit funny. Do you need my help? Or should I let you figure it out yourself?”  "Some help would be nice but I'm probably taking time away from you being with your little boy and I couldn't do that. I mean you're more than welcome to bring him along. I'm sure he'll have fun watching his daddy fixing a sink." I laugh. Your offer to invite his son along to join the repairs made him laugh even harder. “I think you’ve forgotten how little he is. My son is only a year old, so he wouldn’t be very helpful except for maybe bringing me some parts.” The thought of his little one trying to carry plumbing tools filled him with amusement. "I'm sure it'll be fine. I can try and keep the little man entertained while you figure out where I've gone terribly wrong trying to fix this sink. Let me text over my address now so you can come over whenever." Your request was too much for him to refuse. The thought of spending yet more time with a beautiful woman like you was too difficult to resist. 

Upon receiving your address, he quickly sent a response back that acknowledged your invitation. “I’ll swing by in a few minutes, just hold tight, and I promise to help you sort out this disaster of a sink.” "Thank you so much... Again. You're a lifesaver, see you both shortly." You tease about seeing his son. With that you hang up the phone and get changed into the clothes that are not soaked through. Deciding to leave your hair wet, not caring about it for the time being. Your teasing made him chuckle softly at the thought of having his little boy at your house with you in such compromising situations. The image was humorous to him, and even in his thoughts, he imagined you both having fun with his son. At the thought of the encounter, he quickly finished his tasks and raced to your home, eager to help and see your face again. 

Time passed until you heard a knock at your door. Opening it you see Phillip. His  son in one arm and the other carrying a tool box. Stepping aside you let them in. "Come in. It's like a bomb site here so watch your step. You can put your son down in the living room. I can get him occupied with some cartoons while we work if that's okay with you of course." The thought of you entertaining his little boy while he worked brought a soft smile to his face, his son would surely enjoy the cartoons you pick out for him. Phillip carefully put his son down in the living room, making sure to place him on a soft couch or chair. He then turned back around to smile at you. “Everything is fine; thank you for accommodating him. I can get started on it right away if you show me what you were trying to fix?” You grab your iPad and put on some cartoons. Hearing his squeals and babbles makes your heart swell. "Yes, so I was trying to fix the tailpipe and I must've loosened something instead of tightening it and yeah now we're here." Phillip chuckles as his son’s giggles echo throughout the living room. The sight of his little boy so delighted by being at your home made his heart melt. He listened to the tale of the tailpipe loosening while shaking his head in amusement. It sounded like you had tried your best with the sink.  “I see. Luckily, the tailpipe should be easy to tighten back again. It’s just a simple issue. Do you mind if I work on it myself?” "Yes of course go ahead I'm just going to be just behind you watching though so I can see where I went wrong." Phillip looked over to make sure that his son was doing fine with the cartoons behind him. The thought of his son enjoying himself while in your presence caused him an unexpected amount of comfort. 

With his son in good hands, he set his toolbox down and got to work. Phillip carefully worked on tightening the tailpipe as you watched over him. The job itself was rather simple, and he could not but admire your willingness to learn and watch him work. Phillip quickly made work on fixing the rest of your sink. You take the liberty of watching how to fix a sink and making sure his son was okay all at the same time. You hear his son getting slightly restless and you head into the living room to comfort him. You pick him up and hold him on your hip and start to bounce him while making your way back over to Philip. The bouncing of your hips did not go unnoticed by Phillip, for it was quite a sight to watch. While he concentrated on his task, the gentle rocking motions you made with your body made his blood rush a bit. He could smell your perfume as his nose twitched from the faint scent of your perfume. It was a charming scent that made him want to breathe even more deeply. "Hey, is everything going well there?" You ask, still comforting his son on your hip while he continues to watch the cartoons. “It’s going quite well.” Phillip responded to you without even looking up. The sight of you so lovingly carrying his son like that brought a smile to his face. He had never experienced this before in his life, so seeing this sight of you cuddling his son made him feel very comfortable.  “I’ll be done in a few minutes, just need to tighten a couple more screws.” "Oh that's brilliant. Thank you so much again Phillip I have no idea what I would've done without your help.' 

Phillip could not contain his amusement at your compliments. For what seemed like a simple repair, it seemed like a much bigger task to you. It was adorable to see how grateful you were for such a small task. The tightening of the screws was the final step in the repair, and after ensuring that the connections were secure, he turned to you and smiled. “We’re all done with the repairs here, so your sink should be in proper working order.” Phillip’s warm, inviting eyes filled with amusement and compassion. He still felt a sense of amazement seeing you hold his little boy in the same position his ex-wife once held him in long ago. He felt comfort in your presence; the scent of your perfume and your gentle aura was making his heart throb lightly. You thank him a thousand times more with a bright smile on your face. You could tell he was in awe of you holding his son but you didn't want to say anything to ruin his moment.  The sight of you and his son seemed too perfect to him. From the way you carried his son on your hip to how you were so grateful for such a small task, everything about you was charming to him. The urge to pull you into an embrace was growing more intense with each second. He was starting to feel more attached to you after this small task was completed. With a gentle and caring tone, he looked over to ask you a question. “Could I ask you something?” "Hmm oh yeah of course." You respond to him. Philip's warm eyes met yours, and for a few seconds, he seemed to struggle with finding the right words to ask his question. It was clear that your beauty had him at a loss for words when he asked. "What would it take for you to let me take you out to dinner tonight?” "Dinner!" You sound shocked. You didn't mean to come across as shocked as you did. "Dinner would be amazing Phillip" The idea of you accepting to go to dinner with him made his heart leap with joy, as you seemed quite surprised by his sudden question. Your shocked exclamation only added to the charm of the moment, and he couldn't but smile softly at the joy he felt at your acceptance. "Wonderful, I'll pick you up in three hours. Does that sound fine to you?" "Three hours would be perfect." You smile at him again. You look down at the little man in your arms and give him a smile too, pinching his cheeks and booping his nose. Walking over to Phillip you hand his son back to him. Sad to let him go. 

Philip was not used to seeing such warmth and compassion towards his son. With every second, the boy became more at ease with you, and Phillip was enjoying the sight of his son interacting positively with you. When you handed him his son back in his arms, he looked down at you and then his son with a slight blush. "He seems to like you." Philip noted his son's affection for you. "I think he does." You blush slightly. "I think I'll be seeing you in three hours then Phillip." "Until three hours then." Phillip smiled as he waved goodbye. He was still feeling all warmed up from your acceptance. The thought of going on a date with you had suddenly made him curious about your personality further. This night was going to be a pleasant one for sure. The only issue was that the three hours seemed like an eternity to him now.

Masterlist Here !!!

[antiquatedplumbobs]

The Barrington

A CC Free 1920′s & 30's Sears Roebuck Catalog House

Lot size: 30x20 Price: §73,554 Lot type: Residential Location: Parkside Place, San Sequoia

When I got my hands on Growing Together I had to make a house for my little play through family. I'd been itching to make another one of these kits houses for a while, so off I went searching and found these plans!

More details and download under the cut:

If you don't know, the Sears Roebuck Kit Houses were houses that could order from the Sears Roebuck Catalog. The lumber and fixtures would be delivered to you and you or someone you hired would build it. This might sound like a recipe for disaster, but these houses are still standing today and highly sought after. It's one of my favorite parts of American architectural history.

I wanted to make a 30s inspired house since I got those vibes from this pack, and this plan was available from the late 1920s to the mid 1930s. I immediately fell in love with the ridiculously pointy front part (which houses a closet on the second floor).

It took me a minute but I'm now a huge fan of a lot of the build buy in this pack, the kitchen appliances are darling, and as a shingle lover, having this siding is a dream come true.

The house is furnished for the 1930s with a living room, dining room, kitchen, creepy basement with coal boiler, master bedroom, nursery, children's room, and a bathroom/laundry room.

The build is fully playtested, the chimneys do make it a bit smokey when the fireplace is lit, so if that bothers you, just replace with a wall and brick siding in place. I like the way it looks and couldn't bear to part with them. As always make sure move objects is on when placing.

I hope you guys really enjoy this build, because it might be my favorite that I've made yet. If you use it and post pictures please tag me, I'll always reblog your photos, I love seeing them!

Available on the gallery as The Barrington by antiqueplumbobs.

Tray files available SFS | Google Drive

@twentiethcenturysims @maxismatchccworld @mmoutfitters

[r0-boat]

May i request some headcannons about larry having some lustful thoughts? Like your a new [young woman] waitress at the treasure eatery and he didn't seem to care. But, these thoughts never leaves his mind. Which affects his work, then realizes his lust for you. Then the deed has been done between them both.

Hopefully this makes sense.

Hhhh this ask has been fucking up my brain chemistry thank you.

Cw: age gap(older man/younger woman)

Nsfw

Fem!reader

Larry pining after the Treasure Eatery waitress.

( sadly no banging just unresolved sexual tension ;) )

Larry knows every single worker at the treasure eatery. Has he sits down in his usual spot, his eyes gaze over at an unfamiliar face. A younger woman, by the looks of it, that eager to please smile and a little notepad in her hand as she jotted down everything she needed to know; he couldn't help but crack a small smile giving out a light, breathy chuckle knowing that the soul-crushing career life has not buried its fangs down on her yet.

Has he waited for the other staff to see him wave and excitedly greet him by his name before saying, "The usual?" he couldn't help but watch the waitress make her rounds, jumbling over her words awkwardly as she gave the customers with their drinks or food. That was when her eyes met his for a split second, cheeks turning pink when she realized she was being watched. On the inside, the new waitress was panicking, hoping to make a good impression on the Elite Four member and gym leader, who is also a regular here. His eyes were on her as if he was testing her internally.

When the waitress returned to the kitchen, the manager excitedly( and to her horror) practically dragged her over to where Larry was sitting. "Larry! This is our new hire!" Shaking like a newborn deerling being in front of practically a celebrity, despite his ordinary appearance. The businessman, his onix trained on her while he took a sip of his water, gave her a nod.

Larry got a closer look at her when the manager brought her over, her shyness was admittedly cute, but he didn't want to scare her more than he already was all night, so all he gave was a nod.

You finally breathe a sigh of relief when the regular leaves the restaurant, the pressure of being your best and impressing the Elite Four member being lifted off your shoulders. A moment that your coworkers will probably tease you for till the end of time. Even though Larry long since left, you couldn't help but think about how piercing those onyx eyes were.

Larry felt like a creep, watching her all night like he did; he was unsure why she held his attention as long as she did. Maybe it was that sweet smile. Maybe it's because she was just entertaining to watch. Hearing her stumble over her words, are practically see the gears turning in her head as she tries to figure out how some of the appliances of work. Or maybe, it was when those eyes met his own so bright and lively, only for her to tear her gaze away from him. He couldn't help but think about the way she was practically falling apart in front of him as the manager introduced her. Did he really intimidate her so much? He wasn't sure whether he liked that idea or not.

Perhaps he should try getting her to feel more comfortable around him...

On your shift like clockwork, the day went on as normal, occasionally messing around with your manager and coworkers. When the day went slower until your heart picked up when you noticed Larry walking into the building, slowly but surely getting the hang of this job, you should be more comfortable, but now you have cold feet. And, of course, since your manager thought it was the funniest shit ever that Larry scared you so much, she had you take his order.

Larry's eyes almost light up when you walk over, his stone face watching an almost amusement as you fumble over your words, trying to remember his name, all your thoughts leaving you the moment you met those deep piercing eyes, trying not to stare at his lips touching the cold glass of his ice water, and how his adam's apple bobbed with each drink. "H-hi uh..." "Larry..." "W-what?" "It's Larry, you can say it. I don't bite." He inhales deeply at the way she sheepishly says his name.

your entire shift has been a blur, distracted by a current someone.

He didn't sleep that night. The moment he knew he was in a little too deep, is when he replayed your voice saying his name in his head, well thinking about that eager-to-please smile when he first saw you, those eyes looking up at him has his fingers Trail through your hair your hands on his thighs his pants unzipped "Larry..." he could feel his boxers getting tighter as he cursed under his breath.

Larry was officially a creep... the hell was he doing?? he was a middle-aged man while you looked like you were in your early to mid-20s. His eyes glazed over, no longer focusing on the screen in front of him, instead of his hand, his thumb rubbing over the place your fingers brushed against an accident when you sit down his usual meal on the table.

you seemed different from the last time he came in. You still had that shyness he always liked, but now it seemed you were more playful, good means he wasn't scaring the hell out of you. Tonight in particular, however, he noticed the changes in your appearance immediately. You could feel his eyes on you; once again, you wondered if he noticed your makeup. He did. In fact, your pretty pink lips were all he could stare at. He felt like he was going to go crazy when he walked by his table, getting with of what smelled like vanilla perfume... as much as he liked what he saw, the nagging feeling in his chest began to bubble up, 'Who are you prettying up for? A boy?' yes, a boy... he was your age once; he knew how they could be.

It's not like he was any different, as he was just thinking about smearing that lipstick on something that was bigger than the pen that was in your mouth. Usually, he avoided thinking these kinds of thoughts, but he was a couple of shots of alcohol in, and work had been stressful for the past few weeks.

He tried to ignore the fact that he would catch you stealing glances. As much as Larry wanted you, and by Arceus he did, he could feel his cock stiring as a scene plays in his mind, bending you over the bed, a hand on your pretty throat rubbing the head of his cock against your tight entrance.

He didn't wanna get his hopes up. Heh, as if a young spark like you would be interested in a boring old man like him.

[bedlamsbard]

how the FUCK am I supposed to change the lightbulbs on the twenty-foot ceilings in this apartment????

ALL of the overhead lights in this apartment are like this. (there are a handful of hanging lights that I can change myself.) I understand that there's some kind of grippy lightbulb changer suction cup or basket on a pole you can get at Lowe's or Amazon but a lot of these lights aren't normally recessed, they're beneath covers. And a lot of them are already burned out. (I can also tell that several have normal bulbs behind the cover, which means they were replaced before with the wrong kind of lightbulbs -- the one in the laundry room has two regular bulbs, one burned out, and there's literally no way I can get at it. I'm not climbing on a sixteen-foot ladder, I will die.)

*dubiously* I guess this is what handymen are for. (I mean, in a college town I'm sure I can always hire an enterprising college student to do various things, but perhaps not for the lights. I'm sure one of them would buy my excess mattress, though.)

I'd honestly be willing to try the lightbulb changer on a pole, but I'm not sure I can physically manage it with all of these lights, and the ones behind covers (which includes both bathrooms and the laundry room) I definitely can't. Also I guess I'll send another plaintive text to my property manager. (I am still trying to figure out where trash goes.)

this is a recently renovated apartment, but it is immediately evident to me that the reno was designed by (a) a man who was (b) COMICALLY taller than me (not hard, I'm 5'2.5"), (c) probably left-handed, and (d) didn't actually cook much despite the nice kitchen. (I do have SUBSTANTIALLY more counter space than in the Decatur house, but it would actually be difficult not to have more counter space than in that house -- I dealt with it by having a kitchen cart.)

on the other hand, there are FIVE MILLION outlets in this apartment. so it has that going for it. literally, from where I am sitting in the not-quite-open plan kitchen/dining/living room I can see thirteen outlets and I know there are two more in the office nook (built-in desk!). on the third hand it is a second-story walk-up and if I'd known the stair situation I'm not sure I would have rented it. (I had a video tour but didn't realize the stair situation until I got here.) probably the restaurant below also has twenty-foot ceilings.

this is the kind of apartment that would be a few grand in a city (I looked up the rent for an equivalent apartment in Decatur and it was $3-5K a month), but this is small town South Dakota, so while it's more expensive than my duplex in Decatur, it's not actually that much more expensive, especially considering that it's larger, new appliances, washer/dryer, 2 full bathrooms, and parking. also I wanted an apartment that made me feel like a Real Adult Professor and not a graduate student, especially if I had to live in rural South Dakota. (As I have bitched about endlessly, I didn't want to leave Atlanta and I didn't want to leave the Deep South; I'm one of the people who actually wants to live in the South (apparently rare? at least of people I know at my previous institution who were all like 'I don't know how I ended up here') and I do expect to go back on the market in an attempt to move back, TT job or not, unless I absolutely fall in love with this school/town. though if I absolutely hate living here, I can move to one of the nearby cities and commute (there's one half an hour away over the state line, and one an hour away in the same state). but like, I wanted to stay in the South and the universe said the best it could do was South Dakota.

but also jesus. this light situation makes me nervous. I do own floor lamps (because the Decatur house actually had terrible lighting), but come on, man. also I haven't yet found where I packed the cover for one of the floor lamps. I also can't find the bulbs for my regular non-floor lamps. found the bulbs for one of my floor lamps because they take E12 chandelier bulbs and they were packed in one of my 'random things' boxes. I will be unpacking for...a while.

[rheya28]

Lucio's Market [Restaurant, Grocery, Teaching Kitchen] ♥ The Sims 4: Speed Build // CC

Lucio's Market is where culinary passion meets community connection! Nestled in the heart of Anchorpoint Wharf, this venue seamlessly blends a fully stocked grocery store, a dynamic teaching kitchen, and a cozy restaurant—all under one roof. [Lot Can be set as a restaurant, generic, or retail]

Market In Lucio's Market, you'll discover a curated selection of fresh, locally sourced ingredients, handpicked for their quality and flavor. Kitchen Step into our state-of-the-art teaching kitchen, where cooking enthusiasts of all skill levels can embark on a culinary journey led by our expert chefs. Restaurant After a satisfying cooking class, savor the fruits of your labor in our inviting restaurant area. Our chefs take the spotlight, crafting a menu that showcases the artistry of local ingredients.

Note:

♥This lot has been semi play-tested. ♥To make the Grocery part of the build functional, you can turn this into a retail lot. There are also grocery mods available such as SS realistic cooking mod and the Bulk Grocery Mod. Please keep in mind that I did not follow any requirements for these two mods as the grocery part of the build was made simply for aesthetics and storytelling. You are welcome to make adjustments! [I will be building a much bigger grocery store in the future, which im hoping will be more functional] ♥We do not have a teaching kitchen venue option in the sims 4, however, the gameplay can be achieve with some imagination! You can turn this into a generic lot and simply have your sims cook/bake together on different stoves simultaneously (I suggest making a club and setting preferences!). Also I've added a chef's station in the kitchen where you can hire a chef who can act as the "teacher". (Warning: considering there are plenty of appliances in this kitchen, a fire or two will most likely happen lmao) ♥Lastly if you want this lot to function as a restaurant, simply change the venue lot type in build mode. I would recommend downloading LittleMsSam's lock mod to lock the testing kitchen's door. This will prevent customers from using the kitchen appliances!

♥ Please make sure to turn bb.moveobjects on! ♥ Please DO NOT reupload or claim as your own. ♥ Feel free to tag me if you are using it, I love seeing my build in other peoples save file ♥ Feel free to edit/tweak my builds, but please make sure to credit me as the original creator! ♥ Thank you to all CC Creators ♥ Please let me know if there's any problem with the build!

♥ SPEED BUILD VIDEO 00:00 Beginning 00:02 Intro 01:25 Speed Build 16:38 Photos

♥ Sim Featured in video Courtney Ajak & Tiara Robinson by  @aashwarr Emi Grey by  @jaxplaysthesims

♥ LOT DETAILS Lot Name: Lucio's Market Lot type: Restaurant + Generic lot + Can be retail Lot size: 30x20 Location: Archorpoint Wharf, San Sequioa

♥ MODS: TOOL MOD by TwistedMexi

♥ CC LIST: Note: I reuse a lot of the same cc in all my builds, specifically cc's from felixandre, HeyHarrie, tuds, and Pierisim so if you're interested in downloading past, present, future build from me i suggest getting all their cc sets to make life a little easier! other creators include Sooky, Charlypancakes, Sixam, Thecluttercat, Myshunosun, awingedllama, peacemaker.

Awingedllama: Blooming Room plants

Lilis Palace: folklore (only deco jars)

Severinka: Grocery Store pt 1 (cash desk, display island only), Grocery Store pt 2 (all), Grocery store pt 3 (Shopping cart and basket only), Grocery store pt 4 (all)

Around the sims 4: Bulk grocery

FelixAndre x Harrie: Baysic, Harluxe, Orjanic, Kichen

Bbygyal123: Abstract Prints

FelixAndre: Berlin pt 3, Chateau, Fayun , Kyoto , Florence , Grove, Shop the look, Soho

Charlypancakes: Chalk

Thecluttercat: Dandydiary pt 2, Helloo horse, Sunny Sundays

Harrie: Brownstone, Brutalist, Coastal, Klean, Kwatei, Octave, Spoons

LittleDica: Rise & Grind, Delicious kitchen

Myshunosun: Harbalist Kitchen

Peacemaker: Pointless Renovation

Pierisim: Auntie Vera, Coldbrew, David Apartment, Domaine Du clos, Mcm, Oak House, Winter Garden, Woodland Ranch

Max20: Poolside lounge pack (floor pattern only)

S-imagination: Cottage kitchen (Decorative bag with scoop only)

Sixam: Home Improvement, Hote Bedroom

Syboullette: Boulangerie (chalk board only)

Taurus Design: Lilith Chilling Area (sul sul sign only)

Tuds: Cross, IND, NCTR, SHKR

♥Tray File: x ♥Origin ID: Applez ♥Twitter: Rheya28__ ♥Tiktok: Rheya28__ ♥Patreon: Rheya28 ♥Youtube: Rheya28__

[seat-safety-switch]

Far be it from me to criticize your kitchen appliances, but I know that you’re not happy with the performance of your food processor either. It’s made of flimsy plastic, which cracks and isn’t covered under the warranty. The motor is surprisingly noisy for how completely, contemptuously weak its power output is. And it takes forever to chop onions to anything approaching a consistent fineness.

There’s some good news, though. A group of investors and I have been working together on a better food processor. It’s all part of our Do Things Properly initiative. You see, we’ve determined that humanity is being held back by having to go to the department store every couple of years to replace every single kitchen appliance. They wear out prematurely. They fall apart. Their performance is decidedly wimpy. No more of that. We may not be able to put a person on Mars, but we can definitely help the person who does that make quick and satisfiying menemen for dinner.

The reason we can do all this is because we’re new to the industry. That’s right. As a group of radical innovators, we believe knowing fucking anything at all about what we’re doing is actually detrimental to our ability to produce a quality product. And we’ve been sure to hire only the most pie-in-the-sky, details-are-for-someone-else junior software engineers and middle management to handle the difficult problems. Legislation? We’ll move too fast for those meddling legal eagles and their requirement to keep sharp, twirling blades largely inside the casing. Liability? There’s an impenetrable 600-page license agreement to click through before you can start dicing up tomatoes, in print too small to read on the screen.

On top of putting in an incomprehensible amount of horsepower into the hands of the average home cook with little or no safety features, we’re also looking into saving you even more time in the kitchen. That’s right: fully autonomous cooking. With just a push of a button on one of our seventeen different smartphone apps, you’ll be able to tell your food processor to pull food out of the fridge and start preparing it. By the time you get home, you’ll either have a head start on your dinner, or we’ll tell everyone the feature is in beta and not meant for use when not being carefully watched by a team of engineers protected by foot-thick bulletproof glass.

[survivingcapitalism]

One-third of American kitchens have gas stoves—and evidence is piling up that they’re polluting homes with toxic chemicals. A study this summer found that using a single gas stove burner on high can raise levels of cancer-causing benzene above what’s been observed from secondhand smoke. 

It turns out gas stoves have much more in common with cigarettes. A new investigation by NPR and the Climate Investigations Center found that the gas industry tried to downplay the health risks of gas stoves for decades, turning to many of the same public-relations tactics the tobacco industry used to cover up the risks of smoking. Gas utilities even hired some of the same PR firms and scientists that Big Tobacco did. Utilities were advised to “mount the massive, consistent, long-range public relations programs.”

Earlier this year, an investigation from DeSmog showed that the industry understood the hazards of gas appliances as far back as the 1970s and concealed what they knew from the public. The new documents fill in the details of how gas utilities and trade groups obscured the science around those health risks in an attempt to sell more gas stoves and avoid regulations—tactics still in use today. 

The investigation comes amid a culture war over gas stoves. Towns across the country have passed bans on natural gas hookups in new buildings, and the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission is looking into their health hazards. The commission has said it doesn’t plan on banning gas stoves entirely after the mention of the idea sparked a backlash last December. That same month, a peer-reviewed study found that nearly 13 percent of childhood asthma cases in the United States were linked to using gas stoves. But the American Gas Association, the industry’s main lobbying group, argued that those findings were “not substantiated by sound science” and that even discussing a link to asthma was “reckless.”

It’s a strategy that goes back as far back as 1972, according to the most recent investigation. That year, the gas industry got advice from Richard Darrow, who helped manufacture controversy around the health effects of smoking as the lead for tobacco accounts at the public relations firm Hill + Knowlton. At an American Gas Association conference, Darrow told utilities they needed to respond to claims that gas appliances were polluting homes and shape the narrative around the issue before critics got the chance. Scientists were starting to discover that exposure to nitrogen dioxide—a pollutant emitted by gas stoves—was linked to respiratory illnesses. So Darrow advised utilities to “mount the massive, consistent, long-range public relations programs necessary to cope with the problems.”

The American Gas Association also hired researchers to conduct studies that appeared to be independent. They included Ralph Mitchell of Battelle Laboratories, who had also been funded by Philip Morris and the Cigar Research Council. In 1974, Mitchell’s team, using a controversial analysis technique, examined the literature on gas stoves and said they found no significant evidence that the stoves caused respiratory illness. In 1981, a paper funded by the Gas Research Institute and conducted by the consulting firm Arthur D. Little—also affiliated with Big Tobacco—surveyed the research and concluded that the evidence was “incomplete and conflicting.”

[laughing-with-god]

Last question for now (apologies!)

What are the personal like… styles/ vibes of their homes? Or like, how would they decorate the inside of it? Or would they at all?

(me personally, if I just won the Hunger games, the first thing I'm doing is an AD Open Door Victor's Village edition lmao)

(( Author's Note : Don't be sorry, I love questions like these! It helps me attach visuals to characters which is really fun. For this, I pulled some Pinterest pics and did some light research on the districts, but also feel free to interpret/imagine what you feel is right!!))

Jin

I picture that the Victor homes vary depending on their district, which would make sense considering the districts are in different landscapes so not all homes can be built the same

For District One, I picture little mansions with lots of glass walls for natural light. This district is apparently in the center of the U.S. (Wyoming, Idaho, Utah) so I can see some natural materials, sun roof windows, low and wide mid-century modern houses

I think stylistically, Jin would decorate his home with lots of white and browns, a colorful rug or accent furniture here and there, but he doesn't overdo it in fear of being tacky

fireplace is probably boarded up for um, obvious reasons (war flash backs lol)

I think his favorite part of his home is the kitchen. In the games, starvation was especially tough on him, so now I think he seeks comfort in food. I can see him taking cooking classes or hiring a personal chef, maybe even throwing dinner parties.

If you were to move in with him, I think he'd be okay with you changing whatever you wanted, as long as he gets to keep all his fancy kitchen appliances

Namjoon

I dont think he'd care a lot about the style of his home, I also see him rarely being there since he has so much work to do in the capitol

District Three is apparently in the midwest, and there's lots of factories that make high end technology for the capitol

Therefore, I think the victor homes there would be simple, modern/industrial condo-style homes? Lots of grays and blacks with granite accents.

I don't think Namjoon would go out of his way to purchase furniture or decor, just accepting the furnishings it already came with. He's not a sentimental guy and a part of him is always aware that his home is technically the capitol's property, not his.

I think a cool highlight of his home would be the technology. Like his tv is just a hologram or there's just some cool tech that locks all the doors and turns on the lights on at once. other disctrict victors don't even get that, it's just district three since they rule technology

If you were to move in, Namjoon would gladly welcome any change in decor, letting you know that he never saw the point before you

Jimin

So I personally feel like District Four would make more sense in a tropical place like Florida or something, therefore I feel like there would be a "jungle/beachouse" vibe to the victor homes here

Victors row would be in a vegetated area of four, not too far from the water. I don't see the capitol wanting to have victors living right on the coast since that's most likely reserved for shipments, boating, fishing and yeah....the water is probably heavily monitered in case people get ideas...

Jimin more or less kept everything the same, though he did let his desinger team go crazy with the jungle concept

I can see Jimin liking the color green and also taking care of plants, since he's pretty lonely back at Four it gives him a little sense of innocent purpose

Again, he's def more at the Capitol than here tho, often times this feels more like a vacation home

All the guest rooms get used as extra storage for all the gifts he received from capitol women. hopes to one day fill them with kids tho :(

If you were to move in, Jimin would be estatic and gladly join in any renovation plans. He'd want to be included in the choices, pick the wrong wallpaper even and he'd be pissy about it lol

Hoseok

District Eight is full of factories and textiles, so I see victor's homes being industrial condos with brick walls, exposed pipes and wooden beams

Hoseok will try to decorate and make it feel cozy, just for the sake of his siblings though

I feel like he probably gave his siblings the bigger rooms and took one of the smallest in the home

Anything his little brothers or sisters want, it's theirs no question asked

I can see him becoming a little home maker honestly. He wakes his siblings up in the morning, makes them breakfast, sends them to school, then comes back home and cleans their rooms / common spaces, does some grocery shopping, laundry ect. ect.

It's very cute and mother hen of him but he really just can't handle freetime bc then his mind wonders to dark places...

so he throws himself into caring for his siblings

If you were to move in with him, he'd welcome you and any changes you might want to have on the common spaces, but obvi is protective of his siblings' stuff.

Yoongi

Six is said to be highly populated and overly dense, borderline too many people live here. I picture it as a city too, transportation being their main hub so there's probably even a subway system

Therefore I think the captitol would make a victor buidling or something. District Six doesnt have many victors and the place is already so dense, I think a good solution would be to make one big high rise of apartments where all the living victors have their own units

Yoongi probably threw away everything in the apartment

I can see him having some chairs and a single bed. prob doesn't even have a tv bc keeps breaking them in rage every time the capitol makes an "announcement" lol

Fridge is also always empty. Boy can go days without eating so it doesn't even occur to him to have groceries on hand

Pics below are what the place should look like, before he fucked it up

If you were to move in, good luck on even hanging up a single picture. Give it a week before Yoongi flies into another rage and rips everything to shreds.

Taehyung

I think District Eleven victor homes would be like large, farmhouses on hills away from the rest of the town

I picture feilds upon feilds in this district, since it's all about farming so it's probably very big in terms of land

I also don't think the capitol had many of these houses made, correctly assumming that Eleven wouldn't have many victors

I think Taehyung actually loves his home, quite liking the simplicity and size of it

I can see him starting a little garden in the back yard, or even getting some chickens to keep him busy

He probably would read to his mother too, he most likely set her up in the master bedroom and waits on her hand and foot

If you were to move in, he wouldn't mind little changes here and there. But at his core, he is a minimalist and would rather you not clutter up his space. Don't you two (three including his mom lol) have everything you need already? There's no shame in the simple life.

Jungkook

District Two is up in the mountains! Very cold and harsh winters, thin air but I'd imagine its very beautiful

The homes here are built in luxury cabin style at the base of the mountains. District Two also has the most victors, so I imagine their victors' village is quite the neighborhood

Jungkook is fond of the views he gets from his home. I think he'd like hiking too so he enjoys the proximity to nature

As for the interior, Jungkook doesn't really care. I know, most of the victors on this list don't care but like, kill 23ish kids in a game and ig it puts things into perspective lol

Like Yoongi, all he really needed was a good bed and he'd be okay. I don't think he got rid of the furniture the capitol provided, but he doesn't have an opinion on it either

If you were to move in, Jungkok would just hand you the cash to buy whatever decor you want, just as long as it's not "too girly"

[thelazybard]

Instead I Pour the Milk. [Alejandro Vargas x fem!Reader] Chapter 10

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ao3 saw it first

warnings: graphic depictions of a wound and SO MUCH ANGST

Breakups tended to be rough, but they seemed even rougher when there wasn't an actual established relationship in the first place. All a person could do is sit and think about what could have been if fate had been in their favor after only getting a mere taste.

You were no stranger to dating and its consequences. There'd been other people in your life before Alejandro, some you even considered spending the rest of your life with. You weren't some delicate, naïve flower. You'd been through it all before, and that meant you knew your worth.

Alejandro called and texted and left voicemails, all of which you ignored. There were more pressing matters to be dealt with than being gaslit. You had three new hires that needed training. They all came in one Thursday, your least busiest day of the week. All on time too, so you were able to get started almost immediately and show them around the store and appliances.

Yelena, who was the oldest of your new employees, was quick to picking up what you demonstrated. She was younger than you by a few years, and wanted a job nearby while she finished her last few semesters of college. You remembered her visiting the shop a few times before today, and from your recollection she was a respectful, upbeat gal. Maybe one day you'd make her manager.

Carlos was your youngest employee at sixteen years old. His mother made him apply, much to his blatant displeasure. He sighed, scoffed and made his disdain apparent the entire day, but you were patient. If it really came down to it you'd lay him off, but you could see through his teen angst and apathy that he actually enjoyed working the espresso machine.

Then there was Maria. She didn't talk much, but remained polite and was a fast learner. You made a note to give her tasks around the shop where she wouldn't have to speak to strangers.

The first day of training was a modest success. You showed your employees each machine and how to work and clean them, then served them coffee and scones for their break. There were minimal spills when you taught each person how to do an espresso pull, in fact Carlos didn't spill at all. His cappuccino was nearly perfect, too.

It would be nice to have the extra help and give your body time to recover from your previous busy weeks. Maybe you'd now have time for a hobby, something more intellectually stimulating and less physically demanding than zipping around a shop almost mindlessly as your hands did all the work second-naturedly. And if you were being completely honest, you buried yourself further in work to ignore the sting of betrayal you were feeling from the previous weekend.

When it was finally closing time your employees helped clean up and were on their way, ready to come back tomorrow to continue their training. You cracked your back and locked the door behind them, and that's when David approached you from the kitchen with news.

"So, Alejandro called me."

You closed your eyes and inhaled deeply, then let a forth a gravely exhale. Your initial thought was to react explosively and finally let out all the anger you've been bottling up this past week. But that would be unfair to David, who was only the messenger in this situation.

"Did you pick up?" You asked.

"Yeah. He really wants to talk to you." David said.

You almost scoffed and walked past him to the flight of stairs leading to your apartment. "I could have told you that."

David followed you. "Yeah, but... You should hear him out."

"Why should I? What else did he tell you?" You wondered.

David paused. "I think it's something you should hear from him yourself."

You rolled your eyes into the back of your head. "For the love of–"

"Just– Look, all I'm going to say is that maybe you didn't see what you think you saw."

"I didn't see Alejandro and his ex girlfriend at a fancy restaurant? I didn't see that?" You asked, increasingly irritated.

David sighed tiredly. "That's not what I'm saying Scout, and you know that. I hate it when you get like this." He mumbled.

"Then drop it. I didn't even want to talk about it."

"Fine. Sorry for trying to help."

"I don't need help. I need to be left alone." You shot back.

"It's okay to be upset Scout, but don't close yourself off. That solves nothing."

"David, I don't stick my nose into you and Eva's business so quit trying to stick your nose into mine."

"Alejandro called me, Scout. I was fine with leaving you be, but after what he told me I know that you have the situation all wrong."

"And yet you won't tell me what I have wrong. You know what? Here's what you can do; Have Alejandro write down his explanation, fold it up nice and tiny, and shove it right up his di–"

Your phone buzzed in your pocket, but the ringtone indicated that it was in fact not the devil-in-question but your mother.

"I gotta take this." You said, slipping past David and making a beeline for your bedroom.

After your weekly phonecall with your parents, you marked your calendar for their arrival. November 17th. It was October 30th now. Day of the Dead just about here, and you planned to celebrate accordingly. You wanted to honor your late grandparents and aunt by setting up an altar for them in the shop.

David didn't speak to you for the rest of the night, far too frustrated at you to maintain any normal conversation. Perhaps that was for the best, as conversing would only lead up to another argument about your predicament. And the only way to solve that would be to solve your issue.

Truth be told, part of the reason why you didn't respond to any of Alejandro's messages was because you knew you'd lash out and thought it best to wait to speak to him when you weren't angry. Especially since there was indeed a chance that you had it all wrong afterall. You both desired and dreaded the possibility. It'd be great to be wrong, but boy did you hate being wrong.

The next day came and went, and it was just you closing the shop after you relieved your employees and David early to enjoy their Friday night. You and David were hardly on speaking terms and exchanged maybe twenty words at most with each other that day. It hurt you to be snubbed by your favorite cousin, but it was for the best until further notice. Still, that notion didn't make the aching loneliness you felt on this Saturday night any less painful, especially since you knew he was going out to be with Eva. He all but threw his healthy situationship in your face.

Once again, you found yourself alone in the shop on a Friday night. It was too late to call up Nanami to make any plans for the night, so you figured you'd just finish up in the store then sulk upstairs on the couch with your cats like the crazy cat lady you were destined to be.

You were descending the loft stairs with a tray of dirty dishes when you heard the door's bell ring. Cursing yourself for not locking it when you should've, you forebode telling your customer(s) that the shop was indeed closed and to come back tomorrow.

Approaching the front of the store with your customer service voice, you recited your typical closing speech while looking at the tray of mugs that threatened to tip over in your hand. "Sorry, but we're closed. Feel free to come back tommor–"

Subconsciously, you were hoping that it was Alejandro with a bouquet of flowers in that button down of his that you liked so much, here to serenade you with a guitar and recite original poetry about the color of your eyes. That would have been so, so, so much better than who it was.

Three men dressed in dark clothing, veiled in balaclavas, were waiting for you at the front of the store. When they noticed you freeze they began to close in and walk your way until they were backing you up against the stairs' wall.

The tray of dishes rattled in your hands as fear sunk its teeth into you like a subtle snake. "T-the register is over there, I have the k-key to open it–"

"We're not here for that you stupid bitch." One of them said.

Your heartbeat was deafening as it pounded your eardrums. Oh, why didn't you lock the door when you had the chance?

"My cousin will hear me scream." You warned.

"We know it's just you here." Another said.

You swallowed hard. "What is it you want?"

"For you to pack your bags and get the fuck out of Las Almas." One said.

"The people here love you, so we want you gone. It's that simple." Said another.

"Who- who are you-" You began to ask.

The biggest of the men pushed you to the ground before you could finish your sentence. "Do you want to piss me off?! Ask another question and I'll break your fucking jaw."

Glassware shattered around you. You didn't dare get off the ground and kept your eyes on the floor, far too petrified to dare looking any of them in the eyes. In the corner of your eye, you saw crimson.

"You have three weeks. Get your shit and get out of Las Almas." He said.

The shortest and scrawniest of them all kicked you in the stomach, causing you to cry out in pain. He snickered and followed the others, knocking books off shelves and pictures off the walls on their way out.

You had broken your fall with your dominant hand. Unfortunately, it was the hand that was holding a mug. Your palm was sliced open deeply when the mug shattered around your grasp upon hitting the floor . The blow to the stomach left you gasping for air, the pain sharp and throbbing deeply in your abdomen. You hugged yourself as you tried to restart your breathing while also being in immense pain.

Wheezing, air finally found your lungs, and once the room stopped spinning you made your way to your feet. A thick trail of blood followed you through the store as you walked to the phone on the wall to dial a number.

David didn't pick up, of course. He was seeing a movie with Eva so he probably shut his phone off. You growled called Nanami next. "Come on, come on." You whispered, eyes darting towards the door a few times while you dialed her number with shaking fingers.

She picked up after a few rings. "Hello?"

"N-Nanami?"

She said your name once she realized it was you. "What's the matter?"

"Can... you drive me to the hospital?"

"What!?"

"Yeah. I cut my hand open so I can't drive."

"I'll be over as soon as possible. What happened?"

"Some people came to the store and they... they–"

Tears spilled down your cheeks as the shock began to wear off and fear for your life took its place. You hiccupped as you tried to articulate what had just transpired but it came out as incoherent sobbing. It didn't help that you were in pain now that you were coming down from your adrenaline high.

"We'll be right over." Nanami promised.

"Should I call the police?" You asked in a small voice.

"No. Call Alejandro, if anyone."

"I... I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Why not? You know what, that's not important. Just... lock all the doors and get somewhere safe until we get there okay? I'm getting my shoes on right now."

"Okay..."

Nanami arrived with Paola and the two helped you into their car while minimizing the amount of blood spilled. You had your hand wrapped in a kitchen towel, but even the thick fabric was no match for the blood you were loosing.

Paola did her best to get to the hospital while also abiding by the laws of the road. You had peaked to see if the bleeding was coming to a stop, but your vision gradually became overcome with spots of white after catching a glimpse of the exposed tendons in your hand. Nanami noticed your eyes roll into the back of your head and shook you awake.

"Do you have a fear of blood?" Nanami asked.

"More like seeing the inside of my hand..." You mumbled.

"Christ." Nanami whispered.

You were seen relatively quick in the ER, probably to get you to stop getting blood all over the waiting room. The doctor got the bleeding to stop, stitched up your hand and bandaged it tightly. She sent you home with gauze and medication for the pain and practically grounded you from any possible work until you recovered. Any extensive work with your hands could tear your stitches and undo any healing. It was a good thing you got those new hires, eh?

"You were lucky. That mug cut you any deeper and you would have lost all control of your ring finger to your thumb. It's too early to see if there'll be any lingering nerve damage, but if so we're prepared to put you in physical therapy."

Physical therapy. It's that serious, you thought.

When Nanami and Paola took you home, the three of you noticed several silhouettes in the store along with two armored trucks parked nearby.

Your breathing became short and quick as panic set back in. "Oh God, they've come back." You breathed out, holding onto your door and seat next to you.

"No, that's not it. It's Sergeant Vargas and his men." Paola announced upon further inspection.

The three of you piled out of the car and approached the store with you walking behind them. David, Alejandro, and several soldiers were standing around the shop, obviously looking for clues as to what happened to you and your whereabouts. The door's bell alerted the men of your arrival.

David was the first to address you, by your real name this time. For the first time in years, probably.

He practically swept you off the ground in a hug and squeezed you tight, making white dots reappear in your vision.

"Easy! She's lost a lot of blood." Paola practically barked.

When David set you down, you found a seat at a nearby table and held your head in your unwounded hand. "What the hell happened? I came home and there was all this blood and broken glass!" He motioned to the crime scene.

"Three men came in. They... They want me to get out of Las Almas." You answered, tiredly.

"What the fuck? Who the hell–"

"What did they look like?" Alejandro asked you.

Gosh was it great to hear his husky voice again. You just wished it were during better circumstances. It was the first time seeing him since that night at the restaurant. He was in his uniform, with a rifle on his back just like the first time you met him. It was surprisingly bittersweet. Alejandro's jaw was tight but ticked when you locked eyes. It looked like he was physically stopping himself from approaching you. Despite the situation he still knew you wanted nothing to do with him and did his best to respect your wishes. He tried to speak to you from a tactical, professional perspective, as this wasn't a recreational visit but rather him being conscripted to aid at a crime scene. The police were 50/50 as far as being able to trust them. More like 70/30, but the ratio wasn't in your favor. It was a good thing you hadn't called the police, if officers sent to your place were in the cartel's pocket, there was a chance you'd never be seen again.

"I don't know, they wore masks." You finally answered. Tears brimmed your eyes again and you took deep breaths through your nose and out your mouth to slow your beating heart.

Alejandro approached you carefully with a handkerchief and kneeled to reach eye level. "It's okay, you are safe now. We won't let anything else happen to you."

Externally, the Sergeant remained surprisingly tranquil despite the burning urge to rake the streets of Las Almas for those responsible for hurting you and wreaking havoc upon them.

You took the cloth and dabbed away your tears. "I was so scared. They knew I was alone. They waited until I was alone, Alé."

"What does this mean?" Nanami asked.

"It's got to be the son of La Araña's doing." Paola said.

"But why does he have a problem with me? I haven't done anything." You asked, voice audibly cracking.

"Because you've become a beacon of hope in the community. I'm one too, but they'd never try to threaten me like this. He had his men threaten you because they think you're harmless... And because he probably knows how much you mean to me."

You didn't realize the two of you had been holding hands until he rubbed the back of your bandaged hand tenderly.

"They said I have three weeks to leave." You admitted, not pulling away from Alejandro.

"Until what?" David asked eagerly, almost impatiently.

You shook your head and practically wailed. "I don't know."

Nanami scoffed. "You're stressing her out, guys. The doctor said she needs rest. Let's get her to bed and then we can all talk about it when she's better."

Nanami and Paola helped you up the stairs to your room, changed you out of your blood-stained clothes and settled you into bed. When you were comfortable they returned downstairs to continue discussing the issue at hand.

It had been good to see Alejandro despite the predicament. You wondered if David called him when he couldn't find you. You never meant to keep them worrying about your whereabouts, you just didn't think to find your cellphone before leaving.

Sleep evaded you, no matter how comfortable you'd been. Guillermo carried the kittens to your bed and the five of them kept you company as you stared up at your ceiling. She always knew when you were upset, somehow. Momo knew everything. It was a quarter till 10 o'clock, so it wasn't like it was extremely past your bedtime. But, eventually you dozed off sometime after eleven.

The next morning you didn't feel as weak, but you didn't exactly feel like a hundred bucks either. David greeted you at the dining room table with a big breakfast, sure to help with your recovery. He watched you struggle to use a fork with your non-dominant hand, and tears silently streamed down his face.

You finally looked up at him, and David noticed you cock your head at him. "I'm... I'm sor–" He choked out.

You stopped him, having already anticipated the immense sense of guilt he must have felt. "Don't. There's nothing to be sorry about. None of us could have known this would happen."

"When I came home and saw the mess and-and the blood... I didn't know what to do. I was so scared for you."  He covered his face and turned away, sobbing lightly into his hands.

You set down your fork and stood up to hug him. He shook like a leaf in your embrace, and it reminded you of your childhood together. "Don't cry, Dave. I can't take you seriously when you're in your Miku apron." You joked.

David chuckled between sobs and hugged you tighter.

Later, the two of you went downstairs to the café. They must have cleaned up the mess last night, at least the glass and blood. There were broken picture frames leaned up against the wall, one being of you during your college graduation.

You pointed to it. "Piss. I liked that frame."

David scowled in the direction of the mess. "We're gonna find those responsible. Alright?"

You nodded slowly. "I know. Do we have to talk about it?"

"No."

"Thank you. I'm going to step outside."

"Scout–"

"Just to water the plants. Besides, it's the middle of the day and I'm not alone. They wouldn't strike now, would they?"

"No... I guess not."

You grabbed your watering can and after filling it up in the kitchen sink stepped out to water your various herbs and flowers growing in front of the store. Two soldiers had been standing on either side of your door, and after looking between the two of them they saluted you.

"Oh, good morning soldados. Did you want anything?" You asked.

One of them shook his head. "No ma'am, we have orders from Sergeant Vargas to keep guard of your store. Maybe when our relief comes, you can pour us a cup of coffee?"

Alejandro. Making sure you're safe even when he can't himself.

A small smile grew on your face and you nodded. "Of course, just let me know yeah? And thank you."

"Just following orders, ma'am." He said simply.

It was decided unanimously between you and your cousin that the shop wouldn't be open today. The night before was awful enough, and with your hand the way it was you doubted David would be able to run the store alone on one of your busiest days of the week. Surely word had gone around town by now about what transpired last night, so the community would understand.

As for the deadline you were given. It made you so unbearably fearful, for both your life and your cousin's. David was 6'3 and muscular, hence why those punks waited until he was out of the house to strike. But he wasn't invincible. Neither of you were.

And yet, with Alejandro's watchful eyes over you and your shop, the notion set your nerves at ease. The anger you felt was nearly gone. Nearly. Still pissed, but no longer desiring strangling him. That would have to be enough.

You sat on a couch in the loft and pulled out your phone to shoot him a text.

You: I'm ready to talk.

Mere minutes later, he replied.

Alejandro: I can be over there tonight. How is your hand?

You: Not bad.

Alejandro: Good. You're strong, mi vida.

Alejandro: Can I still call you that?

You: We'll figure out tonight.

Alejandro: Yes ma'am.

You locked your phone and carried on with the rest of the day with unmistakable butterflies in your stomach.

[antisocialmastermind]

Chapter 3

Day 3: IORHNRE= hornier, hire

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 (on Ao3)

Kurt wakes up hornier than usual. Apparently his ego has not seen fit to share last night’s humiliating memo with his dick. Or maybe he went to sleep with Elliott too much on his mind. Either way, he’s hungover, regretful, mortified, and apparently really needs to get laid. By someone other than Elliott. 

Who, annoyingly, seems completely unaffected by the whole awkward incident. 

Kurt stumbles into the kitchen to find his roommate singing into a spatula, shaking his ass, and plating his patented pancake breakfast sandwiches. 

“Oh my god, I think I love you,” Kurt mumbles, looking for the syrup, and Elliott looks up with a grin.

“But only platonically, right?”

Hungover Kurt is always a little vulnerable – the surface of his skin an exuberance of tesselating cracks that weaken his wit and self-confidence. He blinks and snaps, “Over it.” 

Elliott considers him for the briefest of seconds before he tosses a hash brown patty onto each plate and slides one plate across the counter. “Good,” he says. “Me, too. Eat some grease.” 

And that’s it.

They eat side-by-side at the counter as they usually do. Kurt does the dishes and makes a shopping list. Elliott’s near the window working charcoal into a canvas. He’s not satisfied with the play of light over Kurt’s cheekbones. He’s working from a photo, so Kurt’s presence isn't required.

Kurt takes advantage of Elliott’s deep concentration to look at him for too long, then slips into his room and closes the door. Lying on his bed, he thinks about last night, about the last eight months. He loves Elliott. He really does. But does he love him that way? Maybe he’s just missing a relationship in his life. It’s been a while, after all. 

He doesn’t cry. It hurts, but he doesn’t cry. That, more than anything, tells him he’ll get through this. 

****

They go to look at the gallery space in the afternoon. Elliott’s pace gets bouncier and quicker as they get closer, and even Kurt’s grinning like a loon by the time they step through the glass door into the cool, dim interior.

Elliott walks Kurt through the space, explaining how he’s hired someone to remove appliances and make the kitchen smaller. They’ll keep the refrigerator, one counter, and the industrial sink and dishwasher since they’ll be handy for artists’ receptions. That half of the kitchen will become the in-house studio. 

“The rest of the kitchen’s gonna be gutted and walled off,” Elliot explains. “Gives us more gallery space. And there are bathrooms of course, and an office already…” 

The office is little more than a closet with a desk and chair, but that’s all they’ll really need. The floor is a gorgeous tobacco wood, highly varnished, and the walls, Elliot says, will be white. 

“You need modular display panels,” Kurt declares as he turns a circle in the center of the large space. “Easier than repairing the walls every time the show changes, and it’ll give you much more surface area.”

“See?” Elliott grins, “This is why I need you. So much more than a pretty face.”

Kurt feels heat creep up his neck and over his face and turns to the window.

“Good natural light,” he continues, and mentally congratulates himself for not missing a beat. Elliott just says these things. He’s always been flirty, but he knows now and it’s just awkward for Kurt to ignore the elephant between them. But he does his best. “You’ll still need good fixtures. Cool light with the amount of contemporary work you’ll be showing. Rail lighting, maybe. In stainless steel, not black.”

Elliott grins again, but he doesn’t say anything, and Kurt breathes a tiny sigh of relief. He can do this.

****

He can’t do this.

How is he supposed to get some clarity and get over this when Elliott’s always just there? 

Kurt switches his night shift for a day shift on Thursdays, when Elliott DJs at The Duplex. He loses tips but gains an entire day where he doesn't see Elliott at all. He accepts Justin and Michael’s dinner invitation even though Elliott can’t make it. Sometimes he goes out with Chandler for drinks or to catch a movie – but he has to be careful there because he thinks maybe Chandler has a crush on him. And that’s not happening. 

He watches Elliott with their friends. He’s maybe extra flirty with Sebastian, but he’s most calm and down to earth with Kurt. He’s happy and flirty and genuine and wacky with everyone. That’s just who he is, and Kurt wouldn’t change him if he could. 

As weeks pass and the gallery opening gets closer, Kurt feels better. He’s still a little hung up, but he’s got some perspective now, and he’s about ready to move on. He’s also busy. So that helps.

He’s getting pieces ready to hang for the opening and he’s helping Elliott choose light fixtures and wine glasses and restroom decor. He’s at the restaurant six out of seven days. He’s doing this. He’s doing it.

****

It’s a Tuesday evening a few weeks out when Elliott pokes his head around Kurt’s bedroom door and says “Hey. Can I talk to you?”

Elliott sits Kurt down on the sofa looking serious and thoughtful. Kurt’s heart is jumping like a rabbit in his chest. 

“How involved do you want to be, Kurt?” Elliott asks softly.

Oh my god, this is it. He’s changed his mind. Kurt’s eyes flood instantly and his pulse, impossibly, quickens. He might vibrate off the couch and onto the floor.

“Um. What?” Kurt mumbles. 

“Well, I mean, do you just want to show your work? Do you want an attendant position? I can’t pay much just yet – it’ll mostly be me working there – but you’re hired if you want to be.” He smiles at Kurt. “Do you want to maybe think about buying in? Being my partner? What do you see yourself doing?”

Kurt almost laughs at the irony in Elliott’s words. He pretty much wants the fucking sofa to swallow him whole. It doesn’t. He smiles, a little shakily, and sighs. 

“For now,” he says, “I want to show. In the future, I’ll probably want more, but right now, I’m just. Not ready.”

“Okay,” Elliot replies. “Let me know when you are.”

“I definitely will,” Kurt says, clasping Elliott’s shoulder. 

He goes to bed. 

Chapter 4