#Holiday House Inc

[thegirlwiththelantern]

2023 Children's and Middle Grade Releases

This is the second 2023 Children’s and Middle Grade Releases post. In the first I tried to focus on UK authors but here I’ve cast a wider net. The release dates reflect the UK in the first section and US in the second. The Pearl Hunter by Miya T. Beck | 16 / 03 / 23 – HarperCollins Set in a world inspired by pre-Shogun era Japan, this is a stunning debut fantasy in the vein of Grace Lin about…

[streetsofsalem]

Christmas Trim

It’s going to be a super busy December, so I got a jump start on decorating my own house: we have eight fireplaces with mantles plus several other surfaces which “require” adornment so there’s a lot of sorting out and arranging to do. I have two rules, or should I say practices, which I observe for holiday decorating: I don’t bring greenery in until just before Christmas and I always choose a…

[woso-dreamzzz]

Kiddo's Halloween

Katie McCabe x Caitlin Foord x Child!Reader

Summary: The fifth of my Halloween-centric fics

Katie sighs as the whole street fills up with parents in the exact same situation she's in.

Children have flooded the usually quiet neighbourhood, shrieking and screaming and laughing in their little costumes and clanging their buckets around as they approach houses.

You're right by her side, clutching her hand tightly as she adjusts the witches hat on your head. Your little sister, however, was on her leash up ahead, as far ahead as she could get without tugging too hard.

The original plan was matching outfits.

That had been what had happened last year, when Gremlin was still a baby and didn't have opinions like she does now.

You'd been Sully from Monster's Inc and she'd been Mike Wazowski. You'd loved your Sully costume because it was a thick onesie that now's a little too short on the arm and wrists for you to wear outside but still perfect for you to sleep in.

The plan this year had been a pair of mice but Gremlin had kicked and screamed and cried about it so that idea was scrapped and the two of you got put into different costumes.

Gremlin is dressed as an actual gremlin like the ones from the movie that really scared you a few months ago so hasn't been put on since. You're a witch with your pointy hat and witch dress and broomstick.

You shuffle closer to Katie as a group of older kids come sprinting past, leaning heavily against her side and tightening your grip on her hand.

"Mam," Your little voice says," Up, please?"

To be honest, Katie's kind of proud about how long you've lasted.

Halloween is nowhere near your favourite holiday after last year when you got shown Coraline and kept having accidents after nightmares for at least a month.

It had been rough so Katie's proud you've managed to overcome your fear enough to even come out tonight.

"Alright, kiddo," She says," Up we go."

Gremlin still leads the pack ahead, practically sprinting over to one of the houses.

She tries jumping for the doorbell but is nowhere near tall enough.

Her little foot slams onto the concrete as she whirls around to face Caitlin.

"Mummy! Mummy!" She points back at the doorbell. "Mummy!"

"Mummy, please," Caitlin corrects her.

"Mummy! Mummy, now!"

"She gets that from you, you know," Caitlin says to Katie as she moves to ring the doorbell.

The door swings open and Gremlin's already got her hand in the offered bowl before even saying the words.

You do it for her though because you're a good big sister.

"Trick or treat!"

Gremlin's already reaching for her second handful when Katie lowers you down to grab your own.

"Want to swap kids?" She asks Caitlin, who's had to wind Gremlin's leash twice around her hand to stop her from getting too far ahead.

"Are you sure? Will Kiddo be okay with it?"

"She'll be fine. You're cuddlier than me."

Katie takes your sister's leash, further limiting how far Gremlin can go ahead and you go willingly into Caitlin's arms.

Katie's right. Caitlin is very cuddly and she doesn't even put you down to pick out which sweets you want which is a bonus.

But the night is long and you don't seem to have the endless energy that your sister does so the soft rocking back and forth of Caitlin's walk is enough to get you halfway to sleep.

"I think we should get home," Caitlin says, looking down meaningfully at your groggy body against her shoulder," We've still got to get them both in the bath and then bed."

Katie nods. "Yeah, alright." She tugs a little on the leash and Gremlin whirls around.

"What?" She demands, an indignant look on her face.

"Alright, you," Katie says," Home time."

"No! Scare time! Rawr!"

"Very scary," Katie says, completely deadpan," But we've got to go home. We'll have a bath, watch a movie, have some sweeties and then bedtime."

"Scary movie!" Gremlin insists.

"Not too scary," Katie replies, turning around and heading back to the house," We don't want nightmares tonight."

You're still kind of tired when Caitlin sets you down on the floor and Katie switches the light on.

Katie can't work out if it's because you're tired or the light turning on shocked you or if it's genuine fear but you catch a look of yourself, in your scary witch costume, in the mirror and burst into tears.

You crumble to the ground, sobbing. Tears drip down your cheeks as you cry, a little lump on the floor.

"She's bein' weird," Gremlin says, nudging you with her foot and Caitlin sighs.

"Don't kick your sister.

"Not kickin'! Just...touchin'." Gremlin pushes her shoe against you again and Caitlin lifts her up.

"Let's go find the cats and sort out your sweeties. Let's leave Kiddo with your Mam."

Gremlin's still complaining as she's lead away but Katie picks you up easily, allowing you to curl around her as she sits on the stairs.

"It's okay," She says, her voice low and soothing in your ear," It's okay. I've got you. I've got you."

"Scary," You sniffle," 'm scary."

"You're not scary, kiddo," Katie says," I promise you're not."

"I am! Scary, Mam! So scary!"

The tears are never ending and nothing Katie can do will stop them. She doesn't want you to cry yourself out but it seems like it's all she can do.

A soft mew comes from a few steps above and Katie looks back to see your Baby sitting at the top.

"Hiya, Baby," She coos," Did we wake you up?"

Unlike Coopurr and Spicy, Baby spends most of her time asleep. Either sleeping or grooming herself but mostly sleeping.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Kiddo's just a bit scared right now."

Baby hops down a few more steps, little paws coming to rest on your lap.

You turn your head to face her, trying to hide yourself under your scary witch hat.

"Look," Katie coos," Baby's not scared of you."

"Really?"

"Really-Really," Katie says, scooping up your kitten and placing her on your lap.

Baby nuzzles against your cheeks, uncaring that she's getting her pristine fur nice and wet.

"Baby doesn't think you're scary at all."

"Not scary?" You check and Katie nods.

"You're never scary, Kiddo. Even as a witch."

You nod, wiping away your tears as you hold Baby even closer.

"Now," Katie says," Why don't you go and find your sister and Caitlin and have some of your sweeties before bath time?"

You scamper off and Katie finally takes off her coat and shoes.

"Mam!" You call out from the kitchen," Gremlin's eating my sweeties!"

[lightseoul]

a/n. it's been ages since i wrote for akaashi, which is a crime because he's the literal loml. i should write for him more. anyway, here's another subtle act of love drabble <3 (0.7k)

warnings. a brief mention of akaashi's timeskip job.

your shoulders are heavy when you lift up your arm to insert your copy of the house key into the keyhole, both from the literal weight of your work bag and the heaviness of a long day. you did not expect to work overtime today, especially since it's a friday—the nights of which being one of the few times you have all to yourself and your husband—since he started on that new, up-and-coming project at his manga company.

you fight the urge to cry in frustration when the lock refuses to budge, mind drifting to how you really ought to do something about it. but with another try, it finally gives, and you ungracefully push through the door as quietly as you can, mindful of not waking your other half who's most likely asleep by now.

what you expected to greet you at 9:47 PM tonight was the dim lighting of your foyer juxtaposing the darkness of the rest of the house. akaashi was always the one who turned that specific light on, having integrated it into his night-time routine while yours mainly consisted of your beauty regimens.

however, as you quickly scan the room, it registers that that's very much not the case, what with most of the lights being on, and you're about to conclude that maybe he was just too tired and knocked out preemptively, when something stirs on top of your couch, and up rises and emerges a half-asleep akaashi.

he tosses you a tired smile, adjusting his black-framed glasses. "welcome home, love."

"wha—" you start, dropping the gazillion things you brought to work on the slim table by the shoe rack. "why're you awa—i mean, i-i'm home, keiji."

his smile only deepens as you frown at him in confusion. "what're you doing up, dummy?"

"wanted to wait for you," he says so simply, like it's a no-brainer, before giving you a once-over. "you look beautiful, sunshine."

at that, you snort, but you feel yourself flame at the compliment nevertheless. "thanks, but i saw myself in the mirror before leaving work."

you pause, padding towards your husband, rounding the couch before plopping next to his right. you take in your akaashi keiji, in all his sleepy glory, already in his matching set of red plaid pajamas, exposing his enthusiasm for the holidays. the man, who used to shrink under your gaze in shyness, now only bolsters in confidence as you drink him in, the smile from earlier still playing at his lips.

you try to ignore the butterflies that spring in your gut at the sight of him, proceeding to further prove your point. "my hair's a mess and i'm pretty sure my mascara gave me a tiny black eye crust that i keep on forgetting to remove."

"yeah?" he retorts without missing a beat. reaching out, he takes your hand in his, placing it by his thigh. "doesn't seem that way to me, though."

you look down at your intertwined hands, his over yours, caressing the flesh. "love has made you blind, then."

"i disagree," akaashi quips as quickly as ever, unfazed. "love has made me sharper, even sharp enough to stay awake so that i can greet you home."

at the reminder of his latest stint, you frown. "you didn't have to wait up for me, keiji. you need the rest."

the man merely shrugs, not stopping his ministrations on your hand. "i can sleep in tomorrow. just wanted to see you, is all."

neither of you says anything for a moment, opting to bask in the comfortable quiet and each other's presence instead of filling the air.

"thank you," you eventually say after a few minutes, locking eyes with your husband. "for this. i really wanted to see you, too."

akaashi merely beams at you. "it's my pleasure, love."

and he doesn't expound, but it really is. you don't know it yet, but akaashi's been meaning to tell you this one embarrassing thing.

that getting to tell you 'welcome home' at the end of the day makes him so incredibly happy that he's willing to lose sleep over it time and time again.

because what truly is better than being the husband you come home to?

˖⁺‧₊ as always, reblogs, replies, and tags are appreciated <3 have a nice day!

[sjylouvre]

merry almost christmas (sjy)

WARNINGS: pet names, kisses, proofread but i'm sorry if there's mistakes! (Imk if i missed something pls!!)

desc: as the holidays approach, you and jake decorate the house together. he lifts you up to put the star on the tree, and you share a sweet kiss under the mistletoe.

genre: fluff

pairing: bf!jake x afab!reader

wc: 2k

the scent of cinnamon and pine filled the air, mingling with the soft crackle of the fireplace as you and jake sat amidst a sea of holiday decorations. the twinkling lights from the christmas tree, still bare, reflected in his eyes as he pulled out the first ornament from the box. this was your first christmas together in your new home, and you both wanted to make it perfect. the anticipation of creating something special, something that would become a cherished tradition, filled the room with a quiet excitement.

jake tilted his head, examining the delicate ornament—a small, glass snowflake that caught the light and sparkled in his hand. this one’s from our first trip to the mountains, remember? he said, his voice soft with nostalgia.

you leaned closer, your shoulder brushing against his as you looked at the snowflake. the memory of that trip—getting snowed in at the cabin, the long walks through the woods, the way he’d held you close to keep you warm—brought a smile to your face. i remember. you insisted we needed to buy a souvenir from that tiny shop in town.

and you thought it was cheesy, he added with a grin, carefully hanging the snowflake on one of the lower branches. but now look at it—first one on our tree.

cheesy or not, it’s perfect, you agreed, reaching into the box for the next ornament.

as you both continued unpacking the ornaments, each one brought with it a flood of memories. there was the tiny reindeer you’d had since you were a kid, its antlers a little bent from years of being carefully wrapped and unwrapped. jake gently straightened the antlers before finding a prominent spot for it on the tree.

this one’s seen a lot of christmases, he said, stepping back to admire it. i’m glad it’s with us for this one.

you nodded, feeling a wave of warmth wash over you. you been with me through everything. but this is the first time it feels like it’s truly at home.

jake glanced at you, his eyes softening. he didn’t say anything, but the way he reached out to take your hand said everything. you squeezed his hand, feeling the connection between you grow even stronger.

together, you hung each ornament with care, sharing stories and laughter as you decorated the tree. every so often, jake would pull you close for a quick kiss, his lips brushing against yours in a way that made your heart flutter. the warmth of his touch, the way he looked at you with so much love and affection, made the room feel even cozier.

when you reached for the lights, jake paused, holding up a tangled mess of wires and tiny bulbs. why do these things always end up like this? he asked with a mock sigh, though there was a playful glint in his eyes.

you laughed, taking the other end of the lights. it’s a holiday mystery. no matter how carefully we pack them away, they somehow manage to tangle themselves up.

maybe they get bored in the box and decide to have a party, jake suggested, his tone light and teasing as he began to work on the knots.

you shook your head, smiling at his silly explanation. and here I thought it was just bad luck.

as you both worked to untangle the lights, your fingers brushed against his, sending a small thrill through you each time. the task, though tedious, felt less like a chore and more like an opportunity to be close to him, to share in the simple joy of doing something together. when you finally got the lights untangled, jake draped them over his shoulders like a glowing scarf.

how do I look? he asked with a grin, striking a dramatic pose.

you giggled, reaching up to adjust the lights around his neck. like the most festive person I’ve ever seen.

he leaned down, his face inches from yours, the lights casting a warm glow on his features. that’s all I wanted to hear, he murmured before closing the distance and kissing you softly, the lights between you twinkling like stars.

when the kiss ended, he pulled back just enough to look into your eyes, his expression tender. i love kissing your soft lips.

me too, you whispered, feeling your heart swell with emotion.

with the lights finally ready, you both began winding them around the tree, carefully spacing them out so that every branch was covered. the tree slowly came to life, its dark green needles illuminated by the soft glow of the lights. you both stepped back to admire your work, jake’s arm slipping around your waist as he pulled you close.

it’s starting to look like christmas in here, you said softly, resting your head against his shoulder.

yeah, it is, he agreed, his voice just as soft. but I think it’s missing something…

you looked up at him, one eyebrow raised. oh? and what might that be?

jake’s grin widened as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sprig of mistletoe. this.

you couldn’t help but laugh, shaking your head. you’re so predictable.

maybe, he admitted, holding the mistletoe above your head, but you love it.

before you could respond, he leaned in and captured your lips in a kiss that was soft and sweet, yet filled with the promise of more to come. his free hand found its way to your waist, pulling you closer as you melted into the kiss. the warmth of the moment wrapped around you both, making the world outside feel like a distant memory.

when he finally pulled back, his forehead resting against yours, you couldn’t help but smile. you really did plan this, didn’t you?

maybe just a little, jake admitted, his voice low and affectionate. i couldn’t resist. you look too cute standing there, waiting for me to kiss you.

you playfully swatted his arm, though you were still smiling. alright, let’s finish this tree before we get too distracted.

together, you continued decorating, hanging the ornaments with care and occasionally pausing to share a memory or a quick kiss. each ornament seemed to tell a story, from the tiny silver bell you’d found at a flea market to the handmade wooden star that jake’s grandfather had carved. every piece had its own place on the tree, and by the time you were finished, it felt like you had built something that was not just beautiful, but meaningful as well.

finally, it was time to place the star on top of the tree. you picked it up, turning it over in your hands to admire the delicate craftsmanship. this was one of the first things you and jake had bought together for the house, and it felt fitting that it would be the finishing touch on your first christmas tree.

want to do the honors? jake asked, his voice warm and inviting as he looked at you.

you smiled, but instead of answering, you handed the star to him. actually, i think you should do it.

jake took the star, but he shook his head, his eyes twinkling with that familiar mischievous glint. i think this is a two-person job.

before you could protest, jake had already scooped you up into his arms, lifting you effortlessly as if you weighed nothing at all. you yelped in surprise, your arms instinctively wrapping around his neck for balance. jake! you could’ve warned me!

he grinned, holding you steady as he brought you closer to the top of the tree. where’s the fun in that?

you laughed, but the sound was breathless, a mix of surprise and the fluttering in your chest from being so close to him. with a smile, you reached out and carefully placed the star on the highest branch, adjusting it until it was perfectly aligned. once it was secure, jake slowly lowered you back down, his hands lingering on your waist as your feet touched the ground.

perfect, he said softly, his voice full of warmth as he looked at the tree, then back at you. just like you.

you felt your cheeks flush at his words, and before you could say anything, jake leaned in and kissed you again. this kiss was different from the others, deeper and more intense, as if he was pouring all the love and happiness he felt in that moment into you. his hands tightened around your waist, pulling you impossibly closer, and you responded by threading your fingers through his hair, losing yourself in the feel of him.

when he finally pulled back, you were both breathless, your heart racing in the best way possible. you looked up at him, your fingers still tangled in his hair, and couldn’t help but smile. merry almost christmas, you whispered, your voice filled with affection.

jake grinned, his eyes sparkling as he leaned in to kiss you again, this time on the tip of your nose. merry almost christmas babe, he echoed, his voice just as soft. i couldn’t have asked for a better way to start the holidays.

you leaned into him, resting your head on his chest as you both stood there, basking in the warmth of the moment. the room was quiet except for the soft hum of the christmas lights and the gentle crackling of the fire in the fireplace. it was one of those moments that felt like it could last forever, where everything was just right, and you were exactly where you were meant to be.

after a while, jake pulled back slightly, his hands sliding up to cup your face. i love you, you know that?

you looked up at him, your heart swelling with emotion. i love you too, jake. more than anything.

he smiled, his thumb brushing gently over your cheek. i’m really glad we’re doing this together. I know it’s just a tree, but it feels like so much more.

it is more, you agreed, your voice soft but full of meaning. it’s our first christmas in our first home. it’s the beginning of everything we’re going to build together.

jake’s smile widened, and he leaned in to press another kiss to your lips, this one slow and lingering, full of all the love and promises for the future. when he finally pulled back, his eyes were filled with so much warmth and affection that it made your heart skip a beat.

come on, he said, his voice low and intimate as he took your hand. let’s go enjoy our work.

he led you over to the couch, where a pile of soft blankets and pillows waited. the firelight cast a warm glow over everything, and the room felt cozy and inviting. jake pulled you down onto his lap, wrapping a blanket around you both as you settled into the cushions. the soft glow of the christmas tree lights bathed the room in a warm, golden light, making everything feel even more magical.

you snuggled into jake’s chest, feeling his arms tighten around you as you both got comfortable. his warmth surrounded you, and you could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against your cheek, a soothing reminder of how connected you were. every so often, he would press a soft kiss to your hair, and you would smile, feeling completely at ease in his arms.

as you sat there together, watching the tree twinkle and the fire burn low, you couldn’t help but feel grateful for everything you had. it was more than just the decorations or the gifts you’d eventually exchange. it was the love, the connection, the sense of home that you had built together. this was more than just a moment; it was the beginning of a lifetime of memories, and you couldn’t wait to see what the future held.

jake’s voice broke the comfortable silence, his tone soft and full of affection. this is the best christmas I’ve ever had, and it hasn’t even officially started yet.

you smiled, tilting your head up to look at him. me too. and I can’t wait to spend many more just like this with you.

he leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to your lips, one that spoke of promises for the future and the love you would continue to share. when he pulled back, his eyes were filled with so much warmth and affection it made your heart skip a beat.

© sjylouvre 2024, do not copy, steal, remake or brand my content as yours.

[mayajadewrites]

Sweet Secret (Levi Ackerman x Reader)

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x F! Reader CEO Levi Ackerman coming in hot. I've been wanting to write a CEO Levi/Sugar daddy Levi story for a hot minute. Enjoy! Story Summary: You needed a job. Ackerman Inc was hiring for an in house assistant for none other than the CEO: Levi Ackerman. He's known to be essentially the worst to work with, you decide to take the job and take on the challenge that is Levi Ackerman. Will your relationship remain professional, or will their be monetary value added to the stakes? Or possibly even... love? ao3 Chapter Fourteen: Tinted

It's 8 PM when you arrive at the bar. You hear the voices of Hange and Eren, who are presumably drunk already and singing a song together. Mikasa was a few feet away from them, shaking her head. Erwin was busy typing away on his phone next to Hange. You spot the rest of the crew - Sasha, Connie, Jean, Petra and Armin who were chatting away in a heated debate.

You walk in front of Levi, careful not to let your feelings be shown. You've been eyeing him ever since you got in the car - the fringe of his jet black hair covering part of his face. His shoulders filled out the top he was wearing perfectly along with his biceps. Your gaze then went to his large hands, which are veiny and calloused. 

"You guys made it!" Hange broke away from Eren to hug you. "You're late, me and Eren are already tipsy!"

"Looks like we made it here right on time." Levi's voice spoke behind you. "Four eyes please behave yourself. We don't need an incident like last years holiday party." 

"What was this incident?" You whip your head around to Hange.

"Well... I may more may not have spilled wine on some very important people... and I may or may not have spilled some on their white carpet." 

"Red or white..."

"Red." Hange winced. "BUT we're at a bar this time! There's no rugs!"

Levi put his hands in his pockets as he walked up to the bar, ordering a round of drinks for everyone. You watched his stature as he leaned against the countertop - your mind wandering.

"I see why Levi says you have a staring problem." Erwin chuckled as he took a sip of his beer. "You sure this is just a simple arrangement?"

"I-Yes. Yes it is." You turn away from where your gaze previously was. "What about you? Do you have anyone special?

"Not as of now." Erwin sat on a barstool. "It's hard when people like Levi and myself are so busy. Personal relationships aren't easy to come by."

"I get that." You nod as Levi hands you a glass of white wine. You nod to say thank you as he tells the rest of the crew that the drinks are ready. "Any woman would be so lucky to have you, Erwin. I hope you know that." 

"That means a lot." His index finger taps the side of the beer bottle. "Levi found a great woman so easily, hope it's that way for me."

"What?" You stare at him for a moment, raising your eyebrow.

"Nothing. I think Hange is calling me!" 

As the night goes on, everyone starts to get a bit looser. You move your hips to the beat of the music surrounded by your coworkers. The music is blaring through the speakers and you can barely hear anything that's going on. Your eyes search for Levi, when you find him he's sitting back on a barstool next to Erwin, but he's staring at you. His eyes are half-lidded and sultry as he sips his whiskey. You watch as the liquid coats his lips and you wish you could taste the liquor from his lips.

"Hey!" Jean pulled on your wrist gently. "Wanna dance?" 

Your heart started to beat faster from the anxiety of it all. You and Levi both agreed this is an arrangement, a simple transaction where you both get something good out of it.

Jean is cute.

Levi is not yours. If he wanted to dance with Petra, he could. You couldn't say anything about it. 

"Sure." You nod, taking Jean's hand. You wrap your arms around his neck loosely as you moved to the beat, your ass facing Levi. Jean's face is pressed against your cheek as he whispers, "You look stunning tonight." 

"Thank you." You smile, pulling away just a bit. "You don't look bad yourself."

Jean's hand wandered to the small of your back to pull you closer to him. Your stomach felt like it was doing flips. Falling from the top of the Empire State Building.

Connie and Sasha were dancing next to you, cracking jokes and being silly like always. "No Sasha! THIS is how you do the running man." 

"Connie, you look so stupid." Sasha shook her head and crossed her arms. You and Jean laughed, but all laughter stopped.

"Hey, boss!" Jean waved.

"It's still Mr. Ackerman outside of work." Levi's tone was flat. "I need her for a second, I just got an urgent message from a client and she has the answer in her notes."

"Okay!" Jean quickly let go of you. He smiled at you as you walked behind Levi to go outside to his car. You pull out your phone to scroll through the notes you have from the previous meeting. 

When you walk outside, it's raining. You watch the raindrops fall onto Levi's skin, falling over his lips. He opened the door for you to get in the car and went around to the drivers side.

"What did they ask? I have all my notes right here-"

"They didn't call me." Levi ran his fingers through the front of his hair. 

"So... why did you make me come out here?"

Levi was quiet for a moment, like he was searching for the right thing to say. 

"I guess I just wanted you away from Kirstein." 

"We were just dancing."

"He was touching you."

"You sort of have to touch when you dance with someone." 

"I didn't like it." 

"I'm not sure what to say." You bit down on your bottom lip. "I'm allowed to let someone else touch me. You said if I wanted to sleep with someone else-"

"I didn't say you're not allowed." Levi interrupted your sentence. "I said I didn't like it."

"Okay..." You raised your eyebrow and looked at his face. His expression was stern, his charcoal grey eyes the same color as the sky. The rain beat down on the car, the sound of the drops hitting the outer shell getting louder and louder.

"Is that all?" You reach your hand to the inner handle of your door. Levi grabs your wrist gently, pulling you closer to him. Your noses were almost touching with how close he pulled you. Your elbow reseted on the center console as you leaned toward him.

"Levi, we're in public." You analyze his face. He looks so beautiful in this light. His skin is a bit damp from the rain and pieces of his hair are stuck to his forehead.

"The car is tinted." He leaned into you just a bit more and let his lips ghost yours. You could feel the arousal in your core as the scent of his cologne filled your nostrils.

"We're in a car." You let out a shaky breath, wanting to attach your lips to his. Levi's hand caressed your cheek gently as you spoke. 

"I'm not blind." 

"Well you are crazy." 

Levi pushed the lever to pull the seat back, while simultaneously pulling you on top of his lap. Your thighs pressed against the top of his legs are he pulled you into a kiss. His fingers got lost in your hair as he pulled you roughly into him. He was being desperate and possessive and his kisses reflected that. His tongue slid into your mouth without warning, leaving you almost breathless. 

You felt his hard erection against your core as you kissed him. You leaned down to press your chest onto his and straddled his lap, letting your skirt pool at your hips. 

"Were you jealous, Mr. Ackerman?" You tilted your head to the side, kissing his neck gently as you spoke. His skin felt hot as your lips danced around the area.

"No." He said sternly. 

"Mhm." You mumble against his skin, giving the spot a small bite. A moan left Levi's lips as you began to kiss, bite, and suck. His hands trailed from your shoulders down to your ass, giving it a loud slap. You giggle as his hand leaves your ass cheek. 

"You like that, don't you?" 

You are feeling particularly bold from the alcohol. You sit up and grab Levi's hand, bringing it under your skirt to the front of your underwear - which was soaked. His fingertips grazed the moist fabric. "Do you think I do?" 

Levi bit his bottom lip and slipped two fingers past your underwear to your throbbing pussy. Your legs tighten around his waist as he thrusts his digits in and out of you, curling them as he goes. His thumb softly rubs your clit, automatically getting a reaction from you. 

"You're such a brat, you know that?" His lips attached to your ear, nibbling on the lobe. 

"I've been told." You throw your head back as his fingers move at a quicker pace. He felt your gummy walls pulsate around his digits as he bit your shoulder.

"What am I gonna do about that mouth of yours? You should be punished." Levi stopped moving for a moment, letting you come to the realization that he stopped.

"Levi." You whine.

"You can't come until I say so." 

"You're the worst." Levi's fingers enter you again and it takes everything in you not to come. His thumb rubs soft circles on your clit which only add to the overstimulation. "Levi, baby please-" You moan. "Please let me come." 

His fingers thrusted in and out of you faster, the entire length of his fingers disappearing inside of you. When he curled his fingers the last time, you almost lost it. 

"This isn't- this isn't fair." Your breathing gets shaky. "Can I come, please." The outer rim of your vision turns white.

"Yes." Levi said and you let everything go. He kept finger-fucking you through your orgasm, letting you ride out the euphoria. Warm liquid dripped down to his fingers. "I bet you didn't even know you could do that." He kissed you as he rubbed your clit, coating it with a mix of your arousal and liquid.

Once you came back to earth, your hands messed with his belt, quickly pulling his pants down. His hard cock slapped his stomach as it was freed.

"I don't have a condom." He said almost painfully.

"We're past that, Levi." You position yourself on top of him, the tip of his cock grazing your slit. His hands were planted on your thick thighs, squeezing them gently. The way he looked up at you was like he's seen an angel. You slowly bring your body down on top of his cock, your pussy stretching from his side.

"Fuck." He moaned, guiding your hips up and down his cock. "You're so wet, but so tight for me." 

You bounced your ass on top of him, letting your chest press against his. You put your arm back to grab his dick from behind, slowly guiding it into your pussy. His eyes are almost glued shut as you engulf his length. He moans your name while thrusting into you as you ride him. 

Your hands are on his shoulders as you grind your hips to his, listening to the squelching sounds of Levi's cock entering you. 

"You feel so fucking good. I could fuck you forever." Levi moaned your name. "I'm gonna come. Are you close, princess?"

You nod as you close your eyes and let the euphoria take over. Levi's nails dig into your plush ass as his thrusts become more messy, signaling that he's about to come.

Your walls pulsate around his cock and you moan his name loudly. "Levi," 

That was it for Levi. He pressed his entire length into you as he bottomed out, filling your insides with his cum. He groaned as he released, kissing your shoulder gently. You begin to breath heavily as you look out the window, only to see steam from the temperature of both your bodies.

Levi took a deep breath as he pulled his underwear and pants back on, helping you with your skirt. He gazed into your eyes as your heart rate came down. His index finger moved a stray hair behind your ear. Your face is red, your skin. is bruised, and your hair probably looks nothing like it did when you went in. You turn around while still on Levi's lap to look at yourself in the rearview mirror.

"Let me not look like I just had my insides rearranged." You ran your fingers through your hair while fanning your face.

"You look beautiful." Levi's lips kissed your cheek as his hands wandered down your waist to your thighs, gripping them tightly.

This is not just an arrangement, is it? 

[creepa-b0t-inc]

❄️ 😇 ❄️

Made a Holiday House secret boss because FUCK

In case it's not clear, this is Eve. In the light world, it's an old photograph of Dess Holiday. In the dark world, it's a cryptid that lurks around, wandering with no purpose. Only a wish, a desire, to be found.

Which is also probably just a fancy way of saying "I don't know what to do with this character"

Honeur Able is fucking terrified of this thing because of how it looks like Dess, but REALLY isn't

[todaywasamaritale]

‘alright then, little goody-two-shoes, what do you think we should do?’

✧ mari ♡ 18 y/o cryptid fem ✧ s.her ♡ christian ✧ biromantic asexual ♡ 🇵🇸🫒 ✧

please do not put any donation links in my inbox. my financial situation renders me unable to respond to them, and a lot of minors follow me. unless i know you, you will be blocked.

mari-the-tortured-poet -> todaywasamaritale

this is the void where i scream about stuff and mostly reblog! i’ve got tags for everything and i’m always happy to help out the easily triggered, so if you’d like to request a specific tag for content, please put it in my ask box. i also make moodboards for characters and ocs so you can request those too!

insta

format vaguely stolen from lucy but i’m certain she’ll forgive me <3

proud member of @babygirls-inc

ABSOLUTELY everything to know about me ->

american (derogatory) // christian (the good kind, shouldn’t have to clarify but here we are😭) // scorpio // bday oct 25 // music lover and writer // fanfic consumer // local neighborhood ace with the dirtiest jokes // i swear like a sailor to offput certain men // spring supremacy tbh // avid disneyworld enjoyer and corporate disney hater 🤝 // conflict makes me itch but i’m a professional debator // singer and stuff i already said // dwdw if i hate you, you will KNOW straight up // a downbad schemer, evil even // call me a double A battery the way i be autistic and asexual // whump enjoyer and writer at times // i do rp on minecraft a lot // and then there’s chunky he’s DEAD

music ->

swiftie (taylor’s version) // k/da // heartsteel // itzy // everglow // blackpink in your area // little monster for mother monster gaga <3 // olivia rodrigo // chappell roan // Jesus was a Carpenter!!! // boygenius // emei! // precious jewel amor // derivakat // cg5 // reinaeiry // mave: MAKE A NEW WAVE!!!!! // dua lipa // ive // the warning // dove cameron // tobymac // daft punk // britney spears // madonna // gracie abrams // thomas sanders

movies & tv ->

miraculous ladybug aw yiss // vaguely intrigued in pokemon sun & moon // felix fathom and gladion mohn you are forever famous and not at all similar nono // mha // murder drones // hellaverse // tadc // saiki k // bsd // tangled the series NO SPOILERS // kimmy schmidt // schitt’s creek // the mindy project // atla // downton abbey // pride and prejudice miniseries with colin firth if you prefer the movie i’ll fight you // big bang theory // friends // star wars enthusiast // maleficent // guardians of the galaxy (what do you mean there are three movies??? there are only two uh huh….) // juno // the perks of being a wallflower // spiderverse // barbie // enchanted // hunger games // narnia // everything everywhere all at once // RAINBOW ROCKS // princess diaries // enola holmes // klaus // princess protection program // high school musical (no spoils for the series) // legally blonde // mean girls // frozen // alien stage!!! // project mc2 // the owl house

games ->

star guardians xayah x rakan truther // minecraft // sims 4 // prodigy // yandere sim

broadway ->

wicked // moulin rouge (not the movie) // she loves me // jeremy jordan is God’s gift to earth have you even heard him giggle tho. have you // newsies // shrek the musical >>>>>>> // holiday inn // dear evan hansen // mean girls // anastasia URGH brainrot // six // heathers // mystic glen // frozen

books/fanfic ->

keeper of the lost cities // the impossible quest // septimus heap // the land of stories // school for good and evil // narnia // artemis fowl don’t even TALK to me about the movie i’m still fuming // amulet // wonder // star of deltora // passerine // thirteen

DNI: transphobes, zionists, aphobes, homophobes, bots or those that appear as such, potterheads, fatphobes, xenophobes, racists, pedos, misogynists, taylor antis, antifeminists, and the like! YOU WILL BE BLOCKED IF I SEE YOU IN MY NOTES. SERIOUSLY.

caution to my younger followers: this blog DOES contain sensitive content and language, but i’m not your mom so legally i can’t stop you. and if your mom doesn’t accept you or your identity, i’m adopting.

babygirls inc (my guys! my dudes! my homies) : @yaboieif & @jingledbell

other faves: @halucynator // @ninadove // @demyxdancer // @emmafaeru // @pwippy

tagging system ->

#mari reblogs -> anything i reblog!

#mari rambles -> i talk sometimes

#mari rants -> i’m mad sometimes

#ask mari -> used for any ask games i reblog, the box is always open

#mari answers -> i answer sometimes

#mari fangirls -> i’m in fandoms sometimes

#mari’s mutuals -> i post about/with cool peeps sometimes

#mari and eifie/jingle/lucy/spes/etc. -> i post with specific cool peeps sometimes

#mari writes -> i write sometimes

#mari whumps -> i whump sometimes

don’t forget to do your daily clicks! in addition to palestinian support and relief, there are so many other causes that arab.org has to support. i know esp as a minor without a solid banking situation that it can be easy to feel helpless when you can’t donate, but this is something meaningful without having to pay money that truly makes a difference!

[dustedmagazine]

Tsunami — Loud Is As (Numero Group)

Tsunami rolled over the 1990s like the natural phenomenon it was named for, swamping conventions about what punk should sound like, who should make it, how it should be delivered to its audience and what subjects it should tackle. Coming out of a DC hardcore scene defined by an angular, aggressive hyper male sound, Tsunami was half-female, dauntingly intelligent, haunted by melody and smothered in fuzz.  A new box set from Numero documents the band’s eight year run, including three full albums, 11 singles and some unreleased four-track demos. An exhaustively researched history by Joe Gross comes illustrated with contemporary photography, concert flyers, backstage passes and album art. Four pre-eminent female music critics—Jen Pelly, Evelyn McDonnell, Gina Arnold and Ann Powers—offer personal reflections on individual Tsunami albums.  It is a gloriously complete retrospective. If you’re not cherry picking favorites and reliving memories from the first time around, expect to be overwhelmed. It will require some time to get a handle on this.

It began in Arlington, Virginia, at a punk house called Positive Force, where Jenny Toomey and John Pamer first met in 1990, and shortly after that, encountered Kristin Thompson. Toomey’s college band, Geek, was winding down, and she had started her own label, Simple Machines. A last hurrah, summer tour for Geek, supporting Superchunk and Seaweed, threw her into contact with Andrew Webster, soon to be Tsunami’s bass player. The band came together after their return. Toomey and Thompson played guitar, with Toomey singing, and Pamer sat in on drums.  

Things moved quickly after that. A nine-song cassette called Cow’s Arcade came out early in 1991, followed by the Headringer 7” later in the spring. In August of that year, Tsunami toured with Velocity Girl and played at the International Pop Underground Convention in Olympia, Washington, alongside Beat Happening, Bikini Kill and Fugazi, still less than a year into their run as a band. It was about this time that they wrote and recorded “Genius of Crack,” still one of Tsunami’s best known tunes and a wonderfully noisy but languid meditation on alienation. “We're so slack, we come off like geniuses on crack,” Toomey belts against a beautiful roar of feedback-addled guitar tone.

A spate of singles and compilation tracks took Tsunami through 1992, and in 1993, the first LP, Deep End appeared. That full-length takes up the entirety of LP 1 in this five-album set. Side one ends with the furious drone and churn of “460,” whose explosive energy and shimmering textures cross the Replacements with, oh, I don’t know, Bailter Space. That same year, 1993, Tsunami toured with Superchunk, opened for PJ Harvey once or twice, and got invited to play at the Primus/Alice in Chains/Dinosaur Jr. headed Lollapalooza.

Heart’s Tremolo, in 1994, interspersed lyrical intervals with blaring guitar mayhem, very much in the loud-quiet way of the mid-1990s. Songs like “Fast Food Medicine” simmer disconsolately before they flare to life, and the song “Fits and Starts” begins its brief life as a folk song, full of squeaky string slides and earnest poetry. “Quietnova” is the album’s opener and a statement of purpose; the most dangerous stuff isn’t always the loudest.

The third LP encompasses the 1995 singles/B-sides/compilation tracks compendium World Tour and Other Destinations. It includes another version of “Genius of Crack,” the wonderfully noisy “Kickball Babe,” Tsunami’s surprisingly sensitive (and only holiday offering) “Could Have Been Christmas” and their full-throated Minutemen cover “Courage,” among others. A Brilliant Mistake, from 1997, expands the instrumentation further, with jazz-leaning bass and Luther “Trip” Grey’s intricate and unhinged drumming (check out the opening to “David Foster Wallace”).

This review, of course, can’t describe any more than a fraction of what Tsunami puts on offer here. The set includes 62 songs, more than three and a half hours of music, in-depth history and analysis and loads of imagery. Tsunami may have roared into the culture like a tidal wave—and retreated almost as quickly — but this expansive box set reminds us (or perhaps informs us in the first place) of what made them special.  

Jennifer Kelly

[microscotch]

Girllll I've been spending my holidays with rereading Nobody's Home and I just wanted to ask, are Circe and Loki divorced? If so, what made you divorce them?

YUP the story is set post psp, and part of my backstory for the beakers is them getting a divorce!

so when looking at their relationship i tried to take everything into consideration that the pc and psp game gave to us. let me put a below the cut though so not everyone has to be witness to me inflicting the makings of chronic joint pain on myself:

we know poor nervous died at one point. the implications from both games about how he came to be their test subject are quite conflicting, but i went with emily and annies claims that he signed up to be their test subject for money, as it, from my perspective, tied better into explaining their current situation and provided more detail in general as opposed to maxis' sloppy memory distribution.

with their first subject, the beakers could to some extent rest on the risk a job like this entails and neatly detail it in the contract they had nervous sign to avoid charges as much as possible. in addition to that, they were able to throw a lot of money at preventing the sensationalization of it, but it did come at a cost: 1) selling the castle to make up for it and 2) circe losing her license and the hospital ceasing any affiliation with her. cut to the sad little paradise place house and circe only being hinted at doing 'business' by that time:

left with a less extensive financial repertoire, loki is eager to do whatever it may take to get his precious castle back, and, once he invented something he believed to be a future gold mine, secured some secret patents that will net him millions (quote: circe). with loki, by her assumption, not being willing to share the profits with her, it makes sense for circe to be uneasy and distrustful about this, as the two are already on less safe ground, both in regards to finances and the law, and now he wants to keep all the money he'll be making to himself? her secret about harbouring some underlying resentment for loki's independence and distinction is also pretty convenient here and can be used as an implication that she wasn't as lucky as her husband, particularly regarding him not facing repercussions the same way she did. circe, on the other hand, is having an affair. while that was a product of mind control and not her fault, neither she or loki know that. all that is being revealed to loki is his wife cheating on him. this is where they're left at. depending on the string of dialogue, loki will say that if anyone moves out, it will be his wife, cause it's his house.

after thinking about it, circe would most likely move out immediately. after all of that happening inc. circes slap interaction loop, i can't see either of them comfortable spending even one more night at the same house together. while it is revealed at the end of the game that newlow was mindcontrolling the citizens, we don't know when and how fast these news will actively be passed along, what investigations are being led, etc. - point being, the trifecta of the beakers still being in each others presence, these news reaching them by that time and drawing the correct conclusions from it is the best case scenario but, after the considerations given above, not the most likely one. especially because there's an urgent issue that would capture their attention almost immediately after the game storyline is over: gimi branko. unlike nervous where they could rely on a contract, they literally kidnapped this guy and kept him locked up against his will, and someone had to save him aka he can press charges and tell everything in great detail, with a witness to top it off. they don't have the financial resources to buy themselves out of that anymore (loki's patents aside, but as of now he hasn't seen a cent of that and sure wouldn't consider his wife given recent events), the charges are more dire AND they're at odds with each other.

so i totally had them rat each other out, both hoping to get the lower charge by placing as much blame on the other person as possible. even if gimi being gone were the very first thing they noticed after being at each other's throat, judging by the way they already talked about each other before both their suspicions turned out to be true, there's way too much mutual distrust that built up over a long period of time for them to suck it up for the occasion and not prioritizing their own asses. and thats the end of the evil couple.

[elentiyawhitethorn]

Like a Dream

CW: language, sexual references, light drinking

AN: Happy Yulemas @goddess-aelin!! Or I guess New Year’s now… this is very late but I hope you enjoy it all the same, and I hope your holidays have been lovely ❤️

8047 words

“I’m sure you’ve wondering been wondering what this is about.”

Rowan shifted uncomfortably. Lorcan, his boss, had requested his presence in his office several hours ago, and the day had passed with relatively little worry.

Even upon seeing Aelin Galathynius, someone whom he very much did not want to be in the same room as, waiting in Lorcan’s office as well, he hadn’t felt concern. It was probably just an update to policy or something similar. Hell, maybe the coffee machine had broken and Lorcan wanted them to inform their departments.

But then Lorcan had greeted them, and asked them to sit, and stated that he knew they’d been curious about the topic of this summons.

And a pit of anxiety had opened in Rowan’s stomach.

Lorcan Salvaterre was not a man to make small talk. He didn’t wait for others, he didn’t bother with light conversation, and he wasn’t friendly.

Which meant he was about to tell Rowan and Aelin something that they wouldn’t like, and not a small thing like they’d have to coordinate a client together or share the break room sometimes, because Lorcan had no trouble breaking bad news. Something worse, something bad enough to have the bluntest man Rowan knew stalling to conversation.

Rowan took a deep breath and said, “What is it?” He didn’t dare look to Aelin beside him.

Lorcan leaned forward and laced his fingers together on the desk. “You both know of Dorian Havilliard.”

Of course they did. He was one of the biggest names in romance writing in the country. Their publishing house had been trying to get him to switch over from Hamel Inc. for years, but they’d had no luck.

“Yes,” Aelin said, and Rowan jolted at the sound of her voice. He finally risked a glance and was met with startling blue eyes rimmed in gold.

Rowan looked away.

“Well, as you know, Terrasen Publishing has been working on him for years.”

Rowan’s fingers tapped against his thigh impatiently as Lorcan restated what he already knew.

“We’ve finally convinced him to discuss the possibility of switching over.”

Considering the meeting, Rowan was hardly surprised. It also made sense for the two of them to be here; Rowan was head of the editorial department and Aelin was his counterpart in publishing. Together, they represented most of the publishing house and were often paired together when it came to potential clients.

It was the easy explanation for this meeting that had Rowan on edge. This didn’t make clear Lorcan’s apprehension.

“And what do we need to do?” Rowan asked cautiously.

Lorcan sighed. “Mr. Havilliard is working on his next book. He predicts the first draft will be finished soon; he’s using his Yulemas vacation to get it completed. And he doesn’t want any delay on the editing process, which means if we haven’t convinced him to switch contracts by the end of his vacation, he’ll remain a part of Hamel Inc.”

A sinking feeling formed in Rowan’s gut.

“He’s leaving for his vacation tomorrow,” Lorcan continued, “and even if we could have managed a short meeting before then, he needs more time with us to discuss logistics and a contract for him. He needs time to see everything we have to offer.”

“I’m sure he’d be open to discussing it over Zoom or even email,” Aelin suggested, and from the waver to her voice Rowan guessed she’d caught on as well.

“Mr. Havilliard is traveling to a resort in the mountains for his vacation, where there will be no cell service. He says the lack of distraction helps him concentrate. He graciously offered two fully paid tickets for any of my employees who would like to join him. You two will be traveling with Mr. Havilliard on his Yulemas trip. You leave first thing in the morning.”

Silence washed over the office as the pair of them took everything in. Rowan opened his mouth, but no words came out.

“I don’t recall expressing my desire to join him,” Aelin protested.

“Me neither,” Rowan managed.

Lorcan sighed once more. “Look, let’s face it. You two aren’t going home to your families for Yulemas and you don’t have any significant others to celebrate with. Everyone else, including myself, is not completely void of a social life and has plans for the holidays. You two are lonely as shit and I’m taking advantage of that.”

Aelin’s mouth had dropped open at some point during that little spiel but Rowan was used to Lorcan’s blunt transparency. He was honestly relieved that Lorcan had given up on trying to break it to them slowly. He liked the man, even—if he could manage to overlook the fact that he was being asked to spend his holidays on a work trip with his least favorite coworker.

Okay, maybe he didn’t like Lorcan so much after all.

“You can’t just,” Aelin spluttered, “I, my vacation, it’s my time off, you can’t…”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Galathynius, but this was his only offer and we’re in no position to deny him. If it helps, Mr. Havilliard alloted only a certain amount of time to meet with you as he wants most of the time to write his novel. And as I mentioned, he paid for the tickets and everything else that comes along with them. You’ll be spending most of your Yulemas holiday in a high-end resort doing whatever the hell you like. I’d say it’s a step up from whatever you were planning to do instead.”

Rowan leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair anxiously. “Surely not both of us need to go.”

Lorcan glared at him. “Please explain to me the publishing process that Mr. Havilliard will be subject to.”

Rowan just blinked at him.

Lorcan turned to Aelin. “And do you know anything about the editing process?”

“You just… do grammar checks and stuff.”

Rowan cringed at the crass oversimplification of his job.

Facing both of them now, Lorcan said, “He needs every specific detail of every process. Neither of you can do that on your own. Both of you are going. That’s final. Now go home. I’m giving you the rest of the day off to pack, and I’ll email you the information of where you need to go tomorrow morning and at what time. Are we clear?”

Aelin nodded mutely. Rowan was pretty sure he felt himself do the same.

He lived in hell.

First he’d been transferred to a different publishing location six months ago as part of a promotion, only to find an enemy on the very first day. He’d smiled at her and was met with uncalled for distain and malice. The months had passed torturously slowly as the woman who’d shown him so much unkindness on the first day was constantly by his side, coordinating clients, attending work parties at his side, acting as a liaison. And throughout it all she was constantly either bickering with him, or ignoring him, or silently scowling at him. He just couldn’t figure her out.

But of course that wasn’t enough. No, now Rowan was being sent on a Yulemas vacation with Aelin, just the two of them and some eccentric smut writer who would be spending most of his time locked up in a room writing, which left Rowan and Aelin. In a resort with no cell service. Alone.

Only Hellas himself could have been so cruel as to put him in this situation.

—

Aelin dumped her bag in the back of the car with a little more force than necessary. She knew she was pouting, and she knew it wasn’t a good look on her, but how the hell else was she supposed to react to being shipped off on a work assignment for the entirety of Yulemas?

Of course they’d been given a rental car to drive together, just the two of them. Just Aelin and Rowan, a shitty GPS, a map for backup, and six months worth of loathing.

What fun.

“Are you ready?” Rowan asked.

Aelin looked up and was met with something slightly more passive than a scowl. She nodded, breaking eye contact, and slumped inside the passenger seat.

A moment passed before Rowan opened his door and got in the driver’s seat. Aelin didn’t look over, focusing out the window on some obscure building as he set up the GPS, then buckled in and put the car in drive.

This couldn’t possibly be more uncomfortable for her. All of this was just one more thing to torture her after another. But honestly, Aelin couldn’t say she didn’t deserve this. This was probably the gods’ way of cursing her for being such a jackass to Rowan that first day, and failing to apologize every day since.

Why couldn’t she just have the holidays to herself?

The first two hours passed with little fanfare. At one point Aelin had turned the radio on, almost driven insane by the silence, and the soft tunes of some laid-back pop music—not her first choice, but she wasn’t going to risk Rowan’s objection with anything more flamboyant—had helped to ease the tension.

At the halfway mark Aelin asked Rowan if he wanted to switch, but he gruffly told her the driving was a nice distraction. From what, he didn’t say.

So Aelin pulled out a book and spent the following hour consumed in the pages. The turns became sharper after that and she had to put her book away for fear of becoming carsick. Aelin then glanced at the GPS and saw their estimated arrival was still nearly an hour away.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?” Aelin asked, desperate for something to do.

Rowan glanced over at her. “No thank you, I’m okay.”

Frowning, Aelin turned back to the window and watched the trees fly by. She eventually zoned out as the scenery became greener and the atmosphere much more frigid.

The road become steeper and icier, and their pace slowed to a crawl. Aelin’s boredom became unease, and she gripped the sides of her seat a bit tighter.

The remaining time passed uneventfully: no conversation, no accidents, no nothing except for silence and staring. Finding the resort was fairly simple, and parking was as well. The moment Rowan slid the gear into brake, every muscle in Aelin’s body relaxed. “Thank the gods,” she muttered.

Aelin climbed out of the car. The door shut with a satisfying slam. She stretched her legs, unsure of where they were meant to go from here. Before she could say anything to Rowan, a man exited the large log-themed building and began to make his way over. As he approached, Aelin realized that this was Dorian Havilliard, not some employee. He must have been notified of their arrival somehow; Aelin decided not to ask.

“Welcome!” he called, and Aelin couldn’t help but smile. She waved as he continued to step through the thin layer of snow that coated the ground.

Dorian definitely fit the manic writer stereotype; he wore a sweater vest and wire-framed glasses, and he actually had a pencil—did writers even use those anymore?—tucked behind his ear.

“You must be Ms. Galathynius and Mr. Whitethorn. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Pleasantries were exchanged, and Aelin felt she and Rowan did a decent job of pretending their Yulemas vacations hadn’t been stolen out from under their noses. Dorian’s grip on her hand lingered for a bit longer than necessary when they shook hands, but otherwise he seemed like quite the gentleman, and Aelin found herself thankful that at least their client wasn’t a douche. She’d had plenty of less-than-friendly clientele and was glad Yulemas wasn’t entirely ruined with another.

Really, Aelin hadn’t wanted to meet Dorian. She’d come face-to-face with several authors whose writing she enjoyed and their rudeness had ruined the reading experience for her. Hopefully Dorian remained polite and she didn’t lose the will to read his books.

“So when will we have our first meeting to discuss? Immediately?” Aelin asked.

“I figured you’d want the first day off as you’ve been traveling for so long.” Aelin really just wanted to get this over with, but she could hardly contradict the man. “You two will meet me in my room at nine tomorrow morning and we’ll begin. I’ll show you to your rooms in the meantime.”

Rowan thanked him while Aelin reached for her bags. Rowan turned around to do the same, but Dorian stopped them both.

“We can have someone take that in; you don’t need to worry about it.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Rowan said. “I only have one bag.”

Aelin had two for the ten-day trip, but neither was particularly large. She certainly wasn’t in need of a fucking bellhop. “We’re good, really.”

Dorian protested a bit more—he didn’t seem like a man used to doing much on his own—but finally allowed them to take their own luggage. He led them inside a massive lobby/commons room that Aelin didn’t get much of a chance to take it in before they were whisked up a grand staircase, not stopping to check in. They followed Dorian down a well-lit hallway that was surely adorned with enough gold to buy a house. Finally, they stopped in front of a doorway near the end, spaced out from the handful of other doors they’d passed.

“Here’s you go.” Dorian inserted a key in the door and pushed it open.

“Oh, which of us…” Aelin trailed off when Dorian looked over.

“Whose room is that?” Rowan finished for her.

“Both of yours,” he replied simply.

No. This could not be happening. Dorian had said rooms, hadn’t he? Plural? Or maybe he meant rooms as in the bedroom and… the sitting room?

Apparently dissatisfied with their expressions, Dorian continued. “I arranged for one room to be shared; they had limited bookings left when Mr. Salvaterre and I arranged this agreement and I figured you wouldn’t mind, as there is plenty of space to claim as your own.”

As if they were in any position to deny him.

“That’s fine,” Aelin assured him. “Thank you again.” She flashed her fakest smile.

Seeming satisfied, Dorian smiled back. “I’ll leave you to it. Remember, our first meeting to discuss logistics will be tomorrow morning, at nine. My room number’s with the informative pamphlet I gave you.”

“We’ll be there,” Rowan replied. The pair of them exchanged farewells, and then watched as Dorian sauntered off.

“So.”

Aelin glanced over at Rowan. “Um.”

He looked conflicted. “Which bed do you want?”

Aelin sighed, brushing past him and stepping inside the room, their room, at last. “I guess that one?” She pointed at the bed on the left of the room at random.

To be fair, there was a decent bit of space between the beds. And the room was enormous. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the beautiful snowy mountains were framed by plush curtains. Carved wooden furniture that Aelin assumed was genuine was placed tastefully around the king-size beds. A wide open doorway led to what appeared to be a sitting room and another open door showing a hint of tile probably connected an oversized bathroom. Aelin figured it’d have some kind of jacuzzi or gods knew what else in there.

It began to truly sink in why Terrasen Publishing wanted Dorian Havilliard so badly. The man knew how to make money.

“So what are you planning on doing first?”

Aelin glanced over. “I’m not sure… I don’t really know what these kind of places have. Like, skiing?”

Rowan shrugged. “I don’t know either. I might just read a book.”

Aelin nodded tersely.

In an effort to distract herself, Aelin pulled the key out of the door and shut it, then set it on a table. She carried her things to the bed she’d pointed at and arranged them neatly on the wooden bedside table, then, with nothing left to do, turned to Rowan.

“Do you want room service for dinner? I’m about to order something.”

Rowan looked up from his book. “Uh, yeah, I’m getting kind of hungry. Is there a menu?”

“Yeah.” Aelin stood and walked over to his chair, handing him the resort’s restaurant’s menu, which allowed room service.

Rowan reached for it and his thumb brushed Aelin’s hand. She jerked away.

Frowning, Rowan started at where their hands had met. “Why do you always…”

“What?” Aelin asked defensively.

Rowan sighed. “Look, this isn’t going to be fun for either of us, but can we just try to be civil? So that this whole trip isn’t as miserable as humanly possible for the both of us?”

“We don’t need to be civil. We can just go our separate ways, okay? You can stay in here and I’ll eat in the other room.”

Rowan rubbed his temples. He looked like he was figuring out how to phrase what he said next. “I don’t understand why you’ve always acted like this, Aelin, why you can’t just behave like a regular person. You’re always trying to stay as far away from me as possible and when you can’t avoid me you treat me like scum under your shoe. I just don’t get it.”

“Is that a question?” Aelin asked, avoiding eye contact.

“Yes, that’s a fucking question,” Rowan snapped. “Why do you hate being around me so much, Aelin? What have I ever done to you?”

Aelin deflated at that. Her shoulders slumped as all the fight drained out of her and she sank into the chair beside Rowan.

“I caught my boyfriend cheating on me the night before you started at Terrasen Publishing.”

Rowan’s lips parted in shock and understanding, but Aelin didn’t stop.

“That first day, I was cruel to you. I didn’t just cold-shoulder you or glare. Lorcan told me to show you around and acclimate you the publishing house and you were right there and I—”

Aelin cut herself off and squeezed her eyes shut. She opened them and looked down, too afraid to meet Rowan’s eyes.

“I was nasty to you, I spent the day belittling you and making you feel uncomfortable, just throwing all the shit on you I could because all I really wanted in that moment was for someone else to be as miserable as me.

“And I was so… I don’t know, embarrassed? That you’d seen me vulnerable, even if you didn’t realize it, so I just started avoiding you. That way I treated you that first day reminded me of the worst parts of myself and I just wanted to forget about it, but we were always forced to work together.”

“Aelin… why didn’t you just explain to me the next day what had happened? Or at least told me you’d had a rough day if you didn’t want to share the whole story? It didn’t have to go on like that.”

Aelin’s finger twisted around a hole in her jeans anxiously. “I’m not good at apologies, Rowan. And the longer it went on, the harder it got to think about explaining.”

Moments passed. Aelin kept her eyes down, barely keeping herself together with sharp breaths as she waited for Rowan’s response.

Finally, it came.

“I forgive you.”

Aelin scoffed. “No, you don’t.”

“You don’t know me, Aelin, and you have no right to tell me what I do and don’t mean. I forgive you,” Rowan repeated. “I’m not saying you treating me the way you did was excusable, or that all those months of bitterness can be forgotten. But you’re apologizing now, and that counts for something.

“Look, you heard what Lorcan said. We’re at a high-end resort at no expense to us. We aren’t working the whole time. I know it’s not an ideal situation, but it could be a hell of a lot worse. Let’s try and, you know, start over?”

Aelin finally got the nerve to look over and was met with the intense stare of Rowan’s pine green eyes. Her fingers stilled against her thigh.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” she rasped.

Then Rowan smiled, and something deep inside Aelin’s chest began to thaw.

—

“Where should we start?”

Rowan opened his mouth to respond to Dorian, but before he could Aelin reached for her bag and retrieved a small binder.

Aelin pulled a stack of stapled papers out of her binder. “I brought a sample contract to go over with you; it’s all very adaptable to your needs but in preliminary form it still lays out the rudiments.”

Rowan blinked in surprise. He hadn’t thought to do anything other than show up, and here Aelin was with her organization and a whole fucking binder despite the one night to prepare. Though, Rowan really shouldn’t be as disbelieving as he was; he may have his strengths in overseeing the editing process but Aelin’s strong suits were people and deals.

Dorian nodded at her, and Rowan leaned back, ready to watch Aelin do what she did best and answer any questions about the editing if needed.

The next hour passed with less misery than Rowan had anticipated. Watching Aelin negotiate with an expensive client-to-be like some kind of lawyer was… impressive. To say the least.

Dorian was rushing them by the end of the meeting, seeming keen to return to his new novel, but they’d gotten a decent bit of talking done. Feeling satisfied with their work—or rather, Aelin’s—Rowan followed Aelin from Dorian’s lavish hotel room, even more grand than their own, and out into the hall.

“Do you want to do something together today?” After hearing why Aelin had always acted the way she had, it had been easier to look past her actions and closer at her. They’d spent the evening eating room service dinner in bed and talking—not about anything too personal, but about their work and their hobbies, interests, all the like. Rowan was pretty sure he’d learned more about the prideful woman last night than he had over the course of six months of working together.

Aelin looked over at him, a surprised smile pulling at her lips. “Like what?”

Rowan shrugged. “Like ask the front desk what kind of rich-people activities they offer.”

Aelin laughed, bright and melodious. “I’d like that.”

Upon walking to the front desk, the pair was informed they could go skiing or snowboarding, go snowmobiling, swim in the indoor pool or jacuzzi, ice skate, relax in the spa and/or get a massage, visit the bar, exercise in the full-size gym, or do a number of other activities that Rowan hadn’t even heard of before.

The front desk attendant, Yrene, sent them a friendly wave as they walked away.

Rowan, mouth hanging open, glanced over at Aelin, who snorted at his expression.

“Is it all really paid for?” Rowan hissed. “Fully?”

Grinning maniacally, Aelin nodded. “I read in the pamphlet Dorian gave us that to go skiing or snowboarding you need to have brought your own equipment, but everything else is entirely paid. We can do anything.”

“Maybe I’m not so mad at Lorcan after all,” Rowan murmured.

“So what do you want to do?” Aelin asked, looking more excited than he’d ever seen her.

“You pick,” Rowan said.

Aelin bit her lip. “Ice skating?”

He smiled. “Have you been before?”

She shook her head. “You?”

“A couple times. It’s been years though.”

Aelin nodded and grinned again, and then they were walking back to their room to get coats.

Ten minutes later left them outside next to an iced over pond bordered on one side by the resort, another side by a rock overhang that sheltered the space from the wind, and the rest by a grove of massive conifers. The frozen pond was almost perfectly circular and surrounded by an iron handrail. It seemed like a convenient, authentic location, but Rowan guessed at least some of the details aside from the rail were artificial.

Rowan had no idea how many guests were staying in the resort, or what they spent their days doing, but apparently none of them were interested in skating. The enclosed outdoor area was void of all life aside from Rowan and Aelin.

They’d been provided with skates and then showed out the door. Aelin had been bouncing with energy, seeming quite youthful, and Rowan had realized this was the most unguarded he’d ever seen her.

Rowan watched as Aelin eagerly stumbled toward the rink, her hands out to keep her balance. She placed one blade on the ice, sliding almost immediately.

Aelin fumbled around for a moment, then gave up trying to skate and clutched to the handrail. “This is not as easy as it looks on TV.”

“You’ve only just started. Give it some time.”

She blew a stray tuft of bangs from her face, no less determined. Rowan watched in amusement as Aelin started clopping around the perimeter, most of her body weight on the handrail.

Rowan stepped onto the ice himself. It was a little tricky at first, but after a few minutes his body had remembered how to move and soon enough he was skating upright, albeit with a wobble, decently enough.

The thump of Aelin hitting the ice caught Rowan’s attention and he looked over to find her sprawled out on her back, a pout on her lips.

Rowan chuckled. He skated a smooth line across the ice and Aelin glowered at him from below.

“Having fun?” he asked.

Aelin frowned as Rowan extended his arms. “Yes,” she said stubbornly. She reached for him, clasping her hands in his.

“Careful,” Rowan murmured, holding them both steady as he adjusted his weight and pulled her to her feet. Aelin swayed, but Rowan’s grip was firm.

He could feel Aelin’s grip loosening when she regained her balance, trying to let go, but Rowan kept his hold on her. “What—”

“Let me help,” he interrupted. Rowan tugged her forward and she gasped, but didn’t fall.

Rowan skated backward a few more feet, letting Aelin get a feel for her balance and how her feet needed to move. Her body relaxed a bit as she accepted his help, trying to move her feet in time with his.

As Rowan skated back and Aelin stared at the ground in concentration, he watched her. Her hat was askew and her bangs were falling into her face again. A determined little frown resided on her lips.

After a few laps around the rink, Aelin’s grip on Rowan became less lethal and her feet began to move more steadily. Something had clicked for her, it seemed.

Aelin looked up from the ice and their eyes met.

“I really am sorry for how I’ve treated you,” Aelin whispered.

“I know,” Rowan said simply, and Aelin’s returning smile was answer enough.

“Ready to let go?” he asked.

Aelin nodded, and Rowan watched with a warm heart as she released him and tried moving on her own, one hand hovering over his just in case.

—

Aelin woke shivering.

Her eyes snapped open and she recounted her surroundings, processing the stack of blankets on top of her and the heavy, thrumming feeling of cold.

Aelin slipped out from under her mound of covers, wincing as she was surrounded by freezing air. She stumbled over to the radiator.

There was some kind of error symbol in the corner. Frowning, Aelin tapped at the buttons, unsure of how to use such a high-tech system. Only a thin hint of residual heat emitted from the thing.

“Dammit,” she murmured.

How was she supposed to stay warm in the mountains at night with no heat? The past few days of ice skating—Aelin had insisted on going every day, getting better with each try—had chilled her but not severely. It was the nights that Aelin couldn’t handle, and this one was even worse than the last. She’d already pillaged every spare blanket Rowan hadn’t claimed and still she’d woken feeling a chill in her very bones.

Trying the stay quiet, Aelin reached for the closet doors and started sifting through the various linens. Finding nothing, Aelin rifled through the drawer below, only coming across towels.

Aelin was just reaching for a whole stack of towels, too desperate to care about propriety—and honestly, these towels were nicer than any of Aelin’s bedding at home—when a voice rasped, “What are you doing?”

Aelin winced, not wanting to have woken him. “I can’t find any more blankets,” she whispered.

“That’s because you already have seven on your bed.”

Aelin shot a glare in the general direction of Rowan’s bed. “I’m cold.”

She waited for a witty retort, but all she got was the rustling of his covers and a faint silhouette as Rowan sat up. “Come here.”

“What?” Aelin asked cautiously.

“Come here,” Rowan repeated.

Rising clumsily and kicking the drawer shut, Aelin walked toward Rowan’s bed. She hesitated when she reached him.

Rowan moved over, making space beside him. In the dark Aelin couldn’t make out his expression, but she could see him gesture beside him, faint but unwavering.

Still tentative, Aelin slowly eased onto the bed, breathing rapid. She didn’t dare say a word as she lowered herself onto the bed, jerking backward when her leg brushed Rowan’s.

Maybe he was still half-asleep, or maybe he really didn’t see this as anything odd, or maybe a wave of confidence had washed over him, but Rowan only wrapped an arm around Aelin’s waist and tugged her flush against him, every curve and edge of hers pressed against hard muscle.

Aelin was pretty sure she gasped at the contact.

He pulled his covers over her, cocooning her in warmth. “Still cold?” Rowan asked, and Aelin bit her lip as his breath tickled her ear.

“No,” she whispered.

“That’s good.”

“Mm.” Aelin lay perfectly still as Rowan’s arm went farther around her waist, his hand sliding underneath her from the other side. Getting comfortable.

“Your heart’s beating very fast.” Rowan’s voice was still gravelly from sleep. Aelin told herself the shiver that followed was from the cold.

“No, it’s not.”

“It’s definitely is.”

Aelin could hear the smugness in his voice. “Shut up,” she hissed.

He let out a soft, rumbling laugh, and the vibrations traveled down Aelin’s spine. He didn’t say anything more, though, and Aelin pressed her head against Rowan’s chest, seeking his warmth and trying to relax.

It took a while for Aelin’s heartbeat to slow and her heavy breathing to subside, but when sleep finally washed over her, it was more deep and peaceful than it ever had been.

—

Morning hit Rowan in the form of a head of blonde hair.

Blinking away the sleep, he looked over at Aelin, curled into his side. Her cheek was pressed up against his bare chest. His own arms were wrapped around her waist, holding her securely.

The drowsiness had obliterated his restraint.

Trying to process the fact that Aelin was really here, in his arms, rather than in some twisted wet dream, Rowan gently let go of her. He scooted away, wincing when Aelin whined sleepily and reached for him.

Climbing out of bed, Rowan rubbed his temples. What was he doing with Aelin? What did all this mean?

“Rowan?”

He pressed his eyes shut and let out a heavy breath, then turned. “Morning.”

“Mornin’,” Aelin slurred.

“We have another meeting with Dorian today. We should get ready.”

Aelin groaned in protest, pulling the covers over her head. Deciding to give her a few more minutes, Rowan checked the time and then grabbed a towel from the linen closet, headed for a shower.

It wasn’t as cleansing as he’d wished it to be. Rowan had thought the cold water would wash away all the inappropriate thoughts, the twisted emotions, the smell of Aelin’s perfume. But ten minutes later he was wrapping a towel around his waist and the confusion lingered.

Rowan left the bathroom to grab some clothes, noticing Aelin’s sleepy gaze snap straight to his bare chest, then his arms. Pretending he didn’t notice, he reached for clothing out of his unpacked bag, then retreated back to the bathroom.

Aelin had finally gotten up when he emerged, and was reaching for an outfit from the neat little stacks she’d set up next to her own bed. They exchanged a heated stare and Rowan wasn’t entirely sure of what he read in Aelin’s expression.

She waltzed past him to change in the bathroom, and he just grabbed some notes on the past few days with Dorian to distract himself.

They’d had three meetings so far, spaced out every other day. The first had been a day of covering the basics of the contract, and the next two had been full of negotiations, shaping Dorian’s potential contract into something he could agree to. Aelin and Rowan had been discussing yesterday and come to the conclusion things were wrapping up in Dorian’s mind; the contract-to-be was close to being fully edited to suit his needs. He was going to give them an answer on switching publishers soon, one way or another.

After each meeting, and on all the off days as well, Aelin had dragged Rowan outside to practice skating, and each time he got a little more emotionally confused. Sure, she’d apologized, and his forgiveness was genuine, but that didn’t mean he could just brush right over everything. A week was hardly enough time to go from hating someone to… not hating that person. Rowan shouldn’t be—

Rowan stopped that thought. So much for distracting himself.

He let out a frustrated growl, clenching his fists.

“You okay?” a voice asked, and Rowan cursed himself to hell for not noticing her leave the bathroom.

He turned to find Aelin leaning against the doorframe, dressed in a cream sweater and jeans.

“I’m fine. I was just thinking about Dorian. Lorcan will be pissed if all this was for nothing.”

Aelin’s face said she didn’t believe a word of it, but she didn’t pursue it. Instead she asked, “Do you think he’s finished the book?”

Rowan shrugged. “He said he was getting close a couple of days ago. He could be. He might even give us the draft today if he’s finished it.”

“If he’s going to sign with us,” Aelin added, wandering over to a dresser.

“Yeah.”

“Are you going to start editing right away if he gives you the draft?”

Rowan gave another shrug. “Probably. Or maybe I’ll be able to stretch out the last few days of this vacation and pass it off when we get home.”

“Why?” Aelin reached for a pair of earrings, gaze on a mirror as they made small talk.

“I don’t often edit romance books. That’s Fenrys’ job.”

Aelin sent a smirk in his direction. “Ah, yes. You’re the historical fiction editor. How could I forget?”

“What’s funny about that?” Rowan asked defensively.

“Nothing at all,” Aelin replied, but she couldn’t keep her laugh in.

Rowan sighed. “Historical fiction is good. It offers a realistic perspective on time frames and events that deserve to be delved into. You shouldn’t be laughing.”

Grinning fiendishly, Aelin finished with the mirror and crossed her arms. “If you say so.”

Rowan just shook his head, shooting her an exasperated glare and nodding toward the door. “You ready?”

The walk to Dorian’s room wasn’t tense or silent, but it wasn’t as open as previous conversations between them had been. Aelin had likely picked up on Rowan’s weird mood, he thought with an internal cringe, and they were both nervous about the book deal as well.

Dorian greeted them and showed them into his sitting room as he’d done every other time. He had set out tea again, a habit of his, and Aelin accepted a cup graciously. Less inclined toward the substance but never wanting to offend a potential client, Rowan sipped his as well.

“I’m sure you’ve both realized that my mind is made up by now.” Dorian clasped his hands together and let the suspense linger.

Geez. This man knew how to be unnecessarily dramatic. Then again, maybe the millions his books had made had earned him the right to be a little sensational.

“Yes, we figured,” Aelin replied smoothly. “Is it good news?” Rowan could tell she was just as anxious as him, but Aelin was a hell of a lot better at hiding it.

Dorian smiled. “For you, quite. I made some last edits to the contract. You can look them over here, and if you find everything satisfactory, I’ll sign.”

Relief washed over Rowan in waves. He may have been lying to Aelin earlier when he told her that was what was on his mind, but he truly had been concerned. If Dorian had declined their offer and renewed his contract with Hamel Inc., Lorcan would be furious.

“Then I’ll give you the first draft of my new novel,” Dorian continued. “I finished looking over it yesterday so it’s very rough around the edges, but all the same, you can start editing right away if you so choose.”

Rowan nodded, and Aelin asked for the contract. They looked over it together, finding only minor changes that were acceptable to them. Dorian signed with an expensive fountain pen, and Rowan and Aelin released their bated breaths.

The whole meeting was a whirlwind of suppressed celebration and shared grins between the pair. Dorian sent them off with the draft, and they left, almost skipping down the hallway. As soon as Dorian’s room was out of earshot, Aelin let out a squeal and Rowan whooped.

“Thank the gods,” Aelin exclaimed, raising a hand for a high five.

Chuckling, Rowan met her hand. The contact felt like an electric shock, but Rowan ignored his confliction. They’d gotten one of the best-selling authors in the country to sign with their company. Today was not a day to be moping.

“Let’s go to our room,” Aelin said. “I want to read it.”

“Isn’t that my job?”

Aelin shrugged. “I can help.”

Rowan squinted. “Why?”

“Well…” Aelin looked away. “I’ve been waiting for book four in this series since January.”

Rowan let out a surprised laugh. “Oh, don’t tell me.”

“Shut up,” Aelin hissed.

“You read…” Rowan looked down at the draft. “The Toxic Heaven series?” he asked, scoffing at the title. He hadn’t even realized this thing was part of a series until now.

Aelin frowned. “It’s good. You can’t judge me. And don’t tell me you haven’t read any of them.”

“Um, no. I definitely have not.”

“None?” Aelin gasped.

Rowan crossed his arms. “I’m the boring historical fiction guy, remember? I don’t read this garbage.”

“It’s not garbage,” Aelin snapped, tugging the pages from his grip.

“Hey, that was definitely meant for me.”

“You’ll get your turn soon enough. Just give me a day or two.”

Shaking his head with a smile tugging at his lips, Rowan followed Aelin down the hall and back to their room.

—

Aelin got through the entire draft that day. She had allowed a break for ice skating; she was enjoying it immensely and was actually becoming decent. Other than that though, her eyes were glued to the smutty masterpiece all day long. Rough around the edges, sure, but it still had Aelin blushing.

Rowan had sent her amused glances throughout the day, which she’d pointedly ignored.

Flipping the last page, Aelin closed her eyes and grinned to herself. The main characters, who’d broken up in the last book, were back together. There was I’m-mad-at-you-but-I-still-love-you sex, makeup sex, fluffy sex, dirty sex. And Aelin refused to be embarrassed about enjoying it.

“That good, huh?”

Eyes opening and darting to Rowan, Aelin sent him her meanest stare. “You should try it you know. Maybe you’d get some if you paid enough attention.”

“Who says I don’t already get some?” Rowan’s voice was soft.

Oh, this was dangerous.

“I don’t know,” Aelin said, much more casually than she felt. “I don’t know a whole lot of people who are into historical fiction fanatics.”

Rowan crossed his arms, and Aelin tried not to stare at his bulging muscles. Had the room been this hot earlier?

“You’re ridiculous, you know that? I don’t think there’s a rule that says what I like to read means I’m clueless around women.”

Aelin opened her mouth to retort, but noticed something behind him. “Is that champagne?”

“Yeah, I figured we deserve to celebrate after landing that deal. I didn’t want to interrupt your reading, though,” he added with a grin. “Should we have some?”

Aelin ignored the jest and nodded. “We should.”

She sat up on her bed while Rowan popped the cork poured the alcohol into champagne glasses. He brought two over, sitting next to her on the covers. “You know, not only were we harassed into a work trip over Yulemas, which I’m pretty sure is illegal, we also got a famous author to sign with us. I feel like there’s got to be some kind of raise coming our way.”

Aelin laughed. “Gods, I hope so.” She took another sip of champagne, savoring the way it warmed her as it moved down her throat.

“What is all the fuss about Dorian Havilliard, anyway? There are only so many ways to write porn.”

“You clearly have no creativity,” Aelin replied. She picked up the draft and held it up. “He’s quite decent.”

Rowan squinted. “Let me see that thing.”

Aelin shook her head but he reached for the papers in her hands too quickly for her to draw them back. Rowan set it on his lap and flipped to a random page. “‘Celaena whimpered as Sam fucked her. Gods, she wanted to hate him, and maybe she did, but she could never hate his large, pulsating—’”

Aelin threw a pillow at him. “Stop it.”

“This is shit.”

“It’s not,” Aelin hissed. “Put it down and let Fenrys edit it when we get back.”

Rowan rolled his eyes. “I never realized what poor taste you have.” He tossed the draft on the bedside table.

“You’re just provoking me.”

Rowan scoffed. “Trust me, I may know nothing about writing smut, but I assure you there are better words to describe a cock than pulsating.”

Aelin sat up beside him. “Do you ever read smut, Rowan? Or do you just criticize people for having more game than you?”

He snorted. “I prefer doing over reading when it comes to certain things.”

Aelin felt her face warm. “Well… that’s just great for you.”

Rowan raised an eyebrow.

Aelin took a sip of champagne to occupy her mouth before she could say anything more humiliating, but Rowan didn’t let it slide.

“Do you ever get laid or is it all fictional?”

“That’s none of your business,” Aelin blustered.

“I entirely agree, but you’ve already asked me. I feel like it’s only fair.”

Aelin scowled. “Of course I do.”

“And when you do is it more or less pleasurable than reading Toxic Heaven?”

“Now you’re just teasing me.”

“Oh, I definitely am.” Rowan’s eyes darkened. “We’ve been dancing around each other all week, Aelin.”

Her toes curled. “I guess we have.”

Rowan plucked the glass out of Aelin’s hand and set it with his on the table. “Tell me you don’t want this.” Their knees bumped.

“I do,” Aelin whispered, shivering when Rowan’s hand found her hair, gently tugging on a strand of blonde. He leaned closer and Aelin felt her breath catch.

Rowan’s other hand fell to her thigh, sliding up slowly, giving her every chance to say no. His lips were now so close to hers, their eyes locked.

Rowan closed the last half inch but just before their lips could meet, Aelin turned her head to the side. “Um.”

Rowan leaned back.

“I’m sorry.” Aelin stood up.

Rowan rose beside her. “You don’t have to apologize, Aelin. It’s okay.”

She glanced at him, then looked away, nodding silently.

“If something’s wrong I can—”

“It’s not you, Rowan. It’s not your fault. I just can’t.”

He nodded, not asking her why. Aelin appreciated him for that more than she ever had before.

“Do you want me to go?”

“No, you can stay.” Aelin felt a tear slide down her cheek.

She could feel Rowan’s hesitation. “Aelin, I’m sorry I tried to kiss you, I shouldn’t have done that. We can pretend it didn’t happen if that makes you feel better.”

Aelin shook her head, blinking away more tears and feeling ridiculous for crying. “I don’t want to forget. I just don’t want it to happen. It can’t.”

“Why not?” Rowan’s voice was gentle, soothing.

“Because,” Aelin threw her hands up in defeat, “If we do anything now it’s going to be some short-lived fantasy that ends the second we’re home. And I don’t want this to be like some fucking dream that I—” Her voice cracked. She finished the sentence in a whisper.

“That I wake up from.”

Silence washed over the room. Aelin could barely hear anything over the pounding of her own heart, anyway.

For once, Aelin didn’t look away from Rowan. She started straight at him, watching, waiting.

He stared back at her for what felt like an eternity, unmoving. And then all of a sudden Rowan wasn’t still anymore; he was moving forward, and his hands were on Aelin’s face, and then his lips were on hers, and the rest of the world faded into grey.

Kissing Rowan felt like this whole whimsical, expensive vacation had felt. Like some kind of magic thing that was unexpected but not unwelcome, frustrating yet so freeing at the same time. Like every moment she’d had with Rowan prior, honestly.

One of Rowan’s hands fisted in her hair and the moan that left Aelin’s lips sent her mind straight from convoluted metaphors to the rush of heat headed straight down.

Before Aelin could drag him back to the bed and jump him like every molecule of her body was begging her to do, Rowan pulled back.

“I don’t want this to end either, okay?” Rowan was panting. “All the months we spend bickering because of one misunderstanding, one bad day, have been dissipating over the past week. I misjudged you, Aelin. And now that I’m no longer blinded by the idea that I dislike you, I’ve seen that you’re not somebody that I want to have a vacation with and then forget about. I want to get to know you better, I want… I want this to continue.”

Aelin looked up at him in shock. She nodded faintly. “Me too.”

He flashed a smile then, wide and genuine, and Aelin couldn’t help but grin back.

“I hope this means we get to go on a date,” Aelin murmured.

“Oh, it most certainly does.” Rowan pecked Aelin on the lips again, and the casualness of it sent butterflies off in her stomach. “I hope someday I can live up to the standards Dorian’s novel has put on me.”

Aelin choked on a laugh. “Gods. You’re horrible.”

Rowan twisted a finger around a lock of blonde hair. “You know, you’re going to have to put up with a lot of teasing if you really want me. And gods, imagine what the people will say about you dating a historical fiction editor. It’s not too late to back out.”

Aelin shoved him playfully. “I wouldn’t back out for the world.”

She’d meant it to match the joking mood, but it came out serious. Rowan stared at her silently, then moved impossibly closer. Their noses bumped.

“I wish that first day had never happened,” Aelin whispered. “We wasted so much time.”

“I regret nothing,” Rowan said. “Because things worked out so that I’m here with you, right now, and it was more than worth the wait.”

Aelin beamed at him. “And you say you don’t read romance novels. Who taught you how to charm a lady so well?”

Rowan laughed. “Not everything can be found in a book, Aelin.”

“You’re wrong,” Aelin murmured.

Rowan hummed. “I think I could teach you a few things Dorian left out.”

“Oh yeah?” Aelin tugged Rowan toward the bed. “Like what?”

Rowan grinned ferally. “Let me show you.”

They were laughing as they hit the bed.

———

Tag List:

@aelin-bitch-queen

@autumnbabylon

@charlizeed

@evolving-dreamer

@feysand-loml

@flora-shadowshine

@gracie-rosee

@infernoqueen19

@julemmaes

@leiawritesstories

@lemonade-coolattas

@live-the-fangirl-life

@midsizewitch

@morganofthewildfire

@mybloodrunsblue

@nehemikkele

@realbookloverproblems

@rhysandswingspan

@rowaelinismyotp

@rowanaelinn

@sexy-dumpster-fire

@sleeping-and-books

@story-scribbler

@swankii-art-teacher

@thegreyj

@the-lonelybarricade

@thenerdandfandoms

@yesdreamblog

[crowwolf]

Glen McCready was making a Zelvor Playlist on Twitter

...my first thought? Riders in the Storm by The Doors (d'uh lol)

Lyrics:

Riders on the storm

Riders on the storm

Into this house, we're born

Into this world, we're thrown

Like a dog without a bone

An actor out on loan

Riders on the storm

There's a killer on the road

His brain is squirmin' like a toad

Take a long holiday

Let your children play

If you give this man a ride

Sweet family will die

Killer on the road, yeah

Girl, you gotta love your man

Girl, you gotta love your man

Take him by the hand

Make him understand

The world on you depends

Our life will never end

Gotta love your man, yeah

Riders on the storm

Riders on the storm

Into this house, we're born

Into this world, we're thrown

Like a dog without a bone

An actor out on loan

Riders on the storm

Riders on the storm

Riders on the storm

Riders on the storm

Riders on the storm

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: James Morrison / John Densmore / Ray Manzarek / Robby Krieger

Riders on the Storm lyrics © Sentric Music, TuneCore Inc., Wixen Music Publishing

[lboogie1906]

Ambassador J. Steven Rhodes (September 29, 1951) Ambassador to Zimbabwe, was born in New Orleans. After graduating from high school he attended Loyola Marymount University where he was a member of the Hall of Fame football team.

He graduated from LMU with a BS. He was employed at Dart Industries in Los Angeles. Between 1973 and 1976 he worked in the company’s wage and salary division and from 1976 to 1981 he was the corporation’s Director of Government Affairs. While employed at Dart, he continued his education at Pepperdine University and earned an MS.

He entered public service as a presidential appointee. On April 10, 1981, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs as special assistant liaison to city and county officials. He served in this capacity from 1981 to 1983. He is credited among those who helped to persuade President Reagan to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a national holiday. In 1983 he became the chief domestic policy advisor for Vice President George H.W. Bush. He served in that capacity until 1985.

In 1985 he relocated to New York City and returned to the private sector, this time as Vice President of the Public Finance Division of the investment firm, Smith Barney. He worked in this capacity until 1987 when the firm transferred him to California where he became the managing director of their Los Angeles public finance office.

On March 8, 1989, he was confirmed by the Senate and shortly afterward presented his credentials in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. He served as an ambassador for only 16 months. He abruptly resigned his post on August 6, 1990, citing personal and health reasons which he indicated impeded his ability to continue to serve as Ambassador to Zimbabwe.

He returned to the and since 1990 has held several high-level executive positions in the oil industry. He is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Claiborne Rhodes, Inc. located in Los Angeles. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[taliseby]

Belovedly Cold

Their Girlfriend is Naturally Cold (in Winter)

Inc. Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, Nanami Kento, and Kamo Choso. Fem!Reader

Warnings: NONE! Fluffy!

Gojo Satoru

Honestly, he’s the same. Satoru also runs pretty cold naturally and doesn’t really think twice about it most of the time. During winter he’s like a lizard, seeking out warmth where he can, often having hand warmers in his pockets. The tips of his ears would always be red so he wears earmuffs when it's cold. 

Poor baby will stick his hands, holding the hand warmers, into your jacket pockets so your hands could warm up together. He nuzzles his nose against yours and pecks your lips. “Is that better, cutie? Your fingers are so cold.” 

You guys have a total NEST in your bed because you both get so cold. Heaters up, warm pjs on, the whole shebang. He makes you both mugs of hot chocolate, his is completely decked out with marshmallows, whipped cream, and some cinnamon on top. You two sit inside your little bundle of comfort, watching movies or your favorite show together. Cuddles are a must, unless you want him sulking and huffing about it. 

Despite your shared __ to the cold, she still wants to take you out to do all the holiday stuff. See the lights, play in the snow, go see the mall decorations. He takes you with him to do Christmas shopping, letting you know he already bought your gifts and has them hidden somewhere secret.

Geto Suguru

Suguru, on the other hand, runs pretty warm. He’ll keep your hands in his so your fingers don't get cold. If that doesn’t help enough he brings your hands up to his lips, softly blowing warm air onto your hands as he cups them in his. Once your hands feel better, he softly kisses your knuckles and lets you go. Though, he can see you immediately pouting as the cold hits your hands once again. 

He will let you sit in the car while he runs errands so you can relax with the heater on if you want. If not he makes sure you're bundled up well. He’s got two daughters, so he naturally keeps certain things like scarfs, gloves, and coats around for his girls and his love. You say your hands are cold? He’s pointing to the glovebox where you find gloves and hand warmers. Ears a little red? He reaches into a little bag in the backseat to get you earmuffs. He’s PREPARED. 

Shows up at your workplace on cold days with hot cocoa/coffee and a warm meal for you and a pack of hand warmers. He reminds you to stay warm and not spend too much time outside. He’d drop anything he’s doing (cult shit) to bring you anything you need to stay warm. 

Always tries to be home before you so he can turn on the heaters and warm up the house for you. If he can’t he asks the girls if they would for him so the house stays warm. Sometimes if he doesn’t get home before you, he’ll surprise you and the girls with warm food when he finally comes home. Honestly, his favorite thing is coming home to see his three loves cuddled up on the couch in their cozy clothes and blankets.

Nanami Kento

He’s so attentive, making sure you are bundled up before leaving the house. He even keeps an extra coat in his car just in case you leave the house without one. He’d hate to see you sick, though he’d take care of you if you were. 

Honestly, his hands and feet get pretty cold during the winter, but the rest of him is pretty warm. You’ll catch him subtly putting his hands under his arms to use his own body heat to warm his hands up. He says he keeps hand warmers for you but he is often using them himself. 

Tends to take you out to lunch during the work day more often during the cold season. Just to make sure you're keeping warm and eating properly. Though, he very much enjoys getting to take a break with you mid-day.

Because he tends to get a little warmer, he lets you hog the blankets at night, though he might sneak his arms in to hold you close. That alone is enough to keep you both happy and comfortable. He gets to stay cool and cuddle his favorite person and you get to be cozied up and still have your love holding you. Nights together are arguably the best, especially knowing he’ll be there when you wake. 

Unless he gets up early to make breakfast to surprise you. Then you wake up pouty and feeling over the cold spot on his side of the bed. When he returns there is a blanket lump that has migrated over to his side, cuddling up to his pillow. He has a tray of two plates and mugs for breakfast in bed. “Dear, it's time to wake up, I made some food for us. Would you like to watch our show this morning?”

Kamo Choso

He also runs a little cold but doesn’t really notice it. Whether it's because it doesn’t affect him or because he’s grown used to it is to be determined, but he never really has much of a reaction. Except when the wind blows. The cold breeze on snowy days makes him shiver and huddle closer to you. “Are you cold, love? Do you need my jacket?” Would offer you the clothes off his back if it didn't make him look like a nudist in the wild. 

He feels bad, but he thinks your reddened nose and visible breath is so cute. He knows you’re cold, so he tries to huddle close and keep you warm. A little pout will grace his lips if you mention the cold. “Should we go home? I don’t want you getting too cold?”

Your first winter together, he quickly learns that his favorite thing is getting to stay in and do cold weather things. You made the cocoa while he laid out blankets and pillows on the couch for you. At one point you even made a blanket fort and used your laptop to watch classic Christmas movies. Some that you wanted and a few that Yuji suggested to Choso. His favorites were The Nightmare Before Christmas, A Christmas Carol, and The Polar Express. Now, he sings the hot chocolate song whenever you make it, mumbling under his breath.

These are a bit shorter because I didn't wanna be repetitive.

[sarahlancashire]

random question time ✨ favourite movie? (or if you don't do favourites then a good movie you would recommend to someone) And if they were remaking it/never made it and you could recast/cast it, who would you chose? Would you change director/dp? Maybe change a soundtrack? (kinda build-a-bearmovie question I guess :)))

thank you! i'm really terrible at choosing favourites, i have like a collection of favourites for each oddly specific genre i like lmao (apart from rebecca which stands alone) so let's see:

favourite gothic daphne du maurier adaptation: rebecca (1940)

favourite lesbian angst films: daphne, losing chase, the night watch, the hours, the children's hour, ammonite

favourite lesbian non-angst films: g*po (the title is a slur 😒 also it is quite angsty but it's a rly good film with a happy ending about a girl who falls in love with pauline mclynn, which, same), late bloomers

favourite nineties romcoms: you've got mail, while you were sleeping

favourite eighties classics: overboard, romancing the stone, trading places

favourite musical films: hello, dolly!, the sound of music, white christmas

favourite period dramas: little women (2019), miss pettigrew lives for a day, mrs. harris goes to paris, their finest

other favourite dramas: the children act, the history boys, the lake house, military wives

other favourite comedies: about time, a bunch of amateurs, the best exotic marigold hotel, cold comfort farm, the first wives club, love actually, the holiday

animated favourites: beauty and the beast, monsters inc., the incredibles, kiki's delivery service, only yesterday, spirited away, the sword in the stone, treasure planet

[eliteseven]

(about consonance) so, spooky month and (I guess) it would be Serena and Shads' first Halloween, do they have any rituals prepared? like watching a horror movie every day, or making themed meals, a costume idea?? I love this month and I'm curious about these two, they're cute. Also, taking advantage of the fact that I rarely make asks here, I'm listening a lot to a band called The Warning, and there's a song that screams Nobleheart to me, it's called 'Show me the light' and I'm addicted to it.

Ooh well firstly, feel free to share anytime you feel like it 🥹💕 i love asks, they prevent me from actually working and that is the sweetest blessing

Some Consonance Spooky Season HC’s:

-Since it’s their first Halloween together I don’t think they’d have a full on house/cottage together yet. Maybe a shared apartment (I think they would live with the hallowleafs part of the time too tbh, but I do see them having their own shared space)

-I feel like Jen is super into the season (goes hand in hand with Shadowheart, tbh) ! Serena, being from the coast and all, hasn’t experienced proper seasons (at least since her mother passed, and the spirit of the holidays went with her….) and Jen is so eager to show her, especially now that she’s happy and Shar-less 🥹💕

-The domesticity??? Decorating their place together, spending chilly mornings bundled between the blankets??? Or Jen wrapping her scarf around Serena’s neck and drawing her in for kisses when they’re on walks? Having a pumpkin carving competition and flinging pumpkin innards at each other like stupid kids 🤭

-Jen being a fiend for horror movies- they watch one every night of the month. Serena doesn’t love them 😅 i don’t think she’s scared, tbh…let’s just say she didn’t really have the holiday spirit, prior to Jen, living alone. Jen kinda loves the adrenaline rush and it’s the perfect excuse to burrow into Serena’s warmth 😏 (not that she needs one).

Eventually, Jen inevitably gets distracted, or bored…. and suddenly remembers what (or whom) she’d rather be doing…😮‍💨 Tav loves movie night lmao

-Holiday cooking/baking!!! Jen can’t cook for shit- Tav isn’t much better, but she actually learns from Emmeline. Jen looooves to linger in the kitchen and distract Tav while she cooks Jen’s favorites. She sings for Tav sometimes 🥺💕 other times they share spiced wine and festive drinks and slow-dance in their kitchen. ….many dishes are burned along the way but neither of them really care. Jen wants to put a ring on this woman so badly, she never got to feel this way with Shar 😭🥰

Bonus: Jen learning that Tav’s mom used to make her holiday cookies (like the cute little pumpkin ones) and she spends an entire day trying to recreate them in some way, despite her atrocious skills in the kitchen. I genuinely think Tav would sob 🥺 she misses her mother every day and the fact that Jen went out of her way to give her a little piece of that happiness again???? Godddd Serena is so sickeningly in love with her, and vice versa.

-Jen debuting a skimpy little piece for a costume and Serena absolutely burning her hand holding whatever dish she was about to serve (worth it). Tav has always hated those corny couples’ costumes and suddenly she is very down to be whatever tf Jen wants. Cop and robber? Fine. Jen wants to be a vampire? Tav is her loyal thrall. Jen wants to be a cowgirl? She’s a damn horse, then 😭 Jen owns her, I’m afraid

-Isobel and Aylin probably throw the best parties, I feel like that’s where they’d be on Halloween, if not out and about touring. Everyone loves seeing Jen back to being social and coming to all the gatherings. She’s just…so happy and light, with Serena. Could def see Karlach and Wyll joining them for a group costume too tbh. (Mystery inc. ft. Their new puppy Scratch, perhaps???😭) I just love their little found family.

-More holiday festivities! Pumpkin patches, haunted houses (another excuse for Jen to hop on Tav’s back), bonfires at the Hallowleaf residence for all their friends 🥹💕 and ofc playing music together around the fire!

Re: “Show me the Light” by the Warning:

How cool!!! A sister trio!!!! 😮 so I gave it a listen and it was really beautiful!!! I like their vocals a lot, but man, the lyrics! I could see it from both of their perspectives, but particularly the “make me a rebel, stealer of your heart” feels like Tav imo, while “hold me please, never leave/need a daily poisoning” is very Shadowheart. That was just my initial interpretation for them though, I love it! I will put it on the NLS/Nobleheart playlist I have! 😁🥰 thank you so much for the rec, I love songs for writing inspo!!!!