#I CAN HANDLE WEATHER UP TO LIKE LATE 90S

[thxnks4themrms]

BITCH WDYM HIGH 71

[loveshotzz]

bartender!eddie x fem!reader Eddie’s night.

🎵my man gives real love that’s why I call him killer, he’s not a ‘wham! bam! thank you ma’am!’ he’s a thriller.🎵

summary: After being stood up on a blind date, the cute bartender you’ve been ‘trying’ not to flirt with keeps you company.

word count: 12.6k

warnings: 90’s AU / 18 + no minors! /eddie is in his early 30’s, fingering, oral (f receiving), semi public smut (p in v), cream pie, dirty talk.

authors note: my love letter to the 90’s 💕after one month of brain storming and three weeks of writing here’s part one of Whatta Man! Eddie’s night. (This is a singular one shot. Steve’s night is part two, can you find the easter eggs for his night 😉)Thank you to my very talented friends who always brain storm with me and share ideas. This fun lil AU wouldn’t have happened with you. ily 💗 edit by @eddiemunsons-missingnipple

You didn’t want to go on this date. Not when your roommate set you up, and you certainly didn’t want to go when he picked The Foxy Lounge. But when Weather Man Mike predicted the first warm day after three months of bitter winter you’d take any excuse to wear your favorite dress. 

You’d been here before, always stumbling in after a night out with friends because they were the only 4am place in town. Those late nights turned to early mornings were more of a thing of the past now so when you got to the familiar chipped red door you didn’t recognize the bouncer standing outside. He has a head of honey colored hair that’s just long enough to run his fingers through. His toned frame sits pretty wrapped in a tight black tee and long legs covered in dark wash jeans tight enough for you to really have to focus on keeping  your eyes on his face. A freckle covered neck leads to a strong jaw and a chiseled nose. Leaning against the brick wall with his boots crossed at the ankles a toothpick twirls between his straight teeth.

The platform of your sneakers hitting the pavement as you come to a stop and the jingle of your power beads alerts him of your presence, hazel eyes going round like the moon in the sky. Straightening his posture he snatches the tooth pick out of his mouth, stuffing it in his back pocket. You swear you see a Tamagotchi tucked away as he clears his throat with a puff of his chest.

“I.D.?” 

Your lips twitch, the forced deep baritone in his voice isn’t fooling you, and you wonder if it fooled anyone when the signature beep of a Tomogatchi pet needing to be fed goes off in his back pocket. He coughs to try to cover the noise while you quickly pull what he needs out of your cross body. Holding it out for him to examine you look up with a glossed smile matching the one in the picture. Narrowing his eyes, you catch a glimmer of playfulness when he clicks on his flashlight. 

Examining it like it could be a fake, you bite back a giggle while he turns it around giving it one more once over before handing it back to you with a soft chuckle.

“Funny, we have the same birthday.” His voice comes out normal this time, soft and friendly just like you thought.

“Twins!”

A genuine smile lights up his face like the sign above your head, his boyish features coming out despite the stubble on his chin.

“Might as well call us the Olsen��s.” Throwing you a wink he pulls the gold handle to open the door for you. The sounds of Return of the Mack break through the hums of the street behind you. “Have fun tonight honey, be safe. If anyone bothers you, just come grab me okay? I’m steve.”

Your cheeks heat up at the endearment and you have to remind yourself that you’re here for a date. You catch a hint of his cologne when your shoulder brushes against his chest on your way in, the expensive scent making you dizzy when it hits your senses.

“I will, thanks Steve,”your words are shy when they come out, making his lips twitch in response. Nodding his head, you catch the tinge of pink on his skin before he closes the door with a small wave.

It's even louder inside with the drunk conversations battling for dominance against the music. Tugging nervously at the bottom of your dress you look around the bar for the vague description of this guy Craig your friend gave you. 

You scan the crowd a few times before your eyes catch the big brown ones of the bartender. The stool in front of him freeing itself at the same time your eyes connect, the corners of his plush lips pull up as he beckons you over with two heavily ringed fingers. The unruly dark auburn curls that hit just below his shoulders catch the low light behind the bar, the yellow glow softening up all his edges. 

Rocking back on your heels you pull the strap of your cross body closer, doing your best to collect yourself before you push through the crowd accepting his invitation. His smile widens, pulling up his stubble covered cheeks to reveal a set of perfect white teeth to you. The one you give him in return comes out a little shy as you plop down on the ripped vinyl that matches the red of the door.

Ink litters his arms disappearing under the frayed ends of his sleeves letting you know there was more under the tight fit of his worn faded black Metallica shirt. The two rips near the collar give you a glimpse of the chain wrapped around his neck. The scruff lining his jaw adds a few years from afar but from this close he looks your age. The silver hoop in his nose catches against the bright lighting under the bar like the rings adoring his fingers. Pulling out two empty shot glasses with a twirl he quickly fills them up with Jameson.

“This one’s on the house sweetheat, it’ll help make your date cuter.”  He winks with a sly grin, your stomach flutters with his full attention on you like this.

The glass is heavy in your grasp as you stare at the dark liquid with a faint grimace. His low chuckle catches your attention before the pop and hiss of the soda fills your ears. As if reading your mind he slides over a coke, letting you keep your pride by not having to ask for a chaser.

“How do you know I’m here for a date?” Raising a questioning brow, the sides of your lips twitch as you struggle to hold a straight face. “A girl can’t come to the bar alone on a Friday night?”

The chocolate in his eyes lights up at your playful banter, slinging a white towel over his shoulder he leans in, forearms pressing hard against the counter as he invades your space. The spice of his cologne and the burn of cigarette smoke joins with him and you find yourself sucking your bottom lip between your teeth.

“Are you telling me you’re available then?” Dropping his voice low enough to feel between your legs, you wished more than anything you had a different answer to give him.

The heaviness of his gaze has your cheeks warming, the intensity of the eye contact forcing your gaze away for a second as you clear your throat. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear you muster enough courage to meet his eyes again. 

“N-no unfortunately, you were right.” Exaggerating a heavy sigh, his confident demeanor never wavers despite his confirmed suspicions.

“Unfortunately is right, huh?” Winking, he pushes back leaving only the lingering scent of his cologne raising his shot in an offering of cheers. “To what could have been, baby.” 

A giggle bubbles past your lips when his fingers brush against yours meeting in the middle with a clink. Downing his shot like a professional, he’s left to watch the way you struggle with yours. Amusement is evident on his face while he watches the way your throat stays unwilling to open. Holding the alcohol in your mouth longer than anyone would want, it finally gives in letting the bitter liquid go down with a bite. Pushing the can of coke towards you with his knuckles, his laugh booms loud from his chest as you search for reprieve in the sweetness with desperation.

Chugging with abandon, you forget your surroundings for a second before your eyes meet his over the rim of the can and it’s almost enough to have you snort the rest of it all over yourself. 

Coming up for air you grumble a half assed “shut up” doing your best to try and fight the smile begging to spread across your lips as you wipe them with the back of your hand.

“Not a whiskey girl I take it?” Punctuating the ‘t’ harder than normal, his teasing falls on deaf ears when you get distracted at the way his thick fingers wrap around the shot glasses.

“Not a shot girl in general, I’d rather not taste the alcohol if I can help it.” Shrugging, you trace invisible patterns on the sticky quartz of the bar top with french tipped nails silently reminding yourself for the second time tonight you’re here for a date.

“So how’d you two meet?” He raises his voice so it comes out sickly sweet while a shaker and a lemon appears in his hands. Setting them down on top of the worn jagermeister logo that covers the drink mat he starts rolling the fruit against his palm.

“We haven’t met yet actually, a friend set us up.” 

Eddie’s movements freeze for a second, eyebrows furrowing together in a look of confusion as if that was the craziest thing that anyone had ever told him. He grabs the bottle of simple syrup adding more to what looked like it was going to be a sweet drink before he answers.

“Someone like you shouldn’t need to be set up, sweetheart.” He looks up at you from under the hood of his lashes quickly picking up on the effect he has on you.

He twirls another empty glass onto the counter top before he smashes the lid of the shaker on, not giving you a chance to respond he starts shaking it louder than you know is necessary. The bats tattooed on his arm dance across the muscles with the flex of every flick of his wrist.

“Really? Laying it on thick, huh?” Raising your voice enough to know he could hear you, he taunts you by cupping his free hand over his ear to make a show of pretending he can’t, mouthing a ‘sorry’ with a smirk. The laugh he earns from when he finally relents is the prettiest sound he thinks he’s ever heard. 

“Well I hope this ‘friend’ has a good vetting process. No less than three interviews or no dice.” He pours your drink with panache, like he’s putting on a show for you, like you’re sure he does with all the other girls.

Grabbing a straw he plugs one end with his index finger before he dips it into the slightly lighter liquid. The heat between your legs becomes almost unbearable when his lips wrap around the end tasting his creation with a low groan, his pink tongue pokes out to collect the sweetness left behind.

“I think, I think you’re gonna like this one. It’s an Eddie Munson original, I’m calling it "Wasting Love.” The roll of your eyes makes him bark out another laugh. The signs of the smoke you smell on him are more noticeable in this one’s rumble.

“I wonder what could have inspired it?” Biting your lip to hide your smile, you knew you shouldn’t be flirting with him while you waited for Craig, but you can’t help yourself. Besides, he was already ten minutes late.

“I think you know what inspired it sweetheart, I can tell you’re not just some pretty face.” Dimples poking through his cheeks, he finally takes notice of the glares from the customers filling up the bar. Everyone’s patience starting to wear thin while they waited for whatever this was to be over. 

“I gotta stop ignoring all the other people in here real quick, but I’ll be back for your review.” He throws you another wink and it has you shifting in your seat as he starts to walk away.

“Wait! I never opened a tab!” Calling after him as you reach for your purse, he tuts loudly, turning around to face you, continuing his path walking backwards. 

“You shouldn’t be paying for a thing tonight, gorgeous.” He waves his hand dismissively before his back is to you again giving his undivided attention to the bearded man who looked ready to murder the carefree metal head if he didn’t get his Bud Light in the next five seconds.

Trying not to get too caught up in someone that wasn’t your date you timidly bring the straw to your lips. Humming appreciatively when the sweetness hits your tastebuds you’re pleasantly surprised at how much you actually like it. Feeling bold enough to take a bigger gulp, you look around for Craig again. So lost in the little bubble you had been in with Eddie you didn’t realize how much more the bar had filled up since you arrived. A new kind of rowdy energy in the air — the low murmurs of conversation get loud enough to drown out Semi- Charmed Kinda Life.

Glancing down at your pink swatch watch, your date was now twenty minutes late. Turning around to check and make sure the lavender cross body you told him to look for was visible, you crane your neck around looking one last time. It’s easy to shrug off the sinking feeling of rejection when you turn back around to watch Eddie in his natural habitat. 

He moves behind the bar like he’s been doing it his whole life, like everything was muscle memory.  As if he could feel you staring he catches your gaze throwing you a smirk before he tosses a bottle of tequila in the air catching it with ease. Pouring it into four lined up shot glasses, the group of girls in front of him celebrating what looked like a bachelorette party with all their multi-colored hats and boas squealed with drunk delight. Your eyes hit the back of your skull in a hard roll when one of them bats their eyelashes at him with a hand on his arm.

Sucking down the rest of your drink, the slurping once you hit the ice is loud enough to annoy the guy next to you who shoots you a warning look over his shoulder. Mouthing an apology you push your empty glass away looking around the bar one more time. The guilt of flirting with Eddie starts to disappear when you look at your watch again and start coming to terms you were actually being stood up. Searching for his doe eyes again, your heart sinks when you find him this time.

Dimples in his cheeks again, he’s practically beaming at her. Their body language telling you this isn’t their first time meeting and how animated he is when he talks to her is like he’s known her for years. Gesturing wildly with his hands while she nods enthusiastically, something he says has her throwing her head back with a laugh loud enough you can hear it over the music. You huff through your nose, the sting of rejection sneaking its way back in. The reminder that he was just doing his job and you were here for a date, one that never showed up, slaps you right in the face.

Averting your gaze to spare whatever confidence you have left, your eyes find the bouncer at the front door. Inside the bar now with a hard glare set on his handsome face. His arms sit folded across his broad chest while his jaw clenches at the same time as the muscles in his shoulders flex. Steve looks pissed.

Interest piqued, you follow his line of sight despite it going in the direction of the bar you were trying to avoid. Somehow not surprised when your eyes land on her again, you notice Eddie has already busied himself with someone else. With his back towards both of you he fills two pints with Blue Moon, the uncomfortable look on her face couldn’t be missed. The greasy blonde hair on the man that was clearly invading her personal space told you he’d been drinking all day. The grimace on her pretty face says she could smell it on his breath too.

The hairs on the back of your neck stand on end when you see him grab onto her arm while trying to whisper in her ear. You feel yourself ready to stand up and help when she pushes him away, with the way the veins in her neck were flexing whatever she was saying to him wasn't nice. Shoving her hand in his face she storms towards the front door where Steve is waiting, looking seconds away from killing the man who followed her path out of the bar with a leer.

The scowl on her face softens instantly when she’s met with Steve opening the door, the glare on his face being replaced with a deep flush when you catch a “Thanks, Stevie” fall appreciatively from her lips.

SMACK

Jumping at the sound of metal hitting wood, Eddie’s dimples show themselves only this time they are for you as he leans forward on his arms again, eyes flicking towards the spot next to you. He pulls himself even closer when he notices no one new occupying the stool, making you search for friction with the fat of your thighs. 

“Penny for your thoughts, beautiful?” Flashing you his perfect teeth for the second time tonight the bruise to your ego already starts to disappear.

“I drank it without gagging, didn’t I?” Crossing your arms on top of the bar it's your turn to lean into his space and you swear you hear his breath hitch at your new boldness.

Licking his lips, your eyes greedily follow the path of his tongue. His smile stretches across his face even more when he notices, making no effort to move- unwilling to back down from the silent standoff you’ve challenged him too.

“‘I’ll have you know I take that as a very high compliment coming from you.” His breath fans across your cheeks from this close, mint and whiskey hitting your nose when he huffs a laugh. “Where’s Prince Charming?”

“Turns out there was no Prince, just an ugly old toad.” Tugging your bottom lip between your teeth, you look up at him through half lidded eyes, “Good thing I didn’t kiss him, huh?”

A low rumble shakes in his chest as he dares to lean in even closer, the tips of your noses almost brushing while the bubble you’d lost yourselves in reappears.

“Yeah baby, you can’t give those out to just anybody, they gotta be for someone special.” His voice is low, dripping with the kind of want you’d never had directed at you before. His eyes take in every inch of your face from this close while you try to keep up with his smooth tongue.

“Got anyone in mind, Eddie?” Doing your best to match his tone, his brows pinch together at the way his name sounds coming out of your mouth taking one last look at your lips before meeting your eyes again.

“Yeah, I know a guy actually. He’s a bartender with a great head of hair.” Wiggling his eyebrows when you snort, the front door swings open, breaking you two apart as the girl from before commands the room like a record scratch, silencing the bar for the first time all night.

“Eddie! It’s bad, Steve needs you!” The sheer panic in her voice is enough for the jealous monster inside you to stay at bay as Eddie pushes back on his heels.

An irritated sigh escapes him while he mutters ‘not a-fucking-gain’ under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose before his eyes find yours. You jump a little when he grabs your hands, the warmth of his palms enveloping yours while he gives you a pleading look.

“Don’t - I mean, please don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back, I need to go save my buddy’s ass again. But I promise I’ll be right back, this conversation is too important to leave unfinished.” He flashes you that million dollar smile like chaos isn’t ensuing outside and all you can do is nod, signaling that you’ll stay put.

Hopping over the bar his loose fitting combat boots squeak over the counter top, the black jeans that were hidden from your sight somehow fit him even better than his shirt. Your gaze is shamelessly hungry as it follows him until he’s out the door. The scuffle outside leaking through the music with a blur of bodies outside. 

Too focused on the glimpse of Eddie’s towering frame stepping between the two guys to break up the fight, you don’t notice the person who walks through the unattended door until it shuts behind him with a thud. Ready to glare at whoever it is your eyes widen when you meet the ones belonging to who you can only assume is Craig. The burnt auburn hair he sports and the way he zero’s in on your purse confirms your suspicions. This was Craig, you're incredibly late and not even remotely as attractive as the bartender, date.

“Shit, shit, shit.” No matter how quickly you averted your stare, you knew it was too late, he saw you. Panic sets in while your brain goes a mile a minute trying to think a way out of this.

Looking around the bar for some sort of escape, the thought of ducking into the bathroom sounds like a winner but then the image of Eddie coming back and seeing you gone seeps into the forefront of your mind making you quickly toss that idea out the window. Turning to the people on either side of you who are too lost in their own conversations to notice your dilemma, you try to decide which one you could interrupt the most naturally. 

The couple on your right looks like they’re on a date going really well and the one on your left seems like two friends catching up. The tap on your shoulder is enough for you to make a split second decision, clearing your throat you spare the newly blossoming romance next you from your desperate antics, choosing to interrupt the friends who are reconnecting with a loud fake laugh.

“That’s when she told me- um excuse me do I know you?” Gruff and confused, the man closest to you looks at you as if you’ve grown two heads. First your loud slurping and now this? This plan was never going to work from the get-go.

Another persistent tap on your shoulder has you grasping for straws. You open your mouth to try to sell whatever this was one last time. 

“Umm excuse me?”  Craig’s voice comes out loud enough to cut you off and for the poor guy next to you to give you the final cold shoulder. Unable to ignore him any longer, you force yourself to turn around and face him head on. Kind of. 

Channeling your inner Alicia Silverstone you try to give him the best Clueless look you can muster and he returns it with an even more confused expression, clearing his throat.

“Hey, sorry I’m late. I’m Craig, Ariana’s friend. I think I’m supposed to be meeting you?” Shoving his hands in the pockets of his tan slacks, the maroon sweater he wears fits loosely over his thin frame, dirty black chucks on his feet, his look screams ‘I listen to Nirvana’.

“Umm, I think you have the wrong person? I wasn’t supposed to be meeting anyone here tonight.” It’s not believable in the slightest when the words leave your mouth, your less than confident delivery giving you away. The look on his face lets you know you’ve definitely been made

“Are you sure? I was told to look for the girl with a lavender purse.”  As if to prove his point he points to the exact one he’s talking about slung across your shoulder. He scoffs when you keep up with your charade, “I know I’m late but this is ridiculous.”

“A lot of girls have purple bags, Craig.” His name comes out dripping in venom, the need to get rid of him before Eddie’s return throwing any logic out the window. You needed to believe your own lie.

The sudden harshness has him raising his hands in defense, backing down a little under the daggers of your glare.

“Whoa, chill out, my bad. You just match the exact description I was given, that's all.”

Clenching your jaw in frustration because he just won’t give up, you try to hold your composure while your eyes flick towards the door in anticipation for his return.

“Well you’ve told me you were late twice already so she probably just left. Rude of you to keep her waiting honestly.” Narrowing your eyes at him, you know that he’s aware of exactly what you are doing but you don’t care anymore.

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s what happened, and not her being bitter I’m one measly hour late.” The way his words clip signal the rejection sinking in, a glare setting firm on his face.

It’s the stare down of the century before Eddie comes barging through the entrance with a loud huff and a clap of his hands. Cheeks red from yelling and hair slightly more wild than before. He checks to make sure you’re still exactly where he left you before he glances over to Craig for a split second not registering who he is. Hopping over the bar with another skid of his boots, he still manages to give you a lopsided grin when he gets to the other side. Hitting the top of the bar in a series of beats - he’s a ball of energy.

“Sorry to keep you waiting sweetheart, Steve’s lucky the girl he took a knuckle sandwich for has a first aid kit. Rick keeps saying he’s gonna get one but I have yet to see it. Want another cocktail?” Talking a mile a minute with the leftover adrenaline from the fight, he still doesn’t notice the way Craig watches the two of you until he catches how awkward you’re being. Eddie’s face hardens, the softness he was giving you disappearing. “Something I can help you with buddy?”

You don’t even have to look at Craig to know he’s puffing out his chest with a point of his chin addressing Eddie.

“Actually pal, maybe you can.” His tone makes Eddie’s eyebrows shoot up, a tested smile spreading over his lips while he lets Craig continue. “I was supposed to meet someone here for a blind date, I was told to look for a girl with a lavender purse exactly like this one. You haven't seen another girl with this exact same bag have you?” 

Eddie’s wide eyes meet yours, amusement filling the specks of golden brown as he picks up on exactly what’s happening. The corners of his lips twitch before he nods his head licking his bottom lip holding your gaze long enough to make you squirm before bringing his attention back to Craig with a low whistle.

“Oh yeah, I remember that hottie, man. It’s a shame you were late, she took off with this dude she met waiting for you. She didn’t stand a chance, though, honestly. I know the guy, he’s too smooth for his own good. Pretty good looking too. Can’t be leaving your girl unattended around him. Probably wouldn’t have worked out between you two anyway.” Eddie catches the roll of your eyes at his self indulgent story as you cover your mouth with the palm of your hand to hide your face splitting grin.

“Why don’t you walk away with some dignity. What’s that saying? There’s always more fish in the sea or some shit.” Eddie adds more salt to the wound, finally breaking Craig enough to give up.

“Whatever you say man, this bar is fuckin’ lame anyway. Who wants to drink to Third Eye Blind.” Grumbling his insults as he slinks away, he takes one last look at you and Eddie before his final exit with a flip of his middle finger.

Eddie’s stare is hot on your face, while you bashfully avoid his gaze keeping your eyes lingering on the door. When you finally dare to meet his eyes the shit eating grin on his face makes you groan, the buzz of your drink pulling a giggle out of you. 

“Eddie, don’t —“

“Well, well, aren’t you just a little heartbreaker, huh?” His teasing only makes your cheeks grow hotter as you try to hide your face from his view.

“Don’t you need to go attend to all the customers you left?” Your words come out muffled from behind your hands as you slowly pull them down just enough to uncover the fake glare you were sending his way.

“I’ve got my favorite one right here.” Voice dropping low with a smirk, he was right, you didn’t stand a chance.

“I haven’t paid for a single thing, you refused my money if you remember.” Bringing your hands down to fully come out of hiding, he bites his bottom lip when he can take in your features again.

“It’s no good here, baby, I could actually get arrested if I take it and then how would I be able to take you out to get pancakes after my shift if I’m behind bars?” Bringing his hands together in mock shackles and a pout, the chain wrapped around his wrist catches your eyes for the first time.

“You’re takin’ me to get pancakes?” Flirting like a love sick teenager, you even start to kick your feet under the bar.

“It’s the least I can do since you’re my fill in bouncer for the rest of the night.” Smirking, he nods his head to the man at the opposite end of the bar flagging him down with a twenty dollar bill. His eyes sparkling with something new now that he had you.

“Me? A Bouncer? I’m not intimidating in the slightest!” Your cheeks hurt from how hard you smile at his retreating form, the game of ‘playing hard to get’ becoming a thing of the past now.

“Sorry, you owe me, heartbreaker.” He shrugs like it’s out of his control before flashing you the same lopsided grin leaving you a mess of nerves from getting to spend the night with him.

The hours till close go by faster than you anticipate with Eddie topping off your drink any time you ask, the buzz from the alcohol is just enough to handle the growing intensity of his flirting. Now that the only obstacle in the way of each other was time, he was relentless.

Enjoying the game of chicken the two of you had started unconsciously playing, you stop noticing the clock. Every six customers earns you five —sometimes ten minutes of his time and he makes sure to use every second of those breaks as an excuse to lean in close, whispering in your ear, holding your face close every time you talk. He was getting off on the way he could make you shift in your seat and hide your bottom lip between your teeth when he got close enough for his lips to brush against your ear. Your fingers find excuses to wrap around his wrist when he invades your space, playing with his chain, you keep him close making sure to tilt your head just enough for him to catch a glimpse down your neck into the low cut of your dress.

The small hand on the clock above the door hits the three and it’s not until his breaks start getting longer and your touches are able to get a little bolder that you notice the murmur of voices over the music disappears. The few stranglers left sipping their last drinks of the evening are paying the two of you no mind despite the way he’s tucking your hair out of his way to trace the shell of your ear with the tip of his nose.

The realization that you’re finally about to be alone with him brings your nerves to a head and the need to check yourself over in the bathroom mirror becomes urgent. The flick of his tongue along your earlobe distracts you for a second as your head nudges against his when it tickles making a giggle slip past your lips.

“I gotta go to the bathroom, Eddie.” You inhale the scent of pine lingering in his shampoo, giving him one last nudge with your nose before hopping off the stool. He gives you his best puppy eyes as you get up to leave, pushing out his bottom lip when you tug your dress down.

“Please, I’ll be like three minutes.” You roll your eyes at him but the smile that lights up your face tells him you’re eating it up.

“I’ll be counting every second you're gone, baby.” Holding his hands over his heart for dramatic effect the man at the end of the bar snorts loudly ruining the moment. He earns an annoyed glare from the bartender, “Better hurry up and finish that shit old man, it’s closing time.” 

You hear him grunt in response to Eddie’s rude reminder before disappearing into the fluorescent lighting of the bathroom. Stickers and writing with permanent marker cover every inch of the dark crimson walls. The doors of the black stalls barely hang from their hinges, dents from many reckless drunk nights at The Foxy Lounge punch random spots into the metal. The bottom of your sneakers stick to the floor with every step to the mirror where more stickers and black scribbles line the surface including a girl named Leigh’s phone number with the note ‘for a good time call’ attached at the end leaving just enough room to see your face.

The space buns on top of your head are messy from Eddie nuzzling his beard into your hair all night. You try to salvage what was left of them by tightening the knots a little more before deciding it's a lost cause. He was probably just going to mess them up more anyway. The thought of Eddie’s hands being free to touch you in every way you’ve wanted all night has you taking a deep breath while you hold your own eyes in the mirror.

“It’s happening, you’re gonna have sex with him. You’re gonna fuck the super hot bartender who flirts like it’s his second language tonight and you’re gonna be confident about it okay? You hear me?” Pointing to yourself in the mirror, the determination in your stare is enough for your tipsy pep talk to work its magic.

Taking one last look at yourself with a nod of your head you pull open the bathroom door ready to take on the rest of the night. Only to stop in your tracks when you notice the stool that was occupied is now empty and every inch of Eddie is also in full view from where he stands in front of the jukebox. Your eyes are insatiable taking in his tall frame like this for the first time all night. 

You notice the giant chain that hangs from his belt loop this time, and there’s even more rips in his jeans than before giving you a peek at the pale skin hidden underneath. His shoulder blades move under the thin fabric of his shirt when he clicks his choice on the machine. Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer spills out from the speakers of the bar as he turns on his heels, the smirk that plays on his lips dares you to catch the hint with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“Very subtle.” Crossing your arms as if to act immune to his charms, you know he sees right through your facade but he plays along anyway raising his big hands up in the air in mock surrender.

“It’s just one of my favorite songs, I don’t know what kinda ideas you got going on in that pretty little head of yours.” He takes a few more steps towards you slowly closing the gap, daring to be closer to you than he had been all night without a wooden bar separating you.

“Interesting, I wouldn’t have pegged you for a Sixpence fan.” Raising your eyebrow, you have to look up at him when he finally takes the last few steps to stand in front of you. 

“Why? Cause I’m such a tough guy?” His grin grows wider when he looks down at you catching the roll of your eyes while you uncross your arms opening your body up to him with a laugh. 

“I can’t stand you.” Your swat is flirtatious with your palm hitting his chest. He’s quick to catch it, using your hand as leverage to pull you closer, biting back his groan when a breathy gasp slips past your lips when he tucks you into chest. First your giggle and now this? He just knew you were going to sound so pretty falling apart for him.

“I think Craig would call that bluff sweetheart.” He gives you a minute to let his words sink in, throwing his head back with a loud laugh when you huff at him embarrassed. “I’m teasing, I’m teasing. He needed to be dumped, a girl like you deserves someone that's gonna show up when they’re supposed to.”

The sweetness of his words has you melt against him, the playful pull from before surrendering to his touch and you swear there’s hearts in your eyes from the way he looks down at you after saying something like that. 

“Thanks for tonight Eddie,” your voice is small when it comes out laced with adoration, and it’s his turn to get bashful making your favorite dimples come out again.

“No problem sweetheart, honestly it’s my fuckin’ lucky night.” Pulling your knuckles to his lips, he places a gentle kiss to the skin stretched over them before letting your hand drop, noting the disappointment on your face that you’re quick to cover up. 

“Wanna get some fresh air while I smoke before I close this place down?” 

——

Eddie somehow looks even better under the twinkling stars and pink fluorescent lights of The Foxy Lounge sign. The low hum of the electricity filling your ears as you lean against the brick of the building. His eyes are brighter out here, catching them with your own when he looks at you over the end of his cigarette.

He winks when you meet his pointed gaze, the flame of his lighter casting shadows that dance across the strong lines of his jaw, the orange glow highlighting the stubble that covers it. Batting your lashes at him, you push your hips off the wall playfully while he keeps his eyes on you through his entire first drag, only breaking contact for the split second he needs to blow the smoke he inhaled away from you. 

“Don’t look at me like that.” His words come out like a warning before he takes another hit.

“How am I looking at you Eddie?” Biting your lip to hide your smile, you make sure to say his name extra sweet just how you figured out he likes. He shakes his head with a low chuckle blowing more smoke into the clear night sky. 

Despite only taking two drags, he flicks the barely smoked cigarette to the side before closing the distance with a few steps leaving him crowding you against the building. Your chest brushes against his with every shallow breath. Getting lost in the darkening amber inside his eyes, the calloused tips of his fingers catch against the soft skin of your chin. The pad of his thumb pulling the velvet of your bottom lip from between your teeth.

“Like you want me to kiss you.”

Ducking his head down he nudges your nose with his, the heat of his breath fanning against your open mouth. His eyes go from yours back down to your glossed lips silently begging for your permission.

“I think it was you that was hinting at kissing me earlier.” Pushing up on your tiptoes, you smile against him when your lips just barely touch. 

“Oh? You think that’s what I was doing hmm?” Asking the question he already knows the answer to, his tongue licks against your top lip as your hands find the material of his shirt, fisting as much of it as you can before yanking him down to collect his lips with an eager mouth, giving up winning whatever game this was. 

You swallow his moan when your tongues meet in the middle battling for dominance, teeth scraping, you taste the few puffs of tobacco still lingering on his taste buds as his muscle massages against yours. Sliding his knee between your thighs, he smiles smug into the kiss when your hips search for friction against the denim.

He breaks away from your mouth long enough to start trailing wet kisses down your jaw, the rough hair on his chin rubbing your skin raw as he starts nipping and sucking bruises along your neck. Biting hard enough at your pulse point to have to soothe it with his tongue after the mewls he pulls from you are enough to drive him insane.

Your fingers tangle into the curls at the nape of his neck, giving his roots a pull while you turn your head, opening more of yourself to him. Taking your silent invitation he nips at the dip of your collar bone before lifting his head to press his forehead to yours. 

“I gotta close up baby, but then…”rubbing his hands up your curves with a low groan he squeezes at the plush of your hips before finishing his sentence, “I think I promised you pancakes.”

Nodding your head because words are stuck at the tip of your tongue, he grabs your cheeks with a strong grip, smushing your lips together before stealing one last kiss.

——-

Eddie doesn’t give you the attention you’ve grown accustomed to all night when he starts the process of actually cleaning the bar. Your body still buzzes like a live wire from the drinks and the kiss outside. He’d been counting his tips with his back to you for the last ten minutes and you were growing impatient for more of him. You needed it. 

Counting the last bill he finally turns around and your thighs press together when you get to see his face again. Shifting in your seat when his eyes barely meet yours, he makes his way to the other end of the bar. Pushing yourself up to lean forward with puckered lips, he ignores your advances passing by without so much as a glance in your direction. Huffing when you plop back in your seat, he flips the knob starting to wash his hands in the mini sink with his back to you again. Your foot taps against the metal of the stool as you watch him grab the scratched up red bucket hanging below and a fresh rag quickly replacing his hands with it to fill up.

You wonder if he can feel your stare when he adds the soap, taking his time while he spins the rag in the steaming water, he starts ringing it out. Arms flexing and suds spilling over his knuckles, you were gonna lose your mind if you didn’t get your hands on him soon. 

He makes big swipes as he starts working his way towards you, keeping his eyes so focused on his task you’d think you were invisible if it wasn’t for the smirk that was getting impossible for him to hide. It only grows bigger when he stops in front of you, adding a low hum to his charade purposely wiping around the outline of your hands that were splayed out on the counter ready to push yourself up again. 

“Eddie - c’mon!”  

You’d be embarrassed if it wasn’t for the laugh that falls easy from his chest when he finally looks at you. His face softens and his eyes darken when he catches your angry pout, your fingers are quick to find his free ones making him tsk at you but he doesn’t pull away.

“My hands are wet baby.” He knew you didn’t care and the teeth showing in his wide grin told you he didn’t either.

Giving into your persistence like it hasn’t been a fight to keep his hands to himself this whole time, he leans forward brushing his nose with yours before nudging it against your cheek so your lips just barely touch. When you go to close the space he pulls back just enough to tease, a small whine escaping you at his games.

“What’s got you so needy, huh?” His words are whispered as he presses with the slightest pressure before pulling back again. “I didn’t kiss you good enough outside, you need more?”

“Please.” Your cheeks burn when you hear how your voice sounds, but his grip on your fingers tighten and a low moan breaks through his front at how desperate you sound just for a kiss.

“Gotta give my girl what she needs.” Your brain gets stuck on the words ‘my girl’ taking you a minute to realize he was finally giving you what you want.

It’s slower than outside, he’s taking his time with you this time. Untangling his fingers from yours, his hand comes up to wrap around the side of your neck. The water feels good on your skin as the pad of his thumb starts rubbing soft lines under your jaw while his tongue swipes at your bottom lip looking for more. You don’t give into his advances on purpose, keeping your mouth closed to get him back for all his teasing you feel his smile grow against your own.

Expecting him to stop and surrender, he only doubles down. Catching your top lip with his bottom, he pulls away just enough for you to open your eyes. God, you wished you kept them closed. The brightness from outside had turned them into nothing but black leaving no trace of the specks of brown from before. The knowledge that he was just as affected by all of this as you sends you reeling. Toes curling inside your sneakers.

“Whining over here for me to give you what you want, and here I am baby, and you’re playing hard to get.” Nipping at your bottom lip he meets your heavy lidded gaze again, “Gonna let me give you what you want?”

He barely lets you finish nodding before he’s on you, the hunger from outside coming back as he leans over the bar to deepen the kiss like you’d been begging him for. Opening your mouth for him without hesitation when he asks for permission again your tongues meet lazily, exploring each other like you didn’t get a chance to before. Pushing up again eager to get more of him he pulls back leaving you breathless with spit slick lips.

Despite the way his chest heaves trying to catch his breath, he does his best to play it cool, smirking when you have no shame chasing for more.

“I gotta finish closing up.” He gives you one more chaste kiss before he starts wiping the rest of the counter down. 

Jutting out your bottom lip into a pout, he laughs, throwing out a ‘you’ll survive five minutes baby.’

You leave him alone doing your best not to distract him, despite how much your fingers itch to have him close again. Grabbing the money from the register and the receipts for the night he disappears back into what you could only assume was Rick’s office. When he pops back out he looks a little more relaxed.

“Just gotta wipe the bottles down and then I’m getting the prettiest girl the best pancakes in town.” Clapping his hands together with a rub of his palms, he grabs another rag.

You were starting to hate pancakes. Not that you didn’t want them, you just wanted him more.

“Hey Eddie?” Trying to hide your ulterior motives in the sweetness of your voice, his eyes meet yours almost instantly and they narrow just as quick.

“Yes, sweetheart?” Setting the rag down he leans forward with his palms on the bar he gives you his undivided attention. An intimidation tactic. Unable to help yourself, your eyes trace up the ink covering his arms.

“Teach me how to make that drink?” Looking up at him from under your lashes, you see something flash across his face, fingertips digging into the countertop after the question leaves your mouth.

“Wasting Love?” 

“I mean, I wouldn’t call it that now, would you?” Laying it on thick, a slow smile spreads across his face. He saw what you were doing and he was going to fall into your trap willingly.

“Why don’t you come back here then, we’ll make our own.” His voice comes out low, his pupils taking over all the brown, pretty white teeth baring themselves at you.

His gaze is predatory when he watches you jump from the stool, the exaggerated sway of your hips keeps his eyes trained on the curve of your waist as you make your way into his space for the first time all night. Leaning against the back counter, his legs are spread wide leaving little to the imagination on how worked up you had him. His eyebrows raise when he sees the automatic press of your thighs at the sight. It wasn’t fair, you were trying to seduce him, not the other way around. He wasn’t even trying.

As if on cue the jukebox that had been left to play all night clicks, Ginuwine’s Pony pouring out of the speakers as he licks his lips unashamed at the way he’s drinking all of you in like this.

“Gonna teach me how to make something sweet, Eddie?” Trailing a finger along the bar while you close the distance, you drag out the ‘e’ at the end of his name just enough to get him to groan.

His hands grab your waist squeezing just hard enough to feel his strength before using it to pull you flush against him. The material of your dress doing nothing to hide how hard he is pressed into your ass. His lips trace the shell of your ear, the heat of his breath tickling your neck as you push back into him searching for more. The stubble on his face rubs rough against the soft skin of your cheek as he punctuates each word with a roll of his hips.

“The sweetest, baby.” 

You bite back your moan when his nose trails up your neck, his lips just barely grazing the warmth of your flesh before they settle back against your ear. You hold onto the wood of the bar in front of you when he hums low, feeling it deep in your core. His calloused fingers start a path up the bare skin of your thigh hiking up your dress when they catch the hem.

“Tell me,” your eyes close when his nose is pressed to your temple as he speaks, “Do you like cherries, baby?” His tongue catches your earlobe sucking it into his mouth, grazing it between his teeth when he lets it back out.

Your knees almost buckle at how good everything feels, the slow rock of his hips never stopping as he plucks at the lace trim of your underwear. 

“Y- yeah, I love cherries,” you whimper when his palms lay flat on the outside of your thighs, the cool metal of his rings biting into your skin when he squeezes at the fat working his way back up.

“Of course you do, pretty.” His thumbs hook the sides of your underwear, “You’re just so sweet all the time, huh?” Despite the need for friction, you spread your legs for him wondering if he can hear the way your lips pull apart sticky, arousal coating the inside of your thighs.

He chuckles soft in your ear praising you with a ‘so sweet’ before giving them a tug, letting the red lace fall to the floor. Keeping his hands on your hips, he presses himself against you hard enough to have the heels of your sneakers pick up off the ground. A low ‘fuck’ slipping out from under his breath when you whine a little.

“Red lace? Was Kurt gonna get lucky or was this just a ploy to get me all along, sweetheart?” Your cheeks burn at his question, his low chuckle tickling your ear when he hears you huff out an annoyed breath. “‘Cause if that’s the case all you would’ve had to do is walk through that door on any given night.”

He grinds himself against you one more time, but you can really feel him this time and it makes your legs shake.

“Are we gonna make this drink or do you wanna keep talking about Craig?”  The shake of your voice doesn’t go unnoticed despite trying to be sharp with him but the grip on your waist still tightens at the mention of the other man’s name

“Sure we can, if that’s really what you wanna do.” His words taunt you but with one hand holding you against him the other flips a clean cocktail glass onto the bar top with ease, like he wasn’t rock hard digging into your back.

Reaching around, his hand trails up the front of your thigh sending goosebumps across your heated skin. A shiver runs down your spine when he dares to dip between your legs inching his way towards where you want him most.

“We better not mix liquors so why don’t you be a good girl and grab the whiskey for me.” His lips brush against your ear with every word, his hand never faltering on their path even when his fingertips meet your slick folds. Feather light, he traces along your slit, not daring to break the barrier yet. Brain hazy with want you don’t even comprehend what bottle you reach for, blindly grabbing for whatever was in front of you.

“That is tequila, sweetheart. Tsk, tsk, tsk are you even listening to what I’m saying? Or are you too…” Before he finishes his sentence he pushes his index finger past your entrance, your warm walls wrapping tight around his digit, “…distracted?”

Your head lulls back against his chest, your eyes closing when he pushes two knuckles deeper. Your needy whimper makes him kick up again making you grind your ass against him in response. Licking your lips, you try to collect yourself only chasing for more of his finger once. 

“N-no, I can do it.”  Determined to prove him wrong, you focus just long enough to grab the Jameson bottle, “What’s next?”

He hums in approval while his smile grows against your skin. Deciding to indulge in your stubborn game still, he curves his finger enough just to make you gasp his name.

“Are we keeping this simple, or do you want something a little more—” Adding a second finger, you stretch easily for him now, dripping down his hand, “Complicated?” 

You shudder, a moan slipping past your lips while your grip on the bottle tightens so much you're scared it’ll shatter. Fuck, you gotta keep it …

“S- simple - oh.” His thumb finds your clit applying just enough pressure to have your mouth fall open and your brows to knit together, and just as quick as he’s there, he’s gone. 

Pulling himself free, he tries his best to ignore the way your pussy tries to suck him back in, your body begging him for more. You whimper at the loss, your eyes opening to remind you where you are.

“I’m gonna need both hands to do this, baby.” His fingers shine with your slick when he wiggles them for show, stepping back just enough for you to see the grin on his face but not enough to get out of your personal space. 

Grabbing his wrist, his eyes go dark when he realizes what you’re about to do. Gaze turning half lidded when your mouth opens, huffing out a deep breath when your tongue flattens against the pads of the two fingers that were just buried inside of you. Wrapping your lips around them, your arousal is tangy sweet hitting your taste buds.

Hollowing your cheeks as you suck them clean, you watch the confidence drain from his face, eyes rolling in the back of his head at the sight. The blunt ends of his nails dig through the soft material of your dress and he starts rutting into you with a little more force when you slide your tongue between each knuckle.

“Jesus christ,” his voice is strangled, words coming out through gritted teeth when you let him go with a loud pop.

“Now you can use both hands,” you say innocently, like you didn’t just suck them clean. You let his fingers tug at your bottom lip before dropping his wrist.

He fists a handful of your dress, a low growl rumbling from his chest getting a taste of his own medicine. Licking his lips, his eyes narrow at you before his teeth start to show, mischievous in the low light.

“Well if we want this drink cold, we need to fill this shaker with ice.” Just like the glass, he flips it on the counter one hand never leaving your waist despite his claim. 

Pressing his lips to your ear again, he makes sure to let his breath linger a little before he talks, enjoying the goosebumps that appear from such a simple touch.

“Fill it up for me, baby?” Your thighs clench at the deep rasp in his voice, both of his hands finding a home spread out on your thighs.

Nodding your head you slide open the silver metal door of the ice chest below you, bending over more than you needed to to scoop it up into the shaker. He groans loud when you press into him like this, his fingers making quick work to flip the back of your dress up. 

“Look at you, so fucking messy for me and I’ve barely touched you.” Grabbing a handful of your ass, he ruts into you, the rough denim hitting your clit in a way that has you moaning his name.

He laughs quietly at your neediness flipping your dress back down when you straighten out. Chests heaving in time with the other, neither one of you was ready to back down. Not yet.

“Might need to unzip those pants.” Looking over your shoulder at him you fake a pout, “Feeling a little strained back there handsome.”

Smugness dripping from the smile on your face, he raises his eyebrows at you in a challenge. 

“Since you wanted something simple sweetheart, we just need two more things.” One hand snakes its way back between your legs, squeezing at the inside of your thigh before he lets you go for the first time since you set foot behind the bar.

Craning your neck so you could follow him, you find him bent down grabbing lemon juice from the mini fridge under the shorter back counter. Shutting the door with his foot when he stands up, he throws a wink your way when he grabs the simple syrup.

Setting the bottles in front of you he steals a quick kiss that leaves you wanting more before he grabs the small tub of cherries from the fridge he forgot his first go around.

“Okay, so you’re gonna grab the Jameson, and I want you to pour it out to the count of three for me then cut it off.” He returns to his place behind you, his large hand swallowing yours when it shadows your movements.

Your pour is shaky when he counts low in your ear, nuzzling his nose in your hair calling you a good girl after each successful addition to the simple concoction.

“Alright, now you’re gonna shake it as hard as you can angel.” His hands squeeze your hips for encouragement.

Doing as he says he pulls you against him even harder when your arms start to go wild. Your chest bounces with each movement making you giggle and you almost don’t hear the hitch in his breath at the sight. 

He helps you by putting the strainer over the rim of the glass when you’re ready to pour. Mumbling soft words of praise while he nibbles at your ear lobe. The drink is much lighter than the one you had all night, the dark orange turning lemon as the white foam fizzed on top.

“I think I could take your job.” You smirk reaching for the cherries to top it all off. 

“You think you could take my job?” He snorts incredulous, watching you unwrap the plastic wrap from the small tub dropping three cherries into the already very sweet cocktail.

“Absolutely.” Grinning while ignoring his stare you reach for another cherry, “No doubt in my mind.” You grab the fruit between your teeth, finally meeting his eyes as you pull the stem, relishing in the burst of sugar and grenadine that erupts against your tongue.

“Tough luck princess, unless you know how to tie that cherry stem in a knot with your teeth, no bar in this town is gonna touch you.” Grabbing his own cherry, he dangles it in front of your frowning mouth for you to bite. Obliging him with it bumps your bottom lip you tug gently, taking the fruit before chewing slowly while he sucks the stem once before it disappears in his mouth.

“I’m calling your bluff now. No one knows how to actually do that.” Daring him to prove you wrong he mutters a ‘watch me’ between his working teeth.

You don’t lose focus on the way his hand on your waist starts to wander, the blunt ends of his nails scratching against the fat of your thigh while his tongue ties the stem like it’s easy. Jaw flexing with each twist of his tongue before he pushes it out to show you, a pleased look on his face when the small knot in the middle comes out perfectly placed. 

Swiping it off his tongue with the fingers that were inside you minutes ago, you wonder if he can still taste you when he sets it next to your drink satisfied by the way your jaw drops.

“How do you think I got this job? I’m more than just a cute face.” The touch of his hands grows bolder when they start working their way up your dress, a thickness in the air that wasn’t there before filling your lungs.

“That’s quite the skill set you have there Mr. Munson,” your giggle is breathless, your eyes going from his down to his lips as you try to play it off.  

“I can do more than that with my tongue sweetheart, if you wanna find out.” His nose nudges against yours, the smirk on his face making you sweat when his fingers trace up your wet folds again.

Surrendering instantly, you forget all about the drink the two of you made nodding without hesitation the desperation for him all night finally taking over.

“Yeah?” His voice breaks when his thick fingers push into your entrance again feeling just how worked up all his teasing had you.

“Please - Eddie,” the pad of his thumb finds your clit again making you beg, “Fuck.”

“Asking me so sweet, how could I say no to you?” Murmuring against your lips, he finally gives in and kisses you. Wet and sloppy he only does it long enough to take your breath away before dropping to his knees.

His big hands on your hips angle you to face forward, flipping your dress up over your ass again. The air of the bar is still hot against your folds, arousal dripping down your thighs, you’re fully exposed to him now. You hear him suck the skin of his teeth at the sight, a ringed hand coming down just hard enough on your right cheek to make it jiggle before both hands palm the fat.

“I can’t believe you were gonna let anybody else but me have this pussy. Should be a punishable offense.” Pulling your cheeks apart to expose more of you to his hungry eyes, he pushes at the small of your back signaling for you to bend over more for him.

He moans loud enough to make you jump when you listen to his command, even you can hear the sound of your lips pulling apart for him. 

“All this for me, baby, fuck, you spoil me.” He wastes no time burying his face between your folds, his talented tongue collecting your juices before finding your clit. The rough hair on his chin rubbing your sensitive skin raw as he shakes his head from side to side. 

Squeezing your ass to pull you closer to his face when you try to run away, he sucks your bundle of nerves harder when he gets you back to where he wants you, dipping his nose into your entrance every time.

He does the motions he would do when he ties the cherry stem into a knot against your clit, a strangled moan ripping from your throat when he does it again.

Your hands find purchase on the top of the bar, eyes closed tight while you see white behind your lids. Your nails dig into the wood when his tongue flattens, the lewd squelching of your arousal filling your ears when he pushes his face so deep between your legs you aren’t sure if he can even breathe. The moan that rumbles through his chest and vibrates to your core tells you he doesn’t care. Wrapping his lips tight around your clit he sucks even harder, not caring when your legs start to shake from overstimulation. 

“Eddie, Eddie, I’m gonna - fuck!” His name comes out long and drawn out when you fall apart on his tongue. Relentless, his teasing never stops, his hands holding you up while your body starts to shake. Humming low in satisfaction against your cunt.

“I n- need, I need…” willing your eyes to open, your vision’s blurry from how hard he made you cum. Pulling away with a loud smack of his lips, he palms your ass cheeks before craning his neck to try and get a good look at you.

“What do you need, baby?” He nips at the curve of your right cheek before pressing his face to it, dazed from getting what he’s wanted all night completely content.

“I just, I just need you to fuck me,” you don’t recognize the choke in your voice when you whine for him. Whine for more.

“Jesus christ.” His words tickle against your skin when he groans, kneading the soft flesh of your ass one more time before standing up. 

His hands are on your hips before you can fully register the change in position, spinning you around and lifting you up he sets you on top of the counter behind the bar. The one where drinks aren’t served and the one that’s low enough for Eddie to slot himself perfectly between your legs. 

Eyes blown black while his beard and nose ring shine with your slick, his lips part - swollen and pink from pulling your first orgasm out of you. Bangs clinging to his forehead, his hair is a wild mess on top of his head from your hands. The confident air about him is gone, replaced with nothing but the need to have you. Snapping out of your daze, you’re quick to find the metal of his belt buckle.

His forehead presses to yours, while he watches the way your dainty fingers work the leather out through the loop. The white tips of your nails catch his eye when you undo the button of his jeans and his cock twitches at the thought of them pumping him for all he’s worth.

He hisses when you push the denim down his hips, his hard dick springing out to smack against his shirt that you immediately wish wasn’t there. Precum leaks from the angry looking pink tip while your hands fist the hem of the worn cotton, silently begging him to get rid of it. The big vein that follows the curve of his length makes your mouth water as he obliges your pleas, ripping his shirt off and throwing it somewhere you’d have to find later. 

You’re able to really take all of him in like this, his chest is heaving covered with just as many tattoos as the rest of him, the silver chain you’d peeped earlier hanging right in the dip between his pecs. Your eyes follow the dark patch of hair that leads to his cock, long with the kind of girth that you know is going to be a stretch, a strangled whine bubbles out of you at the sight while your thighs spread begging for him.

“God, I want you so bad,” you whine wrapping your legs around his waist, you pull him even closer giving into your animalistic instincts. 

“I know baby, me fuckin’ too.” He pumps his cock a few times groaning loud, squeezing hard at the base before pressing the head between your dripping lips. Mesmerized at how they wrap around his tip, his precum mixes messy with your arousal making lewd noises as he sweeps it through your folds.

Body shaking every time he hits your clit, you finally hook your ankles growing impatient when he teases your entrance.

“Fuck. Me.” You get out through gritted teeth, the lopsided grin he’d been giving you all night turns cocky when he pushes the tip in, your head lulls back at the invasion, the silk of your walls desperate to start sucking him deeper.

“Not so sweet now are you, huh?” Pushing himself all the way in, his rough thatch of pubic hair hits your clit when he bottoms out. His confidence falters for a second when a deep moan rips through his chest at the feeling. “So fuckin’ tight baby - shit.”

Your nails dig half crescent moons into his inked skin while you adjust to his size, his nose skimming against your cheek while he whispers how good you take him when your walls start to milk him, your body letting him know it was okay to finally move.

“Feel so good, Eddie, fuck - so good.” Your hips start a slow rock, feeling every ridge and curve of him. Your dress sits rucked up at your waist giving a perfect view of the way you take him, and it’s even better than what his imagination had come up with all night. 

He lets you use him for a minute, big hands resting on your waist — content with just watching the way you coat his cock with everything you have left over for him from the first time he made you cum. 

“That feels good, huh?” Cooing at the way your brows knit together and your mouth falls open, he picks up the pace, taking control. 

Pulling you all the way to the edge, his strokes get deeper, the tip of him hitting the spot that you know Craig would have never found. He pulls his cock out half way, relishing how your velvet walls try to keep him in place, he holds his composure before pushing back in, filling you to the brim. Addicted to the way it makes you gasp his name and arch your back, your body asks him for more when you’re too cock drunk to get the words out.

The straps of your dress start slipping down your shoulders with every thrust, your breasts bouncing just begging for his attention. His cock twitches inside you, it's almost too much. Greedy for more despite fighting the urge to cum, he tugs the front of your dress down to reveal a matching bra to the panties on the floor. Hips stuttering for a moment he growls at the reminder of your date before tugging the lace down, your nipple pebbling instantly for him before he takes it in the heat of his mouth. 

Pushing yourself closer, needing more, your hands find their way to bury themselves in his curls, holding him close. You needed him close. His tongue flicks at your sensitive bud and it makes you suck your bottom lip between your teeth. Your hips finding a way to match his strokes, reigniting the flames deep in your gut. God, he was gonna make you cum again.

He grunts around your breast, spit dripping down your soft skin from his ministrations while the snap of his hips start to get harsher and you know he’s nearing his end. He lets your nipple go with a loud pop before his hand comes up to grip your chin, his lips finding yours in a frantic mess of teeth and battling tongues.

The wood creaks underneath you from the force of his thrusts and the bounce of your ass to meet them. Mouths tangled, you swallow each other's ragged breaths, both of you desperately searching for your end when his fingers find your clit. Rubbing circles with just enough pressure to have your body start to shake against his, he nips at your bottom lip grunting when he feels the way it makes you flutter around him.

“Come on baby, give me another one. Be my sweet girl again and tell me how good I make you cum.” His fingers slip against your clit, fingers wet from how worked up he had you but his words are enough to have your world stop for a second.

“Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Ed-“ Going blind behind your closed eyes he coaxes your second orgasm out of you with a silent scream falling onto his turned up lips. Proud of his work, his hips start picking up their pace inching closer to his own release he’d been fighting off since going down on you. 

“God, - fuck I’m close - where d-do you-?” Sweat drips down his forehead while he struggles to find his words, his impending orgasm making him short circuit.

“Inside, shit - please, I need it, Eddie.” Still needy and barely coming down, your legs around his waist tighten their hold, locking him in place while you use the last of your strength to help get him there. 

“Whatever you’re doing - holy shit , Jesus - I’m cumming, I’m cumming.” His hips press hard against yours when his cock twitches, spilling warm inside your greedy walls that don’t stop asking him for more. His face hides in your neck, the heat of his breath fanning against your sweat kissed skin while his body shakes with his release.

The roll of your hips never stops, just slowing enough to make him shiver after he starts softening, spent inside of you. You know there’s a mess starting to drip but neither one of you has the energy to move just yet. His lips start leaving small kisses along your neck, nose nudging against the space behind your ear and you can feel his smile against your cheek before he finally lifts his head up. The brown in his eyes return to a warm auburn like before when they meet yours.

“Rick is gonna fucking kill me if he ever finds out what happened on this counter tonight.” Rolling your eyes, you snort at his joke before shoving against his chest.

“You’re telling me you don’t fuck all your cute customers behind the bar, Eddie?” Batting your lashes at him, he squeezes your hips with a smirk. 

“Only, the really, really cute ones. I take them to get pancakes at IHOP around the corner, too.” Something shifts in his eyes and you think for a second you might see self doubt in them for the first time all night, “That is, if they still want to.”

“Well lucky for you, I only let bartender’s from The Foxy Lounge take me out.” Nudging your nose against his, your smile touches his lips.

“Sweetheart, you know I’m the only bartender here right?” Grinning like someone who just won the lottery, he quickly gets rid of the space between you, kissing you like it too.

---

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-----

------

[cumikering]

Guitarist Gaz x reader

2k | fluff, teenage crush, late 90s You were in a band with Gaz

“You’re pulling my leg,” Kyle deadpanned.

“Really. My mum said I should be studying for my A-levels.” Jack hung his head as he tried to smear off the crusty mud from the side of his sole.

“But the gig is this weekend!”

“’m sorry, Gaz. She’s holding my guitar hostage. Said she’s going to sell it if I’m not home right away after classes.”

“You know we can’t do with only three members,” he said exasperatedly.

“There’s still a few days, I’ll help you find someone.”

After band practice sans Jack “mum-said-I-can’t” Wilshire, Kyle hopped onto the local forum with a grumble.

This was stupid. It would take a miracle for him to find a replacement for Jack in mere days. Regardless, he punched the words into his keyboard.

Sixth Form alt band looking for a stand-in guitarist for a birthday gig this Saturday

Later that night, his PC pinged with a notification.

Hiya, I’m interested in the gig. Where do you practice? I can meet tomorrow to see if I’m a good fit.

He breathed a sigh of relief. There was still hope. He didn’t have to cancel and embarrass himself.

Sweet. Here’s my college. See ya at the bus stop at 2 mate

The next day after classes, Kyle and his two bandmates waited at the bus stop.

“Gaz, how do you know he’s not a no-show?” Tim sat on the bench, twirling his drumsticks.

With his foot, Owen toyed with the overgrown grass under the bus stop sign. “We’ve been waiting forever.”

“Come on, lads. We need him, yeah?” He turned to them, trying to cheer up his mates. ”Let’s just hope he’s decent.”

Across the street, a bus alighted with a screech and a loud hiss. A few seconds later, it departed, revealing you behind it. You wore your college’s uniform, hair lightly tousled from the weather, your gig bag on your back.

“It’s a she?” Owen straightened up.

“Well, I assumed-“

Tim stood up, slipping his drum sticks in his back pocket as he walked over with a smile.

“No,” Kyle stood in front of him, trying to bite down his smile. “She talked to me. I go.” He marched towards you, ignoring Owen’s ‘or we could wait for her to cross the street’.

“Kyle?”

“Hiya.” He smiled, the most charming one he could muster. “Thought you were a bloke.”

You cocked your brow. “I thought the handle was obvious.”

Was it? He was too focused on the fact that he got a candidate (the only one so far).

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, well let’s go meet the lads.”

You followed as he made his way towards his mates.

“This is Owen, our bassist.”  He pointed at the tall bloke with the blond buzzcut. “And this is Tim, our drummer.”

He nodded at you, his dark fringe bobbing in the air.

“And me, I’m the vocalist and lead guitarist. You’re going to be Jack’s stand-in as the rhythm guitarist. Is it okay if you play us something here? Apparently, we’re not allowed to bring non-students onto the campus.”

“Yeah, no worries.” You sat on the bench and took your guitar out. “Anything specific?”

“Nope, whatever you’re comfortable with.”

The familiar intro of Wonderwall wafted in the air. You were a little quiet at first but encouraged by the approving nods and smiles of the lads, you opened up. Kyle watched the way you strummed, fingers expertly dancing across the fretboard, chords held precisely. Your clean notes did the classic justice. They all sang the last verse together.

“Wow, that was real sweet.” Owen said.

“Watch out, Gaz, you might be the stand-in by the end of this.”

He gave Tim the side eye before smiling at you. “Should we start practicing today?”

Practice was at Tim’s the days leading up to the gig, as it always was. His spacious room was cosy and soundproof, plus his mum baked the best cookies.

How obvious was it that Kyle always wanted to sit next to you on the bus? Or let his mates walk ahead of the both of you, so he could have a little moment with you to chat?

But it was the next day that he only dared to make his move.

“It’s getting late. Would you like me to walk you home?”

You looked up as you zipped your gig bag close.

“I live closer to you than her and you never offer to walk me home,” Owen chided, making Tim cackle from the other end of the room.

He pretended not hear anything, his eyebrow rose instead as he rapidly lost his cool.

You stifled a laugh. “Okay,” you said.

Kyle beamed, flipping Owen the bird before he shut the door on his way out. He left his guitar because ‘we’ll be back tomorrow anyway’ and helped you carry yours instead.

“You hungry? That chippy is good.” He pointed at a busy shop on your way to the bus stop.

“I am, actually.” Your steps slowed.

After a bit of queuing, the both of you sat in the cramped corner of the shop.

You took small bites of your piping hot chips. “What are you doing after Sixth Form?”

“I’m enlisting in the army,” he said with pride.

You smiled. “Your parents must be so proud.”

“They are. I’ve always wanted to do this and I’m glad they’re supportive.”

“I wish you the very best, Kyle. I think you’d be a wonderful soldier.”

He beamed. “Thank you.”

The conversation continued to what you were going to study in uni, and how the both of you got into music. He told you all about his heroes and seeing how you lit up in recognition of the names made him gooey. You get me.

After the meal, you waited at the deserted bus stop, pedestrians passing occasionally.

“Can I play?” He gestured at your guitar.

You nodded and he took it out of the bag, skilfully picking the strings to Iris. You smiled in recognition of the song and couldn’t help singing along. Engrossed in the little concert, none of you registered the bus was approaching.

His hands slowed, and you turned behind you.

“Oh, need to go, need to go!” You laughed, grabbing the bag beside him, scrambling to the edge of the pavement.

He smiled behind you as you boarded. The bus had no empty seats left, and the both of you stood there facing each other as he held your guitar, resting it on his shoe.

You didn’t seem to want to meet his eyes, but he found it cute. You had a sweet smile and an even sweeter laugh. He appreciated your openness to spontaneity, loving the twinkle in your eye as you sang with him just a minute ago. You were a breath of fresh air.

The next day, Kyle offered to walk you home after dinner again. You let him, even had his hand brush against yours a few times. The next, since he finished his classes early, he asked if he could pick you up in front of your college.

He waited at the bus stop, head on a swivel, worried that he’d miss you among the sea of students. But you soon approached with your friends who giggled as they eyed him.

He smiled at the refreshing sight of you, hands pulled out of his pockets. “Hiya,” he breathed, barely glancing at your friends.

You stood in front of him as you chewed on your lip, smiling but not meeting his eyes. “Hi,” you mumbled.

One of the girls nudged you with a teasing smile before walking along.

“Oh, uh, see you on Monday, babes!” you called out to them.

“Good luck for your gig!” the blonde said.

“I hope I’m up to par for tomorrow,” you said to yourself.

“You are, trust me. We don’t need Jack anymore.”

You laughed.

“Here, let me just…” he grabbed the strap of your gig bag.

“You’re the sweetest, Kyle.”

He smiled, pulling the straps over his shoulders. I’m trying! “I got you this.” He pulled out a packet of gummy bears from his pocket.

“Thank you so much!” You tore the packet open, popping a bear into your mouth, before offering him some.

At the bus stop, he sat next to you just a little closer than a friend would.

“Oh, one of my girls let me borrow Jagged Little Pill for the weekend.” You grabbed your Discman from your bag, handing an earphone to him. “I wanted to listen to it with you.”

How did you not expect him to melt at that? When each of you had an earphone on, you hit play and he wouldn’t be mad if the bus never came. With you, this was the perfect afternoon.

He should have got more gummy bears.

You and the band played through the setlist flawlessly as the party went on. It was the most fun Kyle had had at a gig that he didn’t realise the hour was up. When Owen and Tim went off to grab food, without missing a beat, he strummed More than Words.

Kyle barely took his eyes off you as you sat across him with your guitar throughout the gig, a sweet smile on your face. If he kept playing, this would never have to end, right?

Your arms paused in the air as you took your guitar off before setting the strap back and smiling in recognition. You sat back down, your foot tapping to the gentle rhythm before joining him in singing. The crowd gathered and sang together, and you both couldn’t help dueting a few more mellow songs as Owen and Tim cheered on.

By the end of the night, Kyle was holding your hand. It was nice to not be insecure of his calloused fingers. Yours were too, like a shared secret. As you neared home, his arm grew stiff. Was this his last time walking you home?

“We don’t have anything else coming up, but you’re always welcome to swing by anytime.” He handed you your guitar. He insisted to help you with it even when he had his too. “We can just jam together.”

“What’s going to happen to Jack?”

“Like I said, we don’t need him anymore.”

You laughed. “Yeah? I should probably study for my A-Levels too.”

He scratched the back of his neck. “We can always meet at your college if you want. Or somewhere else. Wherever you want really.” I just want to keep seeing you.

You smiled. “I’d love that.”

Since then, he picked you up after classes almost every day. If not to jam at Tim’s, it was to study at your dining table. He caught the teasing looks your mum shot you that made you look away with a shy smile. He didn’t mean to, but his grades were better than ever, baffling his mates, including Jack.

Thinking of the distance that was to stretch between you was like looking up a mountain too tall to see its peak. It was irresponsible of him to ask for more as he was leaving for the army. With a heavy heart, he allowed himself to enjoy the last weeks he had with you, forced to be content with the fleeting touches and bashful gazes before they, eventually, fizzled out with time.

At the park, he played Lovefool, one of your favourites. You sat facing him, knees pulled to your chest wearing his hat he plopped down on you when you squinted at the sun earlier.

“Love me, love me, say that you love me…” He looked up from the fretboard to your pretty smile as you hummed along, hair swaying in the wind-

His strumming screeched to a stop as his heart lodged in his throat. “D- do…”

Bloody hell, Gaz, why are you stuttering like that!

You blinked. “You alright?”

“Doyouwanttobemine?”

Your smile brightened.

Oh, he was going to serenade you every chance he got, even when he was a thousand miles away from you. He hoped you didn’t mind.

@tiredmetalenthusiast @shadofireshinobi @keegansshark @two-gh0sts

@rowanyaboats @mangoguy

[thoughtsfromlayla]

26 Ways of Taking You: J for Joyride

Summary: You meet an absolute dream boat after coming out of the theaters with your friends. He promises you the ride of your life.

Notes: ~ 1.6k words, best read if listening to Joyride by Kesha tbh, I don't know how the positioning works but I just make it work ok, it's diabolical

Warnings/Tags: MDNI - 18+, Biker!Dream x Fem!Reader, unprotected sex on said bike, while going at dangerous speeds down the highway, fingering, p in v, cummies!, use of pet name (princess)

Main Masterlist || Series Masterlist

I for Incubus ⇆ K for Kleptomaniac

Every decade or so, Morpheus loves to visit the waking world to see what the mortals are up to. The 80s are starting to look promising and he watches with a careful eye as a group of young college students come barging out of the cinema with half-eaten bags of popcorn and giggles tumbling out of their mouths. 

You should have known better, just looking at him from across the theater parking lot would’ve told you that he was trouble. His fresh leather jacket, the large sleek beauty of a motorcycle, and the way he drew the smoke out of that cigarette were everything you needed to know. 

But sweet, naive, little you. Daddy’s good girl and high school valedictorian turned perfect college student. But every good girl needs a release, an adrenaline rush to feel something, and against the betterment of your judgment you find yourself in front of him. 

“Want a ride?” Morpheus asks as you basically skip over to him. 

“I love joyrides,” you say with a suppressed smile. 

You don’t bother to wait for his response, already finding yourself straddling the front seat of his ride. Your shorter-than-appropriate skirt flares around your thighs as you part your legs, something that Morpheus eyes with a knowing smile. 

His warmth encompasses your back as he straddles in behind you. The smell of nicotine envelopes your senses and you’re left dizzy. Morpheus revs the engine once and the bike comes to life underneath you. You watch as your mystery rider flicks the burnt-out nicotine stick to some unknown shadow in the parking lot before kicking the stand that parked the bike. 

His arms come around you as he grabs onto the handles and before you can blink, you’re already out of the theater parking lot and onto the open road.

A thrilled squeal leaves your lips as the wind caresses every strand of your hair, the chill filling your clothes and lifting your skirt as you leave your worries behind you. Morpheus chuckles slowly in your ear as he turns onto the interstate. 

The late night leaves the two of you alone on the interstate, the only thing between you and eternal darkness is the occasional old street lamp. The faster the bike goes, the further you slide against Morpheus’ front, the loud hum of the bike shaking your core unintentionally making you wet. Your teeth sink into your lips as you realize the buzzing sensation was slowly starting to turn you on and the adrenaline certainly didn’t help. 

But Morpheus knew.

He feels the way your body starts to pant against him and your head falls back against his shoulder as your eyes roll to the back of your head. He lowers his head, pressing his lips to your ear and exhales hotly. He can see his breath for a moment in the cold weather before it’s quickly whisked away at high speeds. More importantly, he can see the goosebumps that rise over your neck and exposed chest when he does so. 

“You like joyrides?” He asks slowly in your ear, repeating what you said to him earlier in the night. 

You nod against his chest and he chuckles again. Like a mist over a morning horizon, you feel one of his hands ghost over the curve of your hips and he groans as he feels his cock begin to harden against the plumpness of your ass. 

You squirm in your seat, having nowhere else to go other than forward, but why would you do that when it was so cold going 90 on the interstate? You feel his hands grip tighter on your hips and they follow the natural path down your thighs to your pulsing heat, completely ignoring your skirt. 

“I’ll give you a good time tonight,” Morpheus promises in your ear, his fingers toy at the seams of your underwear. “Want that, princess?”

“Oh, my god, yes,” you practically moan out to him. 

The first run of his fingers between your walls has you gasping. He loops his finger around your clit ever so gently, just enough for you to grab onto his wrist in a silent plea, but nothing more. Morpheus revels in the way you try to take control, how you try to move his fingers in the way you need him, but he never lets you. 

His fingers tease at your arousal and presses two fingers against you, feeling the way you try to clench around him without his fingers in you. Your arousal was drenching his fingers in a thick slickness as he pressed his palm onto your clit. 

“F-fuck…” You whine, jerking your hips forward to chase the fleeting moment. 

“Such dirty words,” Morpheus scolds but they fall on deaf ears. 

He palms at you again, and when he decides that he needs to feel you clench around him does he inserts his fingers. The first one went in easily, your body practically sucking it into your greedy cunt. He groans into your ears, a low reverting sound that can barely be heard over the roar of the engine. 

Morpheus gives a few experimental pumps before he uses your wetness to add another one of his fingers. Your nails dig into his wrist, imprinting angry, red, crescent shapes into his skin but neither of you gave a shit. His fingers spread you apart with the intention of fitting something much larger later. 

You're losing yourself to the pleasure in how he pumps his fingers in you, the promise of his cock is close as you feel his hardness pressing into your lower back. Morpheus’ fingers curl in a way that has your moans echo across the interstate. 

Morpheus watches closely as your pleasure starts to overtake you, pushing the bike harder across the road as your cunt begins to grip his fingers with a vice. Just before it consumes you, he takes out his fingers, the digits drying immediately in the high winds. 

“What is wrong with you?!” You turn your head when you realize that he denied you your orgasm. 

“Your pretty little cunt is going to cum on this dick before it cums on anything else. Got that, princess?” He asks in a low growl. 

Morpheus gives a sly smile when you nod at him with wide eyes. His hands leave you to unbutton his pants, unzipping himself out of the shrinking confinement of his jeans. Under his instructions, he guides you carefully so that you are turned towards him. 

Your heart is in your throat as the bike doesn’t slow, but you manage to swivel in the limited space until you’re chest to chest with him. Your legs dangle over his thighs as he leans closer to you. Morpheus invades your space like a ghost, the smell of nicotine follows him wherever he goes. 

When he smashes his lips onto you, you can taste the addiction hot and heavy on his tongue. Your hands grab at his leather jacket, knuckles turning white as he pushes you down onto your back. You’re sure you’re going to fall and your future is going to look like nothing except road kill. But, Morpheus holds onto you, he’s determined to keep the bike upright while giving you the ride of your life. 

He slips into you easily, your only indication a sharp gasp as you throw your head back and come in contact with the fuel tank. Your legs wrap around his slim waist and you give an experimental roll of your hips.  

Morpheus watches from above you as you fuck yourself on him, your mouth agape and gasping, your hair a beautiful mess in the wind. His hands roam between the valley of your breasts, feeling your heartbeat’s erratic pumping as you moan out in ecstasy. Your back arches higher and higher as you use him to chase your own pleasure. 

The engine revs harder as he feels your sopping cunt clench around his cock, a gritted groan leaves him and he shuts his eyes to regain what little composure he had left. 

You’re back at grabbing at him, wanting to taste him on your tongue again and he happily obliges. Morpheus moves his hips subtly to meet your desperate humps.

“Please?” You ask when you pull away for a moment. 

“Yeah, princess, whatever you want,” He agrees before his lips are on yours again. 

Morpheus’ hands are back on you again, his palm cupping around a perk nipple that has you smiling into the sloppy makeout session. And when you pull away to take a breath, he doesn’t have the will to leave your skin.

He continues as far as he can, leaving bite marks down the center of your neck, inhaling the dizzying scent of your perfume and movie theater popcorn. 

“I said, please,” You repeat, gasping and needy. 

“I heard you,” he says in that low voice of his. 

His hands once again travel down until his finger is tapping impatiently on your engorged clit. A whine from your lips was all it took for him to press down on the nerve, circling it slowly in tandem with the movement of your hips. 

Your eyes roll to the back of your head, your mouth agape again with nothing but whimpers and prayers on your lips. The heat warms your body and the cold is long forgotten, the sensation of unearthly pleasure easy to lose yourself in. 

Your orgasm comes slowly, shimmering just below the surface before it becomes a raging boil of ecstasy.

“Please, please, please. I’m gunna—” With gasping breath, you pussy clenches and spasms around his cock as you unravel yourself on his bike. Morpheus slams his mouth over yours again, wanting to taste your orgasmic moans on his tongue. His own orgasm follows soon after, the slickness of your release enough to push him over the edge. 

You’re a hundred miles away from your home, and it’s with a daunting realization that you just let a stranger cum in you.

Your dad’s going to be pissed. 

Wasn't that beautiful, I thought it was beautiful. What's that? How did Dream drive and have a heavy make-out session while driving?

... ... ... ... Go stand in the corner and don't ask plot hole related questions.

Also, I want to say that Dream stood in front of a mirror and applied/smudged eyeliner before going to the waking world, maybe accidentally stabbing himself in the eye with the pencil or something idk.

Thanks for reading and your support as always!

♡ Yours, Layla

Main Masterlist || Series Masterlist

I for Incubus ⇆ K for Kleptomaniac

[creepy-crawly-connoisseur]

For my first post i thought id start with a relatively popular bug,

The woolly bear

Pyrrharctia Isabella

The woolly bear, Also known as the woolly worm, is the larval stage of the Pyrrharctia Isabella, or the Isabella tiger moth.

The wooly bear can be identified by its black and orange colors, and its “fuzzy” look, whereas the Isabella tiger moth can be identified by its dull yellowish orange coloring and sparse black spots on its wings.

The wooly bear is commonly found in cold weather around fall when it hatches from its egg and “hibernates” through winter by freezing its mass. It does this by producing a cryoprotectant in its tissues (in simpler terms, it freezes its organs and body until spring when it thaws and eventually becomes the Isabella tiger moth). This is why in the winter or late fall you may find a woolly bear thats super stiff, dont worry! its not dead, just hibernating!

As for food, when caterpillars they have chewing mouthparts and eat a wide range of plants, including dandelions, goldenrod,clovers, some grasses, and more, and As moths, they have siphoning mouthparts (proboscis) and drink the nectar from flowers.

They have many predators, like mantids, birds, some small mammals and parasitoids like tachinid flies and braconid wasps

Although moths and their larvae have a bad rap due to species like the gypsy moth, the woolly bear does little to no damage, feeds wildlife, are relatively harmless, as they do not bite or sting. Although you should be cautious if handling a woolly bear as their bristles can cause rashes, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Fun fact: they spend about 90% of their life frozen and are the longest lived caterpillar species on the planet

Personal bug rating: 5/5 ★★★★★

One of my favorite moth species due to how cute they are and how easy they are to take care of

(Do keep in mind this rating is just my personal opinion, you can feel differently about the wooly bear/the Isabella tiger moth, There is no correct answer for how to feel about bugs!)

Thanks for reading and happy bug spotting! if you've got any questions or just want to chat bug stuff feel free to comment or dm me!

If i missed something or messed up a fact please comment and correct me!

Credits:

Both Dividers are from @strangergraphics-archive

[dailymothanon]

I felt like blue was a swaggy color yesterday 👍 so I doodled with it 😼 can you believe? Men in love? That’s so cool, shoutout to them. Did I make one of Maine’s bracelets a centipede? Yes. Why? I thought it’d be pretty cool. (rants in read more)

Shorts weather goes crazy, it’s been 50-60° up here lately and lord it’s so hot, but summer is usually 70-90°+ and I hope it stays 70

I think. Alaska’s favorite color would be blue. I have reasons.

For one, a lot of his state symbols are blue, and I’ve always associated ptarmigans with a soft light bluish greenish cuz my elementary school was fantastic and lovely and the school’s color was that and their mascot is the ptarmigan, it’s a native school

Second, he likes space… which has a lot of blue usually, I’m not really sure tho

Third, if he’s a whale expert he probably really likes sea creatures, not to mention having more coast than the whole lower 48 combined and surrounded by three seas and two oceans; plus, moose are known to actually love to swim so much so that orcas are one of their predators

I looked at a ton of native beading and kuspuks and a very very common color was blue and purple, I’m assuming it’s cuz it contrasts with the usually fur made clothing (I think Maine has gifted Alaska with really nice beads before, hopefully as a bonus they were not plastic, thatd be pretty cool)

lastly, blue isn’t really known to be an overwhelming color? I’m not too sure, but it’s usually known as a calm color, I think Alaska would appreciate that

Which kinda blues would he prefer?? i aint too sure. i havent thought that far yet, but who says he cant like many blues

Another Alaska hc is that Alaska used to be bad with alcohol. I read Russians introduced natives to hard liquor to gain advantages over them, in leading to generational trauma.

Alaska was probably introduced to it when he was young and he figured drinking was the only thing making his suffering by their hands a little more bearable each drop he took. And maybe throughout his lawless territory era it was still pretty bad and eventually during mushing (i imagine he took up a mushing mailing job cuz it kept him away from people the most) he got pretty injured cuz of it and he then realized then that if he continued like that he may accidentally get one of his dogs hurt and that scared him. He wasn't really bad towards anyone when he drank tho, just very shut down i imagine. But now i think he can handle drinking well, but tries to make sure of what and how much he drinks (my excuse for this is that Alaska has strict drinking laws, its illegal to even get drunk in a bar, but i think thats for the better. The roads are dangerous enough as is) as per the awa'uq massacre, awa'uq means "to become numb" and i think that would be how Alaska would describe what it was like for him during those times

[29625]

A short Slimav story. Kissing and touching and ravishing Sli’s big tiddies on the couch on a cold day because they are gay and happy. Set somewhere in the early 90s—the same universe as my longfic. Enjoy!

Winter has come in Miramar. The day is shortening and the temperature is dropping. Don’t forget to bundle up, check your tires just in case—the vigorous DJ says on the radio as Maverick tosses beneath the blanket for the thirtieth time.

Maverick never handles the cold too well. This winter is no exception, even though Slide insists it’s really not that bad. It’s cold, sure, this year’s relatively chilly by the San Diego standard they’re both used to, but not I-get-my-shit-done-in-a-blanket-don’t-judge-me level cold.

Well, whatever he says, Maverick thinks in a somewhat groggy state after sleeping in. That bastard spent a considerable amount of time at his nana’s place in New York, for God’s sake.

Crawling back under the cozy fort, he curls himself and indulges in the snugness of the velvety fabric. The comfort of the couch, combined with the radiating heat of Slider’s body, is nothing but pleasantly addicting, more so on a chilly Sunday like this.

“Hey, Froggy.” A soft, amused tenor calls him. “Freezing much?”

Froggy.

Maverick never handles the cold too well. If one thing that entertains Slider in this frigid weather, that would be teasing his boyfriend for his very amphibian antics.

He peeks his head from the blanket and loops his arms around Slider’s torso. The sleeves of his lightweight sweater are rolled up below his elbows. The material is pretty tight-fitting as far as he can feel on his hands, hugging his toned physique in all the right places.

“Should I say yes?” Maverick mutters. “Or should I just accept my fate and say…hi-ho!”

“What? Kermit?”

“Who else am I supposed to be, jackass?” Maverick pouts, throwing his arms in the air. “Hi-ho! It’s Kermit the Frog here, little Ronnie.”

“Sounds like a strangled car horn right there, huh?” Slider smirks. “But sure, Froggy.”

Froggy. Jim Henson-esque.

Maverick shifts under the cover, snuggling Slider’s stomach.

“Haven’t got to practice much lately.”

“Mm-hm.”

“I used to.” His voice trails off before it turns into a small sigh. “But Bradley’s all grown up for Sesame Street lately, y’know.”

He relaxes in Slider’s lap as he strokes his head, playing with the short strands of his brunette hair. He likes it when his big hand caresses him like this, always so gentle and soothing.

Maverick slips in his fingers under Slider’s sweater, playfully pulling it up to reveal a part of his tanned skin underneath.

“Pete?” Slider whispers. “What are you—oh.”

Maverick hikes up Slider’s sweater just high enough to bare his muscled chest. His fingers trail on the toned abs, tracing and rubbing every curve as his hands move up to his sternum. His touch is no more than a light brush over his skin, but it is enough for the taller man to jolt. He drapes himself over Slider’s body and wallows in the warmth that feels so encompassing against his skin.

A small moan escapes his lips as Maverick’s cold hands brush against his chest, adding a good amount of friction to his sensitive nipples. He gently sucks the tips, drawing a small, sensual gasp from his robust lover beneath. The contrast between his tanned complexion and the dark gray sweater is what hooks him. The nasal moan Slider sometimes lets out under him adds to the eroticism—and a sense of satisfaction, that he is the one who’s making Slider melt under his touch, that he is the only one at this moment who’s allowed to devour every part of his man.

“All warmed up, weakass?”

If there’s anything to please Maverick more, it’s the daring flame in Slider’s outwardly nonchalant gaze. An invitation he knows he could never resist.

“Bullshit.” He laughs, placing another gentle kiss on Slider’s forehead. “Not enough yet, sweetheart.”

A soft grin paints Slider’s sharp features.

“Do you wanna hear something funny, Froggy?”

“What?”

Slider throws his arms over Maverick’s neck, tugging him by the shiny strands of his short brunette hair.

“I don’t hate this.”

A kiss on his temple. A kiss on his earlobe. And—God, those swollen lips on him—pink, puffy, and wet, parted slightly, tempting him with their unmistakable softness against his flushed skin.

“Yeah,” Maverick whispers into the hollow of Slider’s neck. “How strange, is it?”

Slider loops one of his legs around the brunette’s hip, drawing him closer. His sweater is left hiked up, revealing just enough skin for Maverick to taste and wallow in the healthy yet sinful beauty of his toned chest.

“Mind warming up a poor froggy, darling?” Maverick grins.

“Shut up and show me what you’ve got, Kermie.”

[yappacadaver]

2 + 14 + 22 💖

Thanks you so much for sending me nubers :’3 ILU!!!!!!!

2. What would they do if the other woke in a manic state after a nightmare?

Raymond: Dealing with a manic Yumi is basically his third (fourth???) job now. If possession was taking over, he’d tap into the skills and knowledge they’re building together on how to deal with that (PLOT!!!! Coming v soon working on this chapter now lol). If it was just general psychological distress, that would be a little further outside his comfort zone, but he’s prepared to do what he can. The question “what do you need?” comes up a lot. Despite being a certified yapper, comforting words don’t come easily to him. His preference lies in problem solving, though Yumi shows him that sometimes a quiet and reassuring touch is what she prefers.

Yumi: Yumi would have a hard time with Raymond’s mania, mostly because it’s a very rare state for him to be in (these days). Where he has worked very hard to get a handle on his anger and fear, seeing him rage or panic would scare her— especially rage. If she ended up being the target of his rage she’d be paralyzed, and wouldn’t be much help. Otherwise, she’s very attentive and would do her best to see to his needs that he’d surely neglect like feeding him, keeping him hydrated, keeping him from staying up late working/smoking. She’s got a good ear for listening, and good arms for hugging. The episode would likely end with a long heart-to-heart, maybe some tears, and cuddles back to sleep (or at least back to resting, eyes closed).

14. How do their personalities compliment each other? How do they clash?

Oouh these two are complimentary like yin and yang

They have great “opposites attract” energy: she’s wild, he’s mild. She’s modern (90’s modern) and he’s more traditional. She’s sexual, he’s more discreet.

And in every aspect they maintain, there’s a little bit of the opposite energy in them. Raymond, the traditional type, might balk at being first-named when he expects an honorific, but he also designs websites and databases (in the 90s). Whereas Yumi, the MTV kid with a gameboy attached to her hand, does expect Raymond to pay for everything.

Their complimentary personalities only clash when their goals are misaligned. Only then do their worst aspects come out against each other and then Yumi is soooo bothered with how controlling Raymond is, or he is soooo frustrated with Yumi’s unreasonableness.

22. What reminds each of their partner?

I think I did this one before but it is such a fave and I’ve got more to say LOL

Raymond: he thinks of her in capricious summer weather, when honeysuckles start to go from white to yellow and you can smell them in the air. He sees her in lightning strikes and wary animals. A certain postcard with a certain crab mascot might arrive any day now and snap his memories straight back to their road trip.

Yumi: She has reminders of him etched into her body, the little scars on her fingers evoking the memory of him holding her hands for the first time and bandaging them in the back of his car. When she smells cigarettes, or hears waves crashing against the rocky New England shore, she remembers him.

Tysm again for sending some numbers!!!!! Yayayay these were so fun (*≧∀≦*)

OTP ASK GAME HERE, always accepting and anon is always on :3c!!!!!

[therentalgram1]

Khopoli’s Greatest Diwali Vacation for the Most Fun

Diwali is quickly approaching, and as the cities prepare for spectacular fireworks and crowded streets, why not try something new this year? Enjoy the festival of lights in a serene setting, away from the bustle of the city, with the breathtaking Sahyadri hills serving as your backdrop. Doesn’t it sound alluring? What Khopoli has to offer is precisely that! And the icing on the cake? Arcadia Villa is your affordable haven of pleasure and nature.

Enjoy Diwali at a Private Khopoli Villa

With the traffic, loud noises, and the struggle to find room for those glittering diyas, Diwali in the city might occasionally be too much to handle.

Imagine yourself enjoying the cold breeze and the crisp aroma of nature while in Khopoli, which is only 90 minutes from Mumbai. This area has chef’s kiss weather from October to December, with mild mornings, warm afternoons, and chilly evenings that are ideal for sipping tea and chatting on a balcony.    Khopoli is beckoning if you’re a bunch of young professionals and students on a low budget but yet want to have a great Diwali vacation. It’s a reasonably priced vacation that doesn’t compromise on enjoyment or beauty.

Khopoli Bungalow for Your Diwali Getaway

Let’s now discuss Arcadia Villa, a private villa in Khopoli that is nestled along the Khopoli-Pali Road. Your home away from home is this three-bedroom villa. A garden so large it might accommodate an outdoor camp awaits you when you wake up. If you’re feeling like picking fresh vegetables, there’s even an organic agricultural section!

Here’s what you can expect

• Spacious 3 BHK villa — Plenty of room for you and your crew • A sprawling garden — Perfect for those post-diwali card games or a casual stroll • Games room with TV and music system — Because no Diwali celebration is complete without some song, dance, and a good movie night • Balconies — Ideal for that morning cup of coffee or late-night stargazing

Did we mention the private patio, too? It’s the ideal location to witness the dawn and dusk. I mean, when you’re drinking tea and seeing the sky change color, you’re going to be in for a treat.    Diwali with a Twist: Fun & Nature We frequently become so engrossed in the Diwali craziness that we neglect to take a break. You can re-establish a connection with yourself and the natural world by celebrating Diwali in Khopoli. Why not light up your Diwali with something more significant than the typical firecrackers, like taking a nature walk or early morning bird watching?

Additionally, you will be contributing to the environment by reducing pollutants. With so much greenery around, it’s the ideal chance to celebrate an environmentally responsible Diwali.

Fun at Imagicaa Awaits After Diwali The fun doesn’t end there, either. Your bungalow in Khopoli is about 30 minutes from Imagicaa, the best place to go after a party. Get your heart racing at the theme park after you’ve had your share of sweets and spent time with your loved ones. It’s the ideal balance of excitement and relaxation for your festivities after Diwali!

Ideal for Low-Cost Travelers 

Let’s now discuss value for money, a topic that we all find appealing. This Khopoli villa for rent is reasonably priced without sacrificing luxury or enjoyment. Arcadia Villa has everything you need, whether you’re a family, a group of friends, or a student hoping to save money while having a good time. Additionally, the serene ambiance will give you the impression that you’re worlds away from the city, even though it’s just a short drive

Make Arcadia Villa Your Diwali Destination

To sum it up, here’s why you should consider making Khopoli your Diwali getaway:

•Beautiful weather — No sweating in heavy Diwali outfits! • Close to nature — Swap city lights for stars and greenery • Pocket-friendly — Enjoy luxury without breaking the bank • Imagicaa nearby — Because who doesn’t love a fun theme park day after the festivities?

Give yourself the present of a fun-filled yet tranquil getaway this Diwali. Everything you need is provided by this villa in Khopoli for rent: a warm, inviting home with all the contemporary conveniences, situated in the middle of nature, yet close enough to adventure when you want it. Prepare for a somewhat different and far more memorable Diwali by packing your bags, calling your friends, and getting ready.

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[resmarted]

me surrounded by a hospital bed full of fresh flowers and the most delicate and delicioue little handcrafted queen's violet and rose cream candies specially brought over from london whilst i lounge around lecturing random lurkers on the dangers of faking compassion and also hallucinating my cats jumping around in this darkened room while also fantasizing about all the cigarettes and booze i can't have (and don't even really necessarily want, but it's the sudden lack of option that is maddening). i should just move to london. like i only eat fish and chips and indian food and my comedy likely translates the best with fellow gloomy weather loving, unimpressed snobs that hate people places and things. i feel like if i didn't eat so much food in this country (our ingredients are banned literally everywhere else) i would instantly get to enjoy all the other fun vices without peril. like why can't i just enjoy bourbon and unflitered cigs ffs. the only thing is there does not seem like nearly enough black people for my liking. nor urban riffraff that american grit is built off the backs from. i know uk has their own low income zones but i need like a real authentic level of poverty, crime and violence to feel safe. i can't sleep without gun shots going off and crackhead fights all throughout the night like it feels so creepy and weird to go too long without the white noise of st. claude avenue. i did quit cigs and whiskey sometime last year btw, with the occasional exception during rare social and bar outings. same goes for weed earlier this year with the exception of buying a preroll while drunk, but nowhere near the way i once smoked. my life has been pretty meh ever since tho. anyway every now and then i conclude the only places that could essentially handle me aside from new orleans are new york and london and vague european places that are close enough for visiting within the territories without having to commit to being stuck there beyond a vacation. def need to live where there are still sneakers hung over telephone wires. or is that just a story i like to tell myself? plus at this point the only way i can repair my evergrowing debt toward my sister is having a house in london for her to visit and live as she pleases since i could end up extremely well off one day and still need to be fully raised into my late 90's like a lost little child who can never seem to figure out how the banking system works.

[shop-korea]

[Back from the Brink] EP04 | Dragon Boy Falls in Love with Taoist Girl |...

GBC - FILMS - PRESENTS

LEGAL - PERMISSION - 4

'KOREAN - BARBIE'

'KOREAN - BARBIE 2'

STARS - SE-KYUNG SHIN

REMEMBER - THIS - IS - JUST

TUMBLR - MY - ELECTRONIC

DIARY - 4 - OUR - OWN - USA

ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSE

OUR - FUN - 2 - ORGANIZE

OUR - THOUGHTS - GOALS

DECISIONS IN THE FUTURE

CHECKED - LOVE - CHEMISTRY

CHINESE - ZODIAC

CHINESE - ACTORS - ACTRESSES

'MS CUPID - IN - LOVE'

COMEDY - DRAMA - ACTION

'BACK - 2 - THE - BRINK'

DRAMA - VERY - VIOLENT - 2

KOREAN - KEN - I - CHOOSE

YUCHEN CAO - 6 FT - AGE 30

BEIJING - ACTOR - & SINGER

PISCES - COMPASSIONATE

NATURE - SENSITIVE - AND

INTUITIVE - NATURE

KOREAN - BARBIE

SE-KYUNG SHIN - 5'5 FT - LIKE

ME - HER - STUNT - GIRL ALSO

AGE 32 - OLDER - POB - SEOUL

LEO - LIKE HER - NEW CHINESE

PERSONAL - ASSISTANT

SE - ACTRESS - SINGER MODEL

LEO - DETERMINATION LEADER

CHARISMA - INNATE - OPTIMIST

STRIVES - 4 - FREEDOM - TRULY

CONSTANTLY - CHANGES

HIRES - NEW PERSONAL ASSIST

ASSISTANT - NEO HOU - BEIJING

ACTOR - SINGER - YOUNGER YES

5'10 FT - AGE 25 - FELLOW - LEO

NATURAL - LEADERS - STRONG

SENSE - OF PURPOSE INTENSE

NEED - 2 B - ADMIRED - BY YES

OTHERS - NEO - ESPECIALLY &

CAN - B - EXTREMELY - TRULY

GENEROUS - WITH - HELPING

THOSE - AROUND - THEM - 2

PERFECT - ASSISTANT - FOR

SE-KYUNG SHIN

BLONDE - HERE - SO - IS KEN

MY - CHOICE - 4 - FILM

'KOREAN - BARBIE'

MUSICAL - ROMANCE COMEDY

ADVENTURE - ACTION - DRAMA

NEO HOU LIKE GUAN XIAOTONG

LIZA SOBERANO - PHILIPPINES

ALL - 3 - OX - GIRLS - AND BOY

OX - IS - WORLD - KNOWN FOR

EXTREME - BEAUTY - HARD - 2

HURRY - UNCOMFORTABLE

WITH - EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE

ROSES - MUST - MATCH THEIR

CLOTHES - DURING - TIME - OF

DELIVERY - LESS - CHEMISTRY

WITH - SE-KYUNG - THAN CAO

OX - BABES - ARE - BORES

WHEN - U - WANT - KAROAKE

PUB - NIGHT - OR - DANCING

VERY - CONSERVATIVE - YES

PERSONS - BUT - ALWAYS

LATE - EVERYWHERE TOO

CHANGE - THEIR CLOCKS

2 - HAVE - THEM - 15 MIN

EARLY - PUBLIC TEMPERS

HARD - 2 - HURRY - THESE

EXTREME - BEAUTIES - SO

BEAUTIFUL - THEY - ARE 2

MY - TOP - CHOICES - FOR

GBC FILMS - LEGAL PERMIT

'KOREAN - BARBIE'

'KOREAN - BARBIE 2'

EVERYTHING - HAPPENING

2 - ME - BRINGS - FORTH IN

ME - GBC - FILMS - AND TV

EPISODES - 3RD - DIRECTOR

MAIN - WRITER - WANT THIS

LIFE - 2 - BEGIN - SOON YES

BEIJING - CHINA

ACUPUNCTURISTS

CHANGE - MY - OLD - AGE

BACK - 2 - AGE 16 - YOUTH

YUCHEN CAO - 6 FT - BEIJING

PLACE - OF - BIRTH - I - HAVE

90% - CHEMISTRY - WITH YES

AS - CHINESE YEAR ROOSTER

LIKE - KAI - PARK BO GUM TOO

'LOVE - BIRDS' - ME - DRAGON

LOVE - 'MS - CUPID - IN - LOVE'

ROMANCE - COMEDY - ACTION

BOTH - ACTORS - ARE SINGERS

GETTING - MY - YOUTH - BACK

IN - BEIJING - CHINA - AND MY

BLUE - EYES - BACK - THEY'LL

RESTORE - MY DNA - CHANGE

WHERE - MY - R EYE - FACES 2

TALLER - AS - 5'9 FT - FR - YES

MARILYN MONROE - 5'5 FT - 2

WILL - LOOK - AGE 16 - AGAIN

WITH - MAKE UP - LIKE AGE 19

BACK - 2 - RUNWAY - MODEL'G

IN - PARIS - FRANCE - BUT I'M

GOING - 2 - HAVE - NEW FACE

I - HATE - MINE - I - WILL - YES

LIVE - NEXT - LIFE - OF - MINE

BETTER - WANT - MY - 12 - YES

LITTLE - ASIAN - BOYS - THAT

I'M - ADOPTING - TOTAL - 2 BE

DELIGHTED - WITH - THEIR

NEW - MOM's - NEW - FACE

I - WANT - 2 B - A - MOTHER

AGAIN - NEVER - GOT - THE

CHANCE - WITH - LOUSY - YES

MARRIAGES - AND - I - COULD

NOT - HANDLE THE WEATHER

ACUPUNCTURE - 2 - HANDLE

SNOW - AND - END - MY - YES

LIGHTNING - FAST - TANNING

MAKE - ME - WANT - 2 - DO

SPORTS - BUT - WHEY - YES

PROTEIN - POWDER I THINK

IS - THE - SECRET - WITH XO

BLACK - CACAO - POWDER

OREA - LIKE WITH VANILLA

ADD - NUTELLA - 1 TBS AND

BANANA - WATER - IS - FINE

REFRIGERATORS - THEN

ADD - CASHEW MILK - 4

PLANT - BASED - ALSO

B 4 - WORKOUT - AND - ALSO

AFTER - ICE CUBES - BLEND 2

CAN'T - WAIT - 4 - ALL - THIS 2

DROPSHIPPING - AMAZON

ADDING - BABY - STUFF - 2

I - WANT - 2 - KNIT - HATS 2

KNIT SWEATERS - EXCITED

WHAT - 2 - DO - IS - 2 - KNIT

MAIN - LIBRARY - LOOKING

AT - 2 BOOKS - ALSO - SAW

AT - 9TH ST - PUBLIX - YES

FOUND - PORK SHOULDER

$5.25 - AND - TODAY - WAS

SWEETEST - MELONS - AT

$2.46 - BY - MEMORY - THE

PRICES - BUYING ICE CUBE

HAVE - OVER - $23 - LEFT

EBT FOOD - STAMPS HOW

PATHETIC - PHILIPPINE YES

PORK - ADOBO - JASMINE

RICE - CAN'T - WAIT - TOO

TODAY - LAST - DAY - AS I

EXPOSE - MY - SMALL SOLAR

BAYFRONT - PARK - THE BEST

7 HRS - OF - RECHARGING - FL

UP - 2 - ONLY 7:30A - THIS FAN

OTHER - 36 HRS - EXCITING - 2

MY - SOLAR - RECEIVED - YES

YESTERDAY - 21 JULY - BUT IT

MIGHT - B - TOMORROW WITH

AMAZON - GIFT CARD - MAYBE

TODAY - CHAT - PHONE - $72.74

PRAY - WE - MAKE - IT - WITH

OUR - SHOPIFY - ONLINE YES

STORES - DROPSHIP'G AMAZON

WITH - APP - INSTANT REFUNDS

THEY - GET - THEIRS - IN - TRUE

SECONDS - ADVERTISE

REFUND - IN - SECONDS

THAT's - YOUR - PLATFORM

FREE - SHIPPING

5% - FEE - ONLY - PAY ONCE

U - GET - YOUR - REFUND - 2

APP - GIVES - U - TIME - YES

2 - PAY - BACK - 5% - FEE IS

LOW - MY - AUTO - MARK UP

AUTO - SYNC - PRICES

10% - PROFIT - ADD - COINS

$0.95 - IF - EXCELLENT - ME

WON'T - NEED - $10 - PRICE

BULK - EDITOR - APP THERE

SO - PRAY - PRAY PRAY OUT

LOUD - 2023 - OUR - 1ST YES

EARNINGS - $25,000 - THAT

MONTH - INSTEAD - OF THE

USUAL - $5,000 - $10,000

WE'RE USING - TABOOLA ADS

IMAGES - GIFs - VIDEOS ALSO

TABOOLA - ADS - CHANGES

THE - BALLGAME - 2023 THE

YEAR - OF - THE - MAXIMUM

THE - HIGHEST - LEVEL - YES

ATTAINABLE - FR - OUR - FAV

DR JERRY SAVELLE - TEXAS

MY - PRAYER - REQUEST

SHOPIFY ONLINE STORE

1ST - MONTH - $25,000

CAILEY's - STORE

FREE - SHIPPING

REFUND - IN - SECONDS

cailey . store

FREE - SHIPPING - SAME DAY

NEXT - DAY - 2 DAY - SO NICE

REFUND - IN - SECONDS

BLOG - UNLIKE - AMAZON

CAILEY's - STORE

cailey . store

SHOPIFY - DOMAIN - NAME

ZOHO - BUSINESS - EMAIL 2

$7 - MONTHLY - THE - BEST

PRAY - PRAY - PRAY

SUNDAY - 12P - MOST FOOD

LOTS - OF - DONATORS EPIC

AMOUNT - OF - FOOD - I'VE

BECAUSE - OF - LIGHT AND

CARS - LIKE - WINGS - TRUE

COVERED - SIDES - ALSO

MAT - UNDERNEATH - IS

VISIBLE - 4 - DRINKS AND

FOOD - DONATION - SO - I

CAN - KEEP - SCREEN YES

OPEN - SO - COOLER - AND

SHADE - IN - BETWEEN CAN

GO - BACK - AND - FORTH

TENTS - EASILY - NOT SEEN

I - NOW - COME - OUT - FRM

OTHER - TENT - DOOR - AND

EASIER - DON'T - HAVE 2 YES

BEND MAJOR - LIKE BEFORE

SO - USING - OTHER - DOOR

THE - MOST - SPACE - ALSO

PRAYED - NO - MORE - BIRD

DOO DOO - ON - NEW TENT

USED - 2 B - SHORTER AND

WHITE - THEIR - FAVORITE

COLOR - SO - FAR - WHEN I

PRAYED - NO - DOO DOO

EVER - SINCE - SO - GOT

PRAYERS - ANSWERED - ALSO

I'LL - B - LEAVING - SOONER 2

MAKE - PHILIPPINE - PORK YES

ADOBO - WHAT - IS - LEFT FOR

WATER - $1.11 - GALLONS - YES

ENJOY - SABBATH - EVERYONE

[livefuntravelposts]

The Best Tiger Safari's in India

In the jungles of India, we sit quietly waiting and hoping a tiger will appear.  We have tracked it to this location finding footprints on the road and hearing warning calls from other wildlife in the forest.  This is both the fun and frustration of tracking tigers in India.  You can do this all day and never see one of these elusive creatures. Kati and I have been lucky.  We have seen 19 tigers in four and half days.  We have also tracked and seen nothing for hours.  How indescribable seeing a tiger for the first time. We have traveled to India during the hottest time of the year, May.  Temperatures approached 115 degrees.  We have flown from Miami to Lisbon, Portugal then onto Paris, France.  From Paris we flew over the Himalayas into Delhi, India.  From Delhi we flew to Jabalpur and then drove 4 hours.  After 3 days we drove another 4 hours to a different tiger area.  We have had 9 safaris (5 evening and 4 morning) and we have met with people in the same lodge that have seen nothing or just a glimpse of a tiger.  We have known people that come for a longer time and see only 1 or 2.  As I have said, Kati and I have been lucky.  

Seeing your first tiger is an amazing feeling. Like Africa, India has many iconic animals.  Tigers.  Elephants.  Sloth Bears.  Lions.  Rhinos.  Leopards.  Unlike Africa, where you can drive and see many of the iconic animals fairly easy, nothing is easy in India.  The elephants are dangerous and need to be avoided mostly.  The Sloth Bears and Leopards are seen very rarely though we saw tracks for both.  Tracking wildlife in Africa is harder than in India but seeing the iconic wildlife in Africa is easier. Here is our guide for the best chances to see Tigers in the wild in India:

When to go to India to track Tigers

Choosing when to go was probably the easiest for us.  We decided to go in May.  We knew the temperatures would be high.  Up to 115 degrees but with little humidity.  Coming from Florida we can handle that.  In fact, we found it easier to handle 110 degrees with little humidity than 90 degrees with a lot.  Also, May saw less tourists, and more locals traveling as well as because of the heat, the tigers would be moving towards the water holes or be in them.  We knew that almost all websites tell you to go to track tigers February to April.  A piece of advice, when all the websites tell you to go to a place during a certain period of time, that is the reason not to go.  We were right and loved being there in May. Just remember, just because it will get to 110 degrees by about 11AM doesn't mean that it won't be cool in the mornings.  A sweater or longer sleeved shirt is a necessity as well as sunblock for mid-mornings.  The mosquitoes were not bad, but there are a lot of flying bugs around that can be a bother.  So, some bug protection should be taken.

  Traveling to and within India

Keep in mind when that you are traveling to a location that is a long way, problems happen.  Kati and I missed our connection in Paris and had to wait for the next flight which was an 8-hour delay.  Also, while in Jabalpur, our flight was delayed for 4 hours getting us back to Delhi late.  Luckily, we had planned and had a buffer in our schedule.  There was an extra day built into when we got there and before we left.  This allowed us to not miss anything that we wanted to do.  We were ablet to adjust and our tiger safaris were safe.  When traveling internationally, always keep in mind that delays and cancellations sometimes happen.  For weather.  For mechanical problems.  Because you have made a mistake or just because a change in flight schedules.  Don't let these things ruin your trip.

  What company to use in India

Now that we have decided to go to India and when, we had to decide where to go, where to stay and how to get there.  Having done a lot of research we finally decided to use Pugdundee Safaris. It was difficult as there are many choices, but keep in mind.  In the jungle areas that we chose to go, there are huge differences between 4-star and 5-star accommodations.  And there are even bigger differences between 3-star and 5-star accommodations. We chose Pugdundee for a number of reasons: - They had great lodges in the tiger areas that we chose. - They were highly rated by a large number of visitors. - They had a large number of options and areas you can travel to. - They would pick us up from the airport and return us and drive us between areas (about 5 hours).  Everything was included. - All the tigers' safaris were private - meaning only Kati and I would be on them. - They were reasonable as far as cost. - They are eco-friendly. They had many options to choose from and we chose Bandhavgarh and Kanha Tiger areas to visit with safaris both morning and evening. Asked why not Ranthambore since it is driving distance from Delhi, because it is driving distance from Delhi is the exact reason that we did not choose Ranthambore.  It has become over touristy with little regard to speed limits and limits on the amount of people going in to see Tigers. Both lodges put on documentaries every evening showing the work in the areas and the work with tigers.  It is amazing the behind the scenes work that the tiger area rangers do that you would never know about. Bandhavgarh has the highest tiger density in India and Kanha is a huge area but absolutely beautiful and on the Kipling Trail. Were we right?  Absolutely.  The accommodations were top notch and very comfortable.  The food was excellent.  And the management and staff were incredible.  In Bandhavgarh we stayed at the King's Lodge and in Kanha we were at the Kanha Earth Lodge.  Both are jungle lodges but would rate 5 stars anywhere.  They are very accommodating to your food preferences and if there are any issues, they immediately addressed them.  We cannot say enough good things about Pugdundee, its' management and staff.

A Tiger sleeping in the Jungle

It all comes down to People

When you are traveling so far and especially in Africa and India where you depend on others (mainly for safaris), people are everything.  Will they work with you to see what you want to see?  Are they organized and experienced?  Do they make sure you have everything you need and if  you don't can they accommodate you? Do they have the experience you want and need?  The answer to all of these questions with Pugdundee was yes, and we got the most out of our time. The General Managers at both the lodges were outstanding and the safari drivers/naturalists were the best.  The drivers/naturalists got us in the position to take the best photos and see the most tigers.  They stopped and gave us time to see other wildlife like birds (think of owls, eagles and dancing peacocks) and just the beautiful landscape.  If we wanted to stop but there was a potential tiger sighting, they would tell us, and we would go back after tracking the tiger.  They were top notch and with only Kati and I on the safari they were very accommodating as far as when we wanted to stop for breakfast and pointing out birds and other wildlife.  They had the knowledge we needed and were not shy on sharing.  Overall, they were great. We saw other safari vehicles with up to 6 people on up to larger vehicles with more than 20.  We wanted to make sure that we had the most autonomy as possible. By the way, the safaris and guides were always on time to the minute.  And when they have to leave the area, even if you just came across a tiger, you have to go.  You cannot be 5 minutes late or the guide will be penalized.  Be considerate of your guides and naturalists.  They are doing everything they can for you.    

Remember you are in a Foreign Country

Remember when traveling to India that you are no longer in the United States or western Europe.  India is different.  Yes, there are cattle walking all over the place.  On roads, in houses, near breakfast stops.  Remember that the cow is a revered animal in Hinduism.  Also, there is a level of poverty that you see and experience in India.  With almost 1.5 billion people, India struggles.  And not everyone speaks English.  But none of these should ruin your trip or adventure.  India we found to be very environmentally friendly as far as the lodges and hotels that we stayed in.  Also, the people were warm and welcoming in every place we went.  The airport seems so chaotic but somehow it works.  We never had a problem in any Indian airport.  Just remember to have your boarding card ready to show like 6 times before you get on your plane and we had to unpack our carry on luggage over and over again so give yourself time.  Always be to an airport at least 3 hours in advance of  your flight.  Frankly, we found the airport in Delhi, which seems so chaotic, actually was easier to navigate and faster to get through check in and security than Miami and Paris.  

Our Final Word

As with all trips, when traveling to India you need to have an open-mind and it will come down to your attitude.  We had an 8-hour delay in Paris.  We had a 4-hour delay in Jabalpur.  We didn't care for all of the food (but most was outstanding).  We even had a mouse in one of our rooms.  But we were on an adventure.  Our own jungle book.  We were there to track and see tigers.  We were there to visit the Taj Mahal and explore Agra.  And we did all of that with very little disruption.  Would we go back?  Absolutely.  And it would have our highest recommendation to visit and explore.  There are many tiger reserves and Project Tiger, started 50 years ago has been a tremendous success.  It has doubled the number of tigers in India. India is an incredible place to visit, and tigers are an animal that few get to see.  We hope that more and more people travel to India and see these magnificent creatures.  And who knows, you might just see us there.          

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[mottlemoth]

Hello Moth, wondering if you're down to offer a bit of writing advice?

Writing was my first love, and during the pandemic I took an extended break which I've yet to return from due to writers block of the century, paired with the fact that anything I did manage to write, was trash.

Now I'm in a position where writing is daunting, and the prospect of writing a story actually feels impossible. I fear I now love the idea of writing more than I love *actually* writing.

I'm not sure if you can relate to this at all, but do you have any tips? <3

Friend, make yourself a cup of your favourite hot drink and come sit here with me. We’ve all gotten so used to the word “pandemic” that we don’t really see it anymore. We say it like it’s nothing, often in sentences such as, “I didn’t really write much during the pandemic.” Picture the person you were five years ago. If you said to that person, “How much creative work will you be expecting to put out during the global pandemic which sweeps the earth five years from now, imprisoning us all in our homes for safety and killing at least six million people?” your previous self would probably throw up a lung. I’m still at a stage where going to the supermarket feels daunting.

It is 100% reasonable to still be recovering your sense of security.

And rest assured that you still love writing, secret person. It hasn’t gone away. I know this because you’re here in my inbox, telling me you want to get back to writing stories. Think of a hobby or interest you had for a while in the past and then naturally moved on from. (I got into scrapbooking once. It was a strange and expensive year.) Were you worried or anxious when you started to drift on from that hobby? Did you reach out to people, looking for help to re-strengthen your connection? Nope. 

And yet here you are, because the writing is different. 

Because it really is love.

So, tips: start small. Give yourself permission to rest any old projects you’re struggling to reconnect with, and nurture yourself by following some current creative instincts for a while instead. Take little steps, following whatever truly appeals. If other things in your life are causing you anxiety right now, take steps to neutralise those. (If I’m nervous in general, it often focuses itself around my writing - “I just can’t write this chapter, I can’t do it, it’s terrible, I am a failure” is sometimes more about how my boss is making me feel incompetent at work, or an argument I had with someone, or maybe I’ve been reading too much news lately and the world seems too frightening for me to handle. Grab a piece of paper, write “10 things I can do to make myself feel safe and looked after” at the top, then list 10 things. A bubblebath, a new shirt, coffee with that friend who always takes your side. Then take steps to do the things, i.e., order the shirt right now, set up the coffee date, go run the bath, don’t just tell yourself you will.)

More tips: if you’re struggling to start a scene, start it with dialogue. If the scene just feels off and isn’t flowing, go back and change the weather. Buy a grubby 90s romance novel from a secondhand shop and keep it on your desk, reading bits of it whenever you think you’re a terrible writer. Go for a walk on your own with some music. Go to a cafe with a notebook, then scribble down all the details around you which you notice - the decor, people’s clothing, the sounds and the smells - just practice describing things, no need for proper sentences. If you struggle to write after a busy day at work when your head is full of debris, try writing first thing in the morning instead. Don’t request or accept feedback from anyone other than a dedicated reader of the genre you’re writing in. Sometimes a good film will teach you more about storytelling than that high-brow bestselling novel. And don’t worry about the washing up, it will still be there tomorrow.

[skamamoroma]

I Promised You The Moon - Episode 1 Thoughts - aka did John Hughes direct this and not tell us?

Oh I had to wait so long today to see episode 1 as I was working but I am so very happy I waited till I was in bed and with a cup of tea... which I then cried into four times. So that’s where I’m at. This is going to be long, I’m not even sorry in the slightest!

For ITSAY, I made so many posts about this show and how moving and beautiful it was, how the symbolism and writing was exceptional, how the music was absolutely incredible and how much I adored BK and PP’s chemistry. P’Boss’ work is special and the feel of Part 1 was a delicious kind of awkward, indie movie full of metaphors, fraught pain and emotion and pretty breathtaking storytelling of love and growth. I fell absolutely in love with Teh and Oh and their story, obsessed with Teh as a character (as I see a lot of myself in him and I love when he spirals) and I just felt utterly moved by the whole show. So I never needed Part 2. Part 1, for me, is perfect. And I certainly didn’t expect to love Part 2 as much or feel as much emotion because I just thought it wouldn’t be possible especially with a change of director and city and storyline... but I genuinely think that was a good idea after seeing Episode 1.

I just finished it and I’m kinda tear stained and the first thing I couldn’t get out of my head was just how much it reminds me of the late dear John Hughes movies from the 80s. Those of you who are a little old like me born right at the beginning of the 90s, will have been brought up on those movies filled with 80s synth music, stories of growing up, artsy camera work and filled with colour and emotion. Those movies are some of my all time favourites and I absolutely felt their influence on Episode 1 and maybe the rest of the season, I don’t know! I really wonder if P’Meen used them or was aware, hahaha. Anyway...!

But first off, I cannot, and I mean CANNOT handle the music. Part 1 really did floor me with the use of the score and how it was such a huge part of the reason it was so beautiful. Phuket Dreams has me in tears about 3 notes in... so cue me crying at the remixes of the old score with 80s synth sounds and almost Dream Pop echoy sounds. That right there is my jam, my absolute favourite music and the way IPYTM is so clearly going to be full of it makes my heart very happy. Especially those last scenes with Oh, that sweeping 80s style music taking him from heartbroken pain to dancing to forget had John Hughes all over it and just felt so impactful. So I will bang on every week about the music I’m sure.

As for the beginning and the casual buying of condoms (yesssss god damn Nadao, thank you for safe sex lessons for LGBT+ youth and a nod to actual sexual expression, I’m mega proud) leading into the way Hoon and Suri were involved (they didn’t give me Tuty 😭) in transferring Teh, it felt like such a gorgeous transfer from ITSAY vibes to IPYTM... watching Teh’s mamma so proud, Hoon watching over him as always and then gently leading into the first moment that made me cry...

How dare they put a remix of the old score over Teh being told by his mamma that she accepts him as he is so casually and softly, in a way that not only lets Teh know he’s loved but welcomes Oh as someone she cares about deeply and is happy being someone her son loves. It was beautifully done and I couldn’t help but think of Teh’s teary face on the Cape at the end of Episode 5 and thinking how proud I am of him. The way Hoon stroked his hair - help.

Teh. Now I made no secret of the fact that I loved every moment of watching Teh go through it in Part 1, how his very physicality and struggle played out especially him writhing all over his rug! But we had to see him grow. He isn’t the same boy he was but he still feels like Teh, just a little more comfortable, a little more mature in some ways and just READY for life. He feels tentative but also prepared to grow more and I just adore him. Oh, on the other hand, the one who was much more secure in himself in terms of his self and sexuality in Part 1 is now absolutely thrown into the unknown and isn’t handling it well.

Oh was established so beautifully as a Phuket boy. His name is rooted in his home, he lives in shorts and by the sea, he’s shaped by that place and what it means to him... his signature scent is coconut! He literally embodies Phuket... so it doesn’t in any way surprise me that we are watching him flounder and feel lost. It feels so human and so many moments felt so moving. When he told Teh that the best part of his day was seeing him, when he imagined the waves on his mind, when he listened to his mamma talk about the coastal weather... it’s hardly surprising that he cried as he was asked to explain his name. That was the second moment that got me. I was a wreck. Watching him break down and fall to pieces infront of total strangers just because he was recounting the meaning of his name, the foundation of who he is, the thing he misses to very much... he doesn’t fit, he doesn’t feel at home and he didn’t feel himself. It was beautifully done, for me. I caught my breath the second he started crying because it was so utterly human and raw. I have felt the way he does and recognised every second on his face. PP has come so so far with his acting.

Then we get the mention of Yongjian. NOW SOMEONE TELL ME IS THAT TEH AS YONGJIAN IN THE TITLES? If so, how dare they spoil it?! I am going to weep uncontrollably if Teh gets his dream. But the way Teh spoke of their future, the way he tried to recreate their past with Yongjian’s speech. Their entire history as friends and boyfriends is rooted in that story, that character, the idea of being Male protagonists... and Teh is so sure of their future. Also, you cannot also avoid the meta of it all with BK and PP. That moment and their words felt so personal to them too and their own real lives!

Do not even start with how their first kiss in Phuket was underwater and arguably their first kiss in Bangkok is the same albeit in public. DO NOT LET ME THINK ABOUT THIS TOO MUCH.

The issue is that, Part 1 set out for us how they ended up where they are. Oh fell into acting, it was never his dream from the start. Then it all became a fight, a thing to win from his rival and in the end a thing to prove. We haven’t really ever see Oh show a passion for the stage and acting, not really. He worked so hard to get his place in Uni but there’s so much irony at play. Their entire story of rivalry has actually caused this current situation. Oh “won” the coveted Uni spot (helped in part by Teh) and Teh “lost” and was making do. But we see how that’s not how life goes. Oh never really felt he knew what he wanted and so he just ploughed on. He’s now in a situation where he has to start deciding, has to be his own person and he’s just... lost. I can’t wait to see him find it whatever it may be! The difference with Teh is that he may not have got his number 1 desire but his passion is ENOUGH. He loves what he’s doing and that moment where Khim (is that her name, I forget now, it’s so late, but Goy’s character) was explaining the lights was gorgeous. Teh’s passion was ignited, you could see that “oh wow” moment... and you can see the difference in how they’re going to progress, Teh didn’t need the top Uni because his passion can carry him and will help him succeed whereas Oh doesn’t know what his passion is and perhaps he’s where he is for the wrong reasons after all. The story telling is lovely to me, if completely heartbreaking.

The tears came again at “but I’ve already given so much of our time to other people”. Oh the tears. The boat scene from ITSAY is my favourite scene of the show and that line is one of the most beautiful bits of writing I’ve encountered for a long while... and to see Teh use it and remember it and effectively set out the issue they’re facing was heartbreaking. They made that promise on the boat and they’re breaking it. Oh-aew is trying to be what he thinks Teh needs and Teh is wide eyed and filled with this new world and getting to indulge his passions. They’re both so human and both trying the best way they know but they’re so young and so unsure and have so little life experience that they don’t know how to be adults or how to manage all of this stuff. They know they care and love and are each other’s person but they have such a lot to learn.

So the introduction of Q and the boys... and let me say they’re glorious... feels both beautiful and tragic because they look like they will be accepting and also potentially LGBT+ themselves or maybe Q (I see your gorgeous painted nails, sweetheart and the way you didn’t question Oh saying “partner” for a second)... but also they’re what Oh is using to fill the time he promised to Teh. It’s not Oh’s fault. He deserves friendship and a world of his own too but he was relying so much on the familiarity of Teh and Teh’s presence to keep him grounded and comfortable but he can’t do that all the time. He is trying so hard to be good and thoughtful and kind that he’s not telling Teh the truth. He’s doing what he said he wouldn’t do on the boat, but we can’t blame him in the slightest, he’s the sweetest boy.

I have so much to say but I guess that’ll do for now. I really loved the episode. Yes, it’s different but I think I realise now why it needed to be. In a way I’m kinda of happy about it because ITSAY stays sacred!!!! It stays as that beautifully fraught and emotional indie movie of my heart filled with metaphorical depth. It can’t be touched as far as I’m concerned but with IPYTM it feels just as moving, just as emotional, just as impactful but in a different way that reflects maturity. I don’t think it would have worked if it still felt fraught and characterised by ITSAY vibes. They’re not kids, they’re not insecure about who they are anymore in terms of their sexuality and they are moving into adulthood.

I know it’s going to break me. Episode 1 had me genuinely crying into my tea but I also know that it had the potential for its own special brand of symbolism and meaning. We can already see some special moments which seemed to be saying way more than the words themselves like the speech on light and how we see things and the way Oh even used it himself to see a different perspective at the end. That felt really very meaningful. They’re going to need to be able to see different view points as they navigate what will probably be a shit ton of pain! They will need to adjust to the light, to their circumstances to be able to survive and for their bond to be what is important without allowing other stuff to pass into their line of sight. Oh saw nothing. Empty stage, no Teh, not even himself... he opened his eyes too soon. He needs to learn to adjust and learn how to see the world and his place in it so that when he opens his eyes he sees what he desires and has worked for and made for himself rather than emptiness.

The last thing for me is the chemistry. What more can you say other than they’re perfect? They have the most natural, enigmatic, intense and sweet chemistry. They work so beautifully together. They sell even the smallest of moments and they absolutely destroy with emotion. I just feel every second of Teh and Oh’s emotion and that is such a damn skill. Their talent, man.

So I loved it. I am going to be dreaming tearstained in 80s synth music tonight! I can’t wait for the rest to emotionally destroy me a little more.

[achubbydumpling]

(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66

Rating: Mature Words: 1901 Relationship: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski Additional Tags: Public stuffing, Roadtrip, Chubby Stiles

Summary: Stiles and Derek enjoy their first vacation together. Stiles suggests they take on various food challenges to save money while on the road. However, Derek's werewolf metabolism deals with the excess food a lot better than Siles' strictly human one.

(I tried a bit of a different approach to a stuffing, a bit more focused on the way it makes Stiles feel. Hope you enjoy it!)

“It winds from Chicago to LA More than two thousand miles all the way”

“Oh, my God. This is such a good idea! We’ll save so much money.” Stiles was waving the menu around while he talked and almost knocked over his glass of water.

“Right, Derek?”

“Right. Awesome,” was his clipped answer. Derek looked like his usual grumpy self, but with his hand on Stiles’ thigh and with how close he was sitting, Stiles didn’t worry about the slightly pained expression on his face. He’d soften up once the breakfast crowd died down a bit and there weren’t this many people around.

Read on AO3

“We just have to finish those three pancakes and then the food is free! Even if we can’t finish it’s 15 dollars to try and we can take the leftovers on the road.”

Stiles didn’t want to throw in the towel before the challenge had even begun, but it was probably for the best to not go into this completely blind. While waiting for their server to return Stiles looked up eating competitions online.

They did have 90 minutes in total to finish all the food, but Stiles hypothesized that eating as quickly as possible would be the best strategy. Derek argued that they should take advantage of all the time they were given. Now that Derek could focus on something else than his surroundings his hunched over posture slowly relaxed.

The banter eventually escalated into a bet that whoever finished first got to choose a punishment for the loser. Stiles was almost certain he would lose out against the werewolf metabolism, but he didn’t think Derek would go for a particularly harsh punishment. He would have never agreed to this with Scott because he always chose the most embarrassing punishments.

This was his and Derek’s very first vacation on their own after finally sorting out their mutual pining. The road trip had been planned for close to year. However, the exact date had always been pushed back by another monster of the week ruining their plans. Instead of making a round trip they had flown up to Chicago and rented a car instead of taking the Jeep like Stiles had initially planned. The old girl probably wouldn’t have made it anyway.

Another consequence of pushing their vacation back was the weather. Instead of driving in late spring or early summer, when the heat would have still been bearable, it was August—the hottest month of the year.

The AC could barely keep up and all the people that had just eaten breakfast here had heated the small diner up even more. Stiles poured himself another glass of ice water.

He was looking forward to when they would get far enough south to where diners started serving real sweet tea. Boyd had shared a few stories with the pack about the summers he had spent on his uncle’s farm in Georgia. How the only thing that could chase the sweltering heat away for a moment was the ice-cold sweet tea his auntie always kept in the fridge.

When their food finally arrived at the table the server could barely fit both plates on the small table for two. Each pancake was twelve inches in diameter, the stack was piled high with maple syrup, banana, and whipped cream.

“Wow, these are huge!” Derek stifled a laugh.

“There was a picture in the menu.” The server cleared his throat to get their attention before they could dig in.

“When this,” he held a tomato shaped kitchen timer up, “goes off and you have not finished the challenge you will be—” he sighed and made an unenthusiastic buzzer noise “—disqualified.”

“Thanks, pal.” Stiles grinned back. The server glared at him for a second before he wound up the timer and left the table.

“Man, that guy is in a bad mood.” Stiles tried joking around with Derek before they got serious about this challenge.

“You haven’t worked in hospitality before.”

“And you have?” He took another sip of water and waved the glass around threatening to spill all over.

“Summer job.” Derek shrugged and finally picked up his fork.

“Wait, you can’t just drop something like that and not tell me more details.”

“If you don’t want to pay for this mountain of food you better dig in.”

Stiles whined Derek’s name annoyed, but also picked up his fork.

“On three,” Stiles said, but Derek was already chewing the first bite.

“Cheater,” Stiles mumbled around a mouthful of pancake.

These were a lot flatter than the standard-sized pancakes. Probably deflated by their own weight, but the mixture of flour, sugar and oil tasted great all the same. Stiles hadn’t had banana pancakes before, but he welcomed the fruity sweetness in contrast with the straight up sugar of the rest of the meal.

Stiles surprised himself when he managed to keep up with Derek all through the first pancake. When he got started on that second one, he even pulled ahead for a bit, but he hit a wall as soon as half of it was gone. It felt like his stomach had suddenly closed down shop and he felt almost nauseous when he thought of eating even more sugar.

However, when Derek pulled ahead and finished off his second pancake without any trouble Stiles doubled down. He knew it was a loosing battle, but he wasn’t about to give up this easily. Yet, as willing as his mind was, his body failed him. With about three quarters of the last pancake left his determination flagged.

The food weighed heavily in his stomach. The vague nausea from eating way too much sugar curled up into his throat and had him sipping water to try and wash it down, which only made him feel even fuller.

Stiles could picture exactly what he looked like right now. He’d done this in front of his bedroom mirror. His stomach rounding out, like half a beach ball taped to his front. The curve of a belly looking out of place on his thin frame.

He had always loved to eat, not only for the sake of taste, but also because of how it made him feel. Sated. Heavy. Tethered down and not constantly in danger of floating away in his own mind. That moment when his thoughts finally ground to a halt and all he could do was to be overwhelmed by that feeling—almost on the wrong side of too much to handle.

However, he wasn’t at that point yet. This was more of a mental block. Unlike Derek, he didn't really have a sweet tooth. Stiles preferred salty, greasy substantial meals over dessert any day.

Stiles had been sat staring at his plate before Derek leaned against him to whisper, “You ok?”

Stiles groaned but picked up his fork again. Derek didn’t seem affected by the amount of food at all. Then again, the wolves always had to eat a lot just to keep their mass up. They leaned out quickly without enough food, preserving energy.

“Just taking a break.” Stiles could see Derek shifting in his seat, the wolf always craving closeness. They’d talked about this, whatever it was, after Derek had accidentally seen Stiles once afterwards. Stiles had tried his best to explain while still caught in that blissed out state. He didn’t know how but Derek had somehow understood.

Derek finally put that last bite in his mouth and then moved closer to Stiles. The entire side of his body was pressed up against Stiles. He was carefully draped over Stiles shoulders offering support, but not crowding him in. Stiles was still steeling himself for the next bite when Derek’s hand slipped under his shirt. Knuckles dragging against bare skin.

Stiles yelped and grabbed at Derek’s wrist. “What are you doing?” he whispered urgently.

“Helping,” Derek answered and furrowed his brows. Like always. Except they were in the middle of a restaurant and not locked in Stiles’ bedroom.

“Stop. Someone is going to see you,” he paused to search for the right word but then just flicked his eyes to where he was still holding Derek’s wrist.

“We’re not coming back here. You wanted to do the challenge.” Stiles wanted to whine and complain at Derek, but he was right. Stiles had suggested doing the food challenge. He’d honestly just thought about getting free food, only when they had already ordered, did he even think of this possibility.

“Plus,” Derek almost purred into Stiles’ ear, “winner gets to choose a punishment, right?”

Stiles’ “not really a punishment” died in his throat when Derek pulled him almost into his lap and his knuckles started digging into the roundest part of his stomach. They probably just looked like an overly affectionate couple, but that didn’t keep that searing hot shame from bubbling up. Stiles wanted to hide his burning face against Derek’s shoulder. He wanted to push Derek away. Stiles wanted to cram the rest of the pancake into his mouth to keep himself from thanking Derek out loud for getting his hands on his stuffed belly.

Derek hadn’t seemed interested in participating in Stiles’ peculiar activities but every time they had somehow ended up in that situation again, he had gotten more and more affectionate towards Stiles and his bloated middle.

“You’re gonna finish that, aren’t you?” Stiles shook his head, but he stabbed his fork into the pancake, nonetheless.

“Are you?” Derek asked again, a teasing edge to it. Stiles didn’t trust his voice and just nodded.

“Yes, look at yourself. The first chance you get to stuff yourself full of some food and you run headfirst into it.” Derek cupped his bloated stomach and lifted it up a bit.

“Look at that. All the food you stuffed in there making a nice little belly. Do you want to eat like this every day?” Stiles pushed another bite past his lips almost all whipped cream.

“Do you?” Derek prompted him. A whine caught in Stile’s throat, and he pushed it down with another forkful of food. He nodded and hummed agreeably.

“You’re just so greedy to be stuffed full.” Stiles was burning up but instead of reaching for his glass of water he gathered the last bits and pieces on his plate.

“You know what’s gonna happen if I let you eat like this every day?” Stiles was fast approaching the simple state of mind he was craving. He couldn’t decide whether to nod or shake his head. The motion of Derek’s hand on his stomach softened. Rubbing large circles into the stretched skin.

“You’re gonna get fat if you eat like this every day.” With that last mouthful Stiles had finished the challenge, but all he could think about was what Derek had just said.

“Feels so good,” Stiles said. Words slurred and a dopey smile on his face while he turned further into Derek’s body.

“Feels too good to stop, huh? Never had all that food just for free. That’s why you dragged me out here, off the highway. Not because you cared about what you’d eat, but because of how much. Is that right?”

“Yes,” Stiles whispered. “Every day.”

“Then it’s a good thing we’ve got four weeks on the road and me to take care of you.”

“Won't you get hip to this timely tip When you make that California trip Get your kicks on Route 66”

[sparklingchan]

Tipsy Turvy || Choi San(Ateez)

Pairing : Reader (fem.) x Choi San

Word count : 5k+

Warnings : Cuss words , alcohol , hangover , mentions of over drinking, not proof read.

Genre : Fluff , a tiny bit of angst , romance , friends to lovers au.

Description : You have a complicated relationship with San , and the alcohol in your system makes it worse ( or better).

Author's Note : So with all honesty , I have NO idea how people behave when drunk so I searched it up and wrote this 90%  based on that ( and 10% on  my friends’ advice). I hope at least one of y’all get the horrible pun in the title  -_-

Please do reblog , like and comment if you like this. My DMs are also open so if you want to gimme a review , feel free.

Enjoy!

The coffee in the cup must have gone cold by now, because the moment you touch it’s surface ,you don't feel the same sting as you did a few minutes ago.

Not that it tasted good anyway. You're almost glad you didn't have to drink it but maybe, right now, you could use a sip or two to spare yourself a few seconds of peace.

"The coffee is wonderful, isn't it? It's my favorite one." The man in front of you - Mike - needs to seriously give you a break, or else there will be blood on the streets. Literally, "I'm glad you like it."

Does he not see the clearly disgusted look on your face ? Or was he so sure you'd like this drink just because he ordered it without even asking you?

"Yeah ,its fine." You sigh , touching your lips to the mouth of the cup and then putting it back down. You're not drinking that already tasteless and now cold coffee. No way.

"So ,y/n, since we're expected to give our parents an answer after this date, I'd like to know about your opinions first . And please be honest. I would hate to upset you." He says , scratching his chin .

Your eyes widen at the unexpected string of words. This is the first time since this stupid date began that he actually asked your opinion on anything.

"Well," you begin, your mind filling up with tons of words that you'd waited patiently to let out , "Marriage is a big decision. At least for me. And this is all too fast. I just hope we have enough time to know each other before our parents set the date."

He nods his head , “ I agree, I agree. Its important . Right."

You furrow your brows. His reaction seems very forced. Like he really didn't agree with you , but for the sake of it , he's agreeing.

"And what kind of qualities do you look for in a man,y/n?" You want to roll your eyes at the question but you pull your lips up in a smile, not quiet touching your eyes but enough to convince him. You wonder why he was trying so hard to save a date that had been going downhill from the moment he sat down in front of you. You guys clearly didn't like each other, and the spark was missing.

A spark you'd only ever felt with one person.

"Its difficult to describe ideal types but yeah,I'd like someone who's compatible with me and loving and well.. obviously respectful." You say. Mike chuckles at your answer , as if amused by it, "I was expecting you to say you wanted someone who's rich and handsome like...me , honestly. But it's alright." You wonder if he actually hears himself because he really sounded like a self absorbed piece of shit right now. And you'd really do anything to escape from this date.

"Well , I guess not. " you reply with a chuckle. In all honesty, you yourself don't know what your ideal type is. It's not about the conditions or requirements that a person fulfills. It's not a job , it's a connection. You can't confine people to certain criterias. It defies the whole purpose of that connection. And even if you did have qualities you looked for in a man , everything would always end up pointing at only one damn person. You push his images away even before they can surface into your mind.

"So anyway, as I was saying before the coffee arrived , my dad bought this really pretty yacht for me last month and it's super amazing to - " and you shut him out completely while he continues blabbering and you quietly sip the disgusting coffee in front of you.

You really want to groan now. Like on his face. Putting emphasis on how draining and boring this whole conversation is for you.

But all you do is smile and nod.

You were going to reject him the moment your parents set you up on a date with a ' nice and charming bachelor '. What side of Mike did they find even remotely nice or charming? You would never know. But one thing is sure now ,you will at least not have to deal with your parents pestering you for marriage after you reject Mike.

The weather is extremely humid today , despite it having rained in the morning so without a doubt , you'd spent your day indoors , reading a book and drinking unhealthy amount of fruit punch.

"Are they still upset ? " your parents should have seen it coming ,really. The rejection was as inevitable as the rising of the sun every morning or the setting of the sun in the evening. Yet , your parents are pretty disappointed at the decision even after three days since that stupid date. You , on the other hand are happy to have gotten rid of Mike - even if it meant your parents being angry.

Your younger brother , Jongho ,sighs into the phone, " What do you think? They really thought you'd finally marry now."

You don't really blame them though. Not at all. That's what they were always taught ,weren't they? Graduate high school, finish college ,get a good job and get married. The full circle.That is all they've every known yet you find yourself upset at the fact that they didn't consider your unwillingness to this marriage ( or any other marriage) at all. You're just barely starting to work ,you cannot throw away all of that to be a good wife and daughter in law. Sure Mike is the son of some rich man who does business with your father, but economical relationships cannot be a basis for a marriage.

"Well, I can't help it . I'm not marrying that asshole at any cost. " you huff , " He is so creepy and weird. Let mom and dad stay pressed. I don't care."

"Is it just because you didn't find Mike interesting or something else?" Jongho asks.

"I guess? " you reply, scratching the back of your head.

"You know , y/n, I understand that you don't want to get married and whatever but we both know there's a solid reason behind it and I am sick of you denying it all the time." Jongho is too honest for your liking. Too brutal , no sugarcoated words. Just the truth.

And the truth stings.

"Shut up." You grumble, fiddling with the book in your hands , legs dangling from the edge of your bed, " I told you not to mention it ever again?"

"Y/n, you love him. Okay? You have loved him for seven years now . It is high time you shoot your shot or else you'll end up with some rich asshole who doesn't give two shits about you!"

He's right,of course he is. His words are not really an opinion or a vague prediction of the future. Those are facts. But hearing him say all that out loud makes your blood turn cold in your body. Fear creeping through every inch of your skin , making it hard to think clearly.

"I don't think it matters if I love him or not. I gave up on him. We haven't spoken much ever since college ended. " you say.

" You didn't give up. You just ran away instead of acknowledging it. There's a difference." Jongho replies , " And for your kind information it's only been six months since college got over. You need to stop talking like it was twenty years ago or something. "

You chuckle at his last phrase, grateful that he's trying to uplift the weirdly tense mood. "I don't think I can do it , Jongho. I want to. I really do but I don't think he likes me back." You admit.

"You're delusional if you think he doesn't like you back, y/n. All the late night car drives, movie dates , eating unhealthy food late into the nights - San loves you too. Obviously he does."

You sigh ,running your fingers over the rough page of the book in your lap. 'Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.' The words read out. The tightening of your chest increases.

"He was just being nice." You mutter.

Jongho sighs loudly from the other side , "Okay , believe what you want . I can't handle both you and mom-dad together, okay? Spare me your bullshit. Bye."

Wow, talk about being a rude, disrespectful child !

You are usually not the one to point fingers or put blame on other people , but you really despised your best friend right now. And you have every right to do so. Your best friend is the main reason why your parents are so desperately trying to get you married and see you settle down and have kids and whatever. Jisoo is the epitome of every good quality all parents desire in a daughter. She's perfect. Even more than that sometimes.

"How's your husband?" Your question doesn't sound very genuine - the words slipping out of your tongue like they were being forced out. But Jisoo seems to let it go.

"He's good , really good. " She replies ,taking a sip from the only can of cola you had left in your fridge. She passes it over to you.

"How lucky ." You mutter , taking a sip of the same drink.

"I know what you're thinking ,y/n. I know your ass is upset about everything that happened with Mike but things take time. Okay? I married early because I wanted to." she says, reading right through you like you were a book she'd read millions of times ,"If you don't want to marry , don't. Stop blaming yourself for not finding good guys." " I wonder if I'll ever find anyone even remotely nice, Jisoo. The only few guys I've been set up on dates with are not my type and well , Mike ... I don't know. We're just not compatible." You complain , " And besides I'm so terrified of marrying a guy I barely know."

Jisoo sighs , "Then marry a guy you've known for a long time."

"Who are you talking about?" You frown. You know exactly who she is talking about but you want to hear her say it. Say his name which you dare not even repeat to yourself when alone.

"Choi San ,of course. The love of your life ,your sun and stars , your sweetheart. " she says , her dreamy eyes widening to exaggerate her point.

You slap her arm hard , almost a little too hard. But you're convinced that she deserves it. "Ow !" She yells ,rubbing the sore area on her arm.

"That name is forbidden in my vicinity." You say.

Okay ,maybe now you are the one who deserves a slap. On the cheek. You couldn't believe that his name still fills your stomach with butterflies and causes your heart to beat so fast that you feel dizzy even though you claim that you're over him.

"No, it's not, y/n. Come on ,dude. You're still not over him. You will never be unless you confess and face the supposed rejection on your own. Only then you'll find it in yourself to seek other guys , unless that's not what you want." She jabs her finger on your shoulder softly , "That, or you can marry San himself. It's very simple ,really."

Now that she put it that way ,it sounds even more complicated and it sends your mind to a voyage into the sea of memories that you rarely even acknowledged anymore( or at least ,you tried to).

San's pretty eyes and alluring smile , the soft hold of his hand on your arm as you run to the movie halls just five minutes before it closes , the warmth of his hugs that you so dearly loved , his silky black hair that you've wanted to touch on so many occasions and the day you were sure he had leaned in to kiss you but your annoying brother decided to call just at that exact moment. You almost wish you could go back to your university graduation day , and wait a little longer for him after the event got over and tell him that he meant the world to you. More than he could ever imagine. You really wish you had waited that day.

"Jongho has this stupid theory that he likes me too. He's making me even more confused. " you say.

"At least Jongho has more brain cells than you. That kid deserves an award or something." Jisoo replies , chuckling.

"He's not a kid. He's just a year younger than me and you." You deadpan. Great, your best friend and brother are now on the same team.

She rolls her eyes , "Yeah , you are a kid too. Only a kid acts so naive and stupid when everything they've ever wanted is right there in front of them. Hell, even a kid would realise that San loves you !"

Jisoo talks a lot , but her words are never empty or vague. She says whatever she wants to and has to. And she is always able to make a point. But you're a dumb bitch who likes to pretend she's still not in love with her childhood sweetheart and is looking for love somewhere else.

"Anyway, can we go for a drink?"

"Glad you finally asked." Jisoo grabs your arm and drags you out of the house.

Your favorite bar in the entire world has to be the one you've been going to since you were in high school. From your first time drinking to vomiting in its toilet after having way too many vodka shots , from dancing with your friends to crying alone in a corner , that place has seen it all.

Coincidentally( not really), its Jisoo's favorite bar too.

"Okay, y/n. I think you should stop now. That's enough."

Coincidentally also ,you happen to not have a good alcohol tolerance yet an endearing desire to drown your sorrows in those glasses.

"No, I'm not even properly drunk." You whine ,your words only barely making sense to Jisoo. She grabs the glass away from you.

"Come on , let's take you home. " she tries to pull you from your seat , "Can't believe I thought it was a good idea to drink on a weekday."

"No, no, Jisoo. " you resist , pushing her away. " I want to..stay. here. I like it here. It's so warm and cozy . If I go home, I'll cry. I hate home. It's so ugly. Ew. This place is so pretty ."

Your vision is so blurry that your brain can't even form clear images anymore. You see Jisoo's form after squinting hard enough.

"You won't cry. I'll take care of you, y/n. Come on." Jisoo is so insistent you have to hold yourself back from punching her. Her lucky ass would never understand how much in pain your heart is in. And how much the alcohol helps in forgetting all that even just for a few minutes.

"You go home. I'll stay. I'll stay here for as long as I can. Away from all you blood suckers." You slur. And then giggle for no apparent reason.

Jisoo heaves a sigh ,sitting beside you. "Are you going to come with me or do I have to call San to pick you up?"

That was a threat. Jisoo always uses the same one and somehow, it always seems to work. Not today though.

"Hah! Joke's on you ! He doesn't care about me." You point at her face , giggling again.

San? Taking care of you? Funniest joke of the year.

"He does ,y/n. You know he does. What are you being like this?" She asks , rubbing your hand comfortingly. "I see the way he looks at you."

"He probably has a girlfriend already. He always posts romantic shit on Instagram. " you say ,resting your chin on your arm.

"He doesn't have one. I know he doesn't. He probably posts all that for you." She says.

You want to believe her but your brain feels fuzzy and foggy now. Like the sky on winter mornings.

"I want to see San, Jisoo. I miss him. I miss him so much. " you keep muttering under your breath , "Take me to him. I miss him."

Jisoo stares at you - wide eyed and slightly annoyed. Your low alcohol tolerance will get you into serious trouble one day.

"We can see him tomorrow. Let's go home now. Now." She pulls your arm again.

You push her off , "I said I want to see San ! Right now! Take me to him!"

You have never yelled at anyone while in a drunken state before so the sudden increased volume of your voice scares Jisoo. She let's go of your arm.

"Okay, will you come home after meeting San?" Jisoo asks ,taking her phone out to call a cab.

"Yes. No. Depends. I never want to be away from him." You say. "Take me to him , please. I haven't seen him in months. Years. I don't remember how long. Do you think he'll recognize me?"

Shaking her head , Jisoo makes a mental note to never take you out for drinking again.

San lives a few minutes away from your own apartment, but with traffic sometimes it takes almost an hour to reach his apartment.

Today must have been your lucky day because the traffic was almost negligible. Although you don't remember the journey to his house , you do remember his familiar voice greeting you and Jisoo like he had almost expected you both to arrive at his door this late at night.

"She was throwing a tantrum that she wanted to see you. So I brought her here. I hope it's not a problem. " Jisoo says in her sweet voice that she uses on everyone but you and her husband. You scowl.

"Hey, I wasn't throwing a tantrum! " You hit her arm again , but she puts on the fakest smile when San looks at the both of you with a confused face.

"And she's not very sober right now." Jisoo admits ,sighing. San presses his lips in line , observing you as play with the hem of your tshirt and your eyes are focused on his face. You never had so much confidence in a sober state. He knows this because he's seen you like this a million times before and hopefully, if all goes well tonight , he might see this state in the future too.

His stomach does a back flip when you stick out your bottom lip in a cute little pout.

"It's okay. She can stay the night here. I believe you have something important to tell me ,y /n?" San asks, titling his head.

You nod , beaming with happiness. Your eyes never leave his perfect face and his beautiful black hair which he decided to tie in a small ponytail tonight and his toned arms and his breathtakingly sweet dimples as he leads you inside, bidding goodbye to your bestfriend. Jisoo must be very relieved right now ,you think.

"Do you need a glass of water ,y/n?" San asks you , as he takes you gently by the arm to his bedroom. His alert eyes are always on your steps ,making sure you do not trip on anything.

"No. " you giggle. You're so happy to be with him alone at last that you can barely contain it . "I missed you ,San."

He laughs at your words ,shaking his head in disbelief as he makes you sit on his warm ,fluffy bed.

You've always wanted to sit there.

"Waoowww , this bed is so soft. " you swing your legs up and down with a big grin on your face , "I want to sleep on this bed. Oh my god ,awww."

San sees you lean down against the headboard and laugh at the ceiling, pointing out peculiar patterns . You look very content right now ,he notices. Your flushed cheeks , big , curious eyes , messy hair , yet he thinks you look beautiful like this - raw and natural and pretty.

"San! Sit with me, come here." You say , patting the empty space beside you.

San obliges without a question. He pushes you gently to the other side of the bed , himself settling beside you , careful not to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.

"What it is that you wanted to tell me ?" San questions, his fingers reaching upto your forehead to remove the strands of hair that cover your eyes.

"Promise me you won't be mad. " You hum into his touch ,wanting nothing more than to wrap your arms around his body and snuggle into his chest. But even with alcohol in your system ,you know better than to do that.

"I promise." He replies with a toothy grin. His head leans on the headboard beside yours , his beautiful brown eyes drilling into yours ,making your knees go weak and heart flutter. And if it were possible to replace all blood from your body with physical adoration for Choi San ,you would have done it already. "Pinky promise?" You ask again ,lifting your right pinky up in front of his face.

Sighing , he connects his pinky to yours then pressing your thumbs together, "Pinky promise."

You take a deep breath then as naturally as ever ,the words you've always wanted to say roll out of your mouth , "I like you. "

San's breathing gets stuck in his throat , his whole being as if swallowed into a black hole for a few seconds. He stares at you like you were suddenly someone he'd never seen , never heard of before. Like you were a stranger that caught his eye in the mall. Like a gemstone he'd found while digging the ground. Like a precious falling star on a cloudy night.

"I-I mean we have known each other for sometime now. It's normal that you like me. As a friend." He stammers.

You roll your eyes , " I did not mean as a friend ,you idiot. I meant I like you as a man. You're so stupid, gosh." You punch his arm.

His heart skips a beat. He'd always known deep down his heart that this confession would happen one day or the other - but he had always hoped it would be him to say it first ,not you. His ego is a teeny tiny bit hurt.

"I know you don't like me , " you whine , your excited tone now suddenly switching into a sad one , " I know you won't date me."

San frowns at this new melancholic side of yours.

"Why would you think that?" He asks.

"I just know ,okay?" You say ,tears filling your eyes , " And that's why I agreed to an arranged marriage."

"You must have met someone nice then?" He takes his hand in yours.

Jongho was right - you love him. So much that it hurts to look at him ,knowing that one day you'll have to marry a man who isn't him. It hurts like someone is pressing a hot metal rod onto your skin.

You start sobbing.

"No! Of course not ! I don't want anyone but you! " You yell , a little too loud , " But my parents are still insistent about it. How do I tell them that I can't marry anyone else because I'm so in love with you?"

That's another new piece of information for San. But this one makes his heart drop into the deepest pits of his stomach , making him go numb for a few seconds. You were almost taken away from him, just because he'd always put your relationship in a complicated situation. You had almost held someone else's hand on the alter. You had almost ended up in someone else's arms.

The image of you with another man nauseates him and he decides to stop being a coward . Right now ,right at this moment .

"I like you ,too, you idiot." He says , not quite meeting your teary eyes." Don't go find anyone else. I'm here. I really am ,y/n."

His sincere voice washes over you like the first showers of monsoon - refreshing and enchanting. You feel like melting into a puddle under his gaze.

"I wasn't planning on anyway. " You sniff and rub your tears away. He leans in closer to your face , rubbing your cheekbones with the pad of his thumb. And you , being the shameless person you are , stare at his kissable, pink lips. If you lean in a little more , they'd touch and you could finally kiss him. You really want to . Would he mind ?

He presses a soft kiss on your forehead , pulling you into his warm embrace.

"I want to go to sleep and wake up like this every morning." You mumble into his chest , your hand playing with the hem of his t-shirt. "We will. I promise." he replies. The thought itself makes him feel warm inside , "I'll talk to your parents about the arranged marriage thing. They love me more than they would any other guy out there."

Your parents in fact do love San. Whenever they met him , they'd be filled with praises for him. Although a little jealous , you could easily see why San was so easy to like.

"You smell so nice." You say abruptly , drowsiness slowly taking over you , your eye lids getting heavier by the minute.

San's chest vibrates as his laugh fills the room , "Thank you, y/n."

"Will you be here when I wake up? You aren't going to run off, right? " You are just spewing out random sentences at this point but he doesn't complain either way. He likes this honest and vulnerable side of you.

"I'll be right here. Don't worry. " he whispers ,running his fingers through your hair , "But I'm pretty sure you won't remember anything tomorrow ."

You laugh, a big hearty laugh as you finally find enough courage to lightly wrap your arm around his torso. "I'll remember, San . I never forget."

San rubs your head soothingly , smiling to himself, knowing that even if you forget about it in the morning , he'll really be there to remind you of it. He'll be there by your side, as he always has been.

Every hangover is like a cycle that includes pain , regret and a promise to never drink so much again yet you somehow always seem to be struggling with the last one.

And the inevitable headache that follows makes you feel like someone had thrusted millions of knives in your head.

It hurt. Badly.

You stir in your position ,groaning at your throbbing head.

"Woah , good morning , sleepy head." San purrs into your ears , his early morning voice sending chills down your spine.

Wait. San? Choi San? With you in his arms? On a bed?

You sit up at the speed of a lightning bolt , breaking away from his warm embrace and crawling to the farthest corner of the bed. You look around the room , your heartbeat in your throat , taking in the unfamiliar surroundings that reminded you of what you might have done while in a drunken state.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Your eyes scan San, his sleepy face pressed to the pillow and his lips curved in a smile. His white t-shirt hangs loose from his shoulder, exposing the skin near his collarbone and his black, messy hair covering half of his face.

And even in panic mode , your first thought is that he looks ethereal with that early morning glow. Is this what being whipped really means?

"Y/n, don't tell me you forgot what happened last night. " he says ,visibly annoyed. He forces himself up in a sitting position as he runs his fingers through his messy hair.

You look away from him , adrenaline rushing through your veins as you try to recall last night's episode. Surely ,you didn't sleep with him since both of you are fully clothed and you didn't feel sore anywhere. Thankfully.

"Y/n? " he calls you again but you don't reply because your brain is way too occupied at the moment.

You remember the sound of a very weird combination of words leaving your mouth last night and an even weirder combination of words leaving his. And that's when it hits you - you had confessed to him. Full on movie style. All those years of daydreaming and trying to keep everything a secret gone into vain , your heart placed naked in front of him.

"Oh fucking hell." You hold your head in between your hands ,closing your eyes.

Maybe this was all a dream and if you focused hard enough ,you'd wake up in your bed , alone and yearning for the man supposedly in front of you. But that would still be better than this.

"Y/n, it's alright. You don't have to be embarrassed. " San says, inching closer to you.

You sigh. It's not a dream and you have to face him now.

"I-I'm sorry for whatever I said last night. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable at all. I don't know what had gotten into me." You say, rubbing your forehead.

By now , San is kneeling right in front of you, his galaxy filled eyes never leaving yours.

"I should be sorry , you idiot." He says , gently tapping your forehead ," if I wasn't such a coward and had confessed to you earlier , everything would have been different now. But better late than never , right?"

You gulp hard.

Now is the time to wake up , y/n, I'm going to be super pissed if this turns out to be a dream, you wonder to yourself.

"So..what you're saying is - "

"I like you , yes. Not as a friend , not as a classmate. I like you as a woman and if you agree to this ," San leans in dangerously closer , "Then I'll like you as a girlfriend, too."

You didn't need time to agree to this. You didn't need a second thought. You only need a small tug at your heartstring , which happened everytime you see his eyes focused on you and only you.

"Yes." You say.

His face breaks into a massive grin as he wraps his arms around you , with yours around his torso. You can feel the fast beating of his heart against your cheek as you snuggle into his chest .

"Thank you. Thank you so much." He whispers into your hair. Your cheeks are burning red by now but it's alright. It's a good type of burning. You can come to like it in the near future.

You don't know how long it is before he finally decides to pull away , much to your dismay.

"I'm going to make breakfast . Are pancakes okay with you?" He says , his arms by his side but his body still close to yours.

"Yeah. Obviously. " You loved his pancakes, as a matter of fact. Once, Jongho had even forced you to confess to San during your college years just so he could eat those delicious pancakes whenever he wanted to.

"Okay. You can go freshen up in the bathroom by then." He then unexpectedly takes your face in his hands , inching closer to yours with every passing second, " Don't miss me too much though."

You pout, playing along , " I already do."

And just like that , he presses his soft , luscious lips to yours, enveloping them in a quick kiss.

"Bye." And just like that too , he runs away into the kitchen , avoiding confronting what had just happened while you are left frozen and shocked and petrified and all synonyms of those words in the English dictionary.

But you hear him hum his favourite song softly from the kitchen and your shoulders relax.

Relax , y/n , you tell yourself , it's just San and he is your boyfriend now.