#I also want to say yeah that sounds like a thing Italy would do but honestly don't feel comfortable enough to determine such things

[cheriladycl01]

Kinktober 19/10/2024 Franco Colapinto - Panty Kink

Plot: Franco is absolutely obsessed with any and all of your underwear…

Warnings: Kinktober, SMUT, panty sniffing, panty licking, panty stealing, anything and all things panties, eating out, dry hump etc

Since you and Franco started dating it was a sweet and unproblematic relationship. But you couldn’t help but notice some … stranger things the longer you guys were together.

The first time he’d ever stayed over, he just slept in the bed with you after you guys ate loads of junk food and snacks.

A week after he left when you were doing a load of washing you noticed that some of your underwear, specifically your panties and lace ones at that had gone missing.

“Franco baby?” You asked over the phone when you decided to call him to see if he’d accidentally added them to the rucksack he’d brought his clothes in.

“Hi baby, argh god I miss you” you groans happily into the phone and you can’t help the butterflies that rise in your stomach.

“I miss you too. I was just wondering if you accidentally took any of my underwear with you when you left. I know I stripped off and left some at the edge of my wash basket because it was kind of full, but I can’t find them” you say and you hear a little shuffling as if he had gone to his bag to double check.

Little did you know, he had in fact taken them. Right out your dirty laundry basket before using them as he gave himself a hand job using the lace material against his dick for that added sensation.

But of course he wouldn’t admit that.

“Erm let me check the wash coz they aren’t in my bag” he says and he was just making up time to make it all seem more plausible. He had in fact chucked them in the wash after he’d come all over them and wanted them clean for his next time. However now that you were on to them he’d have to give them back.

“Thank you. They’re the only pair that go with the dress I’m supposed to wear this weekend” you tell him.

“Oh yeah they’re here in the washing machine with my stuff from that night” he says and they were mixed in with his washing, now your panties smell like him.

He couldn’t tell what he preferred, your sent on them from wearing them all day and being a little musky from your natural aroma that was driving him crazy and he couldn’t wait to get his first taste. Or his sent on them, making an item of yours smell so much like him which also made his brain a little haywire.

“Thanks baby, you wanna come over tonight?” You ask hoping that he would considering you felt like you hadn’t seen him in ages.

After that, it was a while before anything else bizarre happened. Until you guys were first having sex, he was obsessed with your panties, he’d dragged them down your legs with his teeth and pocketed them in his jeans before he went down on you like a starved man.

You didn’t think anything off it, if anything you found it kind of hot.

And after that, whenever you guys when to races together he’d always dip his hands into your jeans or skirt, whatever you were wearing and running his fingers up and down the hand of the thongs you were wearing that rested nicely on your curved hips.

It wasn’t until you caught him in the act. It was a race weekend and he’d just been promoted from F2 to F1 in a Williams seat. You were insanely proud of him and took the last few days of your working week to travel to Italy with him when you heard.

You’d gone out for dinner with the other wags, Lily becoming your older sister role model in the paddock. Of course neither you nor Franco were media trained so you had been caught on camera being rather chaotic together, and everyone already seemed to adore you.

However when you come back to the hotel room, earlier than the others who were going out clubbing instead and you didn’t really feel like going you decided to go back.

What you didn’t expect was as you got to the hotel room door to open it to here a sort of whimper. You went in as to you from the outside it sounded like he could have been in pain.

As you walked in you saw a sight you never expected.

It was your boyfriend with your sexy pink underwear wrapped in his hand around his dick that was rubbing up and down his shaft releasing moans from deep in the back of his throat.

“Franco?” You asked shocked he hasn’t heard you open the door. His hand dropped and he looked at you in shock before grabbing a pillow to cover himself up.

“Baby! What are you doing back your early” he gulps out looking at you with wide eyes. Full of lust and need.

“All the girls were going clubbing, I didn’t want to go- are you using my underwear?” You ask looking at him shocked and confused. In seconds he’s up and coming up to you, tears building in his eyes as he puts both his hands on your cheeks.

Worry was all that you could see in his eyes now.

“I-I’m so sorry I should have told you but” and ends up rambling about your panties and his kink for anything to do with the provocative underwear, even if it wasn’t provocative he still loved it.

“Baby baby baby, shush it’s okay” you chuckle not bothered about the fact he was using your stuff to help him get off.

“W-what? You just came back to find me using your stuff to get off. Aren’t you mad?” He asks, sniffing a little bit.

“No, you’re my boyfriend. I think it’s sweet you like my panties. But you really couldn’t wait for me to come back? Or were you too embarrassed to ask for my panties” you ask, and he looks down.

“I-“ he starts but you pull him into a kiss, shushing him immediately.

“How about this. I’m here to help now, and you can do whatever you want with the panties I’m in now?” You grin, hoping he wouldn’t feel as embarrassed and open up to you.

“Thank you mi amor” he says before lifting you up and putting you on the bed. He doesn’t waste anytime hitching your dress up. His head immediately dived in between your legs, his nose hitting your clothed clit as he inhales a breath of you.

“Franco” you moan looking down in confusion to see what he’s doing.

“Smell so good. Could just stay here forever” he groans as he kicked a strip up your panties nudging his nose in a little more making a moan come from you.

“Baby…” you moan, your hand coming down into his hair gripping him in closer. He pulls the panties just to the side. Wanting to keep them there as his tongue dove into your deep and wet cavern. His groan vibrated around you making you gasp and your eyes squint shut at the feeling.

Franco had a thing for eating you out. All of your previous relationships, didn’t really do that but my god Franco wasn’t scared to have his chin dripping with your juices by then end.

His nose hit the perfect spot making your hips buck up as that feeling inside you released right into his awaiting mouth.

“Oh my god, so fucking good” you moan as he pulls your panties back across. They were gray and him seeing that little wet spot now building on them made him sit at the edge of the bed. He kept his boxers on and pulled you off the bed so you were stood in front of me.

“Want you on me” he points to his dick making a tent in his boxers and you immediately know he wants you to ride him with your panties on. Both you being clothed and just having that friction.

You turn yourself around so your facing away from him before you balance against his lowered lap, perfect height for your to run your clothed pussy against his restrained dick.

“Fuck baby, that’s it” he says, his hands on your hips snapping the edging of your panties against your hips making you moan out. You swivel your hips a little quicker making him thrust up into you trying to get as much out of it as he can.

“Oh fuck baby I’m gonna cum, gonna cum” he moans his thrusts becoming wild as his dick as the roughness of both sets of underwear rubbing against him. Before he knows it, his white strings of cum are being forced out of his own gray boxers and staining the back of your own panties as you keep moving to reach your own high, which isn’t too much longer after him.

“Fuck that was so good” you say gripping his thighs as you slow down. You turn round to see him, a fucked out expression on his face.

“This… this is why you tell me your kinks” you laugh at him, before getting up to get cleaning supplies from the bathroom. The last thing he sees is the wet spots on your panties from his own cum and your own sweet release.

While your in the bathroom he hears some movement and russling and before he knows it a gray fabric is launched at him.

In his hands was your damp underwear.

And at the moment seeing you grinning, watching him to see his reaction and he knew at that moment you were the one for him.

Taglist:

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[sinofwriting]

Names and Practice - Ollie Bearman

Words: 1,142 Prompt: Soulmate AU (also short!reader) Note(s): Italics means they are talking to each other in their heads. Ollie is listed on his website as being 1.87 meters (6’1 in feet) so reader in this is about 1.52 meters (5’ feet) to give the height difference

Masterlist | Support Me!

Ollie has to stifle a laugh feeling the niggling of his soulmate waking up, his eyes dart towards the clock, half past ten, and sure enough a resounding fuck sounds off his head and he has to cough to disguise a laugh.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Ollie scoffs in his head. “You needed sleep. Your exams are finally over, classes done, you’ve got your degree, no more crashing at three and waking at six.”

“Bear.” She whines.

“Care.” He whines back, nodding at Rene in agreement about the line for turn eight. He hears her huff but then it goes quiet and he refocuses on the data over the track.

“You’re working this weekend, right?” He makes a humming noise both in his head and out loud as he stretches, leaving the garage, happy to be done with looking at data. “Yeah. What are you doing this weekend?”

“I’m going to Silverstone.” He freezes and hopes she doesn’t pick up the odd combination of dread and joy he feels. “Silverstone.”

“Mhmm. Jay had tickets but Noah surprised them with a trip.”

“Italy right?”

“Yep, so Jay gave me his tickets, told me to get out of the flat, so I’m getting out.” He smiles at the way she says it. “Good, you deserve it.”

“Are you going to everything?” He asks later, cozy in his hotel room he got for the weekend. Not wanting to travel to and from the track and his parent’s house. “Everything?” The question is absentminded and he can picture her focusing on dinner, with narrowed eyes and a pout on her face. It makes him ache, like it always does when he pictures her, but it’s not actually her he’s seeing. “Silverstone. Are you going to the practices and stuff? The things for F2 and F3?” He waits with bated breath for her answer. “I was planning on it.” Her voice is quiet. “I know you're really into it, so I figured I’d take advantage, see it in person when I can.”

“I’m gonna be there.” He blurts out. “What?” Her voice is shaky. “I’m gonna be there at Silverstone, tomorrow.” He tries to say that he’s a driver, but the bond blocks it, like it does for anything personal or revealing. It makes him want to bash his head against a wall. What was the point in blocking him telling her that when she would just find out tomorrow?

“Meet me tomorrow?” Her voice is a little desperate. “I mean, I just.” He cuts her off. “Of course, I’ll meet you.”

The next morning, as he sits in a café, his leg bounces as he looks at the door. She was going to be wearing red, for Ferrari she had teased, knowing that he loved the team, just not how much. She was average height and the next part had come out shyly, would have a tote with carebears on it.

He nearly groans when someone enters and it’s not her and he forces himself to take a deep breath, making his eyes wander around the interior of the café. He had been here twice before with Jak, when he didn’t have duties in Maranello but Jak was needed at Milton Keynes.

It was weird being around Milton Keynes but not with Jak. But he wasn’t about to meet her closer to the track or in Brackley. He shudders at the idea of being near Mercedes’ hub.

The sound of the door opening as his eyes immediately back to looking and the person standing there makes him lose his breath.

Because she was wearing red, Ferrari red, she had a carebear tote, she most certainly wasn’t average height, but she was fucking gorgeous and the thought, the image of her translates through the bond and he watches as her eyes widen before she looks over at where he’s sitting.

“Bear?” She asks, voice quiet, considerate of the other people inside the café. He slowly stands, a nervous grin stretching across his face. “Hi, Care.” Before he knows what's happening, she’s bounding over, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head in his chest. The movement stuns him but he quickly returns her embrace, pressing his face into her hair as his eyes close, taking in this, taking in her, taking in his soulmate.

“I want to stay here forever.” He flushes at her thought, but echoes it. Now that he had met her and was holding her, he never wanted to let her go. “Y’know.” He murmurs after a moment, trying to distract himself from kissing her, from kissing her for the first time in public, of all places. “You said you were average height.” “I am average height.” She frowns, pulling back slightly and tilting her head to look up at him. “You're just a giant.” He laughs, “you barely come up to my shoulders, love. I’m tall but I’m not that tall.” She pouts up at him and he swallows thickly, wanting to take that bottom lip in between his.

He’s jerked out of his thoughts by his phone ringing and he moves one of his hands from her to grab his phone, quickly answering it. “Ollie.” He says and watches as she mouths the name, turning red as he realizes that he still hasn’t told her his name. “Y’know that practice starts in an hour and half, right?” He flinches, pulling his phone back to look at the time, and curses. “I’m like thirty minutes away, I’ll be there.” Jak chuckles. “Uh huh. I’ve got you covered, just wanted to let you know since someone is going to try and make a stink of it.” A scowl crosses his face briefly but then he sees her looking at him concerned and he smiles. “I’ll be there.” He promises again, before hanging up.

“Everything okay?” “Yeah.” He nods. “It’s just, uh, free practice starts in the next hour and half and I kind of need to be there?” “You need to be there?” Confusion is clear on her face. “I uh, I’m a F2 driver for one of the teams.” “And you're here? Ollie!” He laughs and tightens his one-handed grip on her as she tries to push away from him. “It’s practice for a track I’ve driven before. I needed to meet my soulmate, it’s a bit important.” She stares at him in disbelief, shaking her head, before she takes a breath and smiles at him. “You are absolutely crazy.” His smile widens at that. “Now, let's get to your free practice, I’d like everyone you work with to like me. And my name is Y/N.” She finishes, feeling him start to ask inside their heads and out loud. He mouths her name as well, liking the feel of it, before he nods. “Alright, let's get to free practice.”

@crashingwavesofeuphoria @gemofthenight @peachiicherries @lpab @hiireadstuff @iloveyou3000morgan @boiohboii @bibliosaurous @skepvids @elliegrey2803

[reidtina]

Mile High Club

Pairing: president!jack schlossberg x fem!reader

Content warning: +18 MDI semi-public sex, petnames (princess, darling, honey, baby, i think that's it), orgasm, creampie (don't do it irl), oral sex (jack receiving)

Word count: 1.8k

Summary: Being Jack's girlfriend was great, you've been dating him for 3 years now and each day that passed things got better, like tonight for example: tonight Jack's taking you out for dinner but maybe the best part of the night will be the flight to the restaurant...

A/n: I'm so happy people liked my last fic, i decided I'll write more, so if you have ideas you can reply here and I'll do my best to write them! this one is kind of a part 2 of "mr president”, but can be read independently too. also reblogs and likes are highly appreciated. and it's also on ao3

That night Jack decided he'd take you out for dinner. But nothing was simple with Jack, not when it came to his favorite girl, he knew you deserved the best and would give you that. He knew how much you liked italian food, so he would take you out for dinner to get some, but he wanted to surprise you by taking you to La Pergola, a restaurant in Rome you mentioned you always wanted to visit. Technically reservations were required, but when you had as much power as he did, all he had to do was give a call, which is what he did, and before you knew it, you were in his private jet enjoying a glass of champagne next to your boyfriend on your way to Italy, life was good. The jet was empty, except for you, Jack and the pilot on the cabin, leaving you in the perfect, secluded space by yourselves.

Jack smiled at you as he sipped his own glass of champagne. You put your hand on Jack's lap and caress his thigh and notice his grin, knowing he's enjoying the touch of your hand against his body. You feel like you couldn't be any more lucky, there's not a lot of men like Jack.

You sigh as you say: “This is nice, I needed a break from work”, to which Jack agrees with a nod “I know, you've been working nonstop for the past few weeks, you deserve a relaxing little vacation" he mutters, taking your hand in his and kissing it softly, getting a smile out of you. “You're like the best boyfriend ever, you know what right?” He smiles, enjoying the compliment. “What can I say? I try, you deserve it, you're my woman, my girlfriend, my favorite person” he says, lifting your hand up to gently kiss your knuckles. You close my eyes enjoying the feeling as he watches and notices the sense of relaxation wash over your body. “It's just me and you, honey, no work, no stress, just a nice and relaxing night” he says softly, shifting in his sit to put a arm around your shoulders.

You look at him and say with a smile “Just you and me. Yeah, I like the sound of that”. He grins, putting his champagne glass down at the side table and turning to face you, he grabs your waist and lifts you onto his lap, letting you stradule his waist. He loves the feeling of you in his arms, loves having you so close to him, he loved it even more when you touched his face and pulled him in for a kiss, which he respondes immediately, returning the kiss, his hands gripping your waist and pulling you closer to him. He feels your lips move against his, and he lets out a soft hum of pleasure when you pull your dress up slightly and start grinding slowly on his lap. He loves feeling you like this, having you so close to him and feeling your body move against his.

He lets his hands roam over your body, enjoying the feeling of your skin under his fingers, his hands trail up your back, slipping up under your dress and caressing your bare skin, when you feel it you hum, getting a grin out of him, he loves hearing the sounds you make when he touches you. He pulls you closer, his lips now trailing down your neck, kissing his way down to your collarbone. “How long until we land?” your voice comes out needy and full of second intentions.

He smirks, knowing exactly you're getting at, glances down at his watch and teases: “About 45 minutes left. Why? Are you eager to land?” his hands roam the sides of your body. “More like eager to what we can do before we land” you smirk too and he laughs and asks “And what do you have in mind, darling?”, you know he knows what you want and is just teasing you, so you roll your eyes and whisper into his ear “I wanna fuck the president on his private jet”

He feels a rush of lust and desire in your words, his grip on your waist tighter now. He glances over at the cockpit, which is currently shut. “You're so naughty, aren't you?” he mutters, his lips trailing down your neck, nipping at your skin. “As if you don't like it” you tease with a smirk, slightly scratching the back of his head with your red painted nails, getting a groan out of him and he says in a whisper: ”Oh, I love it, I love you being naughty like that, baby”, his hands roaming under your dress again, grabbing your hips.

“Show me how much you like it then” you whisper back into his ear with a husky voice, he groans softly, feeling a shiver run down his spine at your tone of voice and words combined. He glances over at the cockpit to make sure it is still shut, before turning his attention back to you. “I'll show you just how much I like it, baby” he mutters before closing the distance of your mouths and initiating a messy and desperate kiss, enjoying the feeling of you grinding on his lap, giving him a hard on.

He can't wait anymore, “Fuck, you're too irresistible” he says after breaking the kiss, his hands now on the fly of his pants, opening it and slightly lifting his hips to pull them down, giving you the beautiful vision of his hard cock through the white fabric of his boxers, you loved that he was already that hard just from you sitting on his lap, kissing him and grinding a little. Knowing the effect you had over his body made you so horny, made you feel so desirable and it made you want to please him just the way he deserved for being so devoted and in love with you. He could be the president to the country, but to you he was like a horny boy desperate to be touched in a way he knew only you could.

He looks at you, his eyes filled with desire, waiting to see what you'll do next. “I think it's time for me to return the little favor you did for me at your office earlier” you tease with a grin as you get out of his lap and kneel in front of him. “Yeah, it's about time” he agrees with a smirk, knowing exactly where you're getting to and loving it. You begin to slowly kiss his thighs, trailing the way to his cock with your mouth, you knew that it drove him crazy, it always did. When your mouth reached the hem of his boxers and you looked up at him with a fake-innocent look on your face, Jack grabbed your hair into something that was supposed to be a ponytail with one hand and whispered “Don't give me that look, we both know how much you want my cock in your mouth, baby” and you took it as your sign to pull the boxers down and reveal his big cock.

He was right, you did want it in your mouth, that's why you wasted no more time before you started licking the precum from his tip, and when he tilted his head back in pleasure you put the tip on your mouth, giving it a few licks while also sucking on it, enjoying the feeling of his soft dick in your mouth and the low moans and hums from his. When you noticed he was about to break, you put his whole cock in your mouth, all way down to your throat and started to make up and down movements, loving the way his grip on your hair would get tighter every time his tip reached the back of your throat.

Part of you wanted him to cum in your mouth, to feel the taste of his salty orgasm, but another part wanted him to fuck you. Thankfully you didn't have to decide which part of you was stronger, because he pulled your face out of his dick and said in a demanding tone of voice: “Pull your dress up and bend over that sit” he was pointing at the sit in front of yours.

“Is that an order, Mr. President?” you ask, you knew how much calling him that turned him on, and to be honest, it turned you on too. “You damn right it's an order” he replies and you smirk and say “Yes, sir”. The second you're bent over that sit, he's already behind you, pulling your panties to the side, revealing your wet pussy, you feel him caressing it with his dick, teasing you, and you knew he wanted you to ask, he was such a polite man, and you were a polite woman, so you did. “Please, fuck me, President Jack”, the words sent shivers down his spine and more blood to his cock, there was something about being called that which drove him crazy, and that's just how you wanted him: crazy and horny, the perfect combination.

He put it in without a warning, getting a moan out of you, he started thrusting slowly and bent against you and whispered in your ear: “Be quiet, okay, darling?”. It was impossible, so you had to cover your own mouth with a hand and nod. “Such a good girl” he whispered again and those words alone almost made you cum right on the spot. When he knew you'd be quiet, his movement fastened, his grip on your hips even tighter, his nails on your skin in a way you knew would leave marks that'd linger for days, possibly more than a week, but you liked it, you liked having his marks on you in a place only you would see. When you felt his body shiver over yours you knew he was close, and that sent you to the pick of your pleasure and suddenly your breath was heavy, your body shivering and your moans even harder to contain, you even had to bite your palm to avoid screaming. The feeling of your pussy tightening around his cock while you orgasmed, made him reach his own, filling you up with his cum.

You're both trying to catch your breaths, you pull your hair out of your face and he slowly, in a almost torturous way, pulls his cock out of you and pulls your panties back to the right place and gives you a little slap on the ass and says “You did so good to me, princess”, getting a smile out of you. As you pull your dress down again and try to fix your hair the best you can using your fingers, he pulls his boxers and pants up again, sitting down and taking a sip of champagne. He didn't even look like he just fucked the shit out of you seconds ago, that was quite an ability to have, maybe you should put it to good use, who knows where else you could let him have you if he'd act so natural afterwards.

[katyswrites]

don't call me 'baby' - epilogue

EPILOGUE | SERIES

Pairing: Steve Harrington/fem!reader

Warnings: Sugardaddy!Steve, references to smut, fluff (tooth-rotting fluff), mentions of food, age gap, no use of y/n

Wordcount: 1.3k

A sugar daddy modern AU, a whirlwind summer romance in Italy, and two people from completely different walks of life, somehow finding each other in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But, what will happen when summer ends?

EPILOGUE | long story short

Four years later.

You blink awake groggily, the bright morning light inescapable. It takes you a moment to remember where you are, the way it often does in those first few seconds of waking up - then, you remember. The sound of ocean waves, the smell of salt air, and the feeling of a solid warmth by your side is enough to remind you. You sigh dreamily, backing up closer against Steve. He stirs, still half-asleep, his arm slinging around your waist to pull you against him.

“Morning,” you whisper.

“Mmph,” he grumbles, clearly not ready to join you in being awake.

You twist in his arms until you’re facing him. His eyelids are fluttering, breathing steady - he still looks so young like this, so peaceful. You would stare at him sleeping all day, if he let you. The bright morning sun dances across his skin, illuminating his freckles and moles, the shape of his brow and nose, and the slight stubble he’s developing after a day of skipping shaving. You sigh, reaching up to gently trace his features, your fingers only brushing along his skin ever-so lightly. He stirs again, nuzzling into your touch. You giggle softly, leaning over to kiss any part of him you could reach - his forehead, eyelids, nose, cheeks - and, the moles along his jawline and neck, your favorite. It’s mornings like this that you love the most.

“What’re you doing,” he asks groggily.

“Waking you up,” you whisper, brushing your nose against his. “Want me to stop?”

“No. But, I preferred how you woke me up yesterday,” he murmurs, grinning. You blush at the memory, remembering how he regained consciousness to the feeling of your lips around his cock about 24 hours ago.

“I’m sure you did - I promise, there’s plenty where that came from.”

He chuckles, turning under the sheets to get a better look at you.

“This is actually my favorite thing,” he says softly.

“What is?”

“Waking up next to you.”

Even after all of these years, you feel as if your heart is about to burst, your love for the man beside you impossible to contain.

“Well, good thing you’ll be waking up next to me forever,” you whisper.

“Mm…did you sleep well, Mrs. Harrington?”

You nod, scooching closer until you’re nose-to-nose again.

“And you?”

“You know me… I always sleep better when you’re here.”

“Mm.”

You both lay in a peaceful silence for a while, enjoying a lazy morning

You yawn. “What time is it, anyways?”

“Not sure - does it matter?”

You shrug. “No - not really. Maybe we can take the boat out again today, at some point - I think that’d be fun.”

“Mm. Also, we do have a dinner reservation at that rooftop place you like tonight.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mm hm. Turns out that tonight is when we’re gonna be able to see your star from here - I thought it’d be nice to look at it where I first gave it to you, you know?”

It still amazes you, how easily his thoughtfulness comes to him.

“Have you finally figured out where it is?” you tease.

“I know where it is -”

“Baby, every time you point it out, it’s a completely different star -”

“Looks like I’ll just have to buy you the whole sky, so everything is named after you - d’you think they’ll let me do that?”

You giggle.

“I think, like, NASA would take issue with that.”

“It’s worth the risk, I think,” he jokes.

When the subject of planning your honeymoon had come up, you and Steve had looked at destinations all around the world - the smarter thing to do would probably go somewhere new, a place neither of you had been before. But, that idea only lasted about five minutes before you both had admitted where you really wanted to go.

Ischia Island was the only option, really - where else would you go, besides the place where you had fallen in love? He even found the same villa to rent - he had initially suggested a resort stay instead, which you refused. This is what feels right - knowing Steve, he was close to just buying the place if it would make you happy.

You stretch under the covers, groaning. Your diamond ring catches the sunlight and glistens - and, you can’t help but smile at the sight of it. You aren’t sure you’ll ever get completely used to the sight of it - or, the idea of being married to Steve at all. 

The wedding had been a massive affair, a destination event in Naples with all of your close friends and family. Robin was your maid of honor, and cried during her whole speech, even when she told the embarrassing story of walking in on you. Eddie and his band performed, actually switching out their typical heavy metal fare for more wedding-friendly classics. The moment ingrained in your mind is when Steve saw you in your dress for the first time - you had opted for a “first look,” a private moment for the two of you to see each other dressed up for the first time, and take some photos before the ceremony. He practically crumbled when he saw you, pulling you into a suffocating hug - part of you had thought he quite literally would never let go. Somehow, he was still finding ways to surprise you.

You know that, after this honeymoon, you’d both return to Chicago, where you split time for half of the year. Then, you’d come back to Rome, where your second home is. It actually makes Steve’s job easier, this compromise - after expanding the company globally, he enlisted you to work with him, opening a nonprofit sector of HNL for underprivileged teens looking to study at foreign universities. For people like you had once been. In his words, we have more money than we need, and I think it’s about time we do something good. He has a passion for helping kids, you’ve learned. YOu both work hard, but for you, it’s easy, doing something you love with the person you love.

Steve’s hand finds yours under the covers, entwining your fingers and pulling it up so he can press a few kisses to your knuckles. The softness of the gesture makes you want to crumble, even after all this time. He takes a moment to examine your ring, silver to match his own wedding band. To most, the star of your finger is the sparkling diamond on the engagement ring - but, his eyes flit to the pearl on your wedding band instead, the one he had found on this very island years ago. 

“Guess what,” he whispers.

“What?”

“I love you.”

You feel yourself smile, and bury your face into the pillow.

“I really hope that’s the case,” you laugh. “Ti amo tanto.”

I love you so much.

Then, the moment is ruined by the rumbling of your stomach.

“Breakfast?” you ask. He laughs.

“Yeah, okay - I’ll go make something. Want to have it on the balcony?”

You nod, biting your lip as you watch him walk away.

Once, Steve had told you he’d make sure you want for nothing - that, whatever you wanted, he’d give to you. That sentiment still seeps through pretty often - he loves nothing more than spoiling you. Whatever you want, I’ll make it happen he says.

But, laying here in this beautiful Italian villa, with the smell of eggs wafting in from where your husband is humming to himself in the kitchen - you have everything you want. And, as long as you’re with him, you always will.

****

author's note: that's it! Thanks for coming on this wild journey with me. This might not be the end of this universe's Steve and reader - perhaps some blurbs will be posted in the future, if there's interest. But, that's the end of their main story - I hope you enjoyed. I also hope you'll stick around for my upcoming projects. Thank you all for supporting this fic - I'd love to hear your thoughts! This is Katy, signing off (for now).

[millenialfanfictionaddiction]

It’s Been a While….

Tobio Kageyama x Female! reader (she/her pronouns)

Warnings: slight angst, swearing, mostly fluff

WC: 3.5k

AN: blah idk what to think about this. It stems from an idea I had a dream about but this is one of those times I’m doubting myself. I low key want to write a part two but I also just wanna bury it 😅

Summary: Years after letting go of the love of your life and starting anew, a change provided by a friend allows you a glimpse into your old life and a chance to reconnect with the person you lost.

♥️ ♥️ ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

“So, I guess this is it huh?” You murmured, trying your best to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill as you stood in front of your now ex-boyfriend, Tobio Kageyama.

“YN listen, I-”

You put your hand out, stopping the words that were about to surface. You couldn’t stand to hear them; you couldn’t bare listening to those words again when you knew what was about to happen. If this was going to end, it was going to end on your terms.

“Tobio don’t. Please, let’s just say our goodbyes.” He sadly nodded, his head going down as you stood there, the awkward silence filling the air.

“So, you leave tomorrow morning for Italy, right? Are you all packed?” You asked as Tobio rubbed the back of his head. It was a nervous habit he had developed, something he did when he wasn’t sure how to react.

“Uhh yeah pretty much,” he responded, the silence still penetrating the air. You had tried your best to distract from the obvious but the obvious was beginning to suffocate you.

“Ok well I guess this is goodbye then,” you stuttered, trying to contain the tears. The years of memories flooded back, from the first day you met to your first date and everything beyond. You loved Tobio but you knew love wasn’t enough to keep him here with you. When he was first recruited to play in Italy, your first thoughts weren’t how proud you were of him or how this would only further his career. The only thought that filled your mind was how you’d ever bare letting him go.

“Yeah I guess so,” he whispered still standing in front of you, not wanting to hug you just yet. Hugging you would symbolize what he didn’t want to happen, it would symbolize the end of one of the best things that he’d ever had in his entire life. When he was first accepted to play in Italy, all he could think about was how amazing this opportunity was for him, how awesome it would be for his pro career in volleyball. When he shared the news with you, he hadn’t thought through the logistics of a long-distance relationship. The last thing on his mind at that time was how you’d be able to make it work. He’d never imagined it wouldn’t work.

You lunged forward, throwing your hands around his neck as you held him tightly for one last time, the tears you’d been holding in slowly seeping past your lids as his arms encompassed you, pulling you tight against him. You felt so amazing, so perfect against him and he hated it. He hated how this would be the last time he’d ever feel this serene.

You pulled back first, tears flowing down your cheeks as you looked up to him with a small smile, “I’ll be watching you, ok? So, no slacking off.”

He smiled a little and nodded, watching the tears stream down your cheeks, wanting to do nothing more than kiss them away. You slowly backed away, creating distance from him, your legs feeling so incredibly heavy as if trying their best to keep you planted.

He watched as you finally turned around, your arms going around your midsection as you hugged yourself and walking away and right out of his life.

*A Few Years Later*

Your phone rang as you checked the called id, sighing and swiping your finger across to answer the call.

“What do you want now Kuroo?” You ordered as a surprise gasp sounded from the speaker as he finally spoke.

“YN how could you hurt me like this! I thought I was your favorite person?”

You smiled and shook your head, “not by a long shot Kuroo but you are in the top 20. Is that good enough?”

Kuroo chuckled, replying, “I’ll take it! But listen, I called for a specific reason this time. I’m putting together a sort of reunion and I need my favorite photographer ever to help me!”

“Then why did you call me?” You chuckled as Kuroo laughed in response.

“YN, you know how much I love your work and you really are the best in the business!”

You sighed again, knowing Kuroo was trying his best to be flattering, “ok so what’s this reunion? Like a class reunion or what?” The silence filled the call after you spoke as confusion filled your eyes. You pulled your phone away to check if Kuroo was still connected.

“Kuroo-”

“It’s for a volleyball event YN,” he finally responded as your body stiffened. You hadn’t photographed a volleyball event since Tobio had left a few years ago, shifting your passion in a different direction.

“Kuroo I can’t-”

“YN please just hear me out, ok? I know you don’t photograph sports anymore but please, I’m desperate here. There isn’t anyone who can capture the game like you can. I’ve pulled a lot of our high school alumni into this game, and I think it would be awesome if you’d consider it. Kenma’s sponsoring and promoting the event and Asahi is helping with the uniform design. Yachi is also helping with marketing and design. Imagine if we had YN LN, the famous photographer and Karasuno Alum to photograph the event!”

When you first met Kuroo years ago, you were a first-year manager along with Yachi. You’d always thought he was a great leader and organizer as well as a person who could flatter almost anyone if he tried. He channeled his personality perfectly into his career in sports promotion, able to secure deals and push the volleyball league further than it has been in decades.

You looked over to your bookshelf, your eyes landing on the only memory you’d kept from your relationship with Tobio, a photo from his last game with the Schweiden Adlers. You walked over to it, picking it up and rubbing your finger gently down the side of the frame. In the photo you were looking at the camera, smile wide as you hand rested on Tobio’s chest. His eyes weren’t on the camera but rather on you, his large smile and eyes completely focused on you as if nothing happening around him mattered at all.

“YN you still there?”

“I’ll do it,” you bluntly spoke, an auditable and loud “yes” coming from the speaker as Kuroo continued to talk.

“You won’t regret this, Yn!! I’ll text you the details and we can meet in my office soon to discuss what you’ll be doing! I really appreciate this Yn and I owe you big time!”

You didn’t really hear much Kuroo spoke about, your eyes still focused on the photo as you began to wonder if this really was the right choice.

*A few weeks later*

“We just need headshots of all the players who are participating who are currently in Japan, the rest are going to submit their headshots to me,” Kuroo directed as you prepared your camera, making adjustments to lighting and the background as you half listened.

Exasperated, you mindlessly nodded for the 50th time as Kuroo continued to ramble, his nerves on edge since he’d returned from his trip overseas to secure several more players from the “monster generation” to play on the reunion game.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite girl!” A voice boomed as you turned around to see Atsumu, Bokuto, Sakusa and Inunaki walking into the studio. You smiled, placing your camera down as you went to greet the guys.

“Well, if it isn’t one of my favorite setters,” you joked as Atsumu pulled back from the hug, mouth agape as you chuckled at his reaction.

“Come on Yn, be realistic, he isn’t even in the top 10 on your favorite setters list,” Sakusa grumbled, walking to the corner as Atsumu glared at him.

“Hey hey hey there’s my Yn!” Bokuto shouted, hauling you into a huge hug as you squealed, your feet leaving the floor as he swung you around.

“Bokuto don’t break her!” Hoshiumi snapped from behind him, Hirugami, Romero and Heiwajima trailing after.

“Hey guys!” You cheered, letting go of Bokuto and running to hug them.

“It’s so good to see you again Yn! We were surprised to hear you were involved with this,” Romero remarked as you nodded.

“Surprised but happy!” Hoshiumi added as he hugged you.

“Well, Kuroo begged me to help so I really couldn’t say no,” you smirked as Kuroo narrowed his eyes.

“Geez Yn stop making me seem so desperate!”

“YN doesn’t need to make you seem desperate when you definitely are desperate,” Kenma stated, strolling in behind the teams as you snickered.

“Kenma you really weren’t needed you know!” Kuroo growled as Kenma shrugged his shoulders and headed to take a seat in the corner.

“I heard Oikawa and Hinata were coming too,” Heiwajima remarked as Kuroo confirmed.

“They are going to be flying in next week along with Ushijima and Kageyama.”

All eyes shifted to you at the mention of Kageyama’s name. You really couldn’t blame the guys; they knew you and Kageyama had ended on good terms but also that your relationship had been a sore subject and ultimately the reason you left sports photography.

You had to admit, when Kuroo first mentioned Tobio, a fact he’d somehow forgotten to mention prior to your meeting, you’d thought about dropping out, the idea of seeing your ex-boyfriend and the only man you’d ever loved extremely painful. However, you couldn’t ignore the small part of you that was also excited to see him in person. Sure, you’d watched every game you could, every interview possible. You’d watched the Olympics and even bought a jersey to add to your collection, something you’d never ever let anyone see.

“It’s fine guys,” you explained, “really I’m happy to be a part of this.”

Everyone nodded, not wanting to push the topic. While the guys had always been chaotic and kind of childish, they did care for your well-being, and they loved you.

“Now we let’s get these photos done!”

“Alright, the greatest first!” Atsumu beamed and Inunaki laughed.

“You should be last Sumu, you’ll probably break YN’s camera!” Everyone laughed at Sumu’s expense as you felt the joy of being reunited with the people you once spent so much time with.

*2 weeks later*

You arrived at the stadium, camera and press badge in hand as you adjusted your dress. You’d done your hair and makeup, wanting to look nice and professional for the event. This would be the first game you’d photographed in years, and you wanted to make a good impression. The crowds roared as you entered the gym, the bright lights hitting you as you looked around to see reporters, tv crews and officials fill the gym floor.

Kuroo waved at you as you walked over to him, noticing how truly huge the event was.

“You look great Yn! Absolutely gorgeous!” Kuroo yelled, the noise on the stadium floor loud as you blushed as his compliment.

“This is amazing Tetsuro! You really pulled this off!” Kuroo beamed with pride as you looked around, the photos you’d taken of the the players printed on banners that filled the stadium. You’re eyes trailed until they landed on Tobio’s banner, his face exactly as you remembered it. You smiled a little, looking around at the crowds.

Daichi, Suga, Asahi, Yamaguchi, Tsukki and Yachi all waved as you smiled and vigorously waved back, excited to see your old teammates.

You saw Kenma in his box, probably waiting for Kuroo as he gave you a chin lift and returned back to his phone. You noticed others from high school in the stands as you stood in the grandness of the court. You’d truly missed this feeling.

The whistle blew as Kuroo squeezed your arm and excused himself. You took your place on the side of the court as the teams were finally presented.

Team A parades out first, their flashy style of green and black jersey’s adding just the right pop of color. Oikawa and Hinata smiled and waved at you as you snapped their pictures, capturing the best angles you could.

Team B followed shortly after, their gold uniforms giving the perfect amount of class and sophistication. You wanted as Ushiwaka, Bokuto and Hoshiumi strolled across the floor, Bokuto frantically waving to the crowd as you giggled at his boisterous spirit.

Your eyes shift to Joffe who followed and to Inunaki right after. You were checking your camera before looking up, your eyes dead locked on Tobio’s as he stopped mid stride, his eyes widening as of in shock.

Tobio knew he would see you here, after all, it was a big part of the reason he agreed to join in this reunion game. He had thought about you almost constantly since leaving years ago, hoping he’d once again get the chance to see your beautiful face. He’d been preparing for weeks, going over how he’d casually walk by you, nod his head and try to act cool. He’d even prepared a few things to say to you if the opportunity present itself.

However, all his past thoughts and plans went straight out the window upon seeing you. You stood there, more breathtaking than he’s ever imagined. Your hair and makeup were flawless and your outfit fit your body like a glove. His mind drifted back to all of the times he’d made you laugh, all the times you’d spent together since meeting in high school. His heart hammered thought his chest, his jersey feeling as thought it was rippling from the aftershock.

You stood there, a small smile on your gorgeous face as you lifted your camera to snap his picture. Your eyes watered upon seeing him, something you’d known would probably happen.

“Kageyama moves dude!” Yaku whisper shouted as Kageyama snapped back to reality, his brain processing that he was holding up the line of his teammates.

“Oh sorry-” he apologized as he glanced forward and made his way to the starting line. His mind emptied of every thought he’d had, filing instead with your imagine as it implanted itself in his brain. At the greeting line, he turned to see you now staring back at him, the same sweet smile he loved plastered on your flawless face.

You couldn’t help but smile at him. Tobio was almost exactly as you’d remembered him. Sure, he was a little bit bigger; he’d obviously gained some muscle and matured since living in Italy but deep down, he was still the same boy you’d remembered from high school. Your heart fluttered just watching him, the memories of all your time spent together flooding your brain.

“We’d like to welcome you all to tonight’s special match. Team A vs Team B, a mash up of Japan’s best!” The announcer rang as the crowds cheered. You quickly made work of snapping as many pictures as you could, moving from side to side to capture the men’s forms prior to the game.

You’d been known as a legend in the sports world, your talent for photography starting in high school and only furthering afterwards. Your photos made the cover of many Japanese magazines, thanks to help from Akaashi as well as covers world wide. Noya would often send you texts, showing you how he’d send your photos all across the globe on his travels. Even Hinata had snapped a selfie or two with your magazine covers.

Tobio watched as you worked, following your every move as he prepared to warm up. He loved how passionate you were about photography. Since moving to Italy, he’d continued to follow your career collecting magazines that features your photographs and following your instagram page. He never interacted with you but that didn’t mean he didn’t order prints and support whatever projects you partook in, donating money to fundraisers you sponsored.

As the warmups began, you took your place at the side of the court. You watched as Hinata, Goshiki, and Romero all spiked. Balls slammed on the floor as the memories of your days photographing volleyball continued to flood your mind. You chuckled as you remembered how many times you’d nearly been hit or how many times Tobio would pull you off the court because he didn’t trust someone not to harm you.

He’s been protective of you even in High school, Hinata often teasing him about how he treated you like you were made of glass. In hindsight, Hinata probably knew better than anyone that his best friend was in love with you way back in high school.

You turned back to see Kageyama holding a volleyball, his focus still on you as you exited the court for the teams to switch. He shifted his attention back to the spikers as he took his place near the net. You were caught in the moment, his beautiful and perfect set gliding through the air as Bokuto slammed it into the opposing court, the crowd cheering him on. Tobio hadn’t changed, not one bit.

The game started as you began maneuvering the court, trying to capture as many shots as possible. The energy was palpable as you moved all around. Set after set, you found yourself drawn into every single play, every single serve and spike. This is why you loved volleyball.

At the end of the game, you tried to compose yourself, coming down from the high of an incredible match. You’d managed to run through nearly three memory cards, taking well over a thousand pictures of just the game itself. The guys took pictures with fans after the match as interviewers and Tv personnel flocked to their sides.

However, your job was complete, the requirements set forth by Kuroo full-filled. You walked over to your camera bag and began to disassemble and put away your equipment. Unbeknownst to you, someone had followed you.

Tobio stood a mere two feet behind you, his eyes tracking your bent over form as he tried to gather up the courage to speak to you. He’d never had a problem speaking his mind, never an issue telling people what he thought but for some reason, his mouth was incredibly dry despite drinking an excessive amount of water.

He watched as you fiddled with your camera bag, the same bag he’d gifted you for graduation years ago. It was your favorite color and just the right size. His chest filled with pride knowing you were still using it, that you’d still been keeping him close.

While he was staring, you’d turned around, startling and grabbing your chest in surprise at the giant, 6’2” setter standing behind you.

��Good god Tobio you scared me!” You laughed, your hand over your chest as you tried to regain composure.

“I-damn, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to- I was just wanting to… hi YN,” he finally stuttered out as you smiled up at him, his beautiful blue eyes lighting up with joy.

“Hi Tobio. Long time no see!”

“Yeah it’s been a while,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head, “I’m glad you could make it.”

“Me too! You did amazing out there. I’d forgotten how different seeing you playing in person was!” You added as he lowered his hand down.

“Seeing me in play in person?”

“Yeah silly, I told you’d I’d be watching you. I meant it. I’ve watched every game,” you answered. He knew you wouldn’t lie to him but just hearing you say it, after wondering for years if you were watching, it made him feel incredible.

“Hey Yn, I’m in town for another week, would you maybe consider having dinner with me?” He inquired, desperately hoping you’d agree to meet with him.

You eyes widened at his question. You hadn’t been expecting this, hadn’t been expecting him to ask you to dinner. You’d thought he might say something to you but never this. Before you could answer, he continued.

“If not it’s ok, it’s just that, well I’ve been thinking about you since I left, and I’d really like to catch up. But if you don’t want to-”

“I’d love to Tobio,” you replied as he jerked back a little.

“Wait really?” You giggled at his reaction as you nodded in confirmation.

“I’ve been thinking about you to, and I’d love to go out with you.” He smiled down at you as your beautiful doe eyes met his.

“Hey Kageyama! Come on man we are going out to celebrate!” Hinata shouted as he waved to you. You waved back as Kageyama looked conflicted between you and Hinata.

“Go and have fun, ok? Text me tomorrow and we will make a plan to meet,” you assured him, squeezing his bicep as he smiled back and nodded. He turned, running towards the locker rooms before stopping and turning back. He ran back up to you as you watched in confusion before being swept up into a tight hug, your body instantly relaxing as you hugged him back. Yep, you definitely missed this.

[seris-circle]

My Humps

Drew Starkey x femreader

Summary: on his way back from a meeting, Drew finds y/n having a little party.

Warnings: swearing, pregnancy, fluff

—————————————————————————

“Whatcha gon' do with all that junk. All that junk inside that trunk?” Is the first thing Drew hears as he opens the front door. He continued to follow the music to the source, leading him to the kitchen where he found you singing along and dancing. He began recording while trying to keep his laughter hidden behind a tight-knit smile.

“My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely li-” you’re cut off when you turn around and realize that Drew is standing there. You cue the alexa to shut off and turn your attention to your fiance.

“Hey babe, didn’t know you were standing there,” you said, sounding a bit out of breath. It wasn’t a surprise since you were now 7 months pregnant. You walked up to him, stepping on your toes to reach for a kiss.

“Oh, don’t let me stop you. I liked the little concert.” He said after you pulled away.

“Yeah, just got a burst of energy and decided to clean.” You smiled. “The music just got me going I guess and distracted me from the task at hand” you continued pointing at the still full sink of dishes. You attempted to walk back to the sink but drew trapped you by wrapping his arms around your waist from behind.

“You didn’t have to clean, I would’ve done it when I got back” drew responded, nestling his chin on your shoulder and rubbing the bump. He said that because he promised the night before to take care of it because you’ve been feeling sick almost this whole trimester but also because he may feel slightly guilty too. Drew would be leaving for Italy to film for his new movie in a couple days, leaving you alone and pregnant for the next two months. You’ve been ordered for bed rest due to difficulty during the final trimester so far, so going to another country was out of the question. He didn’t know how he was going to do it; being in a different country away from his fiancé, the woman carrying his child, long enough that she could go into labor while he was away. But they have talked it through a dozen times to relieve the stress of the two. You weren't due until the middle of July and drew would be finished by 4th of July, the following week if anything. Your mom is already coming to LA in June, so you won’t be alone and drew already made sure with the directors to leave on the first plane out of Italy at any word of you having contractions, real or not.

“No, I wanted to.” You replied. “I know you said you would last night but this win today felt so refreshing after all the losses the last couple of weeks. I feel alive” you continued, throwing her arms up in the air. Drew released you and you turned to face him.

“You say that now but in a couple hours when little bug here kicks the shit out of you after you just ate another jar of pickles, you are going to be regretting it.” Drew responded , poking your bump. He was right though. Your craving the whole pregnancy has been dill pickles and it has gotten serious, to the point where you’re spending $30 a week on jars. Once you start eating, you can’t stop. Topping a whole jar off in one sitting. Though they were good, the heartburn was crazy. You would feel it rise and the gerd pillow still couldn’t help. It wasn’t until the baby would kick you during this experience that you would get out of bed to chug water. Complaining to drew about how much you are suffering from your own doings would just make him laugh and you get all clingy.

You send him a glare after that remark, “you know what? I think I will stop and let you clean this up just for making that comment.” You said with a cockiness in your tone. He was right which irritated you slightly so you just gave up at this point. “You finish the dishes and make dinner while I burn this energy in another way” you said turning the music back on.

‘Humps’ continued to play and you got back to dancing and singing along. You rubbed your bump to the beat of the part where it was “My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump My lovely lady lumps (lump) My lovely lady lumps my lovely lady lumps (lumps)” You danced in circles around drew, making funny faces to over exaggerate the lyrics. Feeling him up and down as he sat still laughing. As the music kept playing, you got him to join in and you two were dancing in the kitchen. The dishes never got done and you had just ordered takeout instead of drew preparing dinner. You savored moments like this because you knew it would last for a couple of months.

[twosdays-trash]

Everything in its right place Part 1

Enea-centric hurt/comfort Shapeshifter Au- 3K

heres some art i drew for this au too :D! -=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-

As a kid growing up in Italy and a fan of racing you automatically become a Valentino Rossi fan, it's a right of passage Enea supposes, and he's no stranger. He admired the man, the god himself, Valentino, which is why he was shocked that the man approached him. 

It was the hours following free practice and Enea's stomach was growling, and he had forgotten to put some fresh food into his fridge, so he figured the best course of action was to go out to the store and get something easy to make. Peeling himself off of the couch in his motorhome and grabbing his wallet he made his way out the door and started walking in the direction of the closest store. Only, he couldn't get more than four steps away from the motorhome when he was stopped by none other than Valentino Rossi.

“Hello,” Valentino Greeted, a small smile on his face. He is wearing his merch or something that looks like it. There is a little helmet and VR48 with something written below, but Enea can't tell what it says. The jacket he's wearing isn't too far off from regular Valentino Rossi Merch so Enea doesn't bat an eye at it too much.

“Ah, Hello Mr Rossi,” Enea greets back, shakey and weirdly out of breath despite the fact he has hardly moved. 

“Mr Rossi!” Valentino Guffaws, “Please kid, just call me Vale. Mr Rossi makes me feel old!”

You are old Enea thinks offhandedly, but does not voice this though. “Sorry.”

Vale waves a hand through the air placidly, “Bah, it's no worries. Besides, it's only a natural response right?”

“Yeah, I suppose so,”  Enea shrugs. He's not sure if this is how the conversation between his literal idol and himself should have gone. It probably would have been a lot smoother if he weren't processing this on the fumes of what he had for breakfast before practice. 

 “So…” 

“Hm?”

“What did you need?”

“Ah! that right! I came here to ask you a question for next year!

Puzzled, Enea cocks his head to the side and furrows his brows. Next year? Does he mean my seat or something else?

“you mean for what seat I'm going for?”

“yes! I was wondering if you would like to join the Academy?-”

THE academy team that he started this year?

“-There is an open space and we were wondering if you would like to join. We’ve been watching you all season and looked into your past seasons in other categories and we like how you’re doing things!”

“So. you're asking me if I want to join the Academy team next year?”

“yep,” Vale nods, a smile on his face.

“What is the academy like?”

“What is it like?”

“yeah, how does training work? Is it group or individual programs? How would it work?”

Vale crosses his arms, furrows his brows, and squints his eyes, thinking, “Hmm… well, yes to both things you asked about the groups or individuals.” he unfurls himself and starts gesturing with his hands loudly and continues talking.

“most of the training and practice comes in groups. I like to think of the academy as a little family of sorts, so we normally do things together. A majority of the time training takes place at my ranch in Tavulia where we review races together, practice riding on the dirt tracks, and also work out sometimes.”

Ah, so they do everything together basically.

“We also do some one-on-one things if you have specific concerns about something, or if there is something that you or we feel the need to change. Most of the boys in the academy have a room at the ranch for when they are staying for more than the day, so you could also have your own room. No shared room though!”

Enea nods his head along to everything that Vale is saying. Group everything. Gosh, that sounds like heaven and hell all at once. He would have the ability to talk to people, hang out with Valentino fucking Rossi, AND ride bikes as much as he wants. However, the never-ending togetherness, and the ability to practice, process, and perfect his craft all by himself would be hellish. 

The thought of not having the ability to workout alone without the group sounds horrible. On a good day, he can hardly handle going to public gyms during rush hour when it's mostly older men, but that same amount of time but with teenagers his age or younger working out together in an enclosed space does NOT sound productive in his mind.

He also thinks of his shifting abilities. How he can’t go for that long without shifting, and still has his times where he accidentally shifts because of too many emotions happening all at once. More times than Enea can count he has shifted the moment he got behind closed doors from all the excitement of the day finally getting out. He thinks about the times when he accidentally shifted before getting to his motorhome and having to hide, feeling all too big while hiding between or underneath whatever thing was closest to his giant furry body. He thinks about the many times when he accidentally scratched Carlo, Mr. Gresini, or his parent with his giant claws and gangly limbs. Of all the animals that Enea could shift into a Bear was probably the worst one.

“That all sounds wonderful, but could I get some time to think about it?”

A soft smile crosses Vales's face and Enea feels a soft tingling at his fingertips that he ignores.

“Of course you can.”

“Is there a final date you need an answer by?”

“Yep, by the end of the season.”

Ok. the end of the season is in a few months, that should be enough time to figure out his response, right?

…

…

It does end up being enough time. The next day after qualifying, Enea brings up his conflicts with the offer to his manager, Carlo. He brings up all the beautiful things that Vale brought up, but also all the things that he's worried will or might happen. He brings up his worries of shifting in front of them, and how that would end horribly, especially with the animal that he is. 

Carlo had stated that he believes that Enea should stay there at Gresini, but if he felt it was necessary to leave then he could do so. Enea didn't want to leave though, he loved this tight-knit family of a team that he had the luck to be a part of. With Mr Gresini being almost like a second dad to him, it just felt wrong to leave that alone, but Enea also felt that the team was getting stronger and was going to go far in the coming season.

So on Saturday night, Enea made it his choice to find Valentino and reject his offer as softly as possible. Maybe he would do the whole ‘it no you, it's me’ to Vale, and a snicker manages to force its way out of Enea's mouth as he walks down the motorhome lane. Making his way towards the VR46 homes he tries to script the rejection in his brain as softly and swiftly as possible.

Hello Vale, no that sounds too formal. Hi Vale, I’ve come here to discuss your inquiry? to discuss your offer. The offer is better. Ok. Hi Vale, I'm here to discuss your offer, could we talk inside maybe? Would that be rude since I'm inviting myself into his motorhome? Wait, it's not even his! Oh god, this is going to go terribly.

—————————

MotoGP Rookie year

Even though he had turned down Vale's offer he still sometimes joins the Academy in some of their escapades and training sessions despite not being a part of the academy. It is nice having friends in such a cutthroat sport like MotoGP, but Enea has sadly (or gladly, he supposes) that he has never had the chance or time to build such a close relationship with the other drivers that a falling out would be a devastation. Like how the falling out with Marc and Vale went. The topic has become taboo in the Ranch household, even though you cannot mention racing without either Marc or Vale without there being the intertwining of the two. It's beautiful in a strange way, he supposes. 

Despite this, the bond of the Academy drivers, both Ex and current, is unbelievably strong. A lot of times Enea feels like an outsider to the group though, which he is in a way, but it's still strange. 

There are references and inside jokes that are made that he doesn't understand. Sometimes a joke is made and some of the academy members will give me this wide-eyed panicked look, like he’ll be learning whatever secret reference they made with a four-word joke. 

Enea is a people person, an extrovert. He loves talking and chatting and hanging out with people he holds dear and strangers all the same. So when he starts feeling like he's not wanted somewhere it stings a little bit, but it's nothing new. he knows he's chatty and he knows when to stop based on facial and body language alone. But seeing this behavior come from his friends hurts on a whole new level.

Sometimes it's unbearable. Like there's a tension settled over the house whenever he's there, and Enea knows that it has to do with him. On the bad days, he can always feel someone watching him, staring at him at almost constant times. He asked about it before, sort of.

 Typically on these days, someone from the group is missing, whether that's Vale, Pecco, Bez, Cele, Mig, Franky, or whoever, someone is always missing, and when Enea enters the building and asks “Where are they?” It's like he asked if he could invite Marc Marquez to the ranch or like he killed someone's grandma.

He doesn't understand, and they don't try to help him understand, so he stops trying. When he sees someone missing he stops asking. When they make a joke he doesn't understand he looks at his phone or away to pretend he isn't listening. He starts making excuses now and then so that he doesn't have to go to the ranch and so that he doesn't feel like an outsider with his friends. More and more often it starts to feel like Family PLUS Enea, and he just can't stand that feeling.

It's a slow process, pulling away. He tries to do it slowly, missing a few meets throughout a couple of months, then slowly adding more and more excuses to the board. It gets to the point where he starts scheduling hangouts with other people and sponsoring events on the days that their get-togethers happen. Putting so much effort into missing these hangouts makes Enea feel like an asshole, it weighs on him and he sure as hell hopes that no one can see the amount of pressure it's putting on him. 

These get-togethers were some of the few times when he could hang out with his friends with no worries about the media or anything, but now that he's hardly talking to them the pressure is building and building. Similar to how he can't go too long without shifting, he also cannot go a long time without interactions with his friends. Speaking of, Enea figures now would be the best time to shift during this weekend. It's Thursday evening and he's completed all the media and video requirements earlier in the day. He thinks that this will probably be the only free time he will have in the coming future. 

The TV in his Motorhome is playing softly on a random cartoon station, Enea hoped it would bring him comfort but after staring blankly at the little characters on the screen for 30 minutes he resigned himself to shifting for the night. He's always tried to hold off shifting for as long as possible, simply on the count of how dangerous and destructive his animal form is. Not because he goes feral or loses all inhibitions, no, it's because of his size and physical attributes that come along with being a black bear. 

He finds that it's hard to hide while a bear, especially if he shifts to places like cities or towns not near forests at all. Not only hiding is hard but so is moving in the safety of his motorhome. Since bears are so big the floor always creaks dangerously when he walks and he always ends up tearing or breaking something in the home. The amount of times he's torn the blankets and pillows on his bed from trying to cuddle them is too many to count. Not to mention all of the glasses and bowls he's broken when trying to get something to drink. 

After a day or night of shifting, Enea always feels a pit of dread and embarrassment. It's always so embarrassing to go up to his manager and mumble I’ve ripped the sheets again or I broke some more glasses.  Maybe Enea should start asking for plasticware instead of glass so that he doesn't have to deal with that conversation. He should also look into some heavy-duty blankets and pillows so that he doesn't have to confront the team again, to see their pitying looks at something he can't control.

Enea, tiredly sits forward on the couch, resting his head in his hands and sighs. He can only put off shifting for so long, so pushing his hands on his knees he stands up and makes his way to the kitchen to get some things ready for his shift.

A big metal bowl for water, a giant bag of nuts and dried fruit trail mix, another giant metal bowl to put the trail mix into, and a couple of large towels to place under the water bowl. Hands full he brings all the materials into his room, placing the bag on the bed, an empty bowl next to the door, and the large towels next to the bowl. He brings the other empty bowl back into the kitchen to fill it with water, before carefully making his way back into his room and setting it down softly on the towels.

Sighing heavily he turns around and grabs the bag of trail mix, tears it open, and pours it into the food bowl on the ground. God, he feels like he's feeding a dog. An animal. Which, he supposes he is but this just feels a little demoralizing. 

Once the bag is empty he walks back to the kitchen to throw the bag away, checks the door is locked, windows are closed, and everything is prepared for the shift he makes his way over to the couch. Enea has always found it easier to have a distraction while he shifted so that it wasn't too abrupt or painful, so he sat down on the floor in front of the TV and let the transformation happen. 

The shift happens both too fast and too slow, the tingling sensation starting at his fingertips and making its way up his arms, into his chest, legs, and head. He feels so heavy and light at the same time like a weight is being lifted from his human shoulders and being placed into the belly of his bear form.

He blinks and the world has shifted, it's a little taller, more daunting. Carefully Enea moves his paws around, making sure he has full control of all his limbs when he hears the careful but sharp knocks at his door.

If I don't move or do anything they will walk away. Surely.

“Enea?”

Uh oh. This is the worst. Seriously? Of all times for Vale to try and talk to me? The ONE time where I willingly shift. God.

Enea sits as still as he possibly can, controlling his breaths so carefully to make sure the heavy breaths that naturally come with being a bear aren't heard through the door. 

It's silent for another minute when Vale knocks again, “I'm not sure if you can hear me Enea, but I can hear the TV so I assume you're on the couch.”

Shit.  

“-that's ok, I don't always want to answer the door either! So, I figured that I may as well talk to you through the door.”

Enea holds his breath, hoping for Vale to just get this over with. He just wants to go back to his bed, try to cuddle the blankets again, and sleep the night away. 

“I and some of the others have noticed that you've been missing a lot of get-togethers, and that's not an issue since you're a rookie. You have a lot of obligations to attend to, I understand. But, you’ve missed over half the get-togethers that have happened this year and were worried.” Enea can hear a muffled sigh from Vale. 

He didn't want to worry them, that's why he tried to carefully pull away.

There is a shuffle outside the door and Vale starts up again, “It's ok for you to be struggling, it's normal and we are here to support you through thick and thin. We want to help you.” he starts to sound exasperated, “Let us help you. Whatever is wrong, just tell me.”

He can hear Vale take a deep breath, a calming breath probably. Enea can just imagine the look on his face, a look that is rarely given to him simply because he tries to make sure there is nothing to worry about with him. 

He's seen the look directed at Pecco, Bez, Luca, and honestly, most people are a part of the Academy. But since Enea has always kept high spirits, never talking about his worries or fears, the look has never been angled his way. 

When Vale looks worried it's like seeing a dad worried about his kid who just fell off their bike and scraped their knee. He knows that they will be ok, it's just a scratch, but he still worries because he never wants his kid to hurt. The way that Valentino's brows furrow, wrinkling his forehead, makes him look his age. His mouth always ticks down in a little frown before pursing, listening to whatever issue is being discussed. He will always kiss his teeth and wave his hands around, moving around sharply but fluidly, showing that it's okay and things can be fixed. 

Enea wished he could see the look directed at himself for once.

“I’ll leave you alone now, but when you feel up to it, talk to me. Please?”

Silence.

“ok, I’ll see you later.”

There's another pause, then the muffled sounds of Vale walking down the stairs and away from the motorhome. Enea makes sure not to move for another few minutes before deeming it safe for him to move. 

He shifts himself forward to stand on his paws and chuffs to himself, upset that he's managed to worry Vale when he tried so hard to make sure he didn't disappoint or worry anyone. maneuvering his body around the living room he takes soft but creaky steps towards his bedroom. Briefly Enea stops at the doorway to drink water and eat some of the trail mix he left for himself before climbing onto the bed. the springy mattress creaking and groaning as he settles into the middle. 

Maybe tomorrow will be better.

[springsteenicious]

Pieces of a Harmony

part one of my draft clean out is chapter one of a fic I abandoned called Pieces of a Harmony! don't know why I called it that!

The original idea for this was to be a band AU. If anyone remembers when I was toying around with a fic called Add It Up, this is my restarted draft of that. But I don't where I was going with it and I have no idea what I'm doing with all the stuff I wrote for Add It Up. If you want to learn more about that fic, look at my tag for it.

In this story, Donna is marrying my OC Jack O'Connor (WTOE). Eric went to NYU and met the people he will later start a band with, and the character Jenna you will meet here is his intended love interest since Donna is married. Hyde and Jackie reunite at the wedding.

Word Count: 3,064

Pairings: Hyde/Jackie, Donna/Jack, Eric/Jenna

1985 

Hyde raised his hand to knock on the front door when Donna poked her head out the window right next to it. “Don’t knock!” she shouted. “I just painted the door.” 

He lowered his hand. “Okay. Can you let me in?” 

“Yeah, one second.” Donna went back in the window and a moment later, the door opened. Hyde went in. 

“How’s it going? Where’s Jack?” 

“Jack is figuring out what’s wrong with the bathroom sink. If you want to help him, follow the sound of angry Gaelic muttering.” Donna gestured vaguely up the stairs. 

Hyde nodded and went up, Donna behind him. “Everything else good? You like the house?” 

“Yeah, I do. I’m glad we’re moving in before the wedding. I would have been stressed the whole honeymoon if we still didn’t have a house.” 

“I’m glad you moved too, I was getting sick of having you in my apartment,” Hyde teased. He walked into the bathroom, where Jack was hunched by the sink, cursing at a pipe.

Donna touched his shoulder lightly. “What did I tell you about straining your leg?” 

He looked up at her. “That I shouldn’t do it?” 

“Mhm. Now stand up, Hyde’s gonna fix the sink.” 

Jack used the sink as leverage to stand up. Hyde took his place under the sink. "You got a wrench?" Donna handed him the wrench, and he sealed a loose pipe. "Try that." 

Jack turned on the sink, and the water came out. "Damn. I should just stop trying to fix things around the house, it never works out." 

"How's this: I'll fix stuff, and you can cook," Donna suggested with a smile. 

"I was gonna cook anyway," Jack said. "But that sounds wonderful, a chroí." 

"No one makes me feel more single than you two," Hyde said. "Anyway, I came to help you move in. And to tell you that Forman finally called me back and said he's coming to the wedding, with a plus one." 

Donna smiled. "Does he have a girlfriend? Boyfriend?" 

"No. He's bringing this girl from NYU who he's just friends with. He was very adamant about that on the phone." 

Donna laughed. "Same old Eric." She looked at Jack. "Did Emmeline ever call you back?" 

"Yeah. She said she can't make it. Her sister's pregnant and due around the time of the wedding, so she'll be in Truro with her sister." 

"I love it when you say Truro. Your accent just…" Donna shook her head, clearing the thought. She looked at Hyde. "Are you all packed?" 

"Yup. Finished this morning. I'm excited, I've never been out of the country." 

Donna and Jack were getting married in Ireland. Jack's whole family- minus his sister- lived there, so it was easier to get the whole O'Connor part of the wedding attendees there. Donna only wanted to invite her immediate family and friends, so she was fine with that. It would also be easier for them to get to their honeymoon destination in Italy. 

"Jackie's excited?" Hyde asked. 

"Out of her mind," Donna said. "She said she's been calling Jack's sister non-stop to figure out my bachelorette party. She wants it to be better than the last one." 

Hyde chuckled. "Of course." 

"You sure it won't be awkward?" Donna asked, not for the first time. 

Hyde gave her a look. "Jack's inviting your ex to his bachelor party. I can handle seeing Jackie for a few days." 

Donna turned on Jack. "I told you that you didn't have to invite him." 

"I wanted to," Jack said. "He's cool. Besides, he and Hyde are still friends. It'll be fine." He pressed a kiss to the side of Donna's face. "It's going to be great, and we're going to be married soon, and then we'll be enjoying kickass food in Italy." 

Donna smiled a little. "You always know what to say, Sunshine." Jack blushed a little. 

"Aww," Hyde crooned. "You have anything else you need me to fix?" 

They both looked back at Hyde. Jack nodded. "The water heater needs to be set up." 

"I'm on it." 

~

Hyde stood in the foyer of the O'Connor house, helping Donna greet people. Jack was catching up with his family. They'd offered to have everyone over for dinner the night before the wedding. 

The door opened, and Forman walked in. "Oh, thank God, I have the right house," he said. "Hi, guys!" 

Donna gaped at him. "What happened to your hair? I haven't seen you in five years." 

Forman's hair was much longer, falling to his chest. He'd started growing it out a few years ago. He opened his mouth to answer, but a woman pushed him aside so she could enter the house. "You're blocking the door, Forman." 

She had tan skin and short, wavy hair. She had a lot of piercings in her ears and she was wearing an oversized button-down over her Van Halen shirt. "Sorry," Forman said. He looked at Donna and Hyde. "This is Jenna Somers, a friend from college." 

She nodded. "What's up?" 

The door opened again, and Jackie walked in. Hyde hadn't seen her in five years. Her hair was longer, but she looked mostly the same. She went straight to Donna, wrapping her in a tight hug. "Donna! This is so exciting! You're finally getting married to a good guy!" 

"Rude," Forman said. "I'm a great guy. Just not right for Donna." 

Jenna shrugged. "You're a pretty okay guy." 

He frowned at her. "I should've brought Reese as my plus one. Reese would've been supportive of me." 

Jackie separated herself from Donna. "Where's Jack?" 

"Where do you think? He's in the kitchen." 

"I gotta go talk to him. We haven't seen each other in forever." Jackie flounced off to the kitchen. 

"They're friends?" Hyde asked. 

"Yeah. Jackie visited me a bunch when I was living in Yarmouth with him, they got along really well. He helped her after her last breakup." 

"She's dated other people?" Hyde asked, somewhat surprised. He knew it was outrageous to assume that she hadn't seen anyone else, but he hadn't heard anything about it. 

"I'm so confused, man," Jenna said. 

"It's soooo much to explain," Forman said. "Let's go find somewhere to sit so I can try and catch you up." The two of them left the room. 

The door opened again, and Midge came in with a man Hyde had never met. "Oh, hi, Donna! Hello, Steven. This is my boyfriend, Jon. I met him in California." 

"Nice to meet you," Jon said. He had wavy brown hair and a thick mustache. "Donna, is your dad coming?" 

"Yeah. He's, um… Not seeing anyone right now. So try not to rub it in his face, please, mom." 

"Why would I do that? I don't want to rub anything in his face, he's all oily." Midge smiled. "Where's Jack's mother? I wanted to talk to her, y'know, mother to mother."

"I don't know how well that's gonna go. She doesn't speak a lot of English. You're better off talking to Jack's dad." 

"But I don't want to talk to his dad, I want to talk to his mom!" 

"Why don't you go ahead, love, I'll be right there," Jon said, lightly pushing Midge towards the hallway. She walked off, leaving Jon alone with them. "I've learned to just let her do what she says she's gonna do. She figures it out eventually." 

"How do you manage to do it?" Hyde asked. Donna gave him a look. "It's a valid question, Donna, the woman can't follow a conversation for even a minute." 

"Patience. I just let her talk and support her ideas. And I love her a damn lot, which is really necessary at times." Jon focused on Donna. "So, what languages does your soon-to-be mother in law speak?" 

"Irish, Scots Gaelic, and Italian. Her father is Italian and her mother is Scottish, then they moved to Ireland when she was young, so she speaks a lot of languages." 

"I know a little bit of Italian, so we'll see how it goes," Jon smiled brightly, clapped Hyde on the shoulder, did the same to Donna, then walked down the hall. 

"He's definitely… a step dad kind of guy," Hyde said. 

"Shut up," Donna said, laughing. "We should probably make sure there are no major inter-family issues before the wedding." She walked after Jon, and Hyde followed her. 

~

"You're getting married! This is so exciting!" Jackie hugged Donna tightly from behind. Donna smiled. "And your marriage is gonna go so much better than mine, I can feel it." 

"No offense, but it would be really hard for my marriage to go worse than yours." 

"Oh, so Jack's not planning on running away to the Bahamas?" 

"I don't think so, no." 

"Then I can almost guarantee you won't get divorced." Jackie laughed. "I really am happy for you, though. Jack's a great guy, I can tell he really loves you." 

"Yeah. Y'know, I'm not even nervous," Donna said. 

"That's good." 

Meanwhile… 

Hyde and Cal were patting Jack's back as he nearly hyperventilated in the back of the church. "Man, what's wrong with you?" Cal asked. 

"Why is she marrying me? All I have to offer is disabilities. I get a beautiful, intelligent, wonderful woman and she gets a guy with one leg and PTSD. This hardly seems fair," Jack said. 

"Well, we should call the wedding off, then," Hyde said. "I mean, why would Donna almost marry you with that reasoning? And to think she really loves you." 

Cal took a less subtle route. "You're being a fucking dumbass. She loves you, PTSD and all. She wouldn't have said yes to the engagement if she didn't. And you're not less than any other guy 'cause of your disabilities, fuckwit." 

"Exactly," Hyde said. "My ex-wife was legally blind. She could still see, but… y'know, she wasn't allowed to drive." 

Jack chuckled. "Ah, so that's how you managed to get married." 

Hyde smiled. "See, you can do this. You love Donna, Donna loves you. Soon, you're gonna be married and you won't even be thinking about these worries you have now." 

Jack nodded. "Okay. Okay. I can do this." 

"That's the spirit!" Cal clapped him on the back. "And Hyde, save a dance for me after the wedding." 

"Of course. I'm gonna go find my seat." 

~

Eric sat next to Jenna in one of the church's pews. Jenna was wearing a black dress, and she looked beautiful. Eric wasn't about to say that to her, though. 

"Is it weird, being at your ex's wedding?" Jenna asked. 

Eric shrugged. "Not really. I'm happy for her. I'm glad I didn't marry her." 

"Me too," Jenna said. 

He snapped his head in her direction, about to ask what she meant by that, when the wedding procession music started. They all stood and turned to see Jackie walk down the aisle and stand on the opposite side of Jack and his sister Cal. Then Donna came down, wearing her mom's old wedding dress. She looked radiant, and she looked happy. 

Jack smiled brightly when she came up to meet him. Everyone took their seats again, and the ceremony began. 

Before Eric knew it, they were at the vows. 

"Jack… You brighten my life. You always know how to make me smile, and you know what to say when I feel down. You're my closest friend. You know me better than anyone else. I love every part of you, even the parts you don't love about yourself. I vow to love you for as long as we live." 

Jack was blushing deeply. "Donna, a chroí… I never believed I could fall in love again. Then you came and you showed me how wrong I was. I've never been happier about being wrong. You are an amazing person, inside and out. I love you no matter what. I love everything about you. I vow to love you for as long as we live." 

"You may seal these vows with a kiss," the priest said. 

They kissed, and the wedding attendees applauded. 

~

Hyde sat next to Jackie at one of the tables in the reception hall. Donna had placed them next to each other at her family and friends table. She and Jack were dancing together. Forman was talking to Jenna. Jon was leading Midge in a playful sort of partner dance.  Bob was leaning over to talk to Jack’s dad. 

Hyde turned to Jackie. “So, how have you been? It’s, uh… It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”

“Oh, you know, divorced,” she said with an embarrassed smile. 

“Me too.” 

Her jaw dropped. “Really? Steven Hyde got married?” 

He rolled his eyes, but he smiled. “Yeah, yeah. We thought it was a good idea, then we ended it after a year. Her name was Ellis.” 

Jackie nodded. “Same. I really thought Liam loved me, then on our one year anniversary he ran away to the Bahamas. When he got back, we got divorced.” 

“He sounds like an ass. And he’s stupid for ditching you.” 

Jackie gave him a look. 

He gave her a look back. “Hey, you ditched me, remember? You left without letting me answer.” 

“I didn’t leave, though. And you had a second chance to answer when I came back.” 

“But I blew it, and now we’re here, so let’s forget it.” 

“Fine.” She stared at the dance floor, where couples were paired up. She turned to him and held out her hand. "Wanna dance?" 

He smiled. "Sure." 

He took her hand and they went out to the dance floor. He placed one hand on her hip, and she put her other hand on his shoulder. "I like your suit. You never had anything this nice when we were together." 

"Ellis was a fashion designer," Hyde explained. Despite being unable to tell velvet apart from polyester without her glasses on, she had loved designing. She'd designed many nicer clothes for him since he had so few. "What did Liam do?" 

"He was a writer. He was working on a book about vampires when we were together." 

Hyde laughed a little. "Vampires, huh?" 

She laughed too. "Yep. It was terrible. He'd read chapters to me once he finished them, and God, his writing was awful." 

"Well, good thing you're not Mrs. Vampire Book Guy anymore." 

"Yeah." She pulled him a little closer. "I just realized I missed you."

"Just now?" 

"Well, I wasn't thinking about it before. I guess I kind of forgot how much I like being around you. Just in general." 

Hyde stared at her for a moment. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I missed you too." 

The song changed from Something by the Beatles to You Make Me Real by the Doors. Jackie gasped and squeezed his hand. "It's our song!" 

"It is." Hyde lifted his arm and spun her, then brought her close to him when she came back. He had always liked dancing with her. Way more than he'd liked dancing with Ellis. She smiled through the whole song. 

~

Jackie got her coat and her keys, ready to leave. Steven jogged over to her. "Can I walk you to your car?" 

"Sure," she said. 

They left the reception hall and went out to the beat-down gravel parking lot. Jackie led him over to the car she'd rented for the trip. She was spending a few extra days in Ireland after the wedding, for her own enjoyment. She'd always wanted to see Ireland, and this was her chance. 

"I, uh… I had fun dancing with you today. Thanks for not making things weird between us," he said. 

"I had fun too." She twisted her fingers together. "And why should things be weird? We dated years ago. We're both over it. We can be friends." 

"Exactly." 

They stared at each other for a moment, then they both leaned in and kissed. They parted after a second. Then Jackie wound her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a deeper kiss. His hands found her waist. They kissed as if it was the only thing in the world that mattered. 

He parted the kiss just enough to say, "Donna gave me a ride here, could I go back to the hotel with you?" 

She smiled. "Is that why you asked to walk me to my car?" 

"Maybe." 

She kissed him again. "Well, it's good you need a ride, 'cause I was gonna ask you to come back to the hotel with me anyway." 

His eyebrows rose. "Were you now?" 

"Yeah. If you want to." 

"Oh, I want to." As soon as he finished speaking, his lips were on hers again and Jackie couldn't think of anything else. 

~

Jackie cuddled against Steven in the bed of her motel room. She trailed her fingers over his stomach, tracing small patterns into his skin. "Overall… This was a pretty good wedding," she said. 

"Yeah. I'm happy for Donna and Jack. They work well together. I can see them staying together forever, like the Formans." 

"Me too. Although I don't seem to have a very good judgment of that sort of thing." 

His fingers began combing lightly through her hair. "What do you mean?" 

"Well, I thought we would stay together forever. Then I ran away. And I thought Liam and I would stay together forever, then he ran away. So I don't think I should judge Donna and Jack's potential to stay together." 

"Ah." He watched her fingers tracing hearts over his skin. "Y'know… I think it's a lot easier to tell when you're not a part of the relationship. A part of me always felt like Donna and Forman weren't meant to be. But when we were together… That was the first time I was able to see myself with someone for a long time. And look where we all are now." 

She looked up at him. "You could see yourself with me for a long time?" 

He nodded. "I also saw myself being with Ellis for a long time, so don't go thinking you're special or anything." 

She giggled. "I wouldn't dream of it." 

She kissed him softly. Even if it was only for a night, Jackie was happy to be with Steven again. It was comforting, like coming home after a long trip. Jackie decided not to think about what that really meant too much.

[aclickbaittitle]

Live blogging of the Podcast Jam's Pilots (Part 1):

First of all, I want to say congratulations to everyone who participated. Making a podcast is hard, making one with a time limit, through the internet, improbable but somehow possible.

1° The Ichorus Rot

I was so excited for this project and it did not dissapoint but went above. I was expecting something like the first few episodes of TMA, where Theodorus would read their findings and that would be it, but the team went ahead and produced a full-on radio play with 4 (?) voiced characters. That's incredible. I felt like I got a great introduction to each characters, and if you asked me to describe the personality of each I could. The sound design is gorgeous (i have so many questions of how they made that happened) and with the incredible soundtrack it puts you right in the setting and most importantly the mood.

It reminded me a bit of Sherlock Holmes, but with the great twist of making the detective a doctor.

There's just this one bit, I do understand the distortion as Theodore is talking into the recorder but it is a bit hard to understand (especially if you don't have headphones). This is just to say, I am asking for a transcript.

2° Beyond Repair

Oh no, doctor AIs. I really like the time they take to describe the ship, the camera/monitor details. Again I am astonished at the fact that this is again like an (radio) audio play.

What used to be canada? (What happened to canada!? Did it fell along with western civilazation, but then why is Italy still kicking?).

Oh shit, the AI has turned against them. Poor AI, I bet it is over worked.

I also really like the concept of a wellness cruiseship, because it allows a nice excuse to really get inside the characters mind.

3° The Garden of Baffling Beats

The audio is a bit low.

Uuu. Recent management change? Interesting.

Hey, give the Baseliks their own article piece, love the detail that they are shy.

Carnivorous cats!? That checks out. The journalist wants to pet them, jeje.

Also, werewolves? I love werewolves!

Really liked all the work that came in building the garden.

Aww, thanks for the shoutout.

4° World Fuse

Dont remember the name of the MC, but I too, repeat my order in my mind and then messed it up.

Aarush, thats their name. Also, Harlequeen August? (That is a statement name).

Yeah Aarush, no one trust the goverment for a good reason. So funny Queen and Aarush just started fliriting (?).

Is Queen an independent detective?

Idk if I like Indigo, but I am very intrigued by her. Aaa, candy is a lawyer. That explains things.

Wow, Queen, Aarush, stop fliritng, it is too funny.

Wait, queen is the fuse? I didnt really payed attention to the first exposition lines.

Aww, this very creepy voice is very protective, that is sweet.

I really like that most of the episode took place in a coffee/flower shop.

5° The Block

I really like the music.

Not gonna light the eq/reverb effects make it a bit difficult to understand.

Also, space, aliens, Tamareans!? Podcasting. I really like how podcasting is taboo in their culture, thats so funny.

Hey princess, stop being so harsh. You are alive arent you, dont matter if it is cartoonish.

Velma, he of the four trails and well known peneaut allergy. That is such a title, love it.

Humanoid form? They have humans!?

I really like the radio/cable format, is great to be able to jump between stories of very different moods.

I like the bear. I will watch the movie.

Ahg, re-runs. Donovan, you are the mentors of mentors.

I do hope they stick around. I did not understood half of it, but I loved it. Did i mention how good is the sound desing and the music. Amazing.

6° Schrödinger's Pledge

Oh good, water desing, its so cool. The sound design is so coool.

Better question, what is a sororety and a fraternity, and do I have those at my college? (I really hope not).

Uuu, they are childhood friends (?) Acuantainces (however you spell that word).

Love that Helen will jump in a pool just because.

Jared is like a good jock ?? Idk, but I like him.

Mentaly disturbed, such a weird way to say it. Oh shit, the ableism.

Her mom was a part of this sororety, thats so interesting.

Uuuuu, its through a line-phone that you contact the dead? So cool.

Also I really like how you could feel the Sority (?) lider walking around the room.

I am curious about how Helen's mom died. Uh, she died in the river and Helen jumps into a pool.

Oh no, poor Helen.

Oh, not her mom, ohhhh. Shes not dead...yet.

Okay, props to whoever desing this. So much water, its amazing.

Ohhh, and back to the begining, really nice circle.

Oh, toxic female friendships! Toxic female friendships!

Whoever sound-design this, please tell me your secrets.

Pagan Dupount, thats such a name. *A legacy must be paid*.

Wait, isnt Dupount also the name of the evil queen in miraculous? (Sorry).

Is Helen now going to be the Queen Bee? Jared is like "I have contacts".

As someone who loves the dark side of academia, I am in love with this. (Even if I still dont understand how fraternities work, like really, does anyone?).

7° Gavin's Window: Lost and Found

Right into the *ambience*.

"Is there a gift shop in the train station?" Asking the good question.

I really like how the sound design pulls you into the rttpg, like normally I dont listen to actual play or d&d stuff, but I think that this is a good getaway for me.

So Gavin is the GM. That is interesting.

Awww, I really like this candle story.

Uuuu, I want to know what Gavin saw. Are they human?

WAIT! POST CREDIT SCENE, POST CREDIT SCENE!!!

[foxes-that-run]

2013 Haylor Timeline

Timeline Tag, or years, 2012 2014

3 January hair pinned up at restaurant in Virgin Islands. Harry's "might as well.." Tattoo first seen. Covered with Ferns now.

4 January - Taylor's blue dress on a boat. Harry bite bruise on his hip

6 January - Harry seen in NY

7 January -Harry back in London, date People reports that they broke up. Reports Scott swift told them to slow down.

9 January - Harry seen GQ dinner London. photos of Harry in Richard Bransons hot hub on front page after the break up. (I often wonder what the less famous people think now that they treated him poorly as a kid and he is massive now). Gordon Smart (1:12, warning he follows it with a bad anecdote about 18 year old H), who worked on media for One Direction, said in 2020 that Harry had said:

"Simon Cowell actually paid me to do some media training with them back in the day so I met them before they were massive and they were again really lovely kids. [...] I wrote a front page story about him sharing a jacuzzi with a girl on holiday and he told me it was bollocks and we still ran it, because we had a picture of him in the jacuzzi. It was probably totally innocuous and I really I'd like to apologize unreservedly to Harry for that because it was an error of judgment on my part and it probably tarnished our friendship."

Richard Branson also has gross sounding comments about this 18 year old that day.

10 January - made fun of his accent at Grammy's, Harry at nightclub London

12 January when asked, Niall says he listens to WANGBT, Louis says and Harry’s. 22 MV filmed.

15 January - one direction trip to Ghana for Red Nose Day comic relief

16 January - One Direction Tokyo, when movie scenes filmed

20 January - Harry in London

21 January - Taylor in London reports she saw Harry, Harry at friends house

22 January - Harry got the Butterfly and handshake tattoos

23 January - Taylor in Madrid before performing at the '40 Principales Awards'. H London

26 January Both at NRG Awards, 25 January Taylor posts Cannes Sunset situation. They both stayed in the Intercontinental Carlton Cannes Hotel.

27 January - Harry meeting with Simon Cowell Glasgow,

28, 30, 31 Jan, 1, 2, 4 , 8 Feb - Harry London, Leed 13 -16

1 February - Harry's 19th birthday. £5k tab, messy, wild party. Rumour that Taylor had booked a week in Italy which was cancelled

6 February - Savan Kotecha (WMYB writer) gave interview where he said 1D want to be write but can’t. Probably had left 1D already and doing press to build career. His last 1D credit is Happily. In 2017 praised (45 mins) Harry’s writing. In the later interview Savan also says he spent a year being sad after the 1D thing ended until Ariana came into work with him, (52mins) so that article may have been that he’d already left 1D. He said he was working on Emblem3 which may be the other bad project he talked about (released April).

10 February - Taylor at Grammy's, night Ed says inspired Tenerife Sea

18 February - Harry the Box Nightclub

21 February - both attend Brit awards - Taylor performs I knew you were trouble with Harry in the audience. In march she told the Sunday Times "Well, it's not hard to access that emotion when the person the song is directed at is standing by the side of the stage watching." She goes to an afterparty with Tom Odell and out with him the next night. Tom writes Country Star about Taylor and Harry wrote Happily about wishing they were together. Ed is asked if he would trust Harry around his girlfriend and he said “well he trusts me around his girlfriend so yeah I do. We’re friends we don’t do that.” Harry went on Nick Grimshaw from 6am a hungover.

23 February - 3 November - 1D Up all Night tour, start in Europe

7 March - Taylor sells Hyannis Point House at $1m profit

15 March - Taylor vanity fair article. Says Harry pursued her for a year before KCA, better part of a year after and it fell apart one night in London when he went out and he’s texting her to ask to see her again at the time of the interview. Pointed mentioned she was born in 1989, Easter egged wonderland, talks about Connor being 2 months and insignificant. Implies Harry was a rebound from JG and Connor was a Harry rebound. Says she’s looking for someone who is interested in her not her wiki page.

25 - 29 March - Harry in LA, then back to London

29 March - Taylor played “You're Not Sorry” in Newark. “I truly believe that when dealing with anybody you meet, you should start by trusting them. Any new friend you meet. Any new person you meet. I think you should truly believe the beat in them. And the first time that they tell you they’re sorry I think you should believe them. But then if they keep doing the same exact thing that they say they’re sorry for, that means one thing guys. That they’re not. Sorry.”- here. Appeared in Wonderland cover April 7, 2013

11 April - Louis says 'Taylor Swift' after Harry sings "I'm in love with you" in Little Things

12 April - Harry’s high school friend, Nick who was in White Eskimo says he liked Taylor since he was 15 before x-factor to the Mirror

Nick has known the One Direction star for years, and recalled the moment Harry (then just 15) admitted fancying country singer Taylor Swift when he watched one of her videos in 2009. Nick said: “He was like ‘Oh my god, she’s really, really good looking. I would do anything for a bit of that.’ Then he went and got with her years later!”

18 April - Harry holmes chapel

20 April - TS on B stage song before “I Almost Do” in Tampa, FL. “everybody’s got like one, maybe two, I don't know how many you have, but at least one person in your life that doesn’t belong in your life anymore because maybe they hurt you or maybe it’s just over but you kind of want to call them sometimes. And you think better of it. But, you almost do it.”- here. Then a Red tour break till the 25th; One Direction tour break starting in Manchester till Paris on 29th. Louis stays in Europe,

23 April - Harry arrives alone in LA without the Peace ring

24 April - Neither Harry or Taylor seen. The day Harry got the ring

25 April - First day Peace Ring is seen. Harry has dinner with Rod Stewart, Rod then plays the Troubadour and Harry stayed at Rod Stewarts house. Taylor in Cleveland

28 April - Harry posts photo of sunglasses on beach. Taylor photographed in a gym in Los Angles. Wears the ring to leave LAX and there is an absolutely insane mob because he is there alone with no security.

29 April - Arrives in Paris alone, still wearing ring, described as a riot. The ring is in This is Us in Paris

April 30 - Taylor buys Holiday House Rhode Island for $18m cash

1 May - Everything has changed released as single

7 May - Harry goes on a party bus in Norway, photos of him drunk, with blonde and talks about party bus in interviews

18 May - Taylor posted rose’s with a Great Gatsby quote: “Just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer...“

19 May - Taylor said to fans, pointly "You are the longest and best relationship I've ever had" at BBMAs and that she only writes about ex's she doesn't want to see again. In the press room she said

27 May - Taylor wrote Wish you Would

2 June - Taylor attended a pre-show meet and greet at KYGO radio in Denver where David Mueller allegedly reached under Taylors skirt. In 2015 he sued Taylor who counter sued. It was not resolved until 2017 when Taylor won damages of $1.

June - September Midnight Memories written with Happily

12 June Taylor on Grimmy, he says Trouble is the “best song ever” 4 times at 11 mins. Best song ever was released 22 July. :)

13 June - Never Gonna Dance Again tattoo seen when Harry got off a yacht in Miami, seemingly drunk, he was underage at the time lyrics from Wham song "Careless Whisper" about regret for being unfaithful. Grimmy had referred to it in September when Harry sung the song on radio

16 June 2013 - Louisville - Harry was feeling himself during “Last First Kiss” and at the end was flirting with someone in the crowd, he mimicked pole dancing then he kissed his heart tattoo

22 June - Taylor and Selena getting ice cream in Mystic Connecticut, near RI.

28 June - Harry seen with Paige

29 June - Taylor gets a fans face paint on her neck that looks like lipstick in Vancouver, Gaylor 'proof'. 1D NY

1 July - Harry cross tattoo NYC stayed at the Bowery Hotel NYC

6 July - both play in Pennsylvania, Taylor has a week off after, unseen. On the 8th Harry was sick on stage.

20 July - Harry on Ryan Seacrest in Niall’s place and says the rest of the band went back to uk on their break but he stayed in LA.

22 July - Best Song Ever released.

30 July - September GQ cover story where they badgered Harry about how many people he’d slept with (two)

6 August - Ed posts photo with Harry and snow patrol “Decent night with the ladz”

August 14 - Lover Journal: August 14, 2013, Watch Hill RI. Says she feels like a tiger in an enclosure, feels hunted, talks about paparazzi and cell phones. Also calls herself a rabbit, a flower growing in a sidewalk that is picked and how photos ruin a moment, online photos/comments and 'level of possession'.

25 August - VMAs, texting each other and shade, together at afterparty. Sang purple rain together at after party.

3 September - Harry tweeted 1975, Matty Healy told an interviewer that went from 4K followers to 15k in 10 minutes and they exchanged numbers and texted, made plans to meet up and he stood Harry up.

5 September - the 1975 cover WMYB in the live lounge

8 September - Taylor “"People think they know who I've dated and they just don't," "They don't know everything."

9 September - Harry badgered by paparazzi till he cries in London. They called him a womaniser. GQ Article where the interviewer bullied him into how many partners he had has (2)

10 September - Media that they had a heart to heart at VMAs

11 September - Harry Rose tattoo.

18 September - Harry at Pixie Geldorf’s birthday, with Nick and first time seen with model Daisy Lowe in photo pixie posted.

27 September - 1D sign another contract with Syco for 3 albums, they are each paid £10m.

28 September: On the anniversary of the Begin Again weekend in Paris 28 September- 5 October 2012 Harry tweeted: "We don't need no piece of paper from the city hall". from Australia.

5 October - Harry pulled a blonde out of the crowd and hung out with her that night in Australia

8 October - Harry tweeted Shania Twain is so good. Shania thanks him and invites him to her show in Vegas.

16 October - Harry talked about Shania Twain 'Still the One' on stage, Tweet Q's - what song would you like to listen to now?

17 October Harry cried onstage, (0:55) during over again Taylor seen with Alexander Skarsgard 3 days later

18 October - throws up on stage reports touring taking toll

28 October - Harry talked about Shania Twain 'Still the One' on stage again, What's the most embarrassing song on your ipod.

1 November - 1D, Katy Perry and John Mayer take photos backstage at a Japanese radio station in Tokyo. New Romantics was written about Taylor being sad her ex had gone to Japan with his new GF.

November -j14 article where Harry says ok to get back together with ex. Also reports Taylor is house hunting in London. Rumour Taylor was seen with Douglas booth.

13 November - Taylors first Victoria Secret show where she wears a union jack dress in NY and performed IKYWT. On 14th Harry in UK for Gemma's graduation, TS in NY for billboard awards.

18 November - Courtney Cox said she hung out with each of them at her house in Malibu

20 November - Harry has dinner with Kendall Taylor tweets ""I've listened to "Hold On" by @ColbieCaillat 45 times today. So on repeat. So important." on the 21st when dinner reported.

22 November - midnights memories release party in la with Ryan Seacrest

23 November, both at AMAs, gold dress. Kendall PDA reported but no record of it

25 November - Midnight Memories released with Something Great written with Jacknife Lee who also worked on Red.

3 December - Lover Journal - December 3, 2013, Sydney.

6 December - Harry leaves Kendalls hotel and they have breakfast. Lunch the next day NY. Harry is carrying notebooks and dressed that same as in the Spotify visual for Where Do Broken Hearts Go. Tabloids say not dating Kendall and he is texting Daisy Lowe.

11 December- Taylor ATW speech talks about songwriting like a message in a bottle, she mentions still love you and I’m really heartbroken

12 December - One Direction in Milan, record the Xfactor final interview with cushions on the floor.

13 December - Taylor posts a series of photos to IG about a rose garden party in Melbourne, Australia while on tour for her birthday. Many think 1989 will be called Roses. The captions made a sort of poem "Roses. Red Balloons. Pretty.... Sparklers. The best birthday I've ever had." Which could be a dig at Harry, Roses being common Haylor imagery, his tattoo and she famously said her 2012 birthday was her best ever when he took her to the Lakes. Harry's "better still be my winding wheel" tweet. Harry posts his Cannes photo December 14.

15 December - One Direction performs Midnight Memories on Xfactor UK Final and Harry arrives at Kendalls London hotel at 2am.

17 December - Harry, Ed and Taylor spotted together in Suffolk. Harry got injunction banning paparazzi from outside his home. Harry likely had moved into his current house. First confirmed at Ben Winston's with Morgan Spurlock in April 2012, Harry later told Rolling Stone he stayed there 20 months. He was seen house hunting in July and reports of his house were September 2012.

21 December - midnight memories MV filmed

Continue to 2014

[jlf23tumble]

First off YES the full clips of the early years are even more “proofy” which is actually fucking crazy - no romantic music needed!

But larries continue to cut off their nose to spite their face with the MaRRiED shit - why can no one be cool not all uncool. Not only do they sound detached from reality and how people/relationships work they also trivialize imo very real issues like forced closeting which did seem to happen in early 1D.

Ofc Harry is not out here (lol) simulating gay sex on stage like Troye but is he chained up by Sony or just living his life and not sharing every sexual encounter he has with People? He could easily have 15 boy toys in Italy (along with his deuxmoi approved gf) but because he HAS to be with Louis he is a poor man with evil harpies around him using him for their personal gain (hard eye roll because if you think those gfs were some version of not 100% real HE was using them). Larries would be happier if they accept HL are no longer together (or are occasional fuck buddies with a past) and/or they don’t want to tell you anything about their sex life because it’s none of your business. There is no coding or secret messages that only other queer people can see. Harry wearing that pink Top shirt is just Harry wearing a shirt he likes (he’s such a troll).

Obvs this came in before #recentevents, and I haven't had energy to process jack shit, but I feel you! And I have so many thoughts about it because on one hand, I get the comfort of it--a cozy ao3 hallmark movie of a story "come to life"/"trapped in amber," our friends are all vibing, we're just out here living/laffing/loving/hating on women/supporting--but on the other, yeah, that's not totally realistic, and that's literally fine, they don't know you! It's wilde to me how many people take the 24/7 for 5 years more than 10 years ago as a) categoric proof then but also b) categoric proof NOW, because even though there was a constant barrage of "content" back in the day, it wasn't 100% the truthTM, shit was messy then (see 2015, eleanor b/u #1), and it's messy now! Even today, pinterest loves to show me unedited/uncropped pictures that take my breath away, fandom whomst! Anyway, I'm yelling into various voids that really don't matter in the grand scheme of things, enjoy what you wanna enjoy, revel in it being fictional even though these are real people, but also, let me just take this moment to say I'm pouring one out for the real ones, the ones feeling isolated in groupchats, the ones who fear they can't post even the tiniest bit of doubt because they'll lose people they've come to rely on for their own personal comfort online via these two (or eep, followers, come on, liveeeee in the cringe), the ones who follow goldstars because they're the loudest and most terminally online, so there's a constant stream of "content," yet they have to face the ever-present barrage that comes with it, cropped pictures, shitting on women, the lack of any kind of nuance all. I see you!

[solvskrift]

if you're getting lost (i want that view) | bucky & sam after madripoor

whumptober prompt no. 4: “I see the danger, It’s written there in your eyes.” | shock | “You in there?” also on ao3!

Buck’s quiet on the plane.

He usually has that whole surly, stoic thing going on anyway, but Sam doesn’t like the look of him after all that shit in Madripoor. Zemo hands Bucky a cup of water, and Bucky takes it without looking at it, movements automatic. Measured.

Robotic.

“Didn’t take much for him to fall back into form,” Zemo had said, like it was funny.

Sam feels sick to his stomach.

He begins to wonder how wide a gap there is between programming and conditioning.

----

The hotel suite has three different rooms and a huge couch, so there really isn’t an excuse to be in each other’s way. But Bucky’s door is open and Sam shamelessly takes the opportunity to invite himself in and plop down next to him on the low bed.

Bucky’s eyes are trained on the TV despite the volume being barely audible.

“You good?”

Bucky just nods, arms crossed over his chest.

He still has his jacket on, and his boots.

“You gonna sleep in these?” Sam jokes, kicking lightly at Bucky’s foot. Bucky glances down at himself for a second before refocusing on the television. Sam sighs internally. “I’m ordering dinner, you want anything in particular?”

A shrug.

“C’mon, man, seriously - pizza? Salad?”

He half-expects a quip that they’re in Latvia, not Italy, but Bucky only shrugs again. “Whatever you want,” he says, rubbing his chin.

Sam’s noticed him doing that a lot in the last few hours. It seems significant, somehow, and Sam feels sure he’s missing something.

----

Sam returns to the room armed with six different boxes of appetizers from a place down the street and starts pulling them out of bags and tossing them to the bedspread.

Bucky has taken his shoes off. They’re lined up neatly by the side of the bed, but other than that there’s no sign that he’s moved.

“Here,” Sam says, settling back down and handing Bucky a plate of nachos and buffalo chicken wings.

Bucky unfolds his arms, takes the plate, and begins to eat.

Sam frowns, watching him. Bucky doesn’t like buffalo sauce - hates it, in fact - but he doesn’t complain about the flavor. He doesn’t even seem to notice it.

Sam’s stomach flips.

“You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah.”

It’s automatic, like everything else about him at the moment, but at least he’s talking.

Sam munches on a quesadilla and studies him, at a loss for how to help. “I’m sorry you had to do all that again back there,” he ventures when his mouth isn’t full. “Be that again. None of this is fair.”

Bucky actually pauses at that. Sets his plate down slowly. Stares at the half-eaten pile of nachos.

God, Sam wishes Steve were here - he would know what to do, how to fix this.

Bucky flexes the fingers of his vibranium arm, watching them curl and unclench.

“It’s not who you really are, Buck,” Sam tells him quietly.

Bucky makes an odd sound at the back of his throat. “You sure about that?”

“Yes,” says Sam without hesitation. “Yes.”

Bucky’s quiet for a moment. He flexes his artificial fingers again. “I missed a spot.”

Sam blinks. “What?”

But Bucky slides off the bed without a word and heads for the bathroom.

Sam watches him go, uneasy, and he doesn’t realize he’s almost expecting to hear the sounds of things being smashed up until it doesn’t come.

It doesn’t make him feel any better.

He abandons the takeout and jumps up to follow, crossing the room in three long strides.

Bucky’s standing at the sink with the water running, scrubbing at his vibranium thumb. Sam steps up next to him, making sure to enter his field of vision slow and steady, but Bucky doesn’t look up. He just keeps rubbing a cloth against the same spot on his thumb, over and over.

“What are you doing?”

“Missed a spot,” Bucky mumbles again.

Carefully, Sam lifts a hand and presses it between Bucky’s shoulder blades. “There’s nothing there,” he assures him.

Bucky doesn’t stop.

“Hey,” Sam says and gently tugs the rag from Bucky’s fingers. Bucky freezes, and it’s such an eerie stillness that Sam feels panic begin to claw up his throat.

He reaches for Bucky’s chin to get his attention, and suddenly Bucky’s scrambling away from him, backing up until he smacks into the tiled wall.

“Don’t - ” Bucky chokes out. “Don’t - make me…” His eyes are hard and fierce, but they’re aimed at the floor like it’s not actually Sam he’s talking to.

The image of Zemo gripping Bucky’s chin flashes through his head.

“He will do anything you want.”

Sam holds up his hands to show he’s not a threat and tries not to vomit. “Hey,” he tries. “It’s me, okay? I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do. You hear me?”

Bucky’s brow furrows. He doesn’t look at Sam, but his eyes flick back and forth like he’s trying to focus.

“You don’t belong to them anymore, Buck.” Sam swallows. “You never did.”

Bucky finally meets his eyes, and Sam dares to take a step closer. His fingertips graze the sleeve of Bucky’s jacket.

“You with me?”

Slowly, very slowly, Bucky reaches out. His expression doesn’t change, but he grips Sam’s arm so hard it’s painful. “I - I don’t…”

“It’s okay,” Sam encourages. “I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

He gives Bucky another minute then slips his hand behind his elbow to try to coax him away from the wall. Bucky leans into it, moving forward until his forehead comes to rest against Sam’s. Sam smothers his surprise even as his hand goes up instinctively to support Bucky’s back.

Sam certainly knows what it’s like to be intimate with someone, but somehow this feels like one of the most vulnerable things he’s ever done.

After a beat he allows himself to relax into it and breathes deep, letting his thumb smoothe over Bucky’s spine.

“It’s okay,” he whispers one last time, then lets the room fall silent around them.

Little by little, the lines of Bucky’s muscles begin to ease. He doesn’t speak, or move, but that’s alright with Sam. He’s prepared to be here as long as it takes.

[ambyandony]

Monster AU - Monster Taxonomy [P2]

[P2: Human-Adjacent Species]

oh and please dont get me started on hybrids like . theyre like a whole different thing. ill get into it later its so complicated

First up, I want to try to tackle species that are adjacent to humans; not just species that look very human, but species that more or less actually theoretically exist near humans taxonomically.

So this includes mostly just (some) turned "vampires" and "ghosts" (I'll get to lycanthropy later), and I know that sounds fucking ridiculous because I have just listed what most consider The Undead, Like, People Who Have Died and yeah. That's kinda the idea of them being human-adjacent because they... kind of are humans. Or they were human, once. Also, like lycanthropy, being fucking undead isn't necessarily a human-only thing. This is only really for human ghosts and vampires.

It's a bit complicated; it's hard to say if, cryptoscientifically, they're actually 'species' of their own, due to the aforementioned factors; again, I know it sounds ridiculous to classify fucking GHOSTS as a different species, but the problem is that there are different kinds of ghosts and that's even just the human ones. And those need to be classified, at least to an extent. I'd say from an informal standpoint, to most people, these are theoretically just 'kinds' of 'humans', but that's because cryptosciences are insanely different than what orthoscientific[1] fields really cover and they don't have procedures in place for this shit. But documentation of this 'pseudoscience' has to start somewhere.

Taxonomically speaking, I'm gonna say my options to classify (turned human) vampires and (formerly-human) ghosts are as subspecies of humans, as a subgenus of the Homo genus, or as species in the Homo genus. Either way, we can assume this means they're in the genus Homo, and due to the need to further classify them, I'd possibly call them... "species"... but imagine I'm saying that through gritted teeth and squinting eyes to convey dubious legitimacy of my scientific study as expressed by my peers in the greater scientific community

We are also going to ignore the subspecies 'too different to just be the same species but not different enough that they can't reproduce so we can't consider them a separate species' stipulation. Again. I'll get into hybrids later. but they are great proof that when it comes to cryptians, 'similar enough to reproduce', does not apply in any meaningful way. plus theyre probably magic.

I may get every single Latin gender-tense word agreement wrong . brother i can barely speak italian in italy. but I'm trying ok. i tried looking it up also and didnt get much clarification

For human-turned-vampires, to put them as an adjacent species in the genus Homo, my instinct would be to call them Homo sanguinarius. What with the blood-drinking being the primary distinguishing factor of vampires and all. Kinda what defines the whole category, which I'd call sanguisuges or haematophages; the word 'vampire' is more common to describe the whole classification, but, like 'werewolf', it's actually probably best suited to describe just one species/subspecies denoting the traditional western Pop Culture Standard (PCS) vampire... those ones just got popular in media, so now all blood-drinkers are 'vampires'. Different kinds of sanguisuges with distinct enough traits from each other (PCS vampires, strigoi, possibly shtriga, lugat, etc.; I need to do more research) would be considered subspecies.

However, I consider even human-turned-vampires to be so different from humans enough so that I would have to consider them a Homo subgenus, Sanguinarius.

Consider a PCS vampire Sanguinarius publicaperceptius, "public perception" vampires; meanwhile, "traditional literary vampires" (Dracula) would be Sanguinarius draculus (I'd say there's a significant enough difference to separate the two in classification). DIO (Brando), Straizo and anyone else turned by the stone mask would be Sanguinarius saxeus, with saxeus referring to the stone mask. Sanguinarius infectiomorsibus, "infection fangs", could refer to a vampire turned by a bite, who can, presumably, turn someone else via a bite of their own. This is not the same as what saxeus vampires (or at least DIO) do, as the victims are less vampiric and more zombified. Pillar Men are not Sanguinarius saxeus. Pillar Men are something else.

As for human ghosts, I initially considered them as moreso a subspecies and called them Homo sapiens morsareliquarium (mors ("dead") and reliquum ("remnant") so "remnants of death") while normal humans would be Homo sapiens sapiens and Danny Phantom would be some third, more mysterious thing

But I changed my mind due to, again, the need to classify further, as well as feeling like it just didn't work right that way. and I only left that last paragraph in for the Danny Phantom joke, because comedy is actually the most important thing to me

Once I'd considered and decided against 'species', I started to tentatively go with subgenus (again).

I classified human ghosts as subgenus Morsareliquarium, and, naturally, all distinct types of ghosts (wraiths, spectres, yurei, onryo, etc.) would be species.

For example, an onryo, originating from Japanese folklore and described as a vengeful spirit who became a ghost because they had, in some way, been wronged in life, could be something like Morsareliquarium vindicta. A likely candidate for the classification Sugimoto Reimi falls under, whereas a more hostile typically-'vengeful' ghost, especially if not vindictive on their own behalf, might be something like Morsareliquarium invideo.

I needed someone to represent each mentioned subgenus of the Homo genus for this post and while I could have just gone with whichever three people came to mind first I remembered that there's one of each in La Squadra! So I put them in the silly little chart and this surely wont result in misfortune for me !

Illuso, Pesci, and Risotto Nero are a ghost, a human and a vampire respectively. Also, Pesci is the only human in the entire group and he's literally just a guy. he's so confused

Illuso is specifically a 'mirror ghost' ((which is popular enough to be a ghost trope but not specific enough to have a Wikipedia page or any specific non-individual examples (sorry Bloody Mary), so I gotta freestyle a little)), a ghost that can generally only manifest in reflections, specifically mirrors, for which I'll go with Morsareliquarium captispecula ('capti' (trapped) and 'speculum' (mirror), so "trapped in a mirror").

As for Risotto Nero... um... I'm not sure. It's really hard to study him on account of him being able to go invisible and also being incredibly dangerous. I know he's a vampire of some kind, but I don't know which kind. I've taken to just using Sanguinarius sanguinarius, to sort of indicate an unspecified sanguisuge. I'm still trying to study him but have been thusly unsuccessful in my attempts to infiltrate the group. oh well!

Look, I think vampire species should probably be its own separate post anyway. Maybe I'll be able to elaborate more on Risotto then!!

Oh and then theres zombies... it's complicated. Since zombies are generally just reanimated corpses, a lot of them don't really display a higher level of sentience, which can generally just be called "zombies" or "shamblers". Cadaverus is the term I'd use were I to apply a sub-genus to the category, although it's dubious. They do not fall under the umbrella of Morsareliquarium as they are, in general, corporeal undead, whilst ghosts are, in general, incorporeal undead.

There are a few kinds of zombies that have enough of a level of sentience and enough differentiation that they would be considered their own species; revenants, in particular, are a particular kind of zombie (Carne is an example) reanimated with the intention of just generally tormenting and/or harming the living, perhaps falling under the name Cadaverus malignitas.

A draugr is another kind of higher-sentience zombie; among the distinct abilities of various kinds of draugr, the main consistency is its contagiousness, as a draugr, much like a PCS zombie, is able to spread its draugrism, such as by biting. The main difference between an infectious shambler and a draugr is typically the presence of active sentience, as draugr tend to have at least some ability to cognitively think, as well as the ability to use a number of various magical abilities. Draugr could perhaps be described with Cadaverus transmissia.

Reanimated skeletons are also undead but are usually a magical construct or the result of possession of sorts. Generally, a walking talking skeleton (ambulossa) either falls under ghost or zombie category, or they are unsentient magical constructs.

Liches are undead as well, but fall moreso under the category of a human subspecies or a zombie; I would tentatively give them the name Cadaverus voluntarium, voluntary zombie.

They are typically a magic user (often but not always a necromancer) who made themself undead in a bid to achieve immortality, typically investing their immortality (their soul) into one or more objects or phylacteries ("anchors") in such that when the body is killed, the soul does not pass on, and thus the lich does not truly die. When a lich's anchor(s) are destroyed, their soul (or the part of the soul locked into the anchor) is returned to their physical body, after which the lich can be killed. A lich typically keeps a pretty close eye on their anchor or else hides it in a very very good hiding spot. An example would be Prosciutto. If he's anything to go by, it seems ghosts tend not to get along with liches. I think I can understand why a dead guy would be pretty spiteful of a guy who's cheating death.

Finally, for the record, mummies are not undead. Let me repeat that: mummies are not undead. They're not even cryptians. They don't move around. They're just dead. They're preserved corpses. Spooky zombie mummies are a complete fabrication of pop culture media. Still wouldn't recommend fucking with ancient tombs even if you don't give a shit about being respectful, because the bodies aren't moving anytime soon, but sphinxes sure are, and if they happen to be the tomb's guardian, as many remaining sphinxes may, you better hope you're real good at trick questions or you're fucked.

[1]: orthoscience is real-life actual science aka the opposite of pseudoscience. This is not a real-life, like, pre-existing, accepted or generally known word because I made it the fuck up for my own purposes and whatnot.

(( You can always ask me and/or my sona about my Monster AU and my/his notes! ))

Monster Taxonomy Page 1

Monster Taxonomy Page 1 Subsection A

[WIP]

Monster Taxonomy Page 3

[WIP]

((I've got a few things to say myself about what happened when trying to develop Monster AU Risotto, whom I labelled as a Dhampyr on something I drew a while before the original post of this. The dhampir originates in Balkan folklore, and from my research (I mostly just looked at Wikipedia for the general outline initially), it seems that it is the offspring of a human and a vampire; however, I was classifying them as a kind of vampire as they're the offspring of vampires with very specific traits, who don't seem to have a name distinct from "vampire", but don't quite fit the description of "traditional" vampires. So while technically a hybrid, this species' nomenclature would refer to the parent.

When I first made this post, Wikipedia... and absolutely no other source I could track down (the literal source listed on Wikipedia didn't mention this anywhere, I can't find any mythological resources that say this, and my Element Encyclopaedia of Magical Creatures doesn't even mention dhampirs, the bastards)...claimed what seems to set Dhampirs aside from normal vampires most prominently is that their blood is acidic to normal vampires and can melt any part of a vampire.

But... I was unable to back this detail up because I couldn't find any source that said this (like, not even the D&D sources, just, nothing. Which sucks because I was really hoping I could confirm this because I was thinking it would be so cool with Metallica's whole blood thing), so it appears to have been completely made up by some jackass editing the page. That detail has now been removed from the Wikipedia article since I brought up the lack of a source in the talk section. Remember to check the sources on more obscure Wikipedia articles.

There's also their supposed lack of bones (noodle moment) according to some areas, which apparently contributes to a typically short lifespan and a soft body. Small problem with that. Any being without bones can't be in the genus Homo because it's... an invertebrate. If we're to believe that specific interpretation that dhampirs have no bones... they are not in the Vertabrata subphylum. Even if they have a human parent.

You know where the actual problem lies here?

If he has no bones he doesn't belong on this post because he wouldn't be in the Homo genus. On account of not having bones.))

[c0mbatchameleon]

~

journal entry so ignore if u feel so inclined. it’s for me it’s for the records the files the digital footprint that simply won’t quit

ok I can’t stop listening to these songs and I think they will forever be entangled with the sounds and smells and introspections I found in rome and the south of Italy after ummm let’s just say losing my mind a little bit in prior destinations

this but specifically ‘wind doesn’t blow baby just cuz I want it to’ ! hell yeah it doesn’t!

this but in rome on the bus when I once again was reminded tjat my 15 yr old self is still warm and alive and kicking and thrashing somewhere beneath my ribs and that’s ok and if I just reach inside myself I can hold her hand sometimes.

this just this. just this.

picked up giovanni’s room after resding 30 pages and forgetting abt it forever ago and I think I just wasn’t ready for it then the writing has my jaw on the floor it’s visceral I’m in tears. but I’m also just a slut for a character so deeply drenched in shame that he’s sagging with it, bleeding it out onto everyone around him. like yasss keep hating urself it’s so devastating to witness I want more of it. u are so in love and it is the worst thing that has ever happened to u and u can’t look at urself because of it. yeesh!

I think traveling has made me appreciate art MORE and myself LESS. but that’s ok I had a big head to begin with—she needed to be knocked down a few pegs I FEAR

i also think what I like abt religious art is the way the divine are depicted as human and what that says about worship. if I were an artist I bet the sculpture I made to honor Venus would look a lot like a woman I loved or maybe even myself and alsoooo I bet I’d devote my whole life to doing it justice, conveying its beauty and divinity in the name of my belief too. i like the way that something centuries, even millennia old still conveys a devotion so vivid and tangible, undying and unweathered despite the physical decay, that i can’t help but be compelled to honor the subject too. I can’t help but think— well this must be worth worshipping.

oh I also like the Roman sculptures cuz sometimes they have my nose and I am full of myself. also they look so human I wanna reach out and touch them and isn’t that worship too and isn’t that what we’re meant to feel is that the whole point? and has worship and love always looked like this then? felt like this? or is the melatonin just kicking in?,

anyways I’m ready to go home I have big plans to eat chipotle somewhere near the airport when we land in a few days and then go home and sleep and sleep some more and shower and take an edible and sleep some more and take a bath and sleep and think abt that fictional character and spin them around in my mind with my eyes closed for 12 hrs straight. ok gn chat

[copias-girl]

Do you have any tips/tricks on how you write copia?? Cause I genuinely love it and would like to know the process behind it

Omg thank you so much! It’s a huge compliment when people say they like the way I write him!! ♥︎ so without further ado:

HOW TO WRITE COPIA TUTORIAL LETS GOOOOO 👏🏻 adding a cut because this got long!

Ok so first of all, I do have a bit of an advantage because I’m Italian. I’m from Canada but my Mom was born in Italy, I’m fluent in Italian, and I still talk with my relatives in the old country. So basically I know what an Italian accent sounds like, because all my life I’ve heard all my family speaking with one! Hell, even I had one when I was little! HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean you can’t write Copia if you don’t have that experience

I watch a lot of Ghost concert footage and I’ve watched the Chapters sooo many times, so when I started writing Copia it came really naturally to me. Like writing him is literally second nature at this point 💀 So I would highly suggest watching footage of Copia because that way you can easily picture the way he sounds, his cadence when speaking, his accent, and his mannerisms. And once you know him well you can imagine how he’d react in certain scenarios.

And when you’re writing, ALWAYS always picture the dialogue being said in your head! That way, it’ll sound natural and much more realistic.

Also there are little subtle things you can do to make his speech more true to source for Copia. Italians are known for saying ‘eh’ in between words, just like how other people say ‘um’. So for Copia, I always use ‘eh’ and ‘ehm’, never ‘uh’ and ‘um.’

‘Ah’ is also good, because when he forgets Sister Imperator in the wheelchair, he says ‘Ah, shit.’ And of course, ‘oh’ is also fine to use. Also! When he does that signature little chuckle in the Chapters or on stage, the little ‘heh heh..’ Yeah, add that. It’s adorable and canon!

Also, throw in some Italian, as much or as little as you want. Sometimes I like to have him start a sentence in English and then he goes into Italian for the other half. Other times a whole sentence will be in Italian. And don’t forget to make him say ‘Si’ instead of ‘yes’ often! Also, if he’s talking about something, you can put that word in Italian as if he doesn’t know how to say it in English!

Now for the cadence! There are three main versions of Copia: Canon Copia (which you can see in my Pamper Your Papa fic), pathetically shy Copia (which you can see in To Catch a Cardinal) and a more dominant Copia (which I have not written yet, but I will soon!)

I’m going to use canon Copia as the example, but think of this as a soup; you can just use more or less of the ingredients to adjust the recipe and write which Copia you want!

Copia is awkward, so make sure to break up his sentences with a good amount of ‘eh’ and ‘ehm’. He’s like the perfect mix between awkward and sex appeal, so that’s how I like to write him. He can fluster, he can fuck, but at the end of the day he’s still an adorably awkward old man and that quality always shines through! And while he can fluster you, I picture him to get flustered easily too.

Also, don’t be afraid to add a bit of self-consciousness here and there, perhaps about being old, eating too much rigatoni lol, or about wanting to live up to the title of Papa (if you’re writing something where he’s Papa). If he’s Cardinal, you can make him self conscious perhaps about feelings of unworthiness or something along those lines. It adds to his charm and I feel like it’s accurate to his character. Not to mention it adds depth! Because Copia is lighthearted and fluffy, but he can also be really deep! He’s the perfect mix of everything ♥︎

So those are the basics. Of course, to write pathetic Copia, just increase the amount of stuttering and ‘eh’ and ‘ehm’. I mean really crank that shit up, ya know? It might seem excessive when you’re writing it but it reads off great!

For dominant Copia, you’re gonna be dialling all of that down. Keep the Italian, just don’t really add any of the ‘eh’ and ‘ehm’ or stuttering, because dominant Copia needs to be CONFIDENT and a bit more smooth and like -> 😈

Once again: IMAGINE THE DIALOGUE IN YOUR HEAD. That way you’ll know WHERE to put the ‘eh’ and ‘ehm’ and which words to stutter on! If those are misplaced it’ll make the dialogue seem unnatural!

Also, remember that clip where Copia (as Cardinal) was telling the audience to clap and he was like “You know, like ketchup!” because back in the day they used to have glass ketchup bottles so you’d have to slap the bottom to get the ketchup out? WELL, add some weird kinda stuff like that, stuff where’s it’s like ??? Baby what are you talking about?? His odd references are so cute and add to his awkward old man charm. That’s why I had him compare his rat to a potato in TCAC 💀

I really hope I explained this ok, sorry if it’s kinda chaotic! ♥︎ Please don’t hesitate to send in another ask if you need clarification on anything or have more questions! I love talking about Copia and I love talking about writing! ♥︎♥︎♥︎

[jabeur]

may i ask if it was somehow hard for you to start medical transitioning? like the process? did you have like doubts our so? sorry if this sounds disrespectful i am not trying to be <3

hi dear anon! don't worry this doesn't sound disrespectful at all and i'm glad to answer. under the cut bc it got long lmao

it was a bit hard, yes. it depends on the country, but here in italy in order to start hormone replacement therapy (as a trans person) you have to get 'permission' from a doctor, specifically a gender therapist (usually they're cis. hate it <3) and the standard procedure is that you should do at least a few sessions with them before they can say "you're good to start!", i think in theory it should be 6 months but? i can't remember now if it's like that by law or if it's just how it is in the area i live in? anyway it took longer than usual for me to get this permission bc i'm mentally ill lmao so like the therapist was hesitant bc i was "unstable" and dealing a lot with the effects of trauma blabla but it took a long time. then once i got his permission i had to go to an endocrinologist who also gave me a bit of a hard time (still does lol) bc i'm fat. but yeah the hardest part was with the gender therapist. then like changing your name legally and getting gender affirming surgeries is also an excessively complicated process, you have to get permission from the gender therapist, the endocrinologist, then you have to get a hearing with a fucking judge (to be who you are!!!!!!!! okay. fuck this country) and pay a lawyer (expensive as hell unless you earn less than x amount in a year) and wait suuuuuuper long times it's. god. it's hell. the waitlists for top surgery (for transmasc people at least, that's what i know best) with public healthcare are also insanely long it's genuinely all so......... difficult. it's quite depressing tbh but yeah not all countries have such long and overly complicated processes for these things

as for doubts, yeah i think i did. i don't remember much what the doubts were but i definitely thought about it quite a bit before i decided i wanted hrt. i mean... honestly transphobes think we take these decisions lightly and don't know what we're doing or what awaits us and it's like. lol so fucking far from the truth. i watched a million videos on the effects T has/can have on you, i researched, i asked myself what i wanted like it was. not a decision i took in 5 minutes you know? especially with how complicated the whole thing is, as i explained before, but also just in general bc it permanently changes your body, it's natural that deciding to go through with it would be a decision one makes carefully. it's normal to have doubts! you ask yourself if you really want a deeper voice? do you want or are okay with lots of body hair? would growing breasts be something you enjoy? do you want softer facial features? etc. etc. so yeah i had doubts, i thought about it a lot