#I don’t think I’ll do anything special for Valentine’s Day but we’ll see if creativity hits me

[simswoon]

This guy has a fight with his girlfriend and then goes to play in leaves...

[heckinhacker]

Talon x Reader - Valentine’s special day.

word count: 1,701 requested: yes but no! It was exchange fanfic for Jinx skin! Thank you baby @semi-creative​, you saved us all with this great idea of fic- warnings: there’s one. I think I have everything written in gender neutral reader, but if I slipped some pronouns then I’m sorryyy-- another warning is I AM SORRY IF I FUCKED UP SOBS SOBS

A/N: I wanted to tag artist of this precious gem but I dunno! I searched and never found TAT 

Due to writer’s block I didn’t managed to write it for valentines! Sorry ;-;

You were slightly afraid of asking Talon WHY exactly were you sailing to Ionia together. Not like Talon was a big fan of the island, so what was the matter with him? You looked at the back of his head, as sea wind played with Talon’s bronze locks. You gulped loudly, cleared your throat and stood beside him. gazing away into neverending sea and sky. Amazing how both blues perfectly blended with each other but they didn’t at the same time.

- Talon…

- Hm? - he answered with a hum, like he almost always does.

- Are you dying or something? I mean- I know you hate doing something you hate for someone, and I KNOW you love me but still, no sacrifices needed. I wanted to see Ionia, but I don’t understand the dedication…

- What? No. I’m not dying, [Y/N].

- Then what’s the matter?

- Stop being inquisitive. 

- Ah- Okay, okay. Sorry, babe.

- Hmh. 

Smooth as sandpaper, Talon. Good job. You were a bit awkward by now, you just felt like you somehow angered your mysterious boyfriend, but in reality...he was the one who poked his nerve. Here he is, going to island he can’t give two shits for with dedication for you and this stupid “love-dove holiday” he really despised it, but for you...he can bare it. Or so he thought, now he was a glitter dick.

- I’m just tired, traveling is exhausting. 

- I know, Talon.

- Don’t be awkward because of me, you know me.

- I do, Talon. Don’t overthink that, I’ll be good in a second. 

- I’m sorry.

Now [Y/N].exe has stopped working. Did he really apologise? Maybe he’s really dying. You didn’t asked further, just laughed and squeezed his hand, looking at clouds and birds flying in between them. You were thankful he was here with you, no matter how grumpy he is or not.

When you noticed land with big Noxian flag dancing on the wind, you sighed with relief. Good thing sailing part is almost over. You grinned, looking beside you to steal a glance at your boyfriend. This time Talon was sleeping soundly on some chair.  You were surprised he managed to really drift off, since his trust to other people is almost nonexistent, and it’s like staying unarmed on opened field. You were glad that Talon trusted you enough with his life that he could take a nap outside his or your house. 

- Talon, I think we’re almost there. - you lightly tugged his shoulder to wake him up, and he did right away, giving time to his poor eyes to adjust to natural light greeting him right away. 

- Okay, I’m awake, I’m awake…

- Was your nap good?

- Nap as nap, nothing special.

- Good you didn’t had nightmares~ 

- Hmh. 

He stood up, leaning down on boat’s edge, looking down into water instead of land awaiting both of you. It didn’t take much time to sail to Noxian’s colony, placed in Ionian territory. It was great to feel steady ground with your feet again, you grinned making a few first steps as you held Talon’s hand, looking around. Even though there’s a lot of “Noxus aura”, it still looked much different than your homeland. It’s much more colorful. You were curious inside how does it look like even deeper into the island. You were sure that option is out of plan, but boy you were soooo wrong. At first you were one leading the way, but Talon quickly made his way to some kind of woods close to Noxian camp. He had everything planned, after all. He pulled out of this big bag he was carrying around a pile of clothes, handing them to you. 

- We need to dress up.

- I didn’t said anything earlier, but...what are we doing?

- Can’t a man try to surprise his partner with something?

- I must admit this whole trip is a big surprise and mystery to mee…

- Good. Now dress up. 

- Right here? Now???

- Yeah, when do you want to dress up? 

- I don’t understanddd…

- Do it, or we’re heading back.

- Okay, okay! Don’t get impatient! 

You did as he asked. You kinda hoped that Talon would steal a glance while you changed your clothes to Ionian styled ones.Talon was sitting with his back facing you, disguising himself as normal Ionian civilian.  Now your gears started to tick together - you actually WERE going deeper into Ionia! You couldn’t help but to grin way too widely. 

- So, what’s the plan?

- Now we’re walking to the closest town. 

- And then?

- You’ll see, [Y/N]. I can tell you that you’ll like what is going to happen. 

- Oh. Okay, I’ll take your word for that.~

Most of your walk was quiet, but that’s not a big surprise due to Talon being serious and not so talkative type. When you said something, he mostly hummed in understanding or commented something on topic. 

Streets of Ionia was way something else than Noxus. Here people laugh happily, talk, are nice to each other...It almost looked like magic for you. Talon looked like he didn’t gave two shits, but as long as you’re happy...well, whatever. 

- Stay close, [Y/N]... - he held your hand, making sure you’re still here. Just to make sure you don’t get lost. 

- I’m not a child, Talon! But fine. - not like you mind holding hands with him.

- We’re almost there.

- Where?

- Almost, [Y/N]. You’ll understand in a moment. 

- Meanie. 

When he suddenly stopped walking and looked at big logo of the most popular bakery of Ionia. He knew that you’ve heard about this place before, but it didn’t stopped him of taking you there anyway. Maybe you heard, but you never tried anything sweet from here. So, that’s your chance.  At first, you couldn’t believe your own eyes. You blinked a few times, rubbed your eyes and looked at the logo, then at Talon with disbelief. 

- Talon, I…

- No, don’t embarrass me even more. Let’s just go in…

- ...Thank you...

You walked in, as he wanted to. Insides of this bakery were so well decorated! And the smell of sweets in the air! It was pure and sweet for you. Talon, on the other hand, had a face like he was up to puke. Too much sweetness for his lungs. You can do it Talon!! He leads you to the table which is a bit moved away from other tables, since other couples were sitting here too, since, you know! Valentines Day! 

When you sat down, looking at each other, you could spot a slight blush on Talon’s manly features. You smiled genuinely at him, placing your hand on his. He shifted up, wanting to take his hand away, but then sighed deeply and let you hold his hand like that. You were patient enough with Talon, his uneasiness was pretty much normal, he loved you and you knew it, but his character is making everything worse. You understand and you want to be with him through that. 

- You can...pick whatever you want, how much you want. I’ll pay for that.

- We can share, Talon, that’s no-

- I said I’ll pay. Let me.

- Talon… 

- I’m bad enough lover, let me at least do that.

- No, you’re not! Don’t be harsh on yourself, you just are like that and-! And…

- And that sucks. You know you deserve much better. 

- I don’t. Even if I do, I don’t want any better. I love you, you know that. I know that you love me too, emotions are just hard for you. You thought about me today! I don’t know what the occasion is, today’s not my birthday, so-

- Valentines.

- Wha-

- Today is Valentine’s Day. 

- ...Oh! Really? I was one hundred percent sure you’ll forget about this, so I did!

- But I remembered. 

- That’s cute...And you remembered my wishes of visiting Ionia and this bakery! You’re the best, baby…  

- Humph. I’m trying…- he admitted quietly. 

- I know, babe. 

Talon looked down awkwardly, wondering what to say to you right now. He thought about what exactly to say when you both get there, but now his words are stuck in his throat. He wanted to tell you he’ll change, he’ll be more open to you, he’ll show you how much he adores you, but now he can’t get out any words. He got angry at himself. He only sighed and stood up. 

- I’ll buy you some cake for a start, later you’ll pick something. 

- Alright! 

He went away to lady behind counter, asked for your favourite piece of cake. He got black coffee for himself, no sugar, no milk. Bitter, just the way he likes it. He placed a cake in front of you and sat down, taking a sip of his coffee. 

Then - silence. 

Since it was hard to bare with this kind of quietness, you decided to start a conversation, again.

- So, about our being here now...do we stay somewhere to sleep, or we’ll travel back to...home? 

- We’ll stay, we travelled long enough. I have some place we can stay overnight. 

- Okay, that’s great. 

- Yeah… - and it would seem like conversation is over, but you won’t let it be like that.

- Talon, it seems like you’re holding something back. You want to say something? You know you can be blunt with me, no matter what. Right? 

- I know, it’s just…

- It’s just that honesty about emotions is hard. I know. Just try.

- I...eh. - he sighed, rubbing his nose bridge. - I’m trying. I promised myself I’ll be more open but I’m still...myself.

- And that’s enough.  - you assured him, gently caressing his hand with yours, looking him straight in the eyes with this smile of encouragement. 

Even though Talon is cold son of a bitch, he felt his heart sting a little. You cared so much even though he’s a failure of a boyfriend. Not that he’s self-doubtful, but he sometimes thinks you deserve someone more affectionate. You always assure him that he’s enough, he has no idea how you got feelings for him, but he wishes they would never disappear.  Maybe he didn’t said those thoughts out loud, but his little smile on grumpy features showed everything. 

‘Thank you, [Y/N]. I love you.’

[fallout4holmes]

Nuka-World 1

(I never posted the Nuka-World chapters here on tumblr, only on ao3. I thought I should remedy that.)

The detective's life isn't an easy one, but it rarely lacks for excitement. Even with the new stability brought about with the destruction of the Institute and the rise of the Minutemen, you still see a lot of folks at their worst in my line of work. Hard to not let it get to you sometimes. For decades, I’d tell myself all the bad in the world was all the more reason for me to keep fighting. I don’t think I always believed it, but it got me through. These days, what gets me through is knowing I’m not in the fight alone.

It still feels a little weird, leaving the Agency at night. I lived in that office for… well, a long time. Ellie’s still in the room upstairs, and she lets me know if any late night panicked customers turn up. Of course, everyone in town knows where my partner and I live, but we still insist that Agency business be done at the Agency. The only interruptions to our domestic life at home are the ones caused by the experiments of an eleven-year old boy and whatever Minutemen summons might come on over the radio.

Or, as was the case after supper one evening, an old ad for a theme park that hadn’t existed in two-hundred years.

 “Hiya, kids! Remember, Nuka-World is only open for a few more weeks in October! Come down and see me and Cappy one last time before buckling down for the winter. Don't forget to bring your empty bottle of Nuka-Cola to get 15 dollars off at the gate! So hop aboard the Nuka-Express and come and see the whole Nuka family while you still can!

 The Nuka-Express is accessible through the Nuka-World Transit Center. Parking fees will apply. Prices subject to change due to end of season. Nuka-World, Nuka-Express, and the Nuka-Cola characters are all registered trademarks of the Nuka-Cola Corporation.”

“What was that?!” asked Shaun, bewildered.

I was pretty damn confused myself. I looked across the room at the man with his hand on the dial… and sighed. “I know that look.”

Mr. Sherlock Holmes, Destroyer of the Institute, General of the Minutemen, partner of Valentine's Detective Agency, and my personal partner for life, is a proud father, a good man, and a damn fine detective. Everyone in the Commonwealth knows that at this point. What a lot people don’t know, is that he’s easily bored and I don’t mean your average ‘nothing to do on a Tuesday night’ sort of boredom. The man lives for work, for a challenge to overcome, a puzzle to unravel. It’s part of what makes him so brilliant. It’s also part of what makes loving him an occasional challenge.

That light was in his eyes as he asked me, “Do you not find anything strange or suspect about a theme park ad suddenly appearing on the radio?”

“It's either a bot with a glitch in its programming or a bunch of raiders got creative with their set-up.”

“If it's the former, no harm done, if it's the latter, it should be dealt with sooner rather than later.”

I chuckled, “I'm not arguing with you, Holmes. Just waiting for the moment when you tell me you're running off.”

That softened him a bit. “Ha. You ran off on a case two weeks ago.”

“Kidnappings are time-sensitive, we both know that.”

He smiled, “A fair point. I suppose there’s no point in asking you to stay behind?”

“None whatsoever.”

I’ve learned over the past couple years that that annoyed huff of his is all show, at least where I’m concerned. “If this transit center mentioned is the same as the one as before the War, then it's far west, slightly southwest of the Sunshine Tidings Co-Op.”

Shaun raised an exasperated hand, “But what’s Nuka-World?”

“A theme-park,” Holmes said. “Before the War, the Nuka-Cola corporation spent a great deal of time and money to build various amusements based on their products for customers to come spend even more money.”

“The less cynical answer,” I said as I lit a cigarette, “is that theme parks had rides, games, shows, all sorts of entertainment for families to spend a whole day pretending they’re someplace really special. Kids loved ‘em. Parents, not always quite so much, though I guess that depends on the kid and the parent.”

“So,” Shaun reasoned, “a bunch of raiders are in a theme park.”

“Probably,” I nodded.

He frowned, “Why?”

I shrugged, “Why not? Walls, lots of buildings, be sort of like living in an easily defensible Nuka-Cola themed city.”

“Is anyone really going to think that advertisement is real?”

“Hopefully not,” Holmes said, “but some people may investigate out of curiosity, desperation, or go in search of salvage from the park. If raiders are broadcasting, then they’re far more organized than any local group, and that could be remarkably dangerous.”

“We’re headed off in the morning, then?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“I’ll let Preston know his General will be out of the Commonwealth once again.”

“And convince him you don’t need an escort.”

“Indeed. Though I will suggest he increase the Minutemen presence in the western settlements, temporarily. Just in case.”

It was enough of a plan to start with, and in the morning we headed west to the Nuka-World Transit Center.

We’d been worried folks might get curious and come looking. We were right, but not quite the people we were expecting. Gunners were poking around the Transit Center, and their commander had orders that mentioned a missing recon team. Apparently some Gunners went to Nuka-World and never came back.

Real shame, that.

A man sat on the platform of the station, muttering about someone going to die and clutching his bloody stomach. His name was Harvey, and he and his family had been fooled by raiders, led to Nuka-World under the promise of a friendly settlement. His plan was to escape and return with help, but a bullet wound stopped his progress. His family were still there, and were certain to be killed when the raiders discovered he was gone.

That was his story, anyway.

Holmes knew something was up when the guy refused a stimpak, not something that tends to happen when a person is supposedly bleeding out. Harvey gave in quick under pressure; he was a fraud working for the raiders to lure more people to Nuka-World. He was tired of acting as their stooge, but had no desire to die or get anyone else killed. Naturally, Holmes volunteered to go to Nuka-World and take care of the problem.

"Now wait a minute," I said, "before we hop on this train and go barreling off, you think we could call in some reinforcements?"

"If someone doesn't go back soon, then people are gonna start dying," Harvey said. "I've seen it happen."

The fear seemed real, and that was reason enough for Holmes. "We'll resupply with what we can from the Gunners and whatever may still be in this place, but we haven't a moment to waste, Valentine."

"Don't think I'd call security against walking into a trap a 'waste,'" I grumbled.

"If more than a few people step off the train, the raiders will get suspicious," Harvey said, "and suspicious raiders get violent."

He had a point. I admitted as much, and Holmes asked how we get the train running. After looting the Gunner bodies for ammo and supplies, we stepped aboard.

We were off.

And, naturally, we were trapped.

[automatayaoi]

Valentine Love Letter

alright guys, here’s my love letter to arlequino for @megane-shipping​ and @nougatships​ event !!! it got super long so i put it under a cut djskflhkhd

Dear Arle-kun,

I don’t really know why I’m writing this letter, to be honest. I mean, it’s not like you’re far away. I’m looking at you right now. We’re in one of the caravans, the one with the good acoustics and the bean bags. You’re sitting with Bunny-chan -- you just finished tuning your instruments -- and you’re brainstorming some new music for upcoming circus acts. I love to sit in on these sessions. Your lute playing is always so beautiful, y’know? Gosh, of course you do, it’s what you were built for. To be an incredible musician. Well, you passed that by leaps and bounds.

But something about these little music writing sessions feels...different. Special, I guess. When you play completed music, it’s so graceful, so perfect, it’s almost hard to believe. And I love to hear it, I really do. More than anything. But in here, when you’re still just trying to think of what notes to play, when you strum your lute in little experimental chords, only to shake your head and start playing in a different key…

It just feels so human, you know?

Have you ever considered yourself an artist? I think you are. After all, you are a musician. You make art out of sound, inspire emotions in people just by playing your music. I think that’s what really makes you more human, not loving me. I mean, that’s definitely a bonus! But you have such creativity in you, Arle-kun. I see it every time you write songs for the circus, every time you just get into that groove and start playing and playing with no sense of where you’re going. I love those moments so much.

I wonder if you ever write songs about me. Is that selfish to think about? Maybe, but it’s not like I expect you to. Well, I mean, I do expect you to, but because you’re you, and isn’t that what musicians do? Write love songs?

Do you sing, Arle-kun? I’d really love to hear you sing.

Oh gosh you noticed me blushing from across the room ok letter writing postponed!!

I think you’re done fussing over me now. You’ve gone back over to Bunny-chan, but you keep looking over here with that worried look on your face. It’s actually really cute. Your brows get all scrunched up and you run your fingers up and down the strings of your lute. I feel bad about finding your concern adorable, but it’s true.

Heck, I wrinkled up the letter trying to hide it! Oh well. I still dunno if I’m even gonna give you this letter. I’ll probably just fold it up and put it with my journals.

I think I know why I started writing, though. It’s Valentine’s day today. I’ve always loved it, even if I didn’t often have someone to share it with. I just love the romance of it, the hearts and the teddy bears with cute little sayings stitched into them. And the candy! You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve made myself sick on heart shaped boxes of chocolate. It’s a lot. Like, a probably reckless amount.

I wonder if we’re going to do anything special? We’ve been so busy with the circus, we didn’t really get to plan anything. That’s alright, though. I like this, too. Just sitting and listening to your music, and tonight we’ll perform together like we always do. It’ll be amazing.

But all this buzz about love and romance made me think of our wedding. Just one month from now. Can you believe it’s so close? Time didn’t use to pass so quickly for me, but now it’s practically here and I almost don’t know what to do.

A month to the day. I didn’t think about that, either. Maybe a Valentine wedding would be romantic, but I like the day we picked. The day we met, remember? I can’t believe it feels so long ago, since you saved me and Lise, and I smiled at you. The first human smile you ever saw. That really changed everything, didn’t it?

But maybe that’s why I’m writing this letter. Because I’m nervous. The wedding jitters, right? Doesn’t every bride, groom, and in between get those? What’s the gender neutral version of that, anyway? Gride? Broom? Oh gosh am I a broom.

Are you nervous too, Arle-kun? I know you don’t like to let me see you nervous, but you can’t always fool me. You stutter when you’re nervous, and it’s the cutest thing. Your fingers twitch, too, like you’re trying to pluck the strings of an instrument that isn’t there. I see you do it a lot more these days. I hope it’s a good sort of nervous.

I wonder if you’ll like my wedding dress. I didn’t want one at first, honestly. I don’t really like dresses, or being feminine. Vilma was actually helping me look for some kinda pantsuit. Shortsuit? Something fun that also involved pants. Or shorts. Or pantaloons. You know, the fluffy pants like Dottore-kun wears?

But we couldn’t find anything that really vibed with me, until I saw this dress. It just felt...I dunno, like a wowza moment! It kinda has Gone With The Wind vibes. Have you ever seen that? Yeah me neither. I wonder if the skirt will twirl out like the dresses do in movies when we dance. I know you’re nervous about the dancing, but I know you’ll do great.

I don’t know where I’m going with all this. I think I’m just writing to write. Just to get all my nervous energy out on this page so it doesn’t keep spinning inside me. I probably could’ve just written it all in one of my journals, but I like doing it this way, like I’m writing a letter to you. I know I can always talk to you...but I think this letter is a little too embarrassing to send, even for me!

Or, I guess, I just don’t want you worrying about me. I know you will, if you read this. And you probably have enough to worry about with the wedding coming, and I don’t want to make things harder for you. I’m always afraid of making things harder for you. I don’t know why.

Oh, it looks like you and Bunny-chan finished writing your music. I guess I should wrap this letter up, huh? It’s gonna be time to start setting up for the show soon, and I don’t want to be late.

Maybe I’ll make a balloon heart and ask you to be my Valentine. Wouldn’t that be romantic?

I love you, Arle-kun. I know I’ll tell you that.

From your fiance, with all the love in my heart

Kero Pierrot

[hiraethstill]

heeeey you, since valentines day is coming up, how do u think eijun would react to our evil tanuki miyuki giving him chocolates and being all sweet n stuff~ a completely 360 from our usual miyuki hahah

He’s hunched over his laptop when a telltale laugh sounds raucously behind him. Naturally, he flinches and covers the screen as Kuramochi leers over his shoulder.

“I saw that!” the other crows, and snatches the device from his hands gleefully, reading out loud. “Valentine’s Day Ideas, eh? So you’re finally growing a pair.”

“Shut up,” Miyuki grumbles, glancing helplessly at the strikethroughs all over the document. “I gotta do something for him.”

Kuramochi stares at him for a moment, and seems to come to some sort of conclusion. Then he plops himself down without further ado next to Miyuki and sets the laptop down in front of both of them.

“Why’d you cross them all out then, huh?”

Is Kuramochi trying to help him? Miyuki knows he’ll never get his help if he points it out, so he answers as if nothing special is going on, and as truthfully as possible. He’s more than a little desperate at this point, anyway.

“None of them are right,” he sighs. “Either too flashy - and yes, too flashy for him can be a thing - or too much of something I’d like more than him, or too little, or too complicated. I’m probably overthinking it.”

There’s silence next to him for a few moments, enough for him to glance over in trepidation. Kuramochi’s frowning at the screen, moving his lips as if muttering to himself silently.

“What?” he finally asks.

“Not all of these suck terribly,” the other says, shrugging. “So you are overthinking it.”

Miyuki frowns. “Thanks for the ever-so-helpful advice.”

Kuramochi laughs, and leans over to remove the strikethroughs on a few words here and there. “There, should be enough to give ya a few ideas.” Standing, he makes his way back over to the door. “And with that, my good deed for the day is done. Should probably see Ryou-san to overwrite it. Don’t crash and burn.”

His laughter is still ringing in Miyuki’s ears as he retreats, but he’s too busy peering at the screen to pay it much attention.

His eyes widen, because the words that aren’t struck through pop out at him, and they could actually work. But - here he looks at the clock - he’s only got about four days, and Kuramochi’s right about one thing - he can’t screw this up, since it’s his last Valentine’s day in high school, and the first one he’s actually cared enough about to plan something like this.

Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he compiles a list of everything he’ll need in his head, and once it’s finalized, scrambles out the door to spend more money, effort, and time on that loudmouth pitcher.

Sawamura has no idea that Miyuki’s panicking over him, but he’s starting to panic himself. Four days until Valentine’s day and he hasn’t got a single clue what to do.

As much as he’s started to learn about Miyuki in the span of time they’ve been together, none of it seems to be about things that are relevant to gifts or what he likes. What makes it worse is that the only thing he does know is that Miyuki doesn’t like sweets, which means chocolate is out of the question, not that he can make it in the first place.

“What am I going to do?” he laments, draped over the side of the tub and pouting at the floor beyond.

“You don’t have to think so much, Eijun-kun,” Haruichi says beside him, patting his back. “Has he said anything at all about what he likes?”

“Not that I remember!” He sits up suddenly, nearly knocking into Haruichi. “Harucchi!” He turns to his friend and grabs him by the shoulders. “What if that’s a sign? What if it’s because he dropped hints but I wasn’t listening or looking and it’s telling me I’m already a bad boyfriend and I should stop it before I do something and mess it all up?”

His eyes are wide and earnest and more than a little panicked, but Haruichi smiles a little. “The fact that you want to do something in the first place and are this worried about it is more than enough to tell anyone that you’re not a bad boyfriend, Eijun-kun. You’ll think of something! It doesn’t have to be extravagant or anything, too - Sometimes simple gifts are more than enough.”

Sawamura lets him go and sinks into the water until his eyes and nose are the only things showing. “I’m a horrible boyfriend,” he tries to say, but all that comes up are bubbles.

Haruichi tries to think. He doesn’t know nearly as much about Miyuki as Sawamura does, but maybe he can still help in some way. He can’t stand to see his friend like this, after all, and maybe he can at least ask some of the senpais about it.

“We’ll figure something out,” he promises. “Maybe you could ask You-san?”

“No!” Sawamura nearly shouts, shaking his head vehemently. “I gotta do it by myself or mostly by myself or it doesn’t count!”

Well, that’s certainly the Eijun-kun he knows, putting perhaps a little too much on his shoulders. “I’m here if you need any help,” he offers anyway, because heaven knows his friend needs it. “And I’m pretty sure most of the team would help too.”

“Thanks, Harucchi,” Sawamura mumbles, and once again drapes himself over the side of the tub.

A few moments later, though, he sits bolt upright, unblinking. Haruichi barely has time to be worried and start to ask what’s wrong when Sawamura bolts out of the baths, barely remembering to towel himself off and put on his clothes.

He blinks after him, but only shakes his head, smiling a little to himself. He knows his friend has probably figured something out.

Hell if Miyuki’s going to subject himself to watching sumo with Sawamura, and he can’t exactly ask Kataoka about taking a day off to go fishing, but at least he has more than enough to work with now, not all of it physical.

He’s decided to spread things out over his remaining three days including Valentine’s Day, but his only problem now is the actual delivery.

Miyuki isn’t exactly a sweet person, and he’d be the first to admit it. But Sawamura… Sawamura needs and deserves something like that, and not even the lord knows why a bright, giving person like him had been attracted to Miyuki’s shit-eating grin and subtly abrasive personality in the first place.

Long story short, he needs help with something like this. Even if he’ll have to be the one to ultimately be sweet to Sawamura as he goes about these gifts, he probably needs to suck it up and enlist someone’s advice that won’t judge him for asking about this several months after he’s gotten into a relationship in the first place. Actually, two people come to mind, and even if he can’t sense any judgement from either of them as he sits in front of them, he still feels as though he’s present at the defendant’s stand in a court hearing.

“Er, I still don’t know why I’m here,” Kawakami says, fidgeting from where he’s sitting on his bed. “You know I’ve never been in a relationship, and Sawamura adores you even though you’re not sweet to him all the time.”

“That’s the thing, though, Nori.” Miyuki stops his pacing in front of him, clenching and unclenching his hands. “This is Sawamura we’re talking about. He might not say it because that’s just who he is - giving and bright and optimistic - but I can see it when he restrains himself because he thinks I wouldn’t enjoy physical contact, or does a million other tiny things without even realizing it to make me feel comfortable, even at his own expense.” For a dense guy, Sawamura can be amazingly perceptive when it comes to the needs of other people, especially Miyuki.

Sighing, he sits on the floor in front of the bed, raking a hand through his hair. “I guess what I’m trying to say is I’d like to return the favor for once.”

“I think you’re overthinking it a little too much,” Chris says gently, rolling the desk chair over so he can pat Miyuki’s shoulder. “There’s a reason he likes you the way you are, so there’s really no need to change it.”

“It won’t be every day,” Miyuki protests. “Just these few days, and I’ll figure out how I can show things like this in the future later. I just need a few pointers.”

Kawakami and Miyuki are both looking to Chris now, a little helplessly, though one is more outward than the other. Chris supposes that he’s fair judge of character, so perhaps he can come through for Miyuki. He technically still is his senpai, after all.

“Well,” he starts finally, dropping his hands to his lap. “Let’s start with Sawamura himself. He does like physical assurance and validation…”

It takes all the creativity and helping hands Sawamura possesses, but he finally gets it done. It’s a little messy in some places and extravagant in others, but as Toujou reminds him, it’s all him, and that’s what matters.

He hasn’t heard anything from Miyuki about getting a gift, and the other has been particularly secretive for the past week or so, so he’ll have to grudgingly wait, as much as he doesn’t like it. For now, he’s glad to have had the time to focus on making this the best it can be. Looking over it again meticulously, he sets aside the tape and stickers, dusting his hands off in satisfaction.

There’s a knock at the door, along with a very familiar voice, and he jumps, nearly knocking everything to the floor. “Just a minute!” he calls, hoping he doesn’t sound too panicked, and scrambles to shove everything into one of his desk drawers before he meets Miyuki at the door.

“Hi!” He can feel his face immediately light up because this is Miyuki, after all, and the simple thought of how sappy that must be colors his cheeks a little. “Did you need something?” It’s only then that he notices Miyuki’s hands are behind his back, and tilts his head in confusion. “Whatcha got there?”

Miyuki looks uncharacteristically nervous. Sawamura can almost feel the “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he usually would have said, but his senpai shuffles in rather quietly.

“Sawamura,” he starts, and then seems to backtrack. “Er, first, come here.”

Sawamura blinks a little but obliges, stepping closer, and is surprised by a gentle hand cupping his cheek, soon joined by lips. He’s blushing deeply when Miyuki pulls away, only amplified by the fact that there’s a soft smile on the other’s face. Suddenly, he feels a little self-conscious, because even if he knows the other loves him, since when has Miyuki Kazuya looked at him like that?

“I don’t think this is the real Miyuki Kazuya,” is the first thing his mouth blurts. “Are you okay?”

Miyuki’s eyes widen a little, but he chuckles, nothing close to his normal cheeky snickering. “I’m trying something out here, so bear with me, yeah?”

Sawamura isn’t sure whether that’s really an answer, but he trusts him enough to nod slowly. “Well, okay…” As much as he wants to return the kiss, he’s overpowered by curiosity. “So… what did you bring with you, then?”

“Ah.” The other scoops up the item he’d set down on Sawamura’s desk behind them and hesitates a moment. “I know I’m not exactly good at this whole thoughtful present thing, but…” He holds out a wooden box with a fancy little latch out to him with both hands. “Take a look.”

Sawamura takes the box gingerly into his hands and undoes the latch, lifting the lid. Inside, there are a lot of empty spaces with little pins and labels for each, with names ranging from weevil to longhorn to darkling. The spaces are arranged by size and rarity, and he runs his fingers over the soft lining inside.

“Is this…”

“For your beetle collection,” Miyuki says. Sawamura hadn’t thought Miyuki would remember such a thing, much less help it along. Miyuki isn’t the overly affectionate type, and he knows. It’s why he toes the line, tries to respect that by restraining himself.

But today… Today there’s a softness around Miyuki’s eyes, a more careful and tender note in his actions, and it’s almost as if he’s risen to meet Sawamura more than halfway.

There’s a lump in his throat he can’t get around, and he can’t think to say anything other than his name as he flings his arms around his neck.

“Miyuki Kazuya! Since when did you have that up your sleeve, huh?” He laughs as he buries his face in his neck.

“Who knows?” Miyuki says, gathering him to his chest gently.

Something is niggling at him, however. “Wait… Today’s not Valentine’s Day, though.” He lifts his face to look at his face, puzzled.

“I know.” Even if he isn’t looking at it now, Sawamura can hear the fond smile in his voice. “I have another gift for you tomorrow, and then of course, chocolate on the actual day.”

He’s curious, so of course he asks, “What is it? Tell me? Please?”

All he gets in response, though, is a small kiss on his forehead. “Be patient, yeah? It’s a surprise.” There’s a laugh too, as his face sours into a pout.

“I can’t wait that long,” he complains, and sags further against him.

“Shh, you can. It’s already late and I have to go, but tomorrow night, okay?” Miyuki takes a step back to keep upright and gives him a last peck before heading out the door, and Sawamura’s left a grinning mess.

If Kuramochi notices anything when he returns to the room, he doesn’t say anything.

[ From: Isashiki Jun ]OI MIYUKII HEARD UR TRYING TO BE SWEET ON SAWAMURA

[ To: Isashiki Jun ]Perhaps.

[ From: Isashiki Jun ]how’s that going?

[ To: Isashiki Jun ]Pretty well, I’d say. He seems to like it.…Why is your entire year interested in my love life? I’ve even gotten a text from Kominato-senpai.

[ From: Isashiki Jun ]ITS BC YOU BETTER BE TREATING SAWAMURA WELL

[ To: Isashiki Jun ]…You can just ask Chris-senpai.

[ From: Isashiki Jun ]its more fun asking youbesides, ryousuke and i gotta booly you

[ To: Isashiki Jun ]You spelled bully wrong.

[ From: Isashiki Jun ]THAT WAS INTENTIONALkonoyarou…

[ To: Isashiki Jun ]Heh.Later, Jun-san.

[ From: Isashiki Jun ]OIOIWERE NOT DONE HEREMIYUKIMIYUKI KAZUYA

Sawamura’s waiting for him the second time, and Miyuki doesn’t need to knock before the door’s flung open and he’s engulfed in a hug.

“Whoa, missed me that much?” He chuckles a little, returning the hug with one hand. “We saw each other at school, you know.”

“I know, but you said you’d have another gift and I was waiting all afternoon for it!” Sawamura grins but seems to hesitate a little before planting a kiss on his cheek.

There. That’s exactly why he’s taking the time to do it this way, with all the sweetness he usually lacks. In that tiny fraction of a second, he can practically see, plain as day, all the expectations Sawamura places on himself, the lines he’s still tiptoeing around to make sure he doesn’t do anything wrong, and Miyuki wants to tell him that he never will. He wants to tell him that he’s more than enough, more than Miyuki deserves, and that he shines as radiant as the sun in every little movement.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he’ll definitely tell him, sappiness be damned.

For now though, he settles for a more direct kiss instead, and something in him clenches at the nearly imperceptible widening of Sawamura’s eyes.

“Here,” he says, choosing to smile instead, and holds out the item to him.

This time, it’s a thick leather book. Half is completely for ticket stubs of movies they’ve seen together, already a quarter full of Miyuki’s, and the second half is chock-full of strange or adventurous date ideas. It’s worth it to see his face light up again, and he thanks whatever higher deity there is for his boyfriend’s obsession with shoujo manga.

Sawamura looks up at him, brow furrowed in the most adorable way, and it takes him a moment to realize that he’s asking him something suspiciously. He blinks away the brief spaced out moment and asks, “Come again?”

“I was saying you couldn’t have come up with this on your own, could you…?”

Miyuki spreads his hands sheepishly. “Okay, so your manga helped me… A little…”

“Haha!” Sawamura cackles. “Knew it! But…” His expression softens into a smile as he rubs his thumb over a page of stubs. “Thank you, I really love it. And I forgot to thank you yesterday, so thanks for that too. And I love you too, so thanks for you too.” He looks up, face open and earnest, and Miyuki thinks for a moment that he must have ascended to the heavens for an infinitesimal moment to be blessed with such an expression.

“You don’t have to thank me,” he says, finding the words. “You more than deserve it.” I don’t tell you that enough.

And Sawamura - silly, wonderful Sawamura - closes the book and shakes his finger in his face sternly. “Nope! You’re supposed to thank people who give you gifts, so you get a thank you and a thank you hug!”

And as he’s tackled in said hug, he has time to think that he should be the one thanking Sawamura instead, and that has to go on the list for tomorrow as well.

“Miyuki-senpai’s been acting weird, okay? Don’t blame me!”

Kuramochi releases his hold on Sawamura, letting him collapse on the floor. “And how’s that my problem, huh?”

“I was just asking why,” Sawamura grumbles, rubbing at his neck. “Can’t I be worried about him?”

Kuramochi really, truly does not get paid enough for this. He sighs, picking up his controller again. “You’ll find out tomorrow,” he says, just to give the poor kid peace of mind. “Now can I go back to kicking your ass at this?”

“Tomorrow?” Sawamura chews on his lip. “Oh yeah, the last gift and Valentine’s.” Suddenly, his eyes widen, and he rises off the floor to grab his senpai by the shoulders. “Is he gonna break up with me?!”

He shoves at Sawamura, glaring daggers. “You think even he’d be shitty enough to do something like that on Valentine’s Day? And why would he go through the trouble of getting you a bunch of gifts if he was gonna break up with you right after?”

Oh. Well. That certainly makes sense. Feeling a little stupid, Sawamura lowers himself back to the floor. “You’re right. Sorry, Kuramochi-senpai.”

Looking at his underclassman, he sighs heavily and pats him slowly on the head. “Look, don’t sweat it. He probably wants to gush some sappy thoughts for the occasion, like the dork he is. It’ll be fine.”

Sawamura’s answering grateful expression makes it a little better. “Okay,” he says, and Kuramochi doesn’t have the heart to jab at him further. “Thank you…”

“Seriously, don’t mention it.”

The sun is setting outside when they’re released for the day, and Miyuki stands up in the bullpen, taking off his catcher’s gear and stretching. Sawamura’s about to call for ten more, but Miyuki’s only caught for him today, so even though he’s taken full and gleeful advantage of the opportunity, it feels a bit selfish to ask.

As he’s lost in thought, there’s a hand that comes to rest on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

“Meet me by the mound once you’re done?”

“You mean that wasn’t the last gift?” Sawamura asks, bewildered. “You only caught for me today!”

“You forgot the chocolate,” he returns, and grins. “I want to do it before it gets dark, but take your time.” With that, he walks away to store his gear.

Of course, Sawamura is more than happy to breeze through cleaning up and changing, and sprints out to the mound with a little bit of daylight left. Miyuki’s already sitting on one side of the rubber with a package on the rubber itself.

“I’m… here,” he pants, and takes a seat across from him, distracted for a moment by the fading sunlight catching in his hair, turning the strands golden. Setting his own gift aside, he asks, “Are you going to feed me or something?”

“No, no,” Miyuki laughs. “Unless you want me to.”

“Well sure, if you want to!” He’s a little unsure himself, but if Miyuki himself offered, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Miyuki hesitates, however, and slides the box toward him before taking his hands. Though he’s curious, Sawamura waits for him to speak.

“In a bit. I… I have something to tell you first.”

He squashes all thoughts of he’s going to break up with me and swallows, nodding encouragingly because Miyuki looks really nervous and it’s making him nervous too. “You can tell me anything!”

“Eijun,” he starts, and Sawamura jolts a little. “You know that I love you, right?”

Okay, so not the break-up talk, then. Something dislodges in his chest, and he takes a deep breath. “Yup.” And because he can’t leave him hanging, adds, “And I love you!”

Miyuki smiles, and something about it seems grateful to him. “I know, and that’s exactly why I need to tell you.” He looks down at their hands before continuing.

“I need to tell you that more often - that I love you - because you deserve it. And some other things you deserve? Being able to show me affection in the way you want to and receiving plenty as well. Little things like a genuine smile or a compliment because I know I should, but I just…” He shrugs a little, and keeps talking before he loses his nerve over everything he wants to say. “I know I’m not good at it, but I hope you know I’m trying and that I want you to be happy and feel loved, because you are my sun, Eijun. You shine almost defiantly, like you’re intent on out-shining everything else, and you succeed in my world. So… thank you. Thank you for existing and loving me and making everything brighter.”

By this point, Sawamura is more than a little speechless. Miyuki’s face is half lost in shadow already, but his eyes are searching, as if their roles are reversed and he’s the one silently chasing after Sawamura’s approval.

The other takes a deep breath, but he stops him from saying more by wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into his chest.

“Miyuki Kazuya, you are a real piece of work.”

There’s a muffled noise of protest from his chest, but he barrels on, squinting into the last rays of sun. “Look, if I was unhappy with you, I would’ve told you a long time ago. If I’m gonna love you, I’m gonna love you exactly how you are, and love you with everything I got, you hear? So there’s no need to change.”

Miyuki has stilled against him, so he takes the chance to continue. “Maybe I was a little scared, because I know you’re not really into all that PDA stuff, but if you’re okay with it, be prepared, because I’m gonna take full advantage.” He finally lets Miyuki go, and they stare at each other for a moment. “Okay?” It’s barely a whisper.

He doesn’t know who moves first, but they share a small kiss, still sitting right there on the mound over the box of chocolates.

“So then… do you want my gift now?” he asks.

“Of course.” There’s a weight lifted from Miyuki’s shoulders, and he’s glad to see it as he picks up the album from next to him and presents it to him.

The catcher is more or less silent as he takes the leather book and flips through the pages. There’s pictures - mostly of them, but some of the others on the team as well, each page lovingly decorated if a little sloppy in places.

There’s a smile growing on his face though, and that’s what Sawamura watches, finding an answering smile spreading across his own face.

“You made this yourself?” The other looks up from the book as Sawamura nods earnestly. “It’s probably the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Other than you, of course.”

His face heats up immediately, and he whacks his shoulder lightly, probably resembling a tomato by now. “M-Miyuki Kazuya! You can’t just go and say something so… so… dorky!”

It gets Miyuki to laugh, free and unrestrained, and Sawamura thinks briefly that everything they’ve been through to get here is more than worth it.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading and have a happy happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you all get lots of chocolate. :)

And for those curious, 4127 words. Whew.

[amillionsmiles]

like we’re made of starlight (Peter/Lara Jean)

Summary: “Lara Jean, you’re a person before anything else.  I stopped having a perfect image of you in my head a long time ago.” / Peter and Lara Jean go camping in December to catch the Geminids.  Oneshot. A/N: squeaking by and getting this in before the new year, whoo!  belated bday fic for @adribug .  I’m a little rusty writing for these two but I hope you enjoy some couple fluff >.<

[Read and review here] or continue under the cut.

I have this theory about love.

It involves layers—so that a relationship might have its gooey childhood phase, and then its teenage years, and if you're lucky you eventually get to the sweet, solid outer coating of an adult kind of love.

"Like an onion," Peter says, the first time I bring this up.

I frown. "I was thinking more like… candy. Like a tootsie pop. Or…" I look out the window, to where the dense green forest blurs by, a solid backdrop behind the other cars whizzing down the highway. "Or tree rings. So if you sliced a relationship, you'd be able to see its stages of growth. And the deeper the feelings, the wider the ring. Or maybe width should be determined by the length of time…" I'm puzzling through the specifics of my metaphor now, wondering what my relationship with Peter would look like, if it were documented in tree rings.

"Like that lab we did in environmental science," Peter says, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

I feel a bit bad that he's driving, especially since he already drove four hours to pick me up from school. "Y'all are gross," my friend Marcie said when we found him waiting at the Old Well. Marcie's like that. I introduced her to Peter the first time he came to visit, back in early October; she gave him a hard time then, but I could tell it was because she was testing him. By the end of the day, he'd definitely passed.

Today, we spent some time walking around so Peter could stretch his legs and eat a late lunch, and then it was back in the car. There's supposed to be a big meteor shower tonight—the Geminids—and Peter and I thought it'd be fun to actually camp out to see them, in the woods with a tent and everything. We made reservations at Jones Lake State Park, which is about two hours away. I couldn't have planned it more perfectly; our schedules are both wide open because of Reading Day, though I still have two finals coming up later this week, and Peter has one.

I offered to drive, but Peter had to take the van in order to fit our camping gear, and I'm not as good at handling bigger cars. I make up for it by feeding Peter bites of the special sandwiches I prepared: muffaleta with an olive-oregano-onion mix, pepperoni, prosciutto, and provolone. As Peter pulls away, chewing, several crumbs stick to the corner of his mouth.

"So where are we in all of this?" he asks.

"What?"

"You said there was teenage love and then there was 'adult love.' Which one are we?"

I consider. We're both technically adults, in the barest sense of the word, and I can see how a semester at college has already changed us. College Peter has gotten more muscular from all his lacrosse practice. He moves with less swagger—not in a bad way, but as if he doesn't have as much to compensate for. It's a quieter kind of confidence, which I like.

But then, of course, there are all the ways that College Peter is exactly the same. He still calls me at night, right before either of us falls asleep. He still smells like Dove soap, the soft, clean boy-scent I've come to associate with comfort, and he still makes my heart beat fast when he looks over with that crooked smile of his, the light from the dying sun catching in his eyes.

I tap a finger against my lips and smile back, considering.

"I'm still figuring out," I say.

*.*.*.*

We get to the park an hour before closing.

Loose sticks and gravel crunch under our tires as we pull into our campsite. I'm out of the car as soon as Peter parks, marveling at our view.

"Peter, look, isn't it gorgeous?" We're right by the shore of the lake; in front of me stretch the placid waters, like a mirror of the sky. The surface is so still it looks like glass—I feel like if I throw a pebble at it, I'll shatter something.

Peter grunts as he starts to unload our equipment. I hurry to help him. The food takes some time to get organized. Even though it's just the two of us, I wanted the full experience, so I bought all the ingredients for s'mores. Then there are the sandwiches I made for us to eat for dinner, with plenty of extras because I know Peter will get hungry. Finally, the burritos I prepared for breakfast tomorrow, wrapped neatly in foil so that we can just heat them over the fire.

The tent takes a little more work, but we get it finished in time to watch the sunset. The meteors aren't expected to become visible until 7:30 PM, and they probably won't be at their peak until well past that, so Peter and I entertain ourselves with a puzzle and a deck of cards. I've recently started watching magic tricks on YouTube and figure that Peter's a good a person to try them out on, mostly because I know how to distract him.

All in all, things are going well, up until I need to use the restroom and remember that we're in the middle of nowhere.

When I bring this up, Peter looks unconcerned. "Just go in the woods, Lara Jean, haven't you ever been camping before?"

"Of course I have!" Twice. "But it's all dark and cold outside, and the trees are too far apart. I'll feel exposed."

"There's nobody around. And you'll be out in the open for five minutes, tops."

"Easy for you to say, you're a boy. You can just—" I pantomime the motion with my hands, which makes Peter redden slightly. His eyes dart around the tent, looking anywhere but at my face. After a beat, he heaves a sigh and gets to his feet, grabbing his fleecy orange and blue Cavaliers blanket.

"What are you doing?" I stare at him blankly.

Peter stares right back. "Coming with you. I'll hold up the blanket as a screen so you can do your…" he gestures aimlessly, "…business."

"Oh." My voice goes small. "Well, that's okay—"

Too late. Peter has a hand on the small of my back now and uses it to usher me out of the tent. I barely manage to grab the bag of wet wipes before we're both out in the cold, tucking our chins against our necks and hunching over to keep warm. Peter sets the pace; meanwhile, I stumble after him with the flashlight, casting a wobbly yellow beam on the ground in front of us.

Camping out in a cozy tent under the stars in order to catch a meteor shower? Romantic. Having your boyfriend accompany you into the woods so that you don't have to pee alone in the dark? Admittedly less so.

"Is this good?" Peter stops and looks back at me, gesturing toward a copse of trees. If I squint, I can make out the light of our campfire in the distance, but we're far enough away that if I shut off the flashlight we'll be plunged into relative darkness. I do that now, handing over the flashlight to Peter and fumbling blindly with all my layers. Margot taught me that it helps to find a thin tree trunk to hold onto for balance—then you can sit back just like you'd do at home.

Behind me, there's a rustle: Peter holding up his makeshift blanket-screen.

"Don't look!" I hiss.

"I can't see anything to begin with," Peter argues, but I know he probably has his eyes squeezed shut anyways. The air is biting cold against my skin, the woods eerily quiet, and I'm suddenly self-conscious. It's a weird feeling, to be made vulnerable by something so—mundane, as Margot would call it.

"Can you also, like—cover your ears?"

"Lara Jean," Peter says, and it's in his I'm trying very hard to be patient voice. "Look, you're a person before anything else. I stopped having a perfect image of you in my head a long time ago. Just pee."

I pause. "That's… actually really sweet, Peter."

"Always the tone of surprise," Peter grumbles, but I can tell he's pleased.

We know each other well, that way.

*.*.*.*

"Remember the poem you gave me junior year, for Valentine's Day?"

I say this with my ear pressed against Peter's chest, trying to hear his heartbeat through the puffy jacket he's wearing. From this angle, it's easy to pretend we're in a snowglobe—the sky seems to curve over us like a dome, the stars suspended like tiny flakes of glitter. Peter shifts to put his hand behind his head.

"The moon never beams without bringing me dreams / Of beautiful Lara Jean. / And stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes / of beautiful Lara Jean," he recites. "I'm still flattered that you thought I could come up with that, even for a second."

"It's not too late to start trying now," I say, batting my eyelashes at him.

Peter laughs. I like that I can feel the rumble of it right against my cheek, all warm and chocolatey. He's been fiddling with my hair—one of his fingers gets caught in a snag and he untangles it gently, the way Kitty taught him how. I file that gesture away. When I have a daughter, I'll tell her: it's important to be with someone who has careful hands.

"Maybe I'll take a creative writing class next semester," muses Peter. "And then I really will write you an actual poem."

"I'll keep it framed in my room if you do," I tell him seriously.

"Speaking of rooms, you never ended up helping me decorate mine, by the way. It needs some of your…" His hand flails. "Pizzazz."

I giggle. "Say that again."

"Pizzazz?"

"Cute." I pinch his cheek, which makes Peter roll his eyes. "What kind of vibe were you thinking?"

"I don't know." Peter's brow furrows. "Some string lights might be cool, for starters. I like the ones you have. Maybe not in pink, though."

"We can look through Pinterest together," I promise. "And then we'll go—oh, Peter, did you see that?"

"Yeah," Peter says, and then we're both pushing ourselves up on our elbows, craning our necks. More silver flashes streak across the sky, like the briefest glimpse of fish scales. A parade of meteors, of falling stars.

On the blanket, Peter's hand covers mine. He squeezes.

"Make a wish."

*.*.*.*

We go back inside the tent at around 2 AM. Cheeks numb from the cold, I immediately kick off my shoes and pull on an extra pair of socks before wriggling into my sleeping bag. Peter is close behind, already yawning, and as I turn to watch him, I realize that this is the first full night we're spending together, all by ourselves. No curfews, no one waiting for us to come home. I don't even know if Peter snores, which is a strange thing to think about, a piece of information you wouldn't expect to be missing after dating someone for almost three years—after knowing them for even longer.

And what if he does snore? What if it's so loud it keeps me awake all night so that I'm cranky and can't stand to look at his pretty-boy face in the morning? And what might he learn about me, up close?

"Go to sleep, Lara Jean." Peter grumbles, his eyes shut. "I can feel you looking at me."

Scoffing, I retort, "You like being looked at." And then I roll closer, so that we're almost nose to nose, our knees bumping gently against each other, swaddled in our sleeping bags.

Maybe this is the difference between teenage love and adult love. Shedding the mystery and the allure of nighttime for the promise of morning, when we'll be at our barest. The bad breath and the messy hair and the little annoyances; the wanting to be close in spite of it all. Or maybe it's all the same in the end, night bleeding into day, and I don't need any more theories when I have the real deal right here, sleeping soft and slow. Waiting for me when I wake up.

I close my eyes.

[dreadhaus-literature]

{Headcanon} 📱💕

I’m, as I have said before, coming out of hiatus later today! I posted March’s prompt list a couple days ago in preparation and tonight I’ll be diving back into writing stories again--and I mentioned, I thought I should do something, even something small, to get back into the creative groove of writing and getting in touch with FL again. The week off was necessary and honestly good for me, I wrote for two months solid and a little vacation before diving into spring writing fever should hopefully have done some good.

So! I decided to do a fun little headcanon exercise--but not those bullet style posts. It’s still a headcanon, just formatted a little differently, and it’s one I’m actually pretty excited to do.

It’s something simple but fun, and I think it’ll be a nice treat for Monica to read. ♥

❝The Dreadful & Triquetra (Executive & Assorted Branch) Men Detail Monica’s Special Nickname in Their Phones.❞

The Dreadful’s

Atamu - lily Atamu’s old school, so He doesn’t have any emoji’s beside Monica’s name in His phone, preferring to demonstrate His love and affection in person. Like the courting styles of yesteryear, He’s concise and to the point with His adoration of His little girl. His inspiration for her title? she calls Him Poppy, and in return, she’s His lily. Poppy and lily.

Cavon - angel 😘 Cav’s new school, unlike his Father, so he’s got an emoji beside Monica’s name--but the name itself changes, quite a lot, usually when Cavon’s drunk and in his feelings regarding His babygirl. So don’t expect this nickname to be the same in 48 hours, but you’ll always be able to tell which one’s Monica, because it’ll be his most viewed, contacted, and edited contact in his phone.

Savon - 🎀 beautiful belle 🎀 You can try to tell Savon his nickname for Monica in his phone is redundant but he’s not going to listen to you--or he’ll sneer at you for daring to presume His lifemate isn’t deserving of being called beautiful twice in a row. Savon changes Monica’s nickname almost as much as Cavon, and he also rotates out her picture at least once or twice a day, as he’s constantly begging her for selfies and he has a terrible time trying to decide which one to use. After all, how could one possibly expect him to choose between perfection? It can’t be done!

Luvon - lifemate Luvon isn’t as old school as his Father but he’s definitely an old soul, and with that comes the way he regards the future mother of his pups. Luvon reveres Monica, adores her, and regards her with the highest honor a Shifter can their mate--and that is exactly why her title has been ‘lifemate’ in his phone from the first moment he saw her.

(Although Cavon rumored over Valentine’s Day that Lu added the 💘 emoji by her name, but without a screencap no one can prove that.)

Tod - Minnie Mouse 💗 There’s a backstory to this, which is that Tod is the Mickey to her Minnie--not too hard to figure out, right? It may seem simple to others, but to Tod it’s everything. The contact photo he uses for her is the selfie they took wearing matching Mickey/Minnie shirts complete with the ear hats, and it’s something Tod looks at every single day. Tod runs the risk of being the most obsessed, the most desperate of all the Dreadful men and with that comes the need to be involved in all Monica’s interests--so the fact that he shares a love of Disney with her, he keeps close to his heart. Just like his Minnie.

Zaos - little treasure ✨ Zaos isn’t known to treasure much; he’s selfish and vain and gets bored very easily, so it says quite a lot that he considers Monica His treasure. When you have access to hidden, unknown realms, things start to seem less special but if you ask, he’ll tell you (maybe, if he speaks to you at all) that in all the realms he’s seen, all the realms he’s been, he’s never encountered another even close to Monica. She is, and always will be, His greatest treasure.

Markus - little bunny fifi 🐰😍 Markus is a complicated man that a lot of people have trouble figuring out, which isn’t surprising considering he’s the “man who can be anyone”, but like the other Dreadful men, Monica’s name in his phone speaks to the adoration and love he feels for her. And anyone who sees his face when he gets a message or a call from her can tell you, his smile tells all you need to know. For a man who can be anyone, it’s important to be someone to her--her constant contact with him helps him know he is.

Lucca - Mother Dearest From the outside, looking in, this is a simple title with a simple message, but you haven’t spent enough time around Lucca if that’s what you think...but I don’t blame you. Kid’s like a void where conversation goes to die--unless you’re Monica, which is why this nickname is significant. It, like Tod’s, is everything to an orphan boy who never had a mother to love him and whom he could love in return. Monica is the center of this pup’s universe, the only one he feels anything for, and he clings to that feeling with desperate, grasping hands. The capitalization is important, as it shows his reverence and respect for her, and the title itself speaks to the same way he mutters the endearment against her mouth each night in bed.

Jax - 😚 Momma-Bae 💛💙 Jax is Lucca’s twin, and though the two look identical, most would argue that was where the similarities stop--but it isn’t. Monica is another common factor the twin’s share, because like for Lucca, Monica is the center of Jax’s world. He’s an angry, brash, desperate pup who never got the love he needed as a boy and that has made him ravenous for it now. Monica is everything to him, always will be, and he will never take for granted that he can call her Momma--and so he does, as often as he can get the title out...even in his sleep.

The Triquetra

The Triquetra are “new” (they’ve been here for the past year) and in an attempt to ease Monica into getting to know them, Fintan has been introducing Monica to them slowly, person by person--but that doesn’t mean they don’t know who she is. Quite the opposite, actually, and at a later date we’ll detail more Company members’ nicknames for Monica, but for now we’ll stick to the ones who have been making prominent appearances around the Family Empress.

Fintan Rivershire - Mrs. Rivershire Is it presumptuous of Fintan to already have Monica listed as his future wife in his phone? You can ask, but I already did and he said no, it isn’t. It’s no secret to anyone the Triquetra made the move to New Senzannini with full intent to be with Monica, so smitten were they with her, and at the top of that food chain is the President himself. From the moment Fintan laid eyes on her, he knew she would be his, and all you need to do is look in Fintan’s eyes to know he is a man who gets what he wants. Or, in this case, who.

Hayden Jernigan - petite little sweet 🍭💖 Fintan’s Vice President and the CFO of the Triquetra is a man every bit as ruthless as his business partner, with one known weakness--he has an incurable sweet tooth. It’s something that’s plagued him his entire life, he simply cannot get enough sweets to satisfy...and the moment he laid eyes on Monica, the moment he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, he got a taste of her and his weakness doubled, tripled, crippled him. Now, even a spoonful of sugar can sour against his tongue if what he’s wanting is Monica, and there’s only one way to cure temptation--give in to it.

Narcisse Fiermin - mon petite lapin 🎀✨ Narcisse, to no one’s surprise, is a vain thing. He’s handsome, or beautiful, depending on the day, and he knows he is. As Hayden and Ashton’s cousin, the two often joke Narcisse’s mother knew he was going to be the center of the world before he was born, and thus, his name--but Narcisse doesn’t believe that, anymore. At least, not entirely; you see, the center of the universe actually has two seats, one for him, and one for Monica. Does he care that she hates the French? Not at all. In fact, the more she insults him...the more enamored with her he seems to become. No one has ever dared to speak to him the way she does, and one might think he gets off on it or something.

Daniel Maki - Miss Frenzy I know what you’re thinking; how plain, right? Wrong. Daniel Maki is another straight-shooter and, like Lucca, he’s not known for his emotional displays. In fact, one might even go so far as to say that Daniel is as tsundere as Monica is. He’s also incredibly disrespectful to pretty much anyone who hasn’t worked hard to earn his respect (good luck with that) and so the fact that Daniel is regarding Monica in such a formal way...could be the equivalent of him taking her by the chin, putting his lips right against hers, and telling her how much he loves her--and hey, whose to say he hasn’t, already?

Ashton Rayner - Miss Peach 🍑 Similar to Daniel but with an entirely playful, almost flirtatious spin, Ashton’s displaying his wild attention to detail with this nickname. Although it’s no secret that one of Monica’s titles is Princess Peach (and well-deserved, really) it’s another thing for one of the Triquetra to be calling her that, already. It shows not only the truth in that they’ve been here, observing her, admiring her, for a year, but also that Ashton already has his eyes on the prize. I’ll uh, let you take another look at the emoji he used and figure out for yourself which prize that is.

Henrik Ingolsson - Sugar Bunny-Baby 💋 Henrik is a Sugar Daddy wanna-be--not because he doesn’t have the money to be one, because he does (tenfold), but because he knows Monica doesn’t know him well enough to consider him a Daddy, yet. But that’s end goal for this luxurious billionaire, who lives a life of exotic flair and lavish spending. If he has his way, Monica will never want for anything in the world, as a woman of her standing (and there are no women of her standing, he’ll insist) should never be left unsatisfied in life. Give him a chance, Monica, and you’ll see he’ll make good on the nickname--and a whole lot more.

Jordi Basurto - Bomboncita 😖💘 Jordi’s Hispanic, so that’s bound to earn him some bonus points with Monica, right? Especially since his nickname for her comes not only in their native language, but also that he knows her and knows just how much she loves candy--which makes her his little candy. The emojis rather speak for themselves, too, since that’s the fact Jordi makes every single time Monica texts or calls him; he’s never had a girlfriend before and he’s totally unsure how to handle this, in any capacity. But hey, at least he got the nickname thing down, right? Baby steps, Jordi. Baby steps.

Adrian Jaroslav - Мой. If...you were wondering, that nickname is a lot simpler than it looks. It’s simply, “Mine.” So yeah. That should tell you all you need to know about Adrian and how he feels about Monica.

Aleksei Jaroslav - zaika moya Aleksei has a little more to say about Monica, with his title of “my bunny,” but the possession he feels is just as prominently on display as his twin’s...especially since the contact picture he has up of her is the two of them, with his hand curled around her throat and his painted lipstick smile smeared onto her cheek from the kiss clearly able to be seen.

Greyson Van Cann - myshka In keeping with the tiny, cute animals theme, Greyson shows a softer side than anyone has ever seen by putting Monica in his phone as His “little mouse”. It’s really no wonder this is how Greyson sees her; she’s so much smaller than he his, and Nighyingale has been heard around the Haus and Compound saying Greyson keeps remarking he’s “afraid he will step on her”. There’s no real fear of that, however, if you’ve seen the way he is with her. Like Luvon (whom he gets along extremely well with, by the way), Greyson is so overprotective of Monica it’s a wonder she’s ever out of his sight. Or maybe she never is, who can really say?

Sebastian Van Cann - Yedinstvennaya 🖤 You’re going to notice a trend with Monica’s Russians, too--a lot of them favor their native tongue when complimenting or describing Monica, and Sebastian is no exception. Her name in his phone translates to “my only one,” and speaks to Sebastian on a level most will never get to know him. Sebastian is a twin, but his soulmate is Monica--this, he knew from the moment he saw her. That will never change, and it’s honestly a good thing Monica doesn’t seem to mind--because one look in his eye when he’s looking at her and you’ll know he’s never letting her go.

Nighyingale Van Cann - 😚 moy malen'kiy golub' 😚💞 Unlike his twin and older brother, Nighyingale is fully in touch with his emotions and he’s not at all afraid to be--he wears his heart on his sleeve, and his heart is very clearly for Monica. They have matching names; Nighyingale was named after a songbird and so he has given Monica the nickname “my little dove” so that he feels even closer to her; that’s all he wants, day in and day out. The boy would tie himself to Monica if he thought he could get away with it, but for now, he settles for being her shadow, following her anywhere she might go with an eager, happy smile and a heart full of song for her and her alone.

[talesfromsomeday]

GSNK - Please Select a Present ~ White Edition

Read on AO3 | Series on AO3 Series: Alternate Route (Part 3) | Title: Please Select a Present ~ White Edition Fandom: Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun | Pairing: MayuMiko (Platonic/Greyromantic [QPR]) Rating: G | Warnings: None | Genres: Fluff Summary: Mikoshiba decides he needs to get a White Day gift for Mayu, since he got one from him on Valentine's Day. Well, technically it was a birthday present, but he still wants to return the favor. Unfortunately, he has no idea what to get, so he seeks guidance from his friends and the mysterious MayuMayu. Author’s Notes: Hey everyone, sorry it's so late! As I said previously, I was pretty sure it would be late, but this is still later than expected... And after all that I couldn't even come up with a more creative title... but anyway, it's here now! It's a little silly, but I hope you all enjoy it anyway! ------------- “Uuuuuuggghhh...” “Mikorin, we can’t help you if you just lay on the floor moaning...” Sakura said quietly, taking a sip of her tea. “Yeah, you could at least moan at the table,” Nozaki agreed. “That’s not what I meant,” Sakura said. “The important part is that he needs to talk, not where he happens to talk from.”

“But if he talks from the floor it’ll be all muffled just like the moans.” “Maybe,” Hori cut in, “we should focus on getting him to talk instead of criticizing his choice of moaning positions.” “Mikorin, please get up before this conversation gets anymore awkward-sounding,” Sakura begged. “Here, I got it...” Hori stood up from his spot at the table and circled around it to reach Mikoshiba, who was lying face down under the window. “Here we go—” Hori hooked his hands under Mikoshiba’s arms and pulled him into a sitting position in front of the table. “As expected of the former drama club president,” Nozaki remarked with a sparkle in his eye. “I don’t really know what that has to do with it, but okay,” Hori said, circling back to his own seat. “So, Mamik—koshiba... What’s the problem?” “Whi...” Mikoshiba mumbled. “What?” “White Day...” He repeated, slightly louder. “Oh!” Sakura exclaimed. “You want to get something for Mayu, right!?” Mikoshiba only nodded sheepishly, eyes fixed on the table. “Did he get you something for Valentine’s...?” Hori questioned. “Oh, that’s right, you weren’t here, Hori-senpai! Mayu wanted to get a gift for Mikoshiba for his birthday so we helped him pick one!” Sakura paused. “But come to think of it, it was a birthday present, so do you really have to get him something for White Day?” “I want to...” Mikoshiba said, face still red and still avoiding eye contact. “That’s so sweet!” Mikoshiba buried his face in his hands. “Do you know what you want to get him?” Nozaki asked, taking a sip of his tea. “No... that’s the problem,” Mikoshiba said, voice slightly muffled behind his hands. “Well... we could always invite Mayu to the mall with us and see if he points anything out. He’ll probably agree if you ask,” Sakura suggested. Mikoshiba’s hands slowly slid away from his face. “O-okay. I’ll ask him to come with us tomorrow then...” “Alright! Hori-senpai, do you want to come along?” Sakura asked. “Hm... Yeah, it might be a good idea. I need to get some chocolates for Kashima.” “Then I guess it’s settled,” Nozaki said with a nod. ---------

Mikoshiba’s (suspiciously flustered) invitation was accepted by Mayu without a hitch, so they all met up after school the next day and headed to the mall. Mikoshiba immediately realized the problem when he stepped inside: he had no idea where to start. He knew that Mayu liked judo, but he didn’t think the sports store would be a great place to buy a gift. Beyond that... the boy only liked sleeping. Mikoshiba briefly toyed with the idea of buying him a pillow before he shook his head and decided on a different approach. “Is there somewhere you wanna go, Mayu?” The only response he got was a one-shoulder shrug. “We could go to the art store,” Nozaki deadpanned. “W-well, I guess it’s a start. We can look around while we try to figure out where to go next,” Mikoshiba said. He thought he saw a strange look pass over Nozaki, Sakura, and most surprisingly Mayu, which Hori also seemed to notice, but it was gone before either of them could question it. “Let’s go then!” Sakura said cheerfully, leading the way to the art store. When they got there, Mikoshiba steered himself towards the pens. He started looking through the new fountain pens, and was quickly joined by Nozaki and Sakura. None of the new pens really seemed like much of an improvement to him—exactly how much fancier could you make a fountain pen, anyway?—but the other two seemed pretty enthralled. Looking for something else to distract him, he glanced down the aisle at Hori, who was examining the inks. In fact, he was pretty closely scrutinizing a bottle of ink with a teal-striped label. “Is there something special about that bottle...?” Mikoshiba asked, stepping closer. From this distance, he finally noticed that Hori’s face looked distinctly perturbed, and he startled slightly as Mikoshiba approached. “Ah, it’s nothing... I just remembered when Nozaki got sick. Or I guess, every time he gets sick,” Hori said, his eyes darkening. “Did something happen...?” Mikoshiba asked, now confused. “I’m just wondering how I’ve managed to make the same mistake so many times. And it’s always this brand... maybe I shouldn’t buy it anymore...” Mikoshiba again wondered how a bottle of ink managed to stir such memories, and also how not buying it would fix the problem, but eventually decided he’d leave the man to his obviously involved thoughts. “Brother—dry-erase markers?” Mikoshiba turned when he heard Mayu’s voice at the other end of the aisle. “Dry-erase?” Nozaki questioned. “Well, probably, but they’re not exactly for art...” Sakura elbowed Nozaki’s side as best as she could from her height. “They should be a couple of aisles down that way!” She helpfully supplied, pointing. Mayu nodded and headed that direction, and Sakura turned to give Nozaki some kind of look that Mikoshiba couldn’t see, but which seemed to make Nozaki realize something, because he quickly ran off after Mayu. Mikoshiba shook off thoughts about his weird behavior and tried to find something else to distract himself with. He still had no idea what store to go to after this or what to get Mayu... Nozaki returned after not too long, Mayu trailing lazily behind. Nozaki quickly turned his attention to the drawers of screentone sheets, beginning his ritual of pulling them out at lightning speed, and it was at this point that Mikoshiba finally got the idea to text MayuMayu—she probably had a better idea of what to do than he did. Or at least he hoped so. ### Me: Mayu-chan~ I have a question! ### Mikoshiba still cringed a little every time he remembered the girly tone he had developed when talking to MayuMayu, but figured it couldn’t be helped. He got himself into this in the first place, the least he could do is properly play the part. He heard a quiet beep from next to him, and he turned to see Mayu lazily pulling a phone out of his pocket. Mikoshiba thought to himself briefly that the phone looked out of place in Mayu’s grip, but the thought was quickly overshadowed by the realization that he’d never seen Mayu’s cell phone before, if that was in fact his phone. Mayu seemed to become slightly more alert as he flipped the phone open to read a text message Mikoshiba couldn’t see, then he tapped out an answer with shocking speed before flipping the phone shut and placing it back into his pocket. Mikoshiba continued to stare at him in bewilderment for a moment more before his attention was snatched away by his own phone beeping in his hand. ### MayuMayu <3: what about? ### It was an expectedly short reply, and Mikoshiba wasted no time in typing a response. ### Me: It’s a little embarrassing, but a... a friend got me a really nice gift for valentine’s! I want to return the favor but... I don’t know what he’d like... ### He was interrupted from sending the message by Mayu tapping his shoulder. He jumped a little more than was necessary, and turned to give his attention to the boy. “Bathroom,” Mayu said simply. “A-ah... do you want me to go with you?” Mayu shook his head. “Alright... we’ll be here when you get back, then.” Mayu nodded and turned to head out of the store. Watching him go, Mikoshiba finally pressed “send,” then decided to take this opportunity to question his friends. “Has Mayu always had a cell phone?” Mikoshiba asked casually, stepping closer to Sakura and Hori, who were now clustered around the end cap near the drawers of screentones Nozaki was still ravaging. In contrast to the simple question, Sakura started fidgeting as though her answer was incredibly important, glancing at Nozaki’s stone mask of a face as though hoping she’d find some answer there. Hori, at least, seemed to know he couldn’t answer the question himself and joined Mikoshiba in looking at the floundering Sakura in confusion. “W-well, that’s—” she started. “Y-yes, he’s had a phone for awhile...” she finally settled. Nozaki, apparently finally satisfied with his horde of screentone sheets, nodded his agreement. “Weird... I should ask for his number when he gets back,” Mikoshiba said, mostly to himself. Sakura again started fidgeting, as though unsure how she should react to the statement, though Mikoshiba though it didn’t really require a reaction anyway, but he didn’t have much time to consider it before his phone beeped again. ### MayuMayu <3: for valentine’s? ### It was at this point that Mikoshiba remembered his persona is a girl, and usually girls give gifts on Valentine’s. Well, at least he can easily explain it without lying... ### Me: ah, well... valentine’s is actually my birthday... MayuMayu <3: Really? Me: yeah... I guess it was both a birthday and a valentine’s gift? but I want to get him a gift too... MayuMayu <3: What is he like? Me: well, honestly, he’s really lazy... but it’s kind of endearing! he’s really good at judo and he works really hard at it... but i think the only hobby he has besides that is sleeping... Me: i dont think a gift related to sports or sleeping is going to be good Me: so he’s a little difficult to get a gift for... >.< MayuMayu <3: I’m sure he’ll like anything you get him. ### Mikoshiba looked at the message critically. Was it just him, or did MayuMayu’s messages suddenly get more formal? Well, it was probably nothing. He shook off the thought and typed out another message. ### Me: you think so? still, i don’t even know where to start... Me: we’re at the mall right now to look for gifts, but we got sidetracked at the art store because no one knew where to go... MayuMayu <3: ...is he with you? Me: well he’s not here right now, but he came along Me: one of my friends thought he might point out something he likes, but i don’t know if it will work,, ### After a minute of not receiving anything, Mikoshiba looked up from his screen to find Nozaki and Sakura staring at him with gazes he would almost describe as predatory, if he thought either of them capable of such a menacing expression. Well, when Nozaki was recording information for plot devices, maybe... No, Mikoshiba shook his head. It’s better not to think too deeply about it. He certainly hadn’t done anything shoujo-manga-worthy in his life, especially recently, he thought. Well, maybe... no, he thought, shaking his head again to dispel the thought. His phone beeped again. ### MayuMayu <3: I think it will work. Me: do you think so? still, i’m a bit worried... MayuMayu <3: Even if it’s unconventional, if it’s something you like, I’m sure he will like it too. Me: thanks, MayuMayu! i’m going to go now, my friends are giving me weird looks MayuMayu <3: Don’t worry, you can do it. (｀・ω・´)” ### Mikoshiba finally put his phone back in his pocket, sighing to himself. He felt better with MayuMayu’s encouragement, but he still wasn’t any closer to figuring out what to get for Mayu. “Mikoto-san.” Mikoshiba almost jumped out of his skin at the quiet voice, but managed to more or less keep his composure. “Mayu, you’re back...” he said, trying not to sound too surprised. “Yes.” He glanced over Mikoshiba’s shoulder at the other three, who Mikoshiba could tell were definitely staring at them. “Should we go?” Mikoshiba perked up at that. “Is there somewhere you want to go?” Mayu nodded. “That’s great!” Maybe now he’d finally make some progress. It took some corralling and waiting for the poor shopkeeper to ring up all of Nozaki’s items, but Mikoshiba eventually managed to get everyone out the door, and Mayu lazily directed them to the store he wanted to visit. Mikoshiba was more than a little confused when they ended up outside of an anime goods store. It wasn’t the same one he usually visited, since it had fewer figures, but it was hard to mistake given that the walls were covered in phone straps and plushies and other merchandise. “Here?” He questioned, looking up at Mayu. “Are you sure?” Mayu nodded again, stepping inside, and Mikoshiba suspiciously followed after. He watched as the others fanned out inside the store, Nozaki moving to look at the some of the popular chibi straps—probably studying for future Let’s Love merchandise—Sakura trailing behind him, taking what appeared to be more than a passing interest in the merchandise for a certain idol anime—Mikoshiba was definitely going to question her on that later—and Hori, left to his own devices, ended up next to Sakura, examining a figure of a certain prince idol that looked suspiciously like Kashima. That also deserved some questioning, Mikoshiba decided, but satisfied that the three of them had found a way to occupy themselves, he turned back to Mayu. Or, where Mayu should have been. After a brief moment of panic—very brief, Mikoshiba congratulated himself���he located Mayu on the other end of the store and wound his way through the short stands and other customers towards him. The boy was staring at something on the shelf with a look in his eye that seemed suspiciously like the same one he had during judo; that is, genuine interest. Mikoshiba nearly choked from laughter when he realized what exactly Mayu was staring at. “I feel a connection with this egg,” Mayu said in his usual flat tone, gazing reverently at the wall of Gudetama merchandise. “You would,” Mikoshiba laughed quietly. “There is something charming about it, though,” he agreed. His eyes flicked around the wall stacked with everything from charms to headphones to shirts, finally landing on an object that made him pause; a small, flat pillow with a round Gudetama yolk. Well, MayuMayu did say “even if it’s unconventional,” right? And the first idea I had was a pillow, even though I didn’t think it was a good idea... But can I really call a lazy egg a proper gift? He stood there contemplating for a minute. A pillow that size was perfect to nap on, right? Mayu always just set his head on the table when he wanted to watch Mikoshiba draw, so wouldn’t it be better if he had a small pillow to rest his head on? It was kind of a weird gift, sure, but they were kind of weird people in a kind of weird relationship, so why not? Finally reaching his decision, Mikoshiba turned towards Mayu. “I’m gonna go talk to Sakura for a second, I’ll be right back.” Mayu nodded his understanding, and Mikoshiba quickly wheeled around to go talk to Sakura, distinctly feeling Mayu’s questioning gaze following his back across the store. --------- Mikoshiba definitely intended to ask Sakura what she meant by now you both owe me, but decided it was a conversation better left for another time, maybe when he had figured out some way to repay her for her help in distracting Mayu so he could buy his gift. He had decided to get this for Mayu, but now that he was about to give it to him, he was starting to have doubts again. Wasn’t it weird? It was definitely weird. He glanced up from here he was staring at the thin rope on the gift bag he in his hands. Mayu was staring at him, waiting, and he realized it was really too late for second thoughts at this point. “I-it’s not much, but I hope you like it!” He practically shoved the bag into Mayu’s lap. “H-Happy White Day...” Mayu gave him an odd look before beginning to rustle through the tissue paper in the bag to reach its contents. Mikoshiba held his breath when Mayu finally pulled the weird little pillow out, and didn’t dare to look up at Mayu’s face until the silence had stretched on for several moments. “I love it,” Mayu finally said when Mikoshiba met his eyes. Mikoshiba let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “I thought you might like a pillow for the table, so you have something to rest your head on. It’s a little weird, but since it’s Gudetama...” “Unconventional is the best,” Mayu said, smiling gently. “Thank you.” Strange, that’s the same word MayuMayu used... Mayu watched him for a moment, seemingly trying to understand something, though Mikoshiba didn’t know what. After a moment, however, he evidently became tired, immediately laying down to try out the pillow. “Hey, Mayu, now’s not the time to take a nap! Mayu—!” ------------- End notes: Poor Mayu... he'll get it eventually, don't give up! You can see the Gudetama pillow here; you can actually take Gudetama out of the egg white, making it into two seperate pillows! Isn't that fun! (And when Mayu and Mikoshiba take naps together, they each have a pillow ready!) I don't know when the next update will be (it could be awhile), but I do have at least one more fic planned for this series. You can check the series page and here on my writing blog for periodic updates, as usual, but otherwise, I'll hopefully see you then!

[maxslogic25]

Creating a Seamless Pre- to Post-Click Experience

How often are you taking into consideration what you’re offering users throughout their entire experience with your brand? This begins with the ad you’re paying to serve all the way through to the post-click experience. Is this experience seamless?

For those of you that missed our webinar at the beginning of the month on Post-Click Tips for Seamless Conversions, I’ll be walking you through just a couple of the examples we discussed. If these examples peak your interest or you’d like to hear more about how to create a seamless experience, visit the link above to view the webinar on-demand.

Pre- to Post-Click Experience

Because I am expecting a baby any day, do not be surprised that these advertisements are, in fact, for baby products. I chose to discuss examples I’ve come across in the last couple of months to show my own personal experiences.

Honest Co.

One of my favorite examples that I always come back to is the following advertisement from the Honest Company. I’m a regular subscriber so you can understand why this might be a favorite but in addition, their ad to landing page experience offers both positive and negative aspects worth highlighting.

One important thing to be mindful of is why a user may be clicking on your ad. In this instance, it may be the offer present in the headline: $20 Off First Bundle. Check out how Honest reinforces this offer on their landing page below.

Another aspect that I routinely bring up is consistency. Not only should your message remain the same, but you should be utilizing the same language as well – same language requires less cognitive load from our users and they’re more likely to remember and retain something if it’s repeated in the same manner. Honest advertises “6 jumbo packs & 288 wipes” in their ad but present the following imagery and messaging on the landing page:

6 packs of diapers and 4 packs of wipes – you may not notice anything wrong and I wouldn’t say it’s “wrong” by any means. However, it could create unnecessary and unexpected questions from our users. Does 4 packs of wipes = 288 wipes? Is there a difference between a regular pack of diapers and a jumbo pack?

The last thing we’ll mention with Honest’s pre- to post-click experience and probably the most important relates to the price – one of the most important pieces of information for our users. Notice that the ad highlights a price point of $59.95/mo. On the contrary, take a look at the price point highlighted on the landing page:

Now, to be honest (no pun intended), I’ve gone through this example three different times and this is the first time I’m realizing why there’s a difference in the price. The ad is taking into consideration the $20 off your first bundle while the landing page is displaying the month-to-month price of the bundle. If users, like me, don’t make this connection, this could cause enough hesitation in the purchase process to lose a potential customer.

Carseat Canopy

The second example I would like to spend some time analyzing today is a Facebook advertisement by Carseat Canopy… or Canopy Couture, I can’t be 100% sure – we’ll get to that in a minute. The aspects of this ad that I will critique are as follows:

Brand recognition

Offer reinforcement + Intent

New ad creative (or lack thereof)

Post-click experience

Check out the advertisement below followed by the landing page – keep in mind how our intent changes from our first example. When we were given an ad for Honest diapers, we were searching Google for a diaper subscription. However, in this instance, we’re browsing Facebook and we’re presented with an advertisement from Carseat Canopy within our feed.

This brings me to my first point. Is it Carseat Canopy? Or is it Canopy Couture? This is probably the most important thing to understand – who is the brand you’re purchasing from? Many times I was second-guessing myself, thinking I was grabbing the wrong screenshots when creating this example. I’d seen this ad often, very aware of the brand Carseat Canopy but had never actually pursued the website or offer. Therefore, Canopy Couture was an entirely new name to me.

Secondly, check out the offer in the ad. Also, remember the intent I was talking about? If I’m just browsing Facebook with no intent to purchase, the offer that stands out to me is most likely the free carseat canopy. However, when visiting the landing page, I’m presented with two offers, neither of which is for that free canopy.

Without this offer reinforcement, it’s very likely the user will make their way back to Facebook and now you’ve lost out on a potential customer.

In relation, let’s briefly revisit the ad creative:

Notice this was a Valentine’s Day special. I was receiving this advertisement well into March. I’d already been confused by the brand, let down by the lack of offer reinforcement, and now it’s the middle of March and I’m still receiving the same Valentine’s Day offer.

Lastly, and probably the most frustrating thing we’ll talk about today is the post-click experience. Lets say there was a potential customer who is dedicated to getting a free carseat canopy. We’ll walk through the steps they would need to take in order to successfully take advantage of this offer.

1. Because the offer isn’t reinforced on the landing page, users will need to revisit the Facebook advertisement to grab the coupon code. Code: LOVESTRUCK

2. Next, users will need to take the code presented in the ad and test it out once they get to the site and have added a canopy to their cart.

This is great, we’re able to add the coupon code with the simple cart drop-down in the top right-hand corner. We don’t even have to visit the cart page.

Not okay. After applying the code, we’re presented with a pop-up letting me know the code can be used for another promotion. Great, but I just want my free carseat canopy. *Exit pop-up*

3. After successfully entering the coupon code, users will navigate to the shopping cart to complete their purchase.

Boom. Another pop-up. Another offer. Remember, we didn’t have intent to purchase anything because we were simply browsing Facebook – therefore, I still am only interested in my free carseat canopy. *Exit pop-up*

4. Users will then proceed to the shopping cart after exiting the previous pop-up.

Or will they? Not without being presented with another offer. I didn’t get any further in my journey with Carseat Canopy and I can’t expect many potential customers do either. The experience has presented many interruptions and at this stage, it’s unclear where to click if we’re uninterested in this offer. Hint: it’s not the green button…or the blue button.

Are you frustrated yet? Well, that wasn’t my intention. I’m hoping I’ve provided you with just two examples of why it’s important to consider the entire experience your users have with your brand.

Final Thoughts

I hope these examples have provided a good foundation and understanding for things your users may notice as they interact with your brand. Even smaller things that may seem irrelevant to us have the potential to cause friction and interfere with the post-click experience.

To see even more examples like the one’s I’ve discussed today and learn tips on how to ensure this pre- to post-click experience is seamless, check out our on-demand webinar from earlier this month! I’d love to see examples you’ve encountered – this is a topic that absolutely intrigues me. Reach out on twitter @samantha__kerr with any questions, feedback, or examples of your own!

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 https://www.ppchero.com/creating-a-seamless-pre-to-post-click-experience/

[fashiontrendin-blog]

5 People on Why They’re Spending the Holidays Alone

http://fashion-trendin.com/5-people-on-why-theyre-spending-the-holidays-alone/

5 People on Why They’re Spending the Holidays Alone

There is a definite stigma attached to the idea of spending the winter holidays alone. It’s reinforced by movies like The Holiday wherein single women lament the prospect of a solo Christmas, general hype around gift-giving and all the other cultural clichés that seem to tell the same, repetitive story: If you’re alone this time of year, your life is lacking.

Like most stigmas, this one is due for a check-up. I asked five people spending the holidays alone in different parts of the world to share their particular reasons for doing so and what highs and lows they predict will come from the experience. No two answers were the same, and that’s what I love about lifting the hood on a preconceived notion and polishing away the rust of stereotype. The collective gleam underneath almost always tells a different story.

Kasumi Mizoguchi

Kasumi is a 25-year-old sales consultant at a software-as-a-service company in Tokyo.

What holiday(s) are you spending alone, and why?

I’m spending Christmas and New Year’s Eve alone this year. I live in Japan, and Christmas is actually marketed as a “couples” holiday here, so many of my friends spend Christmas with their significant others. It is comparable to Valentine’s Day in the U.S.: an occasion for a romantic dinner for two. You’ll see a lot of “gift guides for your significant other” and date ideas on magazines and TV programs in December. People talk about being single this time of year as something tragic!

Having spent time living in the U.S., my family still celebrates Christmas the American way — presents under the tree, a big homemade dinner and a cake — but because my parents happen to be moving back to the U.S. this month, I’ll be solo. It’s not that big of a deal; in fact, in the past, since Christmas isn’t a public holiday here, I’m used to treating it like any other day.

New Year’s, on the other hand, is a major family holiday in Japan. Everyone spends time with their parents or distant relatives, eats traditional New Year’s food called osechi, pays a visit to the shrine, etc. This year will be my first time spending New Year’s alone.

What are you planning to do?

Not much. Maybe cook myself dinner and read or watch a movie? Get a big thing of mint chocolate chip ice cream? The world is my oyster.

What about the experience do you think will be most challenging?

I doubt I’ll find it challenging. I guess it may seem a bit sad to some people, but Christmas in particular has no significance to me.

What about the experience are you looking forward to?

No stress, no fuss, no nothin’.

Molly Simeone

Molly is a 23-year-old registered nurse who works in a neonatal intensive care unit in Boston. 

What holiday(s) are you spending alone, and why?

I’ll be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day alone. I’m scheduled to work December 23rd-26th. I have worked during the holidays before, but at the time I lived in Connecticut where my family is and was still able to see them and celebrate after my shifts. I’ve moved since, so this year is the first time I will be truly alone. My roommate is also a nurse, but we are working different shifts — when I leave work for the night, she’ll just be clocking in.

What are you planning to do?

I’m working 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We’re having a big potluck and doing Secret Santa at work, which will be fun. My floor really goes all-out for the holidays. It definitely helps to have a “work family” when I can’t be near my actual family.

I don’t have any crazy plans after my shifts. I’ll come home, make dinner, shower and go to bed relatively early — lame, I know! My parents usually buy my sister and me new festive pajamas to wear Christmas Eve. It sounds cheesy, but I’ll probably put on an old pair just to stick with tradition.

What about the experience do you think will be most challenging?

Coming home to an empty apartment. To me, the holidays are about family, and being apart from mine will be hard. I’m sure they will try to FaceTime me into their celebrations, but it’s not the same.

What about the experience are you looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to being present for my patients and their families. While it is hard to work during the holidays, it’s even harder to be a patient in a hospital during this time of year. Since I work with newborn babies, they’ll be celebrating their very first Christmas in the hospital. We will do something special so it feels like Christmas for them, like make a craft with all of their footprints. Some of the babies are small enough that we can fit them in Christmas stockings, so we’ll do that and take a photo for their parents. We’ll also cover their isolettes (newborn infant incubators) with festive holiday quilts.

Julia Knolle

Julia is the 35-year-old co-founder and editor-in-chief of Hey Woman!, a web destination for smart and savvy women based in Berlin.

What holiday(s) are you spending alone, and why?

Christmas has never been my favorite holiday. Growing up, I had to split the day between the homes of my parents, who are separated. Eventually, I convinced them I needed this time to myself to recharge from work. After eight years of doing so, they now understand and fully accept this decision, which makes it way easier for me.

I also don’t subscribe to the tradition of forced gift-giving. There are so many other ways you can express that you care about someone. I occasionally visit my family after Christmas, but I only bring a present if I have a particularly good idea. If not, my homemade sweets will do.

What are you planning to do?

The Friday before Christmas, I plan to celebrate by finally leaving the office (which has been my second home for the last 12 months since I never got a real summer break). I’ll jump straight into my black leggings and ideally avoid wearing normal pants or jeans for the next two weeks, or makeup of any kind.

I have a pile of books begging to be read and a list of TV series I want to watch. I can’t think of anything more luxurious than being able to do yoga or go on a run almost every day of the week, whenever the mood strikes. Plus, I’ll have so much time to prepare healthy food, sleep as much as I please and get back into green tea to replace the slight coffee addiction that has slipped into my daily work routine again. I’m planning to put my phone away and on silent mode as much as possible.

What about the experience do you think will be most challenging?

Since this is my favorite time of the year, there is no challenge in sight.

What about the experience are you looking forward to?

As selfish as it sounds, I’m most excited about focusing on myself. The holidays provide a rare window of time in which I can really do that. Everyone else will be busy skiing, sunbathing or seeing their families, so no one will be offended when I go off the grid. After two weeks of unplugging, I think I will actually look forward to returning to work.

Travis Weaver

Travis is a 27-year-old stylist and designer living in Brooklyn. 

What holiday(s) are you spending alone, and why?

I am staying in New York for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Though I’ve previously spent the holidays apart from my family in Michigan (my boyfriend of seven years is from Australia, so we often go there or Europe for the holidays), this year will be the first time I’m spending them completely alone.

What are you planning to do?

I am planning on sewing my FW18 collection for my brand One DNA. In addition to designing and creating my own clothes, I also have a full-time 9-5 job, so I am taking advantage of the time off to sew. I will probably cook a vegan chili for myself to eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas.

What about the experience do you think will be most challenging?

I am someone who loves to be surrounded by people all the time. It will be challenging to not have human interactions since all my friends will be away, too. I might visit Prospect Park to get outside and see other humans, or maybe I’ll go ice-skating.

Not having a New Year’s Eve kiss will also be a challenge. My boyfriend will be in Australia with his family, so I will not get to physically kiss him, but we plan to FaceTime at midnight to say cheers. This will be our first New Year’s Eve apart since we started dating.

What about the experience are you looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to sewing. It’s my passion, but I don’t always have the time to devote to it during the busy workweek. Every time I sew, I learn something new about my machine.

I also look forward to snacking on all of my favorite foods (specifically chips and salsa, hummus with pita, and oatmeal raisin cookies) and watching TV or movies (Black Mirror is on my list, as is The Killing of a Sacred Deer).

Tiago Valente

Tiago is a 38-year-old multidisciplinary artist and creative director living in New York City.

What holiday(s) are you spending alone, and why?

I’m spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day alone, the perfect occasion to have a lovely date with my inner Grinch. I currently have no plans on the horizon and am therefore open to whatever my Grinchy side might desire. In the past, I’ve always tried to spend the holidays somewhere by the ocean. Part of my family is Brazilian, and I grew up following the Brazilian New Year’s Eve tradition of jumping over seven waves, one straight after the other. It’s a tribute to Yemanjá, the goddess of the sea. For each jump, you are allowed to make one wish for the new year. Even though I won’t be in Brazil this year, I guess the ocean is only a train ride away on the wonderful LIRR!

As a global nomad and researcher, I’ve spent the holidays alone in the past, but I’ve tried to reverse the stigma of doing so by seeking out compelling and memorable creative adventures. I’ve traveled to the middle of the jungle, coexisted with tribal groups, learned how to talk to volcanoes and developed art interventions in some of the world’s most unexpected places. However, this year, I choose to stay in New York City, and it’s just starting to hit me that everyone else will be gone…ugh. I’m trying to reframe it in my mind as an opportunity to continue my personal tradition of taking a situation that might seem sad or lonely on the surface and transform it into an exciting new adventure. My creative juices are already boiling in the kitchen.

What are you planning to do?

I’m going to immerse myself in a new adventure of public intervention and “invade” some spots around the city with a new art project. I can’t reveal much about it yet as it would ruin the surprise, but stay alert and start paying attention to the hashtag #talktoyouralterego.

What about the experience do you think will be most challenging?

The freezing cold weather! Give me tropical mosquito bites instead of runny noses and cold hands, please.

What about the experience are you looking forward to?

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned over the course of my past adventures is that creativity is a universal language that transcends any cultural, social or emotional barrier. Creativity brings communities together and initiates conversations. That’s why I am not worried about being “alone,” because aloneness is just empty space waiting to be filled with unexpected encounters and wonderful conversations. And you know what? I am ready to savor every little second of it. Ciao, Grinch!

Illustrations by Ana Leovy.