#I finished the game for the first time yesterday and I'm NOT OKAY
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arcadekitten · 2 days ago
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Can I ask for your advice as one game dev to another?
I started making games 2 years ago, in fact the anniversary for my first project is literally tomorrow! This project holds a lot of sentimental value to me of course, but I never got around to fully finishing the project because I have a habit of jumping from one idea to another when I really like the idea and am motivated for it. (I have severe adhd which has made the amount of projects I have going on currently around 3-5 games lmao) anyways I would say it’s probably 75% complete. I haven’t touched the project in months but I went back to replay it yesterday in hopes of wanting to get back into finishing it, and I felt this incredible wave of nostalgia that felt both good and bad: I’ve improved with my art, story telling and coding and everything since then and when it comes to my game projects It’s very easy for me to move on from them when they’re done to go onto the next- but this nostalgic feeling made me think that maybe it would be better to leave the project and move on because of my newer projects and how different it feels. But at the same time I feel like the game deserves an ending and I feel a lot of pressure knowing that other people are interested in this first project. I think that if I cancel its completion there will be consequences but I might also feel free from it too. I worry about disappointing others especially as a smaller game dev. The project is very important to me as it is my first ever game and I would love to finish it in theory, but it feels a bit weird trying to go back and finish it because of how much I’ve improved. I’m not gonna ask “what would you do in this situation” because I obviously should do what feels right for me (which I’m unsure of lol) but any advice, words of wisdom, experiences etc. would be very appreciated if you’re willing to share!
It's a bit silly, but something I do when I have trouble making a decision is I flip a coin! The important part is not what side the coin lands on, but what side you're hoping the coin lands on. It helps you know how you're really feeling about a certain situation. For example if I tell myself heads means pink shirt and tails means blue shirt, and I start hoping it lands on tails, then I know what I really wanted is the blue shirt.
I also want you to know though that there's no, like, punishment to whatever you decide to do. If you decide that you'd rather just scrap the project and some people wind up disappointed, that's okay. If you decide you won't be happy until it has an ending and decide to give it one, that's also okay! If you still want to keep it in the gray zone of "maybe I'll get back to it one day" or work on it sparingly that's also also okay!
I'm wishing you luck in your decision, and I hope you can feel happy and confident in your choices going forward! All the best to you! ♡
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ladyspottedray · 2 months ago
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So I've been replaying Final Fantasy 15
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astrxealis · 1 year ago
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good noon guys <3 ^_^
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lailols · 1 month ago
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Kai’s Pretty Girlfriend [4]: Confusion?
OT5 x f!reader
Warnings: lots of kisses and a little dry humping <3
Ever since the game things have been pretty tense in the dorm. Well, maybe tense isn’t the right word but awkward? Not between you and Kai, never between you and Kai, but there’s definitely a difference in the way the guys treat you.
It’s not even spoken about and if you hadn’t known them all for so long, maybe you wouldn’t have realized. But you can tell. It’s almost as if when they’re with you they default to their ‘idol’ personalities.
You feel it when you visit the practice room to drop off food on a long day and while Kai greets you with a hug and a kiss, the guys simply thank you and disperse to eat.
You feel it when you’re watching anime with Soobin in the living room instead of his room and rather than you leaning against each other and borderline falling asleep on top of the other, he keeps a large distance between the two of you.
You feel it when you’re talking with Beomgyu and instead of having conversations that range from deep and intense to silly and random, he keeps it surface level before he makes an excuse to leave.
You feel it when you stay up late to make sure Taehyun eats when he makes it to the dorm after he stays to practice more, and he politely thanks you but tells you he already ate and then you wake up to him sneaking out of the room later to go eat.
You feel it when your messages with Yeonjun go from being filled with silly pictures, and videos of some new choreography he’s come up with to read messages and reactions rather than actual responses.
You especially feel it when you come into the dorm when Kai is out to wait for him to get back and sit in the living room to watch whatever’s on and everyone scatters suddenly having other things to do. Or when everyone starts eating out of the dorm instead of begging you to cook or ordering takeout. Or when… yeah, it’s been a lot.
It’s not hard for you and Kai to make a plan to corner the guys and address the tension that’s settled over you all. It took a bit of convincing from Kai because you’re, admittedly, feeling a little rejected. What else are you meant to feel when they go from having you in an intimate way to flat-out ignoring you?
It's a perfect reflection of the talk they gave you and Kai after the movie incident. You and Kai standing in front of them while they're sitting on the couch.
"You guys have been avoiding me."
"No, we haven't. We literally had dinner together yesterday." Beomgyu is right but the dinner was shrouded in silence with them leaving immediately after they finished eating.
"It wasn't the same as it used to be, and you know it." You take a breath before continuing. "Listen, if we... If I made you guys uncomfortable, I'm truly sorry. We don't have to do anything like that again, I just want us to be good again."
"There wasn't anything wrong with what we did. We're just... confused." Taehyun's words are accompanied by his brows furrowing as if he's trying to figure out the answer to a problem. You would probably consider it cute in another situation.
"Confused about what?"
"What you want from this. What you both want from this. Even if we didn't do much, you can't expect us to act as if nothing changed when something did."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Was it just a one-off thing? Are you guys experimenting or something? You went from begging us to leave the dorm for you to have alone time or doing things quietly to fucking in front of us and letting us participate. It's a big change and while we were okay with it, we don't want to push boundaries."
You expect Kai to answer, but he turns to you first.
"Well, I guess experimenting is the best way to put it.”
“So, Kai wants to watch us fuck you?”
“No!” Kai exclaims in answer to Beomgyu's question but then continues in a softer voice with red crawling up his face. “Well, maybe, at some point. But what I mean is, I don’t mind if you want to do that or anything really.”
“Anything like?”
“Anything that y/n is comfortable with. Actually, she should really lead this." All eyes turn to you.
"Um, like Kai said we're okay with me being more intimate with you all if you're okay with that."
“Why?” Taehyun asks, and, really, why does anyone do anything? You don't need to do this with them. You and Kai are as close to perfect as you can be. You shouldn't need to seek anything else, but you are. Is that so bad? Is it selfish? Probably. But you want it and you think they might want it too, so it can't be that bad.
"We don't really have a reason. Just a feeling and we wanted to try it out with you."
“So you guys have an open relationship?”
“No!” Both of you exclaim.
“No, not that there’s anything wrong with that but, ugh, I wouldn’t trust anyone else with y/n the way I do with you guys. So, maybe, but not with anyone else. If that makes sense.”
"It doesn't, but I think we get the gist. What do you want exactly from us?" Soobin asks, and though you've never seen him in the setting yourself, you imagine it's similar to when he's in meetings speaking on behalf of his members. Making sure he knows what's expected so he can make a decision that doesn't make the group fall apart. And, really, this is one of those decisions.
“I want us to be close like we were. And maybe more? It feels kind of selfish but you guys are all so good to me, why wouldn’t I want to be doted on by you?”
“So we get to have you?” Beomgyu's getting excited, shifting forward in his seat.
“Yes, if that’s okay with you all.”
“All of us?”
“Yes. Or no? If any of you don’t want to, you don’t have to, obviously, but I’m okay with it. With you. All of you.”
“Oh.” It’s quiet until the four form a circle and start playing rock, paper, scissors.
“Um…” you and Kai stare awkwardly at them. “What are you doing?”
“Seeing who gets to kiss you first, duh. Use that big brain of yours. Go ahead and prepare yourself.”
“Wait! I want to play, what the hell?!” Kai cries indignantly.
“You get to kiss her all the time, suck it up. Shit. Do you see what you caused?” Beomgyu is out.
“Fuuuuuuuck.” There goes Soobin.
It’s a war of nerves between Taehyun and Yeonjun. They don’t even notice Kai turning you to him and planting a kiss on your lips until a moan leaves you when he bites on your bottom lip.
“Hey! No! That’s cheating!” Beomgyu’s words startle Taehyun out of his thinking and Yeonjun ends up winning the round, jumping up and letting out a screech of victory before pulling you out of Kai’s arms.
“So, you come here often?” Yeonjun brings a hand out to tilt your head up at him with the other making a home on your waist.
You let out a giggle before playing along, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. “Sometimes, I haven’t seen you around before though.”
“Well, this may come as a surprise to you, but I do in fact live here.” He’s steadily closing the distance between your faces as he speaks.
“Are you sure?” You tilt your head up until your lips are barely touching. “I swear I would’ve remembered a face as pretty as yours.”
You cut off his screech of ‘you stole my line’ by pressing your lips to his. He freezes for a bit before relaxing and returning the kiss. His lips are soft and plump and taste faintly like a strawberry chapstick you're sure you lost a while back. He squeezes your waist once, twice, before rubbing his tongue gently against your lips to get you to open up for him, which you obviously do.
He pulls you impossibly closer to him and deepens the kiss before a different set of hands wraps around your body and pulls you away.
"Hey! Keep it in your pants, old man! We still haven't gotten to kiss her yet." Beomgyu is holding you against his chest as he shouts.
"I won! I can do whatever I want. It doesn't seem like y/n was complaining about it either!"
"Well, she couldn't with your tongue two miles down her throat," Taehyun interjects smoothly before taking your hand and pulling you away from Beomgyu. He gives you a soft smile before bringing a hand up to your face and caressing your cheek. "This okay?"
"Yes. It's okay, I'm okay." A bright smile rises on his face in response to your words and he brings your lips together in a short, but sweet kiss that leaves you wanting more. You can’t help but lean into him again. He smiles into your next kiss and his free hand moves down to your hip giving it a short squeeze before pulling away. This time he uses the grip he has on you to keep you separated but the look in his eyes is so warm that you don’t doubt you’ll find yourselves in a similar situation soon.
Taehyun has always been a bit reserved with his relationships, wanting them to be known but kept private. Though your situation isn’t anything like that, it makes sense he would want to fall into you away from the prying eyes. You look around for Soobin to see him still sitting on the couch.
“Yah! Choi Soobin don’t make her chase you!”
“I’m not! I just want her to be comfortable. Four first kisses is a lot in one night.”
“Thank you for wanting to make me comfortable, Bin.” You say as you slowly walk over to where he is on the couch, hesitating a bit before straddling his lap. “But I want to kiss you now, is that okay?”
“Yeah, yep. Totally! So okay with me it’s actually insane.” He finishes with a soft smile that is so cute, you can’t help but indulge yourself a little. Leaning down to press a short kiss to each of his dimples and nose before bringing your lips to his. He sighs softly and moves his hands up to your waist, drawing little circles with his thumbs.
You know that this is meant to be a small kiss, something of a marker of the new relationship you’re stepping into with the guys, but the implications of that new relationship are finally catching up with you. Maybe you should've pulled him off the couch to kiss him because this can quickly get out of control. Especially with the way he puts his all into the kiss. The way he’s not even trying to dominate the kiss but going with the flow whether that means you’re leading or him. You can’t help but shift your hips down to meet his. And, oh, the sounds that leave him after that make you want to drag him to your (Kai’s) room and see what other sounds he could make. But you forgot about the people watching.
“As hot as this is, I would like to kiss y/n before I turn fifty.” And with that, a familiar set of hands are wrapping around your waist in an attempt to pull you off Soobin. Too bad, Soobin doesn’t seem to want to let go. Just as you’re starting to wonder how far he’s willing to go with the others as an audience, he pulls away and presses a last peck to your lips before taking his hands off you.
“Hey, you.” Beimgyu says after wrapping your securely in his embrace.
“Hey.” You smile up at him.
“Ready for the best kiss of your life?” Kai lets out a prompt ‘Hey!’ at his words.
“You can try your best.” You challenge.
Rather than responding to your words, he just cradles your face and presses your lips together. It feels like something clicked into place in your mind. There's no doubt in your mind that there is nowhere else you should be than right here surrounded by these five men.
Beomgyu's thumbs rub back and forth across your cheeks as your lips move in tandem. Against your expectations, he does not try to deepen it more than this. He just kisses you as if he has all the time in the world.
When you pull away from Beomgyu, you look around to find five fond smiles turned towards you. You don’t really know where this is going to lead but you trust these men so fully that you know they’ll treat you right. You only hope your heart can handle it.
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Step four is “completed”, yippie! I don’t really like this chapter so if you see it updated at some point, mind your business. >:(. If it’s unclear, you and Kai had a talk off-screen about what you wanted. Now we get into the member specific chapters! Guess which member goes with which description! Masterlist
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deantfwinchester · 1 month ago
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Gingerly
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Pairing: No-Outbreak!AU, Joel x Teacher!Reader, same timeline
This one is set not long before the events of "A New Chapter" - before Reader & Sarah pick out Halloween costumes :)
Summary: Early mornings in the first trimester present a new set of challenges for the growing Miller family. Joel does his best to find remedies for their dilemma.
Warnings: pregnancy, so many euphemisms for vomit, so beware
A/N: this one isn't very long. it's lowkey a prequel to the one I'm posting next. Very similar stories at two different points in their lives. <3
Word Count: 1.8k.
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You’re spending longer than usual this morning hugging the porcelain. It didn’t take long after discovering your pregnancy for the morning sickness to kick in, and it’s a killer. This is happening more often than you’d like, but at least it’s over pretty quickly most days — just a little eviction of last night’s dinner to make room for breakfast, apparently. Isn’t this kid supposed to make you hungrier? What’s their deal?
Today’s a little different, and you’re left retching long enough to impact your punctuality to work. Gotta send a text to some coworkers to get your class covered. You hate it, but it’s not exactly a willpower game at this point — this kid wants all of yesterday’s food GONE, but your stomach is putting up a fight. Unfortunately, you’re the one losing.
Joel’s wandering anxiously in and out of the bathroom, worrying like hell. He’s going back and forth between sitting with you and rubbing your back —he’d pulled your hair up for you after the first evacuation — and checking on Sarah, making sure she gets ready for school. He’d hovered for a while until the two of you heard Sarah come downstairs, and you insisted he go get her some breakfast, just please don’t tell you what it is. He’s in and out as Sarah eats, and she pops in to check on you and tell you she made him sit down for a minute and eat something too. You shoot her the most grateful smile you can muster on the green-around-the-gills visage you’re sporting at the moment. He’s got a full day ahead as well, and you’d been worrying right back… from your position on the bathroom tile, at least. 
When they’ve both finished breakfast, Joel returns to your side, waiting until the last possible second to leave before Sarah’s late for school. You assure him it’s not a big deal, you’ll be okay in a little while. He knows this, and that it’s normal, but it breaks his heart to leave you there on the floor.
“How ‘bout I drop Sarah off and come right back? Tommy can get everybody started at the site, and I’ll just stay long enough to get you to work,” he questions, placing the back of his hand to your cheek to check your temperature again “just to make sure that’s all it is!” before sighing and tucking some loose hair behind your ear. You shake your head slowly, trying to minimize the nausea. 
“There’s not really anything for you to do, sweetie. As much as having you here with me afterward makes me feel better, we can’t both be late to work every day for the next month. Maybe longer than that. I’ll probably be fine by the time you get back anyway. Just be a wasted trip.” You huff at the end, hoping the nausea is reaching its end for this morning and you can get up and get ready to leave.
Joel looks at you with a pained expression and cringes at the word month. Just seeing you dealing with this the last few weeks has been agonizing for him — he doesn’t even want to imagine how it feels. 
“No such thing as a wasted trip when it comes to you, darlin’. ‘S my job, you know that,” he responds, with a sympathetic smile, and continues before you can rebut. “But alright, I’m goin’. Promise you’ll text me if you’re feelin’ any worse?,” he lifts a pinky to you, and you hook yours right back, turning your cheek when he tries to kiss your lips. You chuckle at his disappointment when his own lips meet your cheek.
“Gross, you do not wanna kiss me right now,” you laugh through. He begs to differ but understands your reluctance. He tells you to hang tight for just a minute before he finally leaves, and returns with an armful of supplies. Next to you on the floor are a water bottle, some plain crackers, some tylenol, and something with bubbles to settle your stomach. 
He asks you to “please try and eat a little somethin’ before you leave, baby”, to which you nod and assure him you’ll do your best, trying to get him satisfied as possible and light a fire under him before Sarah’s late for school. He bends down, kisses the top of your head, squeezes your shoulder, and heads out the door to meet Sarah in his truck. 
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Joel's texting to check on you around the time you get off the floor. You’re nibbling the crackers he left and trying small sips of water like he asked — which he’s reminded you of again — but you’re struggling with it.  He calls you as you’re packing your things to leave. 
“Hey sweetheart, how you feelin’? Get any of those crackers down for me?” he inquires.
“I’m fine, just about to leave. I ate a couple of them, and I’ll bring them with me,” you respond, trying and failing to keep the exhaustion from your voice. He pauses for a moment.
“Level with me, baby. You don’t sound up for it, you sure we don’t need to talk to the doctor? I can come home, we can go today, I’ll just—” but you cut him off before he can spiral any further.
“Joel. You’re sweet, and I know you’re worried, but it’s not any worse than normal. It’s just sticking around longer today. Yes, I’m still a little,,, blech,,, but it’ll be gone in a bit. I’ll make some tea before I leave, that’ll help,” you affirm. He lets out a sigh that tells you he’s not convinced, but resigned to the fact you’re going to work regardless. Soon enough, he arrives at the site and asks you to keep him updated, which you promise and wish him a good day and an “i love you” to get you both through the day. 
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You get to work right before the switch to 2nd period, still not feeling great, but stable enough to drive there safely and get your kids started on something to keep them busy. Today’s a good day for a documentary, a worksheet, and a dark classroom. The kids will thank you for it anyway, but somehow still need something every three minutes. That’s at least one thing that won’t be unfamiliar when the baby arrives — even though you have high schoolers. 
You shoot Joel a text, letting him know you got to work okay, and that you’ve chosen something to help you take it (slightly) easy today. You hope this message will ease his mind so he can get back to work as well.
Joel responds with a brief message in the affirmative, but he’s still worried sick. He’s seen you deal with this each day for the last couple of weeks, but this morning your voice was shaking and your face was ashen. What if this isn’t just today? What if it’s getting worse? He's afraid you’ll end up dehydrated or won’t bother to eat enough at work. You struggle with remembering lunch on days you feel good, he knows you won’t even bother today, and it’s eating at him while he works. 
He decides to surprise you at lunch time with something filling that won’t upset your stomach, and that’ll entice you to eat. He wants to make sure you’re fed today, and that there are some more options at the ready — for your sake and his own. He does a little research and stops by the grocery store to grab an array of plain foods and a bunch of liquids. By the time he leaves there are multiple types of crackers in tow, applesauce packets, a few bone broths, some of your favorite juices and teas, a bag of ginger candies plus a jar of ginger gummy vitamins, and more. He’s no technology wiz, but the man can google up a storm when the need arises. 
He rolls up to your classroom’s back door when he knows it’s time for lunch and texts you, grabbing his things and stepping out of the truck to meet you. You walk out to find him with a big bottle of cold gatorade and a takeout bag hanging from his fingers. You muse that the pretty big gatorade bottle looks normal-sized in Joel's large, gentle hands. You don’t even take anything from his grasp before you lean forward into his chest and wrap your arms around his waist. He smiles, and wordlessly puts his chin atop your head before wrapping his free arm around you, rubbing lightly up and down your back.
Neither of you has to say a word for him to tell you’re still not feeling 100%, and he’s whispering sweet things while you stand there in his embrace. You hide your face in his chest trying to quell your tears before they start. You know him well enough that this gesture doesn’t exactly surprise you, but he’s so thoughtful that his kindness moves you every damn time. It’s not something you ever felt before Joel, but he’ll never stop trying to get you accustomed, and you know that.
You look up at Joel like he hung the moon, memorizing every warm shade in his bright eyes, hoping your own reflect the appreciation and admiration dancing in your chest. He holds you tight and sits you in the passenger seat of the truck before pulling out the takeout boxes and cracking open your gatorade. The cool, lightly-flavored liquid soothes you in a way water hasn’t quite accomplished today — doesn’t even matter that neither of you knows what “Glacier Freeze” means, it’s effective. 
You lean against his shoulder while you both eat lunch, talking to each other and the baby. Joel laughs and praises you for putting on a movie for your kids before recounting the events of his morning. He shares everything he learned from his research, and even more he heard at the grocery store from a couple of older women who saw him contemplating the ginger options by the prenatal vitamins. You imagine him staring intently at bottles in the pregnancy aisle of the Health & Beauty section and laugh, thinking of how his concentration and concern would’ve made the old ladies he spoke to melt. You’re surprised he didn’t get a cheek pinched at this rate. 
You sit together until the school bell breaks your reverie and you have to kiss him goodbye. He hands you an already prepped ziploc baggie of even more shelf-stable snacks he bought to keep in your desk to settle your stomach as needed. You grin at him again, shaking your head.
“Joel, this is too much trouble. I can’t believe you did all of this just this morning!” you exclaim, before he scoffs and responds. 
“I told you — no such thing as a wasted trip for you, baby.”
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lilrainbowcloud · 1 year ago
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Pairing: Percy Jackson x Reader
Genre: Comfy cozy fluff
Word count: 567 [masterlist]
a/n: i live for soft percy fics🩵
[13:23]
Sitting during lunch period together, both leaning on the trunk of an old rain tree at the campus park, you both enjoyed the company of each other in silence. Well, not in complete silence, there was the buzzing of passing conversations of the other students and the sound of the rustling leaves from the gentle breeze of wind.
But you and Percy were in your quiet bubble together. You felt like it was your own world. Being with him, sharing earbuds as your favourite playlist played on shuffle, it felt as if the bubble was a vacuumed space, shutting out the outside world. For like, an hour.
Shoulder to shoulder, you sat sketching on your little sketch book. Determined to commit to finishing the entire book for the semester and not abandoning it like.... the last 4 times. Hey, it wasn't your fault that artist block came knocking on your dorm room's door after a couple of days. Keeping up with the motivation to do something can be challenging okay!
As your pen scratched the paper with black ink, you were sketching a portrait of a woman you saw from your trip to the flower market yesterday. Mind in deep focus as you tried to recall the angle of her face, the deep hooded brown eyes, and the dark curl of her hair. She was very pretty enough to be your subject of art.
Being deep in your creative headspace, the person who was leaning himself onto your shoulder took hold of your non dominant hand which didn't catch your attention at first, but the cold and blunt tip of a pen gliding on the skin of the back of your hand sure did.
Tilting your head down to your intertwined hands, you smiled at the sight of Percy drawing an outline of a star on your hand, matching his blacked out one.
Glancing at his face the best you can, given your position, you could see the little smile on his face as he carefully traced the star's outline, darkening it.
You thought he was done, but under the star, Percy being Percy, wrote a cliche line of "You're the star of my life." Which got an amused scoff out of you. And a proud smile on his face as he let go of your hand only to take it in his other one to hold them up beside his as he examined his 'masterpiece'.
"You're such a dork, you know that?"
"At least I'm your dork," Taking your hand in his again, he brought your knuckles to his lips, "M'lady."
Groaning, you rolled your eyes as you pushed him, making him fall to the side. His melodious laugh filled your bubble.
"Oh my god Percy, I swear on your dad I will-"
"What? You will what, hm?" Giving you a raised eyebrow in question. Sometimes, your mind can't think of a fast retort to him, you stutter, thinking of something.
"I'm telling him that his son cheated on a carnival water gun's game to win a stuffed bear." With a proud face, you crossed your arms over your chest. Feeling defeated already from your poor attempt at a clapback.
You hoped he didn't notice the change of subject matter?
"Okay, I won a stuffed bear for you!" Okay, he didn't notice, "If you don't want him, I'll kidnap him back from you."
"No! He's mine!"
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omegastation · 7 months ago
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Hi. I haven’t used Tumblr in such a long time. It's kinda weird. Last time was two years ago...
I went to Valencia in Spain a few months later. Some parts of it reminded me of the Citadel. I wanted to write about it here, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t really come back here because I couldn’t play the game. I couldn’t concentrate at all, couldn’t finish a simple mission, couldn’t just “play”. I’m still in my first Legendary playthrough if you can believe it. I was losing something that brought me joy and didn’t really know what to do.
And the long story short about my time away: I got a Master’s degree while still working (evening & weekend classes). It’s fairly recent, I learned in June that I got a "Grande Distinction" (with great distinction? idk how to translate it well in English, it's just one of the highest marks). So that was nice :)
Less nice: I got a severe pulmonary embolism in November. My lungs are okay but I have to deal with daily hyperventilation now, which means I’m quite tired and need to make an appointment soon for respiratory physiotherapy. If you’re wondering, I don’t smoke and I’m fairly active. What else? I’m about to self-publish (finally!!!) my collection of short stories in French. Mom helped me yesterday, we ordered printed books. So I'm still writing. Reading and knitting all the time. And I’m still working at the same job I was working at, and I’m happy there, though it can be demanding and I have to be careful not to overwork myself.
In the end, I did manage to come back to the game and finish a mission. Not only that, but I played more missions, and that was a real "omg I can do it" moment. And the more I play, the more I want to talk about it. So there you have it, I hope I can come back and just try to enjoy myself in a chill way. I don't know how long, we'll see. I think time has helped me, at least, to look at things differently. I don't want to feel any type of obligation. I want to do things for fun because it's fun, and let that be enough.
It’s been so long, the fandom has probably changed a lot. Some people might be gone. I’ll reintroduce myself one way or another, but right now I’ll just find stuff I like to reblog and talk about all the ideas that come to mind. Bear with me if it has been said recently or so many times before. I just feel like starting all over again and I missed a lot of posts. My memory isn't what it's used to be either tbh...
Finally, I hope you’re all doing well. Thank you to the people who sent me messages. One person wrote that they missed me. I don’t know who they are, it was anon, but that really moved me, because I really did miss this community and all the discussions we had. I also miss, as always, Dustie who has been gone for a while now.
Anyway. Thank you.
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thollandneedy · 8 months ago
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Don't Tell 'Em- Peter Parker
a/n: I've been OBSESSED by this prompt his week, so... here it is
Warnings: None, but i'ts a bit spicy
Summary: Ned's sister have the biggest crush on Peter, and she thinks he doesn't knows that... but he does
Don’t forget to share, like, comment and leave your ideas here
Bellah’s Masterlist 🪻
Y/n was madly in love with Peter Parker, but he was best friends with her brother, Ned Leeds
Peter Parker was a popular boy with the girls, and Y/n never believed that she would ever have a chance with him. The boy was admired for his intelligence and beauty, always helping people to pass their exams or study, making his reputation as a nerdy loser be replaced by a sexy tutor. Since the first time Ned had brought Peter to his house, Y/n had lurked on the stairs watching the boys play video games. Even though she was two years younger, Y/n ended up developing a crush on Peter, which only blossomed over the years. 
On Y/n's 16th birthday, the girl decided to throw a pool party, inviting some close friends over for an afternoon of cocktails. Ned, in order not to be alone, ended up calling Peter as his companion, and at that moment, Y/n came up with a plan to get what she so desperately wanted.
A kiss from her brother's best friend 
On Saturday morning, Y/n woke up determined to get Peter's attention. In a few weeks' time, he would be moving to Massachusetts because of the university scholarship he had won at MIT. Taking advantage of the fact that he and Michelle Jones had broken up for God knows what reason, the girl had to be meticulous in her plan if she wanted it to work.
"Y/n, be serious. He's not going to kiss you." Lily, Y/n's friend says, rolling her body onto the king-size bed,
"He probably doesn't even know you like him." Audrey, also Y/n's friend, agrees with Lily.
"You're the worst best friends in the world, you know that?" Y/n grumbles, as she finishes the details of her PowerPoint presentation on her laptop. "Are you ready?" 
Lily, the redhead, nods, but sits down next to the girl, while Audrey puts her blonde hair up in a high bun, waiting for Y/n to take action. The three of them look at each other, and with an inspired smile, Y/n presses the "Enter" key to make her five-step presentation work.
"First step, the mood. It needs to be outgoing and relaxed, because he doesn't cope well with pressure. The music has to be lively, and the atmosphere has to be light. So no awkward or sexual talk from his side"
"That's going to be difficult. Are we going to have a girl group and not talk about sex and love experiences?" Lily says.
"Not around him. I don't want him to think I'm a sex freak." Y/n explains to her friend.
"You literally had laser hair removal yesterday, and you're a virgin." Audrey comments with a smile as she remembers her friend's painful story.
"Are you going to help me or not?" Y/n asks her friends, who only respond with silence. "Next step, Ned. We need Ned to fill up with tasks so that he can leave Peter alone, and I can talk to him."
Y/n moves on to the next slide
"Step three, the conversation. I need to be alone with him, and I want it to be in the middle of the afternoon so we can kiss at sunset." Y/n looks up as she says it, imagining how perfect her first kiss would be.
"Okay, slow down," Lily raises her hand in a stop sign. "You can't even plan the time of the kiss, Y/n. It has to happen naturally."
"Yes, I can, and that brings me to the next slide. The space. I want it to be outside the pool, and probably on the roof. It has a nice view of the suburbs, and you can see some buildings in the background if you squint. The woods will make it cooler at night, and he can even lend me his sweater if I ask." 
Lily and Audrey looked at each other in disbelief at what they were hearing Y/n say. 
"And the last one, is the kiss. I think explaining that would be too weird." The girl crosses her arms, looking at her two friends who were standing next to her, waiting for a reaction while still watching the laptop open to the last slide. "So?"
"You're crazy Y/n." Audrey lets out a loud laugh. "Ned won't leave Peter's side, and if he does, Peter will accompany Ned on whatever. The girls will talk about anything whether they're around him or not, and they might even get drunk and hit on Peter. It might not be cold at night, and he might leave early."
"Facts" Lily agrees, getting up from Y/n's bed. "Let it happen naturally, Y/n. I'm sure it'll be much better."
"Not a fucking chance." Y/n replies sincerely. "It'll be perfect. I know it will. Now, let me show you the thong bikini I bought." The younger girl gets up, goes into the bathroom and closes the door behind her. 
(...)
Afternoon fell, and everything went wrong
The sun disappeared into the dark rain clouds, and most of her friends were stuck in a traffic jam caused by fallen trees in the street. If it hadn't been for other reports of rain, Y/n would have said that this was the biggest storm she had ever seen. Fortunately or unfortunately, Audrey and Lily had left when the rain started to look like it was going to get heavier, leaving only Peter and Ned to stay with her at the house, while the brothers' parents were on a business trip.
"Damn." Y/n commented, looking out of the window at the power of the rain that had washed away several branches on the asphalt.
"I'm sorry about your party. We can celebrate tomorrow." Her brother, Ned, touches her shoulder when he notices the tone of frustration in his sister's voice. 
"We could have a movie afternoon." Peter comments, turning on the television and putting on Netflix.
Y/n takes a deep breath, looking over her shoulder at Ned and Peter, just agreeing with the situation the universe had planned for her. Maybe her friends were right. That plan was unrealistic, and Peter would never kiss her since many other girls his age could provide something better for him. The girl settled down on the brown sofa, pulling a pink blanket over herself and picking at her body as a show of displeasure. 
"Come on, Y/n. We can see whatever you want. I'll let you have a glass of wine." Ned tries to cheer up his sister by offering her alcohol. 
"It's okay, Ned. It's really all right." She lies, annoyed at the lack of her friends.
"How about Barbie? Or Mamma Mia? Or La La Land?! You love that one." Peter recalls his best friend's sister's favorite movies
Y/n smiles at the thought of Peter knowing her tastes.
"La La Land sounds good. Ned, can you make us some popcorn?" The girl smooths her gray sweater over her body, crossing her arms as if waiting. 
"Sure." The dark-haired teenager agreed, getting up to go to the kitchen, leaving Peter and Y/n alone on the sofa. The movie catalog was still open, and the wind was whipping against the glass windows, causing strong gusts that drowned out the sound of popcorn popping in the pot.
Peter watched Y/n, sliding his body closer to her, trying to get close to her ear. The girl dodges at first, looking at him with confusion and an embarrassed smile at their lack of distance.
"I don't know if it'll cheer you up, but I left a present on your bed." The brunette said quietly, as if he were confessing a secret.
"Are you serious?" The girl slowly cracked a smile.
"While you were taking the buoys out of the pool, I went up there. Do you want to go and see?" Peter asks, receiving a silent and excited yes from the younger girl.
"Ned! I'm going to the bedroom to see Peter's present." Y/n shouts as a warning.
"All right! No need to shout." His brother shouts in response. 
Both teenagers follow the stairs to the white door of Y/n's room, which is already ajar. The girl uses one of her hands to pull the door away from her gaze, coming across a white bag positioned on her bed, where her laptop was also open, but turned on its back. 
"Oh my God, Peter!" Y/n exclaims. "Is it Pandora's?" Y/n smiled, moving towards the present and slowly taking off the pink satin bow that was decorating it. 
While the girl was distracted by the present, Parker slowly closed the door behind him so that it wouldn't make a sound. His hands touched the door lock, turning it so that no one else could enter the room. The brunette smiled to himself, looking down at his feet on the nude carpet, and then over to his laptop, which had a flap open. Reading the contents of the slide once more, he closes the laptop with one of his hands and says:
"So you were planning to kiss me?" Peter asks, causing Y/n to immediately stop admiring the necklace with a pink heart-shaped stone. 
"W-what?" Y/n's trembling voice comes out of her mouth without strength, while her eyes stare at him in amazement.
"When I got to your room, your laptop was open, and I ended up seeing what was on it, out of curiosity, since my name was marked with stars and flowers." Peter comments, sliding his fingers across the comforter of the bed. 
"That's not... actually I, I..." Y/n tried to find the right words, tucking her hair behind her ear. "It was Lily's. She was dying to kiss you, and she shared this presentation by email." Y/n lies, causing Peter to smile.
"Y/n, I'm a very intelligent person, you know?" Parker comments, walking towards the younger woman. "And in 18 years of life, I've noticed a lot of things around me, especially about women. And I know when someone is interested in me." 
"Well, you're not so good because you haven't noticed, Lily." Y/n raises both hands in an "oops" gesture. 
"But I did notice you." Parker comments. "I saw all the times you looked at my body when I swam with your brother, how you passed by my table in the cafeteria more than four times just to hear what I was saying to other people, and how you turn red when I get close to you." The boy's voice became more present as the distance was being broken. 
Did the room seem smaller and smaller, or was he simply getting closer?
"I don't know what you're talking about." Y/n still denies it.
Peter pretended to agree, watching the girl in front of him from head to toe. He could hear her heart beating faster, and how her breathing became more and more altered as he approached her as if she were prey. The boy nodded, looking to the side of the room in an attempt to avert his gaze.
"Of course. I guess I really did get mixed up. You wouldn't cause this situation between me and Ned, would you? I mean, me kissing his sister?. He'd be furious with me." The brunette says.
"Yes, he would." Y/n couldn't take her eyes off Peter's thin, pink lips.
The tension was palpable, and even though his conscience wanted to weigh on his mind, Y/n's consciousness disappeared completely when his body was pulled to Peter's like a magnet. In a silent instant, their eyes connected as a request for confirmation that this was really going to happen, and their mouths met in a desperate movement. 
Peter slipped one of his hands around Y/n's waist, pulling her closer to him. The girl's red nails ran down the boy's neck, sending exciting shivers down his spine. The girl felt completely taken over when her back met the wall of her room and Peter's body pressed against her. Her tongue, desperate, was slowly guided by the brunette, as the kiss was guided by him. Low moans were audible through Parker's super-hearing, causing a mutual response. One of his hands made small circles on the girl's jeans-covered thigh, and unconsciously, she lifted it, bringing his lap closer to hers. Before he knew it, she was on his lap.
"Holy shit." Y/n said between wet kisses.
"Is that what you wanted?" Peter teases.
"That was much better than the necklace." The girl smiles.
"Y/N!" Ned knocks on the door, causing the couple to let go almost immediately, fixing their hair and crumpled clothes.
"WAIT!" The girl says, taking a deep breath and unlocking the door.
"What were you doing?" Ned asks, looking at Peter, who is sitting on his sister's bed analyzing the gift he himself had given her, pretending to be far away from the situation.
In an unscripted pause, Y/n looks at Peter for a moment, then returns his attention to his brother, looking for an alternative answer. 
"Just showing the necklace." Y/n smiles without showing his teeth.
"The popcorn's ready and so are the sweets. Let's go?" The brunette asks, turning away from his sister and heading for the stairs.
Y/n takes a deep breath, feeling Peter's hands on her back. His hot breath blows against the girl's ear, and he says as naughtily as possible before heading downstairs. 
"Don't tell your brother about this"
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elliesbelle · 2 years ago
Note
ELLIE WITH A SWEET DUMB OBLIVIOUS GIRLFRIEND!!! ELLIE WITH A SWEET DUMB OBLIVIOUS GI- [GUNSHOTS]
ellie with an oblivious girlfriend
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there’s nobody else in the world you feel safer with than ellie
she’s your protector and she always looks out for you
and thank god she does
one of the things ellie loves most about you is how genuinely sweet and thoughtful you are
you think of others first, you’re reassuring and kind, you’re a very giving person
however, you can also be ditzy and forgetful, which ellie finds endearing but it also puts her on extra alert constantly
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you’ll wake up earlier than her to cook breakfast for both you of you, and by the time she walks in, you’ll be setting out the finished product on the dining table
she walks in with a sleepy “mornin’ babe” and a yawn, and as she sees the breakfast set-up you’ve made, she begins to smile
but before she can praise you, she smells something weird from the kitchen and immediately bounds in to find you’ve forgotten to turn the stove off
thankfully it was just an empty pan on top of it and the burner was on a lower setting
you rush in after her as she turns the dial to “off” and you immediately start to apologize tearfully
“oh fuck, el, i’m so sorry, i can’t believe i keep fucking doing that. i didn’t mean it, baby—”
ellie interrupts you by pulling you into an embrace and kissing your forehead
“hey, hey, it’s okay. no harm done. don’t freak out.”
you let her peck you on the lips before she continues
“we’ll work on it, okay? can’t have you burning the place down. but i’m not mad, alright?”
she places another kiss on your forehead as you whisper a soft “okay”
“now, i’m pretty hungry,” she continues. “whatever you made smells really fucking good. let’s go eat, alright?”
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your forgetfulness applies to misplacing things too
whether it’s your keys or your favourite pair of shoes, it’s not uncommon for something to go missing
in the game’s universe, ellie will be knocking on your door ten minutes before you both have to go for a morning patrol
you were supposed to meet up with her for breakfast at the tipsy bison earlier but you never showed
she hears you go, "one second!!" followed by the sound of things being thrown around
ellie's concerned, so she lets herself in where she's greeted by you ransacking your house
"uhh, babe?" she says and you turn to her with an overwhelmed look on your face
"oh! i'm so sorry el, i know i'm running so late. i just can't find my favourite pistol anywhere, and you know i can't leave jackson without it, i—"
you keep rambling and only stop when ellie unzips her backpack and pulls out the exact pistol you've been searching for all morning
you squeal and say, "OH MY GOD, BABE, WHERE DID YOU—"
she chuckles and hands it to you, saying, "you left it in shimmer's saddle yesterday, remember?"
you place the gun down on the table and lunge to give her a hug
"thankyouthankyouthankyou, what would i do without you?" you say
she gives you a quick kiss before going, "go get ready, silly girl. jesse's gonna kill us if we're late."
while you're in the other room quickly getting dressed, she's straightening the room up and putting things back where they belong
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in a modern au, you'll be just as forgetful
it'll be a saturday and you're asleep in her arms and you're woken up by her alarm going off way too early
she reaches over to turn it off and you expect her to turn back to snuggle you but instead, she gets up from bed and draws the blinds to let the morning sunlight in
you groan and lift the blanket over your face
"ellieeeee, whyyyyy"
she chuckles and makes her way over to your side of the bed and pulls the blanket down
"wakey wakey, eggs and bakey" she says, giving you a morning kiss
"no eggs and bakey, it is still night-night time" you whine. "close the blinds, baby"
ellie strokes your cheek and says, "gotta get up, pretty girl. you got therapy this morning."
you kiss the hand that she's stroking your cheek with and say, "no, therapy's tomorrow"
"nope, today, baby." ellie flashes her phone at you to show her calendar app which says your therapy appointment starts in an hour
you groan again and say, "can i skip it today and you come back to bed and cuddle me?"
ellie attacks your neck with kisses and says, "tempting, but still gotta go, baby. i'll cuddle you when we get back, okay?"
you pout, hoping it'll convince ellie
but she's pulling your sleepy ass out of bed two seconds later
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you're someone who sees the good in others
which ellie admires you for, but unfortunately means that people will take advantage
the worst is when people start hitting on you
whether it’s a man or a woman, ellie gets territorial regardless
she does react differently though, depending on who’s trying to flirt with her girl
with men, there’s a cockiness to her, knowing that you could unintentionally get their hopes up with your sweet and pleasant demeanor, but in the end? they’d have no chance
but with women? ellie is 10x more possessive
she trusts you and knows that you’re not actually flirting; you’re naturally friendly and affectionate
but she doesn’t like when she sees the way other women look you up and down, drinking you in with a hungry expression on their faces
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in the game’s universe, you’ll be at the tipsy bison one night with ellie, dina, and jesse
you all share a table together, and when the bottle of alcohol you’d all been sharing runs low, you volunteer to get another from the bar
you expect maria to be who serves you, but instead it’s a guy your age who you’d seen around town but don’t interact with often
as you walk up to the bar, he spots you and flashes a huge smile
“hey pretty, lady,” he says. “what can i get for you?”
you smile back, not catching the obvious flirting in his greeting
ellie’s eyes were on you since you left the table
usually, she just enjoys being able to look at you every second she has just so she can admire your presence
but this time, it was to suspiciously squint at you and the barman you were currently conversing with
you were giving him an innocent smile, one that she fell in love with so long ago
but the way he looked at you like something he’d like to devour? she muttered a quiet “be right back” to dina and jesse before appearing at your side
you’re laughing politely at something the guy is saying when ellie surprises you by wrapping her arms around your waist
“yeah, i’m—oh! el, you scared me!” you giggle as she pulls you close
she gives you a quick smile before staring at the barman straight on with an intimidating glare
he regards the way ellie’s holding you before he meets ellie's angry green eyes
"everything good here, babe?" she asks you pointedly
"yeah! just grabbing a bottle for us. is everything okay? did you guys need something else?" you ask her
"nah, just missed you." she replies, giving you a kiss on the cheek
the barman, who was taking his time getting you a fresh bottle, quickly assesses the situation and guesses correctly that ellie is not someone to be fucked with
he hands you the bottle but ellie grabs it instead
"thanks, man" she says cooly
she leads you back to dina and jesse, but not before she gives the barman one last smug look
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in a modern au, you'll be waiting for ellie to pick you up from the train station to take you home after you'd visited some friends
as you wait in the kiss-and-ride area, some sleazeball approaches you and starts up a conversation
you're too nice to say no and you just assume it's just someone trying to make conversation
ellie eventually pulls up and finds you chatting with the stranger
you see her car and wave and immediately grab your bags
"oh, my girlfriend is here! have a nice day!" you say
"oh man," the sleazeball says. "leaving already? can i at least get a hug?"
"oh, uh—" you begin, but he's mostly there already and you concede to give him a half-hearted hug with one arm
you make your way to ellie's car and get into the passenger's seat, greeting her happily and hurling your bags into the backseat
"who was that?" ellie asks after she greets you back
"who?"
"that guy you just hugged."
"oh, i don't know. just some guy who came up to me a few minutes ago and started chatting. he asked for a goodbye hug." you respond, shrugging
"babe," ellie sighs. "you can't just—you can't just let random guys touch you like that."
"he was just being friendly, el!"
"trust me, baby," she says, glaring at the man who was still staring at you from where he was. "he wasn't."
before you can respond, ellie kisses you passionately and you melt instantly
she kisses you because she misses you, but she also wants this strange man to see that you were unavailable and unattainable
as she pulls away, you're flustered at your girlfriend's boldness
you giggle nervously, not noticing as she glowers at the sleazeball who's now scowling
she drives away as she places her hand on your thigh like usual, pleased with herself and making a mental note to make sure to be ten minutes early to pick you up from anywhere from now on
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in the game's universe, you'll be coming home from patrol with a new girl that maria had asked you to train
you were assigned to a fairly easy and tame route that day and maria thought that you'd be a good teacher for this newcomer
this newcomer was very friendly and very bold, and when she'd been told she was assigned to patrol with you that day, she was excited and made plans to ask you out afterwards
she'd seen you during her first couple of weeks in jackson and she'd been itching for a chance to chat you up
you hadn't noticed her much prior to your patrol with her, but ellie did
she noticed her the day that she arrived because the second the new girl laid her eyes on you, ellie could tell she liked what she saw
when you'd told her you were training her, ellie said nothing about the very obvious crush this newcomer had on you
ellie trusted you, but that didn't stop her from worrying
she'd made dina come back from their patrol earlier than usual so she could be there when you'd come back from yours (which earned her an annoyed but playful eye-roll from dina)
ellie was brushing shimmer's mane when you came into the stables with your horse along with the new girl
she frowned when she looked up to see the new girl eagerly helping you down from your horse
you gave the girl a smile and a thank you before spotting ellie waiting for you
your smile widened when you saw her and you practically jumped on her to give her a hug
"hi, baby! you're back from patrol already?" you ask as you pull away slightly to look at her better
"yeah, not much action on mine and dina's route," ellie lied. "missed you, pretty girl."
"you saw me this morning, dummy." you chuckle
"and i missed you," ellie reiterated. "can't help it."
you give her a loving smooch, which ellie gladly reciprocates and takes a step further as she lifts you up and swings you around
she smiles at your giggles and your noncommital whines to put you down, smirking internally about putting on a show in front of the new girl
the new girl who looked at the scene, defeated and irritated, and who you also had completely forgotten about
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in a modern au, you'll be visiting a lesbian bar with ellie
you both needed to unwind and you were both slowly getting tipsier by the second
she excuses herself to the bathroom for a few minutes, but not before giving you a quick kiss and a promise to return quickly
she's not gone for five minutes before she returns and finds that some other girl is leaning on her barstool and chatting you up
she could tell that you were being friendly and sweet as always, but the other girl's body language told a different story
the girl has left by the time she makes it back to where you were sitting
your face lights up like it always does when you see her
"scoring some dates?" ellie jokes, even if she's seething internally
"oh, just someone being nice, that's all" you reply
"uh huh," ellie says as she takes her seat, handing your purse back to you that you'd placed on top of her stool to avoid someone taking it
"el, not everyone is out here looking to sleep with me." you say to her, pushing a stray hair behind her ear
"really?" she says before lifting the napkin her drink was sitting on to reveal a piece of paper with a number scribbled over it
you look at it for a second and say, "that doesn't mean she was hitting on me!"
ellie rolls her eyes and says, "you are far too beautiful to not get hit on when we're in a lesbian bar"
"lesbians need friends too, el" you reply
ellie pulls out the piece of paper from underneath the napkin and lifts it up to your eye level, revealing the girl's phone number and a note that said "call me xx" right underneath it
you stare at it for a second before saying, "do you think i should call her?"
you laugh as ellie rolls her eyes at you and playfully gets up to leave
"i'm kidding, baby, i'm kidding!" you snicker, gripping ellie's tattooed arm and pulling her back down to her stool. "come back here, silly."
"you sure it's me and not your new girlfriend that you want to sit here with you?" ellie taunts
"is this new girlfriend gonna take care of me better than you do?" you ask, pulling ellie close to you by her collar
"probably not" she says, staring at your lips
"that's what i thought." you say before you lean in and kiss her so intensely that she completely forgets all about that other girl within seconds
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author's notes:
sorry for taking a bit to respond to this! hope this is what you meant hehe
oops sorry for going off on this dslkfjsfds
enjoy the header pic of ellie here cause i took that myself in photo mode in my own playthrough of tlou2 a few days ago hehe
also the forgetfulness part is me being inspired by myself because i have adhd and i’m annoyingly forgetful oops
also that kiss-and-ride one was something that happened to me years ago when i was waiting for my gf to pick me up from the station one time lmao
my masterlist
i have a ko-fi if you like my work so much that you feel compelled to tip me ♡︎
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allthingsfangirl101 · 1 year ago
Text
The Bookworm and The Basketball Player – Steve Harrington
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"Just go talk to him."
I jumped, involuntarily letting out a small shriek. I didn't recover before Steve came jogging over.
"Everything okay over here?" He asked, looking between me and Robin.
"We're fine, Harrington," Robin said, not looking away from me. "I just scared Y/N. My bad."
Steve glanced at me, his eyes softening. "So you're okay?" He asked me.
"Yeah," I said, my voice soft. "I'm fine, Steve."
Steve looked between me and Robin before clearing his throat and fixing his vest. He sent me one more look before going back to work. I turned toward Robin, the butterflies in my stomach disappearing when I saw her smirking at me.
"Please don't say anything," I whispered as I glanced at him walking into the back office. "I know how pathetic this is, okay? I know how sad and pathetic I'm being. Of course, the one guy in all of Hawkins that I happen to fall for is Steve Harrington."
"Y/N," Robin sighed but I was on a roll. I have been holding this in for too long.
"And what's worse is the fact that he would never be with someone like me. Before you give me the 'you're a great girl, why wouldn't he like you' speech, it's useless. There is nothing that you could say to convince me that I'm exactly the kind of girl he'd go for. I'm quiet, introverted, antisocial. The list goes on. I'd rather stay at home and watch a movie than go to a party. I'd rather drink a smoothie than a beer. I'd rather read a book than go to a high school basketball game. Trust me, I'm not the kind of girl Steve Harrington would fall for."
"If I could say just one thing," she said hesitantly. "The guy you're thinking about is the Steve Harrington from high school. He's not that kind of guy anymore, Y/N. He's changed."
"But I haven't."
Robin studied me. "That doesn't matter," she said, her voice dropping. "Y/N, Steve's a great guy. If you like him, you should tell him."
"Steve would never go for someone like me," I said, pushing down the pain. "So I might as well forget my feelings."
I grabbed the box of returns and started putting them back on the shelves. I tried to ignore the feeling in my stomach when I saw Steve walk over and start talking to Robin.
Robin didn't talk to me for the rest of our shift. Instead, she kept talking to Steve. That stupid feeling in my stomach kept coming back every time I looked at them talking to each other.
Robin and I are good friends. Robin and Steve are good friends. Me and Steve, however, act as if it's our first day working together.
At closing time, we went about our usual routine of closing up shop. Something about the smirk on Robin's face made me nervous for our shift together tomorrow.
* * * * *
I walked into the empty video store, not paying attention to who was already in the store. When I looked up and saw who was here, my breath got caught in my throat.
"Morning, Y/N."
"Morning, Steve," I stuttered. "I thought Robin was working the opening shift with me."
"She asked me yesterday if we could switch," he shrugged as he powered the computer on.
"Was this before or after. . ."
"Before or after what?" He asked when I didn't finish my question.
"Never mind," I said a little too quickly. I went into the back room and dropped off my bag. I pulled my vest on as I walked back out to the store.
"You okay with running the cash register?" Steve asked as I joined him behind the counter. "We got a shipment of new movies. The boxes are heavy so I figured it'd be easier for me to lug them around and unpack them than it would be for you."
"Okay," I said, picking at my nail polish.
"Not that you're not strong," Steve said quickly. "I just don't want you getting hurt while lifting and moving boxes around the store. I didn't mean to come off as sexist, Y/N. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," I chuckled. "I didn't take it that way. Thanks though."
"Thanks?" He stuttered.
"For watching out for me," I said as I patted him on the shoulder and walked to the storage room to grab another box of candy.
When I walked back out, Steve was focused on unloading a box. I walked over to the counter and started putting the candy away. I moved on to checking in yesterday's returns. After I finished, I started putting them back on the shelves.
"Oh shit!"
I looked up in time to see Steve drop a box, instantly holding his back. I ran over and gently put my hand on his back.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he said through his teeth. I glanced around to see the store empty.
"Come with me," I said. I grabbed his hand and kept my other hand on his lower back.
"But the store," he said, trying to hide his pain.
"Is empty," I finished. "Come on. The movies can sit alone long enough for us to make sure your back doesn't get worse."
He didn't argue as I led him to the employee lounge in the back. I helped him sit down and ran to the fridge.
"What are you. . ." He didn't finish his question because he tried to sit back.
"There's an ice pack somewhere in here. At least, I thought there was," I mumbled as I tried to find it.
"Since when have we had an icepack back here?"
"Since Robin kept dropping boxes on everyone's feet." My heart jumped into my throat when he laughed. I turned around with the ice pack in my hand but froze when Steve was suddenly right in front of me.
"Y/N," he whispered.
"What are you. . ."
He grabbed the ice pack out of my hand and tossed it onto the nearby table. He then grabbed my hands in his and intertwined our fingers.
"I heard you and Robin."
"You heard us?" I asked, not understanding. "I don't. . . You heard us when?"
"Yesterday," he answered causing my heart to jump into my throat.
"Yesterday," I said slowly. My eyes widened when I realized what he had heard. "Oh."
Steve stepped closer to me, his face inches from mine. I held my breath as he leaned down and delicately pressed his lips to mine. I let go of his hands and wrapped my arms around his neck as we deepened the kiss.
I broke the kiss when Steve let out a pained gasp. "I'm sorry," I stuttered. "I was getting you ice to help your back."
I let go of him and ran to the table. I quickly grabbed the ice and went back to him. He smiled at me as he grabbed my hand, moved it around his body, and placed the ice pack and my hand on his back.
"Much better," he whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." Suddenly his smile dropped. "Y/N, can we talk about your conversation with Robin?"
"What about it?" I asked, looking away from his eyes. Steve used his free hand to lift my chin.
"The part where you thought that I would never be with someone like you," he said, his hand still holding my chin. "And the part where you said that there was nothing Robin could say to convince you that you're exactly the kind of girl I'd go for. Or the part where you listed off things you like to do, assuming I wouldn't like to do them too."
"I just. . . I can. . . I can't really explain," I finally got out. "But I'm not wrong. Why would our school's basketball star want to be with the school's bookworm?"
"Because he knows that she's so much more than that," Steve whispered. "And because she doesn't know the truth."
"What truth?"
"The truth that a certain basketball player often spent his lunches watching a certain bookworm who always spent her lunches sitting in the library by the window with her nose stuck in a book. Every. Single. Day. And the truth that the same basketball player wished he would've had the guts to ask out that bookworm. Or the truth that the only reason he didn't ask her out was because he never thought the bookworm would want to date someone with his low grades."
"Or the truth that the bookworm has a major crush on the basketball player even with his low grades," I blurted out.
Steve smiled as he pulled me closer. "Or the truth that the basketball player has a major crush on said bookworm."
Steve leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. I smiled against his lips as I kissed him back.
"Y/N? Steve? Where the hell are you guys?"
"Crap," I whispered as we broke the kiss.
"We should go out there," Steve chuckled.
"You should stay here," I corrected. "I'll go handle Robin and the store."
I started to walk out, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back into his chest.
"Before you go back," he said, "I need to ask you something."
"Okay," I said, trying to push down my sudden nerves.
"Will you go on a date with me?"
"Are you. . ."
"Yes," he chuckled. "The basketball player wants to buy the bookworm dinner and listen to her talk about her latest book and vent about the newest and worst movie adaptation of a beloved book."
"For the record," I said, my voice dropping, "the bookworm would be willing to sit and watch a basketball game with the basketball player just so she could spend time with him."
Steve was about to kiss me again but Robin came bursting through the door.
"There you two are," she sighed. "What the hell are you doing back here? Why is no one watching the store? Why are you holding the ice pack like that?"
"Steve threw out his back moving boxes," I said as I finally let go of the ice pack and wrapped my arms around myself.
Robin looked between the two of us with a knowing smirk. "Ohh," she elongated. "Gotcha. Well, I'm gonna go cover the store. You two. . ."
"Robin," Steve warned. "Shut up."
"Sorry," she chuckled. She sent me a wink and turned on her heel. Steve and I turned toward each other and laughed awkwardly.
"So, date tonight, bookworm?"
"Tonight works, basketball player."
152 notes · View notes
helloalycia · 1 year ago
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𝐍𝐎 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐁𝐘𝐄𝐒 [𝐎𝐍𝐄] — 𝐊𝐀𝐓𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐍
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summary: when Katniss gets sick and doesn't show any signs of getting better, you fear the worst and have to do whatever you can to make sure she does.
warning/s: mentions of dying + usual warnings that come with writing for the hunger games.
author's note: thanks to everyone who voted on my first lil poll yesterday haha, here’s the katniss one that won! there’s 2 parts and it was written after i just reread all the hunger games books and became hyperfixated on katniss again lmao
i’ll post the jackie taylor yellowjackets one after this for anyone who voted that too :)
two / masterlist / wattpad
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I tightened the woolly scarf around my neck, hoping it would do something to keep the cold, bitter air out despite its flimsiness. Winter in District 12 could be unforgiving, but by the look of things from the front window, it hadn't snowed anymore last night.
"I'm leaving, mum!" I called from the front door, grabbing my school bag.
"Have a nice day, hon!" she called back from the kitchen.
When I left my house, the first thing I stepped foot in was grey slush, and I wasn't sure if that was worse than a blizzard at this point. Nonetheless, I sucked it up and headed over to my best friend Katniss' house, not far from my own in the poor, ragged part of the district, the Seam.
We always met at her place before school since it was on the way and we could walk in together, but when I arrived, her little sister, Primrose, answered and looked worried.
"Hey, darling, what's up?" I asked, accepting the hug she gave me as I stepped inside.
"It's Katniss," she muttered. "She won't get out of bed."
Trying not to show my concern, I said, "I'll go check on her. You finish getting ready so we're not late, yeah?"
She nodded and I watched her go into the kitchen to finish her breakfast with her mum, the older woman offering a small smile when she saw me. I returned it before letting myself into the other room of their house, the bedroom that all three of them shared. Inside, Katniss was still in her bed, under the covers and blocking out the light. Whether she was awake, I wasn't sure, but this was certainly unlike her.
"Katniss?" I called, shaking her body slightly. "We're gonna be late, you've gotta get up."
She groaned slightly, not appreciating my interruption, and then seemed to realise what was happening as she rolled over, eyes squinted with confusion.
"Huh? What are you doing?" she mumbled, rubbing her face, and her voice was raspier than usual.
"It's time for school," I said knowingly, before frowning when I saw her cover her eyes with her hand. "Why are you still in bed? Prim has been trying to wake you."
"What...? I don't..." She stopped, before attempting to sit upright, but she squeezed her eyes shut and steadied herself on the bed.
"Hey," I said, much more concerned now, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "You're not okay. Is it your head?"
She clutched her forehead, breathing out slowly. "I don't know. It hurts, it– god, it's bright in here."
I frowned, taking in her pained expression and connecting all the dots. "You're sick. You should stay home today. Get better."
As if I'd accused her of murder, Katniss shook her head and pulled the duvet off her with determination. "I'm not. I'm fine, I–" But just on cue, a throaty cough rattled her.
"I can stay home if you want," I offered, already pulling the duvet back on her. "Help you."
The last thing I wanted was to leave her alone whilst she was ill. Technically her mother would be here, but she wasn't the most attentive since she'd lost her husband, so it was essentially like leaving Katniss alone.
"No, you don't need to," Katniss gave in with a sigh.
"I don't mind," I offered, resting a hand on hers. "I can–"
"It's one day," she assured me, before clearing her throat. "I'll be okay. Go. Please. Or you'll be late."
I sighed disapprovingly before nodding, knowing one day of rest would hopefully prove to be useful. I leaned forward to hug her, about to wish her well, but she shoved me back quickly.
"Don't or you'll get sick," she argued tiredly, making me rub my chest where she shoved me.
"Ow," I said with annoyance, before rolling my eyes and standing up. "Very well. Lay down at least."
Thankfully, she obeyed which was how I knew she must've really felt rundown. Pulling the duvet to her shoulders, I tucked her in before wishing her well and leaving the room. After letting her mum know what was wrong and to keep an eye on her, Prim and I left the house together.
"She's okay, right?" the twelve-year-old asked me as we trudged through the muddy snow.
"Oh yeah, of course," I reassured her with a smile. "It's nothing. Just that time of year."
This seemed to work, as Prim sighed with relief before smiling too. But deep down, a small part of me was a little worried. Firstly, Katniss never got sick, ever. And secondly, whereas a cold might not take some people out, it could be the difference between life and death in a place where it was freezing and had no electricity. I only hoped she'd be able to sleep it off and recover soon.
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All day I was thinking of Katniss, unable to focus much at school. When the final bell rang and we were finally let out, I was relieved, only wanting to check on her and hopefully see some improvement. Our friend, Gale, accompanied Prim and I back home, since he lived in the Seam also, and we all went to the Everdeens to see if Katniss was okay.
When we reached their house, we saw Mrs Everdeen helping someone out as part of her job as a healer, so decided not to interrupt and instead headed straight for Katniss. When we walked in, Prim ran to her bedside whilst Gale and I took in the scene. Katniss was still under her covers, as if she'd not moved all day.
"Hey, Catnip," Gale said, hoping to lighten the mood and stir her awake, if she was even asleep.
An annoyed moan was the only response we got, so I settled by her bedside and pulled the duvet down carefully, revealing her face. Her eyes were closed, scrunched with discomfort, but she was sweating. I felt her forehead, surprised at how hot she was, and my worry was increasing.
"How is she?" Prim asked from behind me.
I cleared my throat, pulling my hand back. "Er, warm. But it could be nothing."
Clearly I wasn't the best liar, since she pushed me out the way and felt her sister's forehead before frowning immediately.
"That's not nothing," she exclaimed, before going for the door. "I'm getting mum."
I sighed, but knew it was for the best. When her and her mum returned, the four of us attempted to coax Katniss awake properly. She was reluctant, but finally opened her eyes when I closed the curtains, blocking out the light that was bothering her.
"You're burning, Katniss," I told her gently, taking her hand. Her mum rested a cold cloth on her forehead, moving her hair from her face, and I looked back to her tired eyes. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm just tired," she said dismissively, yawning. "A little cold."
I exchanged nervous glances with Gale, who was as concerned for her as I was.
"You need to listen to your mum and sister," I told her. "They're gonna help you feel better, okay?"
"I'm fine, I just need to rest," she tried to assure me, but she wasn't very convincing.
"Katniss, please," I said quietly, and she looked to me with dark eyes, softening. "Just listen to them."
She nodded, giving in, and I offered her a small smile before looking to her mum for the next step.
"You should both go home," she said to Gale and I. "You can visit tomorrow."
I nodded, not keen to leave Katniss' side but knowing the best care she could be in was her family's. Gale and I said our goodbyes before walking home.
It was supposed to get better after that, Katniss was supposed to get better. But none of it did. She was still bedridden when I visited her after school the next day, though a little more awake than yesterday and itching to get up and leave.
"My legs work fine," she told me with frustration. "Why can't I just get up and push on?"
"Because you're weak, idiot," I told her, giving her a disapproving look. "You've still got a fever, too."
She frowned petulantly, staring off at the wall instead of me. I sighed, resting a hand on hers, and thankfully she didn't pull away.
"Your mum is taking good care of you," I reminded her. "You're gonna be okay, but you need to rest."
"You shouldn't visit me meanwhile," she said after a moment, finally looking at me. "What if I'm contagious?"
I tried not to smile, the thought of not visiting her sounding insane. "I'll live, Katniss."
She exhaled weakly, not bothering to argue. I swallowed hard, taking in her expression. Circles were becoming deeper under her eyes, showing her struggle to sleep properly, and she was still glistening in a thin layer of sweat. Even now, her hand was hot beneath mine, and it terrified me. But I tried not to think of the worst, instead manifesting positive thoughts the best I could.
Enough positivity to make Katniss puke, that was the goal.
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Unfortunately, it only got worse from there on out. It was getting colder the deeper we got into winter, which wasn't helping, and Katniss was missing more and more days off school. And then we finally finished school for the year, and Katniss was still unwell.
Unlike that second visit, she wasn't fighting her weakness anymore, unable to play it tough when her migraines were ruining her. Her fever would break, then return, then break again. I didn't understand what was wrong and I'd never been so scared in my life. Gale and her family felt the same, but her mum was surprisingly consistent with her care, doing everything she could to make her daughter better.
But we all knew what nobody would admit – Katniss needed real medicine, none of this herbal stuff.
One day, I was visiting Katniss, going over more and more now that school was done, but she wasn't always awake when I visited. Thankfully she was today, and when I walked in, her head turned to the door to see who it was. When she saw it was me, she shook her head, unimpressed.
"You shouldn't be here," she said as she always did, and I rolled my eyes playfully.
Ignoring her, I took a seat at the edge of her bed, aware of her eyes following my every move.
"Prim," she began, but I answered before she needed to finish.
"She's at Gale's," I reassured her, making her sigh with relief.
Having Prim seeing her like this always worried her, but I was making sure that the younger Everdeen wasn't always around. Of course, she was stubborn like her sister and sometimes insisted. Today though, she was content spending the day with Gale's siblings.
I looked down at Katniss, noticing how much weight she'd lost these past few weeks. She was already skinny, a consequence of living in District 12, but this was sickly, haunting. I'd never seen her so rundown before and I was seriously terrified that if we didn't get her real medicine soon, she could die. Nobody had a cold or flu or whatever it was for this damn long. She was struggling to eat properly, to stand at all, and she looked like hell. I couldn't just watch her deteriorate like this. Not my best friend. Not the girl I cared way too much for.
"Stop it," she said, an accidental whisper. "Stop looking at me like that."
"I'm not doing anything," I defended, embarrassed I'd been caught.
She knew me too well though. "I'll be okay. In fact–" She paused, and then suddenly attempted to sit upright, but her arms were too weak to hold her up and she slipped right back down. The tears were quick to pool in her eyes, a matching scowl on her face, at her incompetence.
"It's okay," I said sympathetically, taking her hand in between mine.
She squeezed it tight, like a lifeline, but avoided my eyes. A tear slipped from hers, and I pretended not to see it for her sake.
"I need to hunt," she said with a hoarse voice, no doubt holding in her emotion.
"Gale has it under control," I said, only imagining all she'd been worrying herself with whilst stuck here. She was the sole provider for her family, and with her out of action, the responsibilities were piling up.
"He has his own family to worry about," she snapped, before catching herself, instantly feeling bad. Quieter, she said, "It's not enough."
She wasn't wrong, of course, but I would never let her know that. Gale barely found enough to feed his own family, especially during winter, and he was sparing what little he could to keep Prim and her mum afloat. I did the same with what scraps I got, but I was no hunter and couldn't offer extra game like he could.
"We're sorting it," I said confidently. "Your mum and Prim are okay, aren't they?"
She finally met my eyes, hers glassy and exhausted. "For how long?"
It was much harder to lie to her when she was looking right at me, so I cleared my throat and forced a small smile. "All the more reason to get better, right?"
She pursed her lips, looking away again. It was quiet as she laid there, me holding her hand and keeping her company. I knew how horrible it could be when you were sick and alone, so I made sure not leave her side, as her eyes began to flicker close, struggling to fight the tiredness. I moved closer, pushing the hair from her eyes and raking my hands through her roots, knowing she liked the feeling but would never admit it. I was proven right when she let out a deep breath, squeezing my hand in approval, and I smiled softly at how cute she could be when she didn't even know it.
Only when she was out of it did I feel my tears blur my vision, unable to pretend that I was okay. She wasn't looking any better, and I couldn't just watch her like this, unable to do a thing.
I leaned forward, kissing her forehead, and closed my eyes briefly, praying to whatever God was out there that she'd be okay.
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Everyone had their special something, a skill they had perfected or a hobby they could get lost in. Mine? I hadn't discovered it yet. I suppose I was doing pretty well in school, so taking tests could count, though it was a shit skill to have, impractical. But hunting, that was Katniss' and Gale's thing. No, definitely not mine.
They'd taken me out once, letting me join them on their weekly escapade. Gale found it hilarious that I moved too loudly, scaring away the prey, or that I stepped in my own trap, getting my foot stuck in the rope. I let him enjoy himself at my expense, knowing it was inevitable. Katniss however, despite the small smile that would ghost her lips at something stupid I'd do, was adamant on helping me. She took it too seriously, showing me how to use her prized bow and how to sneak around better. I'd like to say it worked, that I learnt something, but it didn't. It was safe to say they never took me again.
So, when I found myself in the forbidden woods outside the District 12 fence, with Katniss' bow in hand, I felt like a foreigner. I wasn't familiar with these woods, especially not in winter when it was a completely different ballgame to what I'd 'practiced' in last summer. Katniss' bow was too big for me, and no matter how hard I tried to take her familiar hunting routes, my approach always scared away the prey.
I was out there for two hours, certain my fingers would fall off from the cold, but I refused to give up. I couldn't return empty handed. Gale hadn't been successful last week, and family responsibilities had kept him from hunting today like he usually did. So, I took it upon myself to do it, especially because Prim was so hungry, her little face shrinking the longer Katniss was bedridden. I couldn't let her down, any of them, so I pushed on.
But every arrow I let fly missed its target, and every squirrel I approached scampered off. The sun, hidden behind thick clouds, was setting and it was getting dark out, even though the afternoon was barely over. I had to go home, but I had nothing to show for it. I couldn't even pick any edible plants because everything was frozen. I was a failure.
I couldn't catch a thing; the one job I had, to keep Prim fed, was failing; Katniss was dying and I couldn't do a thing to change any of it.
Tears streamed down my face, hot against the cold of my cheeks, and I collapsed in the snow, unbothered by it melting into the cotton of my trousers. It didn't matter anymore.
She wasn't getting better. Every day I visited her, she looked worse for wear. If it wasn't her fevers, it was her migraines. And if it wasn't her migraines, it was her throat. I was losing her day by day and I felt powerless. I couldn't even shoot a fucking squirrel to help. Nothing was working.
I was going to lose her.
Admittedly, I wallowed in self-pity for a little longer, appreciating having somewhere private to let it all out. It was hard playing it positive and tough all the time, for Prim's and Katniss' sake, when the truth was I was scared shitless. Living in a world without my best friend, the girl I so deeply loved to the point that she'd laugh if she ever found out, was terrifying. I didn't even want to envision it.
It was dark by the time I returned to the Everdeens home. I would have much preferred to go straight home, but I couldn't not update them on my false promise.
"Y/N!" Prim exclaimed when she opened the door, before tugging me in instantly.
"Hey," I said, forcing a smile, and I was glad the redness from the cold disguised my red eyes from crying.
"You're freezing," she realised, before calling for her mum. "You were gone for ages! Come, sit in front of the fire."
I pulled back as she attempted to drag me to the fire, and then her mum appeared and noticed the same thing Prim did.
"Y/N, you need to warm up–"
"I will, at my house," I promised her. "I just came to tell you that I– that–" I paused, afraid of the shakiness of my voice. Swallowing thickly, I said, "I'm sorry. I couldn't– I'm not–"
Fuck, why was this so hard?
"I'm gonna figure it out," I changed my words, nodding confidently. "I'll get some food. I'm sorry. I–"
Prim suddenly hugged me, arms wrapping around my torso and squeezing so tightly that I could have snapped in half from how frozen I was. But I appreciated it nonetheless and returned the gesture, letting out a shaky breath.
"Don't do it again," her mum said gently, resting a hand on my cheek before hugging me too.
I blinked back my tears as I let myself relax in their comfort.
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I couldn't just stand by and do nothing anymore, and there was only one thing that I knew I could do. None of us could ever afford the medicine Katniss needed from the doctor in town, unless we traded something valuable, like food.
If I used my tesserae, adding my name another time into the potential tributes for District 12, I would receive a year's supply of oil and grain. Participants could only apply once for themselves, and once for any of their family members if they were between the ages of 12 and 18. I'd used mine for this year, but I could still use it on behalf of my parents. They never wanted me to, but this was an emergency and they didn't need to know.
So, on behalf of them, I used my tesserae and traded that two years' supply of oil and grain with the doctor in exchange for the medicine that would make Katniss better. After describing all her symptoms, he explained how it was some complex form of a cold, rare but deadly. I was lucky I'd got to him in time.
Gale didn't approve of my plan when I told him, trying to talk me out of it. Just like Katniss, he cared about whether I used my tesserae without needing to. I could see it was killing him to watch me do it anyway, wanting to do it himself if he could, but he'd already used all his family's tesserae for the year. It was the first thing he did every time it was available, having no choice since he had a big family.
After I collected the medicine from the doctor, I was quick to return to Katniss' house, giving a rushed explanation to her mum about the medicine and what the doctor said about administering it and how it would save her life.
"Y/N, how did you get this?" she asked once I finished to catch my breath.
"It doesn't matter," I said to her. "But it'll help. We can give her the first dose now."
"Y/N–”
"Mrs Everdeen, please," I pleaded, and she must have seen the desperation in my expression because she nodded slowly and went to make Katniss some tea with the medicine in it. It was a syrup of some sort, so the mint tea should have made it a bit more palatable.
Eventually we both went to Katniss' room, where Prim was sat beside her, holding her hand and chatting quietly. When she spotted us both, she perked up and smiled a little.
"Hey, Prim," I said, returning her smile and joining her side. "How's the patient?"
"She's got a headache," Prim answered, and I looked to Katniss who had a wet towel pressed to her eyes, both cooling her down and also blocking out the light.
"Y/N?" Katniss whispered, though unmoving.
"Yours truly," I said playfully, needing to disguise the permanent concern that was in my voice. "We brought you some tea, Katniss."
She groaned quietly. "I don't want it."
Her mum glanced at me, unsure how to proceed, so I took the mug from her hand and placed it on the bedside table.
"It'll help," I promised her, before gently pulling her duvet down. "Can you sit up for me, please?"
She sighed but thankfully obeyed, allowing me to help her sit upright. She leaned against the bed frame and let me remove the towel from her eyes. I smiled when I saw her blue eyes, though they were fatigued as they had been since she'd gotten sick. Not for long, hopefully.
"Drink up," I encouraged, offering her the mug.
She silently accepted it, blowing on the tea before taking the first sip. Her face scrunched up with disgust. "What is that?"
"New herbal remedy," her mum answered before I could struggle to.
Katniss wasn't impressed, but managed to drink the whole thing, probably because she knew I'd let her go to sleep if she did. After laying back down, I pulled the duvet back over her and pushed her hair behind her ear, smiling reassuringly.
"You should feel better with that," I told her with certainty.
She didn't reply, eyes avoiding mine, something I'd noticed she'd been doing for a while now. It was like she knew she wasn't getting better and was scared to admit the truth, but this was different. This would finally work.
Prim and I stayed by her side until she fell asleep, and that was when I told her about the medicine. The pure joy and relief on her face was enough to let me know I'd made the right decision, and she hugged me so tightly that I almost lost my breath.
"I told you she'd be okay," I said with a small smile, accepting her hug. "And so will you."
"Thank you," she muttered into my shoulder.
I squeezed her gently before we stayed there, sat side by side. She didn't want to leave Katniss' side, and neither did I, but it was getting late and, at some point, Prim had dozed off on my shoulder. Only after I had tucked her into her mum's bed did Mrs Everdeen politely kick me out, forcing me to get some rest of my own at home. For once, I didn't argue it, my exhaustion catching up to me. Plus, I could sleep well knowing Katniss would already be doing a lot better tonight.
As soon as I woke up and remembered the medicine the next morning, I headed straight to the Everdeens place, hoping to see some sort of improvement with Katniss. So you can imagine my surprise when I walked into her room and saw her sat upright in bed, eating an actual breakfast on a tray.
"Katniss!" I said with disbelief, before rushing to hug her. "You're eating!"
She returned my hug and I pulled up a chair beside her bed, studying her curiously. She'd looked like she'd had a better sleep than she usually did, and she was actually holding up her own weight which was an achievement in itself. The medication was working!
The sight of her looking a lot healthier and actually improving from her poor condition brought tears to my eyes, but I willed them away. She'd hate to see me crying over her, but I genuinely couldn't believe it.
"I'm not stupid," she said with a raspy voice, eyes narrowed my way.
I furrowed my brows. "What?"
She frowned. "You think I don't know that you gave me actual medicine last night? There's no other explanation for why I'm feeling better. And I know it's not because of a damn herbal remedy. I was doomed, Y/N. So, what the hell did you do?"
"So you do feel better?"
"Y/N!"
I sighed as she raised her voice. "Okay, look, I'm sorry for lying to you, but you wouldn't have taken it if I'd told you."
"Damn right I wouldn't have!" she snapped, glaring at me. "We can't afford that! Which brings me to my next question. How the hell did you get it?"
I shook my head, looking down at her breakfast tray. "It's not your concern."
"Y/N, I swear to God I'll–"
"What?" I cut her off, meeting her hard stare with my own. "You'll what?"
Her eyes flickered between mine before softening. "Y/N. Please."
I could have given in so easily, just from a simple glance, but I refused to let her bait me. I ignored her instead, shaking my head and returning my gaze to her breakfast tray.
"You traded something," she guessed, back to her irritated self. When I didn't answer, she said, "What? What did you trade?"
Again, I said nothing, neither confirming nor denying, but she wasn't having it.
"Goddamn it, Y/N!" she shouted, but her voice was still weak so it was more of a broken yell. "You can't just sit there in silence whilst I–"
"Stop it!" I raised my voice too, glaring at her.
"What the hell were you thinking?!"
I frowned, eyes pooling with tears. "I was thinking that I couldn't just sit here and watch and not do anything! I was thinking that I was terrified that you would die! That you were getting worse and worse every day, and that I would lose you, Katniss!"
Her eyes were glassy as they met mine. "How many times?"
I scoffed, looking away. "Katniss, not now."
I expected her to yell again, but she said in a quiet voice, "Please. How many times is your name in there?"
I clenched my jaw, crossing my arms over my chest stubbornly. But when I glanced at her, she was watching me like a little girl who'd just lost her puppy, and I couldn't not respond.
"Not a lot," I tried to sugar coat it. "Only twelve times." At this, she released a sharp breath. "I traded two years of food with the doctor. It was enough to get the medicine."
She pushed the tray off her lap before pulling her knees to her chest, hiding her face between them. She was shaking her head and I knew she was crying, the sniffling giving it away. Feeling insanely bad, I sat on the bed beside her and pulled her in for a side hug the best I could.
"It's okay," I told her, rubbing her arm. "I chose to do it, Katniss. And I'd do it again, over and over, if it means you'll be okay."
She shook her head. "You shouldn't have," she said with a muffled voice, her head still tucked between her legs.
"You shouldn't have got sick," I tried to joke, but she only looked up at me with red eyes and quivering lips. I lost my smile, admitting, "I wasn't going to lose you. You don't get it."
I love you, I wanted to add, but I couldn't.
"Neither do you," she mumbled, before shoving me off her childishly.
I didn't get to question her because she pulled the tray back onto her lap and tried to finish off the remainder of stale bread in her plate. I returned to my seat next to her bed, watching as she sulked, ate and gave me the temporary silent treatment. I didn't care too much, as long as she was eating.
Once she finished, I took the tray and put it to the side momentarily, flashing her a supportive smile.
"You finished every last bit," I pointed out. "I'm proud of you."
She rolled her eyes, but that only made me smile more because it meant she had the effort to be annoyed at me, which was something she hadn't had for a while now.
"Did you have your morning dose of medicine?" I asked reluctantly, but needing to know.
She nodded, crossing her arms. "My mum gave it me earlier."
I relaxed. "Good."
Before I could say anything else, the door to the bedroom opened and Prim ran in, a bright smile on her face. Despite Katniss' annoyance with me, she couldn't resist returning her sister's smile, accepting her onto the bed and hugging her.
"You already look so much better," Prim was saying with amazement. "I was so scared."
"Well, there's no need to be," Katniss reassured her. "You didn't struggle too much without me, right?"
Prim shook her head. "Gale and Y/N have been helping. Y/N wouldn't leave. Mum had to kick her out a lot."
I facepalmed, feeling my cheeks heat up with embarrassment. It only deepened when Katniss glanced my way with an unreadable expression.
"Yeah, she has a tendency to not listen," she said, making me roll my eyes.
"She saved you," Prim said to her.
Katniss licked her lips. "I know."
I felt awkward, definitely not wanting the credit, I just wanted her to be okay. But then Prim changed the subject, catching Katniss up on all she'd missed, so I was able to sit back and witness it all, chiming in whenever Prim needed.
For once, Katniss was able to listen and actually hold a conversation. It was heartwarming to see, and if this was what she was like after one dose, I couldn't wait until she'd had the full thing.
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kitterkat100 · 3 months ago
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My thoughts on Dragon Age: The Veilguard
So, I finished datv yesterday and now have time to sit and think about it. Now, obviously this is just my subjective opinion, so take it with a grain of salt. I am going to start with the good and go into the bad and then finish with more good (that teacher training coming in). Also, I learned how to do a read more for this.
I am going to start with the combat. I have made another post about this, but that was like 3 hours into my first playthrough. Veilguard has the best combat in the series. Usually Dragon Age games have combat that is a slog to get through, so much so that many people in the fandom say they don't play the games for combat but for the story. I have never been a fan of the real-time with tactical pause, I find it a little boring. I am not a big fan of turn-based, to begin with ( that is one of the reasons I still have not finished Baulder's Gate). In the past, if I wanted to play a good story game with fun combat, I would play Mass Effect. But I have fun just fighting enemies, if DAI's combat was this fun I would replay it more often.
Next the art direction. Now, I am no artist and I know next to nothing about anything. But I really like the art. I think the environments are beautiful. I like the character models. I know people were complaining about the models having small heads in the lead-up to the release, but I think it was because the game doesn't use heroic proportions. And you don't notice in-game at all, at least I didn't. Also the brought back some reused assets from the Inquisition, and some of the paintings that have been around since Origins.
Okay the companions. I might write a longer post for each companion later on. I am going in alphabetical order.
Bellara: I romanced her, and I love her so much. She has some strong Tali vibes with a strong dose of ADHD. I am a little sad that we did not even kiss until after the final battle, but I just read that as her being ace or demi (like me!).
Davrin: He is such a bro. I love him and Assan so much. His banter with Emmrich is so funny. The ending to his story line is a little weak, but I will talk about that in his own post.
Emmrich: I think Emmrich is one of the best companions in the whole series, flat out. I love this man, he going to be my next romance (Female Qunari Grey Warden).
Harding: Harding is great. I really liked all of the Titan stuff in her storyline. I did get her killed, so I am not sure what her ending is like. I did think her romance with Taash was cute.
Lucanis: I'm going to say it. I think Lucanis is the weakest of the companions, I don't dislike him. I don't if I missed a lot of content because I saved Minrathous instead of Treviso or if it was because his writer got canned during development. And what he did have felt bare bones. I thought we would be dealing with Spite a lot more. I will say his recruitment mission is a blast.
Neve: I played a Shadow Dragon so my character had a lot of in common with Neve. I like her, but I don't have any strong feelings towards her one or another. Her romance with Lucanis is a thing that happens. I might change my mind when I get around to romancing her.
Taash: I am cis, so take this with a grain of salt. But I think their storyline about being non-binary was oddly paced. I did like everything past that, I think it was much better paced. I do like them a lot. Also, they are really cute with Harding. I do wish there was more of a reaction to me getting Harding killed on Tearstone Island, but that is a writing complaint.
Speaking of the writing. It is really a mixed bag. Some of it is great and then some of it was giving slop comics from the mid-00s. The first several hours are story slog, some of that is because of all the lore dumps, and some of it is because it is oddly paced. The writing gets progressively better throughout the game. From the point of no return to the credits it is the strongest writing, maybe not in the whole series but definitely since the last third of DAI. That after-credit scene was a choice. I will probably talk about that more after I figure out how I feel about it. I think Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nan are the strongest villains since Loghain, it really helps that they are present throughout the game. There are definitely moments where you feel that Rook is HR, but not a lot, but enough that I understand why that made it into some reviews. I don't think it is any more quippy or Marvel-like than any other Dragon Age game, "Swooping is bad" comes to mind.
Finally, some random thoughts. I think this game really nailed the horror of the Blight, I can't get the image of Bellara wrapped in Blight tentacles during the final section out of my head.
I played a non-mage elf shadow dragon, and there was a lot of reactivity for the shadow dragon part, less the elf part. I know I missed a conversation with Tarquin about it, but still. It's like no one even noticed the pointy ears.
That's it for now. I might add more as think about it.
8/10, I had a blast.
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vaztori · 1 year ago
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two kittens
SUMMARY; you are also a kitten to wonwoo
FEATURING; wonwoo x gn!reader
TAGS; fluff, established relationship, non-idol au, gamer boyfriend!wonwoo x gamer gn!reader, wonwoo as a dad cat <3 and reader is also a cat lover !
WORD COUNT; 1.7 K
WARNINGS; mentions of being killed by a knife (because wonwoo and reader are playing horror game here), use of pet names (baby, kitten), some kisses on the cheek !
NOTES FROM KALA; write this after i just watched his latest gaming live yesterday and found these two clips on my tl > click ! another click ! he has that black cat bf energy AGFSWSSSKLD ㅠㅠ and also because i've been playing the texas chainsaw massacre lol
jeonride's masterlist / join the taglist here !
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Wonwoo looks excited to play his game, his eyes glued to the computer screen. He's playing a horror game called "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" which is adapted from a movie. Wonwoo has wanted to play it for a long time and he feels lucky that you invited him to play together. Small things like inviting him to play a game can make Wonwoo feel happy because it means he can spend time with you, while doing his hobby.
"Baby, be careful! The grandfather has dangerous skills!" says Wonwoo. So on this game, there are survivors and there is a family. This family consists a grandfather and his two grandchildren, and then the leatherface as villain. Well, they're all villains actually, murderers. And the grandfather has special skill— every time he screams, the survivors who are hiding will be detected and his two grandchildren and the leatherface are in charge of killing them.
But don't worry, you really don't have to because Wonwoo says, as long as you stay still and don't move when the grandfather screams, you won't be detected. Except in the final level. Ugh, the final level is really hard and you always lose. Luckily Wonwoo is always there to help you. Protecting you and giving you directions on what to do, and telling you where to hide.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Wonwoo says as you scream between excitement and fear as leatherface chases you, wanting to kill the character you're playing.
"Please please please I don't want to die! I want to end this game with my boyfriend!" you ramble while your hands aggressively clicking your mouse and the keyboard.
Wonwoo chuckles while adjusting his glasses. He turns his head to take a look at your face. You are so expressive and it warms Wonwoo's heart. Adorable.
"Hide at the basement, baby. I will open the back door first so you can run easily, yeah?"
You nod, eyes staring at the screen like it's your last chance to live. You're getting scared even though it's just a game but Wonwoo strokes your shoulder softly. "We can finish this together. Just keep running, baby. I got your back. I'm right behind you."
Unfortunately, while you're running, the killer is right in front of the door. Your character is immediately caught, killed with a knife. You scream, "AAAA NO! WE ALMOST MADE IT, WON!"
Wonwoo laughs, his laugh sounds so endearing and it makes your anger doesn't stay longer, though. "That's okay. You did very well at surviving. I'm proud, tho. Good game!"
You just exhale heavily. Then you remove your headphones from your ears. Wonwoo glances over, "Don't want to play anymore?"
"I'm tired." You grin. "I'll just watch you play games." You turn off your computer again, now moving closer to Wonwoo's computer. You and Wonwoo's computer desks are placed side by side because you both like to play games. To make it easier to strategize while playing games and of course because playing games next to your boyfriend is so much fun!
"If you're tired, just rest your body on the bed." Wonwoo massages his fingers for a moment, feeling sore from playing three rounds with you. It's been an hour and you guys haven't had lunch yet. "I'll continue a bit more and we'll have lunch together, okay?"
"Okay!" you reply enthusiastically, smiling cheerfully. Wonwoo smiles too, he ruffles your hair gently then kisses your cheek. Then the new game starts, and he's back to looking seriously at his computer screen.
You walk over to the bed, laying your body down because of the soreness in your back. Your eyes look around your shared bedroom. Looking for something. "Princess?" you call. "Princess, where are you?"
"Look under our bed, she likes to sleep there." Wonwoo responses to your call looking for his kitten.
Wonwoo has a kitten, a white furred kitten that he named Princess because he didn't know what to name her at that time right after he adopted her. Wonwoo said, "It's okay. Princess is what she looks like." Indeed, that kitten acts like a total princess who loves to be pampered and doesn't want to be told to play outside. Her fur is so soft, and well-groomed. The way she walks is also graceful, just like a princess!
You get up from the bed and peek underneath. Sure enough, you can see a white blob of fur, Princess is asleep, curled up until her body looks like a snowball. You smile, Princess is so adorable and lovable. When you first meet her, you immediately love her as if she were your own cat. Wonwoo even used Princess as an excuse to meet you because your boyfriend knows that you love his cat so much.
"Come here, furball!" you reach for the white feline's body. She doesn't react, just wriggles a little in your arms. Then you lay back down on the bed, half leaning on the headboard while Princess rests on your chest.
"Aw, so cute. Won, look at your baby!"
Wonwoo smiles, and he tries to reciprocate your words by turning to you briefly even though his game character is in crisis, being chased by the leatherface. "She's adorable, like you."
"How can there's such a cute creature like this?" you start talking to yourself, telling Wonwoo's cat the fairy tales of your childhood like Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty, as if she understands what you're saying and even if she doesn't, just having Princess being comfortable in your arms is enough.
On the other side, Wonwoo is playing the game seriously, his fingers moving so fast to avoid the killer. But his ears are focused on listening to your ramblings, making his face continue to display a sincere smile even though it looks like he's about to lose. "A-ah, no!"
And sure enough, it isn't long before Wonwoo lost because he is no longer focused on playing the game. His character is killed by leatherface. He starts to feel tired and wants to have lunch with you, then cuddle together with Princess in the middle of the two of you.
"Baby, what do you wanna have for—" Wonwoo's words is cut short because when he looks back at you, you are already asleep with Princess in your arms. Your mouth opened slightly, letting out a soft exhale. The sight of you sleeping with the kitten makes Wonwoo's smile grows wider. He had no idea that your interaction with his kitten can make him fall so deeply in love. Making his heart melt like honey.
Wonwoo takes off his headphones, ends his gaming agenda and slowly walking towards you. His big hand gently strokes the top of your head, as if you're a fragile creature that he must treat with care.
"Kitten," he whispers as he gazes at your peacefully sleeping face. You look so peaceful and sound, even though you were just playing a game with Wonwoo a few minutes ago. He takes his phone out of his pants pocket and quietly snap a picture of you sleeping while hugging Princess.
He giggles while looking at the photo. "My kittens taking a nap together. How cute,"
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© jeonride 2023. all rights reserved. please do not copy, translate, plagiarize, or repost any of my writing anywhere!
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hazelchooseme · 1 year ago
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A mistake I don't regret | Hazel Callahan.
AU established in the modern world
I don't know what's happening to me but I can't seem to stop writing. So I wrote this 👍
English is not my first language.
Song recommendation: I Know Places by Taylor Swift
Enjoy 🧡
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"I finished." You celebrated by throwing your arms up and your head back, you could already feel the end of the semester at the tips of your fingers, you just had to hand in a few assignments, pass a test and you would be completely free for 3 months. The best moment of your life is coming, the holidays.
"I'm going now." You turned to Hazel's voice coming out of the hallway, she was dressed in brown jeans and a green flannel, the gray shoes were the same color as the backpack that hung from one shoulder. She stopped behind you, resting her hands on your shoulders and leaning down to look at the computer screen. "Now that you're done, are you sure you don't want to go?"
"I need to turn my brain off with a low-budget movie with lousy audio, but thanks."
"Good luck finding one worse than the one we saw yesterday." She told you as she messed up your hair.
From what you understood, Josie had received a new video game so she wanted to have a sleepover to try it out, she invited all the girls to spend the night together but this week had consumed you so you had to decline, you knew that Annie would bring her brownies and not being able to try them broke your heart, luckily Hazel knew you well enough that she promised to bring you some, you didn't know what would happen to you without her.
Getting up from the chair you followed Hazel to the door to say goodbye, this had become a routine that you had developed in the 4 years you lived together, every time one went out the other would leave her at the door, they had been doing it for so long that you no longer remembered who had started it.
"Tell them I said hello." You said, leaning on the nearby wall with your arms crossed watching the blue-eyed girl put on her shoes.
"Okay, I'll remind them not to call you so they don't bother you."
"Also remind PJ not to drink so much, I won't be there to clean up the vomit."
"I know." Putting on a red baseball cap in front of the mirror you had in the hallway, she sighed with false sadness. "We will miss you very much."
"Asshole."
Listening to her laugh you were grateful for having crossed paths with her in your life, she was one of the kindest, sweetest, most attentive people you had ever met. You met about 6 years ago when you moved in the middle of your high school years, you connected almost immediately that when you managed to get into college moving in together was more than decided. Everything had been perfect until now, or at least it was until you developed a crush on her earlier this year. It had started when she excitedly told you how she had started talking to a new girl, in the past when she did it you were genuinely happy for her, after all she deserved the best and more, but at that moment you felt like you had been punched in the stomach and spit in your face, the jealousy didn't last that long since that relationship lasted about 3 months, but afterwards you still felt guilty for feeling that way with your best friend.
"Take." You handed her the keys to your car, it was a fairly old one but it kept running, which was the important thing.
"Are you sure? I can order an Uber."
"Take it, it's much safer this way."
"Thank you." She said taking the keys and putting them in her pocket.
She began to approach so you began to stretch your arms waiting to receive the usual hug, when suddenly Hazel's left hand traveled up to your cheek and her lips collided with yours. Although you had looked at her lips an embarrassing number of times you could never imagine how soft they would be, it was just a small pressure but you could still feel something exploding in your chest and your pulse was beating so fast that you could hear it in your ears. You stretched out your right arm catching her waist but as soon as it started it ended and she pulled away from you.
"Tomorrow I'll arrive early so we can have breakfast together." And with one last toss of your hair she walked out the door.
What the fuck just happened?
Hearing the commotion from outside Hazel entered the house without knocking, at this point those formalities were not necessary with the trust they already had. Humming a song, she entered the kitchen to leave some snacks and drinks that she had bought for the night. After having almost everything organized, she called Josie to help her carry everything to the room.
"Hello Haze, what's up?"
"Glasses please." She ordered as she opened a Coke. "And nothing very interesting, did they all arrive?"
"Sep, you're the last to arrive. How is Judas?" She asked, leaving the glasses on the table and eating some potatoes that were on a plate.
Mr G had once called you that after he caught you cheating on a test, they never let you forget it.
"Well, she just finished some work so she was going to rest."
"More food for us then."
"By the way, is there alcohol? She asked me to take care of—."
But before she could finish saying anything, an image came into her head. Your mouth, her mouth, together. Holy shit. Dropping the glass of drink she put both hands on her head as she cursed. No. No. No. It couldn't be, she couldn't have done what she was remembering that she had done, that she had done to you.
"Hazel what the fuck? What happened, are you okay?"
It had to be some trick of her mind, it just couldn't be real, but it was, what the fuck had she done?
"Hey, what's wrong? Are you having a heart attack?"
"What happened, why so much noise?" She could hear someone's voice in the background but she couldn't identify who.
"I think she's having a stroke."
"What?!"
Trying to control her breathing, she turned to see the two girls who were in the kitchen with her.
"I kissed her." She whispered, unable to say it out loud.
"What?"
"I kissed her." She managed to articulate more clearly.
"What? Who?" Making eye contact with Annie she didn't need to say anything else, they had understood.
"Holy shit." Josie said with wide eyes.
"Was it with tongue?" Sylvie asked as she had just entered the kitchen.
"I kissed her." She repeated to herself without being able to believe it.
Leaving the video game more than forgotten, everyone settled into Josie's room as best they could.
"Why the fuck do you kiss her if you're going to regret it later? What a pussy." PJ judged Hazel sitting upside down in a chair.
"I didn't realize what I was doing, don't judge me."
"We don't judge you, we make fun of you." Sylvie clarified.
"But seriously, how do you kiss someone by accident? Aren't you hiding something from us?"
Although Annie's question was not intended to upset or offend, Hazel couldn't help but feel a hint of discomfort upon hearing it. Sure, you were her best friend and she loved you very much but it's not like she had those kinds of feelings towards you, right?
"I don't, I don't know what you mean."
"Looks like." PJ stung with intention.
Well, maybe she thought about you more than she should or looked at you for long periods of time when you didn't realize it, thinking how beautiful you were, but you were best friends, that's what they do, they care about each other and think they are the most beautiful people they have ever seen. What they probably didn't do was kiss each other and not feel a bit of remorse, because yes, Hazel didn't regret having kissed you, in fact, she had enjoyed it and suddenly found herself wanting to leave everything here and go home to finish what she had started.
"Oh my god, you want to fuck her so bad." PJ exclaimed when she saw the blush appear on the blue-eyed girl's face.
"Don't talk about her like that." It was the only thing she could say before remaining silent again with her head racing.
Okay, she could admit to feeling a small attraction towards you, something insignificant, or was it something more than that?
Suddenly a conversation came to her mind, one that she had with her ex-girlfriend before breaking up a few months ago, one where she complained that Hazel spent too much time talking about you and that she should choose between her or you. Swallowing hard, she remembered how she chose you in a heartbeat, without any regrets afterwards, because maybe, and only maybe, it was always you.
"I'm so screwed." She admitted with his face in her hands.
"Think positive, I had started to think that you were the problem with all your relationships ending, and that was the case, so."
"How is that positive?"
"That I was right."
She silently thanked Brittany for hitting PJ on the head.
Exhaling she turned to Isabel. "So, what do I do now?"
"Amm, I can help too, you know." Josie said hurt.
"Shut up, no, you can't, in your first kiss with Isa you almost fainted." Sylvie reminded her.
"Did you tell them?" She asked, very offended.
"Not now, baby."
"Okay."
"Look, Hazel, we can give you a thousand tips but the only way to clarify everything is to talk to her."
"I don't know, I don't even know if she likes me." She suddenly remembered something that made her want to dig a hole in the ground and never get out of it. "Holy fuck! I kissed her without even asking her, I'm a disgusting person."
"Oh please, if she hadn't been dying for you to do it." Annie told her, looking at her as if she were stupid.
"What?"
"It's true, she was dying those months you were dating that girl at the beginning of the year." Brittany said after a silence. "It was too obvious, actually."
"No, that was for something else, she told me. Why would she lie to me?"
"Why are you so worried about the kiss you just gave her?"
Confused by Isabel's sudden question, She decided to just answer it. "Because I don't want to screw up our friendship obviously." The raised eyebrows of everyone in the room made her understand. "Ah."
"Yes, ah, so now get up and go eat her mouth, you both deserve it." In the middle of her realization, PJ had walked towards her to pull her by one arm out of the room to leave her outside the house and close the door in her face.
Without really understanding what was happening, she got into the car and began driving towards her house with the screams of her friends behind her.
"Yes, queen!"
"Go get some pussy!"
"Good luck."
"Don't be like Josie!"
"I was very brave when I kissed Isabel!"
Standing outside the apartment she couldn't have the strength to enter. Would you be sleeping or watching TV? Maybe you locked yourself in your room so you wouldn't see her, maybe you hated her. Pushing those thoughts out of her head, Hazel inserted the key into the lock and with a sigh she opened the door and entered the apartment.
Her first impression of the place is that it was exactly the same, your computer was still on the table next to an empty glass, both the hallway light and the kitchen light were on, the only thing different was the sound coming from the living room and the darkest sky. She took off her shoes, taking more time than necessary, to finally stand up and give herself a mental cheer, at the end of the day you had been the one who was kissed out of nowhere and you needed answers.
The first thing she saw was the movie you had put on, on the screen was a very 2000s looking movie that she didn't recognize, going a little further into the room she could finally see you, you were looking at the screen but it was very clear that your mind was somewhere else.
"I thought you were arriving tomorrow."
Hazel jumped a little in her place, she didn't expect you to have heard her coming.
She shifted in her position and with a hand on her neck she tried to find her voice. "I came earlier" How smart.
"Why?"
"Um, I have to talk to you, because of what... I did, because of what I did to you."
"What did you do to me?" This time you turned to see her. Hazel scared and worried eyes looked bright from the reflection of the TV, you could see how she couldn't sit still and her messy hair confirmed that she had passed her hands through it many times, a sign that she was anxious.
"Are you angry?"
"I'm confused." You responded.
Hazel nodded her head and moved a little closer to you but without sitting down.
"To be honest, I don't have a clear explanation for why I did what I did, I'm sorry if it inconveniences you and if you want me to leave I will do so immediately."
"You regret it." It wasn't a question, from the blue-eyed girl's reaction you were sure that she considered the kiss a mistake, but her response made you swallow your thoughts.
"Unless it made you uncomfortable, I would never regret it."
A little shaky, you slowly got up from the couch without breaking eye contact, you were tired of so many crossroads and unanswered questions.
"I liked you Hazel, I liked you so much that it hurts, and, and I didn't know what to do or say because-because losing you would be the worst thing that could happen to me, but, but then you kissed me and I went crazy and I realized that I don't like you. I love you Hazel. I can't live a life without telling you how I feel, 'cause some part of me hopes that you feel the same way."
Your hands itched to grab something to distract yourself but you refused to move, you wanted your words to reach her with nothing but pure sincerity.
"You love me? Me?" Hazel's voice came out shaky and her eyes grew brighter with tears.
Shit, had you been too direct? There was no longer an opportunity to retract it and you didn't want to, if this was the end you were going to repeat it as many times as necessary. "Yes Hazel, I love you."
In less than three seconds Hazel was all over you, the impact of the body almost threw you back but her arms around you stabilized you, her face was buried in your neck and one of her legs was between yours. Although it was a fairly tight and suffocating hug, you never felt lighter and calmer.
"I love you too, you have no idea how much I love you." She said making her breathing tickle you. So you laughed as you wrapped her in your arms too, your chin ended up on her head where you placed a kiss and heard several I love yous coming out of Hazel's mouth.
You hugged each other for what seemed like an eternity, both of you holding onto each other not wanting to let the other go. After another while Hazel raised her head and one of her hands went to your cheek, where she caressed your cheekbone with her thumb.
"I love you." She said again with a smile full of emotions. Love, calm but excitement, happiness.
"I love you." You repeated to her, feeling the same way.
A shaky sigh escaped her lips directing your attention to them, you had kissed those same lips a few hours ago.
"Can I kiss you?" You asked with as much self-control as you could muster.
She didn't even respond to you when her mouth collapsed on yours, the hallway kiss had been just a small bump, two lips together just sharing an innocent moment, but this kiss was the opposite. Her mouth moved desperately over yours, while one of her hands went to your neck where she began to play with your hair, the other remained firm on your hip, keeping you glued to her. Tasting your lower lip you opened your mouth allowing her entry to explore, your hands went under her shirt, you were grateful that it was a loose fabric as it gave you more freedom to touch everything you could. With a shudder she pushed you towards the couch where, changing position, she sat down and you fell on top of her. Her wet tongue began to run along your neck, her hands went to your hair, pulling your head back so she could explore everything about you, your hands went in the direction of her bra that you unclasped almost expertly. Her mouth returned to yours where she began to leave wetter but slower kisses, her two hands went to your lower back, pressing you closer to her, after a few seconds the kiss began to become a little calmer to end with her placing small kisses all over your face, laughing breathlessly you rested your head on her neck.
"Are we something now?" You asked stupidly, it was obvious that oxygen still wasn't reaching your brain.
"Shit I hope so because I need to kiss you like that again."
With a sigh of relief you moved away from her neck so you could look into her eyes.
"Hazel, I love you."
"And that's why I'm the luckiest girl in the world." Savoring the moment, and her lips, you decided this was the best moment of your life, screw the holidays.
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erikahenningsen · 10 months ago
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14 or 43, either rejanis!
14. A kiss to the stomach
The fact that Janis is now a person who gets to make out with Regina George in her bedroom after school is, even three months into their relationship, mind-blowing.
Of course, it took them several months to get on speaking terms again, let alone hanging out alone together.
In all the ways that Janis imagined them kissing—although for a period of several years Janis only fantasized that Regina would kiss her so Janis could punch her in the face and then tell the entire school—it was never Janis who made the first move.
Janis remembers it like it was yesterday (and, okay, it was only a few weeks ago): they were sitting in Regina's backyard, soaking in the last vestiges of the summer air before the leaves started turning and Regina started wearing leather pants again. Regina had looked so breathtakingly beautiful in the light of the setting sun, laughing at something Janis had said, and Janis suddenly couldn't stand living her life having not kissed Regina George (that disastrous sixth grade spin-the-bottle game notwithstanding).
So now Janis finds herself on a Thursday afternoon, her mouth on Regina's as they recline on Regina's bed, hands wandering over warm curves and soft skin.
They still haven't graduated past making out and some heavy over-the-clothes petting. And Janis respects Regina's boundaries. She really does. It's just that the fact that Regina apparently has boundaries now has taken some time to wrap her mind around.
Janis toys with the hem of Regina's shirt, fingers aching to slide underneath, flexing in the material, and she decides there can't be any harm in asking.
"Can I take this off?" Janis murmurs against Regina's mouth, frankly impressed that she still retains the ability to speak in sentences with the scent of Regina's perfume enveloping her and warm hands roaming over her back.
Regina stills, and is quiet for so long that Janis starts to feel a creeping sense of dread.
"Janis," Regina whispers, pulling back a little. "You have to understand that I..." She pauses again. "I do want you to."
"Okay?" Janis says, like it's a question, because that didn't exactly sound like a yes.
"But I'm not—I don't look how you might expect," Regina says, so quietly, her eyes not meeting Janis's. "I have scars, and I'm still working on losing the weight from..."
She doesn't finish the sentence, and she doesn't need to. They've talked about this, obviously—the things Regina did to Janis, and the things Janis did to her in return. Janis knows Regina has a lot of insecurities about her body. But she never realized that this was what was holding them back.
"Regina, I'm sorry," Janis says, but Regina shakes her head quickly.
"I don't want you to apologize," she says. "I just want you to... manage your expectations."
Janis, frankly, can't imagine a more ridiculous idea than finally seeing Regina—all of Regina—and being anything other than elated, but she just nods, and Regina nods in return.
Slowly, Janis pushes up Regina's shirt, not pulling it all the way off, but just past Regina's bra, revealing inch by inch pale, smooth skin that Janis can't tear her eyes away from.
There is, in fact, a scar that runs down and across Regina's side, the skin puckered and pale but no less beautiful. On either side of Regina's lower stomach are silvery, thin stretch marks, much like Janis has on her own body in other places.
After a moment, Janis realizes that she's just staring, slightly open-mouthed, so she leans forward and gives Regina a reassuring kiss.
"You're so beautiful," she whispers, her hand finally brushing over Regina's skin with no barriers. She feels Regina's stomach muscles tighten under her touch.
"I bet you say that to all the girls," Regina replies. The way her voice quivers tells Janis she's using humor to deflect her anxiety.
"Well, I only mean it when I say it to you," Janis teases back.
Janis starts trailing kisses down Regina's mouth, over her chin, to the divot between her collarbones, and then down the center of her abdomen until she's eye level with Regina's bellybutton. Regina tenses, holding her breath, and Janis looks up at her. Regina's cheeks are flushed, eyes dark. Janis never, ever gets tired of the sight.
Carefully, tenderly, Janis presses a kiss to one of the stretch marks. Though Regina's skin is warm, it erupts in goosebumps, and Janis feels a surge of lust at the realization that she is the one causing these reactions.
Janis moves across Regina's stomach until each stretch mark has been softly kissed and Regina's breath starts coming in little pants. Once she finishes, she makes her way back up to Regina's mouth, murmuring, "Gorgeous," and punctuating it with a kiss.
"You're so cheesy," Regina says, a little breathlessly.
"Keep complaining and you won't get your reward," Janis says, mock-threateningly.
Regina's eyes narrow. "Reward?"
"Yeah," Janis says.
Then she sits up and pulls off her own shirt.
Regina doesn't complain again after that.
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rootedinrevisions · 5 months ago
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One of Them Girls: Part 5
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PART 1 I PART 2 I PART 3 I PART 4
The alarm on your nightstand blared, jolting you from your sleep. With a sigh, you reached over and silenced the intrusive noise, wishing you could close your eyes and slip back into the dream you'd been having.
In the dream, you were reliving your date from yesterday. Walking around the fairgrounds with him, hand in hand. He feeds you funnel cake and smears powdered sugar on the tip of your nose. The conversations you shared, learning more and more about him with each one. It had felt so real and vivid that waking up was almost a disappointment.
You glanced at the alarm clock again, and for a moment, you considered ignoring it and curling back under the covers. But you know that you have responsibilities on the farm to help your parents, especially because you skipped yesterday.
You stretched and stared up at the ceiling as you tried to find the motivation to leave the cocoon that was your bed. Then it hit you. Your feelings for Tyler were becoming very real. He wasn't just some cute stranger at a bar anymore. He wasn't even just a crush anymore. In the span of a few days, he had made you start falling for him.
The idea of falling in love with Tyler Owens scared you. You had only been in one relationship before, and the thought of opening yourself up again made your heart race with anxiety. Were you really ready for a relationship, especially with someone like Tyler? His job demanded him to be on the road constantly, chasing storms and danger, a lifestyle that seemed worlds away from your own. The uncertainty of it all weighed heavily on your mind, making you question if you were truly prepared for the challenges that a relationship with him would bring.
Reluctantly, you dragged yourself out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. You splashed cold water on your face, memories from the previous day, and your dreams flood back.
A smile formed on your face as your phone lit up with a text notification. You picked it up to see who it was, and your smile widened when you saw Tyler's name on the screen.
Tyler: Good Morning! Hope you slept well! I can't stop thinking about yesterday.
A blush crept to your cheeks as you quickly typed a response.
You: Good morning! I slept great. Yesterday was amazing!
You finished getting ready and went downstairs for your morning cup of coffee. As you entered the kitchen, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted you. Your roommate was sitting at the table, a knowing grin spread across her face as she looked up from her own cup of coffee.
"So how was it?" She asked, her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
You poured yourself a cup of coffee and tried to play it cool. "It was...good. Really good." You admitted before you took a sip.
"Just good? Come on, you're killing me! You went on a date with Tyler Owens and the best you can tell me is it was really good?" She said as she urged you for more information.
You laughed, before giving her a little more information. "Okay, okay. We went to the county fair. It was so much fun. We played some carnival games, ate way too much-fried food, and even danced to some live music."
She raised an eyebrow. "Dancing, huh?"
You nodded as a smile spread across your face. "Yeah, he taught me to two-step. I was a little clumsy at first, but he was patient with me."
Your roommate sighed dreamily. "That sounds so romantic. What else happened?"
You hesitated, not wanting to dissolve every detail of the date. "We watched a rodeo at the end of the night. He introduced me to one of his old friends, and well, he called me his girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? Oh my gosh! That's huge, (Your Name)!" Her eyes widened, and she squealed. "How do you feel about him calling you his girlfriend?"
You blushed as you looked down at your coffee cup. "I mean, it caught me off guard. But...I liked the sound of it."
She reached over and squeezed my hand. "I'm so happy for you, (Your Name). It sounds like you had an incredible time. And you deserve to be happy."
You nodded, the smile still on your face. "Yeah, it was like the perfect date. And thanks."
You finished your coffee and then headed over to your parents' farm. The morning air was fresh and crisp, the sky a bright clear blue. You parked your car and made your way to the barn, ready to start your chores.
First on the list was milking the cows. You greeted each one by name, most of them you've known their entire lives. The rhythmic sound of milk hitting the pail calmed your mind. Once you were down you made sure each of them had food and water before moving on to the next task.
You decided to do a walk around the farm next. You checked the fences and ensured the animals were where they should be. You gave a few affectionate pats to the horses as you passed by their pasture.
There was something about being on the farm that always brought you a sense of calmness. That was until you saw your mom walking towards you. She had an all too familiar look on her face, and you braced yourself for the conversation you knew was coming.
"Good morning, sweetheart," she said as she smiled at you. "Everything okay with you?"
"Yeah, Mom, everything is great." You replied. "Why?
She chuckled before she gave you a look. "Well, you skipped on chores for the first time yesterday. And you have this...look. It's a look I've only seen since you were with (Your Ex's Name)."
You groaned inwardly and rolled your eyes. Here it comes. "Mom, we've talked about this. I broke up with him for a reason."
"I know, I know. But he stopped by here yesterday. Said he wanted to talk to you." She said as she waved a hand dismissively.
"Well next time, tell him I'm not interested."
She seemed to pretend not to hear you as she continued. "What were you so busy doing yesterday anyway? You haven't skipped chores since the last time you were sick. And even then the doctors had to order you to stay in bed."
You hesitated for a moment, wondering how much to share with your mom. On one hand, you knew it would turn into a game of twenty questions. On the other hand, maybe if she knew about Tyler she would lay off you about (Your Ex's Name).
"I was out...with someone."
Her eyes lit up with curiosity. "Oh? Who were you with? (Your Roommate's Name)?"
You took a deep breath as you decided to be honest. Or at least tell her some of what happened.
"His name is Tyler."
Her expression immediately shifted as she looked over at you. "Tyler, huh? Don't think I've heard you mention a Tyler before. Tell me about him."
"Just some guy I met at a bar." You started to explain as you shrugged. You were trying to keep the conversation as casual as possible. "He's a storm chaser."
She gave you a speculative look. "A storm chaser, huh? Well, that's certainly...exciting." She paused for a moment and then started in again. "But what about (Your Ex's Name)? He's a good man, (Your Name). He still loves you, you know? The poor kid looked like a lost puppy."
You shook your head, exasperated by your mom and her constant talks about your ex. "Mom...please. I appreciate your concern, but I don't see myself being with (Your Ex's Name). Can you just...let me figure this out?"
She looked over at you and then sighed as she put her hand on your arm. "Alright, sweetheart. Just...be careful with this new guy, okay? I don't want you getting hurt."
"I will Mom. I promise. And thanks." You said, appreciating her genuine concern.
She then walked away and made her way back towards the house. You took a deep breath as you felt a mix of emotions. Your mom meant well, but her constant pushing to get you and your ex back together was exhausting.
You couldn't help but think about Tyler. It was still far too early for your mom to meet Tyler. But you hoped that things with him would continue to grow so that you could eventually bring him to the farm. Maybe seeing you happy with someone would finally get her to lay off you.
Next, you made your way down to the chicken coop. The chickens clucked and pecked around your feet as you scattered food. You then checked the nesting boxes and collected the eggs from the hens.
You then started to make your way back up to the house so you could put the eggs into the fridge in the garage for your parents to sell. You began to place the eggs in the fridge where your parents stored them.
The sound of car tires crunching on the gravel driveway caught your attention, but you dismissed it. It was probably just your dad coming home from running into town. Or maybe even a neighbor stopping by to drop something off.
About a minute later, your mom's voice called out to you from inside the house. "Someone's here for you!"
Her tone made you groan inwardly. It was probably your ex. Again. And instead of telling him off like you had asked, she was going to make you talk to him, in hopes that talking to them would suddenly make you have a change of heart.
You started to make your way towards the front door. "(Your Ex's Name), for the hundredth time it's over. Please stop coming-" but your words caught in your throat when you saw Tyler standing on the front porch.
He had on his signature cowboy hat, paired with a red button-up shirt and tight Wrangler jeans. The look was completed with his brown cowboy boots. He had a bouquet of flowers in his hand, and his lips curved into a big grin when he saw you.
"Hey," you said nervously, a smile spreading across your face.
"Hey," Tyler replied before extending the flowers to you. "I got these for you."
You reached out and took them from him, as a warm blush rose to your cheeks. You bring them to your face and close your eyes, taking a moment to smell them.
"Thank you," you said before you looked over at your mom. She was looking at you and then at Tyler and then back to you with interest.
She must have caught your gaze because she suddenly reached down to take the flowers from you so she could excuse herself. "You know what? I'm going to find a nice vase for these."
Once she was out of earshot you looked at Tyler. "What are you doing here?"
His smile faded as he looked down at the ground and then back at you. "I'm going to be on the road for a few days. There are some good storm systems in the next state over. Boone and the crew think it'll make for some good videos. I stopped by your house to say goodbye before we left town, but she said you weren't there. She told me how to get here. I hope it's okay that I showed up."
"Of course, it's okay that you showed up." You said before you took a step towards him and wrapped your arms around his torso. You felt him relax as he carefully wrapped both arms around you.
"I still have a few chores I need to finish up. You're more than welcome to come with me if you have a little bit."
"I'd like that," he said.
The two of you headed back down to the barn where you bottle-fed the baby goats together. Tyler was surprisingly a natural at it. The way the baby goat kept tugging at the bottle, made both of you laugh.
"So I have to ask...were you expecting someone else earlier?"
You sighed as you knew he was referencing you saying your ex's name before you realized it was him. "(Your Ex's Name) is my ex. My mom has been trying to get us back together since we broke up."
"I thought you said that you hadn't been in a relationship in a while at the bar the night we met."
"I haven't. I broke up with him two years ago. It's...complicated." You said.
He looked over at you, and you tried to figure out what he was thinking. "What do you mean by complicated?"
You sighed, knowing you'd have to tell Tyler the story of you and your ex. "We were high school sweethearts. Our parents were friends and loved it when we were dating. He was great. Honestly, he was perfect. But he was too perfect. He was safe and boring. He's going to college to be a businessman like his dad. It would have been fine with him. But I didn't want fine. So I ended it. I didn't want to have a safe and boring life."
Tyler chuckled, before he said, "Well, being a storm chaser definitely isn't boring."
You smiled, appreciating his lightheartedness. "No, it's not."
"So there's not guys that are going to be coming after you while I'm gone?"
"None that you need to worry about. I've made it clear to my ex and my mom that I have no interest in getting together with him."
Just then Tyler's phone started to ring. "Yeah, Boone?"
You watched as he talked to his cameraman and best friend, Boone. He mostly just nodded before he quickly ended the call.
"That was the team. We need to start heading out."
"Let me walk you back to your truck," you said.
As the two of you started making your way back to Tyler's truck, he reached over and took your hand in his. He intertwined his fingers with yours and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"You're going to be safe out there, right?" You asked feeling a mix of emotions.
After Tyler's close call with a tornado, you'd be lying if you said you weren't worried about him going back out in the field. But you also knew there was nothing you could say that would keep Tyler out of the storms.
"Of course, I am. I am a professional, remember?" He said as he gave you a smirk.
By now you had reached his truck and the two of you stopped next to the driver's door. He looked down at you, sincerity in his eyes. "I'll stay in touch, I promise."
"Just be careful," you replied as you felt a mix of emotions start to come over you.
He stepped towards you and pulled you into his chest. His arms wrapped securely around you as he laid his cheek against the top of your head. You thought you felt him kiss the top of your head too, but you couldn't be sure.
"I shouldn't be gone too long. I think the plan is to make our way back this way." He said.
His words gave you some encouragement, but not a lot. You didn't know when you would see him again, and the unknowns made you unsure.
"Please be careful. And stay safe. I kind of like you not killed by a tornado."
Tyler chuckled and then lifted his head so he could look down at you. "Killed by a tornado? Are you forgetting that I'm a professional Tornado Wrangler?" His lips curved into a wide grin and you couldn't help but smile.
"I know who you are, Tyler Owens."
"I'll be fine, I promise. I'll wrangle some tornados and then I'll come back to you."
There was a brief moment of silence between the two of you before Tyler began to lean in. You felt your heart quicken as your breath caught in your throat. As his face drew nearer, you closed your eyes and tilted your head slightly to meet him halfway. His lips brushed yours softly at first, testing the waters, before pressing more firmly in a kiss that was both tender and full of unspoken promises.
Your hands instinctively reach up, one hand resting on his shoulder as the other gently cupped the back of his neck, pulling him closer. The kiss deepened, a shared moment of connection that seemed to stretch the short time you had left together. The kiss made you forget, if only for an instant, that he was leaving.
Tyler finally pulled away and rested his forehead against yours and his breath mingled with yours. "I can't wait to come back. Be safe while I'm gone, okay?"
You nodded and then finally mumbled the words "Goodbye, Tyler."
As Tyler drove away and his taillights started to fade in the distance you heard footsteps coming towards you. You turned to see your mom.
"Was that Tyler?" She asked, a smile etched on her face.
You nodded as a smile of your own formed on your face. "Yeah, that was Tyler."
"He seemed nice." She said, a note of approval in her voice.
"He is. I know you don't want to, but you should really give him a chance. He's one of the good ones."
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