#I have barely scratched the surface here!

[wadewnstonwilson]

need you close;

summary: when your busy schedule leaves logan feeling neglected, he craves your attention in his own way—by showing up with small, thoughtful gestures and lingering touches that hint at his pent-up need. despite his rugged exterior, logan’s vulnerability shines through as he tries to remind you he’s still there, waiting.

word count: 1k

a/n: okay so this was originally a headcanon idea but this was my most popular headcanon so I definitely wanted to post it as a one shot! always feel free to leave an ask if you guys want anymore logan themed headcanons or fics!

Logan wasn’t used to being ignored. Or at least, not by you. It had been weeks since you’d been swamped with work, and while you appreciated his support, you couldn’t help but feel the strain on your relationship. He’d never say it, not out loud at least, but Logan was needy, and he craved your attention like nothing else.

The soft scratch of a pen met your ears, but you didn’t even look up from your laptop. Logan stood by the counter, lazily scribbling something on a piece of paper. He’d been in and out of your office all day, never staying long but always making his presence known. His scent—musky, earthy, all Logan—lingered long after he’d leave. It used to comfort you, but now it only reminded you of the time you couldn’t give him.

You sighed, leaning back in your chair. “Logan, I’m really busy.”

Without missing a beat, he crossed the room and placed a steaming cup of your favorite coffee on the desk. His fingers lingered, brushing against yours as he slid the cup toward you. You glanced up and caught the faintest smirk on his lips.

“Thought you could use a pick-me-up,” he grumbled, leaning in closer. His warm breath fanned over your cheek, and you could feel the tension melt from your muscles, despite how desperately you needed to focus. “Been workin’ too hard.”

“Thanks,” you muttered, trying to sound casual, but your voice betrayed you. The way his hands rested on your shoulders—rough yet tender—sent shivers down your spine. He started massaging the knots in your shoulders, his fingers kneading the tension from your overworked muscles. You hadn’t realized how much you missed this—missed him—until now.

“You need a break, darlin’,” Logan muttered, his voice low and rough, sending a familiar heat through your body. “Can’t have you burnin’ out on me.”

You chuckled, but the sound was weak. “I’ll take a break soon, I promise.”

Logan let out a soft grunt, clearly unsatisfied with your answer. But instead of arguing, he pulled back, leaving a small note on the corner of your desk before disappearing from the room. You picked it up, your heart softening at the sight of his messy handwriting: Missin’ you. Don’t forget to take a break.

For a moment, you considered following him. You could see the hurt in his eyes, the frustration simmering just beneath the surface. But you had deadlines to meet, work piling up faster than you could keep up with. You’d make it up to him later—at least, that’s what you kept telling yourself.

The next few days were more of the same. Logan was always around, but never directly demanding your attention. He’d leave notes scattered around your workspace—short, sweet messages like Thinkin’ ‘bout you or We’re overdue for some time together. He brought you food, sometimes your favorite meal, other times just a snack to keep you going. He’d make excuses to touch you, his hands lingering on your back or brushing against your arm as he walked by.

But you noticed the shift. His touches were growing more possessive, more intense, as if he was trying to remind you that he was still here, waiting for you to give him the attention he so desperately needed.

One evening, you returned home from a long day at work, exhausted and drained. You dropped your bag by the door and collapsed on the couch, barely managing to kick off your shoes. Within seconds, Logan was beside you, pulling you into his lap without a word.

“Logan, I’m—”

“Shh.” His arms wrapped around you, and you could feel the weight of his need in the way he held you, so tight you thought he might never let go. “You’re always busy, darlin’. Let me take care of you.”

The frustration in his voice was clear, but so was the affection. He wasn’t angry—he was hurt. Hurt that you hadn’t been giving him the time he needed. You felt a pang of guilt as you melted into his embrace, feeling the heat of his body against yours.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, your head resting against his chest. His heart thudded steadily beneath your ear, a comforting sound that you hadn’t realized you’d missed. “I’ve been so caught up in work, I didn’t mean to—”

“Stop apologizin’,” Logan interrupted, his voice softer than before. He buried his face in your hair, inhaling deeply. “Just... don’t do it again, alright? I miss you.”

You nodded, your heart aching at the vulnerability in his voice. Logan wasn’t the type to openly express his emotions, but the way he held you now—tight, protective, needy—said more than words ever could.

He pressed a kiss to the top of your head, his lips lingering against your hair. “I’ve been patient,” he muttered, his voice rumbling through his chest. “But I need you. Not just here, but with me. You get what I’m sayin’?”

“I do,” you replied softly, shifting to look up at him. His eyes met yours, and you could see the raw emotion swirling in them—jealousy, frustration, but above all, love. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around much.”

Logan grunted, but this time there was a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “Guess I can forgive you, but only ‘cause I know how hard you’ve been workin’. Just don’t make a habit of it.”

You laughed, feeling the tension in your chest ease. “I’ll try not to.”

He leaned down, brushing his lips against yours in a soft, lingering kiss that made your heart race. You could feel the heat of his need, the way he poured every bit of his pent-up affection into the kiss. It was almost overwhelming, but in the best way possible.

When he pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, his breath warm against your lips. “I’m not gonna stop remindin’ you I’m here,” he said, his voice low and rough. “You’re mine, darlin’. Don’t forget that.”

You smiled, your fingers tracing the edge of his jaw. “I won’t forget.”

For the first time in weeks, you allowed yourself to relax completely in his arms, savoring the warmth of his touch and the strength of his embrace. Logan wasn’t one to be needy often, but when he was, it only made you fall harder for him.

And maybe, just maybe, it was exactly what you needed too.

[wittymumbledon]

With how much gravity falls stuff I’ve been working on lately it’s taken me a while to get around to finishing this (long enough for me to nearly finish reading over the first “season” for the third time in a row) but here it is!! A double-page spread dedicated to @ckret2’s golden-haired menace, because I wanted NEEDED to show my appreciation for this fucking amazing AU ✨

I redrew some of my fav frames/story moments (plus a couple extras: the cleaning one is inspired by when i was cleaning irl, and realized that Goldie made me feel a lot less dysphoric about wearing leggings and tank tops 'round the house. Thus - in tribute to the irony - Bill gets my leggings fdfhjdfhdf)

but that barely even scratches the surface of just the pure, gloriously hilarious chaos that this beast has to offer-- not to mention the simple fact that it is just. REALLY well written: the attention to details from the books, the comics, and the show itself; the way each character is visibly flawed in some way, be it with their morals, or their actions, or the soundness of their morals; the way each chapter healthily mixes random show-like chaos with genuinely useful info that later BEAUTIFULLY Chekov Gun's itself right back into the culmination of each saga -- it all feels so aware and true to canon and so, so, SO beautifully ALIVE. Dare I say it is one of my absolute favourite fanworks that I've ever read.

Speaking of which - if you’ll excuse me - I have some chapters to catch up on. Like I said - I’ve specifically held off reading the latest ones so that i’d finish the fanart faster and so that i’d have an excuse to make more. looking at you - bill’s abomikini /hj

If you've made it through my lil essay there I appreciate it so much <3

Bonus: I wove a lil bracelet inspired by the one Mabel made for Bill✨

Didn’t have the right colours of embroidery thread on hand so I used yarn instead, but that actually ended up working perfectly with the beads I had (just plain ol' blue ones, cause I wasn’t sure if using nazar beads would have been culturally insensitive or not - nor did I have any nazar beads that I could have used in the first place - but hey! these ones are nice and shiny and the colour works well imo)

[virtue-boy]

Went on a transandrophobia truther blog and instantly saw this ..

1) love the slight of hand where he says "being trans" instead of actually identifying any positionality or god forbid mentioning WOMANHOOD as a type of positionality in his post which allows him to call trans women men and completely disregard the experience of the closested trans WOMAN. Telling that your argument hinges on "after transitioning to a man I am exactly the same as a woman undercover as a man"

2) just say you're not on T and you don't know anyone who is. Like as someone who's passed as male on an off for my whole life and now fully passes as male all the time thanks to T I low key snorted reading this... Liiike let's be for real here passing as a man (and doubly so if u are binary and have the pronouns to match) and passing gives you privilege out the fucking wazoo and I literally think about it every time I leave the house, meet new people, take blue collar jobs, interact w people on public transit, walk around at night, go to gay clubs, bond w male overseers, look for roommates, etc. This is obviously extremely racialized as much as it is gendered, but there is literally not a single "privilege" I had as a girl (that was assumed to be a guy 50-70% of the time) that I lost as a guy.

3) Also how do trans men "inherently defy patriarchal manhood" I literally know a trans guy who went to jail for domestic violence against a woman like trans men are incredibly capable of accessing and enacting patriarchy and thinking ourselves justified in accessing patriarchal homosociality. Like we are literally becoming men and we don't just magically exit the patriarchal society because we aren't the men at the top of the make food chain.... a la R.W. Connel. Being trans men means we lose some for being trans but we win some because we are men. Like gay men are frequently denied their masculinity but it would be dodo brained to act like gay men have no male homosociality they can access or that no gay man has ever accessed male homosociality. Like if u believe that you actually don't know any gay history Attttt Alllllll 😭 like genuinely. We also earn more money per dollar than women in our same gender modality, that doesn't sound like "inherently defying patriarchal manhood" to me that sounds actually like a pretty typical social positionality for oppressed and marginalized men. Like in my own friend groups, at school, and in my music and promotions scene being an (openly trans) man actually has granted me actually a lot of homosociality that I can draw on.

[yuckydraws]

(Click for better quality)

Healing & Growth

(gif made by my friend @robanilla-arts is below - slight warning for flashing! Thanks again, Rob!)

[polux-aka-hyakunana]

The tragedy of having my hands full of work until at least next week and suddenly remembering how much I love and miss Lies of P while living my Geats fever because I need stalker!Riders injected on my veins to keep living

[hermioneismyrealname]

To all the posts on tiktok and insta going on about how their clothing is to specific moments in their lives together (on camera)... can I tell them that people don't have an infinite wardrobe without them breaking down? Like calm the fuck down. How many times do we wear the same shirt cause it's comfortable or it just looks good?

This reminds me of how dating rumours in the kpop industry begin. Matching jewelry. Matching clothes. When all I see is... oh yeah, looks aight.

Below is a brain vomit on softpower? I think.

I just had a thought about how soft power countries like Korea and Japan have given Thailand a module to succeed using tourism and entertainment to boost their economy through producing artists. At this point, as much reign on the artist's private is on par to that of the Korean entertainment industry. Unlike Japan who have their artists more or less discreet. However using Japan and Korea as stepping stones, Thailand realized that they can take it a step further by legalizing gay marriage and protecting gay right to draw more foreigners in to boost commerce and bring in foreign trade with international advancements for their own profit if they see Thailand as this progressive country...

AAAAAHHHHHH MY HEAD IS GOING DOWN A RABBIT HOLE!

Oh fuck..

Anyway does anyone know where I can get a copy of love upon a time by littlebear96. I want to buy the book directly. I don't if it's still in Thai.

[lacomandante]

💭 + France

send 💭 + a topic to receive a headcanon about said topic.

       So this answer requires a bit of historical background and canon context: but the long and short of it: Teresa genuinely, deeply, hates the French with a pure, terrifying hatred- a direct quote from the books. She hunts the French and gives them a long, lingering deaths, seeking revenge for the atrocities they did upon her, her family, and her home. (rape and torture tw ahead).

        The French, in the Peninsular War, were infamously known for their war crimes. In both the books and the films, they march into her home town of Casatejada, and lay waste to everything. They force their way into their home- her father is blinded, and Teresa, her sister, Maria, and her mother were horrifically raped and brutalized, and her mother murdered after Maria begged the French to kill them. sparing the sisters. Her brother, Ramon, was crucified to the walls of the cellar, nails through his wrists, surrounded by a sea of blood, as the towns people were dragged in there and tortured to death.

“The cellar was spattered with blood, with bodies that showed death in a dozen horrid ways...the floor was black with Spanish blood, strewn with mutilations obscene as nightmare. Young, old, men and women, all killed horribly...and in the cellar the Spanish had died, slowly and with exquisite pain. The bodies lay in the crumpled way of the dead, their number impossible to count, or to tell the ways in which they had died. Some were too young even to have known what had happened, killed no doubt before their mothers eyes.”

        While this sounds over the top, this is historically accurate. This is not even the worst of the atrocities the French actually committed during this war- and I’m not giving a pass to the English, either, (nor the Spaniards). But the French showed an incredible blood thirst that horrified even the English, and are often written about in accounts from the war.

         The French took everything from Teresa- her mother, her life from before, all their wealth, and her honor, most of all- Blas Vivar crudely tells Sharpe, after admitting he harbors feelings for her, to forget about Teresa, that she’s “no longer a woman”, and details what happened to her. Because she’s been raped, she’s seen as ruined, and the choices were either to die, or to seclude herself in a convent in shame. Teresa chooses neither.

        After this horrific attack, Teresa swears an oath on her mothers grave, and rides the hills, hunts the French, and hopes to die. She is called La Aguja, The Needle, for her dagger used to slit French throats. She tortures with little remorse, sets up ambushes, and is a terrifying force against the French, and a great spy. She calls the French pigs, swine, and keeps count of how many she’s killed, never enough. “...and every Frenchman she knifed with her long slim blade was one small part of the endless revenge she had promised to inflict on the soldiers who had raped her.”

        But for as much as Teresa hates the French, she’s not without manners. Colonel Dubreton, a French officer, compliments her, tells her she’s as beautiful as she is dangerous, and invites her to dine with them during a truce on Christmas Eve. Sharpe’s surprised that Teresa politely declines.

"Of course, Madame." Dubreton paused. "Your husband has done me a great service, Madame, a personal service. To him I owe my wife's safety.  If it is ever in my power, then I will feel honored to repay that debt." Teresa smiled. "You'll forgive me if I hope it is never in your power?" "I regret we are enemies." "You can leave Spain, then we need not be." "To be your friend, Madame, makes the idea of losing this war bearable." She laughed, pleased with the compliment, and to Sharpe's utter astonishment held out her hand and let the Frenchman kiss it.

        Teresa, in the film Sharpe’s Company, murders a French engineer- he had caught her spying, and as a ruse, Teresa kissed him- and when questioned as to why she killed him, Teresa answers that she’d never let a Frenchman lay their hands on her ever again. And here (in the books anyways), Teresa offers her hand for one to kiss! He’s clearly not like the others, and shows her great respect, despite being an enemy of France with quite a bounty on her head. THAT is a nuance I love- that Teresa can hate the French with all the passion of her passionate soul, and still be polite, have conversations, and even enjoy Dubreton’s company, however brief.

         Now, that’s all canon- as for what my headcanons are for Teresa regarding the French, I think Teresa actually had a favorable opinion of the French before the war, and greatly admired them!

        Bordering France, Spain has had a tumultuous relationship with them over the centuries, both as allies and enemies. Fashion, culture, and politics often spread from France, having a great influence as time went on, and it was impossible for even Spain, traditional and stubborn as they were, to resist. French politicians and philosophers were beginning to be found in many tertulias, their ideas becoming more popular with the upper class, and the royal court began to have more and more supporters, who were called anfrancesados, from the verb afrancesar = to become like the French, to take on French mannerisms and culture, to act French. French lovers, if you would. There’s a lot of political whirlwinds in the 1790′s until 1808 about relations with France, so it’s hard to simplify.

        Teresa was born and raised in a more rural area, but was very, very wealthy. Her family owned the entire valley where they resided. Because of her status and her wealth, Teresa was able to get education at the University of Salamanca, which did accept women, though in Spain, women’s education was quite uncommon. From there, she would’ve been able to make connections to other families, and it was common to travel and stay with friends and family, and be invited to other places- from there, I think she went to Madrid for a while and was exposed to the greater life and culture afforded in the capital than in the country, including that of the French. The fashion, the food, but most of all, the liberal ideas.

        And because Spain was very traditional during this period, Teresa’s taste of (some) freedom and education in Salamanca, I think, would make her more open to the ideas of the French. I think for someone as headstrong, ambitious, and determined as she is, she would want more than what was offered, and being exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking would captivate her. This would more than likely be anytime between 1800-1806. While she leaves the cities behind and eventually returns to her home, she keeps those ideas in the back of her mind.

        But unfortunately, Teresa learned those ideas come at a cost- and her once goodwill and maybe even admiration of the French turned into hatred, for those ideals were paid in blood.

[sahrayliathefaelia]

i guess i shouldn't be surprised about this but re: the introduction of claire as a character in the bear--y'all really love hating women and completely disregarding larger narrative arcs don't you

[mozart-the-meerkitten]

me: *comes up with a fun AU in my head with Artham, Fiddleford and Bruno*

my brain: what if you drew it

me: oh my gosh you’re right, what if I drew it

Behold the boys! AU Fiddleford and Bruno. Where’s Artham, you ask? Well I stole him from Wingfeather Falls, which is my extension of Wingfeather Saga canon and he met and rescued the AU versions of his best friends. But then he had to go home to his own universe, of course. So, Bruno and Fidds have been charged with finding their universe’s Artham (they really want to, they miss their friend).

Fiddleford’s infinity scarf and Bruno’s ruana were made by Artham and they wear them everywhere now. Fidds’ scarf is light blue and Bruno’s ruana is green but the streaks in it are a dark blue and the details are different if I ever get around to drawing them. They both live at Casita with the Madrigals.

[blumineck]

"Why are there so many female archers in fiction?"

Please forgive the clickbait-y title! This is a super complex and interesting topic that I barely scratch the surface of here, but I hopefully will be able to do more justice to things like this in the future!

Also, it's not the point of the video, but I had fun with the outfits in this- do you have any faves?

As always, please consider supporting me on Patreon if you can, or watching on youtube if not!

[greenflowerceo]

[i stand up and grab the mic]

[the crowd boos]

HAAHAH OK BUT JOKES ASIDE, i've noticed someone already reblogged the general character stuff from the episode he's in so we got that covered, i'll just use this reblog as an excuse to ramble about my greenflower <3 there's so much i can't squeeze into this text post, u need at least a four hour call with me to know how much i think about these guys LMAO

a big chunk of my interest with them lies on how a big aspect of lloyd's past is just so unexplored yet it's so fun and fascinating. like kinda comical that a school for villains (or bad boys, to be specific) exists in ninjago and we're expected to skate past it

honestly, it doesn't even have to be a ship with the dynamics and character arcs that lloyd can get, but i think it'd also be fun to explore him and brad's relationship if it were to take a more romantic route

i like to think it could add on to lloyd and focus on what he thinks of himself, as the green ninja and as lloyd garmadon. the darkleys kids are able to know lloyd from before all the ninja stuff and i like to hone in on that

(long-ish ramble about my headcanons below, it's mostly about the darkleys kids and how i like to apply them in lloyd's life and his character aksjaksj)

one of my favorite things to think abt my lloyd is how he tries to really come across as a "good" guy. i like to joke that the disguise in s12 was just the culmination of all of his punky vibes and was his one opportunity to really lean into it. but he's kinda worried that somehow applying anything punk on his ninja fit might make him seem more threatening or less "good".

ninjago's perception on them is always iffy and he'd rather tread on the safe side, so i think it'd be cool if they helped him reconnect with interests he's even a bit too worried to indulge in for the case that it might put him in a negative light. (mostly like. stuff he associates from s1-s2 when he was a snotty kid that accidentally summoned the serpentine for an evil army)

that and also they ensure he actually makes time for himself and not put himself too much into his work to enjoy stuff he used to

cause .. they came from the same school and probably had to go through the same arc of acceptance. yeah, they didn't really commit great "evil" acts such as he did from the earlier seasons but i think the support and bonds that come from relating and being through the same experience can make him feel like he at least belongs somewhere, you know?

the way i interpret the darkleys kids make me think they'd be a bit shocked to have lloyd hang out and then realize . that he's still the same stupid dork from all those years ago and then shed most of the green ninja stuff immediately HAHAHAAHHA

i also like to think on how retouching upon this past and using the stuff that he came to learn from darkleys can help him in his missions as well.. like putting it in a new light

the stuff he's learned for evil can be used to do good kinda thing HAHAHAH it's cheesy but ykno, the guy's applying what he's learned from villain school (¯▿¯)

all of this mostly talks about them in a general sense but i think brad can also add to the contribution because of that little throwaway line from lloyd about how brad taught him the ropes at darkleys. i took it and ran away with it so hard . childhood friends to lovers babeeeey

guys i’m uneducated what is the vibe for greenflower. who is brad. what does he look like. what is their dynamic.

[shshshshshowrunner]

I think you guys are underestimating me again but not in the previous way where I'm dangerous but instead in the way where i don't think any of you actually realize how far i'm willing to go on a "Please". no one asks for anything :(

[throwing-roses-into-the-abyss]

so today I found out that 1) emo style (for men) and tumblr girls fashion are in the FIT's online fashion timeline, and 2) they're very, very wrong about both of these styles.

for emo style, they wrote:

"On the other end of the spectrum, the indie rock look saw the rise of skinny jeans for men, band t-shirts with blazers, black fingernails, skinny ties, and side-swept bangs covering part of the face. This was initially inspired in the early part of the decade by bands such as The Strokes and The Libertines whose style was intertwined with fashion through Dior Homme designer Hedi Slimane (Gallagher). Slimane, inspired himself by indie music, favored slim-fit trousers with blazers, skinny ties, and bedraggled hair (Fig. 5). In the middle part of the decade, this also included Hussar jackets inspired by The Libertines and worn with jeans by both men and women in Britain especially (Fig. 6). By 2007, Slimane’s stylistic preferences were being adopted by high street stores such as Zara and H&M (Gallagher)."

Aside from them only writing about emo in the mens fashion section (which is also very confusing), this whole bit is baffling to me, because how do you not even mention emo essentially being a new version of punk (with more depression). How do you not even mention the biggest band names involved in the scene like My Chemical Romance, Paramore and Fall Out Boy. How do you not even mention it was about expressing how you felt different, like an outsider.

And then there's their bit about Tumblr girls:

Tumblr Girls, so named for the blogging site and who reached their peak in 2014, followed closely on the indie sleaze of the late 2000s. Their style incorporated elements of grunge like Dr Martens and dark colors, along with logo t-shirts (Fig. 7). Refinery29’s Maggie Zhou described their wardrobe:

“Skinny black jeans with knee rips, a pair of Doc Martens, faded band tees, fishnet stockings, chokers, and denim jackets could be found in her wardrobe rotation.”

As a sign of how quickly trends moved during the decade, while Tumblr Girls faded in the middle part of the decade, the e-girls of the late 2010s adopted elements of Tumblr Girl style, updating it with tennis skirts and striped shirts.

To me, Tumblr style at the time was a mixture of emo, hipster, and nerd (so, for example, having Doctor Who shirts with skinny black jeans and the glasses with big black rims like the hipsters).

In fairness, my main source for my thoughts on this can be summed up as "I WAS THERE", I have 0 actual sources backing this up beyond my memory, but still. I'm well aware that my own personal experience is not representative of the whole style, but these articles don't describe my experiences in emo style and on tumblr at the time at all.

[mephisto-reporting]

Dinner’s Ready

About: After a long and exhausting day filled with chores and responsibilities, the reader finds unexpected comfort and support from someone unexpected Pairing: Reader x Xavier, Zayne, Rafayel, Sylus (Seperate) Note: Reader and the men are not in a relationship yet but there is an implied mutual attraction.

SYLUS

The day had dragged on, pulling at every ounce of your patience. The Hunters Association had been relentless—meetings, reports, more meetings. You had barely had time to breathe, let alone grab lunch. As much as you wanted to collapse into bed the moment you got home, you knew that wasn’t in the cards tonight. The dishes were piling up, the laundry was overdue, and you still needed to make dinner. Ugh, just the thought made your head spin.

You’d spoken to Sylus earlier in the day, venting about how chaotic everything had been. He’d listened, as he always did, his smooth voice teasing you about biting off more than you could chew. But you hadn’t expected him to really care; Sylus wasn’t the type to coddle, especially not when he knew you could handle yourself.

Yet, as you stopped by the grocery store to grab ingredients, you couldn’t help but think about how nice it would be to have just one thing go your way today. Maybe a nice bowl of pho, something warm and comforting. But making it from scratch? Hell, no. That was not on your agenda for the foreseeable future.

You sighed heavily, picking up the essentials and thinking about the mountain of laundry waiting for you back at the apartment. "Today... I just can't catch a break," you mumbled to yourself, rubbing at your temple as you mentally ticked off your endless to-do list. Would it ever end?

As you rounded the corner to your building, your breath hitched in surprise. Standing casually near the entrance to your apartment complex, leaning against the wall with a faint smirk on his face, was none other than Sylus. His black coat billowed slightly in the evening breeze, and he looked every bit as confident and composed as always. But what surprised you even more was the sight of a bag in his hand, and the fact that he was here, yet again unannounced.

"Sylus? What are you doing here?" you asked, blinking as you approached him.

He pushed off the wall with that lazy grace of his, his smirk widening ever so slightly. "I was in the area, sweetie." he said smoothly, examining his finger nails. "Thought I’d drop by."

You frowned, not entirely convinced. Sylus didn’t just drop by without a reason. Your eyes flickered to the bag in his hand, curiosity bubbling to the surface as you unlocked the door and motioned for him to come inside.

Once inside, you barely had time to put your groceries down before Sylus moved toward the kitchen counter, setting his own bag down. His movements were confident, efficient, as if he’d been here a hundred times before.

“You didn’t answer my question,” you said, watching as he pulled out two bowls, your curiosity growing. “What’s with the bag?”

He glanced over his shoulder, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk. “Just thought you could use a break. Take a seat." he instructed, his voice a little softer than usual.

Too tired to argue, you did as he said, sinking into a chair as he deftly unpacked the contents of the bag. To your utter shock, he began plating two steaming bowls of pho—from your favorite restaurant. The broth, the noodles, the garnishes—it was all there, and it looked perfect.

"How did you know…?" you murmured, eyeing the bowl in disbelief. You hadn’t told anyone about your pho craving.

Sylus glanced at you, a knowing glint in his eye as he placed the bowl in front of you. "Mephisto noticed you were... less than pleasant all day," he said casually. "Figured this would make things better."

Your gaze flicked to the sleek black crow perched on the window, and back to him, your lips parting in surprise. He’d actually noticed. More than that, he’d cared. And in his own subtle, roundabout way, Sylus had made sure to do something about it.

Your tired muscles seemed to relax all at once as you let out a sigh, a genuine smile tugging at your lips for the first time that day. “You have no idea how much better this makes things,” you murmured, feeling the exhaustion from the day begin to melt away. "You didn’t have to do this," you said softly, meeting his gaze. He always went out of his way when it came to you and you often felt guilty for you thought you did not have enough to offer him anything in return. It wasn’t often that Sylus went out of his way for others—his world was one of deals, power, and survival, not tenderness or comfort. But here he was. For you.

Sylus chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Oh, I think I do,” He grabbed his own bowl sliding into one of your kitchen chairs with that same self-assured ease."But... you’ve been pushing yourself too hard. Thought I’d step in before you ran yourself into the ground."

You raised an eyebrow, a soft chuckle escaping you. "Oh, and this has nothing to do with you wanting to keep your favorite hunter functional?"

"Maybe…" His eyes held yours for a moment longer before he dug in, motioning to the table. "Now eat before it gets cold."

The two of you sat down, and for a few moments, there was a comfortable silence between you as you savored the meal. The pho was perfect, the warmth of the broth soothing the ache that had settled into your bones. You hadn’t realized just how much you needed this moment of peace.

As you glanced over at Sylus, his usual sharp edges seemed softer somehow. Maybe it was the dim light in the apartment, or the fact that he had gone out of his way to do something kind, something just for you.

“Thanks,” you said, your voice soft, almost shy, as you broke the silence. “This… it really does help.”

Sylus looked at you, his gaze unreadable for a beat before he leaned back in his chair, that familiar smirk playing at his lips again. "I told you, I have my ways."

But beneath the teasing, there was something more in his expression—something that made your heart skip a beat. You didn’t need words to know that he had noticed you in a way others hadn’t, that he saw the little things, the cracks in your armor.

As you finished the meal, the exhaustion you’d carried all day seemed to lift, replaced by a warmth that had nothing to do with the pho. Sylus’s presence, for all his cryptic remarks and unreadable expressions, made you feel... cared for.

Noticing your lingering gaze, Sylus leaned back, crossing his arms with a satisfied smirk. “I do have my moments of brilliance.”

“More like rare moments,” you teased, a playful spark lighting your eyes.

He chuckled, the sound rich and genuine. “I’ll take that as a compliment, kitten. Now, how about we make a habit of this? You can complain about your hectic days, and I’ll bring the pho.”

The warmth between you deepened, the air thick with unspoken feelings and a comforting ease that felt like home. You smiled, savoring not just the delicious meal but the presence of the man beside you. “Deal.”

RAFAYEL

The day had been an absolute disaster. From the moment you woke up, everything felt like it was falling apart—meetings running late, a mountain of reports piling up, and to top it all off, your bike was in the shop for repairs. Taking the train had been a nightmare, delays at every station and a sea of people crammed together. You had been venting to Rafayel all day, pouring out your frustration in messages about the chaos and exhaustion of adulthood. He responded with his usual playful sarcasm, offering snarky comments that somehow managed to make you smile, even on a day like this.

Why does everything have to be so hard? you thought as you finally stepped off the train and made your way out of the station. As you finally exited the station, the cool evening air greeted you, a temporary reprieve from the stifling atmosphere of the train. Just as you were about to lose yourself in another mental rant about your never-ending to-do list, a familiar voice broke through your thoughts.

“Hey, Miss Bodyguard,” Rafayel's teasing voice cut through the air, his tone playful as always. You looked up, startled but undeniably pleased to see him leaning casually against a nearby wall, a smirk on his lips.

“You stalking me now?” you asked, a smile tugging at the corners of your mouth despite your exhaustion.

He shrugged, falling into step beside you as you began the walk home. “I wouldn’t call it stalking, especially when you keep giving me live updates about your day. ” he said with a smirk, his eyes gleaming with that mischievous glint you’d come to know so well. “You’ve been complaining about your day since noon. Thought I'd check if you survived.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at your lips. "Barely. The train was a nightmare, I’m behind on reports, and now I still have to cook dinner. This day won’t end.”

As the two of you walked, you found yourself venting aloud, unloading all the frustrations of the day onto him. Rafayel listened, his gaze soft yet amused, occasionally tossing in a remark or two that made you laugh despite yourself. He had this way of making even the worst days feel lighter. Once you reached home, you plopped on the couch, continuing your tirade on the pointless meetings instead of actually fighting wanderers.  “Seriously, how does anyone manage all this without completely losing it?” you groaned. “Work, reports, cooking, laundry—it’s never-ending! And now I’ve that I am home, I have to make dinner, and tackle those stupid reports…”

Just as you were about to complain more about your overwhelming workload, the doorbell rang.

"Who's that?" you muttered, confused.

Before you could get up, Rafayel waved a hand dismissively. “I got it. Stay where you are."

You gave him a suspicious look, knowing how he could be, but you let him go anyway. He strolled to the door with that infuriating confidence of his, moving like he owned the place.

A minute later, he returned with a package in hand, his expression smug.

“What did you order?” you asked, still perplexed.

He raised an eyebrow. “Who said it was your package?”

Your confusion deepened, but before you could question him further, Rafayel placed the box on the counter and opened it, revealing two neatly packed containers of chicken alfredo. Your jaw dropped as you stared at the food, your tired brain trying to make sense of what was happening.

“You…” you began, words failing you.

Rafayel glanced over his shoulder, catching your stunned expression with an amused grin. “What? You think I didn’t hear you complaining about adulting all day?”

Without waiting for a response, he plated the pasta, his movements surprisingly smooth and graceful as he brought two steaming plates to the table. He set one in front of you, then sat down across from you, his smirk softening just a fraction. “Figured I’d save you the trouble. You’ve been whining about it so much that even the turtles have heard it all the way across the ocean.”

You stared at the plate in disbelief. His company had already started to ease the tension in your shoulders, but this? This gesture—so thoughtful, so uncharacteristically sweet—had your heart fluttering.

“Raf…” you began, but he waved a hand, dismissing your attempt at gratitude.

“Don’t get all sentimental on me,” he quipped, though the hint of tenderness in his eyes betrayed him. “I needed to eat too, you know! And who knew how long it would take for you to whip something up? Just eat...”

You couldn’t help but laugh, warmth filling your chest as you took a bite of the creamy pasta. The taste was perfect—rich, comforting, exactly what you needed after a day like this. And though he was trying to act like it was no big deal, you could tell this was his way of looking out for you.

“Thanks,” you said softly, catching his gaze.

Rafayel leaned back in his chair, the smirk returning full force. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t get used to it.”

But you could tell—despite the teasing, despite the banter—that he was glad he could make your day a little better. Maybe adulting wasn’t so bad when you had Rafayel by your side…

ZAYNE

As Zayne finished his usual check-up on you, his hands gentle but firm as they performed the routine exam, you couldn’t help but let out a long, tired sigh. It had been a day. Patrolling the city, fighting off wanderers, and then filing reports had left you drained, and the thought of having to go home and make dinner was the last thing you wanted to deal with.

Zayne noticed immediately, his sharp eyes studying you with that calm, steady gaze of his. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his tone soft but laced with the kind of precision that came naturally to him as a doctor.

You shook your head, brushing it off. “Nothing serious. Just... thinking about my day.” You tried to give him a reassuring smile, but even you could feel how thin it was. “ But it is over now, so that is something to think about, hehe.. ”

He didn’t press you, which you were grateful for. Zayne had always been like that—understanding, patient, and perceptive. Even when you didn’t tell him how you were feeling, he always seemed to just know.

As you gathered your things and prepared to head out, Zayne cleared his throat. “My shift’s over. How about I drop you off at home?”

Surprised, you turned to face him, and for a moment, you considered saying no, but the truth was—it had been a while since you and Zayne had spent any time together outside of these clinical settings. You nodded, grateful for the company. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

The drive was peaceful, the hum of the car and the cool night air lulling you into a more relaxed state. Zayne wasn’t one for unnecessary chatter, which you appreciated. His presence alone was enough to take the edge off your exhaustion.

Without warning, he slowed the car and pulled into the parking lot of a familiar spot—your favorite hot pot restaurant. You blinked, confused but intrigued.

“Hot pot?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zayne gave a small, knowing smile. “It’ll save us both from having to cook,” he explained, always the practical one. “And on nights like these, something warm and hearty is good for the body. Better circulation, helps relax the muscles after a long day. Plus, it’s my treat since I dragged you here.”

You couldn’t help but laugh softly at how effortlessly he slipped into his medical reasoning, but more than that, you felt your heart warm at the gesture. You hadn’t even vented to him about how drained you were, yet somehow, Zayne had picked up on it and brought you exactly where you needed to be. It was almost too perfect. That was just how he was—quietly thoughtful, always tuned in to what would make your day a little better.

“That’s pretty thoughtful of you,” you said, unable to hide the warmth in your tone. “I could definitely use some hot pot. You know me too well.” You eagerly unbuckled your seatbelt and got out of the car.

“I do,” he replied, his smile soft yet confident as the two of you walked into the cozy restaurant. The warmth of the place immediately surrounded you, and it felt like the perfect escape from the long, tiring day.

As you settled into a booth, you couldn’t help but think how lucky you were to have Zayne in your life—someone who understood you without needing you to explain everything. As the two of you were seated inside, ordering your favorite dishes and letting the rich, fragrant broth bubble between you, the conversation flowed easily. Zayne’s calm demeanor was a balm to your tired mind, and his subtle teasing made you laugh more than once.

As the hot pot simmered in front of you, Zayne casually brought up another idea. “There’s a cake shop close to your place. I was thinking we could swing by after. I’ve been meaning to get something sweet.” His love for desserts was well known, and you could already picture the way his eyes would light up at the prospect of picking out his favorite cake.

The suggestion made you smile wider than you had all day. “I’d love that.”

There was something unspoken lingering between you. But in moments like these, with Zayne looking at you with that easy smile and making your long day just a little bit brighter, you could feel it. And you were more than happy to bask in it, even if just for tonight. As you walked out of the restaurant side by side, the chill in the air wasn’t so bad anymore.

XAVIER

You collapsed onto the couch with a long, tired groan, your face buried in a pillow. The mission had been grueling, and now that you were back home, a mountain of chores awaited you—dinner to make, the house to clean, bills to pay. It felt like there was no end in sight, like you couldn’t catch a single break.

For a moment, you let yourself wallow in the exhaustion, silently trying to gather enough mental energy to tackle everything. Maybe if you just lay here long enough, the universe would cut you some slack.

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang, cutting through your thoughts. You blinked, sitting up slowly. Who could that be right now?

Dragging yourself to the door, you opened it, and standing there was Xavier, his usual easygoing smile softening the weariness that had taken hold of you.

“Hey, mind if I come in?” he asked, his voice low and gentle. You didn’t even need to reply because he lifted his hand, showing you a takeout bag. The familiar logo of your favorite burger joint was printed on it.

Your heart did a little flip, the tension from the day starting to melt away. “Xavier...”

“I figured you had a long day,” he said, stepping inside once you nodded, his tone casual but warm. “Heard from the others that it was pretty rough. And while I can’t promise anything gourmet, I figured burgers, fries, and churros were safe bets. Oh, and drinks too. No cooking necessary.”

The way he effortlessly made you feel seen without even needing to ask, it was just so him. He had this way of knowing exactly what you needed without making a big deal out of it, like he was always quietly observing, thinking of ways to help without making a fuss.

“Thank you,” you murmured, genuinely touched. “This is exactly what I needed.”

As you led him into the living room, Xavier wasted no time setting up the food on your coffee table, all casual like he’d done this a hundred times before. You couldn’t help but smile to yourself as he passed you a drink and a burger. It was so thoughtful, so simple yet perfect.

While you ate, the tension from earlier spilled out. “I’ve got so much to do still,” you admitted, venting to him between bites. “The house is a mess, I have to pay the bills, and the trash is piling up. I just... I don’t even know where to start.”

Xavier leaned back against the couch, his eyes focused on you but in that soft, reassuring way he always had. “Why not start tomorrow?” he suggested, his tone light but confident, as if the solution was obvious. “I’ll take the trash out when I leave. The rest? You can handle it later. No point in burning yourself out tonight.”

He stretched an arm casually over the back of the couch, settling in with that relaxed vibe he always carried, but there was a quiet depth in his words. He wasn’t one for grand gestures or dramatic speeches, but in his own way, he was telling you to take it easy, that he had your back.

“Besides,” he added, his lips quirking into a small grin, “I was thinking we could watch a movie. You know, unwind. You’ve earned it.”

You looked at him for a moment, feeling the weight of your day easing with every word. He didn’t push, didn’t force you to agree, but the offer was so tempting. With the food, the company, and the way he was so effortlessly making everything better, it felt like a much-needed lifeline.

“That sounds like a good idea,” you said, smiling softly as you leaned back beside him, the stress of your responsibilities finally taking a back seat. You let out a sigh of relief, knowing deep down you’d end up thanking him for this later.

The unspoken connection between you both lingered in the air, not something you needed to say out loud. It was there, in the way he knew just what you needed, in the comfortable silence that followed as the movie started. You didn’t need words to acknowledge it. It was simply... understood.

And as Xavier settled in next to you, you realized that tonight, the chores could wait. Right now, this was enough.

AN: reblogs, feedback and opinions are appreciated!

[januaryembrs]

Hi! May I have a hot chocolate with Aaron Hotchner and a splash of angst please?

OVERPROTECTIVE | Aaron Hotchner x Reader

description: keeping your relationship with your boss is difficult when he gets so damn overprotective

length: 2.5k (Em doesn't know how to go small on things)

warnings: mention of a knife? mention of feeling sick? mention of a wound?

“Sit down, Agent,” His voice was a growl that made you stop loading up your gun, Emily and Derek freezing in their seats to witness the catfight when they caught the heated glare exchanged between the two of you. Your fingers paused on the cartridge, clicking it into the ammunition vault before switching your glock onto the safety, turning to face your boyfriend with a sneer on your face. 

“Agent?” You tested the water with a raised brow, seeing if he would double down with his attitude once he seemed to have realised he had crossed some sort of line with his words. 

“Prentiss and Morgan are going after the suspect, I want you here with Reid mapping out the geographical profile,” He ordered his teams, though you were quick to catch how he couldn’t meet your eyes as he turned to Dave, his fingers fixing his cuffs the way he did when he was thinking about something, “Dave, I want you with JJ at hostage negotiation, he still has the girls and might not be willing to give them up so easily-”

“Surely we’d be more use in the field, I mean, we’ve gotten pretty much everything out of the profile that we can.” Reid tried to point out, only for Hotch to turn to him with a scathing frown. 

“Is there something wrong with the orders I’ve given, Reid?” Aaron asked, his tone particularly cold, and Spencer was quick to look flustered, ever the teachers pet who loathed being told off. 

“N-no I just thought,” He spluttered, quickly packing up his files as Hotch gave him a sharp look, “We’ll stay here, it’s fine,” 

Your Unit Chief barely acknowledged him as he huffed, turning and heading for his office, “Wheels up in ten,” 

But you weren’t going to let him slip away that easily, especially not with an attitude like that. 

“Baby girl, think about what you’re doing here,” Morgan tried to call as you paced after him, your expression ruthless as you stalked behind the man, “Starting a fight with the boss is not going to win you any favours, sweetheart,” 

Except he wasn’t just your boss, only they didn’t know that. 

Aaron could tell you were hot on his heels even without hearing Morgan’s desperate attempt to help. To them, it must look like one of their colleagues was about to make a huge misjudgement on just how harsh their boss could be when he wanted to. Every single one of the BAU had gone head to head with Aaron at some point, it was only natural for eight people who spent day in, day out with one another, but not one of them had left the interaction feeling good about themselves. 

As a boyfriend, Aaron was almost a complete antithesis of who he was at work. His words were butter smooth, his touch gentle as lace, his heart surprisingly tender for a man who had seen the worst humanity had to offer. And he respected you, he was kind, he was soft and mallowed out, and it had started bleeding into his demeanour at work in the five months you’d been dating. He’d come to work with a skip in his step, you showing up around five minutes later now you guys had coordinated sitting in his car for a little longer to avoid suspicion. Aaron seemed to find your eyes in moments of worry, and it usually only took a small smile or a passing touch of your hands that could easily be explained as an accident to calm him down. 

But he had changed last week, when an UnSub had managed to catch your shoulder with a knife.

It was a surface scratch, nothing a few stitches and a dose of painkillers hadn’t cleared up, and you could already feel the scab peeling off, but since then Aaron had been stiflingly overbearing at work. 

You shut the door behind you, already seeing the way he rubbed at his temple with calloused hands, and you knew the sigh was coming even before you heard it, low and tired, like he didn’t want this argument here. 

“What the hell was that?” You said, your tone clipped as you stared furiously at his broad shoulder blades where he still had his back to you, “Spencer did nothing wrong, he was just trying to help, and he’s totally right, we’d be so much more use with Morgan and Prentiss-”

“If you have an issue with how I run my unit, you can take it up with Strauss,” Aaron snapped, barely looking over his shoulder, “Until then, I expect my orders to be followed, agent,”  

You crossed your arms over your chest, and he knew by the way you’d gone quiet you were staring daggers at him. Taking a shaking breath, he looked at you finally, and felt his resolve crumble almost immediately when he saw how truly seething you were. So much so he didn’t even catch the hurt in your expression until you began speaking. 

“Is it just ‘agent’, now?” You asked, your voice cracking as you swallowed quickly, “It’s not honey, or love, or sweetheart? Or is that only when you want the girlfriend version of me.”

Aaron stopped, whatever witted and crass remark that had about to fly out of his mouth vanishing, and he wished the rest of the team would just clear out of the floor, because he wanted nothing more than to pull you in for a tight hug and tell you in every way he thought possible that he was sorry he was being so cruel. 

But he couldn’t. Because he could feel their eyes on the two of you from here. Here he had to be SSA Aaron Hotchner. Here he couldn’t protect you when creeps were coming at you with knives or stalking women who could easily be your twin. Here he had to stop himself from being so pliant under your touch. 

“You know why I can’t,” He said coldly, his eyes begging and weak, yet they were the only thing that gave him away. His jaw was tense and his brows furrowed, and to anyone else on the floor it looked like he was giving you a stern talking to. 

Except you just scowled, “Can’t be my boyfriend or can’t stop worrying that something is going to happen to me in the field?” You said, and his lips pressed together tightly, because sometimes he hated not being the only one in the relationship that was a profiler. Of course you knew what it was about, you’d seen it in his face when the two of you were being intimate and he caught sight of the bandage, how he’d been completely distracted and tense for the rest of the evening, “That’s what this is about, right? All of this for a tiny cut on my shoulder that’s going to be gone within a week?” 

“Two inches to the right and that guy could slashed your throat,” He snapped, the truth a sore spot for him, and you shook your head, throwing your hands up in despair. 

“How many hits have you taken, Aaron, huh?” You bit back, and he ground his teeth for lack of response, “It’s an occupational hazard, it’s not a big deal, I mean Reid and Penelope have taken bullets for us, I just think you’re being a little overprotective here,”

“I can’t lose you, can you not see that?” He snarled back, his voice rising so high with his frustration he felt his cheeks warm, and in a split second he looked like a wounded animal stuck in a bear trap, cornered and scared and waiting on the inevitable. 

Your mouth dropped in guilt, the fight dying out of your chest because you got it then, you got it why he was being so defensive. He was too slow to stop something from happening to Hayley, and here, right in front of him, was his sparkly new girlfriend risking her life like that wouldn’t be anyone’s worst nightmare. 

You felt terrible, and judging by the way he seemed to bite the inside of his cheek, he did too. Perhaps for shouting at you, perhaps just for being too intense for a relatively new relationship, but before you could attempt to come to an understanding, Spencer opened the door, his eyes shooting between the two of you as the silence became a medium for your tension.

“Rossi wants to know if you guys are ready to head out?” He asked sheepishly, waiting for another snarl of anger from his boss, only to see Hotch looking more like he had a sour gummy shoved in his mouth as he avoided all eye contact. 

“We’re staying to do the profile, Spence,” You said solemnly, and he seemed to not want to poke at a sleeping bear, nodding and leading the two of you out to the drawing board, flicking one last look at Aaron where he was sorting some files around his desk, most likely looking for something to keep his shaking hands busy. 

Sighing, you closed the door behind you and tried to ignore the pain in your shoulder. 

–

He thinks you’ve probably caught the subway home with Spencer by the time they get back. The sixth floor is quiet, his bag heavy with the reports he could easily leave for Monday morning, except he wants to take his mind off the fight the two of you had. He cuts through the middle of the desks, Emily’s coffee cold and stale, Spencer’s cardigan stranded on his chair. He thinks about how he could show the youngest agent he’s sorry, because he shouldn’t have snapped like that, shouldn’t have made him feel small just because you were so totally in the right to be looking at him like that. 

He was immediately confronted with your coat and bag when he opened the door to his office, the two of them leaning against his filing cabinet like they were waiting for him, and he thought it was strange until he saw the culprit, or more so saw your shoes placed neatly under the sofa, your socked feet peeking over the end of the cushions. 

His gaze trailed to your face, calm and smoothed out, like he hadn’t seen the way a frown marred your face that moment he’d left the office as you’d been consulting the giant map he’d pinned up in the round table room. You were fast asleep, one hand tucked beneath your head as a pillow, your knees squishing out to accommodate your body on the two-seater.

Aaron drew a deep breath, gently sliding his bag off his shoulder and letting it sit on the floor beside your shoes, his hand immediately reaching for your calf with a gossamer soft embrace, his fingers squeezing you lightly and dancing up the length of your leg up to your hip. His other hand found home on your head, caressing the roots of your hair as he murmured your name. 

He said it again, a little louder, when you didn’t stir, and it was only then that your eyes fluttered behind your lids. Blinking slowly in the low light of his office, his desk lamp the only source of beige glow, you smiled on instinct when you saw his brown, puppy-dog stare, kicked and hurt as he looked down at you. 

Which was when it came back to you in a shooting pain, the last time you’d spoken, the tone and formality, as if he didn’t know you at all outside of these four walls. 

“You waiting for me?” He asked, his hand continuing its rhythm over your crown, and you nodded under his attentive gaze. 

“I didn’t want to go home alone, I wanted to make sure we were okay, and I knew you’d come here,” You said, and he smiled with an exhausted expression like he had the weight of the world bearing down on his back.

“Of course we’re okay, honey,” He replied, his hand migrating from your waist to grab your knuckles, bringing them to his dry lips to kiss softly. He sighed softly, looking down to where your fingers meshed together, “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. Or Reid. But especially not you,”

You let go of his rough fingers to bring a hand up to his face, cupping his cheek gently so he would look at you with those mournful noir hues. 

“Aaron, I’m gonna get bruised sometimes. This probably won’t be the last time, and it probably won’t be the worst one either,” He grit his teeth like the thought of it being even deeper, in an even more lethal spot, made him physically ill, “But I need you to trust in me, trust that I’m going to do everything to come home to you at the end of the day, the same way you do everything to come back to me. Alright?” 

Aaron sighed, leaning in to press his forehead to yours as you nudged your nose against his. 

“You make it so difficult for me to think straight when I’m meant to be your boss, you know that?” He murmured, and there was something boyishly teasing in his tone as he did so, so much so you smiled with him. Leaning in, you kissed him softly on the mouth, your hand moving to the back of his head to pull him closer 

“You will apologise, won’t you? For hurting Spencer’s feelings,” You implored, breaking away from the embrace for a moment, until Aaron tried to dodge your question by kissing over your jaw. But you stood your ground, despite the fact you felt your eyes fluttering in pleasure, “Aaron, he’s sensitive,” 

“First thing Monday morning, I promise,” He said, though you half guessed it was just to please you, since he was already aiming for your neck, his hand grazing the hem of your shirt. 

“So, I know we’re in work, but I take it this is boyfriend Aaron I have now,” He hummed in confirmation, your skin pliant and warm under his lips, and he caught the splutter in your breath when he kissed your jugular the way you liked, “Okay well seeing as you’re boyfriend Aaron, I got to tell you, honey, my boss was being a total worms-for-brains today,” 

Aaron stopped, drawing away to look you in the face where you hid a snicker, and he quickly found the humour in it too as his fingers gripped around your stomach, “Oh, so it’s like that is it?”

You went to say something in rebuttal, only to feel his hands quickly start tickling your stomach, and you squealed in protest, grabbing at his wrists in an attempt to stop him. But it was no use. Aaron’s laughs, tired and groaning as they were, filled his office, and yours quickly symphonied them.

You didn’t even get a chance to tell him that Spencer definitely, definitely knew you two were dating.  

[metalandmagi]

Romance Anime Starter List

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sick and tired of seeing “Top ___ Best Anime of All Time” lists that are nothing but shounen. So, with "My Happy Marriage" getting a little attention from the anime community, I wanted to put together a list of some romance anime that I consider good “starters” for the genre. Because if I were just now becoming an anime fan, I’d think all there was to offer was shounen action series.

And by “starters” I mean basic stuff that’s not too…out there, and actually involves the characters getting together instead of just harems or using romance as a side plot (sorry Ouran High School Host Club and My Next Life as a Villainess). 

So if you’re new to anime and want stuff that’s not just guys beating the shit out of each other (which is also fun, don’t get me wrong), here are some basics.

Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale- When the pessimistic Tamahiko Shima loses all function in his right arm, his family sends him away to live in the mountains with the cheerful, hard working Yuzuki Tachibana…who was purchased by the Shima family to pay off her family’s debts and basically act as a caretaker/future bride for Tamahiko so they’d never have to deal with him again. It’s a more cheerful version of My Happy Marriage (without the supernatural stuff), except in this one, the guy is the one who has massive self-esteem issues and an abusive family. There are still very serious themes, but ultimately it’s not meant to make you cry every episode. I swear it’s so good, but nobody watched it!

Horimiya- A slice of life in which pretty and popular high school queen bee Hori, finds out her quiet, unassuming classmate Miyamura is hiding piercings and tattoos that could get him expelled. The two gradually find out more about each other and get together in the most realistic way I’ve seen depicted in an anime. It’s also fucking hysterical and genuinely emotional.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie- Another slice of life that focuses on two adults who meet in an MMO game without realizing they also know each other in real life. I don’t want to say much more than that. It’s adorable, and the main character is so relatable it hurts.

Love with Yamada-kun at Level 999- Speaking of MMOs, this is a newer series about Akane Kinoshita, a college first year who’s reeling from a bad break up. In an attempt to get back at her ex, she winds up meeting Akito Yamada, a popular gamer who happens to be in her guild in the MMO they both play at an IRL meetup. The two go from acquaintances to something more as they keep running into each other. Even more relatable main characters and just wholesome relationships all around.

Snow White With The Red Hair- A fantasy in which an apothecary named Shirayuki (meaning, you guessed it, “snow white”) runs away from her home in order to escape becoming the concubine of her town’s prince. While fleeing, she is rescued by Zen, the prince of a neighboring country, and she ends up becoming an herbalist to repay him. It's super cute with some genuinely swoon worthy moments and a couple that just works so well together. I have a habit of comparing this to Akatsuki no Yona, even though the two aren’t really that alike. This is more romance driven while Akatsuki no Yona is more of a serious historical fantasy with romance elements (Yona manga is amazing, but the anime barely scratches the surface, so that’s why I didn’t include it).

Sasaki to Miyano- When the shy, easily flustered Miyano meets Sasaki, a cool “delinquent” upperclassmen, the two end up bonding over manga…specifically BL manga. That’s right, Miyano is a fudanshi, but due to his small stature and somewhat feminine appearance, he’s constantly trying to convince others that he’s not interested in having his own love story where he’d be reduced to a stereotypical doe-eyed uke. But as Sasaki and Miyano spend more time together, they realize that what they have is more than friendship, and they have to come to terms with their own perception of gay relationships. This is my favorite romance of all time. It’s a slow burn, but boy is it worth it. Their relationship is so natural and realistic, just like Horimiya. Just two people hanging out and bonding over things the way people do in real life!

Given: The story of some boys in a band with trauma. Enough said. It's great. Go watch it.

Bloom Into You- Yuu Koito is a high school girl who’s been waiting her whole life for her own perfect romance to start…but when she receives a confession, she realizes she doesn’t know how to respond when she’s just not into the guy. And then she gets another confession…this time from the cool student council president Touko Nanami, who basically jumpstarts her lesbian awakening. Very cute story about how we perceive the concept of love vs actually feeling it. Also has a canonically aro/ace side character, so that’s a win for me. Another show like this is Adachi to Shimamura (but I honestly don’t remember much about it. It just didn’t stick with me as much).

Ore Monogatari- Takeo Gouda is a tall, bulky high school first year with a sensitive heart of gold. He wants nothing more than to find his own true love, but most girls are intimidated by his enormous stature, and they end up falling for his conventionally attractive friend instead. That is, until he meets the tiny, adorable Rinko Yamato. He falls in love instantly, but he’s sure she’s interested in his best friend like everyone else, so he vows to help get them together, even though his heart is breaking. Peak himbo behavior. Pure of heart, dumb of ass.

Yuri on Ice- Yes it’s the gay figure skating anime everyone knows. And yes it’s a fucking romance, okay? I will die on this hill. The romance between Viktor and Yuri is just as important as the plot!

Kaguya-sama Love Is War- Two insanely smart high school students both have a crush on the other, but since they’re…you know…high schoolers, neither of them wants to admit it first. So they come up with increasingly convoluted plans to get the other to confess first. This will go down as one of the best of all time. It’s a hilarious yet poignant modern classic.

Fruits Basket- I’ve talked about it before and I’ll talk about it again. A romance “comedy” that slowly morphs into a drama about a girl named Tohru who finds herself living with the mysterious Sohma family after her mother dies. Little does she know, the Sohmas are the victims of a  (somewhat silly, but ultimately tragic) curse that she must fight to break. Even though I’m more into it for the family drama, the romance is still top tier and plays an important role in the story. This is my second favorite anime of all time, and it’s a classic for a reason. If anyone hasn’t watched it yet, GO WATCH IT! IT WILL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!

And now for some honorable mentions that didn't quite fit into the regular list:

Ride Your Wave- A movie about a surfer who falls in love with a firefighter……and I’m not going to say any more than that. Go into it blind. If you like stuff like Your Name, this is a good one to watch.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun- A comedy about a high school girl who finds out the upperclassman she has a crush on is actually a shoujo manga artist, and no matter how she tries to confess to him, he just never gets it.

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague- A slow burn slice of life that focuses on a guy with ice powers who has a crush on his coworker. That’s it. That’s the show. When I say slow, I mean SLOW. It’s perfectly cute and fluffy, but my god does it take forever to get anywhere with these two.

Skip to Loafer- A high strung, small town girl decides to go to high school in Tokyo, where she meets a variety of classmates, including the laid back Sousuke Shima. The unlikely pair become friends, and soon enough, she starts to feel something more than friendship. The only reason I didn’t include it in the main list is because they don’t get together by the end of the first season, but it’s still really cute (also canonically trans character for the win!?)

So that’s my starter list. And no, I didn’t include Toradora, even though it’s a classic. I know it’s blasphemous, but I like it more as a comedy than a romance. It kinda lost me with the ending. But anyway, maybe someone will find something they like. Or maybe you'll just want to roast me and my picks 😅