#I hope he has actually yummy meals forever

[ropes3amthoughts]

Ok so I’m going back through the manga because I’m trying to write a thing like a proper fancy thing but like these scenes…I LITTRLSLY FEEL NADUEOUS. CAN WE LOOK AT FHESE SCENES FOR A FRW SECOND SPLESDE

He’s offering to cook him something 😭😭😭

Omfg he’s learning and doing his best 😭😭😭 He’s so concentrated too 😭😭😭

Idk why so many people (mostly referring to characters in the manga but sometimes real life people do too) think Laios isn’t interested in people or whatever like he’s literally so sweet and he cares about people so much what the fuck

I was gonna put this* in my rant thing but it’s more Kabru-centric and this is much more Laios-centric so I probs have to cut it.

*This: Laios not only noted that Kabru must be hungry because he was revived (He also specifically used the term blood loss, which was probably because he could see Kabru being smushed to bloody bits in front of him. It also makes it oddly considerate that he noticed Kabru had bled a lot when killed and figured it would probably make him even hungrier) and offered to make Kabru a meal, he also had something specific he wanted to make just for Kabru. He did, unfortunately for Kabru, make a harpy omelet because Kabru said he was interested in monster food, so Kabru dislikes this, but it’s a very sweet gesture if you see it through Laios’ point of view. He doesn’t know Kabru hates monsters, he thinks Kabru is a friendly guy who is also interested in monster cuisine, and so when Kabru is hungry, he takes the time to learn and makes him monster cuisine just for him.

I’m probably just being sensitive and dramatic and shit because I’m on my period but what the fuck Laios is so sweet to him I’m going to be sick he was like “he’s probably hungry” and then he offered to make him something and he worked so hard on it and he thought Kabru would like it he was trying to make Kabru a delicious meal because they’re buddies and whatever what the fuckkkkn 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 shut up he’s so nice to Kabru I love that I love that so much and like Kabru is suffering poor thang but he fucking lied and so Laios is going off the lie he’s being as sweet as he can be making him a supposedly yummy meal ough he’s looking out for him

Spoilers for Dungeon Meshi Manga Chapter 76:

AND THEN LATER WHEN HE FINDS OUT KABRU DIDNT LIKE THE MEALS HE SAYS SORRY EVEN THKIGJ HE DIDNT KNOW AND KABRU LIED TO HOM AND HE OFFETEF T TAKE KABRU TO A NON MONSTER RESTAURNT BECAUSE HE WANT HIM TO HAVE A YUMMY MEAL SHUT FUCK UP WHAT THE FUCK 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I HOPE HE IS GOOD TO KABRU FOREVER AND WHEN TJEU ARE COWORKERS KABRU EATS GOOD MEALS EVERYDAY 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 KABRUUUUUUUUU 😭😭😭😭 LAISO TRINF TO OFFER HIM YUMMY MEALS MAKES ME SICK 😭😭😭😭😭😭 KABRU YUMMY MEAL PLEASEEEEE AND LAIOS HES HE HT MAKEMEAL 😭😭😭😭😭😭 OUGHH I FELL ILL

😭😭😭

[fluffypotatey]

Hello! I hope you're doing fine so far. I'd like to know, in your opinion, between Macaque and SWK, if one of them were offered the option of removing the feeling of pain and grief in their memory regarding each other, who is likely to go for it first without understanding what it means, or who would actually understand what that means? (It means any feelings that you have when it comes to that someone would be removed. The memory remains, but the meaning of it is taken out, forever gone to you. What is grief and pain, after all, but love gone astray?)

What do you think of the idea of SWK spewing magma and glowing like lava when emotional?

Eat your meals regularly, and drink water as often!

ok so I think i answer that first question already as well as some more like their devotion and complicated/unresolved issues (which were resolved when macky, you know…..died. but he’s back again sooooooooooo)

anyway, imma just say, in my heart, neither go through with it. both do consider it, i feel, but swk is lucky to have the JTTW companions to help him out, and macky, though alone, found death to be more relieving than losing those memories and emotions despite everything.

I LOVE the idea of swk being able to spew magma. he is a stone monkey!!!! he deserves some stone/earth abilities, as a treat )as if he isn’t op enough lol)

but yeah thanks for the ask! eating some yummy noodles rn and it has mushrooms 🥰👌

[finelinevogue]

the fact that Y/N has post natal depression Is somewhat refreshing idk I just don't see it talked about much on here and if it is it's like Hella angsty and the partner doesn't understand what it is but I was wondering if u could touch on it a bit more cause it's something I'm really scared about happening to me and I just want harry to hold me and tell me it's going be okay 😚😚😚😚

P.s. if u don't wanna it's understandable

anon: can u write about harry helping y/n through her ppd maybe like the 3rd time was so bad that h decide that he won’t be having more children

so this was requested twice so i would love to be able to write this for you both, hope this is okay - mind it’s heavily angsty!;

tw: vomiting, ppd and od

oli - 4, felix - 3, belle - 12 weeks

Motherhood was really fucking hard.

The birth of your newly born daughter, Isabella, had really taken a back pedal on your mental health. You had suffered with post natal depression after the birth of your two sons, but nothing as bad as this.

It had hit you around the 7 week mark after giving birth. The pregnancy itself was okay, even though she was slightly premature, but it was after you’d taken her home that it’d all spiralled downhill. It started with complications with her breastfeeding - like she was rejecting the milk that you had produced. It hurt to see her reject you and your body, finding more comfort in drinking from a pre-made milk bottle as her dad rocked her to sleep. You recall the evening so clearly and felt like an utter failure as you watched her drink a bottle of formula for the first time.

“Ssh ssh,” Harry cooed to your 7 week old daughter as he rocked her in his arms on the rocking chair in her nursery. She was whining because she was hungry, but the problem was that she wasn’t accepting your milk. She hadn’t been accepting your milk all day and now it was becoming dangerous for you to keep on saying ‘Oh i’ll just try later.’ Harry had told you to make a formula bottle for her. “Mummy’s coming.”

As much as you didn’t want to, you were walking back to the nursery with a warm bottle in your hands. You’d tested it on your hand to make sure it wasn’t too hot and then taken a sip to taste it, out of jealousy, and you thought that it didn’t taste any different to you. Then again you’re not a 7 week old human whose only date is milk.

“Look here’s mummy with your yummy milk, okay? Look Belles!” Harry cooed at his darling angel and you only wished he wasn’t as happy for her as he was.

“Yeah.” You spoke softly, handing him the bottle and standing nearby, part of you hoping that she would reject this too and she wasn’t just rejecting you.

But no, she drank the formula like it was her last meal.

“Such a sweet girl, aren’t you?” Harry praised her, watching her in awe as she kept on drinking the formula. Watching as she was drinking to become the strong girl you knew she’d become. It just hurt that it wasn’t you that could help her become that.

You felt powerless. Worthless, even. The one thing that you had carried the weight of your breasts around to do and you couldn’t even do it. Your nipples were so sore and your breasts ached so badly and it was all for nothing. Perhaps it was punishment for being such a bad mum. Perhaps you’d never been good enough for this job and it was your bodies way of shutting you down forever. You wouldn’t need the ability to produce milk anymore, because you weren’t worth the title of becoming one again. You wanted to be happy for your little one, seeing her happy but all you felt was rejection and sadness. She didn’t think you were good enough to be her mum and that really hurt.

Along with the breastmilk problem, Belle also became very stubborn when you wanted to change her nappy. Anytime you tried to change and help her she put up a fuss, kicking her legs and sometimes she would bite or hit you away. It was just a reminder that you weren’t a good enough mum for her and that she didn’t feel safe enough around you. She didn’t find comfort in your presence and she was so fussy about what you did around her. With Harry, though, she was an angel. She loved him so much and obviously he made her feel so loved and safe - something you’d clearly never be able to give her.

There was also the chores of being a mother to your other two sons too. Oli and Felix were old enough to understand that they had a baby sister, but they weren’t old enough to understand how miserable you were. Harry wasn’t even able to figure it out yet. You tried your best to put on your bravest face, knowing that your family needed you to be strong but the truth was that you were crumbling on the inside. You were feeling less and less like yourself and you were waiting for the moment when you’d completely fall apart. Nothing felt right anymore. Everything was just numb.

“You two boys okay?”

You walked into the children’s playroom see that they were sat at the little table colouring in. Felix’s little legs dangled slightly, whereas Oli’s legs touched the floor and it made your heart swell at how big they were both getting.

“Yep!” Oli cheered, scribbling with his left hand as his tiny tongue stuck out from his lips as he concentrated - a habit passed onto him from his father.

“What are you both drawing?” You asked, coming over and kneeling on the floor beside them and having a peek at their drawings.

“We’re colouring for daddy.” Felix answered, some of the words not being pronounced properly due to his young lisp and lack of being taught how to say things correctly yet.

His words stung though. You appreciated that he was only a toddler and he meant nothing evil or malicious by it, but it hurt to think that maybe, just maybe, your sons were doing this for their dad because he did so much more for them than you did. Of course you tried to be the best mum you could, but maybe you weren’t doing enough. Maybe you weren’t meant to be a mum after all, or at least not a good one.

“O-oh,” you tried to hold back the tears in your eyes because your boys looked so proud at their artwork - and you should be too. “Tell me about them then, my loves.”

Oli went first, “So this is me and this is Oli and this is dad. It’s us playing football like we did the other day, mummy.” He pointed out to each of the figures, some looking actually quite terrifying but you’d never have the heart to tell him that. The figures were all holding hands though and it hurt to think that you weren’t a part of that.

“Oh that’s so good Ols!” you rubbed his head of hair and then turned to Felix’s, “What about you Fix?”

“I drew daddy as the best.” He pointed to a trophy that the figure - more like a stick-man-slenderman - was holding, which was decorated with the award of ‘my hero’.

“I told him to write hero, mummy.” Oli added, and you smiled at both of them.

“Well done. Good job both of you. Daddy will love these!” You only wished that they would draw something for you. You hated to think that you were being petty, but honestly you just wanted to feel loved. “Shall I go cut up some apple for a snack, hey?” You asked, trying to feel useful.

“Daddy is making us smoothies!” Felix answered and you had to stand up, up and away from their heigh, so they didn’t catch the tears in your eyes.

“Okay! Don’t forget to give him those pictures - he’ll love those.” You praised them and they both giggled to each other.

The sight of your sons laughing should’ve made you so happy, but it only reminded you that you weren’t the source of their happiness. You weren’t on their mind enough to be their inspiration for drawings. You definitely weren’t their hero. You were just a woman to them, not a mum. You wanted to be so much more but it was clear that they didn’t need you. They were loved by their dad and each other, not in need of your heart.

Eventually Belle settled down and was sleeping better through the night, leaving you and Harry to much more peaceful nights sleep. Well, just Harry.

You had found it near impossible to get to sleep now. You lay awake at night wondering when Belle would next wake up, wondering when she’d next need you. Harry was always quick out of bed though, even if he actually was sleeping, to help her ordering you to stay in bed and rest yourself. You couldn’t help feel like he was telling you to stay put because he knew you wouldn’t be able to do your job properly - and you started to believe him.

You’d found yourself getting jealous of those that could get to sleep. When you were walking down the road you’d judge a person by how much sleep they looked like they got last night. You definitely looked like you only had 2 hours - even when you’d only had 37 minutes but who’s counting? Your dark circles were heavily noticeable, but no one cared enough to ask. Even Harry stayed clear of you more and more often; spending more time with the kids than you and sleeping on his side of the bed instead of yours at nighttime.

There had been one evening where you had been so restless that Harry had gotten so frustrated and left the room, with a blanket and a pillow, and slept on the couch. You’d never felt so much like a burden than that night. Your family was rejecting you and you felt like a failure. You were a success at failing in everything. The meals you cooked went half eaten by everyone because you would’ve forgotten to add a key ingredient. The children preferred to spend more time playing with their dad because you weren’t energised enough to play the games they wanted to. Your daughter still rejected your milk. It was all too much and you just wanted one nights peace for it to change.

Last night had been that night.

Fuck these were so addicting. You were finally getting the sleep that you so badly craved, only with the help of tablets.

You wanted the sleep because that was the one place you could escape to. You needed that escape to help you get out of bed the next morning. Life was too hard for you to not dream, and without dreaming you didn’t want life.

It started off with taking one every night before bed, but then they stopped working again, so you started taking two, then three. Four was obviously where your body hit its limit.

“Mummy? Can you come tuck me in please?” Oli asked, little toy giraffe in hand and shaking you in hopes of waking you up to send him peacefully off to sleep.

You’d gone to bed a bit earlier tonight, lying saying that you were extremely exhausted. Harry said he would be able to handle things and that’s when you excitedly ran upstairs to take your pills; 4 of them. You’d made it into your bed, feeling slightly drowsy after completing your nighttime routine, but then you started to feel unwell and really ill. Before you’d passed out you’d stuck your fingers down your throat in hopes to make the feeling in your stomach disappear, but it ended up you throwing up all over the bed and pass out right there.

“Mummy! Wake up!” Oli rattled your back, but you were still unresponsive.

Oli padded out of the room and down to his sisters room where he knew his dad was. Belle was being extra fussy this evening and Harry suspected it had everything to do with you retiring early. He heard Oli come into the room just as he’d gotten Belle down.

“Y’alright buddy?” Harry whispered, tip-toeing out of Belle’s room, leaving the door open slightly, and crouched down in front of him.

“No. Mummy’s not waking up.” Oli pouted, rubbing a tired fist over his eye.

“She’s probably in dreamland, bud. She was really tired today.”

“She’s really tired all of the times.”

“I know, Ol.” Because Harry did know, but he was too much of a coward to face up to the problem. The doctors had said that post natal depression can strengthen with every birthed child, but he was too blind sighted by the fact that you’d overcome the first birthed post natal depression so quickly, and was so in love with his baby girl, that he didn’t truly see how bad things had gotten. Harry had tried giving you some space, distancing himself from you in bed and spending more time with the kids so you could relax and rest up, but nothing seemed to be working. He was surprised, actually, that you’d been having better sleep recently and so was hopeful that maybe the worst of the depression was over.

Hell, was he so wrong.

“Go to bed, bud okay? I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Wake mummy up so she can give me a kiss.”

“I’ll try little man, alright?” Harry scuffed his sons hair and then watched him walk off to his room.

Harry walked into your dark room, the air smelling slightly sour, and walked around to your side of the bed. He sat down next to you sighed heavily. He needed to speak to you, no matter how tired or angry you’d be with him. He was losing you as a wife and a mother and a soulmate and a lover. He was just losing you, just as you were losing yourself and he was doing tip-toeing around the problem any longer. He was going to try and make this better. He was going to better understand how you were feeling in order to help you.

“Baby?” He spoke softly, nudging you gently, “Baby wake up.” No response. “Y/N, my love? Wake up for me darling, need to speak with you.” Normally you would’ve stirred by now but there was still nothing. “Y/N?” Harry shook you a bit more urgently now - one that would surely wake even the deepest of sleepers. “Y/N!” He shouted, perhaps a bit too loudly for the comfort of his children.

He turned you over and that’s when he knew this was very, very, bad.

Your face was pale grey and your mouth was covered in the remains of vomit, and he suddenly understood the gross sour smell from before. Your hair was greasy and stuck all in the wet sick all over your face. Your eyes were puffy from the remains of tears. You looked dead.

“No, no, no. Y/N! No you don’t.” Harry’s eyes starting weeping and he couldn’t think straight. He checked your pulse on your wrist and timed it - it was unhealthily faint. He wouldn’t be surprised if you were in your last beats of your heart. His tears and sobs were uncontrollable, but he had to be both strong for you and his children, as well as for him. “Fuck sake pull yourself together Harry. Okay, baby hold on please. Okay? You don’t get to leave me like this, you hear me? I love you so much, baby. Fuck i’m so sorry.” He gently placed your head back down on the pillow and pulled out his phone.

999

“What’s your emergency?”

“I need a-an ambulance p-please. I-I think my wife i-is dying.”

The rest of it was a blur for Harry. Him trying to wake you up. The ambulance arriving. Oli and Felix crying when they saw you being carried away on a stretcher. Belle’s deafening screams. Harry’s heart beating for the both of you.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

It was the rhythmic beeping sounds that woke you up.

Your whole body felt achey and sore, your head a pounding mess. You opened your eyes slowly, adjusting them to the light of the room. You expected to see the family photo on the wall opposite you and the white of your curtains, but you were met with a heart-monitor machine and a hospital bed instead. You looked down at your body and noticed a cannula in your arm, making you squirm because you hated stuff like that so much. Your nose had a tube running inside it too, feeding you the oxygen your lungs weren’t receiving properly.

It then dawned on you how you weren’t in the room alone. You saw a sleeping Anne and Gemma on the chairs in the far corner, with Felix and Oli tucked against their sides - Anne with Oli and Felix with Gemma. It was so cute to see them so cuddled up close. They looked peaceful. You took note of the baby pram that was at the end of your bed, most likely playing bed to your beautiful daughter. Your mind felt lost. You can’t really remember what had happened, apart from taking four of those sleeping pills. You fully remember the weight of feeling worthless and useless as both a mum and a wife, though, and that feeling was still very prominent.

Your eyes lastly landed to the side of you, where Harry was sat but also laid on your bed. The top of half of his body laid upon the bed, his head buried onto this arm deep within the bed, whilst his bottom stayed rooted to the chair. His hand was holding yours tightly, which was a sign that he wasn’t asleep. You were so scared to face him though. You had failed him, again and again and you weren’t sure whether you could be enough for him anymore. Enough for your family anymore.

You squeezed his hand three times saying ‘I love you.’

“Y/N,” He whispered so hoarsely, but you were so focused on him to even catch it. He looked ruined, and you’d done that to him. His eyes were dark and tired, but also red and puffy from where he’d been crying. His hair was a mess and you could tell it hadn’t been washed in a while. How long had you been out for? You felt rested in your sleep, but not in your mind or your heart.

“I—” Your breathe got caught in your throat, but you persevered to finish your words. He deserved to here them. “I’m sorry.” You were whispering so you didn’t disturb anyone else in the room.

“No, stop it. I’m sorry baby.”

“Harry don’t, you don’t have anyt—”

“Stop yes I do I—”

“Harry please you don’t owe—”

“Y/N listen!” He cut the little volley-conversation and ordered you to just stop. You started crying when you saw that he was too. “Whatever you’re going to say, don’t. Whatever you’re thinking, stop it right now. Because I love you. Fuck, I do. I love you so much that when I found you unconscious in a pile of your own sick thinking you were dead, my only thought was that I wished it were me instead”.

“Harry, you don’t mean—”

“My god Y/N! You don’t get it, do you? I would do anything to switch places with you right now. I would suffer a thousand times over if it meant you were okay. I’d suffer in hell for you. Nobody else but you has ever made me feel like this. I married you because I love you and I want to wake up next to you every day of my beating hearts life. I chose to have children with you, because I knew how great of a mum you’d be and what beautiful people you’d help bring up into the world—”

“But i’m not.” You cut Harry short, trying to pull your hand away from him but he didn’t let you - only tightening his grip and pulling himself closer towards you. He was so close you could kiss him.

“Not what?” He asked, although he already knew the answer. You’d both had this conversation before, but you were both tired of it and were ready for it to be your last now.

“A good mum. I’m- i’m not a good mum or wife, Harry and i’m sorry.”

“I told you not say it and stop thinking it, because you’re completely wrong Y/N. You’re a good mother and a good wife, because you are a good person.”

“But i’m not great.” You whimpered, thinking back to the drawings your Oli and Felix had done. “I’m not the best.”

“But you don’t have to be, baby. You see our beautiful, healthy, happy and safe babies over there?” Harry turned to look at them, love in his eyes as in yours. “They wouldn’t be all those things, no matter how you feel about yourself, without you. I could never have brought them up to be half the people they are without you by my side, the way you make me a better person. You claim you don’t got this, but baby you’re already doing it and have been doing it for 5 years with our children and so much longer with me.”

“I’m just so fucked up Harry.” Your head tilted back on the pillow as you got heavily emotional over the situation.

Harry shook his head and moved his hand to cup the back of your neck, moving your head forwards until it met his. The touch of his skin against yours, no matter where and how small, made you feel alive and you’d missed him and that feeling so much. You missed loving him so much.

“Listen to me.” He ordered, keeping you still. “You are strong and you are brave Y/N Styles. No matter what you tell yourself I will be here every goddamn day of my life, if I have to, to remind you that you are worth more than your fucking weight in gold. You are my heart. You are my soul and the mother to my greatest achievements. I know they are yours too, just as I know I am your heart.

“You are.” You whispered so quietly under your breathe, but Harrys heart warmed when he caught you saying it. He knew though.

“Just let me love you. Let me be there for you. If you want medication then let’s do it, and i’ll be there for every step of the way. If you want to go to a rehabilitation centre for a bit, that’s okay we can—”

You shook your head and licked the tears away from your face. You were both such tearful messes, but the love between you was undeniable. “No, no please, no.”

“Okay, okay, love. We won’t. See, you’re okay. I promise, you’re okay. Stay with me, yeah? I’ll love you and keep you safe, just as you will me.”

“Promise.” You told him sincerely. He brought his lips to yours with that single word. He was so proud of your for being so brave and strong. He wishes he was half the person you were. His lips conveyed those thoughts of his and you could taste the love and passion burning through his heart and out on to his lips. He tasted like home. z he was home. Your lips smacked together messily, but you didn’t care because you loved each other too much and had kissed each other even more. Once you pulled back he stayed close to you, smiling at you with such awe. “I think.. I think I want to try medication please.”

Harry didn’t say ‘okay’ or ‘sure thing’, no. He said four words that meant more to you in that moment that any others in the universe. More than saying ‘I love you.’ Words that reminded you that not everything is okay and that sucks really bad, but you’re doing your best to get through it. It was a reminder that you had so many people who loved you and cared for you. It was a gun at the starting line symbolising that the journey ahead wasn’t going to be easy, but worth it.

“I’m proud of you.”

[twistedbloodstain]

TOLERATIONS (PART 2)

Summary: Jesy doesn’t like dogs but is willing to make an exception for Leigh’s furbabies.

Changes: Jesy doesn’t have a dog and instead has a cat named Nella!

JESY POV

Jesy stood there like a statue, expecting to see the dogs running at their direction.

Silence.

There wasn’t any dogs.

Yet.

Leigh stared at her girlfriend dumbfounded at why she was still, she waved her hand then slightly shook her a little.

“Jesy, love are you okay?” Leigh spoke in a concerned tone.

“H-huh...yeah I’m fine.” Jesy answered, slowly regaining consciousness.

“You don’t seem okay. Is something wrong? Did something happen at work?” Leigh asked bombarding her with questions.

“I swear I’m fine.I just remembered something quite dreadful.” Jesy assures her softly.

“You know what, why don’t you sit at the living room and watch the telly for a while? Then we can eat dinner there too. How’s that sound?” Leigh suggests,caressing Jesy’s cheek softly to soothe her.

“Yeah, that sounds fantastic.” Jesy answers with a small smile on her face.

Leigh leads her through a wooden door and was welcome by room with white walls, a large couch with a white carpet on top of it, and a large black screen TV plastered on the wall. Leigh leads her to the couch to sit down.

“Do you want some tea babe?” Leigh asks.

“Sure.” Jesy answers nonchalantly.

Jesy turned on the TV and randomly chose a movie,left alone with her thoughts,the noises from the movie begin to blur out from her ears and Jesy comes to a realization.

She doesn’t despise dogs.

She’s scared of them.

And she doesn’t know why.

She begins to wonder how she’d react if she actually face the dogs. She knew she will since Leigh talked fondly of them. She felt helpless feeling like this.

A few minutes later, Leigh arrived with a tray on her hands contained with food.

LEIGH POV

“I hope you’re hungry.” Leigh spoke excitedly.

She didn’t know why she was giddy with Jesy in her home. Maybe because she’s the first girlfriend that she brought here to her home or she hoped they’d get freaky later. Leigh chuckles at the thought of it, and walks over to the coffee table positioned in front of them.

“Looks yummy.” Jesy stares in awe.

“Dig in.”

JESY POV

Jesy sighed, full from the delicious meal they just ate.

“That was wonderful,thank you.” Jesy thanks softly.

Leigh smiles in return and snuggles closer to her to get some warmth. She extends an arm to pull Leigh closer and rests her head on Leigh’s. They both keep their eyes shut savoring the warmth and feeling between the two of them.

“I wish we could stay like this forever.” Jesy whispers lowly, Leigh hums in reply.

A loud noise erupted somewhere, catching their attention, their heads snapped in sync trying to find out in which direction the noise came from. Leigh pulled away from the hug, squealed loudly and bolted to the wooden door and opened it.

“Oh my goodness!”

Jesy wished she would just melt into the couch when 2 dogs came to her sight. Leigh kneels down to give the each of the dogs a kiss and some scratches on their belly, cooing and greeting them with excitement. Leigh then slowly leads them to the couch where Jesy was sitting so the dogs would be accustomed to her and don’t see her as any kind of threat.

A brown pug with wrinkled fur slowly makes it’s way to Jesy, staring and sniffing her, drool slowly dripping from it’s mouth and takes a small sigh and sits down with them on the couch.

“Ew.” Jesy thought.

“Jess, this is Harvey! My pug, I’ve told you about him, isn’t he adorable?” Leigh grimaces and brings the pug near to her so she could pet him. Jesy forces a smile in return and doesn’t say a thing.

A larger dog comes to view with a darker shade of brown, larger amounts of drool falling from its mouth (Jesy even thinks she might even slip on the drool if she ever walks on it) it’s mouth always staying open and large claws adorned in its paws.

“And this big boy over here is Kyro!” Leigh drags the massive dog to Jesy “C’mon go pet him! He loves being caressed.” Leigh adds.

“A-Are you sure he’s fine with it? I don’t wanna break his bubble he might bite me.” Jesy replied trying to make her voice stay steady.

“He won’t, he’s a sweetheart.” Leigh answers confidently.

Jesy stares at Leigh, then stares at Kyro then back at Leigh.

“Go on he won’t bite.” Leigh assures her.

Jesy slowly retracts her shaking arm from the edge of the couch and brings it closer to the dog, it’s eyes staring at her hand, sniffing at it, analyzing if it doesn’t mean harm, Jesy tries to steady her hand on her own. Once her hand made it on top of the head of the large dog, she lowered it and softly caressed the dog’s head. The dog slowly shut his eyes, loving the feeling of being caressed and wagged it’s tail.

“He seems to like you, I’m afraid you might steal him away from me.” Leigh jokingly says. Jesy smiles in return and continues to pet the American Bully.

“I’ll go get us some popcorn, you’re staying overnight right?” Leigh questions with her hands on her hips.

“Of course.” Jesy smirks, dirty thoughts filling her mind. Leigh smiles in return and collects the dish ware and heads to the door.

Jesy was left alone with the dogs, Kyro jumps onto the couch clearly wanting to snuggle on her lap but fails since Harvey bolted to her lap and beat him to it. Instead, Kyro rests his head on her shoulder, Jesy decides to let the drool fall on her shoulder and lap, she thinks she’s fallen inlove with them. This amazingly went well and realized she was worrying over nothing though,she decides not to tell Leigh about her phobia for dogs because...well she doesn’t need to.

In the small crevice from the door, Leigh smiles looking at the sight of her not-so-cynophobic girlfriend.

[lire-casander]

911 Lone Star Prompt: TK being allergic to blueberries but he LOVES them so Carlos + the team are like *sees TK holding a box* "what's in your hand?" "blueberries" "nO!"

Thank you very much for this prompt! I’m afraid it doesn’t really adjuts to what you were looking for, but I hope you like it!

word count | [2,226 words] 

pairing | gen

characters |  [tk strand, owen strand, gwenyth strand, paul strickland, mateo chavez, marjan marwani, judd ryder]

warnings |  [mentions of an abusive relationship, alex is his own warning, allergies, anaphylactic shocks, angst]

author’s notes | [beta’ed by @meloingly] 

summary |  [tk has always had a hard relationship with berries, for one reason or another]

keep the gears in line

[Owen]

The first time Owen Strand held his son in his arms, he felt the thrill of a new adventure unfurling before him — the immense love that knew no ends, and the paralyzing fear that crept up his spine and told him he didn’t know the first thing about taking care of another human being. But then Gwenyth smiled at him from the hospital bed, exhausted but so beautiful, and Owen knew that together they would be an invincible team supporting this tiny bundle in his arms.

“I will always protect you, Tyler Kennedy,” he promises his son, fast asleep in his arms, before giving him to Gwenyth to hold him.

“Heʼs incredible, isnʼt he?” she asks in a soft voice, one fingertip tracing the babyʼs chubby cheeks.

“Heʼs our miracle,” Owen tells her.

TK proves to actually be a miracle a few months after turning one year old. It’s Owenʼs day off at the station, and it seems the stars and planets have aligned because Gwenyth is also free of her court duty for the first time in three weeks. They havenʼt been able to spend time together as a family for the longest time, with Owen working night shifts to be able to take care of TK during the day while Gwenyth battles her own rightful wars against criminals. Theyʼve been two ships in the night, crossing paths too exhausted to do more than a peck on chapped lips and a pat on TKʼs head while he sleeps in his room.

“Today is going to be a great day,” Owen tells his son. Heʼs flittering around the kitchen while TK is sitting in his high chair, spoon in hand and puree everywhere but in his mouth. “Careful, son,” he chuckles, grabbing his sonʼs hand and guiding a spoonful of fruit meal into TKʼs mouth. “Better. Isn’t it yummy?”

“Are my guys ready for an adventure?” Gwenyth questions from her spot leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and a playful smile on her lips. “What do you say, we go on a picnic to Central Park?”

TK coos. Owen thinks he might die from the way his heart swells every time he watches his son, no matter what he does — be it a milestone like taking his first steps or a mundane thing like getting his food all over his clothes — and he takes a second to look at Gwenyth, to share an intimate look with her, one look that talks about promises of forever with her and this kid who has taken his whole heart and doesn’t seem to let go of it. Owen is fine with living with half his heart if it means TK gets to experience a love so big.

A second is all it takes.

TK begins to choke on thin air, apparently, the spoon falling to the floor with a metallic noise, clacking on the tiles and echoing like a gunshot in the deadly silence that falls upon them. When Owen looks at his son, TK is beginning to show some shades of blue in his face, his chubby fingers closing and opening with his hands stretched in front of him, as though asking Owen for help. He doesn’t understand whatʼs going on, but he is a first responder. He knows what to do.

“Call 911!” he cries out, sliding across the floor to catch his son, whoʼs trying and failing to budge from his seat. “Heʼs choking!”

The wait for the ambulance feels eternal, although objectively Owen knows it canʼt be more than just a couple of minutes — they live around the corner from his own Station. He knows that, as soon as his team recognize the address, they will be bursting through the door in no time.

“We got a kid in distress code,” Jackson says as the 252 rush to the kitchen, Laura and Pete hot on his tail. “Here, let me,” he instructs with a soft voice, prying Owenʼs fingers — caught in TKʼs clothes in an attempt to help him breathe — open from his deadlock grip on his son. “Heʼll be fine, I promise.”

Owen doesn’t catch half of what theyʼre saying and doing to his son — so tiny, so fragile — because suddenly heʼs swimming underwater. He doesn’t realize heʼs shaking until heʼs offered a warm blanket at the childrenʼs ward at the Presbyterian Hospital Columbia and Cornell.

He doesn’t even remember riding the ambulance with his son. He just recalls a fighting Jackson when his friend had taken TK out of his sight with the promise of healing him. Has it been before leaving their apartment? Where is his son?

“Tell me heʼll be okay, Owen,” Gwenyth whispers softly into the fabric of his jacket, crying hot tears that soak him to the bone. “I canʼt lose him. I just—”

“Excuse me,” they both hear. When they turn around, startled, they see a young doctor holding TK in her arms. “I believe you want your son back. Iʼm Marjorie Kirkland, TKʼs doctor.”

Owen practically trips over himself in his haste to pick his son back. TK is babbling in his baby language, and Owenʼs heart leaps forward when he sees his sonʼs beautiful green eyes looking up at him. “Dada!”

“What happened to him?” Gwenyth questions the doctor when itʼs evident that Owen is still not ready to face a reality where his son almost died.

“Your son has had a violent allergic reaction to blueberries,” the doctor explains. “Weʼve run some test, and itʼs a wider allergy regarding all kinds of berries, but heʼs had a really bad anaphylactic shock from eating blueberries. Thankfully, you were quick on picking it up.”

Owenʼs head snaps up at those words. He thinks that heʼs been slow on the take, not realizing what was wrong with TK. He needs to be a better father. He canʼt afford another misstep like this one.

They leave the hospital with their son back and they promise themselves that they wonʼt allow a blueberry — or any kind of berry — close to TK ever again.

[the 126 family]

“What do you have there, Probie?” TK asks, showing up right behind Mateo and starting him. “Hey, no need to be all jumpy about it!”

“Nothing youʼd like,” Mateo tells him, taking the box heʼs been holding in his hands away from TKʼs grasp. “Or you could eat, anyway.”

TK takes a peek over Mateoʼs shoulder, and makes a grimace when he spots strawberries, red and green and plump, inside the box Mateo has just taken from him. “Ugh, no, I canʼt eat those.”

“Because youʼre allergic to them,” Marjan reminds him. “Just like you are deadly allergic to any other kind of berries. You just like to forget about it.”

“I donʼt forget,” TK complains. “Sometimes itʼs difficult to tell if something has berries in it.”

Paul scoffs at those words. “Last time you tried to eat raspberries! When you know you canʼt!”

“I didn’t know those were raspberries!” TK lifts his hands in surrender. “I donʼt think Iʼve ever seen a raspberry before.”

“Listen, city boy,” Judd intervenes, head peeking out from his locker door. “I know youʼve missed out on a lot of good things growing up in New York, but you canʼt possibly want to make us believe youʼve never seen a raspberry before.”

“I hadnʼt! When my parents found out I was allergic to berries, they kinda shielded me away from them. I know how strawberries look like because Alex loved them, so I knew what to avoid.”

Marjan shakes her head. “Every time you mention that guy, I just need to bleach my ears.”

“Yeah, me too,” Mateo whispers. “I canʼt believe all the things youʼve told us about him.”

“How could you call him your soulmate is beyond me, bud,” Paul scoffs again. “At least you got out.”

“Yeah,” TK mutters, turning around before his team can see the tears pooling up in his eyes at the memory that has now traitorously assaulted him at Paulʼs words.

He rushes out of the common room, ignoring the calls from his friends — his newfound family — and he holes himself up in his bunk, hoping that they will respect his need for privacy. When he rests his head on the pillow, Buttercup approaches him and jumps on the bed, his weight on top of TKʼs legs as he allows the tears to fall and the pain to take over.

Back in New York, Alex had called all the shots in their relationship. TK had been eager to comply to anything Alex said — if Alex had told him to jump off a cliff, TK would have asked for the time and date. TK had never had close friends in his life; he’d had acquaintances, and he’d gone out with his boyfriends’ friends, but he’d never had his own circle of friends to turn to when he’d needed support. For so long, Alex had been his only source of external affection, outside his family, and he’d reveled in whatever crumbles Alex had wanted to give to him. If Alex wanted to go out, they went out; if Alex wanted to stay in, they just chilled and watched Netflix.

If Alex had wanted a strawberry-filled cake for TK’s birthday — well, TK had never been good at denying anything to him.

Tk had been so surprised when Alex had announced that he’d take care of the cake for TK’s birthday, since Alex hadn’t felt like throwing a party and therefore TK had told his parents he’d be over the weekend to celebrate with them — Gwenyth had accepted to go to Owen’s for the lunch they would be sharing together as a family. TK had always been proud of his parents; even after the nastier divorce of them all, with the shadow of all those victims hanging over Owen’s head, both his parents had agreed to gather together as a family for all the important events in TK’s life. That had included him graduating from school and the Fire Academy, but also all his birthdays.

Alex had chosen a strawberry-filled cake for TK’s birthday, and he’d been so offended when TK wouldn’t even taste it, knowing that even a small bite could send him straight to the hospital.

“TK?” he hears, the voice taking him back to his present and away from the painful memories that always manage to grip viciously at his heart at the most inappropriate of moments. “I know you’re in here. Buttercup’s been whining for at least ten minutes.”

“I’m here, Dad,” he calls from underneath the covers that he’s thrown over his head. “I’m fine, okay? Just needed a bit of alone time.”

“Right after talking about Alex with the team?” Owen chuckles as he sits down on TK’s bed, the mattress dipping with the movement. “Try another one, son. You seem to forget I know you inside out.”

“I just—It just hurts sometimes when I get reminded of the small things we did together,” TK tries to explain. He’s still underneath the covers. “It’s been almost a year since he—since,” TK stutters. “I’m happy with Carlos. I shouldn’t allow Alex to hurt me, even through a memory.”

“You’re still healing from what happened,” Owen tells his son. “Healing takes time. You’re doing so good, even if realizing that Alex hadn’t been good for you in so many ways seems like taking a step back. It isn’t.”

“He—” TK chokes on his own words. Frustrated, he emerges from beneath the covers and sighs as he sits up. “Once, he brought a strawberry-filled cake for my birthday, because he liked it.”

“I see.”

“I know it’s silly,” TK mumbles. “But I think that was the first time I realized that Alex didn’t think about me first and foremost. And still, I proposed to him!”

“We all make mistakes, son,” Owen tries to make him see reason. “You got out, and that’s enough for now. You should be proud.”

“I got out because he dumped me,” TK squints at his father. “Not because I suddenly realized he wasn’t good for me.”

“Getting out is a process, and yours isn’t invalidated because he left you. The first time he did something good to you was when he left you. He gave you your life back.”

TK mulls over his father’s words in his head. He knows Owen’s right — he knows Alex did him a favor by confessing his affair with his trainer. “The guys wouldn’t let me eat any berries.”

“I know,” Owen laughs. “Mateo is still in shock after seeing you trying to munch on some blueberries the second night shift here. He thought you were going to die just from holding them.”

“Poor guy,” TK chuckles. “I guess I gave him quite the scare. But that’s on you, you kinda terrorized them all with your stories about how I almost died from an allergic reaction.”

“You scared us to death, TK. And you’re a reckless guy. You would be eating berries all the time just because they’re out of your diet.”

“You’re not so far off, you know.”

“TK,” Owen lands a hand on TK’s shoulder. “I love you, son. Whatever you do. Except if you try to eat another strawberry ever again.”

They both laugh, and TK feels the weight on his soul lift a little.

[raphavarrane]

fluff alphabet (marco asensio)

A - Arguments (What they are like after an argument...)

marco is quite stubborn but not in an egotistical way. he never likes being the reason that you’re stressed or upset but at the same time, he struggles to initially realise what he’s done wrong. so after an argument, he’d pull you into a hug and apologise quickly, whispering the sweetest of words into your ear.

if the argument was really bad and tempers started to flair, marco would give you time to gather your thoughts before trying to reconcile with you.

B - Body care (What they do to look after you...)

weekly baths. usually, it ends with nothing sexual. it’s the only time where both of you can be calm and just enjoy each other’s company without having to worry about anything else. marco’s tense body finally relaxes in the warm water and feeling your fingers coarsing through his hair is enough.

C - Cuddles (How good are their cuddles...)

marco usually keeps one hand around your waist so that he can eaisly pull you into a hug whenever he’s missed your body up against his. when it’s just the two of you, he doesn’t mind being the little spoon and feeling your frame keeping him warm.

D - Dream (What's the dream for you as a couple...)

one day marco would love to call you ‘his’. officially. he wants to put a ring on your finger and show you off to anyone & everyone he sees. but the real dream for marco is to create a human life that has your eyes and smile.

E - Emotion (How emotional they are...)

marco tries (and always fails) to hide his emotions. he doesn’t want to burden you; he’s not always around and he doesn’t want to drop the mood when you guys finally have some time together. but when it all becomes too much, marco gives in and puts his head on your shoulder and lets it all out.

F - Family (What do your family think of them...)

your father adores marco; they go to watch football games together whenever marco’s in town and go hang out at your father’s favourite bar. your mother however, is a bit apprehensive around marco because of his career choice but eventually, she fell for that famous smile just like you.

if you have any brothers or sisters, marco would go meet on with them like a house on fire, seeing it as an excuse to learn some funny things about you that he could eventually use against you.

G - Giving (Are they generous...)

he loves giving you trinkets from other cities he’d been to due to his travels! fridge magnets from england, sweets from germany and fancy lingerie from paris from time to time

H - Happy (When they're at their happiest...)

when he’s on the pitch, feeling the air around and the ball at his feet. he loves his job and hopes it’ll last forever. he’s also happy when you’re around; you’re that extra push he needs to do his best. to him, nothing else matters except your happiness.

I - Independence (How much they rely on you...)

marco relies on you for the small things: emotionally support, good food and kisses. sometimes you don’t even have to speak, you’ve both been able to communicate without having to talk.

J - Jokes (The jokes they tell...)

his jokes are like a school child’s, childish humour that isco would expect his little boy to say. marco’s joke are either short and hilarious or long and boring. but everyone laughs nonetheless.

K - Kids (How they are around children...)

when he first met your nephew, you could’ve sworn you watched marco’s heart melt. those brown eyes couldn’t keep their eyes off him. he loves meeting children and can’t wait to have his own little’uns running circles around him.

L - Love (What they love most about you...)

he loves your body. marco’s a very handy person and just can’t stop himself from grabbing onto something just to bring you close to him, even if it’s your waist. he loves the feeling of your warm skin against his.

M - Mystery (How open/honest they are...)

marco is very honest with his emotions; he doesn’t like to bottle things in and doesnt minding sitting down to have a deep chat with you about anything that worries you or him.

N - Nicknames (What's they're nickname for you...)

‘princesa’ is marco’s favourite thing to call you. at first it was a joke, established after the first time he saw you on your period, but now, it’s grown on both of you.

O - Optional (Something random...)

one of things you and marco love to do together is karaoke. most of the time, it’s just to have an excuse to sing a great song terribly but you can’t help but smile like an idiot when marco sings a romantic ballad directed at you.

P - Presents (What they like to buy for you...)

marco loves to buy you presents! from the generic teddy bear to clothes you begged him not to get you because they were too expensive. he loves to see the smile grow on your face and if he could, marco would bottle the moment and save it forever.

Q - Quantity (How long until something takes place in your relationship...)

your first kiss happened on the third date. it was soft and light, filled with smiles and giggles. you moved in with each other after dating for a year. your first time together however, happened a long time after that but marco was willing to wait. he’d do anything for you.

R - Romance (How romantic are they...)

marco isn’t an intentional romantic. he does romantic things without actually putting much thought into it. he was always brought up to buy flowers, cook dinner, and throw compliments like it’s the norm.

S - Spark (How the spark stays alive in your relationship...)

one word. spontaneity. from late night drives so you can watch the sunrise to mini road trips. marco is unpredictable when it comes to date nights but you live for it.

T -  Trust (How trusting they are...)

marco isn’t that trusting. in his career, he feels like he is constantly surrounded by ‘fake people’ so it took him a long time to become comfortable around you. he hasn’t told you his deepest secrets yet but it’s a start.

U - Upset (How they cheer you up...)

marco would grab the closest speaker and start dancing around. he’s knows his dancing is more comical than professional but he’ll do anything to put a smile on your face.

V - Victory (How they feel about you...)

he feels like he’s won the lottery. he adores every part of you and he’s here for the long term; through the bad times and the good. marco couldn’t imagine going through life without anyone else by his side.

W - Wind Up (What they do that annoys you...)

he forgets things. sometimes they’re important, and sometimes it’s not that bad, but it still bugs you none the less. marco would forget to do his share of chores and still be confused why the laundry basket. the spaniard has to be told by his teammates when it’s your anniversary to make sure he doesn’t lose his head.

X - xxx (How good are their kisses...)

marco likes to take one side of your face and tilt it so that you don’t headbutt each other. he likes to lightly bite onto your bottom lip before working his magic on your neck.

Y - Yummy (Can they cook...)

marco loves to cook for you! his mother taught him some of her most iconic meals for the moment he gets a girlfriend. now you can say you’re lucky enough to eat traditional asensio family food.

Z - Zzz (How the two of you like to sleep...)

marco lays on his back with your head resting on his chest. he has one hand making circles on your stomach and the other outstretched. however underneath the sheets, you feet are entangled together. at first glance, it’s a very conventional couple sleeping position. but you guys are anything but conventional.

[please let me know if you would like more of these with different footballers!]

[sidehowriting]

Date

Masterlist in bio!

A/N: So I really liked Vacation and decided that I needed to write a date with Steve and reader. So this is that story. Its a part 2 to Vacation. Its also for @teamcap4bucky 1k Celebration!  

Italics is text communication

Prompt: Are you going to kiss me or not? (I might have grammatically changed it just a bit to work it in) 

Pairings: Steve x Reader

Summary: You have your first date with Steve. 

Word Count: 3.6k

Warnings:  Fluff, swears, talk of sex

You were rushing around your house, trying to make sure everything was taken care of. “Jonathan! Lucas! I put the pizza in the oven! Are you guys responsible enough to take it out in twenty minutes?” You yelled to your brothers while you went back to the bathroom. You looked at yourself in the mirror again, making sure your hair and makeup were just so. When you didn’t hear a response, you yelled again. “BOYS!”

“Yeah!” “Sure!” Came their voices. You knew they were distracted playing their video games, but you didn’t want them to accidently set the house on fire.

You weren’t convinced but it would have to do. You rushed back to your bedroom, remembering that you wanted to put earrings in. You heard a knock on the door while you bent over your dresser, searching for the perfect pair.

“Date’s here!” Jonathan called. You could imagine he didn’t even bother to pause his game.

“Yes, I hear that! Can you answer the door please? I’m almost ready!” You yelled back, growing irritated that you couldn’t find the earrings you wanted.

More knocking came followed by your brother’s reluctant sigh. You rolled your eyes, muttering to yourself how it wouldn’t kill him to get up once in a while.

The door opened and you heard muffled voices, quickly followed by footsteps. “So, freakin’ Captain America is in the living room.” Jonathan was standing just outside the doorway, staring at you.

“Yes,” you said, “I told you this three days ago.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think it was really Captain America.”

“Did you think I was lying?”

“Well yeah.”

Straightening up you put your hands on your hips. “Really, Johnny? You’re gonna be a dumbass right now?”

“Luke thought you were lying too!”

Your fingers tensed like you wanted to strangle your little brother. Instead, you simply pointed him out of the room. “Go get Luke and meet me in the living room.”

“You don’t need to go over rules, we already know.”

“Go!” You commanded and he didn’t argue. He simply sighed exasperatedly and walked out. Giving up on looking for the earrings you muttered a soft ‘fuck it’ to yourself and left the bedroom.

Steve was waiting in your living room. He looked super dapper: dark button up, deftly outlining his muscles. Matching dark jeans that fitted his waist perfectly, emphasizing his large thighs. His eyes lit up the moment you walked in, his smile giving you the warm and fuzzies. A small bouquet was in his hands and you noticed him clutch it tighter as you walked up to him.

“Hi,” he said when you stopped in front of him. “You look… wow, you look beautiful.”

“Thanks.” You glanced down for a moment, the intensity of his gaze and his compliment making you fidget and blush. Bringing your eyes back up to his, you said, “You look really good too.”

His smile and blush matched your own. You caught the faintest whiff of cologne, deep and strong and yummy. “I brought these for you.” He handed you the flowers. A collection of roses and tulips and daisies and various other flowers you didn’t know the name of. “I wasn’t sure what your favorite was, so I just got a bunch.”

You graciously took the flowers as the boys walked in. “Boys,” you said, turning to face them but having a hard time taking your eyes off the beautiful flowers. Their scents blended so well together. “This is Steve. Steve, these are my brothers, Jonathan and Lucas.”

“Hi,” Steve said, giving a small wave to the boys. “Your sister has said a lot of good things about you guys. She’s very proud of you.”

The boys were just staring at Steve, eyes fixated and lips parted. They really didn’t believe you when you said you were going on a date with Captain America.

Finally, Jonathan moved, leaning towards Lucas. “Dude, I didn’t know Captain America could lie.”

“Johnny!” You snapped. “What did I say about being a dumbass?”

Thankfully, Steve just laughed. “It’s fine, Y/N.” He then addressed the boys again. “It’s true. You sister is very proud of you guys.”

You could tell the boys were feeling awkward with the praise, so you moved the conversation along. “Hey,” you said, “take this for me.” You handed your flowers to Lucas. “Put that in a vase with water, okay? Don’t forget the water.”

You folded your hands in front of you. “Now, rules.” You glared at them when they groaned. “Hey! I don’t want to hear it. Now, the main rule is do not answer the door or phone for anyone you don’t know. I would like you boys to go to bed at a decent time, but I know how you guys can be. I don’t know what time I’ll be home, but I’ll text you when I have an idea. You have Steve’s number in your phones?” When they confirmed you continued, “One last thing, do not forget about the pizza in the oven. I do not want this place burned to the ground, you hear me?”

Jonathan and Lucas gave eye rolls and practically shoved you and Steve out of the house. They were annoying but they were your brothers and you loved them very much.

“They seem like great kids,” Steve said. He had placed his hand on the small of your back, gently leading you to the car. You found this simple gesture very touching.

He opened the door and you got in, adjusting your dress so it didn’t ride up. “Thank you. They’re a handful but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Climbing into the driver’s seat, Steve buckled himself in. “Are you ready for dinner?”

“I’ve been looking forward to it all week,” you said shyly. You were so happy when Steve texted you, asking to go out. It was hard finding a good time with both of your schedules, but you finally were able to make it happen.

The car was thrown into reverse and Steve backed out of your driveway, heading onto the main road. “I have too,” he said. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about it since I last saw you.”

“Really?” You turned to him, a smile forming on your lips.

“Yeah.” He glanced at you then back to the road. “I did ask you out the day we left.”

“You did. And I was really happy you did.”

A comfortable silence fell between the two of you as he drove you to the restaurant. Once inside, Steve gave the name for your reservations. The staff seemed to scuttle around when they realized it was the Steve Rogers and his date.  You were quickly escorted to your table, given menus and, a complimentary bottle of wine.

You took a sip, feeling the warmth of the alcohol move down your throat. “This is good wine,” you commented, “Might be dangerous for me.”

“You’re not drivin’, doll. Drink up.” Holding out his glass, you clinked yours against it. Eyes locking on each other as you both took a sip.  

Setting your glass down, you picked up the menu and started looking it over. “I’ve never been here before. Do you have any recommendations?”

“I haven’t been either,” Steve said, gazing at his own menu. “Tony was the one that said I should take you here. He recommended the steak.”

You giggled. “Well, then, let’s see if Tony has good taste.” You set down the menu, waiting for the server to come.

She appeared quickly. She was fidgeting, and stammering, and her hands shook as she took your orders. Dropping her notepad several times, she quickly walked away towards the kitchen.

“Does that happen a lot?” You asked when the server was out of sight.

Steve smiled. “Yeah, more often than not. Especially with women.”

“You’re very attractive,” you said. “I can see why they would get flustered.”

You liked the blush that started to form on his cheeks. “Yeah, well, its all serum.”

The server came back, bringing you little bowls of soup and a basket of bread. She was having trouble making eye contact with either of you. As she left, you grabbed a roll. It was warm and the butter you spread on it melted quickly.

You took a sip of soup and a bite of bread. It was delicious. “So far Tony’s right,” you said, munching. “This is really good food.”

With a mouthful of bread, Steve nodded making you giggle. This was a nice restaurant and so far, the food matched that. As did the company.

You focused on your soup and your bread, occasionally glancing up and catching Steve’s eyes. His blue gaze heating you up on the inside.

Just as you were finishing, the server came back with your meals. Taking away the old plates and presenting you with new ones. You took a bite of the steak Tony recommended, eyes rolling back as the flavor assaulted your mouth. “This is delightful! Tell Tony I am forever indebted to him.”

Steve laughed, taking a bite himself. “That would make two of us. And I don’t just mean the steak.”

“Steve,” you said, trying to hide your face with your hair. “That’s so kind of you. And I agree. I haven’t had a nice date in a very long time. Thank you for taking me out. It really means a lot to me.”

“Really? A pretty dame like yourself not goin’ out much?”

“I could say the same thing to you.”

“You think I’m a pretty dame?”

You giggled. “The prettiest.” Dabbing you mouth on your napkin, you continued. “But really, you’re Captain America. I’m sure you can have your pick of the ladies. Why the reservations?”

He shifted in his seat and you were hoping you didn’t cross the line. “Partly, that’s just not who I am. I don’t want to rush into something if it isn’t with the right person. And, Captain America can have his pick of the ladies. Steve Rogers, hasn’t always had that same luck.”

“That makes a lot of sense,” you said, taking another bite of steak. “You want someone who cares for Steve and not just Cap. I hope you’ll believe me when I say that I think Steve Rogers is pretty amazing by himself.”

“I do.” The quickness of his reply and this sureness of his voice made your breath hitch. “I wouldn’t have asked you out if I didn’t. I really like you, Y/N.”

“Steve,” you said so softly, “I really like you too.”

“But what about yourself?” He switched the subject away from himself. “Why haven’t you gone out much?”

You gave a dry laugh, pushing food around on your plate. “It’s my job, Steve. Guys either think what I do is disgusting or get way too excited about it.” You shrugged. “It’s hard finding a happy medium.”

“I’m sorry no one has really given you a chance,” he said with sincerity. “And again, I’m sorry I didn’t when we first met.”

“It’s okay.” You finished your glass of wine and started to pour yourself a second one. “I’m sorry Tony kind of sprung it on you. I honestly didn’t think anything would happen. I was just happy to get a free vacation,” you said, smiling.

He smiled too. “I was definitely not expecting it. Tony just told me that I should spend the weekend relaxing, enjoying my final days in the double digits. But I’m glad he did what he did. I got to meet a really incredible woman out of it.”

“Thank you,” you said, smiling. The happiness the compliment caused stirring inside you.

You continue to eat your meal, moving the conversation from subject to subject. You hadn’t seen Steve in person since his birthday weekend and it was nice to talk to him face to face. The two of you had been texting back and forth but that just wasn’t the same.

The server came back, looking calmer than before. She quickly disposed of your plates and brought out a piece of chocolate cake, also complimentary. She gave you each a spoon, smiled awkwardly, and walked away.

“Sharin’ dessert? How romantic,” you said, scooting closer to the table.

He smiled and agreed, scooting closer as well. The dessert was gooey and chocolatey. It was messy but delicious. Steve, being the gentleman that he is, even let you have the last bite.

He requested the check but was told that Tony Stark had already covered the bill. Since payment was surprisingly taken care of, the two of you left he restaurant, Steve’s hand on the small of your back again. His touch was still warm and made you tingle, the sensation probably heightened from your two glasses of wine.

You were disappointed that the date was coming to an end. When he suggested going for a nice walk in the nearby park, you were elated.

When you got there, you were happy to see the place was calm and open. The few people that were present didn’t seem to pay either of you much mind.

“I’m having such a nice time with you, Steve,” you said as you walked next to him. “It’s nice getting to know here and in person.”

“I agree,” he said, his hands resting in his pockets. “I like talking to you.”

Blushing, you looked at your feet, keeping an eye on where you were walking. “Oh,” you said, grabbing your purse and rummaging, “I should text the boys and give them an update. I’m not usually gone this long.”

“Do you always let them know when you’re out?”

“I always do with clients. Not as rigorously with causal dates, but it makes me feel better and it makes them feel better. With clients I’m on more of a schedule and I can tell them when I’ll be home.” You didn’t have any messages from your brothers asking when you were be back, but you figured giving them an update on going to the park was a good idea.

“So, they know about your job?”

Nodding, you slipped your phone back into your purse. “They do. I wanted to be transparent with them. They were really against it at first. But after meeting some of the other girls and my mistress from the agency, it helped put them at ease. And I take extra precautions that aren’t required but they make me feel safer.”

“What else do you do?”

“Well, I make all my clients sign a contract outlining exactly what they’re hiring me for. It helps keep some of the creeps away. I also don’t drink while on the clock.”

Steve started to laugh. “I think I remember you having a glass of somethin’ when I got to the vacation home.”

You joined in his laughter. “Ah, once again you are the exception, Steve. I expected neither sex nor for you to be creepy towards me. I always envisioned Captain America to be nice and respectful. And you blew that vision out of the water.”

His hand closest to you came out of his pocket. You watched as his fingers stretched towards yours. His skin was soft when it made contact. Your hand practically disappeared inside his larger one. You felt the same warmth and tingling in your hand and it spread throughout your body. Naturally, you moved closer to him, letting your joined hands fall to the side.

Your heart rate sped up when you glanced over and saw Steve looking at you. “Your skin is soft,” he said awkwardly, making you giggle.

“Thanks,” you smiled, giving his hands a little squeeze.

The two of you stayed out walking for another thirty minutes, talking about everything and nothing, sharing silly stories from your childhoods. It felt like the two of you were really connecting. Laughing and joking seemed to come easily. And you loved hearing his laugh. Your hands stayed linked the whole time. When you made it back to the car, your feet were hurting. The shoes you had picked were not conducive for long bouts of walking.

When Steve pulled into your driveway, you inwardly groaned when you noticed the living room light was still on. The boys were up way too late on a school night. They would have to deal with being overly tired in the morning.

Steve opened the car door for you and walked you to your doorstep, his hand encompassing yours. “Thank you again for asking me out, Steve. I really had a wonderful time,” you said as you stood on your porch.

“I’m glad you said yes.” His fingers stroked your hand. “I’m hoping we can do it again soon?”

You smiled. “I’d love that. If you’re not busy this weekend, maybe I could cook for you again?”

“That would be great.” His smile was absolutely perfect, making your heart skip a beat. “I’ll text you in the mean time?”

You nodded quickly, muttering a soft “okay”.

There was a moment’s hesitation before Steve dropped your hand. “I’ll see you then.” He smiled at you before heading back to the car.

“Wait!” You called and he stopped, turning back to you. His eyes were bright and curious and suddenly you felt silly. “Are…are you going to kiss me?” An embarrassed smile appeared on his lips, cheeks turning red, and you felt very silly. “Or not. It’s okay if you don’t want to. I just… well… I’d like to kiss you.”

He came back up to your porch, standing in front of you. “I didn’t wanna rush,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I would really like to kiss you, too.”

“I think you should, then,” you said softly, pushing yourself closer to him. He placed his hands on your waist, fingers curving with the contour of your body. Your eyes fluttered closed and your hands went around his neck to his hair. Little butterflies erupted in your stomach the moment his lips pressed against yours. They were just as warm and soft as his hands and you felt lost. You grabbed the base of his hair to anchor yourself as he stole your breath away with one soft kiss.

He pulled away slowly and when you opened your eyes, he was still dangerously close. If he was just some guy, you would have gone back in for more. You wouldn’t let him leave until your tongue had thoroughly explored his mouth. But Steve wasn’t some guy. Steve was special. Old school. Well, really old school. This was a relationship you wanted to take your time with.

“I’ll see you this weekend,” he practically whispered as his hands fell from you. Your skin felt cold without his warmth.

“Okay. Bye, Steve.” You matched his tone, the smile never leaving your face.

“Bye, Y/N.”

You watched him get in the car and back up. He waved at you before pulling out onto the road. When he was finally out of sight, you went in the house, still feeling a bit lightheaded.

Inside, you found the boys lounging on the couch, watching TV. “BOYS!” You yelled, the giddiness instantly dissipating. “Why are you still awake!? You’re both gonna be so grumpy in the morning and I don’t wanna deal with that.”

Jonathan stretched, nearly smacking Lucas in the face. “Well, we were waitin’ up for you.”

“You never gave us a final time you’d be home,” Lucas added.

Guilt for snapping at them started to form, breaking away your anger. “I’m sorry. I got caught up with Steve. That was real sweet of you two.”

“Speaking of Steve,” Johnathan grabbed his phone and walked over to you. “We also wanted to show you this.” Lucas was right behind him as the three of you were huddled around Jonathan’s phone.

After a few clicks, he pulled up a video. The quality was very poor like it had to be from decades ago. Sure enough, you recognized it as one of the propaganda videos Steve had done back in the day when he first became Captain America. While you had seen them before, clearly the boys had not. They were both trying to hide their laughter as the video ended with Steve punching a fake Hitler.

“Wow,” you said and rolled your eyes.

“This is hilarious!” Jonathan put his phone in his pocket once the video was over. “You went out with that guy!”

“And you have a poster of him in your bedroom,” you commented, heading towards your room. “Go to bed!”

You shut your door before either of the boys could say anything. You heard them continuing to laugh as they past your room and went to theirs. They were so stupid, but you loved them so much.

As you stripped off your clothes and got ready for bed, you got a text from Steve.

Steve: I know I keep sayin it but thank you for the date

You: Of course. And I hope I didn’t push you too much with the kiss

Steve: You didn’t. I was wanting to kiss you but I didn’t know how to go about doing it. I’m not that smooth. Even with Bucky’s coaching

You started laughing as you read his text. Of course, he had help getting ready for this date from his best friend. You turned off the lights and snuggled into your bed before you replied.

You: Whatever you are, I like it. And I like kissing you.

Steve: I liked kissing you too

You: I’m getting ready for bed. I’ll talk to you in the morning. Night Steve

Steve: Sweet dreams

You set the phone down and closed your eyes. You hadn’t felt this happy over a guy in a very long time. You had no doubt you would have sweet dreams about him.

Tags: @dsakita @lancsnerd @xxloki81xx

[psycho-slytherin]

Strangers ch. 18

You spend another wild evening with the guys, and Xiumin’s pet birds need tending to.

Pairing: Yoongi x (female) Reader

Word count: 1.5k

Genre: Fluff

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“Thanks again for doing this,” Xiumin says, plopping down and dangling his keys in front of you. You pluck them out of his outstretched hand.

“Of course. God forbid your birds be in need of anything over the weekend,” you tease.

“Hey, they’re high maintenance,” Xiumin protests. “Remember, you need to give them fresh fruit every morning and bird feed in the evenings–”

“Mmhmm. When are you leaving?”

“Friday– tomorrow.”

“Will I see you before you go?”

Xiumin checks his phone. “Maybe? I’ll let you know. You can’t come by tonight?”

“Yeah, I’m meeting some friends.”

Xiumin clucks his tongue. “Maybe another time. Hey, I have to get going to class–”

“I’ll see you later, then.” You kiss him sweetly before he gathers his things and leaves. In the four months since you began dating, it’s become a normal thing for your boyfriend to pop over so you could eat breakfast together occasionally.

You check the clock. You have a few minutes before Lisa’s supposed to pick you up, so where else would you go besides bed? You flop onto your mattress and sigh. You’ve been so unbelievably tired lately. Your phone rings beside you and you reach for it, smiling at the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Yoongi–”

“No, really?” you gasp. “I had no clue!”

You hear him chuckle on the other end of the line. “Sorry, habit.”

“Don’t apologize.” you lean back against your pillow. “What’s up?”

“Are we still on for tonight? The guys can’t wait.”

“Of course. How could I disappoint the children?”

“WE MISS YOU!” you hear Hoseok’s yell followed by Yoongi’s exasperated sigh.

“Am I on speaker?” you ask in amusement.

“No, he just has freakishly good hearing. It can get… kind of inconvenient,” Yoongi mutters.

“I really hope you’re not saying what I think you’re saying.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, y/n.”

“Why? It’s so much fun down here.”

Yoongi clicks his tongue. “Are you physically capable of–”

“-Of not being the queen of banter? No, sorry, can’t say I am.”

“You’re so weird.”

You roll your eyes. “Love you too.”

Yoongi coughs loudly. “Anyways, Seokjin hyung is wondering what you want for dessert.”

“And you didn’t tell him that I worship anything chocolate?”

“In what form?”

“The yummy form.”

Yoongi sighs again. “You’re impossible.”

“Gotta keep you on your toes. I’ll see you tonight, yeah?”

“See ya.”

You stand and stretch, grabbing your bag as you get a text: Lisa’s arrived. You hurry down and hop into her car, buckling up as she takes off.

“Y/n, darling, it’s been too long.”

“It hasn’t even been a day.”

“That’s far too long,” Lisa giggles. “So how’s everything going?”

“I mean, I’m trying not to fail history and Improv’s an easy A–”

Lisa tuts. “I meant, with Xiumin.”

“Oh. What do you want to hear?”

“You’ve been dating for literally forever! I need all the juicy details. Have either of you dropped the L-word yet?”

“No,” you admit. “But I might soon.”

“You love him?”

You think about your kind, charming, perfect boyfriend. You must be crazy, it’s only been four months, you’ve always been careful about your feelings, but– “Yeah. I really do.”

Lisa pumps her fist. “Woot! God, I ship y’all so hard I might as well write the fanfic.”

“Please don’t,” you laugh. You’ve read Lisa’s fanfiction– she deals in angst alone. “I actually want a happy ending, you know. All your fics mean someone ends up heartbroken or dead or worse.”

“How do you get worse than dead?”

You stare at her. “Remember the BIGBANG fic from freshman year? Where Daesung was a painter and–”

“Ohmigod stop! We are not reliving Blank Canvas ever again.”

“If you say so,” you grin.

“I dunno how you’re dating a painter after all that trauma,” Lisa shudders. “Isn’t that what he’s going away for?”

“Yeah, there’s some art exhibition down in somewhere, and he and his roommate are leaving tomorrow for the weekend. Which means I take care of his birds.”

“Hey, birds are cute,” Lisa shrugs as she parks her car. “Oh, can we hang out tonight?”

You shake your head. “Sorry, I’m gonna be with some friends.”

“You have friends that aren’t me? Are you sure they’re real?”

You laugh. “See you later, Lisa.”

Your classes are dull, and by the end of the day you’re half dead inside. As soon as you get home you chug a cup of coffee– you want to be fully awake tonight– and settle in to do homework for a few hours before checking the clock and yelping: you’re supposed to be at the guys’ place soon. But what to wear? A few minutes later–

“Hello?”

“Lisa, help, what do I wear?”

“For tonight? Is it formal?”

“No, but my friends always dress like supermodels and I don’t want to look like trash in comparison.”

“Oh, huh. Wear that pale pink blouse– you know, the one with ruffles that makes your boobs look bigger?”

You sigh at Lisa’s priorities. “Fine. What else?”

“The black button-up skirt. You’ll look fire.”

You crack a smile. “That’s dope.”

“Have fun tonight, hon.”

Fifteen minutes later you’re settled in the black car on your way to the apartment. As usual, you have to sneak in through the back door of the basement, but it’s worth it to open the door and see seven grinning faces, Yoongi in the center of them all.

“Y/n!”

“It’s been forever!”

“Aish, it’s so good to see you.”

You blossom under the attention. “I’ve missed you guys.”

“You’re too cute!” Hoseok wraps an arm around your shoulders. “I’m officially adopting y/n as my little sister.”

“We’re the same age, you nerd.”

“I’m older by a few months. Therefore you’re my little sister.” he waggles his eyebrows. “Gonna call me Hobi-oppa?”

You smirk. “Only if Kookie has to call me noona.”

“Can we not with the honorifics?” Namjoon asks, pushing past the maknaes and giving you a one-armed hug. “It’s good to see you, y/n.”

“Although it’d be better if we could eat, too.” Taehyung mutters, and the group laughs.

“Dinner is served,” Seokjin announces. “Let’s get started.”

The meal is delicious, and you eventually sit back with a full belly. “Yum…”

“The night is young,” Seokjin says.“And the chocolate cake won’t be ready for a while.”

“Truth or Dare or Drink!” Jungkook cheers. “Please?”

“You know y/n can’t hold her liquor,” Yoongi says.

You sniff indignantly. You don’t have classes tomorrow; what do you have to lose? “Someone hand me a shot glass– let’s play.”

Regret.

That’s what you feel as you wake up, still dressed– how did you get home? You blink sleep out of your eyes and smack your lips. Ow. Your head hurts and your back hurts and everything hurts.

“Ugh…” you groan. You’re so nauseous that it feels like your stomach is doing gymnastics, and… you’re missing a shoe? What happened last night?

You roll over and rub your temples to quell the pounding headache. When that doesn’t work, you blink a few times and scan your bedroom. You might be wrong, but… nope. You’re definitely missing a shoe.

On your bedside table, when your sluggish gaze finds it, is… what? Some painkillers and an energy drink await you, alongside a note.

Dear hungover y/n, the note reads, feel better and take care of yourself. Love, drunk y/n.

PS: Hoseok has your shoe.

You knit your brows. Drunk you’s handwriting is so different from yours, and yet so familiar…

Ugh, thinking hurts. You swallow some painkillers and chug the entire energy drink before rolling over and falling back asleep.

When you awake again, it’s already dark out and you feel a thousand times better until you realize: shit– the birds! It’s Friday night and Xiumin’s such a morning person that he probably left for the exhibition hours ago, which means you need to hustle over to feed his birds before your shift at the cafe. Luckily Xiumin’s apartment is only a short walk away.

You bundle up and quietly make your way to his place, using the key he gave you to unlock his door before slipping inside. As soon as you enter, Xiumin’s four birds begin squawking and fluttering, but not even the chirrups and rustles can hide the other sound coming from down the hall. You hear an unmistakably  rhythmic squeaking of bedsprings accompanied by pants and moans.

“Oh my god…” you hear a woman’s breathy cry. “Fuck! You’re so good, fuck…”

You go red in the face as you hold your breath, desperate not to make any noise. Does Suho have a girl over? Xiumin had told you that his roommate would join him at the exhibit this weekend. Maybe he changed his mind? You tiptoe over to the bag of bird feed, the girl’s moans ringing in your ears as you quietly, quietly scoop feed into the birdcages. You’re about to leave and close the door behind you when you hear a tired, fucked-out, very familiar groan: “You’re so beautiful, fuck…”

Your heartbeat stutters at the voice. Xiumin?

A/N Sorry if this chapter was a bit dull, I know it was kinda dialogue-heavy. As always, I appreciate any and all feedback y’all may have, so feel free to drop me an ask to express your thoughts. Thank you for reading!

[jrubalcaba]

Precious Cargo Ch. 5 - The Arrival Pt. 2

Precious Cargo Chapter 5 - The Arrival Pt. 2 author: jrubalcaba featuring: OFC Guinevere “Gwen” Adams x Bucky Barnes word count: 1692 words rating: G warnings: Attempts of flirting, yummy food galore A/N: We finally meet the kids! Another huge shoutout to @avenger-nerd-mom for being my beta!

I could sense the sunlight through my eyelids. It wasn't very bright, so it must have been early in the morning. That wasn't was woke me up though. I was boiling hot, and something hard was jabbing into my back. I reached back and grabbed whatever it was and shoved it, but when I did, two things happened. The first was that Bucky yelped and the second was that I was suddenly cold. My eyes flew open as I rolled over, watching Bucky as he adjusted himself gingerly.

“Sweet Jesus, what was that for?” He croaked, his voice heavy with sleep and pain. I stared at him, trying to figure out what he was talking about when it finally dawned on me. The thing that was poking me was Bucky's cock, and I had tried to shove it away.

“Oh my god! Are you ok? I am so sorry!” I exclaimed as I began to reach for him. He kept his flesh hand covering his crotch and held up his metal one.

“Just give me a minute. Having my dick squeezed and yanked on is one hell of a way to wake up,” he wheezed, as he rolled to his back and sat up slowly. I got up and ran into the kitchen. I grabbed some ice and shoved it in a sandwich baggie, before wrapping it in a towel and running back to Bucky. I handed it to him and he gladly placed it in his crotch, sighing in relief. “Thanks babe,” he replied gratefully. I smiled a bit at the ‘babe’ nickname.

“No problem. I didn't mean to hurt you. It was digging into my back and I honestly didn't think that it was your…thing. I'm so sorry,” I apologized again. “How about if I cook some breakfast to make up for your rude awakening?” I offered. He nodded and we headed to the kitchen. “I was thinking about biscuits and gravy, eggs, and bacon. How does that sound?” I asked. Bucky's eyes got really big before he blinked a few times and nodded.

“Yeah that sounds great. Need me to help with anything?” Buck’s cooking isn't the best so I didn't really want him to help. I glanced at him and noticed that he was still in just his underwear. That would not be good for the kids to see.

“No it's ok. What I do need is for you to not be such a damn bed hog and stay on your side of the bed!” I laughed at the expression on his face. “And while I'm very grateful that you wore your boxers to bed, I understand why you sleep in the nude. You're a freaking furnace! I’m glad that I brought warm weather pajamas or else I'd have to sleep in my underwear too. Why don't you go put on some more clothes just in case the kids arrive while I'm cooking?” As Bucky went back into the bedroom, I opened the fridge, took out the bacon and began to fry it. While the bacon cooked, I mixed up a batch of biscuit dough and portioned it out on a cookie sheet. I was setting the cooked strips on a plate to drain when I felt a warm chest press against my back, as a metal hand reached down and swiped a few strips. “Hey, save some for me!” I chastised him.

“But it's bacon. I can't help it,” Bucky whined. I glared at him over my shoulder and he held his hands up in surrender. “Ok fine I'll stop eating.” He walked over to the counter where I had the biscuits ready to bake. “Are these biscuits made from scratch?” Bucky asked incredulously. I paused from flipping the bacon and looked over at him.

“Well yeah. You really think I would use,” I shuddered before continuing, “store-bought?” I was a bit offended. “In the time that we've lived together at the tower and all the times you've seen me cook, has anything ever been pre-made?” I asked, standing with my hands on my hips. He quickly shook his head.

“No. I was just surprised is all. I'm not complaining though. To be honest, if I eat nothing but your home cooked food while we're here, I might actually gain weight,” Bucky joked, sitting down at the bar. I giggled before taking out the last of the bacon and placing it in the microwave to help keep it warm. I got started on the gravy and stuck the biscuits in the oven. Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door. “Stay there. I'll go check and see who it is,” he instructed, walking to the window and peering outside. “The kids are here,” Bucky stated. He unlocked the door and let the kids and the agents come in.

Agents Starsky and Hutch (yes those were their real names) ushered Elliott and Zoey inside. Elliott was tall for a four year old, with dark hair and bright blue eyes. His ears stuck out a tiny bit, which made him even cuter. Zoey stood behind him, clutching a tattered stuffed bunny. She had light brown, almost blonde hair that fell in curls to her waist. She was a tiny little thing, almost like one strong gust of wind could knock her over. I stepped away from the stove and walked over to them. I smiled down at Elliott and introduced myself. “Hi there. My name is Elizabeth, but you can call me Ellie.” I gestured toward Bucky as I introduced him as well. “This is my husband Sebastian. You can call him...Bucky for short.” I figured that having the kids call him ‘Bucky’ would be easier that trying to have them say Sebastian or Seb all the time. Elliott nodded at me before introducing himself as well.

“My name is Elliott and this is my sissy, Zoey,” he mumbled, looking up at me before looking over at Bucky. “Wow! Is that your real arm? Can I touch it?” the little boy exclaimed. Elliott grabbed Bucky’s hand and pulled it to his face to check it out, while Bucky chuckled. I crouched down in front of Zoey and smiled.

“Hi Zoey. My name is Ellie. Are you hungry?” I asked softly. She nodded slightly as I pointed at her bunny. “I like your bunny. What’s its name?” She squeezed it tighter, as if she was afraid I might try to take it. “Would you like to help me finish cooking? I could use a helper.” She bowed her head, shyness overtaking her. I glanced up at the agents for help.

“She doesn’t say much. If she does, it's only to him,” Hutch replied, pointed at Elliott. “The bunny is named Bun-Bun. Good luck, Ellie. Good luck, Bucky,” she wished us, as she and Starsky left.

I looked back at Zoey, catching her line of sight to the kitchen. “Can I pick you up? Bun-Bun can go too,” I told her as I held my arms out. After a while, she stepped forward, allowing me to lift her up and place her on my hip. “Let’s finish cooking breakfast, then we can eat. Then, after we’re done eating, we can show you all the cool toys we have for you,” I promised. She laid her head on my shoulder and silently watched as I stirred the gravy. Once it was done, I grabbed the eggs out of the fridge and started to crack them one-handedly into a bowl, so I could scramble them before putting them in the frying pan. It was not an easy task, but I was not going to put this little angel down.

“Miss Ellie! Miss Ellie! Isn't Bucky’s hand cool? I wish I could have one!” Elliott exclaimed.

I looked over my shoulder and caught Bucky's eye. If only Elliott could understand how a person gets an arm like that.  My pained expression showed him my sorrow and I mouthed, “He’s just a kid.”

Bucky nodded and turned away, taking drinking glasses down from the cabinet.

I finished scooping the eggs out of the pan and put them in a bowl before grabbing plates out of the cabinet and started to fill them with food. The timer went off, meaning the biscuits were done, so I pulled them out and set them down to cool while I finished serving the rest of the food. Bucky came over and grabbed the plates and took them to the table since I only had one hand available. Zoey was checking everything out while I held her on my hip. He came back and grabbed the biscuits and took them as well while I brought the gravy over.

“Wow. Babe, this looks amazing,” Bucky complimented. He dug in and with a mouth full of food, he moaned. “Oh my god it tastes even better! Damn woman, where did you learn to cook?” He looked like he was floating on a cloud. I was quite pleased with myself that he enjoyed my cooking. Elliott and Zoey were enjoying the food too, judging by the fact that their plates were almost clean. I leaned over the table and gave Bucky the flirtiest smile I could.

“Well, I've always been taught that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. So, I've devoted myself to learning how to cook anything and everything. Ask, and you shall receive,” I purred, winking at him. His eyes grew big and he looked uncomfortable. Well, that didn't go over like I had hoped it would. That was my first and last attempt at trying to flirt with him. Won't do that again. I looked down at my plate and busied myself with eating. We finished our meal in silence and after we cleared the table, Bucky retreated to our room while I played with the kids. I must have scared him or pissed him off with my feeble attempt at flirting. Geez this is gonna suck and this mission is going to drag on forever.

Chapter 6

TAG LIST:

@avenger-nerd-mom @brighterlights @buckyappreciationsociety @buckyywiththegoodhair, @disappointedwithchrisevans-post @donnaintx @etts21 @handshugging @imsecretlyromanburki @just-call-me-mrs-captain @kimistry27 @liz-pbnz @magellan-88 @marvel-trash07 @melodyhiddleston @papi-chulo-bucky @sketchbookthingz @suz-123

[bigpileofgarbage]

a17 and a19 for miikle, b5 and b9 for louis, annnnd i4 and i6 for dwigt

Long Post

MIIKLE

What’s one of your OC’s proudest moments of themselves?

I am not so sure actually. I don’t feel there are a lot of things that Mike is proud of. Like even the cool nerd stuff he did as a wee baby, he now finds kind of embarrassing and pointless. He has reached a state of mind where everything is just so pointless and whatever that even if it’s something that were he in a better mental state, he would be pretty dang proud. Sadly, Mike is a fucking mess. Actually, I take that back.

What instantly irritates them or puts them in a bad mood?

Throwing stuff at him or making him look a fool. He doesn’t mind making himself look a fool, because that is different. It’s on his own terms he has control…more or less. But if somebody else makes him look like a dang idiot, that is a sure fire way to irritate him. Also, pop music playing while he is trying to enjoy a nice dessert at a diner. That puts him in a bad mood as well. Being woken up abruptly from a slumber. NO LIGHTER! NO CIGARETTES!!! Sometimes his own hair gets in his face and he can’t find a hair tie and he wants to destroy the world because of it! This is actually a really long list. Most are stupid things.

LOUIS

Do they hold doors open for people?

Typically, no. He will hold doors open for “friends”, family(depending on aus where he HAS family) and people he is WITH. But if Louis is out on his own wandering in and out of doors, he won’t hold doors open for strangers. Even if they clearly need it. This goes for elevator doors too. Sometimes he will even press the close door button in hopes that it will close in time to not let this stranger on the elevator. You could be an old woman with a walker and there is an INCREDIBLY HIGH CHANCE that Louis will zip through that door and leave you to fend for yourself. On VERY RARE occasions, if eye contact is made and it is VERY CLEAR that this person NEEDS help with the door he will hold the door open, but even that is unlikely especially if there are other people around that could potentially help. Long story short he is a jerk and Mike is more likely to hold a door open for a complete stranger or little lady with a walker than Louis is.

What kind of humor does your OC like the most? Slapstick, ironic, funny sounds, scare pranks, xD sO rAnDoM…

Surprising, I know, but Louis isn’t that big on humor. He tries to make intelligent jokes on occasion and certainly enjoys more highbrow funnies, but nothing that you would ever actually laugh at. More like, witty brain things that make you say “Why, how humorous!” THAT BEING SAID! The things that genuinely make Louis laugh are usually mean spirited in nature. The perfect example is the Fools in April episode where Squidward makes Spongebob cry because of his hilarious April Fools Prank and then everybody calls Squidward a jerk. That is the best example I can think of. The difference here is Louis rarely will apologize if he was the one who made the joke and hurt the feelings. Everything else he finds childish and stupid.

DWIGHT

How often do they cook? Do they order out a lot?

This varies on the AU. Modern AU baby Sweet cooks more than you might think. She doesn’t do it well of course and most of it is sweet and can’t really be called FOOD! 

Hillbilly AU is probably where she cooks the most and can cook the best I think. Since she was raised by her Dad and Grandma, her Grandmum was actually able to teach her how to cook yummy food and all the very very basics of being able to feed yourself and maybe one day a family. Grandmum was very into making sure that this baby grew into a self sufficient  lady who can cook for a family when the time came. Unfortunately, this confidence gave Dweet that extra boost she needed to REALLY get creative with some recipes. So she tries very hard to make fancy food with the garbage that she and Frank can afford to buy with a million children. So for every normal and pretty ok meal she makes, she will make at least two that are very questionable to outsiders but the Hillbillies enjoy!

Classic Fallout Dwight can’t cook, can’t hardly even heat up a can of beans, that is why her diet consists of nothing but leaves and soda.

Cowboy Sonny, is not the best. She can cook cowboy prairie food like beans and biscuits. Stuff you eat while camping basically. Maybe some chili or something. But that is where her skills in the kitchen end.

Could they eat the same thing they enjoy over and over and not get bored of it quickly?

Yes AND no. There are a few things that she enjoys enough that she could eat it everyday for her entire life and probably would never get bored of it. But It is a small list. All other things can get boring pretty fast. Things like her favorite soda, and lucky charms she could eat forever.

[writetoremainsilent]

8/4/19 toting knowledge, towing my dog, my toe is hurting

I woke up mildly early (9 a.m.). I went downstairs, got some chocolate milk, and went back upstairs to study and start my day.

I learned of the Dayton shooting through my YouTube feed, and didn’t feel like doing much. I climbed back into bed and fell asleep for two more hours. I had a pretty weird dream and woke up. It was half past noon, and my ‘early morning’ had been shot.

I had forgotten that I agreed to study with some of my anatomy class buddies, and the group text was popping. They were meeting at some cafe about 20 minutes from where I lived. I went and whined to my parents and told them that I didn’t feel safe going in public anymore. They told me about a shooting in Chicago and agreed with me. 

Anyway, I was freaking out, but I also didn’t want to flake because I’m really good at that and I’m trying not to be. Plus, I weighed my options. Either I’d stay at home and do nothing, or I could meet up with some friends and get some good studying in. The latter was way more efficient, even if I was scared of becoming bullet-ridden. 

Parking at this cafe took forever because it’s in this new apartmental area and though it’s way more developed, modern housing hates open parking. So I struggled with that for a bit.

I parked and walked over to the cafe, feeling confident about getting some good studying in. I swung the door open and--

--and the bottom of the door was too low. It came right onto my foot, and I heard a big CRUNCH as my big toe was crushed. 

Ow. 

My confidence shot and my toe feeling like it as well (wow that was an off-color joke), I limped over to where my friends were studying, trying to smile but grimacing instead. 

I sat down and we started studying, but more like talking. This is the problem. I love, love group studying, but only when I’ve reviewed the material like mad before the meetup. I usually spend group study sessions talking and joking and getting to know one another, while coming off as the ‘knowledgeable person.’ But that’s only because I reviewed it before like a snake instead of going over the stuff with my group. 

But in this case, I had not gone over the material. So I laughed and joked around like I usually do, and learned nothing. Granted, I had a lot of fun, but I basically could’ve stayed home and gotten the same amount of work done. 

Instead of memorizing the muscles in the forearm, I posed the group the same question Wally, Allen, and I had talked about a few weeks earlier: would you rather live in a zombie world or the Attack on Titan world? I only asked because the models look a lot like Attack on Titan. 

So I’m actually an idiot. And my toe still hurt. I left the group three hours later, and saw that my phone had chosen to die yet again. 

I got home and faffed around for a bit. My parents told me to look at my toe, but I didn’t want to because I’m a coward. It didn’t hurt too bad, so why would I want to look at it and possibly freak out? Not worth it.

Wally wanted food, and Allen and I wanted to go to Burger King. Why would I, a vegetarian, want to go to Burger King? Because they introduced the ‘impossible’ burger, and I wanted to try it out. We got going, and I got a burger for my brother as well. It’s really yummy, but incredibly expensive. 

Wally and Allen came over to my house after we ordered the stuff, and we ate our meal together at the dining table. 

Allen and I want to try our hands at making a game, so we tried to get Wally, ever the pragmatist, on board. 

Eventually my clarification that I want to make a game just because it’s fun and not because I think it will be good convinced Wally, and he seemed interested.

Oh yeah, quick segue. Speaking of flaking and my not wanting to do so: We three, along with K-money, were supposed to play basketball and watch the new Tarantino movie in theaters.

I’m still scared of public spaces because my paranoia is freaky, but I’m starting to suspect I’m using the guise of paranoia as a free and easy means to cancel on my friends. So the movie didn’t happen, and basketball couldn’t happen because of my toe. 

Now, back to the main story...

As we all sat around in my living room, my dad convinced Wally and Allen to come with me to walk my dog. We discussed the game that we wanted to make along the way. I want to make a really cool game similar to Pokemon, and Allen wants to make something that sounds very complex and I can’t comprehend it, and Wally said both sounded too hard. 

So for now, the game plan (hah) is to try and make a basic platformer first.

Turns out I lost all my sprites on GameMaker, so I’ll have to start from scratch. 

The rest of the day has been nothing but laziness. I looked at my toe, and the nail is cracked and there’s a bit of dried blood, but it’s nothing terrible. I wrapped it in bandages and am hoping for the best.

I’m scared of the world, but it seems hypocritical and case-by-case. I went to walk my dog just fine. I think I’m just a bad friend.

I also don’t know how to study or use my time wisely. That’s the real lesson here.  

[lotsofdogs]

Ways to Involve Kids in Cooking

Right around the time Chase turned two, he began regularly “helping” me in the kitchen. I put the word “helping” in quotations for a reason because his level of actual assistance varies greatly and has admittedly increased significantly over the course of the past 2.5 years.

Chase got a kitchen helper cooking stand for his second birthday and it quickly became one of our most-used items around the house. (Chase still uses his cooking stand almost every day and we’ve since put felt pads on the bottom so he can run behind it and push it right up to the counter when he wants to help us in the kitchen.) I initially started including Chase dinner preparation and he now loves helping me make everything from slow cooker meals and casseroles to muffins and desserts. It didn’t take long for Chase to start asking to help with a variety of tasks and now he frequently wants to taste new foods and press pretty much every button on the oven imaginable during our cooking adventures.

I’ve had a number of you guys reach out to ask me to share a blog post on the ways I incorporate Chase into the recipe preparation process and this post has been on my “must write” list forever! I finally got around to assembling a long list of the various ways I include Chase in kitchen fun and you may find it all detailed below.

Please note: I do not do every single thing listed below every single time Chase helps me in the kitchen but wanted to include a thorough list of the various ways I like to incorporate him into the fun of cooking and baking. Chase honestly really enjoys “helping” me these days and I love the fact that he’s learning about cooking while trying new foods and having fun. And the fact that we also manage to knock out a recipe and do something productive in the kitchen together feels like a win… even if every recipe takes 10 times longer and our kitchen is 10 times messier in the end.

Ways to Involve Kids in Cooking

Adding Spices

I let Chase help add spices to recipes in a number of ways. If the recipe calls for a “pinch” of something, I let him be the pincher. If I need a more exact amount of a certain spice, he loves measuring tablespoons and teaspoons and tapping them on the side of a bowl or pan to add the spice to a recipe. Also, when Chase started learning his numbers, I’d ask him to do something like “three taps” of the teaspoon on the side of the bowl which he thought was fun because of the loud tap noise but it also encouraged counting which I loved!

Also, this is a bit of a random “Mom Hack” but I also frequently slice up some cucumbers or bring out some baby carrots or hard-boiled eggs for Chase to snack on while we cook because he loves sprinkling them with a “teeny tiny pinch of salt.” (Sprinkling apple or pear slices with cinnamon is another favorite.) It’s a great way to get a healthy snack in his belly while we’re cooking or baking together and allows him to “play” with spices a little more. To help keep his sticky hands from contaminating spices/salt, I’ll add a bit to a small bowl for him that he can use as his own little stash.

Stirring + Mixing in an Oversize Bowl

Chase loves helping me stir and mix but when it comes to mixing things up with a hand-mixer or stirring ingredients together, I am all about using oversize bowls to prevent messes. Please don’t take this to mean our kitchen is even remotely spotless when Chase helps me in the kitchen, but to prevent overflow and a bigger mess than necessary, a larger-than-needed bowl is key for containing ingredients when a little one is serving as sous-chef.

Filling Muffin Tins

Filling muffin tins with muffin liners is a task that’s great for fine motor skills since kids have to work hard to separate the muffin liners from each other. I almost always have to help Chase with this one since the liners tend to stick together without him realizing it, but he absolutely loves this task, especially when I let him pick what muffin tin liners he wants to use from a variety of colors and designs.

Pressing ALL the Buttons

I’m sure this comes as no surprise to anyone with kids around, but it seems like all children everywhere are obsessed with pressing buttons. As it turns out, cooking and baking involves a decent amount of button pressing from setting the oven or starting a blender to microwaving something or setting up the slow cooker. Chase loves being the designated “button presser” and especially enjoys pressing the oven light on and off to periodically check on whatever we made together as it bakes away.

Measuring + Pouring

This one goes without saying but measuring (aka “digging” into a big bag of flour) and pouring anything and everything is probably Chase’s favorite task. The bigger the measuring cup, the better!

Ask for Their Opinion

Don’t care what kind of vegetables you include in your vegetable lasagna? Ask your little one their opinion! Chase always has a strong opinion about what I should add to a recipe whenever I ask him and I think he likes feeling like his thoughts matter and that he has a real say in how we cook and bake together. And since 3.5 year olds laugh at everything, sometimes I ask him silly questions like, “Do you think we should add ice cream to our quesadillas?” which will make him look at me with wide eyes before laughing and saying something like, ” NOOO! Silly Mom!”

Picking Seeds Out of Squash/Bell Peppers

Chase has always been a fan of seek-and-find books and games so picking seeds out of everything from a spaghetti squash or an acorn squash to a bell pepper is right up his alley. (I will usually pre-scoop out the seeds from a larger squash so there aren’t too many remaining for him to tackle.) It’s one of those tasks I personally detest but Chase thinks is oddly fun and I love that it’s great for fine motor skill development, too! Don’t expect this one to occupy your little one for long, but it seems to entertain them for a little while at least.

Say “Okay” To Taste Tests

This one might not appeal to some people but since I’m far from a germaphobe and tend to lean toward the “a little dirt won’t hurt” mentality, I don’t have any problem with Chase taking little tastes of our food while we’re cooking with his freshly-washed hands, as long as it’s something only he or our family will be eating together. (We also do a lot of hand-washing during the cooking process since he’s a kid who doesn’t like dirty or sticky hands.)

While things like cookie dough and muffin batter are obvious hits, I’ve been surprised at Chase’s excitement and enthusiasm over trying different spices we use in recipes as well as sauces, homemade nut butters and more. He’s a naturally curious child and while he’s never been a kid with a giant appetite, I do think that helping me cook in the kitchen is to thank for his interest in trying a variety of foods, even if he’ll often say, “I don’t like that very much.” As a mom who hopes to raise a healthy eater, you better believe I’m psyched when he asks to try foods like zucchini or starfruit.

Let Them “Sprinkle”

Any recipe that calls for sprinkling something like cheese, nuts, fresh herbs, chopped vegetables or sliced fruit over the top of a dish is toddler gold!  I’ll often put a large amount of whatever ingredient needs to be “sprinkled” into a bowl for Chase and let him be the designated sprinkler. Naturally he loves this task when it comes to making our own pizzas because pizza, but he’s often pretty enthusiastic about sprinkling just about any ingredient all over a big dish or pan.

Dish Washing

Letting a two or  three-year-old “help” with washing dishes is basically a recipe for something I like to call “swamp floor” but I’ve become a lot more laid back about a water-related mess since it’s incredibly easy to wipe up. Plus, setting Chase up at the sink to “wash” dishes often thoroughly entertains him while I wrap up the rest of a recipe. I like to lay a towel down around his cooking stand when I set him up at the counter and then I fill a bowl with warm soapy water and ask for his help “washing” measuring cups, spoons and other toddler-safe kitchen supplies. I like to tell myself this is also training Chase to clean up after cooking but I’m pretty sure he just thinks of it as some kind of awesome version of bath time in his clothes.

Let Them Pick a Recipe

Chase loves paging through my magazines and using scissors to cut out various pictures so when I’m done with a magazine that has recipes in it, I’ll often let him go to town and cut it up. It was during one of these magazine cutting sprees that I told him to let me know if he saw a yummy recipe he might like to make together on one of the pages. Of course he naturally picked an advertisement for some kind of a kid’s dessert treat but we eventually he saw a recipe for a smoothie that appealed to him so we ripped out the page and put it in “Mom’s special recipe folder” and then I pulled it out one day for us to make together. He remembered finding the recipe himself and I think that made him all the more excited to make it with me a few days later.

Questions of the Day

Do you ever incorporate your kids into fun in the kitchen? What are some of your favorite ways to cook or bake with little ones?

Any favorite kid-friendly recipes your little ones love to make with you? 

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[artsoccupychi]

How To Break Your Sugar Addiction in Four Days

On the GreenSmoothieGirl lecture tour of 450 U.S. cities, I was asked this, over and over:

How do I break my sugar addiction?

And I suspect that far more of us want to ask this question, relative to the few brave enough to say it out loud.

Because we all have Shame about our food addictions.

Shame Feeds Sugar Addiction

The most toxic and negatively charged human emotion is Shame.

Why am I capitalizing it? Because we have a lot of it, wrapped around the foods we vow, in the morning, to quit forever—the same food we secretly stuff in our mouths, in the afternoon and evening.

You’ve likely heard the story before about the dopamine cycle created by addictive foods.

So I’ll spare you. Knowing that you’re in the grip of a chemical, every day, every week, every year—doesn’t really help.

You’re also aware of the way sugar puts inches on your belly, causes your energy crash right when you need to productivity–and puts you at risk for cancer.

And blah, blah, blah.

It’s the Shame I’m more concerned about. Let’s just own it, shall we?

(If we don’t have a sugar addiction, we have a salt addiction. Some of us are unlucky enough to be obsessed with both sugary and salty.)

Both kinds of junk food come with high risks to our health—and even though we know all that, we’ve got a bag of Peanut M&M’s in the bottom drawer at work, or a box of powdered-sugar mini-donuts in our underwear drawer at home.

Where we put them says it all. They’re hidden. More often than not, we eat our sugary junk food when no one’s looking.

And as if the toxic food isn’t bad enough, then we emotionally beat ourselves up about it.

“I’m so self disciplined about other things—I work out, I have a successful career, I got a master’s degree, for crying out loud—why does sugar own me?”

And the self-loathing keeps the cycle going, with the Shame driving the sugar bingeing underground.

And we wake up the next morning, vowing to do better.

Break Your Sugar Addiction: My Sugar Bet

Several years ago, my dear friend Matthew Flinders and I took on a one-year Sugar Bet. It was a vow of sugar celibacy.

If one of us failed, we owed $10,000 to the other.

Before I tell you the outcome, I’ll share my ugly, humiliating moment–then later, I’ll share his.

(And ask his forgiveness after this post is published. Or just hope he doesn’t read it.)

We jointly set some rules that naturally sweet foods, like fruits, were legal.

But no birthday cake, donuts at the office, soda, no chemical sweeteners (like what’s in diet soda) were allowed—not even ketchup.

(Yep, ketchup is chock full of the worst kind of sugar, corn syrup.)

Six months into my year, feeling great, I was in Hawaii on a lecture tour, and my friend, Debbie, and I were doing a little window shopping in town. We stopped for lunch and both had a salad.

Then, the waiter asked if we wanted dessert, and Debbie ordered a brownie with hot fudge and ice cream. I declined, and had a moment of panic.

Here’s the problem: the only temptation trigger worse than a brownie, for this girl—is a brownie with hot fudge and vanilla ice cream.

My instinct told me to run. Debbie wouldn’t have minded. But my ego said, “Nah, you got this.”

As she began eating her dessert, Debbie, who had momentarily forgotten my vow, asked me if I wanted a bite.

A strange thing happened in my mind. This Big Fat Lie seemed completely rational, for as long as it took for me to grab a spoon:

“We’re in Hawaii. Coconuts are fruit. I mean, that’s probably coconut ice cream right there, right? The brownie could be sweetened with coconut sugar…which is kind of like fruit. I mean, I don’t know they AREN’T, so…I could plead ignorant?”

I picked up the extra spoon on the side of the plate, and took one delicious, gooey bite.

A sick feeling settled over me felt like a faraway memory I couldn’t quite place.

The next morning, I went for a run on the beach, and my guilt (and the panic that I really owed Matthew $10,000) swallowed me—unavoidable now–and I actually started crying, while I ran. To be honest, my shame, guilt, and dread at the conversation I had to have, when I got home, ruined the rest of my trip.

I realized that the déjà vu I had as I ate that one illegal bite reminded me of when I was five years old, and put a roll of Lifesavers in my pocket, shopping at a department store with my Dad.

In the car, I tried to eat one, but my guilty feelings wouldn’t let me swallow, and I literally choked, as the candy dissolved in my mouth.

My dad finally asked me what was wrong with me, why my face was red and I couldn’t speak, and was coughing.

And the confession came out, with a flood of tears. My dad took me into the store, to confess to the manager.

Now, at 42 years old, I had no excuse. I went home and gave Matthew $1,000 in cash, and asked him for mercy.

I asked him: Is there was any way I could continue the contest, giving him 10% of the big money I really owed, and I’ll pay the rest if I messed up again?

Days later, he came over to my house, told me he agreed to “mercy” me, and tried to give me the cash back. I refused to take it.

I was grateful for the do-over, and I won’t defend that I talked my way back into the bet. I really wanted to finish. And save face.

(I know, I suck. Followers of my blog told me so. You can comment and tell me so, AGAIN, if you want to. But that’s the story. That’s what happened.)

The year ended, both of us successful, and I was pretty proud. By that point in my life, I was a certifiable “health nut,” but my sugar addiction had dogged me since my earliest memory.

(After all, I was stealing Life Savers at five.)

The night after our bet ended, Matthew showed up on my porch to pick me up for Zumba. And showed me the four King Sized candy bar wrappers he had just eaten.

We’ve had a lot of laughs about that year, and the videos we made periodically, which are probably still on YouTube.

An interesting thing happened during those 12 months.

I can’t say I don’t ever eat sugar. Sometimes I do. But not very often. I can go days, and weeks, without it—and I don’t overdo, any more.

That year taught me that life is still sweet, without rewarding myself constantly with sugar.

But it doesn’t have to take you a year, or even a month to break your sugar addiction. You can beat a sugar addiction in as little as four days.

A Four-Day Sugar Challenge Even Kids Can Do

My children’s book, The Adventures of Junk Food Dude, is a story about two kids who come from very different homes. I’d like to read you a few pages.

The Green Smoothie Guy is an athlete, in 2nd grade, and is raised eating greens, vegetables, fruits—all the good stuff.

Junk Food Dude (whose real name is revealed later in the story) is his classmate who faces an all-too-common self-esteem-wrecker: childhood obesity.

This is the story of one-third of America’s children now.

But, while Junk Food Dude is routinely picked last for dodge ball, Green Smoothie Guy is kind, befriends him, and invites him to walk home with him after school.

They make some snacks, and Green Smoothie Guy proposes something interesting.

In this video, which you’re welcome to share with your kids, I read a few pages of the book, that explain a very hopeful and true principle.

Your body doesn’t actually want to be addicted to chemical substances. (Sugar resembles a chemical in every way, and evokes the same cascade of responses from the human body.)

And, when given a period of time as short as four days, sugar loses its chokehold.

On my lecture tour, I talked to many people who have never, in their lives, gone four whole days without processed sugar. I used to ask for a show of hands. And many had never done that.

But when I challenge you to ditch it for four days—remember, My Name is Robyn and I’m a Sugar Addict—you may be completely astonished that, for the first time in your life, you simply do not crave it, after that four days.

What You Can Expect When You Go Off Sugar

It’s a simple science experiment that will prove something interesting to you. And that is, you are stronger than you think.

You are actually innately drawn to the colors, textures, and flavors of real food. That is your genetic programming, and those natural, whole foods are what your ancestors ate for thousands of years.

You can’t discover this UNLESS you quit sugar for four days. (And I know you can. The first four days were much, much harder than the subsequent 361. Well, except that one day in Hawaii.)

But…it’s just four days.

Choose the days of the week you face the fewest temptations, and plan ahead with delicious, flavorful whole-food meals that will fill you and satisfy your taste buds.

Now, if you don’t find the sugar cravings completely disappearing after four days?

Whatever you do, don’t let Shame grab you by the throat. It serves no one. Behaviors driven underground flourish in the darkness. Say no to shame!

You’re no different from me—and I make a living telling people how to eat healthy.

Sugar is more addictive than crack cocaine. Multiple studies have proven it.

It takes some people a little bit longer, if they have candida yeast overgrowth, or they eat higher than average amounts of sugar, or soda.

Sugar is more addictive than crack cocaine. Multiple studies have proven it.

But it’s actually quite amazing what four days off the “nice girl’s crack” will do, for your confidence level that, in fact, sugar does not own you, and you CAN break your sugar addiction.

So, take a listen to a few pages of a children’s book, and see if you’re up for the challenge. You’ve got this. Let me know how it went. I’m rooting for you.

— Robyn Openshaw, MSW, is a single mom of four salad-eating, adulting kids, and the author of The Adventures of Junk Food Dude, and Junk Food Dude’s Yummy Healthy Recipes, a great gift set (discounted when you get both books) for a cool kid you know. And hey, use FIVEOFF for a second discount!

Or, she has a FREE video masterclass you can sign up for here, to learn how she got herself, and her kids, off the Standard American Diet, to lose 70 pounds and ditch 21 diagnosed diseases.

  Disclosure: This post may contain Affiliate links that help support the GSG mission without costing you extra. I recommend only companies and products that I use myself.

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[loud-snoring-os]

Hard sell instead of actual information My main criticism of this book, especially as an ebook, is that there were a copious amount of testimonials about the program that interrupted the actual narrative of information. I already bought the book, so why are you trying to sell it to me instead of just telling me about it? A lot of the information about the other fad diets was interesting but extremely basic. The principle of figuring out how your body reacts to different foods is a good one that could have functioned without all the superfluous information and the testimonials. I'd hold off on this book and go buy one written by a dietician or nutritionist that is not trying so desperately to sell a program. Go to Amazon

Great, Informative Book on Healthcare/Nutrition and Overall Wellbeing! Love this book by Joshua Rosenthal. I am currently a student at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. This book provides a good supplement to what I am learning in the program. It covers the global health crisis, dietary theories, primary food, as well as the history of healthcare over the years and how it has changed. It is a very informative book. I highly recommend it! Go to Amazon

Read this book and look forever differently and with hope as you give yourself what you really need. Great easy read to help you on your way to taking back your life from any health problems but better yet how to understand what has happened and is happening in the disease care crisis, and how to turn it back to health care where the patient takes responsibility and has authority over their own care and body. Enjoy this journey and share what you learn so we can spread the truth about lifestyle makes the biggest difference! And taking care of our emotional and social and career and spiritual needs are our primary foods! Joshua shares how when these are in balance we tend to begin taking better care and doing what we know in the areas of the food we eat. This is a must read. Go to Amazon

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It's an excellent tool for reinforcing what I am learning in my ... This book is something you're gonna wanna read if you're going to take classes or are taking classes at IIN. It's an excellent tool for reinforcing what I am learning in my classes. Go to Amazon

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Even Better! This book has helped hundreds of my clients awaken to their relationship with food and life. Joshua has a way of expressing himself that stirs people's curiosity to learn more and do things differently. I was delighted that he released a 3rd edition. He added a chapter called 'A Global Ripple Effect' which explores the secrets of longevity based on research from other countries. And I noticed that the recipes look even yummy than before. If you're truly ready to explore your relationship with food, this book provides a guide to support your journey. Go to Amazon

An A-Ha At Every Turn! Integrative Nutrition is an eye opening read, filled to the hilt with information and ideas that truly make you stop and think about nearly every choice you make every single day...at every single meal and far beyond the table. Go to Amazon

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