#I made this set totally for me and for the babe enjoyers

[thasorns-moved]

[ariaste]

A Discussion on Book Endings

Hey, friends. Thanks for coming today. I'm sorry to break it to you, but this is an intervention. Please, don't get defensive -- everyone here loves you and cares about you. But listen... I'm gonna need book readers and reviewers to reflect on the idea that finishing a book and going "Oh, I loved it so much, but I wish it was just a few pages longer!" is not really a valid point of negative critique in the assessment of a text.

Let me explain.

When I read people's otherwise wildly positive reviews of books and they say that line, I don't interpret it in context as, "This story needed to be a few pages longer for the plot to work, structurally, and for the ending to achieve a solid resolution." Rather, they basically seem to be saying simply, "I loved it and I didn't want it to end." That's always a GREAT feeling, but then they're.... taking points off from their total rating because of that??? They seem to be penalizing the author because they weren't left with a feeling of "Ugh, thank god it's over"? It's like, "This would have been five stars if it had had just one more chapter but it made me sad that it ended, so four stars" -- Guys, do we understand that's an insane take? It's insane. A book has to end. If you shriek "NO!!!" that it's over because you were having such a great time, that's... that's a symptom of a 5-star book, babes. I'm not sure why there's such a fashion these days for penalizing authors for this particular thing in this particular way, but it's really baffling to me.

But setting aside the puzzling trend of "I'm knocking points off because it ended when it should have gone on until I personally was fully bored and exhausted of it, like the 11th season of a TV show that was only supposed to go until season 4" -- listen, I guarantee you that nine times out of ten, when you're out here longing for just one more chapter or saying "this could have used an epilogue" you... are wishing for something that would have actively ruined your enjoyment and the quality of the book.

Are you a writer yourself? Have you ever finished writing a book before? Have you done it more than once? Have you deeply studied the endings of books? They are HARD, let me tell you what. Endings are so much harder than beginnings, because you're looking for that beautiful final note, like the ending of a symphony, and you're trying to ride it for a few glorious seconds before the FLOURISH and dum-dummmmmm....! and the conductor collapses as the audience bursts into applause! Right? Yes? Except that chances are that one more chapter or epilogue would ruin the pacing and resolution of the ending and muddle up the summary of the theme and thesis statement, and all of this WOULD ACTUALLY fuck up your experience of the story as a whole. For example, please consider the last Harry Potter book as an example. We all hate JKR now for being a TERF but oh, children, how quickly we forget that back in the olden times, we used to hate her for that fucking epilogue that made everything that came before feel rancid and pointless and hollow and cheap. Y'all remember how sickening and infuriating that was? Do you remember the Hunger Games epilogue? Nine times out of ten, that's what you're inexplicably wishing for.

To see this point illustrated, let's do a quick exercise together. Go pick out a piece of classical music -- some of my best suggestions for this are Beethoven's Ode to Joy, or "Der Holle Rache" from Mozart's Magic Flute, or Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Listen to it all the way through. If you're struggling with scrolling addiction and your attention span has been severely damaged, fine, listen to the last two minutes ("Der Holle Rache" is the shortest, just 3 minutes). Then, after the song is done, click back to some random spot earlier in the piece, listen to another 30 seconds, and then stop. Consider: Did adding that last 30 seconds materially improve the piece, or did it undermine the overall emotional journey? Did it help the ending to stick the landing even more than it already did, or does it just feel weirdly stuck-on as an afterthought, like the "for more fun videos, check out the rest of our channel and don't forget to subscribe!!!" card at the end of youtube videos?

When you are wishing for an epilogue, my doves, you are wishing for something you do not actually want -- or which you probably would not want if you had the option to see it in practice and compare it side by side with the original. You are wishing for something that would more than likely make the story worse. You are holding the author at fault for something being wrong with the text only because you hit immersion and were having a lot of fun and didn't want to come back up for air. Like, I'm just not sure that's something that the author should be blamed for? It sounds like they were doing their job really well???

Please, just. Separate your feelings of "bittersweet disappointment that this wonderful book is over" from "frustration that the author didn't stick the landing, ugh what a flop" because they are two separate things. Before you say "I'm taking points off because I wish there was more", please take two seconds to ask yourself critical thinking questions like, "Why did the author choose to end the book here rather than in two more chapters?" because (other than a few wild outliers that should not be counted) the answer is never, "They got bored and just didn't feel like finishing the story." Chances are, they chose that specific ending for a reason. They ended it there because that's the point that underlines the thesis statement of the book, or because the emotions of that scene are the ones they want you to remember and walk away with, or because that marks the place where the story arc is genuinely over. When the author says, "And they all lived happily ever after," that means that what happily-ever-after looks like is in your hands now.

Nine times out of ten, you don't want one more chapter. Please. I promise you that you don't want one more chapter. The book is done; what you want now is either fanfiction or someone to talk about it with. Or maybe to start the book over from the beginning! Believe me, you would not want one more chapter if you had it. (Or, if you did have it and it magically didn't suck, you would just keep wanting more chapters because that's what "really enjoying the book" means. In which case, go read fanfic, that's what it is for.) I promise you, I promise you, the book would probably be worse with one more chapter and you would not like it as much. Please stop wishing for the author to be less good at their job. Please. A book has to end; so does this post. And we all live happily ever after*. The End.

----- * The post-canon coffeeshop AU sequel will be detailed exhaustively on AO3

[scekrex]

Hiiii💕💕 me again I really loved your story and writing style<3

But any way I have a other idea, here it goes when Adam meet male reader for the first time and when he first saw him quickly thought of Eve and Lilith? But he tried brush those thoughts out of his mind when they start to know each other more but Adam can not stop looking at him this time y/n wanted to make a joke so he says.

"Do I look like your girlfriend?"

"No.. My late wife (or something else)... I cannot believe it"

"You could've been her twin!"

"Your face.. Your voice... Just your hair and clothes are different-"

"My name, is y/n l/n"

If you can thank you 💕💕

You'll be from now on known as "💕💕", also really love that idea!! So here ya go babes xoxo/p

Pretty baby with the sun in his eyes

pairing: Adam x male!reader

warnings: language

note: not beta read bc fuck you I don't have beta readers

You had first met him when Sera had introduced you to him in her office. It had been a little weird to meet the first man to ever be created, not because you had been nervous but because he hadn't been able to stop staring at you. It had seemed as if his eyes were glued onto you, no matter what you had done, his eyes had been onto you, drinking in every tiny little movement you had made. His expression had been blank, though, there was no way you could've known what had been going on behind those eyes of his.

To Adam it had been quite the shock to lay eyes on you for the first time. Your facial features looked so similar to Lilith's, your voice reminded you of Eve’s, it made him feel home. He shook that thought out of his head immediately, Eve wasn't supposed to sound like home and your face that could've been the face of Lilith's younger brother made his stomach feel heavy and his heart skip a beat every now and then. Fuck no, he wasn't seeing his ex wives in you - at least he told himself so, he was very aware that was a total lie.

And that was something that never really changed. Because once the first man had found out that you were a fellow rock enjoyer, he had been quick to give you calls every now and then, inviting you for jam sessions, the concerts his band played and sometimes even for small things like grabbing lunch together or getting ice cream. You two had been quick to figure out that you enjoyed a lot of the same things, you were quite similar. But Adam's eyes never managed to truly leave your body, one way or another they were always onto you, always putting you in some sort of unique spotlight.

Three months after first meeting him you were on the way to his apartment, he had invited you over - why you didn't really know, he had simply sent you a text that read ‘Pull up, bitch’. And given the fact that you had nothing better to do for the day, you went.

Arriving at Adam's place was surely something, he was living in that huge flat, of course he was. The first man seemingly only got the best of the best. You snorted as he swung open the golden door that you had just knocked on, he was wearing an oversized band shirt - of his own band, no way that dude would wear any other kind of merch than his own - and a pair of white sweatpants with golden stripes on the sides. His mask was somewhere, it was definitely not covering up his handsome face this time and you thanked God silently for that gift.

“Sup, babes,” he smirked as he stepped aside in order to invite you in. The second you set foot inside his home his eyes decided to never leave your body again.

This time you made the choice to address it, you were low-key sick of dodging the topic even though it was as obvious as it could get. “What’s with the staring, big guy, do I remind ya of your girlfriend?” your lips had curled up into a small yet cocky smirk as you raised an eyebrow at him. The brunette rolled his eyes at that, you knew he had no girlfriend, that well you knew each other at this point. Yet he couldn't deny that you did remind him of Lilith and Eve. “Nah babes, no girlfriend in this guys life, you know it,” he casually hummed as he wrapped an arm around his shoulder to guide you to the living room, “However, your ass reminds me of my ex wife.” You raised your eyebrow even higher, giving him a side eye, “What, you're saying you're staring at my face all day because my ass reminds you of some bitch you were married to?” That didn't really add up to you and you called bullshit on it. It simply made zero sense. But Adam was quick to clarify, a sigh left him before he explained, “No man, what I mean is you remind me of both my first and my second wife. Your face looks so much like Lilith's, in the name of the holy spirit, you could be her fucking twin brother,” he paused a moment, then continued, “And your voice, fuck, it reminds me of Eve’s, it sure sounds fucking deeper, duh kinda obivious, but… it holds the same warmth as hers.”

Now it was for you to stare at him. He had just told you you looked and sounded like two women he had been married to, that you could be their brother - twin brother even. How were you supposed to react to that? Was it even meant as a compliment?

“Well, quick reminder that my name's Y/N Y/L, I'm neither fucking Lilith nor Eve, get that shit inside your head.” Adam raised his hands in defense, “Nah, trust me I know. You look and sound like them but your personality is so fucking different from them, they were whores.” It really didn't surprise you how he talked about them because from what you knew, he wasn't wrong and had every right to be upset. “Good,” you crossed your arms over your chest, “Because if you ever fucking dare to moan their names, I'm fucking out.” It was a joke, clearly, but yet you saw a faint brush on his cheeks.

Oh you would definitely continue to tease him like that.

[utilitycaster]

ok we are 10 minutes into kollok and i am straight up not having a good time but I am going to commit to this hour of watching. to keep myself from losing it i'm going to do some very irritating stream of consciousness on this post and post it at the end, nonrebloggably so as to not yuck any yums (though feel free to go wild in the replies). also I need to point out: I don't have misophonia. I have openly and repeatedly said I think the Sam Riegel ASMR ad is not just inoffensive, but actively very funny and enjoyable. The sounds on this show are setting my teeth on edge. I hate it. also for the intro the immersion is genuinely WORSE than say, CR or D20 because everyone's just reading prologues that they've written.

speaking of we're done with the prologues to the prologue and into the prologue, as demonstrated by the title screen and horrible noises.

I call this filter the "yeah I've got mild astigmatism and have taken mushrooms before, you're not special"

hmmm we're stuck in this fuckery for a while and i'm suffering so anyway folks i've made it so polygon will think CR is good:

the music is pretty good I will give them that. also this is literally not special though. like Zac just was like uhhhhhh math as any GM would say, he just was weirdly aiming for suaveness instead of like. normal.

All the profanity on this show sounds like a mormon or a ten year old who just learned the word "fuck" and is trying it out. as a woman who swears constantly i'm like what is HAPPENING. also this blonde woman who isn't on the show in the present day is rolling so hilariously badly. is this why she's not on. girl get out.

back to the present day; this actually is a really good industrial music video ruined by some actual play in the background

"zac, I'm going to command attention please"

"who's zac"

"sorry, driver" ah yes yes this is SOOOOOOO much more immersive i'm totally not making the jerk-off motion

i love u danielle radford you deserve better. although the actual RP now that we're in it is like, fine.

really i think a really significant problem is that this is the most 2014 YA-dystopia plot that ever plotted except as a core part of the premise, everyone is 30. I feel, honestly, that this is the other big issue in actual play that people at polygon obsess over that leaves me ice cold, (also? lots of fandom cold takes), but like...I was a HUGE sf nerd pretty much from childhood, and I think a lot of people came to actual play for a number of reasons not tied to the genres in which it typically exists (fantasy, science fiction, horror). This is fine but it means you get people who act like VERY standard genre conventions are either the most brilliant and original creation on earth, or utterly baffling. Anyway my point is that this is giving Divergent by Veronica Roth but it THINKS it's somewhere between Twin Peaks by David Lynch and the adaptation of the Handmaid's Tale and it's like no babe. you're Divergent by Veronica Roth. stop fronting like you're Twin Peaks. You're Divergent. By Veronica Roth. Which I read while stranded at LaGuardia over a decade ago.

lighting effects are fine honestly. reminds me of the Doja Cat 2020 MTV EMA version of Say So. Wish I were just rewatching that. rotating rock i love you. you are the best thing here other than danielle radford. I feel like I'm in a really fancy Spencer's Gifts. by the way I know i'm being pretty bitchy and incoherent here BUT I'm sober; let's hear it for Stupidly Bougie Soda and Nonalcoholic Spirits.

I'm also eating bean dip with a spoon. in my defense I made REALLY good bean dip and I don't have chips.

I just. other than the digital filter in the flashback I genuinely don't see how this is different than D20 except lacking in any charms and OH GOD THAT'S TIME.

but I want to add that like...the thing is Danielle (C-dubbs) was doing some wacky funny stuff and it felt like it was being shut down and to be fair I get wanting to stick WITHIN the genre but this whole thing feels joyless, and not like "oh, survival horror is so grimdark and sad", I am a tragedy enjoyer, but like. it feels...mandated.

Also this is weird and picky but for all of Those High Production Values (repeated direct quote from the Polygon article) they do a weirdly bad job of filming the die rolls? Like, they cut to the dice trays at the wrong time?

Finally, and this is just a pot shot at Polygon but they should stop making it so easy, but the article was like "I watched the 4-ish hour first episode and I didn't have a clue what was going on but it had Those High Production Values" and it's like...I was demonstrably fucking around on tumblr and in GIMP while watching and I have a pretty solid idea of what was going on. Maybe it goes nuts in the remaining 2.5 hours that I may chip away at to be able say I watched a full episode and decided it "wasn't for me" *smiles like I'm a waitress on Hell's Kitchen and Gordon Ramsey just asked me a question* but I think you might be dumb.

CONCLUSION: just watch the Doja Cat 2020 MTV EMA version of Say So, read Divergent (by Veronica Roth) (you don't have to be at LaGuardia) and like, check out Mentopolis or Misfits and Magic if you want to see Danielle Radford in a Kids on Bikes game that is good.

[httpsexistence]

can i request something for multiple characters? if not, you can totally ignore this, but can i have oikawa, iwaizumi, bokuto, and akaashi as boyfriends? just some random headcanons about how they would act in a relationship? thanks! :)

𝐎𝐈𝐊𝐀𝐖𝐀, 𝐈𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐙𝐔𝐌𝐈, 𝐁𝐎𝐊𝐔𝐓𝐎, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈 𝐀𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒

i would do anything to have them as my boyfriend :(

*not proofread

he’s literally one of the sweetest boys you could ever have as a boyfriend

he cARES ABOUT YOU SO MUCH :(

P I C N I C D A T E S

he’ll pack your favorite food and you two will just sit with each other, cuddling while the sun sets

you know he has a very busy schedule, so you always spend as much time with him as you can!

“Y/N-chan, can we watch an alien movie?!”

nevermind.

“Tooru, we watched one last night.”

“Okay, and?”

he loves it whenever you wrap your arms around him, especially when he’s feeling insecure or vulnerable

he’s so pretty when he cries goodbye

you’ll cup his pretty face in your hands and kiss his tears before kissing him on the lips

“You’re perfect, baby. No matter what.”

when his fangirls found out about you two, world war 3 started

“Who’s that person with Oikawa?”

“He could do so much better.”

you honestly didn’t care about what they had to say, so you didn’t tell your boyfriend

he found out when he overheard two girls talking

“WHA?! Why are people talking bad about Y/N-chan :(”

will 100% confront them and tell them to stop because he loves you so much and doesn’t want you to get hurt

you always go to his practices

he likes to show off for you ;)

“Y/N-chan, watch me ser- OW!”

“STOP TALKING TO YOUR S/O, SHITTYKAWA”

“Tell Iwa-chan to stop being mean to me :(”

you and iwa gang up on him together

he loves, loves, LOVES it when you wear his jersey at one of his games

other people always approach you to try and flirt

it’s all fun and games until they see the number on your back

Oikawa: “Hey, cutie, who’s this piece of-”

You: “That’s enough, Tooru.”

CLINGY BABY

he always needs to be touching you no matter what

10/10 boyfriend, would recommend

(i love him so much goodbye)

iwaizumi is literally an angel

look me in the eyes and tell me he wouldn’t give the best hugs

HAVE YOU SEEN HIS ARMS?

if you’re ever upset, this man will literally pick you up, fling you over his shoulder, and go somewhere quiet so he can wrap his arms around you

his heart flutters whenever you bury your face into his chest, mumbling softly as he rests his head in your hair

has a MAJOR soft spot for you

Oikawa: “Iwa-chan, can I show you-”

Iwaizumi: “Shut up, Loserkawa.”

You: “Hey babe, can I show-”

Iwaizumi: “Yes darling, you can show me anything you want.”

oikawa teases you two all the time

“Why is Iwaizumi hitting the balls harder than usual?”

“Oikawa made fun of him and Y/N.”

“Oh, makes sense.”

you usually wait for iwa to get out of practice so he can walk you home (he refuses to let you walk alone)

all of the third years start whistling when iwa walks out with you, one arm snaked around your waist while the other is in the air, flipping the entire time off

he may seem very rough on the exterior, but as soon as you two are alone, this man turns into a freaking teddybear

it’s as if you have two boyfriends

like, you two will be cuddling on his bed, and you’ll get up to go to the bathroom

he will literally grab you by your waist and yank you back down

“Where the fuck are you going?”

“Babe, I gotta pee-”

definetly protective

“Who’s that asshole talking to Y/N?”

“I don’t know. Might wanna check before they steal her, Iwa-chan.”

“Shut up.”

best boyfriend <3

buff baby :)

you two are literally so chaotic

akaashi is done with you both

you’re always at every single game, cheering on your boyfriend :)

he says you’re his good luck charm

you always help him get out of emo-mode in some way

“COME ON, KO! YOU’RE THE BEST ACE!”

“Bokuto-san, you need to get back in the game and win it for L/N.”

cue bokuto demolishing the other team with his spikes

whenever he wins a game, his eyes always dart around until he sees you

he’ll run up to you and pick you up, no matter how sweaty he is

kiss him and tell him he did a good job >:(

MOVIE NIGHTS ARE A MUST

your boyfriend is so chaotic, so you love it when you’re able to sit down and cuddle while watching a movie

he’s literally the best cuddler, don’t @ me

just look at him and tell me you don’t wanna lay on his chest wrapped in his arms

whenever movie nights happen, you tend to fall asleep on him alot

these moments with you are his favorites <3

he’ll play with the hair on your head while smiling, rocking you back and forth in his arms

when you eventually wake up, however, the positions are switched

you suddenly have a massive volleyball player on top of you, cutting off your oxygen

sorry, but you’re gonna have to shove him off to be able to breathe

“BABY DID I HURT YOU?! :(”

“NO, BO, IT’S OKAY :(”

he’ll try and cook you food to make up for it, but-

“AHH Y/N THERE’S A FIRE!”

he can’t cook to save his life

he loves taking baths with you :)

nothing suggestive, but just sitting in the warm water talking your ear off makes him happy!

GIVE THIS CUTIE SOME LOVE!

PRETTY BOY <333

this man

he’s so fucking perfect oml

BEST BOYFRIEND EVER?!

he would literally drop whatever he was doing if you ever needed anything

he’s extremely observant, so if you’re upset, he’ll know right away

i can see him being a bit awkward with physical affection at the start, but if you needed a hug, he would give you a hug (a damn good one at that)

he’ll wrap his arms around you and place a hand on the back of your head, pushing you into him while he holds you

I ALREADY KNOW HE SMELLS SO GOOD

he’s literally prepared for everything

did you cut your finger on accident? he’s already putting a band-aid on it.

do you have a cycle? he keeps track of it on his phone and has everything you need.

like the rest of the boys, he really likes holding you :(

we all know he can be a bit insecure about himself, so holding you provides him with a sense of security

hear me out...

COFFEE

DATES

every week you two will go to your favorite cafe and sit in the corner, enjoying your time together

you two don’t even have to talk

you can sit in silence and it’ll be just as enjoyable as having a conversation

he has your drink order memorized

i headcanon that he has a list of your likes, dislikes, etc in his notes app

he wants to remember every little thing about you :)

if he ever stays the night at your house (or vice versa), he always wakes up first just so he can admire you while you’re asleep

then, when you eventually wake up, he’s brought you some water and breakfast <3

“Make sure you drink all the water so you don’t get dehydrated.”

he always texts you good morning and good night, and reminding you of things throughout the day

“Good morning, angel. I hope you slept well.”

“Go to bed, darling, it’s getting late.”

“Don’t forget that we had chemistry homework.”

I LOVE HIM SO MUCH 

100/10

[muertawrites]

Okay so (this could sound a bit stupid but sksksk) I really like Dante's voice for some reason and I wanted to request a Zuko x Reader where she tells him she finds his voice very soothing (and his presence in general) and just him being embarrassed/awkward about it, thank you sm in advance if you write it !! Have a good day 💕

Do I Bore You? (Zuko x Reader)

Word Count: 760

Author’s Note: Dante Basco has his own special place in my heart, dude. My childhood crushes on Jake Long and Zuko really set the tone for my taste in men as an adult (like clearly). Also Rufio?? Holy hell, baby Muerta couldn’t stand it. The man is old enough to be my father but I’m still lowkey crushing - he’s the original babe and those feelings do not die, ever. 

~ Muerta

You find yourself drowsing off, lulled by the peaceful ocean ambience and the gentle hum of Zuko’s voice. He lays a few feet from you, back pressed to the ground with his hands behind his head; you’re close enough that you can feel the way the earth rumbles with the vibrations of his speech. If you’d been alone, you would close the distance between you and him, curl up to his body and let his touch sink you into a warm, depthless sleep - you can only imagine what your friends would say about it if you allowed yourself to do so now. 

Evenings like this had become common since you arrived at Ember Island; the weather was so mild, the nights so clear, and your found family so close, that sleeping alone in your separate rooms was impossible. You were all up late most nights anyway, gathered around a bonfire on the beach or in the house’s massive courtyard, sharing stories and memories as a way to forget the war for a few hours and keep your collective sanity - adding sleeping bags and sleeping under the stars only made the little bit of escapism that much better. The group talked each other to sleep, often times falling asleep mid-sentence; you typically fell asleep to Zuko’s stories, his voice the most calming thing you’d ever heard. It was just another of the many things you loved about him, but were too scared to say to his face. 

The last thing you hear before you lose consciousness is Zuko’s soft chuckle, the breath exhaled from his lungs feeling like it’s being breathed into your own.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” 

The following afternoon, Zuko approaches you during some rare downtime; you’re in one of the house’s many open sunrooms, reading a scroll you found in the library and enjoying the gentle, salt-sweetened breeze off the coast and the way it tousles the curtains hung about the room’s massive windows. 

You nod, putting your reading to the side and patting the space next to you on the floor. Zuko sits, keeping a tiny bit of distance between you and nervously picking at his thumb. 

“Do I bore you?” he blurts. 

You’re stunned, visibly taken aback by the question. 

“No,” you answer, unable to help but smirk at the ridiculousness of the notion. “Why would you think that?” 

“You always fall asleep when I’m talking at night. I just thought that… maybe… I don’t know, what I say is boring to you.” 

You giggle, shaking your head and rolling your eyes at him - his social ineptitude is so damn endearing, and your heart flickers with affection for him.

“Zuko, I fall asleep because your voice is super relaxing to me,” you tell him. “Honestly, even just having you around is… it’s really soothing. You make me feel good. Safe. Even when you showed up out of nowhere and nobody else wanted to trust you, I liked having you around. You just… I guess you just kind of click with me, if that makes any sense at all.” 

Zuko blushes as bright as the crimson of his shirt, looking everywhere but at you and entirely unable to hold your gaze. He clears his throat before he speaks. 

“No one’s ever… said anything like that to me before,” he says. “... It was a compliment, right?” 

You laugh, punching him in the shoulder.

“Yes, dummy,” you tease. “It was a compliment.” 

Zuko chuckles nervously, playfully pushing you in response to the blow to his arm. You fall into a tense but enjoyable silence, in which you can practically hear the thoughts buzzing around in his head as he figures out what to say. 

“I like you a lot too, you know,” he manages, rubbing the back of his neck. “You make me feel… nice, like you said. Like we just… go together… or something.” 

You smile, scooting to the side to eliminate the gap between you, your arms wrapping around his waist and your head falling onto his shoulder. His body seizes for a moment, like he’s too scared to move, but it doesn’t take long for him to ease into your touch, one of his hands lifting to stroke your hair. 

“... Do you think anyone would notice if we went on a date tonight?” he wonders after a brief pause, clearly anxious about proposing the idea. You hum, nestling even closer into his side. 

“They totally would,” you reply. “And they’ll definitely give us hell for going out together, but I kind of wouldn’t want it any other way.” 

Zuko chuckles. 

“Me neither.”

[genesisrose74]

Christmas with the Karasuno Boys (HC’s)!!

Part 1: Daichi, Suga, Asahi, Nishinoya, Tanaka, & Ennoshita

Part 2 (Kageyama, Hinata, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Kinoshita, & Narita) here!!

A/n: Tumblr said my word count was too much so I’m splitting this bad boi up into two parts :p Enjoy!!

*****

Daichi

A huge romantic during Christmas, 10/10 quality cliche times spent together

You wanna go ice skating? Hell yeah sweetheart, he will make it the most beautifully romantic thing you’ve ever seen

Like straight out of a holiday postcard type beat

Istg the rink he takes you to looks like a more heartwarming version of Rockefeller Center

He’s a big keeper of tradition when it comes to making plans, but doesn’t mind a bit of nonsense fun when everything falls into place

Which is why you love to bring the team along on adventures because they make everything all the more entertaining

At first he’s confused like ??? You don’t have to do that just if they’ve been pestering you about it

But then he realizes you care as much about them as he does (hint: a hell of a lot) and they’re thus invited along for some stuff

Of course y’all also get some quality time together on dates with just you both

Anyways you and Daichi have talked a lot about traveling and how he was really interested in seeing new places

So as his gift you got him a carved map with a roll of red string and thumbtacks, so that he could plan out all the places he wanted to visit

You know how when Kiyoko found the “Fly” banner for Karasuno and all the boys cried?

Yeah

Like that but with lots more hugging and laughing

“You know you’re gonna have to help with mapping this out, right?”

“Is that an invitation I hear?”

“Oh, that’s a promise”

FJSFJDSK ALEXA PLAY AMERICAN BOY BY ESTELLE—

Please I love him; he is so damn sly and sassy I will die with this headcanon

Sugawara

I swear on everything that Christmas with him is equivalent to a Hallmark movie

It smells like joy and warmth wherever he is, and this season only amplifies it

He is such a cheeseball without even having to try

But it’s in the really endearing and heart-melting way,,, just MMM PERFECT

He’ll take you on a walk through those neighborhoods with those crazy light decorations in the front yard and buy you hot chocolate

If he sees a group of little kids gaping at all the lights, he’ll leave them starry-eyed with stories of magic, reindeer, Santa and so-forth

“You know, I’ve heard that Rudolph’s nose is supposed to be brighter than the world’s most powerful Christmas light”

Good heavens, children absolutely adore this man

Anyways he’ll make it a little game as y’all walk around this beautifully lit neighborhood, both of you with a different assortment of bingo squares printed on paper

First one to bingo chooses a movie to watch after getting back to Suga’s house

Will wrap a big fluffy blanket around you both and pull you into his chest while watching the movie

For his gift, you got a star named after him

It’s because y’all alway go stargazing for dates every month, just to sit out, talk and cuddle

Suga gave you the SOFTEST look after opening your gift and this cute little card you made 🥺

“Lets go try to find my new favorite star”

PLEASE HE IS SO SWEET

“Right now? Koushi it’s 11:30 pm”

“Just for ten minutes, and then I’ll get you home”

So y’all spend the rest of Christmas Eve on his roof, sipping warm tea and attempting to locate Star Suga

Asahi

Cuddle bear alert ‼️‼️

It’s basically hibernation time for him, because he’s not the biggest fan of cold

That’s alright with you though 😌 more coziness for you

Lots of quality moments indoors means more creative dates

A whole day devoted to chill present wrapping? Hell fuckin’ yeah

Nice music, pretty wrapping paper, shiny bows, maybe a little Christmas rom-com playing in the back — the whole shebang

You find out pretty quickly that despite how it sounds, it’s actually quite a satisfying and enjoyable pastime

Practically had to drag him out of your living room to secretly wrap his own gift

As much as he’s the king of timidity and soft™, he can be very playfully stubborn when he’s comfortable, hence why he was such an ass to get out of the room

I have no doubt that Asahi would melt for the most adorable, cheesy shit

So you not only bought him some really reliable headbands for volleyball use, but you also made a little coupon booklet

He can basically cash in paper promises for certain things, like getting to choose the next date idea, picking a movie to watch without any objection, having you make his favorite food, etc.

There’s one that he can exchange for a full out spa day trip, because good heavens he’s a sucker for those

Massage and exfoliation and everything — it makes him feel ✨refreshed✨

He was ecstatic fam, I don’t even know what to say

Like a puppy who just got a bunch of toys and a new backyard to play

Mans cashes in one almost immediately, and at first you’re confused

Like it’s Christmas time bubs, what are we gonna be able to do when most places are closed and it’s the holidays?

Then you read the paper

“Free hug (can be used and renewed <3)”

GIVE HIM HIS DAMN HUGS RIGHT NOW

He uses that one a lot throughout the upcoming days, to the point where he just keeps the paper on him for fun

“You realize you can just ask me silly, you don’t need to keep carrying the coupon around”

“Yeah, but it’s entertaining”

Cute little cheeky bastard

Nishinoya

LOVES LOVES LOVES CHRISTMAS

You know the 12 Days of Christmas? The song??

He gets you a small present EVERY DAY for all 12 days

Not to mention he has a big present that he saves for the actual holiday

Y’all are the type of couple to get ice cream in the middle of winter

Nishi loves his cold snacks any time of year, and you’ve thus picked up a similar taste

He will consistently pester you about what kind of present you got him

Gets pouty when you don’t tell him, but in the back of his mind he’s glad because it would ruin the surprise

Anything you get him instantly becomes his most prized gift tho

It could be a literal rock with googly eyes and he’d put it in a protective glass case for preservation

But of course you get him something better than that because he only deserves the best

He’s got this specific assortment of products to maintain his spiky hair and to make sure it’s healthy, but they’re pretty expensive to buy when he runs out

When he tore open your present’s decorative wrapping to discover a huge basket of basically every hair product he ever needed, he got wide-eyed

There was also a booklet of little notes you’d kept throughout the month that listed all the little things you noticed and adored about your precious boyfriend

He nearly CRIED reading them

“Baby, you didn’t have to do all that for me”

“You act like you don’t deserve all of it and more, Nishi”

Refuses to leave your side after that

Holding your hand, hugging you as tight as he can, etc.

He is head over heels idc idc

Tanaka

Another man who is obsessed with the holiday season and everything that comes with it

He is the biggest sap for this shit istg

Will spend hours trying to get you the best present of all time

And he succeeds exceptionally

Mistletoe? He’s got an ABUNDANCE on hand at any time, just to make sure he can get fair share of his kissies 🥰

His signature beanie appears in full force during winter

Sometimes you’ll pull it over his eyes before giving him a peck on the cheek and dashing off in the school halls

“I’ll see you after school, babe!”

Speech = jumbled + incomprehensible

“Uh hUh, you do that~”

He’s: adorable

I just know that he melts for really sweet and thought-out gifts

Like anything you give him he’ll adore, don’t get me wrong, but the ones done with special care and love are just his kryptonite

He brought you into a massive bear hug and spun you around when he opened a photo book of old pictures taken together, complete with lots of cute messages and anecdotes written alongside them

You and Saeko may have also gone in on another present for him without his knowledge

And on Christmas Eve, you dragged a curious Tanaka into his front yard to the sight of a shiny motorbike

It was Saeko’s old one that she’d held onto for a while, and an old schoolmate offered to fix it up nice in time for the holiday at a discount, so y’all decided to divvy up the lowered price and got it done for Ryu

Sweet boy was taken aback, with his hands clapped over his mouth and everything

Saeko patted him on the back as he stood there in shock, giving her baby brother a sweet smile

“All yours, little bro!”

Ya, Saeko fucking loves you 😌 and so does Tanaka

Overall very lovely, would cry to be loved by the Tanaka siblings

Ennoshita

After spending past Decembers with his fellow second year classmates (namely, the very enthusiastic Noya and Tanaka), he’s grown to know quite a bit about the different holiday events that go on around town

Still, Ennoshita is a pretty simplistic guy and is content with simply spending time with you

So when you recommended going to pick a Christmas tree out for your place together, he’s totally down

As long as he gets to help decorate too ☺️

Y’all end up picking a beauty of a tree ngl

It’s SO TALL

And a super stronk friend — fit for the most heavy duty of ornaments

It takes some damn work to get that bad boi inside and upright after driving back to your house

But like hell did that stop you

Now that it was all set up, sturdy, and given plenty of water, decorations were brought into the equation that same night

No rest until it’s all set up and looking mighty beautiful

Okay maybe some coffee breaks in between, but other than that the grind don’t stop ✋😤

Ennoshita is an expert at making Christmas trees look absolutely immaculate

Idk if it’s because he’s had to deal with cleaning up disorder for a while now?

Looking at you, ya second year loons

He just has the touch, fam

He’ll of course let you have input on which light colors, what type of ornaments, and so on

But honestly it’s really fun seeing him fully concentrated on making your tree the best it can be

He lets you on his shoulders to put on the tree topper 🥺

For his gift, Ennoshita really loves books, so you decided to get him 12 different (hardcover!!) stories — one for each month in a year

Along with a small sticky-note blurb on the covers of each to explain why you chose it, and to give similar title recommendations if he ends up enjoying

He was so surprised with how thoughtful and extensive it was

Loved it so much that he immediately started to read the first one, with you sat in his lap

“Chikara, you realize you’re meant to start this one in January?”

“Shh, I’m getting a head start”

[sylvie-writes]

A Night In

summary: it’s your 1st wedding anniversary, unfortunately the snow has ruined your night. Or so you thought...

a/n: this is my entry for @just-one-ordinary-fangirl ‘s celebration challenge! also, I’m going to combine this with the anon who requested some Ransom Drysdale x wife! reader fluff.

word count: 1485, more or less.

warnings: stripping (but NOT in a sexual way) I swear it will make sense when you read it lmao, but I’m not gonna spoil it. this is still general audience.

*please pardon any mistakes! I try to proofread but I’m human. One who makes mistakes*

Mesmerizing snowflakes delicately fell from the night sky, the outside lights making them noticeable. Those little flakes gently fluttered to the ground, joining the rest of the snow that had compiled outfront. As of now, your front yard looked like that from a Hallmark movie.

Being snowed in was one thing, but being snowed in on your first wedding anniversary was another.

Of course, both you and your husband, Ransom, were slightly bummed out that your dinner reservations had to be cancelled, but you both still made it work.

Ten minutes ago, Ransom had phoned the restaurant, giving them the notice. After he hung up the phone, he joined you to snuggle on the couch, the yellow aura of the fireplace reflecting on your figures. Now, you were sitting between his legs, leaning against his broad chest, as the man laid his chin on the top of your head. When it had started snowing about an hour ago, you knew there was no way you were going to leave the house. Sadly, you turned back up the stairs and changed out of your dress and into a pair of sweats and a knitted henley top.

Ransom softly laid his hands over your stomach, interlocking them as he held you even closer to his body.

“What should we do, angel?”

For the past few minutes, you both have been silently brainstorming.

“I know there aren’t many things left in the pantry, but I’m sure we could whip up something.”

You looked down at his hands, and placed your own over them. Ransom unlatched his hands to envelope your colder ones.

“Well, I know we have stuff for spaghetti. How does that sound?”

“Sounds lovely, Ran!”

He paused making you nervous. When you turned expecting an upset expression, you were met with a giddy grin.

“That’s… that’s the first time I’ve been called that.”

First, Ransom stood from the couch, extending his hands to help you up. He smiled sweetly at you, and you brought your hand up to his cheek, a comforting touch.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve never been called that. No one’s ever called me anything nice before in general.”

He bitterly laughed and a part of you felt a bit sad for him.

“No one? Not even your mother?”

“Babe, this is my mother we are talking about. The nicest thing she has called me is ‘asshole,’ which I take with pride.”

“That’s very true. At least this works in my favor. Now I have a nickname for you, honey!”

Once you were up from the couch, Ransom laid a hand on the small of your back, gently leading you into the kitchen.

One of your favorite activities in the whole wide world, was to cook with Ransom. Surprisingly, he was a pretty good cook, and you both worked wonders in the kitchen.

Currently, Ransom was filling a pot with water, as you gathered the many cans of the various forms of tomato. Sauces, pastes, and actual tomato chunks accounted for the six cans that made home on your side of the stovetop. Together, you and Ransom stood shoulder to shoulder working on your own parts of dinner. Since it was simple to boil the pasta, your husband helped out with the sauce by seasoning the beef.

As you waited for the sauce to simmer, you and Ransom softly swayed to the music in the kitchen. The two of you loved to dance. The feeling of being in each others’ arms was something you both adored.

When the timer sounded, you and Ransom pulled away from each other, having been softly lip locked for what felt like ages. You tended to the food while Ransom grabbed the bowls and poured your glasses of wine.

Ever the gentleman, Ransom pulled out your chair, making you giggle at his chivalry. This was a side of Ransom only you were allowed to see.

You both ate dinner in comfortable silence, occasionally talking, but mainly enjoying this time together. It was agreed that this was much better than sitting in some stuffy restaurant. Moments like the ones you had just created were ones you wouldn't have made at the restaurant.

Dinner was amazing and enjoyable. Your plates were soon empty and it was now time for the cleanup. Together, you and Ransom worked hurriedly and managed to clean the dishes in a timely manner. While Ransom cleaned the pot from the stovetop, he quickly came up with an idea for some more entertainment. It was clear the snow wasn’t gonna melt and you both clearly didn’t want to watch tv for the next few hours.

“Hey (y/n), did you keep any of the board games from when we moved?”

You took a moment to think, laying a hand on your hip.

“Actually, yeah! I kept a few, but I think battleship is the only two player game we have.”

A small pout came onto your lips, but it was washed away at Ransom’s happy smile.

“I’m totally down to play. That is if you are up to losing.”

His typical smirk formed and you leaned towards him to kiss it away. Pulling back slightly, you talked against his plush lips.

“You’re on.”

With Ransom finishing up cleaning, you took out Battship, placing his board on his side of the table as you situated your own. Soon, he came back to set his own ships into place. Just as you were about to begin, he spoke up with a tempting offer.

“Let’s spice things up a bit. Shall we?”

With a slightly drunken smirk, you replied, “What did you have in mind?”

“The person to lose this round strips to their undergarments and stands in the snow for a minute.”

You gasped loudly, reaching across the table to shake his hand while being mindful of the Battleship boards. The alcohol coursing in your veins and his made you two all the more competitive.

If you did lose, that would indeed be the longest minute of your life. The dare might’ve been stupid and childish, but you and Ransom fooled around like that for fun in desperate times as such. It was a perfect way to make your 1st anniversary even more memorable. Stupid things like these make for the fun stories to look back on, ten or fifteen years down the road.

“D3?”

“Nope.”

“A8?”

“Ugh.”

“E5?”

“Ah shit.”

After a shed load of curses, laughter, and a few glasses of wine, the game came to an end and your fates were sealed.

Successfully, you had managed to sink all of your husband’s ships. A prideful smile on your face as the man defeatedly sighed, standing on wobbly legs to give you a hand shake in a sportsmanship manner.

As Ransom stood up, he hurriedly slipped off his clothes starting with the t-shirt he was wearing. The man’s muscular arms stretched above his torso and you still couldn’t believe you managed to catch this man. Believe it or not, but you actually married him because he was such a charmer, not for his looks. They were just a bonus.

Before you knew it, Ransom stood before you in his boxers and shoes, making you giggle. He shot you a sarcastic smile, handing you his tan trench coat for your own use.

Opening the door, you both were immediately met with the rush of cold wind. It made you shiver and you were in the proper attire, it only made you wonder how Ransom felt.

You held your cell phone in hand, timer ticking away as Ransom stood in the never-ending, vast whiteness of the snow. His arms were tucked around his broad chest and his legs were crossed, trying to retain his warmth. You felt a tad bit bad, but then again it was a dare and neither of you would back down from one. Anyway, it was his idea in the first place.

So maybe you both were a *bit* competitive…

Ding!

“Ran! Come in!”

You waved him over from the door. Immediately he ran faster than a child running from their shadow. In a flash he was in the house, standing by the fireplace shivering.

To be fair, you decided to join in. As his back was turned, you stripped to your own undergarments, leaving on his coat to warm yourself. Ransom’s ice cold skin came into contact with your own making you hiss. Surprised by your touch, the man turned around enveloping you into his arms, trying to feel your warmth.

“I felt bad for you, even though it was your idea!”

“Damn straight! You are such a meanie to me, your precious, darling, innocent husband.”

Playfully you slapped his chest, leaning back into his embrace. The two of you stood in front of the fire, until warmed up, then going to pick up your discarded clothes and returning to snuggle on the couch.

There was no better way to end the night than with a sweet kiss.

“Happy Anniversary, Mr. Drysdale.”

“Happy Anniversary, Mrs. Drysdale.”

if you’ve made it this far thank you so much for sticking with the crazy plot. I know it was a little... risqué. Then again, it’s a Ransom fic. Anything is possible.

Taglist: @memissbee @tricereads @buckybarnesthehotshot @bval-1 @tonystankschild @turtoix @kelbabyblue @jakiki94 @calirindo

[luke-patterson-owns-my-soul]

Tiny Pretty Phantoms

Charlie Gillespie x Reader

Title: Tiny Pretty Phantoms

Words: 2241 (only a short one)

Summary: Charlie and his girlfriend are separated by work.

Requested: Sort of. The lovely and talented @dream-a-little-bigger-x​ got this request. Charlie x reader where the reader is on a tv show like ahs or something that’s not necessarily “kid friendly”. But as she’s not taking them atm, I decided to swipe this one. I hope the anon who requested it doesn’t mind.

TW: Swearing, alluding to sexual intercourse. That’s it I think. If I miss anything, message me so I can edit.

Author’s notes: I’m baccccckkkk. This was my way of getting back into writing reader fic. It’s been a while, and I hope y’all haven’t forgotten me. Also, while I’ve seen Tiny Pretty Things, I know nothing about the cast, so anything I’ve written, is completely made up.

Being back at home in my parent’s home was both reassuring and strange all at the same time. I’d been living in L.A. for almost two years, hundreds of miles away from home. While I missed my family like crazy, I loved being out in the world, being independent, and chasing my dreams.

However, rejection after rejection after rejection were beginning to weigh heavy on me and I had been starting to regret making the move. I’d been considering heading back home and teaching dance to kids. Then, I met Charlie through a mutual friend.

From the moment I met him, there was something that drew me to him; it wasn’t particularly hard. He was charismatic, funny, and crazy talented. The good looks were an added bonus. From that first meeting, we’d been inseparable and after six months, I gave up my apartment and moved in with Charlie and his friends.

We both booked jobs on upcoming TV shows within a week of one another, and we’d celebrated the news hard. A week of partying with your friends had wrecked the apartment, but it had totally been worth it. The main difference between our shows were the target audience. His, Julie and the Phantoms was aimed at a younger demographic to mine, Tiny Pretty Things. I was just glad to be using my ballet background as well as my acting abilities. He was also playing a main character, while I was to be in the background.

I was jolted from my memories by my phone ringing, Charlie’s face filling the screen. With a smile, I answered the facetime call.

“Hey, you.”

“Hey, babe. I miss you.” Charlie was still in L.A., but he was at a boot camp thing that the legendary Kenny Ortega was running.

“I miss you too. How’s it going?” in answer to my question, he held up his hand. I could see band aids wrapped around his fingers. “What did you do?”

“It’s nothing. Guitar war wounds.”

“Poor baby.” I snarked, grinning at the mock upset look on his face. “Oh please. You’re loving every minute.”

“Babe, I really am.” His grin was wide. “When do you fly out to Toronto?”

“Not for another three weeks. I’m back in L.A. the day after tomorrow though. Will I get to see you?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure if we get any time off before we head up to Vancouver for filming.”

I couldn’t help the groan that escaped me. I hadn’t seen him for over two weeks, and I was going insane. It was one of the reasons behind my trip to see my family. They were enough to distract me, at least until I climbed into my childhood bed, the bed that only held me at night. That was when I missed him the most.

“That sucks.” I felt the lump in my throat, an indication I was close to tears.

“I know, babe. I know. I’m gonna try and get back, even if it’s just one night.”

“Please do.” I missed him, missed waking up next to him, missed just goofing around and hanging out with him. He was the man I loved, and I hated us being apart.

:: ::

I’d been in Toronto for almost six weeks. A month and a half had passed since I last saw Charlie, and it was killing me. It wasn’t as if I was alone, far from it. I may not have been playing a main character, but the entire cast of Tiny Pretty Things were close, even those of us in the background. We’d all been put through our dancing paces until we were exhausted – that had a habit of bringing people together.

Charlie and I spoke most days, if we could, and when we did, we were often interrupted by cast mates. Through our facetime calls I became friends with Jeremy, Owen, and Madison, and he became friends with the girls I was rooming with, and Brendan who played Shane. He and I had been partnered up during rehearsals and had become close. It didn’t bother him I wasn’t a main character and he was.

I had a rare night off while the main cast were working hard on some night scenes, so I was able to kick back in my room and relax. And I made the most of it. While a hot bath was running, I connected my phone up to my speaker and hit play on a relaxing playlist Charlie had made for me before we’d had to say our goodbyes and fly to opposite end of Canada.

I’d just sank into the steaming water, bubbles up to my chin when my phone rang. Reaching over, I managed to pick it up, and saw Charlie’s face on the screen. Quickly swiping, I answered the call, despite wanting to stare at the photo I’d taken almost a year ago when we’d gone camping.

“Well, if I’d have known you were in the tub, I would have called sooner.” He grinned as he spoke, making me roll my eyes.

“Charles Gillespie, you’re a damn perv.” I attempted to scold him as he pretended to try and look around the screen to see if he could see anything. Joke was on him, the bubbles came up to my neck.

“Only for you.” I laughed at the corny line. “Hey, why are you in the bath anyways?”

“Because I ache like a motherfucker and I don’t have any night shoots tonight. So, a hot bath is in order. I’ve been dancing almost non-stop for ten hours a day for six weeks. I never did this much when I was with the company.” I knew I was whining; knew I sounded like a petulant child, but I needed to get it off my chest. All of us in the cast moaned to one another, but it wasn’t the same as venting to my boyfriend, no matter how much I loved my job.

“I’m sorry, babe. If I could take the aches away, I would.” I knew he would too.

“I know. Ignore me, I shouldn’t be putting this on you. How’s your set?”

We chatted for almost an hour, Charlie making me laugh about his previous night’s filming eating what he said felt like hundreds of cold hot dogs, making me laugh so much, my stomach was starting to hurt when I climbed out of the bath – much to his enjoyment – and wrapped myself up in a large, soft towel. We carried on talking as I made my way into my room and got myself ready for bed.

“Look, I gotta go. But I’ll call you tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” I couldn’t help but sigh when the call ended, and as I snuggled up in bed, wearing one of his t-shirts, I also couldn’t help crying. It was the longest we’d been apart in over six months, and even though I was loving my job, it hurt how much I missed him.

:: ::

When I walked onto set the following day, it felt as if everyone was acting a little shifty. No one seemed to look at me directly and whenever I initiated a conversation, they either found something else to do, or the director made us begin working.

“Hey, we’re all going out for dinner and karaoke tonight. Make sure you look pretty.” Brendan whispered in my ear as we got into position in the ballet class, ready for our scene.

“Uh, okay. Sure.” He gave me a smile before walking away.

We’d all be out a few times during filming and the rehearsals we’d had before, but this was the first I’d heard about plans for tonight. Rolling my neck and stretching my arms, I put it out of my mind as I followed the instructions of the director as the scene began around me.

By the end of the day, I was yet again exhausted, and the last thing I wanted to do was go out. But, as I packed up my gear, putting my comfiest shoes on, Brendan came over.

“Don’t forget we’re going out. We’re all meeting up in about an hour. Make yourself pretty.”

“Can I give it a miss? I’m ready to have a shower and crawl into bed.” He knew how I was feeling, I could see it etched onto his face too.

“Not tonight, sweetheart. Attendance is mandatory for all.” He flashed me a wide smile before spinning away from me, no doubt off to get ready.

When I got back to the apartment I was sharing with a couple of the other female background cast, they were almost ready. The three of them ushered me into the bathroom to shower, telling me to find a nice dress.

The shower did reinvigorate me, and by the time I was dressed and applying my make-up, I was feeling much better, and was even looking forward to some great food and a good night. There were no shoots the next day, so we were able to let our hair down for the night.

When we all met up, the atmosphere was electric. We’d all worked so hard, and were more than ready for a night of not having to worry about getting up early or having to be in hair and make-up at the crack of dawn.

“Ready for a great night?” Brendan asked, linking arms with me as our huge group began to walk to a restaurant nearby we’d all been to on more than one occasion.

“I am actually. Thanks for making me come.”

“No worries, sweetheart.” He placed a kiss on the top of my head before turning to talk to the two guys behind us.

:: ::

Moving from the restaurant after dinner, we all made our way to a club where all of us were able to let go. I got myself a drink from the bar, and stood on the edge of the dance floor, watching my cast mates and friends having the time of their life, showing off their dancing skills. Laughing, I finished my drink, I put my empty glass down and joined them, losing myself in the deep bass. Brendan was in the center, lapping up the attention in a way only he could. He and Barton, who played Oren in the show, were busting out one of their routines from the show and had attracted a hell of a crowd.

As everyone whooped and hollered, I moved away, needing to head to the bathroom. I pulled my phone out of my purse to check if I’d missed any messages or calls from Charlie, but my screen was blank beyond a photo of the two of us. Disappointment flooded me as I shoved the phone back into my purse. Just as I zipped it up, I crashed into someone, strong hands grabbing my waist to stop me falling over.

Thinking my mind was playing tricks on me as my senses were invaded by the aroma of Charlie, the aroma I knew as well as my own. I looked up to find my boyfriend smiling down at me.

“What… how… huh?”

“Surprise, by airplane, Brendan organized it. Hew knew you were missing me as much as I missed you, So Kenny gave me a couple days off while Madi does some scenes with Jadah.”

“You’re really here?” I still wasn’t sure I was hallucinating.

“I’m really here, until tomorrow afternoon.”

With a squeal, I flung my arms around his neck, and kissed him. The evening suddenly got one hundred percent better.

:: ::

Waking up wrapped up in Charlie’s arms was the best thing. I’d missed it so much, and I knew I was going to struggle when he had to leave again, but I felt so happy being with him.

After he’d surprised me at the club, we’d mingled with my friends for a while before slinking away, going back to the apartment and making the most of the quiet as we got reacquainted with one another, multiple times, all night. So much so that when I managed to untangle myself from Charlie’s arms and legs to go to the bathroom, I ached in a completely different way I had been from work.

Once I was finished in the bathroom, I swiped my phone off the counter in the kitchen and sent a text to Brendan.

Thank you. I owe you one.

Once it had sent, I set the phone down and crawled back into bed with Charlie, making the most of having him with me. Especially naked.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Tagging: (strikethrough unable to tag) @dream-a-little-bigger-x​​ @calamitykaty​ @crybabyddl​​ @xplrreylo​ @morganayennefertyrell​ @lovesanimals​​ @sunsetcurvenotsunsetswerve​ @echocharm17618​​ @kinda-really-lost @n0wornever​ @all-in-fangirl​ @5sosmukefan​ @kcd15​ @charliesmountains @amazinggracy​ 

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[betterthebest]

Here We Go Again | An MJF Fanfic Part 4

Status: *Not requested*

Description: Bella was a teen wrestler working in the Indy circuit until an injury cost her her short career. She and MJF were friends turned lovers, turned strangers and friends again. What happens when she joins AEW to lead a faction with her ex? Will their history jeopardize their rekindled friendship?

A/N: This is an alternate universe (no covid :p) where MJF didn’t earn a spot in the inner circle. Hope you all enjoy my original story!

See also: (Part 1) (Part 2)

“Is it possible for me to kiss you?” James’ voice was shaking. We parked up in front of Britt’s after our date. We had a great time at a bar in downtown Jacksonville. I liked talking to him. He’s very down to earth and mature. I’ve dated guys his age before and they weren’t mature when they were supposed to be. We got along great and the three hours we spent together felt like no time at all. We listened to music and talked about life and what we wanted out of it. The talks were never shallow which I appreciated. I looked at him with a smile. “It’s possible.” He smiled back and leaned in. I leaned over the consol. He placed his hand on my cheek and pulled me in softly. In one swift motion his lips connected with mine. It was slow and sweet. He was a good kisser but I couldn’t help but compare him to Max. They were both soft and tender. It was different though, there was love behind my kisses with Max, even last week. I had to figure what I wanted from him. Am I able to move on? Maybe it’s not with James, but maybe it’s not with anyone.  We pulled away, smiling. “Sweet,” he said.  I giggled, “you’re good.” He laughed, “thank you, so are you.” We talked a little bit more before saying goodnight. He waited for Britt to open the door for me before pulling off. Britt hugged me when I walked in. “What the...?” “How was it?” She grinned.  “It was fun.” “And did he kiss you?” She grinned.  “Were you watching?” Britt closed her lips together, looking around the room. “Nooo?” I shook my head, laughing. “He did.” “Was it good?” “He was good.” I put on my best smile. Britt of course didn’t buy into my giddiness. “What happened? Did he say something douchy? I’ll kill him. You think you know a guy,” she shook her head.  “No, Britt. He’s great. It’s just...Max slipped into my mind.” I sat on the couch in defeat. “He wasn’t on my mind before that kiss.” Britt sat next to me. “Oh Bell, what are you going to do about Max?” “I don’t know. All I know is this was a bad idea.” “No, stop it’s not. You’re just confused.” “How can I get over it?” I dropped my head to my hands. Britt rubbed my back to comfort me. “I don’t know babes, I don’t know.” I heard footsteps behind us. I sat up and looked back at Austin. “What’s going on?” He placed his hands on his hips. “She’s having a moment,” Britt said with a sigh. Austin nodded his head. “Are you okay kiddo?” “Max,” was all I could say.  “My name isn’t Max, but...” “It’s about Max you dip,” Britt rolled her eyes. “I know that babe, I’m trying to make her smile.” “Well you failed,” Britt said, causing me to chuckle. She looked at me, “I won.” “Britt won,” I said softly. Austin shook his head, “seriously. What happened?” Austin walked in front of us.  “How do I get over this comparing guys to Max?” “Get under him,” he shrugged.  “Tried that. Made things worse.” Austin looked at me then at Britt with wide eyes. “I um shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t want to know.” “She’s not a child anymore babe.” “But she’s like my sister.” He turned his attention back to me. “You need guy advice, don’t you?” “Duh, Jenkins.” I said and Britt laughed. “Seriously, what should I do?” I sat, laying my head on the couch backing. “Talk to him about it. you two will be working close together for a while. The tension might be great for tv, but you need peace of mind.” “I had a feeling you’d say to talk to him,” I sighed.  He chuckled, “you have to be an adult about it.” He’s completely right. As much as I hated it, Austin is usually right when I get advice from him. Austin left for bed while Britt and I talked about my night. I needed to get Max off my mind, at least for the night. I was going to see him in the morning. I’ll have to rip the band-aid off and that’s just what I was going to do.

The next day Britt drove me to the airport. I made my way through TSA and met up with Max. He was sitting at a coffee shop, phone in hand. An announcement came over the speakers saying flights to New York will be delayed. I approached him and sat in the chair across from him. He looked  up at his phone and smiled at me. “Hey, you.” “Hey, how’s it going?” “Eh, pissed that our flight will be another hour.” He looked at the board next to us with all the flights and times they will leave and arrive somewhere. “Well that sucks.” We made small talk. I couldn’t bring myself to talk to him just yet. We talked about next week. I didn’t want to bring down the conversation by telling him what’s on my mind. It started to irritate me to the point where I just had to tell him. “Max? Can I... I need to tell you something.” “Yeah what’s up? You look nervous.” He placed his hand on mine and gave it a quick squeeze. My palms were sweating and my mouth went dry. I needed that to be the other way around. I just came out and spewed word vomit at him. “James asked me out so we went out and he kissed me. When he did kiss me I thought about you and now I’m a mess because I’m thinking about you.” I took a deep breath. Max had a blank expression on his face. We sat in an awkward silence for a couple of minutes. “So you went out with James?” I nodded. “And you kissed him?” I nodded again. “And you thought of me?” “Max I just told you.” “Do you still love me? And don’t say you’ll always love me, you know what I mean.”  “I don’t know Max and that’s the problem.” “How did you feel about me when we fucked?” His tone got more aggressive. I didn’t answer. He pulled his chair closer to mine. “How did you feel about me when we fucked?” He whispered in the same tone. His face was only inches from mine. “Look at me.”  “It felt amazing. I missed you and being in your arms,” I said softly. Our eyes connected. He reached out and cupped my cheek with his hand. “Then be mine again,” he ran his thumb across my cheek bone.  “Max I-I don’t know.” He dropped his hand and stood up. “Well when you know, come talk to me.” He took his luggage and walked away. I watched as we walked towards the gate. My head started pounding and my heart sunk. We can’t even be friends. I didn’t want to ruin things, but here we are. He doesn’t even want to be my friend and that’s what hurts the most. I got a text from James asking how I was. I lied to avoid conversation. He told me to have a safe flight and we left it at that.  Max and I sat in different rows. He didn’t even look at me I felt like a huge pile of crap. My throat tightened, I couldn’t help but let tears flow. All of a sudden a memory came back from when we were 16. 

                                              .     .     .    .     .     .  

I took the train from school to the training facility. It was only a half hour ride. Davey picked me up from the station and had another kid in the passenger’s seat. He looked about my age, dark hair and dark deep set eyes. He had an air of confidence about him, almost to the point of cockiness. He looked kind of small so maybe he was trying put on a façade. He would look at me every once in a while through the rearview mirror. It wasn’t anything creepy, more of trying to figure me out. Even though I had my school uniform on I still looked like I was fixing to fight someone. I always put on my own hard exterior even though deep down I’m a sweet person. I kept my head down to keep from an awkward stare. He talked to Davey about how excited he was to start training. I found out that Max was being trained by the main trainer at the school. Davey just started as a trainer last year when I began here. When I was 13 I went to a wrestling school just for fun. It was something I ended up really enjoying. I wasn’t serious about it though until I realized I could actually be successful. At 13 I did both dance and wrestling, but I chose the latter not only because it was more enjoyable, but it became my dream turned reality. Focusing on wrestling was the best decision I made.  Once we got to the school I went to the restroom and got dressed in my sweatpants. I tied my hair up and made my way to the main room. All the trainers would get together and set up matches for all the students. There were three people assigned to a trainer with five trainers in total. The females would go against each other and the males will. Sometimes we’ll have intergender matches if we begged for it. All the trainers introduced a new member to their team. The boy from the car’s name was Maxwell Friedman. He clearly looked like the youngest, but he carried himself as if he was older than he actually is. I on the other hand always seemed younger in the way I presented myself. I don’t have the best posture and radiated timid young girl vibes. He scanned everyone and rested his gaze on me. I looked away quickly. Boys never really looked in my direction before, at least I didn’t notice them looking at me. Going to an all girls Catholic school didn’t help the cause. We all gathered around the ring and had matches one by one. I was the fourth match and went up against a girl named Fiona. She was a few inches taller than me and had slightly bigger arms. I could lift half my body weight, but I didn’t do that enough to see major results. I didn’t want big arms, I just wanted to be strong. Davey coached me while her trainer coached her. There was no winners or losers in these matches. It was more to build up our endurance and skill. We all got 10 minutes for each match. After my match it was time for a dinner break. We all sat around to eat and talk. I ended up sitting next to Max. We started to talk since everyone else was scarce. He started talking first. “So, how old are you?” “16,” I nodded. The corners of his lips turned into a smile. “So am I. What month were you born?” “September, you?” “I’m older. March,” he said proudly. I let out a chuckle. He continued talking, “you’re a good wrestler.” I smiled. It was the highest compliment for me. “Thank you. I’m looking forward to seeing your skill.” “I have plenty,” he smirked. I rolled my eyes and laughed. “You’ll see.” And that I did. He wrestled the next time we had class. On Tuesday’s and on Friday’s is a training class with our individual trainers. One Saturday a month the whole school would put on a show for friends and family. When the next Tuesday rolled around I became brave and started a conversation with Max. We decided to ask our trainers if we could have a match together. They agreed and let us do it. We were coached through and found out that we had a lot of chemistry in the ring. Every move I made was natural and didn’t have much thought behind it. 

[peakyxtommy]

Finn Cole As A Dad...

Summary: Finn Cole As A Dad

Requested: By Anon

“Y/C/N” = Your Child’s Name

A/N: This was so enjoyable writing, made me soft, and I got too carried away. Photos from Pinterest. Enjoy!

This man would be the sweetest dad ever 

He’d be so helpful and supportive during your pregnancy 

You’d tell him the news by cooking his favorite meal and a gift bag given during his favorite dessert

“What’s all this love? Not my birthday or did I forget something?”

“Nope, I just have some good news to share.”

“Well, come on then. Buzzing in my seat.” 

He’d open the gift bag to a positive pregnancy test, a little onesie, and a t-shirt saying “Dad to be” 

His blue eyes would meet yours with tears of joy and excitement “I can’t believe we’re going to be parents.” He hugs you so tight (it hurts to breathe for a second) and spins you around in the kitchen and pressed so many little kisses all over your face

The first appointment where you get to have photos and hear the baby’s heartbeat would be nerve wrecking and exciting at the same time

It would be a surreal moment for you both, both with tears in your eyes, just mesmerized by the screen in front of your eyes

After the appointment you would stop by the store and get a photo frame to place the photo in your home 

You tell your family when the time was right and they’d all be so happy and excited for you both. You’d give them all t-shirts with different sayings on them

He’d help you through morning sickness, rub your sore feet, and indulge in your cravings, run you hot baths to sit in alone or with him enjoying his company and he would rub your back as well 

He’d be the handyman around the house - he’d do a great job baby proofing the house, setting up the crib and bookshelf in the nursery, and would hand make a wooden rocking chair for the baby

If you get in a tiff with one of your mood swings, he would try to bite his tongue or just give you space or comfort you when either one of you needed to apologize

If you were sad or emotional about your changing body, he would always find a positive, or soothe your worries or concerns

Reminding you of how much he loves you and how good his wife looks carrying his baby

You would spend time writing a list down of names for the baby

He would be excited the first time he felt the baby kick and hands would be all over your bump when relaxing on the couch or laying in bed together

When you sleep his hand would always find a way to touch your bump and he would spend time talking to the baby 

He’d be over protective and it would annoy you but you knew he meant well

“Babe, don’t bring the groceries in, I got it” or “don’t lift that it’s too heavy”  

Sometimes you would let him have his way, other times you would respond 

“Oi, I’m carrying the lightest thing possible” or “I’m only pregnant, I’m still capable of doing (said activity). 

He'd do his best with his busy schedule to make sure he comes to all the appointments and would come with you to Lamaze class 

He’d take the most photogenic photos of the whole process 

Your and his mum would throw you a baby shower 

Once you have the baby, he would be in total dad mode from the start

Making sure everyone’s hands were clean before touching the baby

Making sure everyone was holding the baby properly

 When it was time to go home he would drive slow on the whole way

“Babe, you can go faster than 20 mph, we’ll be okay back here”

“Just being safe, I’ve got more precious cargo with me now.” He winks at you through the rear-view mirror 

When you both get home, he opens the door, “Welcome home little “Y/C/N” 

Time to meet your “siblings” as the dogs come rushing with excitement to see you both and see what you brought home

You would take the baby around the house, giving them a tour 

It would hit you both late at night when you’re both in bed with the baby sleeping in a bassinet on your side of the room, that you’re both parents

“I can’t believe we’re parents. That we created that little being. I’m so filled with love and even more in love with you.” His blue eyes meet yours with such a softness and fondness to them. You swear you couldn’t be luckier to be married to him. 

“Can’t believe it either. There’s no one I would rather have children with. You’re my one and only, honey.” You press your lips to his slow and sweet for a few moments enjoying this time together. 

If you had a daughter, she’d be the biggest daddy’s girl, and would mimic him in the cutest of ways 

If you had a son, he’d be a momma’s boy, and look similar to Finn (their baby photos would look exactly the same) 

Definitely the scrapbooking and video recording parents 

You’d be the family with 3 dogs and a big tank of fish 

The family with car decals on the cars of the entire family and the stickers of the kids achievements (honor roll stickers) 

He’d be the sports (Huge football(soccer) fan/Rugby/Baseball) and outdoor adventure dad (Fishing/Camping/Hiking) 

but also help his kids appreciate literature, art, and older music styles 

He’d support his kids in whatever it was that they wanted to do and who they want to be (unconditional love and support)

He’d do his best to be at their important events or activities, would be the loud parent of the crowd praising on their child, would bring the video camera to film 

He’d be the fun dad but would teach his kids value and important lessons of life 

He make sure they had an appreciation for hard work and wouldn’t spoil them too often 

I think he would have at least 4 kids coming from a big family

[imemeyoumemeweallmeme]

Quotes from “Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier” as starters

But today could be the day I finally make a difference!

Where are you off to today, you no good piece of shit?

You’ve got to dream a little harder!

It took you long enough, you shit-eating dog.

Oh, so you think you're better than me just because you can read?

Just try to keep your fat face out of that motherfucking book.

Why am I the only one who sees things as they are?

Oh, ___, sometimes I feel you're my only friend in this world.

Today, things got a little out of hand and a lot of good people are dead.

Did we get the loaf of bread back?

Why do you even bother visiting us commoners anymore, you aristocat?

I sure hope you haven't goofed this one up, ___.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, look at this mess. Dead bodies in the street.

Did you know in this barbaric country they only give you money if you work?

Who would seek employment when life offers such enjoyment?

You're only in trouble if you get caught.

My father says that you must marry me now, or I'll bring dishonor to my entire family.

I can't give up on my dreams and settle down just 'cause your dad's being a dick.

‘Cause you stole my daughter’s hymen!

That’s completely fair, but in my defense - dude, your daughter’s hot.

My ass cheeks…they're hanging out.

And what's this? Blood. Blood on my ass cheeks. Tell me, ___, how the fuck did it get there?

Oh I am grateful for your tiny ass, ___!

This really is an act of war, ___!

Do not feed me shit and call it couscous, ___!

Well an hour free is better than a lifetime in a cage. Being fed and pampered and cleaned up after. What kind of a life is that?

When are you going to learn that your actions have consequences?

One of these days, you're going to learn that life isn't about dreams coming true. It's a series of compromises and disappointment.

That's supporting a corrupt system. You're a part of the problem.

I want everything, and more!

My secret is simple, really. Anyone could do it. I just follow the golden rule!

Always treat others like sisters and brothers and they’ll do the same for you.

I get back what I give!

My hunger blinded me and forced me to act like an animal.

But we're not animals. We're gifted with minds to reason and hearts to love!

I think that's enough fun for one day, eh, ___?

Well, we have our own golden rule here. Whoever has the gold…makes the rules.

The gold that my neighbor earns through his labor is gold I’ll never see.

So keep your mouth shut and your palm open, and you may just get...filthy stinkin' rich!

You could start by telling me your name.

I suppose this will be the end of me.

I am a servant to the people, and therefore your servant.

Magic does nothing if not touch the soul.

I want to know your story, I want to know your past, I want to know your future too.

Fill my days and nights with the tale of you.

I never cared for stories until you entered mine.

Let’s make ours the story with no end.

Their mouths aren't fit to hold a donkey's shit.

Many years ago, I took my finger…and I pushed in my penis…and it hasn't come out since.

A very wise and enthralling tale, ___. We can all learn a lesson from it, I expect.

Where's my opium?

Speak now, ___! And don't fuck it up!

Well, maybe I have a new purpose now.

That is what your story is about.

I wish I had the power to rewrite this tale.

Never stop wishing it, ___.

We will be reunited one day, and unlock wonders beyond your wildest dreams!

After all, I must be pretty great, if you believed in me.

I only hope you haven't fallen prey to some sex-crazed ruffian!

Right this way, babe.

This is so unfair! Poor people need slaves just as much as rich people do! Maybe even a little bit more.

Of course it's a free thinker like who's struggling to get by. And all because of our totally corrupt class system.

I hate the class system. That's why I said, "Fuck it, I'm never going to school again."

So, you abandoned everything, to be free? That is so brave.

Brave? Me? Yeah.

All my parents ever did was support me. Give me a place to stay, tell me they loved me, no matter what. They were really bad parents.

How's a thirty-three-year-old kid supposed to know how to survive on his own?

But that is not fair! ___’s a victim of circumstance!

Don't look at me like that! These are my orders from ___.

Wait, wait, what? You slit people's throats? I didn't tell you to kill anyone! This is awful!

___, no. That is just an expression.

I'm gonna have so much gold I could swim through it! Like a pool. Do you think people can really do that?

Once I get my mind set on a chick, I just can't move on until I get this nut out.

I can’t wait to be a rich dude!

Stealing is so much easier when you’ve got already tons of gold.

We’ll get our happy ending tonight.

We weren't sure if you were ever coming back, ___.

Everyone, look at my ass!

You received the manhood of a badger?

Those are stretch marks, they happen.

Oh, I see! You received the manhood of a tiger!

Did you hear that, lads? ___ made love to a tiger!

Tiger fucker! Tiger fucker! Tiger fucker!

I DID NOT FUCK A TIGER!!!

Am I not a thing of beauty? Don't you want a piece of this? Wouldn't you gladly give up all of your worldly possessions just to greet me when I come home from a one-sided massacre, and bathe my sweaty, bloody body with your tongue?

Oh…you. Aren't you busy ruining my life?

I noticed you weren't at dinner, but I saw you tried to poison my wine. Usually when you do that, it means you want to talk. What's up, are you mad at me?

You ripped my heart out and smashed it into a million pieces. And don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about.

He/she/they was perfect! Like if you cobbled together all the best features from all the best guys/girls/people, and then gave them a tragic backstory! It's like he/she/they was designed specifically to appeal to me.

I knew everything about him/her/them! He/she/they was my soul mate! My -- my -- God, I am freaking out, what was his/her/their name?

Believe it or not, I care about you.

I don't want to be prepared. I want to expect the unexpected.

Look, you're young. You don't exactly get how things work yet. And, while I don't appreciate any of your ideas, I do appreciate the fact that you HAVE ideas. Maybe one day you'll have some GOOD ones.

Sexual predators the lot of them! Their tactics target vulnerable, young girls, and build up false senses of trust and then isolate them on magic rides of sorts. And when the moment is right, they whip it out. You know... their songs.

Be wary of young boys who whip out their songs. A song is often a prelude to a dick.

A song is a dick in sheep's clothing.

Can't you see I'm trying to impart a life lesson?

I feel like you only come to see me when there's bad news.

I counted thirteen dead before the peacocks got to them.

How the fuck did you know it was me?

Because it IS you, you're just wearing different clothes.

Wow. Pretty AND smart. You're the whole shebang, babe.

Everything I told you the other night was a lie. Don't you trust me?

Ugh. Oh no. Okay, um, now I'm kind of feeling like everything about you that was attractive to me before isn't really there anymore.

No! No, I'm just being indecisive. It's still you.

I've just got to get back on that high that I was on before.

Look into my eyes and talk to me some more about the world's injustice!

Sure. Just let me roll this blunt first.

But I don't want her/him/they to love me. I just want her/him/them to fuck me.

You guys know there's a way to get people to think about sex without even talking about sex? You just gotta do it subliminally.

Hey, babe, it's such a beautiful night -- take off your clothes.

But…let me ask you this: is your penis an innie or an outie?

___ explained everything to me. He/she/they was just pretending to be a ___. For fun.

I bet the ___ is under that ___ sized hat!

Bullshit! Why would I pretend to be a ___? Just to get laid? That's not me.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! Why are you picking on me, ___? Afraid I'll reveal your little secret?

Whoa! I thought I was just bullshitting you guys!

What made me think that I could get away with such a plot?

How does the golden rule apply in such a situation?

Whichever road I take, I will only encourage someone’s wrath!

‘Til now I’ve always traveled down the straight and narrow path.

But which way do I turn when the road’s become so... so... twisted?

You think you know me, as others think they know you, but there are two sides to every story.

I was prepared for anything, except for what ensued.

They weren't ready for my ideas.

Fortune favors the beautiful.

My only crime was love.

But the heart wants what it wants, and sometimes what it wants, is twisted.

I only wished to reclaim what was mine!

I only wished for equal rights for all!

I only wished to save her/him/them!

I only wished to be invited to the party!

I only wished to improve relations between the races!

I only wished to teach ___ responsibility… so he/she/they wouldn’t end up like me!

I only wished to give the people a voice… To help the miserable, lonely, and depressed!

I never knew my father!

It's an unfortunate situation…But you do have a choice.

What remains of a man when that man is dead and gone?

Why protect my reputation? I’m a dead man/woman/person either way!

How will they tell my story? How will they tell my tale? Will anybody even care?

Is it nobler in the mind to be well-liked but ineffectual, or moral but maligned?

If I hide to save my life, what has my life been for?

The road ahead may twist, but I will never swerve!

I’ll give them all the unsung antihero they deserve!

I’ve nothing left to lose, to the only path to choose is twisted.

So let them twist my words, let the people scorn me.

Who cares if no one will ever mourn me?

Let them bury the side of the story that they’ll never learn!

Let the truth be twisted!

Let my life be twisted!

I’ll be twisted, it’s my turn!

Your armies have abandoned you. Your ruling class is corrupt and we have come to put an end to your tyrannical rule!

You'll never end our tyrannical rule!

It is I who will be doing the fucking today.

It appears that ___ has cold feet!

Yes I am talking to you! Now get your ass over here!

I've got to become a sorcerer! Can you do that?

Yes, I do feel lucky. I've got a ___! But I think he might be a fucking moron!

My fuse is about this long right now.

You either need to back me the fuck up, or shut the fuck up. Got it?

And what's the last thing you wanna do before that happens? Take off your clothes. That's right, have sex! Hurry, take off your clothes.

I'm not going to take off my clothes in the middle of a battle!

My skin is melting!

Would you stop acting like an asshole for one minute?

I'm not a tease. I'm just…not a freak.

You're making sex seem gross and lame.

You got that, ___? We are not a thing anymore, okay?

We're just having our first fight. Maybe after some make up sex…

You're the guy who killed my parents. Where have you been?

Okay, Jesus Christ, I don't know what's going on here.

That's the trick! You just really have to believe your own bullshit!

It takes someone who believes they can change the world to actually do it.

This isn't fair! Life is supposed to be fair!

Your youth and your passion, and yes, your naïveté -- these give you power.

When I was your age, I thought I could accomplish anything I ever wanted and more! But I didn't. Perhaps no one does. But you have to think you will or you won't have the strength to try.

Maybe you won't make any big changes, but a few little ones that pave the way for the next generation. And then they'll make small changes and leave it to the next and the next! It's a bit like a carousel of progress. Always spinning towards a great, big, beautiful tomorrow. And tomorrow is just a dream away.

But what if tomorrow never comes?

Tomorrow always comes. Even if it comes without us.

What will I do without you to guide me? When I am lost, where will I turn?

You remind me of someone I knew long ago.

You’re the one who put it there -- the power in me.

The power to love one another is the greatest power of all.

No matter where life leads us, we’ll never be apart.

Through thick and thin, success or ruin, I’ll carry you in my heart.

I will treasure forever what the world will never see.

You are kind, and that’s enough.

I wish you didn’t have to go when our story’s just begun.

Then I wish you every happiness.

It was more money than I had ever seen. But I was able to count it.

And that's the end of the true story.

[thequibblah]

⭐️ would love some commentary on that dancing scene (or really any commentary on the various parties thrown by the marauders) from the party happening next to the Potions Club party ⭐️

WELL WELL WELL

"This is...a lot of trouble to go to." "It's the Marauders. They love trouble."

i love writing party scenes (as i'm sure you all know lol) and one of the best/worst things w the marauders parties is striking a balance between their, uh, audacious plans, and what's realistically possible at hogwarts without getting caught. (aka literally why i made up the dodgy lodgings). i went back and forth so long on whether or not they could plausibly have managed that with slughorn's dinner next door, but then was like ah whatever the party has to happen for plot reasons so.... plot ex machina??

anyway, i love using parties to establish character — what a brilliant stage of teenage performance they provide. i love contrasting the hogwarts parties to, say, evan wronecki's — for instance, how lily and co. are more at ease in the former, as seventh years, with their classmates hosting, than they were at evan's nye bash

i also love that it gives me space to establish who is and isn't popular, so to speak, but also who acts or doesn't act the way we presume popular kids will act

doe, for instance, who is by all accounts a level-headed and non-wild person, has a more exciting time on net at marauders' parties than mary (drinking game, kissing remus), though she's not a big drinker and isn't really into parties. but she's comfortable in her own little social circle at a bigger event (like with michael at evan's) and so isn't bothered at all by the marauders' do, because...

She did, in fact, trust the Marauders. Her general belief in the inherent goodness of people notwithstanding, she didn't think they would do anything to harm their friends. Intentionally.

this bit always makes me laugh

as with many things, i feel very saddened that i didn't get to make more out of the fools' olympics (although one could argue that The Dance was a pro) — as in, i wish i'd been able to squeeze more of it into the story itself. i could probably come up with a list of tasks and who completed them LOL

WAIT OH MY GOD I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THIS it just might be my favourite part of this chapter

"How did you do that?" Gillian said, glancing between the other two girls. "Just — drink it without a second thought?" "Practice," said Mary. "Scottish — constitution," David said hoarsely. "I once drank some of Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mass Remover," said Priya.

priya is all i aspire to be

can i say, too, it's hilarious to me how many people worried niamh would be a james love interest? i feel like you will not rest easy on that count until he and lily are together... but that is not where the danger lies babes

circling back to popularity/unpopularity, another fun outlier. gillian is first established, in 33, as someone with friends (we see her around sara and in the seventh-year ravenclaws' compartment) but she's not exactly at ease at the party either — recall how she hesitates when mary invites her. only later, in 38, do we realise that our opinion of her has been skewed by the narration (from doe, who naturally assumes any friendly, nice person must have a wealth of friends and be floating through life; and mary, who naturally assumes anyone she isn't bored by must have the social skills of a medieval noblewoman at court), and she's a bit of a pariah in her own house

david, on the other hand, is just flat-out not in his element. and not because of the drinking or the, er, general revelry (see: summer with mary!), even though he doesn't partake much in either. unlike doe, the company breaks rather than makes his enjoyment — he's acutely aware, the whole time, that his cooler, more liked brother is around:

"Not your scene?" "What gave it away?" said David drily. As one they looked at Chris...

...and mary has intuited as much too, even though she has a lot more in common, superficially speaking, with chris than david

so, i think while i was writing this chapter i made a post complaining about how, as much as i love juggling the constraints of historical fiction, i hate that music from the 70s limits me in terms of tracklists. i.e., when i say a certain record is playing i can't just hit shuffle and go somewhere entirely different to set the mood shortly thereafter

this problem was because i wanted, NAY, NEEDED, to have "martha my dear" playing in the aftermath of that mary and david interaction. of course, time passes in that section break, but since "come and get it," which they talk about it, is a sirius song (though it could be a mary song), and i feel too strongly about needle drops to let that conversation go without a soundtrack. germaine even correctly guesses the white album is on because of mary:

Apparently Mary got fonder of the White Album the drunker she was.

...and of course the song itself makes me squeal with how very mary it is — not that it is something she would listen to, necessarily, or identify with (it would hold up too close of a mirror, ha), but it sounds like it could've been written about her ("hold your head up, you silly girl/look what you've done/when you find yourself in the thick of it/help yourself to a bit of what is all around you," which really sums up the entirety of her portree holiday, lol)

BUT! if "martha my dear" is to play here, then i have some Serious Chronology Concerns. i knew germeline had to kiss and jily had to dance and ideally in that order. but what would those scenes be soundtracked by!!!! i was limited to side two of the white album!!!

so i did the healthy thing and panic-listened to the white album. "don't pass me by" was, right away, an easy lock for the dance, because it's danceable, but not in a way that would've scared lily off. lyrically, it feels GREAT for jily in this moment, on the cusp of lily's realisation ("waiting for your knock, dear [...] i don't hear it, does it mean you don't love me anymore?" vs OF COURSE "don't pass me by [...] 'cause you know darling, i love only you"). i feel about "don't pass me by" the same way as NYT critic nik cohn: it's "straight ahead and clumsy and greatly enjoyable, backed by a beautiful hurdy-gurdy organ," which, if that isn't everything i wanted to evoke with the dance itself!!!!!!

ok we'll circle back to this, but onward with the musical discussion

thus i had four songs to choose from, between "martha my dear" and "don't pass me by," for the germeline scene — "piggies," "blackbird," "i'm so tired," and "rocky raccoon." the latter is on my sirius playlist, so auto-no; "piggies" is, well, like that, so also a no. "blackbird" is a certified germaine classic that was written personally by paul mccartney for germaine, but it seemed too introspective for the moment. i don't think i'd ever listened to "i'm so tired" before this panicked searching, and honestly it must be some wild luck that it is. just SO RIGHT!!!! it's so lethargic and tortured and angsty and, well, a bit of a stoner song, so.... it's THERE

AND NOW for the dance! true story, i initially wanted jily to have a real conversation, after the party. i had the dance in there and then james would catch up with lily after to be like, "hey i was wrong actually, you should write to petunia." but then i realised i wanted james and sirius to have a conversation about the bike/money, and i wanted it to strike a different chord, tonally, than the jily conversation. then i realised it would be too much to have both and i'd need to condense that conversation into the dance. VERY nearly cut the dance in favour of the conversation but wow i am glad i didn't

The tinkling piano signalled the start of the next song; she extended a hand, very matter-of-factly, to James, "Come on, this is a good one."

not pictured: james having a fucking breakdown

obviously, i could have gone the route of a genuine dramatic dance, but as previously mentioned lily would have chickened out, and i wanted to have this be an experience she could look back on and pine about because of how fun it was and james totally doesn't like her back

Loath as she was to admit it, this most indelicate of waltzes suited the plodding chords of "Don't Pass Me By." And worst of all, once they had stopped stepping on each other's feet James started to sing, in the poorest possible Ringo imitation she had ever heard in her life.

by the way, attentive readers of blink three times will recall:

He finally starts to lead — thank goodness, because she’s not the one who was forced into formal dance lessons as a child...

so in 36, this is james being drunk, but it is also james being silly on purpose because not only is he JAMES and so he must take the mick, he also knows it will put lily at ease

okay, and this bit:

"Don't pass me by, don't make me cry, don't make me blue," they both shouted rather than sang, "'Cause you know darling—" Lily broke off, laughing, dimly aware that she had done so to avoid saying I love only you while staring right at him.

from the FIRST MOMENT i picked out "don't pass me by," i knew i knew I KNEW that lily would have thoughts about this line. at this point in the story if someone questioned her about it she would probably have a full-scale breakdown about her male friends vs her female friends ("but no... i suppose i wouldn't mind saying it to remus.... but that's different!" how is it different, lily? "it's different!")

anyway, the bottom line is she could NOT abide saying it. i enjoyed writing that because 1. same girl and 2. it felt like a nice bit of close foreshadowing for her realisation, which i knew was coming soon. so that's a really circular way of saying, i knew what it meant but ideally to readers it was just oh this will mean something far-off in the future!!! which is usually true for me but SURPRISE babey it was just two chapters away!!!

note btw that lily "falls for james"

Lily spun faster than she’d intended to. The room was a brief, kaleidoscope blur. Then there was James. “Jesus, Evans,” he said, steadying her as the next track began.

>:)

and after i thought tracklists would fuck me up, i turned them into my WEAPON!!

Huffing, she stepped out of his arms. (There were some songs you could sing along to with your mates, and “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?” was not one of them.)

(so, you know, keep in mind that for the rest of this conversation, paul is in the background howling "no one will be watching us/why don't we do it in the road?")

also:

"...I’m not drinking tonight, but I’d better get the royal treatment after we win on Saturday."

and then what happened <3

wait jesus oh my god i really went hard on this huh

She only saw its result: the easy grin had given way to an expression so serious it was almost sweet.

LILY??????

and hey, remember when:

...because in chapter 26:

Dex’s measured opinions about the wizarding world seemed more the result of upbringing and inexperience than ill will, but Lily had not expected a radical change of heart.

...but then in 36:

He was right, damn it. And a part of her had known all along, had sought him out expressly so that he would say the opposite thing to her. He’d gone and proven her wrong. She broke the staring match first [...] “What brought on the change of heart?” “It’s a long story, and I expect it’ll have an unsatisfying end if I told it to you.” Lily scoffed, but James had on that maddening grin that meant he would not budge. “Oh, all right.” Softer, she added, “Thank you.” He began to back away, towards the bar. “It’s give and take, Evans.”

in conclusion, i never forget, besties

[mashiraostail]

IT'S SPOOKY SEASON! How would Aizawa, Vlad King, Midnight and Present Mic feel about a small Seamstress S/O who LOVES Halloween, like the MOMENT August moves to September and the weather starts getting cooler they bring out the pumpkin spice candles, big comfy sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes and Halloween decor, bonus points if they bake pumpkin treats :3

HALLOWEEN TIME!! Halloween oreos Halloween oreos Halloween oreos Halloween oreos Halloween oreos >:3 

Aizawa: He’s pretty indifferent to seasonal stuff, his wardrobe is usually ever unchanging and his favorite foods are mostly year-round things, though all the black cat decorations are enjoyable and he likes seeing his kids get excited about the season so he’s no scrooge about it.  He’s more than happy to let you decorate your living space if you share it, and if you don’t he’ll even let you decorate his too, he’ll probably even ask you to come with him to get things for his students to decorate as well.  He’s probably a disastrous baker but he’ll linger around you if you’re baking, especially if you ask him to keep you company while you do.  Put him to work on the easy stuff, melting butter, chopping nuts, oiling pans etc.. measuring isn’t really his forte. Despite your initial disbelief, he’d do a couple costume is you asked him incredibly nicely (you’ll probably owe him a favor...or five) despite how he may act though he probably enjoys it. Not a huge fan of sweet drinks himself but he’ll surprise you with them if he has the extra time, out on patrol, if he knows you’re working late, etc.. if you work together you can expect one on your desk once or twice a week, exactly how you like it even if you don’t remember ever telling him your order.  Scary movies don’t bother him so feel free to drag him into a marathon of them, he’ll lay back on the couch and watch with you when you’ve got the downtime. Be wary though, if you get scared he’s probably gonna make fun of you just a little. His favorite thing about the season is for sure the smells, nutmegs, gingers, pumpkin etc...he likes the sharp scent of fall and the neutral colors are also pretty enjoyable for him. But on top of that, he just likes seeing other people be excited about it, even if he acts like a stick in the mud sometimes but you know just like everyone else he’s pretty soft where it matters. He always gives himself away by coming to you and talking about how Mina scares Denki every morning without fail for the ‘spirit of the season’ or the running list of what to dress Bakugou up as for the holiday (top contender is currently: q-tip). get a sexy cat costume Sekijiro: Come on his hero name is a vampire joke  He probably likes it much more than he lets on, and like Aizawa, he loves watching his kids get excited about it. He probably lets them pick a costume for him every year (it’s usually some type of vampire) He’d be overjoyed to decorate with you, and will definitely leave up the decorations until it’s time to change for the winter season.  He loves seeing all the foliage change color too, go on a few walks with him before it gets too cold (even after, he’ll just wrap an arm around you, but he’ll say he feels bad keeping you outside in the cold).  I feel like he really loves fall seasonal drinks and stuff, maybe not the signature pumpkin spice but something akin to it may be slightly less sweet. But he’ll try anything you offer him and pretend to like it even if he doesn’t for the sake of not killing your excitement.  He always makes a mental note of the things you like to surprise you every so often. He likes baking with you even if he’s not always great at it, but he’s a pro at kneading dough, for obvious reasons, he’s also good for hand-mixing, and eating batter (”You’re setting such a bad example for your students! Stop you’ll get sick!” “They can’t even see me!”) Also totally down for a couples costume, he’ll think it’s funny and cute of you to want to match with him so he’ll definitely do it, and if his students don’t already know about you and suggest one he’ll even let them know he’s got to be able to match with someone this year.  Super loves scary movies, classic monster stuff Dracula, The Blob, anything Junji Ito, he doesn't mind newer stuff but sometimes its a hair too gorey/sexual to be tasteful for him. They don’t scare him, for the most part, there’s just one very specific thing that bothers him (It’s Teke Teke, even just mentioning it is enough to send a shiver up his spine, seriously don’t even joke about it he’ll cry and be mad at you for at least two days or until you give him a heartfelt apology without laughing because it’s “seriously not funny babe come on”) If you have made the mistake of making a Teke Teke joke at him in the past and he discovers even a single thing you are afraid of he will hold it over your head, don’t think he’s not that petty. But he’ll only do it as payback. If you're nice about Teke Teke he will promise to protect you from whatever awful movie monster scares you. If you aren’t well then you’ll just have to face Tomie yourself, unfortunately, “sorry babe but it’s about time to shape up, looks like it’s just you and Tomie now, alright well, goodnight” *clicks off lamp* (of course, he will cave in mere minutes and promise to protect you especially if you actually look scared and his joke didn’t calm you down at all) Don’t worry no evil movie monsters will get to you with Vlad around. get a sexy vampire costume 

Nemuri: Loves Halloween, please fall is this woman’s bread and butter, the fashion is impeccable it smells great and Halloween costumes are so much fun. She’ll 1000% try to rope you into some overtly sexy costume for her own enjoyment even if that sort of thing isn’t your speed, she’s gonna beg, just for one night. Loves decorating probably has the 12-foot skeleton from home depot. Her and Hizashi probably scare the crap out of their students at least once a year, some insane grand scheme that Aizawa and Vlad both know in and out but won't bother tell tell their students if they are unlucky enough to be the targets of it. If you work at UA with her and even think about ratting her out she’ll sniff it out from a mile away and then you’ll be at the top of the duo’s hit list.  Put simply...there is no option but a couple's costume. You will be matching if its the last thing she does.  Loves the seasonal drinks, pumpkin spice is her jam, whenever you pick one up get her one too she’ll thank you generously, and she’ll always have one for you too.  She’s pretty good at baking but not nearly patient enough for it, she’ll distract you halfway through and by the end of the night, all you’ll have is a half made batter, a preheated oven, and some hickeys.  Serial candle lighter and buyer. It’s an addiction, honestly, the smell of nutmeg may be so overpowering that you have to blow one out. At least the mood lighting is nice.  Also loves scary movies and will watch as many as you want, she may jump during them but they’re quick to leave her mind after so if you’re a scaredy-cat she’ll tease you but in the end she’s got a few pretty good methods for distracting you. She loves the season herself but she loves watching you get excited about it, seeing you hobble in the door with arms full of decorations and baking goods just brings her so much joy. The first time you break out a classic fall sweater she’ll compliment you for hours and steal it to wear the next day. get a sexy devil costume

Hizashi: Also loves the season and Halloween, hates all the spiders though, eugh. Not so bad if they’re all fake which normally they are. Aizawa is on his shit list for leaving a huge fake one on his desk chair one day, he tied a string to it and when Hizashi pulled his chair out started tugging the string, seriously he screamed so loud Nemuri thought someone was being abducted.  Though he’s usually good at getting people back on those sorts of things, but Aizawa is notoriously hard to scare so it’s just been festering for years.  As mentioned for Nemuri, they definitely pair up and come up with some huge scheme to scare like at least 10 kids at once, ideally a whole class. It takes weeks of planning, usually happens somewhere around the middle of the month, anyone who has had the misfortune of being part of the target group before always gets tense around that time of year as they are very effective (Tamaki and Mirio have been scared three years in a row, Mirio handles it very well but Tamaki does not come to school for two days after). He loves to bake, he’s probably decent at it too but he makes a huge mess, and he gets distracted too easily if you kiss him or touch him at all you will (similar to with Nemuri) just be left with a half-finished recipe and slightly sore thighs. It’s not his fault. it is Couple costume or Halloween simply does not happen. That's the law! The cheesier and sillier the better, please.  He can either love pumpkin spice or hate it depending on the cafe, but he’s addicted to surprising you with little fall treats so expect plenty.  Big apple cider guy though.  He’ll watch a horror movie with you sure. he’s not afraid of most, but the really good ones will get him, slashers don’t bother him, ghosts are fine, home invasions are nothing, but demons? Eugh. Also bugs of course. An over the top gore makes him squirm. If it’s one of those maybe invite Eraser to deal with his quirk because of the screaming. Your neighbors will think you’re trying to murder the poor man, though you’re probably no better. He likes getting scared with you though so don’t worry about it, and like Nemuri he usually forgets about it afterward.  if he finds it to be a slow, boring movie expect to get sidetracked, especially if you’re jumpy, he’ll put an arm around you and pull out all the classic cheesy moves and lines until he can coax you over. Loves carving pumpkins, seriously loves it so much probably dedicates a class period to it. Will carve a matching set with you if you ask (in his eyes it’s something akin to a marriage proposal so be mindful when you do ask). get a sexy maid costume

[ficsnroses]

Nightlight - John Wick x Reader

Fluffy John is the best John.

Word Count : 2746

Warnings : Major Fluff

Summary : John asks Y/N, his girlfriend, to spend the night at his house, however, is pleasantly surprised when she tells him she cannot sleep in complete darkness.

A/N : I suck at summaries. Also, if *anyone* wants me to write the love making between John and reader in this fic, I totally will in another one shot, I just didn’t want this to get too long. I imagined this as a sort of sequel to this fic, but you don't have to ❤️ Enjoy!

As John lays out an array of fresh, vibrantly coloured ingredients on the granite kitchen island, Dog sits at his feet, chewing his favourite, brand new chew toy Y/N had gifted him. The sounds of gnawing teeth, his little whines and playful squeaks are audible every now and then. Dog and Y/N had gotten pretty close lately, and that was just the way John wanted it. His two favourite companions, loving each other.

John had fallen in love with Y/N in what felt like the pace of a heartbeat; before he knew it, he was long gone, with her becoming the most important part of his life. The purest, most enjoyable, innocent, most rewarding part of his life. Of course, he was ecstatic to know she felt the same.

Things had been going amazing between them. Each day felt so special, because that’s what love does. It makes each day feel as if a warm, sunny, bright day after a long, unfriendly winter. It was as if constantly having the words on their tongues, for how they felt, but never being able to let them out, because they just weren’t strong enough. Y/N had made John realize how much more he could be, how much more he was worth. She gave him a taste of the good life, the life he dreamt of as a lonely orphan, the life he promised he’d have one day with a family of his own. A family he created, with the woman of his dreams. Undoubtedly, his reveries saw no one else besides Y/N that could possibly fill this void. She truly was the one he’d been longing for. And boy, was she worth the wait.

Tonight, Y/N was coming over for a stay in dinner date. They had been seeing each other regularly, their encounters being the highlights of each of their days. There was something so unique about being with each other that they loved, appreciated. Even when they weren’t physically there, they felt as if their hearts were together. John was normally distant from others, quiet, reserved. It felt nice to be himself, with someone.

Everything felt picture perfect. In fact, all that was left now, was the anticipation of taking their relationship further. John had only dreamt of doing what lovers do with her till now, but day by day, the further their relationship progressed, it seemed as if it was becoming more real. The moment only coming closer. Whenever it was, whenever it would happen, he knew that would be it. That would be the moment he’d fall completely for her, never able to turn back.

~

“Hi!” Y/N beams, as John opens the door for her, the evening sun setting perfectly behind her, the golden hue striking a wavelength of vivacity in her luscious locks.

“Hi, darling.” John smiles, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her in for a soft, tender kiss. She smells of citrus, mint, and flowers, along with something so uniquely known to him. So matchlessly Y/N.

“I missed you,” she smiles against his lips, arms attached around his neck. “What did you do today?” she asks, letting herself in.

“Not much, took Dog to the park, went shopping for groceries, did some lawn work.” He closes the door behind him. “Counted the hours down till I’d get to see you.” He almost sings, holding his arm out for her to use for balance, as she shimmies off her shoes, placing them neatly in the corner beside his.

“Aww.” She grins, placing a kiss to his cheek. She turns to walk towards his kitchen. “And where is my handsome baby boy?” she coos, eyes searching for Dog. He pads away, jogging to her, as she crouches down to give him an abundance of pets. “There he is!” she chuckles, placing kisses on his matted grey head. John’s heart could have burst right then and there, watching them interact.

John takes his place, back at the kitchen counter, getting dinner together. He watches Y/N as she walks up beside him, snaking her arm around one of his, pressing a kiss to his bicep. “Lemme help? I’ll chop.” She says, grabbing a knife, slicing at a stalk of carrots. John smiles and takes place by the stove, stirring and sautéing.

“Music?” John proposes, leaning against the counter.

“Oo yes, Floyd?” she suggests, raising her eyebrows, throwing her hair into a messy bun.

“Hmm, how bout Zeppelin?” he vetoes, tapping his chin.

She frowns, before her eyes light up. “Beatles?” she recommends.

“Beatles it is.” He throws his thumbs up, walking towards his stereo. She watches him walk away, smiling at how lucky she was, to have this man to herself.

~

They eat at the dining table, sat across from each other. John kept just a small, high table dining set. For years, it had been just him alone, quietly getting through lonely nights and meals for one alone. It’s nice to have company at the habitually isolated table.

Their hands hold each other across the table, fingers fiddling with one another every now and then, soft touches and grazes placed on each others skin, soothing rubs ghosting across each others wrists. Quiet laughs flood their intimate conversation, smiles and grins exchanged frequent. Every now and then, John throws a safe piece of food down to Dog, who is munching away at his own food bowl by their feet. This was perfect. Their own, exclusive little family, lost in each other’s company.

Near the end of the meal, John brings a napkin up to his lips, quietly clearing his throat. His grip on Y/N’s hand tightens slightly, her eyes connect with his, noticing the difference. He has something on his mind, she’s begun to read him like the back of her hand. She brings her elbow to rest on the table, her chin taking place leaning on her hand, as she watches John, collecting his thoughts.

“Something wrong, babe?” she asks lightly, brows furrowing.

John lets out a small chuckle, sighing. “No, no. Everything’s perfect. You’re perfect..” his eyes connect with hers, getting lost in those gorgeous, lively orbs of hers. He toys with her hand again, looking down at his plate. “Do you…uh…wanna spend the night? Here?” he proposes, nervous she may decline. “Tonight’s great, and I just uh…I don’t wanna see you go.”

Y/N’s eyes pause in place, no emotion present on her face for a moment. John’s heart began to race rapidly, scared he may have crossed a line too soon. However, when her lips curl into a smile, her grip tightening on his hand as well, he hears her velvety voice chime.

“Sure.”, she smiles, holding his hand tighter, reassuringly.

John feels relief wash over him, sighing. He chuckles a reply. “Wow, awesome. I thought you were going to say no for a second.” He runs his other hand through his hair.

Y/N stares into him, studying each bump, each crevice of his face. His beard is lined perfectly, his skin is aglow, there’s a glint in his eyes, his lips are so exquisitely pink, so kissable. Each part of him was so lovable. He deserved, all the love she could give him.

“John?” she quietly speaks. He looks up to connect their eyes. “I love you. And I trust you. You know that right?”  

He looks at her, heart full with admiration. “I know.”

~

After dinner, John hovers over the kitchen sink, rinsing the dishes in a solution of soapy bubbles, Y/N sat on the counter top right beside him, drying the dishes he hands her. Her legs sway around, as they engage in conversation still, sulking in each other’s presence. She playfully hits his side with her leg every now and then, as he stands defenceless, hands covered in soap. With a playful groan, John glares her, his deep voice filling her ears.

“Babe, you better stop that right now.”

She giggles, setting down her wash cloth. “Whatcha gonna do about it, Wick?”

Rinsing off his hands, before moving to stand between her legs, he places his palms on her hips. Wincing, she tries to shake them off. “John! Your hands are wet.” She frowns.

He smirks, eyeing her. “Well, isn’t that inconvenient?”

She scrunches her face, before ultimately giving in. “Okay fine, ya got me. I’m sorry. You’re just so fun to mess with.” She taps his nose, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Am I, huh?” he smiles, eyeing her lips, gently pulling her in closer as she still sits on the counter.

Her petite hands move to ruffle his dusty, dark brown hair, lips curling into a smile. “Yes, because I know you’re never going to say anything back to me.” Dog moves across the kitchen to sit near John’s feet again, as he straddles her standing against the counter. “Of course, besides maybe getting my shirt wet.” She smiles.

She stares at his lips as well, before bringing her eyes to connect his gaze, trapped in hers. Bringing a hand to cup his stubble ridden cheek, she lightly speaks. “You’re a good man, Jonathan.” A muffled giggle escapes her mouth, watching how awestruck his expression turns each time she reminds him. “You take care of me, and Dog. You’re a good, good man.”

John still hadn’t gotten used to hearing those words. No one, in years, for as long as he could remember, had called him anything remotely good. To the world, he was a petrifying, feared, symbol of death. Someone they saw as a monster.

But then there was her. This woman, who saw past all that, saw the human in him. Saw everything he so desperately wanted to be, saw the way he was clawing at the surface for someone to really see him, and everything he ached to be. Sometimes, it only takes one, special person, to fix us.

John never wanted to be a monster. He never was, and she knew that.

Without a thought, John connects his lips with hers, in a searing, adoring kiss. She gladly returns the affection, running her hands through his hair, along his beard, pulling him closer. Pausing momentarily, John connects his forehead with hers, eyes shutting in complete contentment.

This was where he always wanted to be.

She cups his cheek, missing his lips on hers so soon. They kiss again, fingers pulling each other closer, trying to feel more. John breaks away, bringing his hand to hold hers again. Squeezing gently, he almost whispers.

“Can we take this upstairs?”

Nodding, she smiles, feeling his broad, large arms scoop her up, carrying towards the stairs, her legs wrapped securely around his waist. Placing feather light kisses to his temple, his nose, and the corners of his mouth as she pleases the entire journey up to his bedroom, she beams at the way his eyes light up as she does so. The laugh lines crinkle around the corners of his eyes, making him look heavenly.

Placing her softly, gradually on the bed, he watches her lay, allowing him to hover over her. Kissing each inch of the soft, gleaming skin on her face, he reflects to himself, on just how lucky, how excited he was, to finally make love to her. To finally show her how much she meant to him, in the most fragile, sacred way.

He grazes his fingers under the hem of her shirt, softly smoothing over the skin. “Is this okay, sweetheart?” he asks, making sure she was ready for them to be intimate. Something they hadn’t done before.

“Of course, baby. I love you.” She whispers, pulling him in for another passionate kiss. She toys his belt buckle, as his hands explore parts of her body they’d only dreamt of touching, thus far.

~

An hour later, John lays shirtless in bed, with his lover’s head rested on his chest. He’s got an arm around her, holding her close to him. She draws figures and shapes, tracing over his rosy skin. To say it was amazing, would be an understatement. They hadn’t been able to keep their hands to themselves, despite finishing. In comfortable silence, to the sound of the rise and fall of John’s chest, Y/N’s voices.

“John?”

He shifts slightly, moving his head to press a kiss to her forehead. “Yeah, love?”

She feels her heart swell at the sight of him, his skin glistening, heartbeat calm, so naturally beautiful. He was so god damn beautiful. She smiles, unable to form any words for the way she was feeling. She rests her head down again on his chest, feeling him chuckle, embedding a small, gentle kiss in her hair.

John glances at the time piece on the stand. 10:15pm.

“I’ll grab you one of my spare shirts to sleep in?” he proposes, as she sits up, pulling the duvet to cover her shirtless chest. “Thank you.” She replies, still smiling. Watching him get out of the bed, her eyes gloss over his tattoos on his perfectly toned back, slipping on his pants. She follows suit, pulling on her panties, heading to the washroom.

~

Following a quick wash of her face, the water beads spritzing life back into her flushed cheeks, Y/N tucks herself away in John’s bed, as he’s taken Dog out for the final time tonight. She grins to herself still, the memories of what her and John did earlier that evening hazing her mind. The fact that she would be falling asleep next to him tonight, in his arms, only sent more butterflies drifting about in her mid.

She hears Dog run back into the room, padding in a few circles before taking place at the foot of the bed, retiring for the night. John follows not too far behind, smiling as his eyes set on Y/N in his bed, waiting.

“Hey you..” she speaks, voice filled with love.

“Hi,” he beams back, placing Dog’s replenished water bowl when he could see it.

“Come ere, the beds getting cold.” She smiles, her syrupy voice so warm, inviting.

John gladly accepts, switching the lights off by the door, before walking to his side of the bed.

Until he hears Y/N gasp.

“John?” She gulps. Don’t you have a lamp?” he hears in the pitch black room.

“No? Why?”

“I always sleep with light in the room…this is scary.” She murmurs, barely above a whisper.

John chuckles. “Baby, I’m sorry I don’t have a lamp. But I’m here with you, what’s so scary about that?” he expertly navigates his dark room, pulling the covers back to join Y/N in bed, immediately pulling her into his chest. Of course, he felt her startle slightly at the touch.

“I’m not scared of the dark, John. I’m scared of what’s in the dark.” She asserts, in a matter of fact tone.

“Well, only thing in the dark right now is me, babe.” He laughs.

“That’s scary enough.” She teases, trying to bring her hand to his face.

“Hey!” John giggles, securing his grip on her.

“John, I can’t see anything. I don’t like it at all.”

“But we’re going to sleep, darling. You don’t need to see anything.” He articulates, placing a kiss on her forehead.

“John!” She whines, nudging him. He hums in response, his hands soothingly rubbing her back as he holds her. “John, can’t you just leave the bathroom light on?”

He sighs playfully. “Sweetheart, I can’t sleep with lights in the room.”

“What if I wanted to kiss you? I can’t see where your face is.” She proclaims, hands trying to locate his face.

“Hmmm…” John contemplates. She brings her arms to sooth over his biceps. “Pleeeeasseeee babe, I really don’t like it.” She frowns.

John chuckles again, bringing his hand to cup her cheek. “I’m only teasing, darling. Lemme fix it.” He replies, getting out of the bed, switching the bathroom light on for her, Dog’s gaze perking up to the sudden change of hue. As John pads back to the bed, climbing in, Y/N cuddles in close, kissing his chest as his arms engulf her again.

“Better?” he questions, smiling down at her.

“Yes. Thank you.” She buries her face in his chest, breathing in his woody scent.

“My girlfriends scared of the dark.” John smirks, teasing. Y/N light-heartedly nudges him in response. Toying his hand through her hair, he sighs. “You know I’d do anything for you, right?” his voice is barely audible, in the hushed, silent room.

Y/N doesn’t reply right away; she takes a moment to relax, feeling him so close. Barely above a whisper, she finally speaks. “I know.” John grips her tighter, pressing another kiss into her hair.

“How about you start by getting a nightlight for me?” she proposes, giggling. “It could be a dinosaur one, so it doesn’t break your big, manly persona.” She teases, cupping his cheek, pressing a kiss to his chin.

“I suppose. Only if it’s a dinosaur one, though. Can’t have my lady sleeping in the dark again.” He agrees, bringing her smaller hand up to place a kiss to her palm. “You really are adorable, Y/N.”

If making love tonight hadn’t made him fall deeper in love with her, this encounter surely had. He couldn’t wait to learn more about her, be domestic with her. To have her to fall asleep to, just like this, to learn which side of the bed she prefers, when she drifts to dreamland, every single night. 

“I love you.” John whispers, a few moments departed. He rubs her back soothingly, calmly again. However, when she doesn’t reply, he gently taps her. When she doesn’t move, he knows she’s fallen into a deep, well deserved slumber. Exhaling, he grins to himself again.

He couldn’t believe this was going to be his life.

With a pull of the duvet higher to tuck her in perfectly, the blanket draped, positioned flawlessly around her, John presses a final kiss to her temple, resting his chin a top of her head. 

To the sound of Dog’s gentle snores, complimented effortlessly by the steady rise and fall of Y’N’s chest on him, John prepares to doze off as well, not too far behind. With the moon and it’s starry friends peering through the bedroom window, perfectly peppering the black and blue marbled sky, another wonderful day has bid good bye, with his lover tucked in securely beside him, whisked away in her own fairyland.

He thanks the sky for giving him this life, as his silvery voice whispers.  

“Goodnight, angel”

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*

Taglist Posted Separately (Ask to be added or removed!) :

[amydancepants-peralta]

the shape of you 

(aka, Jake and Amy’s first night *together*, post-Mac) - rated NSFW. 💗

the shape of you 

With her fingers gripped around the base of a washcloth Amy Santiago wipes her bathroom mirror clear of all remaining condensation, casting a discerning eye over the reflection that stares back at her as she drops the towel into the nearby hamper.  

It feels like it was only yesterday - but realistically, had been close to six years ago - since she had stood in this very position and prepared for her first date with Jake.  It was a lapse of time that felt as though it had passed in a blink, and tonight there was a part of Amy that longed for the simpler times; when her biggest concern had been how to style her hair, second only to which of the two recently purchased dresses she should wear.  

(Her final decision to wear her hair down, based purely in the hope that Jake’s fingers may end up running through her curls, had clearly been an excellent one - and one that she definitely thanked herself for making later that evening.)

She still remembers the nerves she’d felt that night (that kind of thrumming that seems to run through your veins when you just know you’re on the verge of something amazing), remembers the feeling of the kiss he gave her outside the restaurant.  The way the scent of him had filled her senses as he moved closer, pushing her gently against the exterior with careful hands on either side of her hips.  The scratch of the brick against her lower back until his hands moved between her and the stone, simultaneously protecting her from harm and drawing her into his arms.  The soft sigh she’d let out as their tongues brushed up against each other … the way her body felt like it was melting into his embrace.  

It was the kind of kiss that made Amy forget all the rules (made her forget anything other than how hard her heart was beating against his ribcage) - the kind of kiss that confirmed for her, even if she wasn’t completely ready to admit it - that this thing between them was more than just ‘like’.  The rest, as one would say, is history - and while Amy knows that her and Jake’s love story may never compare to the works of Austen or Brontë, theirs will always remain her favourite.  

And now, two toothbrushes live in their holder by the sink, her perfume sits comfortably beside the same brand of cologne from that evening, and a series of colourful turtle decals are stuck to the side of their bathtub (supervised from above by the requisite rubber ducky).  Clearly, a lot had changed - but the one thing that seems to have made a return appearance from their first night together, is the kaleidoscope of butterflies that have taken up residence in her stomach.  

Tonight was Date Night for her and Jake - their first since she’d given birth to Mac close to seven weeks ago - and in true Santiago style, Amy had spent what free time she’d had over the past few days researching the topic of postpartum sex.  Standing in front of the mirror now, with her favourite black lacy underwear hiding underneath her robe and far too much awareness of the dark circles under her eyes, Amy was - for the first time in her life - regretting all the studying she had done.

It had been hard not to get lost amongst it all - articles on episiotomies (a side effect of childbirth that, thankfully, she had managed to avoid), scores of medical advice on when is the right time and endless testimonials from other new mothers, most talking about their total loss of sex drive or lack of primal response to their partner’s advances.  And even though logically, Amy knows that there is little to no chance of that happening to her and Jake (their sex life pre-baby, by all accounts, had always been healthy - especially so during her pregnancy), it had been enough to plant a seed of doubt in her mind - one that seems to have flourished into something far greater as the hours wore on.  

It had, after all, only been a few weeks ago that her underwear had been made of mesh, and housed icepacks to aid the healing of her nether regions.  Even less since her bra had needed to fight for space amongst the lactation pads that held court, replaced on the regular as she and Mac tried to figure out some kind of routine when it came to feeding.  For a while there, the sexiest thing that either her or Jake could say to the other was ‘you keep sleeping, I’ll take this round’; and now there was a dress hanging in their wardrobe that was a size larger than normal, and a set of stripes on her stomach that remained a constant reminder that things were not as they used to be.  

Amy’s hands fiddle with the contents of her makeup bag, toying with the curved edge of her favourite shade of lipstick as her mind continues to race.  It was insane, to think this way: and if Jake’s attentiveness to her since giving birth to Mac was anything to go by - his clear attraction to her at all stages of their relationship, actually - her doubts were going to be unfounded.  

It had, in fact, only been three days ago that both she and Jake had miraculously woken up before their son … and sleepy morning cuddles had turned into a heavy makeout session, evolving into something a little more before Mac’s indignant ‘I’ve just woken up’ cry filled their apartment and pulled everything to a stop.  (Their plans for this evening had been made that very afternoon, with both of them agreeing that perhaps a little bit of ‘Mommy and Daddy time’ was needed.)  

Deep down, Amy knew that the bond that she and Jake shared was stronger than anything either had ever known - but the doubts still lingered all the same, and there was only one person she wanted to talk about them with.

As if on cue, “Amy Santiago!  Date time!  Time to date!” cuts through their previously quiet apartment, and Amy grins into the mirror as she hears her husband’s keys land in the bowl next to hers, finally returning from dropping Mac off at Grandma Karen’s for his overnight visit.  Already, she can feel the tension begin to leave her shoulders, calling out a greeting in return as she listens to his footsteps move around their kitchen.  

Their home seems strangely quiet without Mac’s presence - largely, because Jake wasn’t singing or talking out his actions as he went, like he did so often when carrying Mac around - and she’s just about to call Jake into the bathroom when his singing voice begins to float down the hallway.  

“I think we’re alone now …” the somehow still familiar melody of the 80s song builds in volume as Jake makes his way towards her, and Amy lets out a giggle.  It’s a song that a 10 year old version of Amy, resplendent in some version of taffeta, would have absolutely danced to at a cousin’s quinceanera.  And while her younger self might be disappointed that her husband didn’t turn out to be a version of Magnum P.I., the Amy that looks back at her in the mirror today, laughing loudly at the man walking towards her, knows that there couldn’t ever be a man better for her than Jake Peralta. 

(Moustaches are overrated, anyway.  They’re a treasure trove of crumbs, and leave you with a permanent pash rash.  Great in theory, but a little morning stubble is much more enjoyable.)

His smile is beyond bright as he passes through the bathroom door, a glass of wine held high in each hand as he hums the last few bars of Tiffany’s greatest (and perhaps, only) hit.  “Hey babe - wow, good lord you are gorgeous.”  

Feeling the tip of her ears heat up at Jake’s statement, Amy smiles at her husband through the mirror, busying herself with a tube of mascara and quickly changing the subject.  “How did Mac go?”

Moving further into the room, Jake leans in to drop a kiss to Amy’s shoulder before placing her glass of wine on the counter.  “Uh, it seemed to go okay?”  Leaning his weight against the wall beside him, he takes a sip before continuing.  “Is it weird how much I missed him, like, the instant I closed Mom’s front door?”

Pulling away from her reflection, Amy turns to face her husband with an understanding grin.  “Not at all.  I felt like a part of me was missing the second the two of you left an hour ago.”  Shrugging, she gives him a sheepish look.  “Almost texted you to bring him home immediately, coz I wasn’t sure I could actually go without seeing him for a night.”

“Okay, yeah.  That makes total sense, because I literally almost turned the car around twice.”

“Ugh, we really are just lovestruck parents, aren’t we?”

“Oh, absolutely.  But, I have to say … I’m also really glad we’re getting to do this.”

Amy’s responding smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes, and the knots in her stomach tighten as she notices Jake pick up on the difference.  

His gaze is careful, holding onto the silence for a beat.  “Ames?”

Her fingers fiddle with the lid of the mascara, lifting and dropping the wand exactly the way she’d been taught not to do, and suddenly all the words she wants to say have jumbled up at the tip of her tongue.  Leaning forward, Jake stretches out his hand to reach for her wrist, and she drops her cosmetics back into the bag without hesitation - the need for her husband’s reassurance too strong to ignore.  The warmth of his palm, tied in with the coolness of his wedding band, is a welcome distraction from the uncertainty running through her mind.  

“Is there something you want to talk about?”

Amy nods, knitting her eyebrows as she lifts her shoulders in a self-conscious shrug.  “I … might have spent a little time the last couple of days, researching into what sex can be like after having a baby.”

Dropping his bottom lip slightly, Jake nods in understanding.  “It wouldn’t be you if you hadn’t.  But, babe … you know that we don’t have to do anything like that tonight if you don’t feel ready, right?  We can just go to dinner, and fall asleep on the couch if you want to.” 

Squeezing his hand, Amy is quick to nod in response.  “I do know, and I also know that I’ve been looking forward to tonight.  Like .. a LOT.”  Throwing a wink, Jake squeezes her hand in kind.  “I just …”  Pulling her fingers out of Jake’s grip, Amy pulls the already closed lapels of her robe tighter.  “There are still so many things happening to my body that I don’t have a lot of control over, and I can’t help but worry a little that it’s only a matter of time before …”

“Before?”

Amy’s chin falls to her chest, folding her arms in front before resting her weight against the bathroom sink.  Despite all of the reasons why she knew these fears to be irrational, they weren’t showing any signs of going away - and if there’s anyone that can help clear her mind, it’s Jake.  Slowly, she raises her head to watch his reaction.  “We’ve always had such a great relationship when it comes to being open and affectionate, and the sex - well, you know how good the sex is, but … I don’t know, what if .... what if things happen, and that changes?”

Jake’s reply is so quick - so factual that it makes her heart quicken at the simplicity of it all.  “Then we work at it.”  Pushing himself off from the wall, Jake comes to stand in front of Amy, tipping one finger underneath her chin and lifting her face towards his.  Bright brown eyes stare into hers, so full of sincerity she wants to cry.  “We grow, and we change with it.  There’s nothing that we can’t overcome, Ames.  Nothing.” 

It’s everything that she already knew to be true, but felt far more authentic when coming from her husband.  She’d felt a little ridiculous to be saying any of it, but it would seem that even the securest of relationships needed a little reassurance now and them.  Trying her best to ignore the tears that are threatening to fall from behind her eye, Amy raises her brows.  “You really think so?”

“I know so.  Babe.”  His hands move smoothly, wrapping themselves around her waist and locking at her lower back.  “You’re my best friend, the greatest person I’ve ever known - and the most sexiest, might I add - plus, the mother of my child.  It’s just not possible for any single universe to exist, where I won’t love you forever.”  Leaning in, Jake rests his forehead against hers, taking a deep breath.  “We’ve had to overcome so many obstacles, and nothing has beaten us.  You’re the love of my life, Amy Santiago, and there is literally not a chance that anything will ever change that.”

It’s all it takes for the threatened tears to begin to fall, and Amy tries her best to blink them away as she stretches onto her toes, lifting herself up to meet Jake’s lips for a kiss.  “I love you, Jake.  And I’m sorry for all the crazy talk, I just - ”

“Ames.”  Jake interrupts, a solemn look falling onto his face.  “I’m always going to want to hear how you’re feeling.  I know you’d do the same for me, and I don’t want you to think there’s anything that you can’t tell me, okay?”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Amy affirms with a kiss, sighing softly into Jake’s mouth as it deepens.  It’s felt like so long since they’ve been able to do this - to just stand and kiss for no other reason than to be close to one another.  His eyes are glazed by the time she pulls away, and it’s enough to spark a tiny fire in her heart, and so she leans in for another.  

Jake’s voice is muffled slightly when he speaks, waiting for a break in kisses to speak.  “We’re going to be late for the restaurant if we’re not careful.”

In what is perhaps the easiest decision she’s had to make in a long time, Amy tightens her grip around Jake’s neck, pulling him in for another hot kiss before whispering against his supple lips - “Fuck the restaurant.  And please, fuck me.”

She feels Jake’s hands grip her butt in an instant, digging in as he lifts her with ease.  Her legs wrap around his waist, a move that has been done a thousand times before but tonight feels so new, his responding moan sending a wave of shivers up and down her spine as he shuffles them towards the doorway.  

There’s a crib half adorned with muslin wraps and a colourful play mat on the floor near their bed for Jake to dodge, but he moves their joined bodies with a practiced ease, never pausing to adjust his grip until Amy can feel the softness of their pillows beneath her head.  

The smile he gives her as he hovers above is so soft, the adoration clear as she moves to shove his hoodie from his shoulders.  It falls to the floor as his nimble fingers work on the knot of her robe, letting the silk slip through with ease, and Amy can feel her heart begin to race as the material falls away.  She knows that it’s nothing he hasn’t seen before - between marriage and motherhood, there literally isn’t a part of her body that Jake doesn’t know like the back of his hand - but she’s still conscious that the bra is a little tighter than it used to be, and the softness of her post-birth tummy remains.  

And then Jake sighs, his eyes raking over her body as he whispers, “You’re so goddamn sexy, Santiago,” and suddenly, Amy doesn’t feel like a new mother with formula in her hair and suitcases under her eyes.  Suddenly, she feels like a woman - a beautiful, desirable woman who somehow managed to capture the heart of the sweetest man to ever walk the earth.  His hands wrap around her waist, lifting her middle towards his as his legs slot in between hers, and the feeling of her husband’s passionate kisses is something that Amy never wants to go without again.  

It doesn’t take long before the rest of their clothing has landed on the floor - a sense of urgency to their movements is something they’ve gotten used to, now that the likelihood of being interrupted has become so high - and it isn’t until Jake begins a trail of kisses down Amy’s jawline that she takes a calming breath.  She feels giddy, like it’s been far longer than seven weeks since they’ve been able to be together like this (eight, if you counted the last time they had sex before Mac’s early arrival), and the feeling of her husband’s hard dick nudging against her thigh was making her crave more, and she wanted it NOW. 

The scent of Jake washes over her as his head dips lower - same as it did all those years ago, only now the scent felt less like cologne and more like home - and her fingers dive into the curls of his hair as his tongue circles the outside of her nipple with the careful consideration of a man who has watched her wince in pain some early mornings.  His teeth scrape along the underside of her breast, the feeling of his breath hot against her skin as he moves to her left to repeat.  With her free hand, Amy traces the length of his back, holding him close as her fingers run over the dips and scars that she knows oh so well, feeling her hips thrust up instinctively towards her husband as his reverent kisses move further down her body.  She can feel the warmth of her arousal pooling in her folds, and it genuinely feels as though she might combust if something doesn’t happen soon.  

Jake lifts his head on the way down, the desire in his eyes obvious as he settles himself at the end of their bed, caressing the outside of her thighs as they settle on his shoulders.  His voice is gruff, the rough sound of a turned on Jake making a welcome return to her ears, and Amy grins.  “Okay, babe?” 

Her heart is racing with both anticipation and nerves, but Amy nods anyway.  She knows that things might be a little different (pushing a tiny human out of your body kinda has that affect), but she also knows the way she’s feeling right now, part of her might just fall apart completely if she doesn’t get to feel Jake’s mouth work it’s magic on her.  

Thankfully, he doesn’t make her wait any longer. 

He starts by rubbing the tip of his nose against her clit, a slow and deliberate up-and-down motion that ends far too quickly, looking up at her with a devious grin as he turns his head to place a tender kiss on the inside of her thigh.  Amy huffs in dissatisfaction, narrowing her eyes in silent reproach, only to throw her head back into the pillow as Jake immediately relocates to where she needs him the most.  His gentle tongue sweeps over her clit with each kiss, lapping up her arousal as the tip of his finger circles her entrance.

“Ames,” Jake whispers, and if it wasn’t for the feeling of his voice vibrating against her over-sensitive body, Amy would swear she’d imagined it.  “Ames, look up for me.”

His fingers, now moving in a circular motion around her folds; are making it very hard for Amy to concentrate on anything right now, and it takes another breath or two before she can lift her head.  Jake smiles as their eyes lock, holding her gaze as he speaks.  

“I love every single part of you, Ames.  This right here?”  He pauses, dropping a kiss on just the outside edge of where she’s craving him before looking up again.  “It shows me how much you want me.  How much you want to be with me, and it's so hot, it drives me crazy.”   His tongue flicks out, drawing a long, thick line against her folds, and her pelvis arches up towards his touch as his fingers slowly enter.  “You’ve literally spilt yourself open to give birth to our child, and you’d do it all again in a heartbeat.”  Carefully, they begin to pump in and out of her, settling into a gentle rhythm that sets all of Amy’s nerve endings on fire.  “You’re a goddess, Amy Santiago.  And I love you more than I can say.”

“I - unhhh! - I love you too,  Jake.”  Her reply is breathless, broken in two as Jake’s tongue returns to her clit, settling into a pattern that increases in intensity - the way he does whenever he knows Amy is about two seconds away from losing all control.  Her left hand travels down until her fingers are running through his hairline, holding him in place with her gentle grip.  

“I’m never not going to want you, babe.”  His breath is hot against her skin, the tiny stubble of his five o’clock shadow ticking her inner thigh as he deviates to place a series of kisses before leading straight back to her centre.  There’s a slight crook to his fingers now, as they continue to move in and out at a steady pace, and it’s enough for both of them to moan their assent.  “So good, Ames.” 

“Oh god babe, right there - yes!”  Jake’s mouth returns to her clit, suckling on her nub as his tongue continues its assault, and its all Amy needs to feel before her mouth falls open in ecstasy, a silent scream of satisfaction falling short in her mouth as her right arm flails up to grip their metal headboard, desperate for something to ground her before her entire body begins to convulse.  It had been so. long. since she’d been able to feel like that … so long since there hadn’t been anything between them, and she’d (almost) forgotten just how damn hard it made her heart race.  

(From his position at the base of the bed, Jake wraps his hand around his erection and gives himself a few solid strokes at the sight of his wife in post-orgasmic bliss, already certain that the image is going to stay in his memory for a long time to come.)     

Amy’s left hand digs into Jake’s hair as she comes down from the high, her fingers carding through the messy half-curls in that way that seems to relax both herself and her husband every time.  “You’re always going to want me?”

His gaze grows soft, and after leaving another kiss against her thigh Jake raises up, the comforter around Amy shifting slightly as he moves towards her.  The familiar feeling of his bare skin against hers calms Amy’s to no end as Jake hovers above, all the love in the world shining in his eyes as he leans down and presses his lips to hers.  “Always.”

Shifting slightly underneath her husband, Amy moves to grip his hard cock in her hand, following the length of his shaft with her palm as Jake moans above her.  She watches as his teeth dig into his lower lip, biting down harder as she increases her pace, and she tightens her hold before releasing him completely as his hips lift slightly away.  

“Don’t wanna come until I’m inside you,” he whispers, pulling her in for the deepest of kisses before settling in-between her thighs and lining himself up.  Amy feels herself tense up, the tiniest sliver of apprehension remaining as her legs widen slightly, and Jake rests his weight on his forearms above her before entering just the tip, pulling out and waiting for her cue to return.  

Lifting her pelvis in invitation, Amy holds onto Jake’s gaze as he enters another inch inside her; holding for a moment this time before pulling out completely, returning again with another longer stroke.  It’s something that he’s never done before, but was actually the perfect way for Amy to feel reacquainted, and as he repeats the process inch by inch, she gradually feels the last tendrils of tension begin to fade.  

Finally, their bodies are hard up against each other, and Amy can’t help but let out a heavy breath as the intimacy of it all envelops her.

“Hey.”  His thumb traces her cheek, following the contour of her cheekbone, and it’s definitely not the hormones that are going to make her cry.  With eyes so soft Amy could almost dive into them, Jake gives her a tender smile.  “I’ve missed you.”

Amy’s hands trace the subtle lines along his arms and shoulders before resting on either side of Jake’s neck, dipping her fingertips into the base of his hairline as she returns his smile.  “I’ve missed you too, babe.  I love you.”

Jake responds with a kiss, the press of his lips against hers so loving and familiar that Amy cranes her neck to chase for more when it ends.  He gives her a knowing smile, nudging the tip of his nose against hers before diving in for another, moving his hips in careful thrusts as his tongue sweeps gently against hers.   

Logistically, Amy knows that the feeling of togetherness and completion is what making love is all about - but still, as Jake moves above her and she finds her body responding to his steady rhythm, she finds herself overwhelmed by the emotions washing over her.  There were times as a new mother when her body had not felt like her own - like she was merely a walking vehicle for any and all of her son’s needs - but laying here with Jake, feeling all of the other parts of her body awaken at his touch, made her feel so alive. 

In her husband’s arms, Amy feels incredible like an irresistible woman, like the goddess he’s always insisted she is.  And, most importantly - she feels loved.  

Jake’s pace increases, his crazily sexy eyes locking onto hers as he lets out a breathless moan, and Amy feels her lower body instinctively lifting towards his to meet his thrusts.  “Oh god, babe … you feel incredible.”  Amy’s shoulder blades dig into the mattress as she presses her chest against her husband’s in response, elongating her neck and letting out a satisfied sigh as Jake dips down to lick the sweat off her skin.  

It’s his breathless version of her name a moment later that makes Amy break out into a grin, tightening her grip around his lower waist and digging her fingernails into his butt.  Jake takes the cue, speeding up again as Amy’s legs tighten around him, sinking her teeth into his shoulder before shifting her weight and rolling him onto his back.  

The movement makes his cock slide almost completely out of her, a situation Amy is quick to rectify, throwing him a sly grin as she sidles down.  Jake’s teeth sink into his lower lip as their bodies join back together again, a reaction to the sensations that Amy finds herself mirroring, stretching out her spine as she flips her hair back and settles her weight on her husband’s thighs.  

It was a moment just like this that she had been afraid of - being in front of her husband in all her naked glory, highlighting all the newly marked curves of her body with no chance for cover.  But one look at his face - at the sheer amount of adoration and attraction she finds there, made it clear that when it comes to being loved by somebody like Jake Peralta, there was never going to be anything to fear.  

And so she moves, clenching the muscles in her upper thighs as she rises and falls, dipping her pelvis back and forth so that she can really feel every part of him.  Jake’s hands fall to her legs, fingertips digging into her soft flesh as he moans beneath her, sliding up to her stomach as she leans forward to rest one hand on his chest.  He grins up at her, tracing gentle circles against her skin with his thumbs as he pumps his hips up to meet her every time, and maybe this is the hormones but Amy swears she’s about to either laugh or cry.  It’s only taken a moment, but one smile from her husband, and all of her apprehensions are gone completely.   

Amy feels the stretch of her ribcage with every staggered breath she takes, gripping Jake’s lower legs from behind as she sets their movements into a steady rhythm.  “Babe … Jake.  Ohh, I’ve missed this.”

She lets out a moan as she feels Jake’s hand slide up her slick skin, moving towards one breast and cupping her there, carefully circling her nipple with his thumb while his other hand moves to replicate on the other side.  It feels incredible, her husband’s touch - especially when coupled with the feeling of his erection inside her - and there’s a breathless affirmation of the same bubbling out of her throat when his hands move to her lower ribs, holding her steady as he lifts his back off of the mattress and pulls Amy in for a kiss.  

It’s sloppy, the messy kind of kiss lovers give each other when their bodies are moving at too steady a pace for it to be anything but, but Jake takes the chance to bend his knees behind, silently encouraging Amy to lean back slightly as her own legs stretch out behind him.  She can feel the pulse of blood rushing back to her upper thighs as her feet join together behind Jake’s back, holding him in place as she leans against his knees and lifts her pelvis up and down at this new angle.  It’s perfect - it’s tantalising, especially once her husband’s skilled fingers reach down to play with her clit - and it’s definitely going to make her come.  

“I love you so much, Ames.  I’m so lucky to have you, you don’t even know,”  Jake’s voice is strained, a surefire sign that he himself isn’t far away from completion, and Amy cannot resist the chance to lean forward - looping one arm around his neck and puling him in for another kiss.  She loves this man, with everything that she has, and it’s the thought of what they have together that finally pulls her over the edge, crying into his mouth as her second orgasm of the night washes over her.  It’s clearly all that Jake has been waiting for, the sound of his own moans mixing with Amy’s as he makes one final push towards release.  

It takes a while for either of them to disentangle themselves from their upright position, their mixed gasps for breaths the only sound in the room until Jake pulls himself out of his sex-induced haze, covering the section of Amy’s neck he has access to with kisses as she lets out a satisfied sigh.  Her legs tingled (as did some other places), and part of her cannot wait to write her own (highly positive) account of postpartum sex on the forums she’d visited earlier in the week.  But there was something she wanted more than that; and as Jake falls back onto the mattress below she follows suit, tucking herself into the juncture of his neck and shoulder - and just like that, things were exactly as they should be again.

There’s still a latent note of exhaustion in Jake’s voice when he speaks, but his tightened grip around Amy’s naked body begs her not to move as he turns slightly to glance at the clock on her nightstand.  “You know, if we moved quickly, we could probably still make our reservations … just blame it all on a flat tire or something.”

Sighing into Jake’s chest, Amy shifts impossible closer before shrugging her shoulders half-heartedly.  “We could … or, we could order takeout.  Eat, talk, have more sex … whatever.”

Twisting his neck slightly, Jake ducks his head down to meet Amy’s lips with a chaste kiss.  “It’s official.  My wife is a genius.”

In an hour, there will be an extra blanket laid out on top of the bed, and Jake and Amy will alternate cartons of takeout as they talk about everything that’s happened over the last two months.  It’ll be another hour before their meals have been cleared away completely; another again before Jake lifts his head off of his resting place on Amy’s abdomen, leaning in for a kiss that definitely leads to Round Two.  They’ll end up sleeping the rest of the night away, curled up into each other’s arms as they relish the silence - yet already dreaming of picking their son up in the morning and looking for all the ways he might have grown during his one night away.  

But for now, Amy will rest in her husband’s arms, basking in the feeling of his fingertips as they trace lazy patterns on her bare skin.  Change, after all, is inevitable.  But the world that she and Jake have built - for both themselves and their family - is strong enough to take on anything.  

And truthfully, that is all she will ever need.