#I put away all the snowman decor

[longlivetv]

Today I created my own holiday called “handle your shit saturday” in which I had to actually deal with all the shit piling up in my house and actually do the projects I’d been planning and it was so satisfying and made me feel SO much better. If you’re struggling rn, I highly recommend, even if you just handle a small chunk of your shit, giving it a name made it feel all official and whatnot and somehow let me trick myself into doing things I’ve been putting off since November.

[writingwithciara]

blinking lights -quinn hughes-

summary: with planes grounded for the holiday due the snow storm, y/n & quinn are forced to spend christmas together. but oddly enough, neither of them seem to mind much

word count: 3.4k

pairing: quinn hughes x roommate!reader

note: i LOVE writing roommate quinn honestly

"i'm sorry mom. i won't be able to make it home this year. all flights out of vancouver are cancelled." y/n looked at the website opened on her laptop. her mom was sighing on the other end of the line. "i know. i'm sorry. but i should be able to visit in the new year. i promise."

"it's okay honey. i'm just glad that you'll be safe." her mom sighed again. "are your roommates stranded too?"

"i'm not sure. quinn left earlier to catch a flight so it's a possibility."

"well for you sake, i hope you're not alone for the holidays."

"i hope so too, mom." y/n looked up when the door opened. "gotta go, mom. quinn's home."

"okay sweetie. i'll call you tomorrow."

"alright. sounds good. love you."

as y/n hung up, quinn sat next to her on the couch.

"no luck?"

"unfortunately." y/n sighed and closed her laptop. "i'm guessing the same goes for you?"

"yeah. it kinda sucks. it's the first christmas i won't be able to see my family."

"at least neither of us will be alone this year."

"fair point." quinn chuckled and turned on the tv. "what should we watch?"

"frosty the snowman. always makes me feel better."

"got it." quinn smiled and put the movie on. he glanced around the bare apartment. "since we'll both be here for christmas, why don't we decorate? we can also combine traditions and do them together."

"i guess it beats sitting in an empty apartment. we definitely need some christmas spirit in this place."

"strongly agree. we'll go out tomorrow to get some decorations and we'll make a day of decorating and traditions."

"alright." y/n turned her attention to the tv screen. "my mom is supposed to call me tomorrow and she may want to talk to you."

"why?"

"i don't know. i suppose it's because i talk about you a lot but i think she's not sure if you're a guy or a girl. never really specified, honestly." she smiled. "i'm only telling you now so you're not completely shocked when she calls."

"alright." he smiled. "should i expect any questions?"

"she'll probably asked why i'm living with you and stuff like that."

"okay. i think i can handle it." quinn smiled.

after the movie, they both went to their rooms to get some sleep. decorating their apartment was going to be a huge task but if anyone could do it, it's y/n & quinn.

the next morning, y/n woke up early and sent her mom a text.

hey mom. i'm going shopping with quinn today and we're gonna be decorating our apartment after. i'll call you later, alright? love you <3

the second she heard quinn moving around in his room, she smiled and put on a pot of coffee. y/n watched him walk into the kitchen slowly. he smiled at her and sat at the counter.

"ready to shop for decorations today?"

"you bet." y/n smiled and poured them each a cup of coffee. she was excited to spend more time with quinn than she was used to. for the past 3 years, she had been harboring a crush on her roommate but the timing to tell him was never right. he was almost always in a relationship and his girlfriends barely liked her. they tolerated her, at best. and that was why she didn't spend a whole lot of time with him.

when the time came, quinn drove them to the seasonal store downtown. they went their separate ways once inside so they could get the decorations faster and have more time putting everything up.

while walking down the 'gifts for her' aisle, quinn saw something on the shelf that he knew y/n would love. it was so perfectly her that he just couldn't pass it up. he couldn't help the way his heart beat faster just thinking of what her reaction would be. he was so far gone for her but didn't want to risk pushing her away. especially not when she was finally spending time with him again.

it took 20 minutes to get everything and quinn insisted on paying for everything. he didn't y/n to see the gift he was getting her.

when they got home, quinn quickly hid the gift in his room, deciding he would wrap it tonight and give it to her in the morning. by the time he made it back to the living room, y/n had all the decorations sorted out in piles based on each room they were going to work on.

"so i figured you could get started in the kitchen while i worked out here. fair warning, i may need your help after."

"then why don't we work together?" he chuckled. "wouldn't that make more sense?"

"well i was going to play christmas music and when i dance, it looks weird."

"i highly doubt that." he smiled. "i've seen you dance before."

"that was always choreographed or because i was drunk. but i'm sober and don't want to make a fool of myself."

"y/n, i don't think you're capable of doing such a thing. just let me help you out here."

"alright, fine. but no judging me on my dance moves, hughes."

"i would never." quinn smiled and grabbed a box of lights. he grabbed the necessary items to get started while y/n put some music on the speaker. "wanna start on opposite ends and meet in the middle?"

"yes sir." y/n grabbed the other decorations and went across the room. halfway through the 3rd song, quinn was done hanging lights. he turned to look at y/n. she was dancing and in her own little world and quinn couldn't help but admire her more. how could she think she'd look like a fool? he thought she was beautiful and one day, he was going to get the courage to tell her.

when y/n turned around to grab something, she noticed quinn staring at her. it suddenly made her self conscious. "what?"

"nothing. i was just watching you dance."

"oh. i'm sorry about that. i told you i looked like a fool when i dance sober."

"quite the opposite actually. it was pretty cute." he chuckled and headed to the kitchen to start decorating, leaving y/n to stare with red cheeks.

it took her a minute to follow but when she finally got to the kitchen, quinn was already halfway through decorating.

"wow. you work fast." y/n smiled and instead of offering to help, she just leaned against the counter and watched him.

"yeah. sorry about that. i just couldn't help myself. i know you wanted to help with the decorating."

"no. it's perfectly fine. i like observing." y/n smirked and pulled out a mug. she poured herself some hot chocolate and sipped it while quinn went back to work. while he worked, y/n climbed onto the counter and smiled. this was the perfect way to admire quinn without feeling too guilty.

by the time quinn was finished, y/n had a mug of hot chocolate made for him. when she handed it to him, their fingers brushed against each other, causing y/n to draw her hand back quickly. the moment was interrupted when y/n's phone was ringing. she glanced down at the caller id.

"it's my mom." y/n showed him the phone and hit the 'accept' button. her moms face filled the screen in seconds. "hey mom."

"hey sweetie. how's your day?"

"it's good. quinn and i have been decorating for an hour. the place looks amazing. wanna see it?"

"in a minute. i want to meet your roommate."

y/n looked up and held the phone out to quinn. he took it and moved to stand beside y/n so they'd both be on the screen.

"hi. it's nice to finally meet you."

"oh my. you're certainly not what i was expecting."

"y/n informed me that you would say something like that." he smiled.

"how's it going, living with my baby?"

"mom!" y/n turned her face into quinn's shoulder while he chuckled.

"it's great. we're having the best time." he couldn't stop smiling. y/n's head fit perfectly in his shoulder. it was like a dream come true to have her this close. "she's amazing and probably my best friend."

"i'm glad she has such a good friend, honestly. i was so worried about her."

"you don't have to worry about her now. she's in good hands." he chuckled and threw his arm around y/n's shoulder. she grabbed the phone from him and smiled.

"alright. we gotta finish decorating. i'll talk to you later. bye mom. i love you."

"bye you guys. love you too."

after she hung up, y/n turned to quinn. "i'm your best friend, huh?"

"yeah, actually." he turned to stand across from her. "and it kind of hurt when you distanced yourself a little bit over the last 2 years. thought it was something i did. but i'm really glad you're coming back around."

"yeah i'm sorry about that. but none of your girlfriends liked me so i thought it'd be easier for your relationships if i wasn't around a whole lot."

"why didn't they like you?"

"i don't know." y/n shrugged and turned to refill her mug. "but for the record, you're my best friend too."

"glad to hear it." quinn smiled slightly before walking out to the living room. although he had just called her his best friend, he didn't like hearing the word come from her mouth.

"quinn," y/n called out after him as she followed him into the living room. "i'm never going to distance myself from you again, okay? it was hurting me too."

"i'm sorry you felt like you had to give me space. and i'm really sorry they didn't like you. i don't understand why they didn't. you're one of the most likeable people i know."

"i try to be. and i don't understand why they didn't. but it's all in the past and i've learned from my mistakes." y/n sat and looked at him. "i can never stay away from you, quinn. it'll probably kill me."

"well i'm glad you're sticking around because it would probably kill me too, if i'm being honest." he turned to face her and smiled. "so, are there any traditions you have with your family that we can do tonight?"

"my mom and i usually bake cookies and eat some random take-out while watching home alone or how the grinch stole christmas. but we don't have to do that."

"why not? it sounds like fun."

"you'd really want to bake cookies with me?" y/n's eyes widened and she couldn't help the way her smile grew.

"of course. if it makes you happy, then i'll do anything."

y/n tried to ignore the way her heart wanted to beat out of her chest. never in her life had she met a guy so willing to do anything she had asked. it took everything in her not to launch herself across the couch and kiss him. she had to keep reminding herself that they were just friends.

while they baked cookies, both of them enjoyed the closeness of the other. side by side and covered in flour. usually, quinn hated messes but with y/n, he didn't care.

when they put the cookies in the oven, quinn wiped his hands on a towel.

"i'm gonna go take a shower. you order dinner and pick out the movie. i'll be out in a bit." quinn didn't wait for her to reply. he just headed into the bathroom to shower. he spent half an hour in their and when he got out to get dressed, he realized that with his quick exit, he forgot to grab a new shirt from his room. the one he was wearing was covered in flour but luckily the rest of his clothes were fine. he put on his shorts and walked out into the hallway.

y/n looked up from the couch and watched quinn walk into his room. she only got a brief look at him but she was still speechless, regardless of having seen him without a shirt many times. she quickly turned her attention to the tv when he came walking back out to join her on the couch.

"food should be here in 10 minutes and i decided to go with home alone this year. is that okay?"

"it's perfect." quinn smiled and threw his arm around the back of the couch. the couch was big enough for at least 7 people but they were sitting on the same cushion. not close enough to be touching but close enough to feel the heat radiating off of each other. and every few seconds, quinn's thumb would rub against y/n's shoulder. but neither of them seemed to care.

when the food arrived, quinn went to grab it. and when he sat back down, he was closer to y/n than before. as they ate, y/n tried not to focus on the closeness of her best friend. it was hard but she was able to do it.

until he swung his arm back over the couch. he may as well have just placed it across her shoulder with the way his hand was resting there. as they watched the movie, quinn had moved his arm down to where it was actually resting across y/n. she looked at him with an innocent smile, which he adored, then went back to watching the rest of the movie.

when the movie was finally over, y/n stood up and stretched. "well i'm gonna get ready for bed."

"before you do, i was wondering if you wanted to take part in one of my family's traditions."

"it's not going to be something weird, is it?"

"no." he smiled. "unless you count wearing matching pajamas to bed on christmas eve."

"oh my gosh. my family does the same thing." y/n giggled. "wait, do we have matching pajamas?"

"yeah. i bought them a few days ago and was intending to give you a pair before i left for the holidays but i guess it was just meant to happen this way. be right back." quinn smiled and ran to his room. he returned seconds later with the pjs. "i hope you like them."

"they're a gift from you, quinn. i always like those." y/n smiled and headed into her room to change. quinn did the same and they managed to come out at the same time. all he could so was admire the way the clothes fit y/n perfectly. "how did you know my size?"

"because i know you." quinn chuckled, not wanting to admit it was because he stared at her so long that he memorized everything.

"you're the most perfect roommate, quinn." she smiled and threw her arms around him. "thank you."

he immediately hugged her back. "you're welcome."

"okay. well it's bed time now. i'll see you in the morning. good night quinn." y/n ran off the her room to try to get some sleep. but she knew that would be impossible, due to the overwhelming attraction she was feeling. if she didn't tell quinn soon, her emotions were going to shut her down.

as quinn sat at the desk in his room, he couldn't stop thinking about how excited y/n had been when she came out in the pjs. he had seen her happy many times but there was just something different this time.

he wrapped her gift neatly and set it down beside his bed. it was going to be the first thing he grabbed in the morning and he hoped she would love it as much as he loved her.

when the sun rose the next morning, quinn grabbed the box and headed out to the kitchen. y/n was normally a morning person so he was surprised that she hadn't woken up yet. he set the box on the counter and began making coffee. just as he was adding the finishing touches to y/n's coffee, she walked out of her room.

"good morning, quinn."

"good morning, y/n" he smiled and handed her the coffee. when she took a sip, her whole body instantly warmed up.

"this is the best coffee i've ever tasted. thank you." she grinned and continued to drink it as they both made their way onto the couch.

"so what else does your family do for christmas?"

"we stay in our pjs all day and spend time together. it's pretty boring but if you're around the right people, you can have the best time."

"well then that's exactly what we will do today." quinn smiled. "oh, before i forget, i have a present for you. close your eyes." he got off the couch and grabbed the gift from the kitchen before returning. "i hope you like it."

y/n unwrapped it carefully and opened the box. she pulled out a teddy bear with a canucks jersey on. and not just any jersey. a demko jersey. he even came with mini goalie pads and a helmet.

"i know how much you love thatcher so when i saw this, i just knew i had to get it for you."

"i love it so much. thank you, quinn." y/n set the bear down and hugged quinn. "i didn't get you anything. i'm sorry."

"it's alright. you being here is enough of a present for me." he rubbed her back and smiled. when y/n pulled back a little, her whole expression had changed. she was still happy but there were tears in her eyes.

"i appreciate that, quinn. but i feel like it's just not enough to make you truly happy."

"y/n, you're more than enough. you are the perfect gift."

y/n smiled and placed her lips on his. he was shocked at first and just as y/n was about to break the kiss, quinn pulled her closer and kissed her back. they stayed in that position for a few minutes before either one of them wanted to let go. when they separated, quinn rested his forehead against y/n's and smiled.

"if i had known that would be the outcome, i would've told you those words a long time ago." he smiled and held her face. "i've been wanting to say it for as long as i've known you but the timing was never right. you had steven and i had my own relationships. but i guess that's kind of a cowards excuse, huh?"

"nothing about you says 'coward', quinn." y/n smiled and closed her eyes. "you're the most kind, patient and sweetest man i've ever known in my life. these last 3 years of random relationships and hook-ups have all brought us to this exact moment. the moment where i can finally tell you that i've had the biggest crush on you for the past 3 years. i know it sounds insane but i like you a lot quinn. and maybe that's why your girlfriends were always jealous. they could probably tell how i felt and they didn't want me around to screw up their chances with you. that's why i had to keep a distance from you. i didn't want to have to make you choose between me and them because it would've been a losing battle for me."

"if that had ever happened, you would've won every single time. i never really cared about all those other girls. the only one that matters to me, is you. and i hope i conveyed that well enough in that kiss."

"seems pretty evident now." y/n smiled and finally opened her eyes. "guess that was kind of stupid of me, wasn't it?"

"not at all." quinn smiled. "like you said, the last 3 years of random relationships have brought us to this moment right here. the most perfect moment." he placed a kiss on her lips again but didn't give her enough time to reciprocate. "i love you, y/n. everything about you is so perfect and it's been driving me crazy for 3 years."

"i can't believe that the planes being grounded are the reason we're here together."

"me either. but i wouldn't change it for anything."

"i wouldn't either." y/n leaned up to kiss him again. "for the record, i love you too."

[narrycherries]

ivy: how’s one to know..

(enemies to lovers) harry is just an ass and (Y/n) is just a stranger

masterlist // ivy series (link coming w part 2)

word count: 8.6k

warnings/tags: enemies to lovers, harry x reader, fem reader, angst

[before you start: I wrote the female character with a description (blonde, blue eyes, short, thicker build) but of course feel free to change the descriptors to whatever you prefer!]

The holiday season had wrapped up a handful of days ago and things were slowly starting to go back to normal. The sparkling strings of lights decorating neighborhoods and businesses all around the city were being taken down and shoved back in their storage boxes until the last month of the year circled around again. The weather was staying consistent, though. The gloomy overcast skies and chilly wind that whipped through the streets were enough to keep people bundled up and wishing for spring to arrive.

Most people she knew enjoyed the holidays a lot more than she did. Sure, she loved to see the colorful lights lining roofs and windows of boutiques and restaurants along the main strip. There was something so juvenile, so innocent about the giddy feeling that would fill her stomach as she saw a pile of fake presents and a decorated tree in a shop window. Somewhere deep down inside of her heart, she still had that spark that a child would have.

When she was growing up, she sought happiness during the holidays by admiring other people’s outdoor decorations or gazing in awe at the displays put up in her schools. She didn’t have what most people had that she went to school with, but she tried to be grateful, even as a young chlid, and appreciate what surrounded her.

A strong sadness was building in her chest as she slid the ceramic Santa Claus into his box to pack him away with the other Christmas decorations. She thought about the many years she questioned if Santa was real. There were so many nights when she’d squeeze her eyes shut and whisper out loud, her knees on the floor as she put her elbows into the mattress. There was so much hope in her. She believed that if she wished and prayed and dreamed enough, Santa would leave a present or two on the coffee table next to her dad’s stained coffee mug. There wasn’t a tree most of the years of her childhood, but her dad give gift her things (there was no magical Santa though). There were no twinkling lights outside of her window, hanging down from the roof with a clumsy droop. There were no ornaments to place on the branches of a fake tree, lined with a dusty skirt that would be covered with presents. There were no fresh baked cookies and steaming hot chocolate topped with marshmallows. The television never displayed joyful Christmas movies and specials. The radio on the kitchen counter never once sang a tune of a wintery song about snow and ice. No, none of that. It was just her dad, her brother, and herself for a while.

“Did you keep the box for this guy?” Emma’s curious voice snapped her from her trance.

She cleared her throat and looked up from her spot on the living room rug. Her ‘new’ roommate was holding a ceramic snowman who’s decorated style matched the Santa she just put away. She reached into the plastic storage container and grabbed the box, passing it up to Emma.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks, (Y/n).” She smiled back, noticing that there was a glimmer of disappoint on her face, but she didn’t mention it to her. “You didn’t have to put everything away so fast. I would’ve been fine with it for a few more weeks.”

Emma had just moved in before Christmas. Her things were half way unpacked throughout the small house they now shared.

“I didn’t want it to crowd you. Besides, Christmas is over.” (Y/n)’s tone was partially rough as she began to pack away the miniature houses placed across the console table that the television hung above.

“I’m so excited to actually be here, like, full time. Niall’s a bit upset.. but I told him he’d survive.” She said with a laugh as she started to collect the small figurines that went with the village.

“I’m excited, too. I’m glad you’re actually up for decorating the space and not just.. letting me do it all. My last roommate was not particularly outgoing.” (Y/n) snickered at the thought, knowing she wouldn’t be missing that person at all. The girl was nice and all, but she was quite boring.

“Oh, totally! I’ve already got some stuff I want to show you in my room. Maybe we could put it out here or something.”

“I’m fine with anything as long as it’s cute.” She shot her friend a grin.

Emma wasn’t a new friend by any means. They met early on while they were both at university. Emma was actually her first partner for a project in one of their biology classes. They met on the third day of class and became friends very quickly. Their chemistry went far beyond the confines of the science lab. Emma was joyful and adventurous and offered (Y/n) that motivating spark to actually go out and have fun. Not that (Y/n) couldn’t match Emma’s energy once her veins were filled with alcohol, she just didn’t go out as much.

“Speaking of Niall, I haven’t seen him a while. How’s he doing?”

A proud smile crept to Emma’s lips. “He’s been good. But he’s been super busy with the store.. almost never get to spend time during the actual day with him.”

“But it’s going well, the store, I mean? Like he’s having success?”

Emma nodded. “It’s been great. I told him it would do good around here, especially with the college students. And besides, people are always looking for music lessons. I’m glad he took my advice and decided to offer those through the business.”

Niall was an excellent musician, or so (Y/n) has been told. She hadn’t actually seen him play anything in person, only through recordings and videos Emma had shown her. She knew Niall was talented, though. He played the guitar and the bass, both of which seemed entirely too complicated in (Y/n)’s mind. When they started dating last year, Niall was in the midst of finalizing a business plan and opening his music store. Emma told her all about it, including her fears and anxiety about the situation - but only because she was afraid Niall would get so caught up in the store that he would abandon their relationship. Niall ended up not doing that, obviously, and was able to balance everything in his life. He and Emma would be celebrating their one year anniversary on Valentine’s Day - which (Y/n) thought was particularly sweet and romantic.

“I’m glad everything’s working out.”

The store opened back in the summer, and (Y/n) had only gone by once to see the place. It was in a part of town she didn’t frequent very often, so the opportunity to casually stroll in was rare. It wasn’t like it was Emma’s store. While she did know Niall well enough to refer to him as a friend, she wasn’t close with him. She was supportive, of course, but not overly involved.

“He’s coming by later to help me put together the dresser. Well.. he’s going to do it for me, not help me.” She snickered as she joined (Y/n) on the floor to start gently laying the mini figurines in a small cardboard box they knew as home.

“I can make dinner if you’d like. Niall likes that pasta I make, right?”

“Yeah! He actually asked me about that a few weeks ago. He said I have to get your recipe.” She grinned back, rolling her eyes at the thought of her boyfriend’s obsession with food.

“He’s only had it like twice.. but it’s flattering to know I’m such a good chef.” (Y/n) laughed under her breath. “I’ll give you the recipe.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent on putting away the last of the decorations and moving them into the hallway closet. The box fit perfectly in the bottom of the closet. Emma disappeared into her room to continue unboxing her belongings. (Y/n) was mostly occupied with dusting the wood furniture and wiping down the kitchen. She liked a neat, tidy home and she was very glad to know that Emma did as well. She checked the cabinets to make sure she had the ingredients required for the pasta she’ll be making later on.

Every now and then, she’d hear a crash of something hitting the floor come from the hallway, presumably from Emma’s room. She would just giggle to herself as Emma’s dramatic cries of curses and sighs would fill the small home. Despite being friends for a handful of years, they had never lived in the same space before. Even while at university when it was mandatory for them to live on campus, they lived in different dorm buildings. Emma was in a sorority and definitely more comfortable with herself than (Y/n) was. She kept to her small dorm with her roommate, whom she didn’t have anything in common with but she was kind to her. If she were being honest, she thought Emma would try to move in with Niall once her old lease had expired. But, Niall was comfortable where he was in his apartment and he already had a roommate. As much as Emma wanted to live with him, it was just too soon anyway. They tossed around the idea, but (Y/n) mentioned to her that perhaps she needed to wait, just in case. Niall wasn’t upset with Emma’s decision to move elsewhere, as long as she was in the city close to him. (Y/n) was also informed that Niall’s roommate wasn’t too keen on letting someone else share their space. She had never met him before, didn’t even know his name, but she couldn’t blame them. She wouldn’t want her house to be permanently crowded either. Niall let Emma stay over there a lot, though, but spending the night for the weekend or on a random weekday when it was too late to drive back home was different than staying full time. And of course, Niall was allowed over whenever he wanted and she made that clear to Emma before she signed the lease. As long as he respected their home and didn’t leave a mess behind, he was welcomed.

A gentle sigh slipped past her thick lips as she trailed back to the living room. The open concept of the front of the home meant the living room was attached to the kitchen with no barrier other than the island. She sat down on the end of the couch, the damp kitchen towel she used to wipe down the furniture sat on the side table. She picked it up, along with the framed photo that was next to the pretty gold lamp. The gold of the frame didn’t quite match the lamp, but it was still beautiful to her. The ornate metal that decorated the frame was cold as she carefully rubbed the pads of her fingers over it. She stared at the photograph locked behind the glass, the speed of her heart beating increased only slightly.

The image was of her and her mother when she was around three years old. It was Halloween, she was dressed in a pink dress that was modeled after Princess Aurora, and her hair was curled and a little makeup playfully swept over her features. Her mother was dressed in a Cinderella themed costume, her matching golden blonde hair curled, too, and pinned up. It wasn’t the last holiday they spent together, but it was one of the only ones (Y/n) remembered. She doubted herself at times about the memory - she was only three and a half, did she actually remember it or was she imagining it? Despite always doubting herself, she knew too well that the memory was burned into her brain. She can remember the smell of the burning iron as her mom curled her hair. She remembers getting tickled by the fluffy makeup brush as a bit was applied to her face just to add to the illusion. She remembers the taste of the mini chocolate bar her mom unwrapped for her in the car in between neighborhoods - the night was full of trick or treating and giggles and squeals. She even remembered the way her mom’s hand carefully adjusted her curls when they got caught in the zip of (Y/n)’s costume. It was a memory she held dear to her heart, one she prayed she’d never lose. (Y/n) had always tried her hardest to find things to fill in the void of not having her mother around. But no matter how determined she was, nothing ever seemed to be enough. She found joy in little things, like collecting whatnots and trinkets that reminded her of the ones that littered her house when her mom was alive. She enjoyed searching for squirrels and birds in the park, collecting odd looking rocks during her walks, listening to her favorite songs on repeat, and a plethora of other things. But nothing could really fill the space in her heart.. It was quite a big space, after all.

That evening, after the sun nestled below the horizon and stars littered the dark winter sky, Emma invited Niall over for dinner. It was third day of actually staying here, since she opted to spend two weeks with Niall for Christmas between her parent’s place and his. (Y/n) was working on preparing the ingridents for the pasta when Niall knocked and was let in with a grinning Emma planting a kiss to his mouth. He laughed and brushed her off, not a big fan of showing affection in front of other people, even though he knew (Y/n) wasn’t watching.

“Hey, long time no see!” Niall said with a smile as he followed Emma into the kitchen.

(Y/n)’s eyes glanced over her shoulder. “Hi, Niall. It’s been a while, yeah?”

“I think you guys haven’t seen each other since the day we moved my crap in.” Emma said with a slight unsure tone.

“Your crap that still isn’t unpacked.” Niall sighed as he leaned against the counter, his arms crossing on his chest.

(Y/n) chuckled to herself as Emma began to give him excuses for why her things weren’t put away and in their new spots yet. The list included things like being busy with work, having errands to run, and of course ‘spending all my time with you’ that made Niall smack his lips and give her a sarcastic ‘okay, sure’.

They kept up their banter for a bit while (Y/n) rinsed her hands at the sink. She had finished everything she needed to do before actually cooking the food. When she turned towards them, Niall was peering his eyes into the pot of boiling water, frowning as he saw it was empty.

“She’s making the pasta you said you like.” Emma said as she grabbed his forearm to tug him away from the oven.

“Oh, really? That stuff was so good.” Niall’s eyes shot to (Y/n)’s. “I want a whole pot of it for my birthday, please and thanks.”

She shook her head in disbelief as a laugh rolled out of her mouth. “Isn’t your birthday in September?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, just don’t want ya to forget.”

“C’mon, let's start with the dresser, Niall. Let (Y/n) cook.” Emma said after checking the time on her phone. “We’ll clean up the kitchen after dinner, okay? Don’t worry about it!”

“Alright, that’s fine. I’ll let you know when it's done.”

And just like that, she was alone in the kitchen again. It didn’t bother her to be alone, she had been for most of her life, especially her late teenage and adult years. Finding something to occupy her bored mind was not a new task for her to learn. She opted for sitting at the small dining table after setting the timer on the oven in case she forgot to check the time.

(Y/n) pulled her phone from the pocket of her sweatpants and started to maneuver through the notifications that had come through since she last checked. One was a message from a random company that was offering a sale this coming weekend, there were two texts from Niall - the first asking if he needed to bring anything, the second saying Emma told him not to and to just ignore the text - the rest were random notifications from different apps.

Her attention went to her photo app as she scrolled to a few days ago, just a day or so after the New Year began. She went for a walk in the park close by one day during lunch when she had nothing else to do. She snapped a few photos of little random things, like a wild flower that had somehow managed to survive the low temperature, a bird that was perched on top of the black metal fence that lined the park, and a snapshot of the sky with the clouds parting in such a way that made it look like heaven. After having lost so much in life, she learned and forced herself to appreciate the little things that were around. Details of daily life, like the fall of a leaf to the ground or the chirp of a bird in a tree, were almost therapeutic for her.

Dinner didn’t take too long to cook, but the dresser was seeming to take much longer than Emma had expected it to. When (Y/n) knocked on the bedroom door and stuck her head in, she grinned as she saw Niall sitting on the floor with his head thrown back and Emma pacing the room with her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. Her once neatly fixed dark hair was messily tied in a bun on the back of her head. The instruction booklet for the dresser was laid out in between Niall’s legs, along with a torn bag of hardwear.

“Food’s ready.” She said with a singsong voice that made Niall pop his head up.

“Finally.” He quickly rose to his feet and grabbed Emma’s wrist, tugging her behind him as they followed (Y/n) down the hall and towards the kitchen.

“Eat as much as you want, I made plenty.” She said as she let them make a bowl first.

“Don’t have to tell him twice.” Emma’s mouth shaped to a smile as Niall practically pushed her aside to be first.

“Guests eat first, right?” He joked as he gave them both a quick glance, a smirk on his face as he grabbed the serving utensil.

Once the three of them had fixed what they wanted and claimed a spot at the table, (Y/n) offered to grab everyone something to drink. Emma and herself chose a glass of ice water while Niall requested a Coke. Emma had just brought home a box this morning after her quick run to the grocery store. The food appeared to be a big hit as Niall scarfed it down, spitting out compliments and satisfied hums that made the girls giggle and roll their eyes jokingly at him.

“Em told me the store is doing great.”

Niall nodded as he sipped his drink. “Yeah, it’s been good, actually. I’m glad.”

“I’m glad you do the lessons. I told her that people are coming in pretty much all day long.” Emma said.

“Yeah, if it’s not someone who’s into music already or just curiously out shopping.. The sign about the lessons really brings people in. And even if they don’t go through with it, they end up looking around and finding something.” Niall told them with a pleased smile, he was relieved his business was staying crowded and people actually enjoyed coming to the store.

“Did you end up finding someone to teach the guitar lessons? I know Emma said something about you were looking for someone else, since you got so busy with your bookings.”

“Yeah, my roommate actually. He’s decent at guitar and he’s just working with the beginners. I’m sticking to the people who sorta know how to play around that just wanna get better.”

(Y/n) nodded as she took another bite. “That’s good.”

The cooking had made the kitchen a bit warmer than it was before, so she pushed her sleeves up to her elbows. The exposure of the small tattoo on the inside of (Y/n)’s elbow caught Emma’s eye.

“Oh!” She chirped suddenly, making Niall flinch. “I forgot to tell you, (Y/n), I’m getting a tattoo in a few weeks. Already got my appointment.”

“Oh, really? Where at this time?” (Y/n) asked with genuine curiosity.

“On my foot. Just a cute little flower. Niall says it's going to hurt.”

(Y/n) squinted her eyes and pursed her lips. “You don’t have any, do you?”

Niall chuckled. “No, but I’ve been told the foot is terrible.”

“I’m not a baby, Niall. It’s not my first one. Besides, Zayn said it would be fine since I’m used to the feeling.”

“Zayn is lying to you to spare your feelings and get your money. He is my friend, I think I'd know when he lies.” Niall was only teasing her, but it brought a flush to Emma’s cheeks.

“Shut up.” She mumbled through a pout.

(Y/n) was amused by their interaction, but she chose to move on with the conversation so Emma wouldn’t get too sensitive. She wasn’t over emotional or anything, but sometimes she would get embarrassed if Niall playfully taunted her in front of other people.

“Zayn.. is that the guy I met that time at the bar?” (Y/n) couldn’t remember the person’s name, but she was sort of sure that it was the same person they’re referring to.

Niall nodded to her. “Yeah. The one with all the tattoos.. I would say the one with the black hair but right now it’s platinum blonde.” The lift of Niall’s brows made her think that maybe he didn’t approve of the look, but he had no choice but to accept it.

“I thought that was the same guy. I’m pretty sure he told me he owned a shop.”

“He’s the best around.” Emma said with a laugh. “Plus.. he gives me a discount.”

“You’re welcome for that.” Niall puckered his lips and leaned her direction, demanding a kiss that he knew he wouldn’t get.

“Hush.” She pushed her fingers to his mouth and gently shoved his head back.

He laughed at her reaction. “Just saying, Em. He’s my friend.. like I said before.”

Emma ignored him and turned her eyes to (Y/n). “Anyway, Niall can’t come with me.. so I was going to see if you wanted to go.”

“I can see if I can.. just let me know the date and time.”

“Alright. I will. Niall, don’t be a pig.” She groaned as she saw he had slipped from the table and was at the stove, piling his bowl full again.

“Let him eat it. That way we won’t have to worry about leftovers.”

Emma shook her head. “He’d eat the actual house if you’d let him.”

—•—

(Y/n) was puckering her lips in the mirror of the car visor as she applied her lip balm. It was chilly outside and the weather wasn’t being kind to her skin at all. She huffed as she saw the patch of dry skin right in the middle of her forehead. She had just applied her moisturizer before they loaded in the car to drive to the tattoo shop. Emma was driving, and every now and then she’d glance (Y/n)’s way and notice she was still staring in the mirror.

“What’s the matter?” She finally asked as (Y/n) slid the cover over the mirror and flipped the visor up, her back hitting the seat as she felt defeated.

“My skin is horrible right now.” She rolled her eyes to herself, upset that it was bothering her this much. It was just a bit of dry skin and chapped lips, she shouldn’t be so affected by it.. but she was. “Even my lips are dying.”

Emma smiled. “I’m sure lots of people are struggling right now. I’ve got a dry spot on my cheek. It’s been there for a few days. Just the weather.”

“But it's annoying. Y’know my hormones are whacky sometimes.. feel like as soon as I get it under control, I break out or have something like this happen.”

“When we get home, we can look up some different products. Maybe we can find something better for seasonal dryness. My cream isn’t working either.”

(Y/n) shrugged and took out her phone to mindlessly look through one of her social media apps. “Yeah, we can do that.”

Even though the shop wasn’t too far from where they lived, Emma didn’t want to walk in the cold and she didn’t want to have to cover the tattoo with thick, tight shoes afterwards. So, (Y/n) agreed to drive back after they left, and after they grabbed some food. The shop was right around the corner, and it caught (Y/n)’s attention as they turned onto the street. It was just off the main road of the downtown area. The street was lined with different restaurants, stores, thrifting spots, boutiques, and a few law firm offices and an emergency clinic that stayed open during the weekend. She was familiar with the area, and had actually looked towards the tattoo shop’s sign plenty of times. They pulled into a spot and Emma took in a deep breath before pulling the keys out.

“Are you nervous?” (Y/n) said with an amused grin plastered over her lips as she opened the car door.

“What if Niall’s right? What if it hurts real bad?”

“You’ll be fine. You got one on your ribs and your spine. You can take it.”

Emma was still nervous as she followed (Y/n) to the door. She grabbed the handle and pulled the door open, allowing Emma to slip into the building first. It was warm in the small lobby of the tattoo shop. She was unfamiliar with the specific shop, but not the reality of one. It looked like the others she had been to and the place she got her tattoos done at. The walls were dark grey and decorated with interesting pieces of artwork and posters. There were rock band posters, most of which she recognized, on the wall behind the dark wood desk that acted as a check in counter. Nobody was at the counter, though. There was a small sleek, black leather couch pressed against the side wall, above it hung a large canvas with what appeared to be an original artwork painted on to it. She saw the signature in the lower left corner and smiled as she read over the name she had heard Niall use a few weeks ago during dinner. So this Zayn character was more than just a tattoo artist? She was intrigued by the brush work on the canvas, the beauty of the image was breathtaking. The muted colors stood out oddly bold against the stark white and midnight black areas. It was nothing like she had ever seen before. Although she didn’t partake in any form of art herself, she was an admirer. She enjoyed frequenting art galleries and museums and contributing to artists as much as she could. She once got a commissioned painting of a bouquet of flowers from an older woman in the area who was a somewhat known artist. The piece lives on the wall near the hall closet.

“Zayn?” Emma called out suddenly as she grew impatient with standing in the middle of the lobby.

(Y/n) sighed to herself as Emma disappeared through a door. It lead to the main tattoo room, with three different stations placed in it. The back room was Zayn’s private room that his clients were able to be secluded in. Emma knocked on that closed door and waited patiently. A few moments later, Zayn opened the door with a smile, happy to see her.

“Hi, Em.” He said, his accent thick as it rang through the small building.

(Y/n) heard them chatting, so she decided to peek through the door, a nervous smile on her face. Zayn’s eyes caught hers as he towered over Emma. He offered a friendly wave and gestured for her to join them. She nervously stepped over the threshold and swallowed gently.

“Zayn, do you remember (Y/n)? You guys met a while back.” Emma said with a gesture of her hand as (Y/n) approached them.

Immediately, she recognized his features - from his dark eyes to his nearly fully inked arms. His tattooed sleeves wrapped over his shoulders, around his neck, crept over each wrist and wiggled around his fingers. He was covered, to say the least. She could only presume the rest of him looked like that. Colorful tattoos mixed with jet black ones littered his skin. And she noticed, of course, that his hair was blond now like Niall had mentioned.

“I think so, yeah. You’re the chick Niall said could outdrink me, right?” Zayn asked with a laugh.

“I don’t drink that much.. but yeah, that’s me.”

Emma gave her a nudge of her elbow. “She can out drink anyone when she actually lets loose.”

Her eyes rolled as a smile toyed on her lips, still slick from the lip balm. “Yeah yeah.”

“Let me get my chair cleaned off and you ladies can come back here.” Zayn said just as he grabbed the knob to his private room.

They heard something hit the floor and then a shuffle of shoes moving against the tile. Emma furrowed her brows and gave Zayn a curious look.

“Someone in there?”

“Yeah, I just finished a piece.”

He opened the door and went inside, shutting it behind him again. (Y/n) turned towards Emma and gave her a smile, unsure of what to do next. Emma grabbed her hand and nodded towards the open lobby door.

“We can wait in here.”

They returned to the lobby, where (Y/n) was easily distracted by the art on the walls again. There was a print of a skull near the door. It had flowers pouring over the crown of it, which then melted to puddles as they hit the imaginary ground. She thought it was interesting and quite cool. From what she could tell about Zayn’s vibe, it fit it well. The music playing from the speakers in the ceiling was loud enough to be heard but not too invasive. She could tell it was a curated playlist going, because the song that just begun seemed to be sung by the same person as the one before.

“Zayn just texted me.. he said we can come back.”

“I thought someone was-“ (Y/n) stopped speaking the second a body appeared in the doorway. “Oh.”

“Hey, Harry.” Emma said with a friendly tone as she stood up, motioning for (Y/n) to follow her.

“Hey, Emma.” The stranger replied with a quick lift of one corner of his mouth.

(Y/n) was slightly confused because it obviously appeared that the two knew each other. She had never heard Emma refer to anyone by the name of Harry, at least not that she could recall. She licked her lips and let her eyes fall down his tall, broad frame.

“What did you get?” Emma asked with her usual curious voice.

(Y/n) was listening, but she wasn’t paying that much attention. She couldn’t help but be taken aback by the appearance of the person in front of them. He was tall, much taller than Niall but probably close to Zayn’s height. He looked like a sky scraper standing in front of Emma and herself, both of which were shorter than average. His long, dark hair shaped into curls that were messily laying on his shoulders. He suddenly swept his hand through his roots the second she realized he had such long hair. The motion caused the lights above them to ricochet off the rings covering his fingers.

“This.” He said as he extended his right arm to them, well mainly to Emma.

There was a freshly inked snake curling around his forearm, each scale placed perfectly on his tanned skin. There were remenents of blood speckled across his skin, and a deep redness that hazed over the entire tattoo.

“Wow! That’s so good.” Emma beamed at the delicate work.

“Yeah, took two sessions. Zayn got a bit tired last time.” He smirked gently at the girl he knew, completely ignoring the one he didn’t.

“Well, it was cool seeing you! Are you headed home?”

He shook his head. “Gonna sit here for a while. I’ve got to be at the store in an hour to help Niall.”

She checked the time. “Yeah, he said he was the only one closing tonight.”

“Emma?” Zayn called from the back room, his head looking around the doorframe searching for her.

“Coming!” She hollered back, taking one last look at Harry’s freshly inked arm. “It was good seeing you. If you leave before I get out of here, I’ll see you later.”

(Y/n) didn’t even realize she was tracing her eyes over his body. His arms were like tree trunks, muscles taut under his skin and veins popping out, rolling around as he moved. His legs were tightly wrapped in a pair of dark jeans, she could tell through the fabric that they were toned as well. It wasn’t until he suddenly walked past her, not even sparing her a glance, that she realized she had been standing frozen.

Emma started towards the back room, (Y/n) in two as she felt an embarrassed blush cover her cheeks. She didn’t know this Harry guy, but she hoped she wasn’t staring too hard at him. It definitely wasnt polite to just stare at a stranger, especially when she was blanking out. What if she was making a face at him? Something nasty, or something rude looking? She was unsure, but chose to ignore it. He didn’t seem bothered by anything as he took a spot on the couch.

Zayn’s office was just as she expected it to be. It was a deep shade of green, the walls coated in framed prints and a few smaller canvases of what she figured was his work. There was a small accent chair placed in the corner for guests. She sat down and started darting her eyes around the room. The type of work that Zayn had pinned to a board on the back wall caught her eye. He seemed to be good at everything, but most of it was bold color work or extremely detailed realism, sort of like the snake she saw on Harry’s arm moments ago. She wondered if Zayn had given himself any of his own tattoos or if he went to someone else. Surely, not every place on his body was accessible by his own hands, but maybe some of them were done by him. She felt like an amateur compared to him. She had a few tattoos placed on her body, but nothing quite as big or detailed as what she saw on the board or on Zayn’s skin.

“(Y/n) is your new house mate, right?” Zayn asked Emma as she got comfortable on the chair.

“Yeah. I moved in before Christmas.”

“But.. you’ve known each other for a while, right? I can’t exactly remember.”

Emma nodded. “Yeah, since we were in college together.”

“Zayn.. do you mind if I look through this?” (Y/n) asked politely as she picked up the small binder off the console table next to the chair. A few figurines of characters she recognized, an hour glass with black sand, and a plant lived on the table as well.

“Of course not, that’s why it’s there.” He gave her a chuckle, but kept his response nice.

She opened the book and started to slowly flick through the pages. She saw his signature on the bottom of the designs. They were all so perfect. Some were executed with such detail and precision that she could've sworn they were fake, others were more loose drawn in a free handed style or just more whimsical in nature. She saw a sketch of a few bees on one of the pages. They were in black and grey, mostly realistic with subtle, soft shading and delicate lines. The drawing was pretty and neat. She glanced to the corner, searching for his signature, but she didn’t find it. Instead, in the corner opposite of where Zayn favored to sign his name was a small H. She hummed to herself, curious to know why Zayn had someone else’s drawing in his book. She quickly shook the thought out and reminded herself that there three other stations in the front. They were not abandoned by any means, she could tell people worked at them based on the different things displayed and the personal trinkets and objects adnoring the areas. Maybe this was one of his college’s work or maybe it was random.

For the most part, the book was filled with things Zayn did. Some of them were his own creations while others were common tattoo designs just drawn by his own hand instead of being pulled from the internet. She liked the way he had a bunch of his own things offered in styles that were more popular. He appeared to be a well versed artist with the talent to create just about anything.

As Zayn prepped Emma’s skin for her tattoo, he was talking to her about Niall’s store. He asked how it was going and if she had heard any horror stories yet of Niall messing up payroll or forgetting to stock an item. She only laughed and said she was surprised he was staying so calm and organized. Everything about the store was going more than according to plan, as at least as much as (Y/n) could tell from what she’s heard. She was still so happy for Niall. His hobby had turned into a passion and a business and he was able to share it with others, it was like a dream come true she bet.

“Alright, are y’ready?” Zayn said with a deep breath of his own as Emma grew more and more nervous in the chair.

“I think so.”

“You’ll do fine, Em.” (Y/n) encouraged from the corner, her eyes now focused on her friend.

“Just take some deep breaths. Tell me if it’s too much.” Zayn told her as he pulled the stencil paper off her foot. The flower wasn’t that big, but there were lots of tiny details that Zayn knew would probably hurt her more than anything else she’s gotten. “Just a tattoo.”

“If I cry, you can’t tell Niall. I told him I could handle this.” Emma mumbled out with a frown as she stared at her foot.

Zayn smiled and leaned back, the gun still buzzing in his hand. “Before I start, is it in the spot you want?”

“What do you think? Is it good?” She asked him, twisting her foot to a different pose.

“It’s not my foot, love.”

She groaned and looked over towards (Y/n). “Can you check?”

(Y/n) laughed a little but nodded as she stood up. Just as she was about to step towards them, Emma called for someone else to take a peek at the design.

“Harry? Are you still in there?” Her voice echoed through the room, she hoped that it spilled into the lobby so he could hear her. After a few seconds, she grunted and pulled her phone out to shoot him a text. “I’m so nervous.”

“It looks fine to me.. but it’s your decision.” Zayn told her with a gentle sigh.

(Y/n) looked down at the placement of the tattoo, her arms behind her back with her hands locked. “Yeah, it’s cute.”

She gave Emma a hopeful smile before turning around. The door opened just as she moved her body, the stranger that wasn’t a stranger to anyone but her, walked in the room, chuckling as he saw Emma fanning her face, the heat swelling her skin with sweat and her eyes with tears - she was nervous.

“You always do this.” Zayn couldn’t resist laughing as Harry walked to them.

(Y/n) was back in her seat now, her eyes fixed on her phone as she waited for Emma to decide her fate. She could hear snickers coming from Zayn and Harry as they talked about the tattoo and Emma’s apparent hesitation that always came out when she was in Zayn’s chair.

“It’s fine, Emma.” Harry said, giving her a smile before looking to Zayn. “Make sure it hurts.”

“Harry, shut up!” Emma groaned and tried to kick at him. He laughed and took a step back. “You guys are bullies.”

“You’ll be alright, Em. It’s not like it's your first.” Zayn reminded her.

She shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest. “Whatever. Go ahead, then. Thanks, Harry.”

“Welcome.” He said lightly before disappearing out of the door again.

(Y/n) wondered why he didn’t stay in the room with them. Was he not interesting in hearing the painful grunts Emma would sure be letting out soon or watching Zayn draw his design perfected for Emma into her skin? Maybe he was tired of being near the tattoo gun since he spent however long getting his own. She pushed the thought aside entirely the moment she heard Emma groan, curses falling form her lips but not directly towards anyone.

Zayn leaned over her foot, his fingers pulling her skin tight as he worked the needle into it. It didn’t look like it was much fun, and (Y/n) became grateful that she had no intention of ever inking anything onto her foot.

—•—

There was a freshness in the air as she looked around Niall’s music store. It smelt like freshly picked lemons, probably because he had just sprayed down the counter before she came in following behind Emma. Niall was in one of his usual band tees and a pair of jeans as he sat on a stool with a guitar resting on his thigh. He was talking with a customer, comparing the similarities of two different guitar brands. Emma found herself busy with the items on the checkout counter - dropping loose pens back into their cup and adjusting the pile of papers Niall had pushed to the side.

(Y/n) stayed curious as she looked around the store. It was very easy to get caught up in the different items, especially since she had little to no idea what some of the accessories were for. Niall provided more than just items for guitars. She didn’t try to decipher every thing on the shelves, just simply moved her eyes across the packages, curiosity settling in her instead of blurting out questions to Niall. The girls came by to bring him some lunch before they did some grocery shopping for the week. Niall was appreciative, but he was unable to entertainment right away.

Emma smiled as the customer approached the counter, the one Niall had been chatting with. She stepped aside and let Niall take over the register. He had another employee here, but he was in the back room looking for a specific thing they needed to restock on one of the shelves. (Y/n) waited near by as Niall scanned the guitar music book the customer wanted to get and told him that he’d see him when he returned for the guitar - the customer hadn’t made his decision just yet.

When it was just the three of them at the counter, a few customers were lingering around the store just browsing, Niall gave them both a warm smile before wrapping his arms around Emma for a quick hug.

“Thanks for lunch. I’ll eat it when Josh gets off his break.” He said with a sigh, folding his arms and leaning them on the counter.

“The store is so nice, Niall.” (Y/n) complimented as she glanced around.

“Thanks.”

Emma walked from behind the counter to where (Y/n) was standing. She was about to ask her something about their plans for the day when her eyes fell on the few pieces of paper taped to the front edge of the counter. One was the refund policy, one was about the instrument lessons, and the other was new since the last time she was here.

“Oh, a flyer? That’s unusual.” Emma suddenly said as she pressed her finger against the pink dyed paper. “For the show?”

“The show?’’ (Y/n) asked with a drop of her brows as she read over the words printed in bold black letters.

“Yeah, Niall’s band. They play at a bar across town every couple of weeks.” Emma told her.

(Y/n) remembered as soon as she heard it. Emma had told her before, long ago when she first started dating Niall, that he was in a cover band. It wasn’t anything serious, not trying to search for record deals or gain stardom, it was just him and his friends having a good time. They got decent money for it, including tips from audiences, and it allowed them to play the instruments each member enjoyed. She wasn’t sure who was in the band as Emma never got to that detail before.

“Oh, right.” She nodded as the memory returned to her brain. “That’s cool.”

“Can’t believe Emma’s never brought you to a show.” Niall said with a somewhat surprised expression.

“I invited her a few times but she’s usually busy with work stuff.” Emma defended herself, even though there was no issue with it.

(Y/n) smiled at her and shrugged. “I remember you asking a couple times.”

“Well, you’re more than welcome to attend if you’d like.” Niall offered as he pushed himself off the counter the moment the bell jingled above the entrance door.

He went to greet the customer, someone he actually was used to seeing come in the store, leaving the girls alone again.

“Yeah, it would be fun if you came! You could finally meet Alyssa. She’s usually just home with her and Zayn’s kid.. she doesn’t go out much anymore, but she loves the shows.” Emma exclaimed with a sparkle in her eye.

“I dunno.. when is it?” She asked, glancing at the flyer.

“Next Saturday night. It would be cool, (Y/n)! We haven’t went out since Halloween.”

The stress building up at work during the holidays definitely set her back from enjoying a lot of things, including several invitations from Emma to join her and Niall at a bar or go out for dinner with just the two of them. It truly felt like forever since she got to have fun with her friend. She thought about it for a moment, but only lifted her shoulder at the idea. The mention of meeting Zayn’s fiancé was intriguing since she had heard so much about her from Emma, but she doubted that would be enough to pull her out for the night.

“Maybe.. depends on how the week goes.”

Emma gave her a partial smile. “Okay. I really hope you can go with me.”

“Yeah, you should definitely come, (Y/n).” Niall said as he appeared next to them, the customer gone to look for the item they asked him about.

Once again, she let out a small sigh and faked a smile for them. “I said I’ll see how the week goes, but no promises.”

He gave her a fake, dramatic frown. “C’mon! Live a little!”

“I live a lot.. at work.”

Emma grabbed her elbow and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll convince you before the week ends.”

“M’sure you will, Em.”

After spending a few more minutes talking to Niall, and then waiting in the car as he and Emma disappeared into his office to say a private goodbye, (Y/n) was ready to get the grocery shopping over with. The store they frequented was near by, so the drive was short and easy. It wasn’t close to their shared house, but the prices were better than anywhere else. Emma offered to take her car, so that left (Y/n) in the passenger seat with her eyes glued to whatever passed by the window.

“Are you okay, (Y/n)?” Emma asked as they strolled through the fruit section in search for the items on their list.

She gulped gently, distracting herself by collecting a few apples for the cart. “M’fine, just tired.”

Emma watched as she walked towards the basket of lemons and grabbed two, she’d need them for a receipe she was going to try later in the week. (Y/n) was normally not this quiet. She enjoyed the task of grabbing their groceries and checking things off their combined list while Emma pushed the cart and double checked everything. Something about doing such a mundane thing made her feel content and comfortable, even if they decided randomly to try a new store they’d never been in. But today was different, Emma was growing concerned with her unusually quiet friend.

“If you’re irritated with me and Niall pushing you about the show.. I’m sorry. You don’t have to go.” Emma said with a soft frown as (Y/n) returned to the cart with a handful of bananas.

She sat them down and lifted her hesitant gaze to meet her closest friend’s. “I’m fine, Emma. Just tired.”

She shook her head gently. “No, you’re too quiet. What’s wrong?”

“You and Niall didn’t bother me, I swear. The bar thing is.. whatever. I’ll think about it, I promise. It’s just.. one of those days.”

Emma wasn’t believing it all the way. Sure, maybe (Y/n) was being truthful about the role her and Niall played in her newfound mood, or didn’t play - but something else was up. She licked her lips and decided to stay quiet as (Y/n) busied herself with grabbing the rest of the fruits before moving onto the fresh vegetables.

Although she didn’t want to press it any further, Emma couldn’t stop thinking about what could’ve happened at the music shop or on the way to the grocery store. Her worry was growing quickly and it wasn’t very long before she was asking another question.

“(Y/n), please tell me. Are you alright?”

She received a sigh as a response, a couple of tomatoes and a bag of baby carrots joined the cart. “Emma, please.. I’m fine.”

“Something is wrong with you. I don’t want to see you so down.”

(Y/n) walked towards the next section of the store, knowing that Emma would follow her with the cart no matter if they were talking or not. She held her breath as she thought about what was bothering her. She was too caught up with her racing mind to realize she was actually expressing her emotions on the outside. Emma noticed everything, so clearly she wasn't doing well at hiding it. There was no real issue, really, nothing that anyone caused by saying or doing anything. A lump slid down her throat, Emma was her friend - there was no need to keep anything from her.

Just as they turned down the aisle where the bread was, she stopped in her tracks and turned towards the cart, her hand reaching out to stop it. Emma froze, a lift of her brows offering confidence like a good friend should.

“The guy that walked through the door right before we left.. at Niall’s store..” She started with a strong voice, but it slowly faded to almost a whisper.

Emma nodded, encouraging her to continue. She looked down to the floor as the moment replayed in her memory. It wasn’t an unusual thing for her to experience, in fact it was more common than not. One little thing, one random glance from a passerby, one glimpse of someone with a similar shade of hair as her own, one note from a list of songs she knew were special..

“He reminded me of my brother. I.. I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Her response made Emma’s stomach turn to knots. She knew that the conversation was over then, and there wasn’t anything else she could try that would break (Y/n). The forbidden topic had been brought up, and quickly dropped back to the vault she kept it locked away in. Emma didn’t mention it again..

[a/n: this is a series! It’s a lot longer per part than my other stuff so I hope you enjoy! This is just the intro so it will be more interesting and exciting as it goes on! reblog, like, do all that lovely stuff!!]

taglist: (notified for all // if you want to join a taglist for this series, lmk in a comment or message and I’ll start one)

@walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @victoriasigaard @ariiscringe @harlowsgirl @lomllover @haniaaa04 @sideboobrry11 @tenaciousperfectionunknown @fangirl509east @fruity-harry @sassamanda77 @lizsogolden

[greengoblinswifey]

Winter’s Embrace— Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

summary— Spending Christmas in a cozy cabin, you help Bucky reconnect with the holiday spirit in more ways than one and have the best Christmas gift he’s ever experienced.

warnings— mentions of bucky’s past trauma, fluff, L bombs, praise kink, daddy kink, oral, fingering, face fucking, unprotected sex, creampie.

a/n— Merry Christmas Everyone, have a wonderful day🎄🫶🏽!

Bucky wasn’t much of a holiday person. He didn’t hate Christmas, but the memories of simpler times before the war, before Hydra, often left him feeling hollow. You knew this, and that was why you decided to whisk him away to a secluded cabin in the mountains for Christmas. You hoped a change of scenery might help him associate the holiday with something warm and new, something just for the both of you.

The cabin was a cozy little thing tucked into the snowy woods, decorated with warm pepper lights strung along the edges of the wooden roof. Inside, a stone fireplace crackled with a soft orange glow, and the scent of freshly baked cookies filled the air. You’d spent the afternoon decorating a Christmas tree, playfully arguing with Bucky about where to hang the ornaments.

“Babe, you can’t put all the gold ones on one side,” you teased, standing on your tiptoes to fix one of the baubles he’d clumsily placed.

“Well, I’m just trying to balance it,” he said with a smirk, stepping behind you to steady your waist as you reached higher. “And don’t forget, doll, I’m working with one arm here. I deserve a little grace.”

You laughed softly, leaning into his touch. “Fine, you win. But next year, we’re getting a way taller and bigger tree.”

He chuckled, his deep voice sending a warm shiver down your spine. “Next year, huh? I like the sound of that.”

Later that evening, after the two of you shared a simple dinner, Bucky pulled out a box you hadn’t seen before. He hesitated, holding it for a moment before placing it on the table.

“What’s that?” you asked, tilting your head.

“Something I didn’t mean to pack,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I think I threw it in by accident when I was grabbing decorations.”

Inside the box were a few fragile ornaments, clearly from decades ago. One of them, a little snowman with a crooked top hat, caught your eye.

“This is adorable,” you said, holding it up gently.

Bucky’s gaze softened as he stared at the ornament. “My sister made that when we were kids. It’s one of the few things I still have from, uh, back then.” His voice faltered, and you reached out to hold his hand.

“You’ve been through so much,” you said softly, threading your fingers through his metal ones. “But you’re here now, and you’ve made it through all of it. You deserve this happiness, Bucky. You deserve this Christmas, and so much more.”

He exhaled slowly, his lips curving into a small smile. “You’re the reason I even try, you know that? Without you, I’d just—I don’t know.”

“Don’t do that,” you said firmly, squeezing his hand. “You’re more than your past, Buck. And I’m here for all of it, every memory, every moment. Even the bad ones, if it means I get to be with you.”

The fire crackled softly as he cupped your face in his warm hand, his thumb brushing against your cheek. “You’re my whole world, sweetheart,” he murmured, his blue eyes locked on yours. “I didn’t think I could have this. I didn’t think I could have you.”

You leaned into his touch, your lips meeting his in a soft, lingering kiss. It deepened naturally, his hands sliding to your waist as he pulled you closer.

“I love you,” he whispered against your lips.

“I love you too,” you said, your voice barely above a breath.

The warmth of the fire and the way his hands roamed your back made you feel safe, wanted, and completely at ease. Before you knew it, he had scooped you into his arms, carrying you to the bedroom with a look of pure adoration.

“I need this Buck, it would make tonight all the more special,” you whispered, as Bucky placed you gently on the plush bed.

“Anything for you doll.”

Bucky stripped you of your clothes, leaving your body bare as he kissed from your collarbone trailing down to your thighs.

“So so beautiful,” he murmured between kisses, “I got so lucky.”

You squirmed under his touch as he nipped on your inner thigh before inching to your clit, his tongue slowly flicking it.

“Buck, please,” you whined.

“That’s not my name right now, sweetheart,” he said, voice gruff before swiping his tongue along your folds.

“Daddy—m’sorry, I just need more,” you whimpered.

He granted your wish, his mouth engulfing your clit and sucking. Your body shivered as he held your legs spread eagle, savoring your sweet taste. You tasted better than anything he’d eaten all Christmas season.

“You taste amazing baby, fucking hell,” he groaned, licking from your leaking entrance back up to your clit. He slipped a finger inside your pussy, curling it and pumping steadily as his tongue focused on sucking and flicking your bundle of nerves.

“Daddy, that feels so good, don’t stop, m’ gonna cum,” you whimpered.

Bucky hummed in content, holding you down as you squirmed and pumped his fingers even faster. Your clit was swollen and throbbing on his tongue as a powerful orgasm neared.

“C‘mon angel, cum for daddy, all over my tongue,” he commanded.

Ever the obedient girlfriend, your fingers tangled in his brown hair, and you ground against his mouth as a stream of liquid spurted from your pussy.

“Mm— that’s it’s, that’s a good girl,” he cooed.

He helped you ride out your high, his fingers pumping inside your pussy as he slurped your juices before you were shaking from overstimulation.

“Can you fuck my face, daddy?” you asked shyly, looking up at him with big doe eyes.

“Anything my angel wants, she gets,” he whispered.

Bucky climbed over your body, shedding himself of his bottoms and revealing his thick, hard cock. You took ahold of it, barely able to wrap your hand around it and placed a kiss on the leaking tip.

“It’s always so pretty daddy,” you whispered, placing wet kisses all over his cock.

He wrapped your hair in his flesh hand and thrusted his cock into your mouth, immediately making you gag.

“Fuck, you’re okay, right baby?”

You nodded and buried your face into his cock, gliding your tongue along the veins on his shaft. He snapped his hips forward, fucking your mouth as he praised you.

“You’re such a good cock sucker baby, so amazing, don’t think I’m gonna last long with that mouth of yours,” he moaned.

As he slammed into your mouth, you used your soft hands to massage his balls, feeling them tighten under your touch.

“Shit, it’s coming, take my cum down your throat, angel,” he gasped, unable to hold back.

You pushed your head down until you were almost touching his pelvis, massaging his balls as his hot load shot down your throat. He continued fucking your throat as you swallowed every drop and looked down at you as if you were the most precious thing in the world.

“Good girl, fuck, I love you,” he sighed, moving down and placing a soft, lingering kiss on your lips.

He moved further down, dragging the tip of his cock along your wet pussy.

“Ready angel?” he asked, lining his cock with your entrance.

You nodded frantically, desperate to feel his hard cock, deep inside you, raw.

He slowly inched inside you, both of you gasping in pleasure. “You’re so tight, sweetheart,” he whimpered, staring into your eyes.

“Mhm—harder daddy, please,” you whined.

Bucky began steadily pounding into you harder, your pussy making noises that could be heard throughout the cabin. He rolled his hips beautifully, his cock brushing against your cervix and your g spot simultaneously. You could feel him throb each time you moaned and clamped around him.

“You feel so fucking good, you take it so well,” moaned.

He leaned down, kissing your temple and then your lips as you wrapped your legs around him and met his hard thrusts. Your pussy clenched around him tight, desperate for release.

“Shit baby, cum for daddy, I need you to cum with me, I won’t last with the way this tight pussy is just gripping the fuck outta me,” he murmured.

You wrapped your arms around his neck, your eyes locked onto his, the moment so dirty yet intimate as your jaw fell agape and the coil in your abdomen snapped.

“Daddy, I’m cumming, fuck, I’m cumming,” you cried out, your release ripping through you.

“Me too angel, I’m gonna cum inside you, take every drop,” he panted.

Your body shook under him as you felt him fill you up just as your pussy soaked his cock and the towel under you. He placed kisses all over, slowly pumping his cock as you milked him of his warm seed.

“You did so good angel, I’m so proud of you,” he smiled, kissing your lips.

“I love you so much, Bucky.”

“I love you too, doll.”

The next morning, you woke to the smell of hot chocolate and the sight of Bucky standing by the window, holding two mugs and watching the snow fall.

“Merry Christmas, doll,” he said with a soft smile, handing you a cup as you sat up in bed.

“Merry Christmas,” you replied, your heart swelling as he leaned down to kiss your forehead.

The morning passed in a blur of laughter, teasing, and exchanging gifts. Bucky had outdone himself, presenting you with an delicately engraved bracelet, a stack of books you’d mentioned months ago, and a soft cashmere sweater that matched the chocolate tone of your skin perfectly.

“You’re so sweet,” you said, shaking your head as you pulled him into a hug.

“You deserve it,” he said simply, kissing your temple.

Your gifts to him included a leather-bound journal, a vintage pocket watch, and a pair of gloves for his metal hand that you’d custom-ordered. The way his face lit up at each gift made your heart ache with love.

“Seriously, doll, you didn’t have to do all this,” he said, pulling you into his lap as the two of you sat by the tree.

“You’re worth it, Buck,” you said, cupping his face.

The day ended with the two of you baking cookies—well, you baked, and Bucky mostly snuck bites of the dough and curling up on the couch to watch It’s a Wonderful Life.

As the credits rolled, he pressed a kiss to your hair and murmured, “This might be the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

You smiled, snuggling closer to him. “It’s only the beginning, Buck. We’ll make so many more.”

And for the first time in years, Bucky truly believed it.

Bucky smiled as you adjusted the settings on the small digital camera you’d brought along, the vintage style device fitting perfectly with the cozy holiday vibe of the cabin. “C’mere, you look so fine,” you said, waving him over to the couch where you had draped a plaid blanket for your makeshift photo session.

He chuckled softly, sitting down beside you. “You really want to document this?”

“Duh!” you said with a grin, leaning closer to frame the two of you in the shot. “This is our first Christmas together, Buck. I want to remember it forever.”

“Alright,” he said, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you closer. “But if I look ridiculous, you’re deleting it.”

“Deal,” you teased, snapping the picture.

You ended up taking dozens of photos, some posed, some candid, and some of Bucky caught mid laugh as you tickled his sides to get him to smile. When you were done, you set the camera aside and rested your head on his shoulder.

“I also have this,” you said, handing him a tiny gift bag from under the tree.

“What’s this?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he pulled out a small, personalized keychain engraved with the words “Home is wherever you are.”

“It’s cheesy, I know,” you said, suddenly shy. “But I thought—”

“I love it,” he interrupted, his voice soft. He attached it to his keys immediately, turning it over in his hands. “Thank you, angel. You always know how to make things special.”

Later, the two of you ventured outside, bundled up in coats and scarves, to build a snowman in the fresh snow. You laughed as Bucky insisted on giving the snowman a “metal arm” made of a stick he found, complete with a dramatic pose.

When the sun began to set, you returned to the cabin to warm up by the fire. Bucky brewed hot chocolate while you set up a board game, the two of you spending hours teasing and laughing over your competitive streaks.

As the night wound down, you turned on the record player in the corner, selecting a soft, jazzy Christmas tune. Bucky took your hand, pulling you into an impromptu dance in the middle of the room. His hands rested securely on your waist as yours looped around his neck, and the two of you swayed in time with the music.

“I never thought I’d have this again,” Bucky murmured, his forehead resting against yours.

“Have what?” you asked softly, brushing your thumb over the nape of his neck.

“This,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Happiness. A home. You.”

You kissed him tenderly, your hearts full of love and the promise of many more Christmases to come.

[insidekatmind]

Decorate together-Jobe Bellingham

The scent of cinnamon and vanilla fills the air of your home. The soft lights create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, while in the background the Christmas songs sound softly. You’re packing the last boxes of Christmas decorations when you hear the doorbell ring.

"Here I come!" exclaimed with enthusiasm, rubbing your hands to warm them up. You run to the door and as you open it, you see Jobe standing with a big smile on his lips and cheeks slightly flushed from the cold.

"Surprise!" he exclaims with a contagious smile, showing a paper bag. "I brought the ginger cookies you like so much."

"You’re too sweet, Jobe..." you say with a tender smile, leaning forward to give him a kiss on the lips. He looks at you with those deep and dark eyes, always full of a disarming sweetness.

"I couldn’t come empty-handed, could I?" Jobe replied laughing, entering the house and closing the door behind him. He takes off his jacket and scarf, revealing his red Christmas sweater with a funny snowman on the front. You can’t help laughing.

"Lovely sweater!" comments giggling, while he raises his eyebrows with a funny air.

"Adorable? That’s pure style, honey!" He responds by pretending to be offended, but then laughs with you and then pulls you close to him to give you another sweet kiss.

---

Enter the living room together, where the tree is already mounted but still bare. The led lights lie at the base, ready to be placed.

"So, chief decorator, where do we start?" asks Jobe, putting his hands on his hips and looking at you with a defiance.

"The lights, of course. If we get those wrong, it’s over!" you reply with a serious tone but with a smile that plays on your lips.

"Got it, boss!" he says, making a fake military salute. Then he grabs the first row of lights and starts to circle around the tree. "You just tell me if I’m doing it right."

"Higher, Jobe! That part is too empty," you point your finger, moving closer to help him lift the lights.

"Wait, wait..." he says, raising his arms to wrap the bright wire higher. His sweatshirt lifts slightly, revealing the skin on his back. You have a small smile but you look away.

"Perfect! You’re a real expert, Bellingham," you praise him in a soft voice, winking.

"What do you want, I’m good at everything," he replies in a jokey tone, giving you a slight tap with the side.

After the lights, move on to balls and ornaments. Jobe always chooses the weirdest ones, like a little penguin with a Santa hat.

"This is the king of the tree, he must go to the center!" he proclaims with a solemn voice, placing the penguin in plain sight.

"King of the tree, eh? I don’t know if the other ornaments will agree," you laugh, taking a golden star and adding it next to the penguin.

"The star is his queen. No discussion."

"How sweet are you, Bellingham?" You make fun of him by pulling his sleeve.

"I know, you don’t have to say it twice," he replies with a bold smirk.

As the tree takes shape, a slow and sweet song starts: "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey. You stop for a moment and look at Jobe. He already looks at you with a tender smile, then reaches out to you.

"Shall we dance?" asks Jobe, looking at you softly.

"But we have to finish the tree," you try to answer, but your smile betrays you.

"The tree can wait. We cannot." His voice is soft and sincere.

You take a moment to look at him, then put your hand in his and he pulls you towards him gently. His hands are resting on your sides, and you wrap his neck, and place his head upon his chest. You could swear you heard his heartbeat.

"Are you happy?" he asks in a low voice, his cheek touching yours.

"Very happy," you whisper, closing your eyes as you move slowly to the rhythm of the music. "And you?"

"Happy isn’t even the right word," he replies, giving you a little kiss on the head. "With you I feel at home."

Your heart beats faster at those words. You hold him closer, without wanting to let go of that moment. The song goes on, and even though the world outside is cold and dark, here inside it’s all heat and light.

The song ends, but you don’t break. Stay leaning against his chest, with his arms wrapping around you.

"I must admit something," says Jobe, breaking the silence.

"What?" you ask, raising your head to look at it.

"If I had known that making the tree with you was so beautiful, I would have come to your house last year," he jokes, making you laugh.

"Fool," you say laughing, giving him a slight pat on the chest.

"Silly, but yours." He comes near and steals a sweet, slow kiss, the kind of kiss that smells like home, winter and sincere love.

And as the lights of the tree flicker softly behind you, you can’t help but think that this is the best Christmas of your life.

[corroded-hellfire]

For the Christmas requests ⛄

Imagine Christmas when Eliza is old enough to believe in Santa and everything is rather new to her, especially since her brothers are teenagers and probably don't have the same excitement as her and Eddie's emotional cause his boys are grown up now and very excited trying to make the most of the holidays with Eliza helping her write a letter to Santa, decorate the house etc etc

I simply fell in love with this idea the moment I read it 🥰

Words: 2.4k

[As You Wish masterlist]

Downstairs is quiet, the soft hum of the fridge all that’s piercing the calm silence. The living room is dim, the only light coming from the white twinkle of the Christmas tree in the living room. It casts a warm, inviting glow over the kitchen, making everything feel peaceful and still on this cold December night.

Ryan and Luke are tucked away in a corner of Ryan’s bedroom, a video game controller in each of their hands, fiercely battling one another to see who can kill the most zombies. You’re in the shower, letting the hot water take the chill out of your bones.

Eddie pads gently into the kitchen, looking to grab one of the frosted sugar cookies you made with Eliza earlier in the day. He pulls back the cling wrap and slips out a red frosted stocking-shaped cookie topped with snowflake sprinkles. As per usual for him, the cling sticks to Eddie’s fingers and he has to fumble his hand free without smearing any of the other cookies or ending up with multicolored frosting coating his skin.

Once he’s made a successful escape, Eddie lifts the cookie to his mouth—but stops halfway. He pauses, a small smile coming to his face as he looks at the cookie. Suddenly he’s transported back to when the boys were little.

“I don’t know why that’s in with the Christmas cookie cutters!” Luke crosses his arms over his chest and shrugs his small shoulders. The three-year-old is firm in his opinions already.

Eddie chuckles and uses his forefinger to dab flour on the tip of his younger son’s nose.

“Because it’s a stocking, duh!” Ryan says from the other side of his father.

“It looks like a J!” Luke replies, gesturing towards the offending cookie cutter in question.

“There aren’t any other letters here though!” Ryan retorts.

“Boys,” Eddie says, calmly putting a hand on each of their shoulders. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a stocking or a J, does it? Santa is going to love it no matter what when you leave it for him tonight.”

Luke picks at the bottom corner of the rolled-out sugar cookie dough in front of him. He pinches it off before rolling it between his thumb and forefinger.

“Do you think Santa will leave us more presents if we put chocolate chips in them?” Luke asks.

“Oh, good idea!” Ryan adds, face lighting up in excitement at the prospect.

“I think we can manage that,” Eddie says. He steps away from the counter to grab the bag of chocolate chips out of the pantry. When he turns back around, he watches his sons from behind as they move closer together.

“We gotta leave Santa the biggest cookies,” Ryan tells his younger brother quietly.

“So we can’t let Daddy eat them!” Luke adds, nodding emphatically.

Eddie lets out a silent chuckle before walking back to his previous post between his two sons.

“Alright, so why don’t we use the chips as buttons with this snowman cookie cutter?”

He smiles wistfully at the cookie in his hand before sinking a bite into it. The sound of his chewing prevents him from hearing the less-than-graceful footsteps that are slowly coming down the stairs.

Cookie fully crammed into his mouth, Eddie swipes a paper towel from the roll and wipes his hands off on it before turning to toss it in the garbage can under the sink.

Unruly curls catch in Eddie’s periphery and he does a double take when he sees Eliza standing there, long pale pink nightgown hanging around her, and her stuffed pig Penelope dangling from her hand at her side.

Eddie swallows the cookie and tosses the paper towel into the trash bin.

“What are you doing up, sweetheart?” he asks. “I thought you were sleeping.”

Your three-year-old shakes her head, clearly tired.

“What’s going on, huh? Did you have a bad dream?” Eddie cocks his head to the side and takes a few steps closer to her.

Eliza shakes her head and rubs her right eye with her free hand.

“Can’t sleep,” she says.

Eddie frowns and crouches down to be at her level.

“Why not?”

“I not write my letter yet,” she says.

Your husband’s eyebrows pinch together in confusion.

“What letter?” he asks, head tilting to the side.

“For Santa.” Her dark sleepy eyes widen and Eddie can see the true worry there. “If I don’t write it for him, he won’t get in time.”

“Ah.” Eddie nods in understanding. He remembers the days when Luke and Ryan would write their letters together at the kitchen table, always peeking over to see what the other was asking for and double checking that they weren’t asking for the same toys. There’s a sudden pang in his heart that the boys are teenagers now; that young, joyful, magical wonder is long gone from their Christmases. Eddie knows he should tell Eliza that they’ll write the letter tomorrow and to get back to bed. But he doesn’t want to. He wants to indulge in this joy with her. To help her keep her endearing innocence when it comes to Christmas magic.

“Why don’t we fix that right now, huh?” Eddie asks. “Write your letter real quick, then you get back to bed and I’ll send it out to Santa before I go to sleep.”

Eliza nods, bedhead curls bobbing with the movement. She takes a few steps forward and lovingly rests her forehead against Eddie’s right cheekbone. Your husband smiles at the sweet, if not sleepy, gesture.

“Let’s see what we’ve got,” he says. Eddie presses a kiss to the top of her head before standing back up to full height.

The drawer next to the sink gracefully glides open and Eddie pulls out a notepad and pen. He holds them both in one hand and offers the other to his daughter.

“Shall we?” he asks.

Eliza’s small hand folds into his much larger one and the two walk towards the dining room table. Eddie pulls out a cherry oak chair and lowers himself down on it. He effortlessly lifts Eliza and sets her on his left thigh, facing in toward the table. The blank lined paper stares up at the pair of them and Eddie lets a black pen roll from his grip.

“So,” Eddie says, uncapping the pen with one hand while the other arm holds Eliza safely in place. “What are we going to tell Santa?”

The little girl plucks the pen from her father’s grip and presses the tip to the top of the page of paper.

“How I spell ‘dear Santa?’”

Eddie guides her through those letters, occasionally correcting her on how to properly draw them out. After she writes her greeting and adds a comma that’s longer than her father’s hair, Eliza tilts her head up at Eddie.

“Now what do you want to say?” Eddie asks her.

“Ummm…” Eliza looks back down at the paper. Her nose scrunches up as she tries to envision the perfect letter in her mind. “Wanna tell him about me.”

“Go ahead, sweet pea.”

“Daddy, can you help me write?”

A soft smile graces Eddie’s face before he presses a few gentle kisses to the top of his little girl’s head.

“Anything for you, Lize.”

Eddie’s right hand gently curls around Eliza’s, guiding it below the greeting, to the next line.

“Uh, I Eliza,” she says, trying to figure out what content to add.

“How about how old you are?” Eddie offers.

Eliza nods and relaxes back against her father’s chest as they continue to write as a team.

“Can I ask him questions?” Eliza asks, peering nervously down at the sheet of paper.

“I think he’d love that,” Eddie assures her.

Dear Santa,

My name is Eliza and I am three years old. I have been very good all year. Except the time that I took one of my brother Luke’s cleats cleets baseball shoes. I didn’t want him to go to baseball practice, I wanted him to stay home and play with me. But I gave Luke his shoe back and he said it was okay, so I don’t think that is something to put me on the naughty list for.

There are lots of things I want for Christmas but Daddy says I can only tell you the ones I really really want because you’re busy with all the other kids. I would please like a new Barbie doll. I want her to have red hair because then she will look like my best friend Mia and my Aunt Max. I also want a new princess crown because I don’t have a green one yet. Can I also have a tea set so I can have tea parties with my mommy? I want to ask for one more thing and Daddy says Mommy won’t like it, but I want a tiny dragon who can sleep on my bed with me. But no fire breathing because that is too hot.

Santa, is it always cold in the North Pole? How many reindeer do you have? Are there more than the ones you fly with? Where do they live? Does Rudolph have a bigger house than the rest of them? Maybe I can name my dragon Rudolph!

Okay, I have to go to bed now and I want my daddy to send this letter to you right now. So bye and I hope you get lots of yummy cookies but none that are yummier than the ones I made with Mama.

Love,

Eliza Marie Munson

Eddie smiles as he helps her sign off with the final “n” of their last name.

“Feel better now?” Eddie asks.

Eliza nods, stretching her mouth wide open in a yawn as she does. Your husband presses a few kisses to the girl’s head as she leans back against his torso. Penelope the pig starts to slip off of her lap but Eddie is able to make a quick save and set the doll on the table.

When he peers down at her, Eddie can see that Eliza is already fast asleep. Her body goes pliant as her soft breathing evens out. Solid arms wrap around her tiny frame and Eddie holds her close to his chest as he pushes the chair away from the table and stands up.

He manages to finagle her more to his left so he can scoop up Eliza’s beloved Penelope in the other hand. Slowly, Eddie heads towards the stairs and takes one careful step at a time until he reaches the second story of the house. Eliza’s room is at the end of the hall and, just as the two of them pass by the door to your bathroom, you pull it open.

A smile graces your lips when you see the peaceful face of your sleeping daughter. You tie the belt of your plush bathrobe as you follow Eddie down the hallway to Eliza’s room. First, Eddie tosses Penelope down onto the small bed. Then he slowly, as not to wake her, lowers Eliza’s fragile form, cradling the back of her head with one large hand.

The moment her body comes into contact with her blankets, Eliza buries her face in her pillow and curls up against her crumpled and bunched-up comforter. A content sigh is all you hear before her soft breathing fills the room.

Arms now free, Eddie pulls you against his body and the two of you just stand there in the moment. It reminds you of how you’d simply stare down in awe at your daughter when she was a newborn. Everything about her was new and exciting. Now, you admire how those features have changed. Her cheeks still hold that round but chubbable marker of toddlerhood. The little button nose she’s had from the moment you laid eyes on her hasn’t changed at all—even though it crinkles up more these days whenever she laughs.

“She’s perfect,” Eddie whispers, bringing you back to the present.

“Of course she is,” you reply at the same volume. “We made her.”

After taking one last look at your sleeping daughter, the two of you quietly slip out of her room. The sound of Ryan and Luke battling one another in some form of virtual combat leaks out into the hallway and you chuckle. Eddie listens as well, remembering when those voices weren’t as deep as they’ve started to become recently and were excited about the things Eliza is now.

You head down the stairs, Eddie right behind you. The soft white lights gleaming on the tree fill the living room with a warm glow that’s unlike any other during the year. Swaddled up in your robe, you sit down on the couch and pat the cushion next to you. Eddie takes the cue and settles in at your side. The serenity of the moment lulls you into sleepiness. You rest your head on your husband’s shoulder and he gently lays his head atop yours.

After a few quiet moments, Eddie whispers, “I missed this.”

“Missed what, Eds?” you ask, letting your eyes succumb to their heaviness.

“The magic,” Eddie replies wistfully. “The Santa, and the reindeer, and the pure innocence and joy of those little faces when they see what’s under the tree for them. Christmas is still so meaningful with the boys at this age, but there’s a spark that’s missing once they know the truth. It’s back, though. Even with the boys, I can see it. The way they ask Eliza when she wants to go see Santa at the mall or if she wants to make reindeer food to leave out for them on Christmas Eve.”

A soft chuckle rumbles through your chest.

“What’s reindeer food?” you ask.

“Basically trail mix,” Eddie says with a soft laugh of his own. “It was Luke’s idea when he was little.”

“I’m glad you feel that magic again,” you tell him. “That’s the Christmas spirit.”

“Don’t go singing carols on me,” Eddie teases.

You laugh and turn your head to bury your face in his neck, the familiar scent of Irish Spring soap making you take a deep breath in.

“How about we just enjoy this silent night then?” you ask, pressing a light kiss to the side of Eddie’s throat.

“Good thinking,” Eddie says, tucking you into his side. “It’s only a matter of time before we get interrupted by one of our little drummer boys—or girl.”

“Hmm,” you hum, resting your head on your husband’s shoulder. “Then I think I’ll soak up every second of this cuddle time with you.”

“Merry Christmas to me.”

[peachiejeongin]

Mall Madness | Han Jisung

Day 2 of the 12 Days of Staymas!

Synopsis: Christmas shopping with Han is anything but ordinary. What starts as a simple, practical trip to the mall quickly turns into a whirlwind of impulse purchases, holiday hijinks, and way too much Christmas spirit.

Pairing: bf!Han x reader

Genre: Fluff, Crack

Warnings: None!

Notice: Hello, my loves! Here is Day 2's fiction! If you missed Day 1, click the link above to read about making Christmas cookies with Felix :) Without further ado, enjoy the story!

You had no idea what possessed you to invite Han of all people to join you for Christmas shopping. Maybe it was his insistence of being a, "holiday genius," or the way his eyes sparkled when you mentioned the words, "Christmas sales." Whatever the reason, you found yourself at the entrance of the busiest mall in the city, clutching a list of carefully planned gifts.

You loved Han dearly, but you were already beginning to regret the decision.

"Okay, Ji," you said, holding up the meticulously organized checklist. "This is the plan: we hit these stores in this exact order, stick to the list, and avoid anything-"

"Not on sale," he finished for you with a mockingly serious tone. "Got it, boss."

"Sweet. Just no distractions, and absolutely no chaos."

"Chaos? With me? Never," he dragged out his tone sing songedly, causing you to shake your head.

You started your way to the Christmas decor store within the mall, planning on picking up a couple of items for your parents.

Yet, within five minutes, you were sprinting after Jisung in order to prevent him from buying a gigantic inflatable snowman.

"It's not on the list!" you hissed, tugging at his sleeve; he, on the other hand, was hugging the box like it was his long lost soulmate.

"Yeah, but think about how cool it would look in the dorm! I could put it in the living room, and-"

"And it's not even going to fit in the trunk of the car!" you argued.

Han sighed dramatically, setting the box down with a pout.

"Fine, but I'm still thinking about it." You rolled your eyes but grabbed his hand before he could wander off once more. You had now learned that letting Han loose in a mall was like letting a squirrel loose in an acorn emporium.

---

Things began to escalate when you hit the toy store. You needed to pick out gifts for your nieces, and Han took the mission incredibly seriously.

A bit too seriously, as a matter of fact.

"This doll is perfect," you beamed, holding up a sparkly princess doll.

"Yeah, but what if they like this better?" Han countered, holding up a robotic dinosaur.

"For a three-year old?" you questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Han ignored you, instead pressing a button on the dinosaur; it caused the toy to roar to life, letting out a mechanical screech so loud that a nearby toddler burst into tears.

"Oh no," Han whispered, panic flashing in his eyes. "Abort mission. Abort!" He shoved the dinosaur back onto the shelf and pulled you away from the aisle, whispering a frantic, "Go, go, go!" as the child's crying escalated.

You had barely made it into the next aisle before you both burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

---

"Let's take a break," you suggested after Jisung insisted on testing every scented candle in a home goods store; he had nearly set off your allergies with an overly strong apple spice one.

"Pretzels?" he suggested, eyes lighting up as if he had just won the lottery.

"Fine, but just one," you conceded.

Twenty minutes later, you were sitting on a food court booth with Han, who had somehow managed to come back with two pretzels, a tray of nachos, and a milkshake with two straws.

"Where did the nachos come from?" you inquired, stairing at the mountain of cheese and chips.

"They were calling to me," he stated solemnly, taking a huge bite out of his pretzel.

"Calling to you?"

"Yes! The spirit of Christmas spoke to me through this plate of cheesy goodness!" He nodded, completely serious.

"You're ridiculous," you laughed, shaking your head as you stole a chip off of the plate.

"And you love it!" he teased, leaning in closer to you with a cheeky grin.

You rolled your eyes, but you could not fight the urge to peck his cheek, ignoring the blush dusting your cheeks.

"Don't push your luck, Ji."

---

The highlight of the evening came when Han found an abandoned shopping cart in the parking garage.

"Oh no," you grimaced immediately, recognizing the mischevious dazzle in his eyes.

"Oh yes," he replied, already climbing into the cart.

"Ji, this is a horrible idea."

"Only if we don't commit!" he retaliated, giving you his best puppy-eyed expression. "Come on! Push me just for a little bit! For Christmas joy!"

You groaned but gave in, gripping the handle of the cart and giving it a cautious shove.

"Faster!" he yelled as if he were a child on a swing set.

You picked up the speed, laughing along with him as the cart zoomed down an empty stretch of pavement.

Until it hit a speedbump.

The cart tipped, Han tumbled out, and you both somehow ended up on the ground, howling with laughter as you tried to catch your breath.

---

By the time you finally made it back to the car, your shopping bags were filled with a mix of thoughtful gifts and completely unnecessary buys, such as the matching reindeer onesies Jisung had snuck in at the last second.

"You're impossible," you giggled as you buckled your seatbelt.

"Yet, here we are!" he exclaimed, flashing you a dazzling smile.

As the two of you pulled out of the parking lot, Han reached over and took your hand, lacing his fingers with yours.

"Today was awesome," he began softly. "I know was a bit much today, but it was exhilerating, truly."

You glanced at him, your heart melting at the sincerity in his tone.

"You're lucky I love you, Ji," you chuckled kindly, "or else I would have left you at the mall." He laughed, squeezing your hand tightly.

"Lucky for both of us then."

Despite the chaos, and your aching feet, you could not help but think that Christmas shopping with Han was exactly the kind of holiday magic you had not known you needed.

[loverboykirstein]

sdv secret santa // sugar and spice

sebastian (sdv) x afab!reader

wc: 1470

mdni -> toys/vibrators, oral (reader receiving), fingering, pet names

***fixing the red ribbon bows in your hair, you emerged from your bedroom to the sight of sebastian on your couch, holding a small box wrapped in gold paper. 

staring at him for just a moment, your eyes met, a slight flush to his face, fidgeting ever so slightly with the frays on his jeans. 

“what’s this?” you giggle, leaning over him, hands behind your back. “it’s not christmas yet,”. 

“i just wanted to beat santa, obviously,” a small laugh, soft hand pulling you to sit next to him. “c’monnn, open,”. 

gently opening the paper along the folded edges, met with a sleek box that made your face run hot.  i know we talked about these, i didn’t think he’d actually get one***

 ᥫ᭡。thank you @bvnnybrains for asking me to participate in this!!! i hope i fulfilled your wishes and created a reader that fit you! mwuah!!  ᥫ᭡。

the life you had begged for, cried for, pleaded for, filled your log cabin with cinnamon and vanilla that soaked your airways, settling at the base of your throat. 

your dogs napping by the warmth of the fireplace, cuddled up against each other without a single care in the world. 

the suns setting rays saying their goodbyes through blinding orange streaks through your double-paned glass, missing its warmth already. 

“c’mere,” sebastian ushered you over, snowman printed oven mitts covering his hands. 

a small skip in your step, bubbling with excitement as your infinite wait was over. 

twelve near perfect cookies, baked to perfection, more than ready to replace your dinner with as many as your heart desired. what else were you supposed to do on christmas eve? 

“open,” sebastian hummed, catching your chin under his finger to pull your attention towards him. 

pulling apart a fresh baked treat, rewarding your obedience with sugar and spice, mixed with the love they had been missing all this time. 

“oh my god,” a soft hum from your chest, a satisfied smirk on seb’s lips as he wiped away the crumbs on yours. “these are so good,”.  

“now get your cute ass ready, don’t we have somewhere to be?” 

skipping off to the bedroom, rushing for no real reason at his gentle demand. 

with the sun shutting its eyes, power grids took over, illuminating hundreds of thousands of lights strung across yards, roofs, trees, and everything in between far beyond your comprehension. 

sure, the valley had many, but you were dying to see the neighborhoods that lined the outskirts of Zuzu, rich families who didn’t mind the electric bill that came with their decorations. 

and besides, it was the anniversary of your first date together, this was a celebration of swallowed nerves and a shared first kiss. of course you were excited.  

despite the snow coating your farm, you put on your favorite dress, yellow with little red flowers, covering your arms with a matching red sweater. 

you knew he already started your yellow volkswagen, giving her ample time to warm up before taking her out on the salted roads towards Zuzu, knowing you only needed to face the cold for a few short seconds. 

fixing the red ribbon bows in your hair, you emerged from your bedroom to the sight of sebastian on your couch, holding a small box wrapped in gold paper. 

staring at him for just a moment, your eyes met, a slight flush to his face, fidgeting ever so slightly with the frays on his jeans. 

“what’s this?” you giggle, leaning over him, hands behind your back. “it’s not christmas yet,”. 

“i just wanted to beat santa, obviously,” a small laugh, soft hand pulling you to sit next to him. “c’monnn, open,”. 

gently opening the paper along the folded edges, met with a sleek box that made your face run hot. 

i know we talked about these, i didn’t think he’d actually get one. 

“is this..?” you looked up at him, doe eyes shimmering, nervous excitement bubbling in your tummy. 

“mhm, let’s try it out, see if you can handle it,” he peppered a few small kisses on your jawline, a shiver down your spine that mixed with the swell of your burning hot blood. 

far out of your agreed upon budget, a bluetooth vibrator that worked inside and outside, built to nestle up to your cunt under your panties. 

“will you help me?” looking at the purple toy, you fell a little confused, worsened by your embarrassment, pulling you shy and submissive, something seb hadn’t yet experienced since your stumbled introduction the very first time you met. 

knowing it would be a bit of a stretch to even get it in, you took this chance to play dumb, to see him fall apart at your request. 

“what’cha need help with, hmm?” his purrs melted your insides, bones mushy and fingertips tingling. 

“y-y’know…getting it in ‘n stuff,” you shrugged, a slight pout on your lips. 

“i think i can make that happen, bunny,”. his thumb brushed against your lip, still jutted slightly at your exaggerated embarrassment, drawing a slight giggle from the depths of your lungs. 

“be a good girl and don’t get greedy, m’kay?” his tone fell deeper, stronger. 

you nodded as you watched him fall to his knees, pushing your thighs apart to welcome him in. 

feathered kisses met the plush of your thighs, vein-ridden hands pushing the skirt of your dress up high enough to expose the panties that matched  the ribbons upon your hair. 

his heavy breathing tickled your skin, warm against the slick you barely noticed already pooling out of you. 

“off, now,” his tug at the red fabric barely holding on to your false innocence, you lifted your hips just enough for him to yank them off you, throwing them on the floor. 

leaving no time for games, no teases that made you beg for more more more, he drug his tongue up your slit, brushing against your clit just enough to send vibrations through your skull. 

hands on either thigh, he pulled you closer, suffocating in your scent and ready to die right there. 

his tongue starved for more, dancing around your hole as you squirmed under his touch, restraining your hips from bucking into him entirely. 

“ ‘s fucking good,” he mumbled under his breath, sloppy sucks on your already aching clit, drawing breathy moans out past your bitten lips. “ ‘s fuckin’ good for me,”. 

he somehow always managed to unravel you in a matter of seconds, pulling apart the threads that held your thoughts together. 

“baby..” you whined in frustration, so easily wound up from such a short moment of lost touch. 

ignoring your whine for attention, he made a mess of his face instead, your syrup mixing with his saliva, dripping down your cunt and coating his lips. 

“babyyyy..” you whined again, allowing your hips to kick into him, wanting so much more from him, needing more from him. 

running your fingers through his hair, you tried to pull his face away, forcing him to pay attention to your pleas. 

“what did i say about getting greedy, hm?” he unwillingly pulled away, a shimmer of deviance in the corners of his eyes. 

you huffed out in annoyance, jutting your lip out again at his remark, knowing that there was no way on planet earth you wouldn’t get greedy with him between your legs. 

despite his passive reprimand, you felt the cold touch of his fingertips trace your swollen slit, middle dipping into your squishy hole without warning. 

a single sharp gasp pooled out from your open lips, jaw already slacked. rhythmic in nature, pumping in and out of you at an agonizing pace. 

“babyyyyy…” you whined again, wiggling your hips towards him in fevered need. 

“yes, bunny?” his words slightly slurred, eyes blown out as they were pulled away from your sopping wet cunt, slick pooling into his hand. 

“another?” you dressed your wish in sugarcane, too sweet refuse. 

wordlessly accepting your plea, slipping his ring finger in right beside. 

slow scissoring, gushy pumps as he barely stretched you out, just enough to his liking. 

quiet whimpers, goosebump ridden skin, wanting so much more. 

as quickly as his fingers filled your hole, they were gone, leaving you whimpering in frustration. 

his fingertips glossy against the light as he pulled away, fingers finding the toy he had already prepared for you before settling it back into its box. 

“you ready?” he looked at you through his lashes, eyes glassy, matching his lips. 

“mhmm,” you nodded, chest and neck burning up with your unexpected excitement. 

cold to the touch, he coated the silicone in the mix of spit and slick, slowly circling around your entrance until you silently begged for more friction, trying to restrain yourself as much as you could. 

dipping the toy inside your already desperate walls, hissing at the stretch forced so quickly. 

uncomfortably full with something other than his cock, silicone end snuggled up your slit to press against your swollen bud. 

“now..you ready..?” he raised from his knees, pulling your skirt back over the sticky mess of your pussy. 

a meek nod, still adjusting to the weight of the toy inside your tight, gummy walls. 

slipping his phone out from his back pocket, a few swipes as you picked at the side of your thumb, startled at the sudden wave of vibrations buzzing inside and out. 

 bitten lip whimpers, pushing your thighs together at the unfamiliar feeling, collapsing into it nonetheless. 

through his hooded stare, his thumb toying with the pulses and strengths, watching your nerve endings react to each change. 

“c’mon darling, the lights are waiting for you. gotta prove you can still stay on the nice list, yeah?”. 

he’s so going to pay for this.

--------------------

it's a miracle i finished a work on time! i hope you enjoyed! mwuah!  

ᥫ᭡。

[moodymelanist]

once bitten (and twice shy)

Merry Christmas, @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk! Tis I, your Secret Santa! I really hope you enjoy this fic and I'm hoping to try and post all of it this week to not keep you waiting too long... but in the meantime, enjoy the first part of this 5+1 that I've been toying around with! 🩷

thank you so much to @acotargiftexchange for putting this amazing event together! I can't wait to see what else is in store this week 🫶🏽🫶🏽

Summary: When Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn take a Christmas vacation, Nesta gets far more than she bargained for with the hot guy staying next door.

(Or 5 times Nesta didn't have time for Cassian, plus 1 time she finally did)

Read on AO3 here!

✷✷✷✷✷ Nesta

1.

When Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie had planned their girls’ trip, Nesta hadn’t exactly known what to expect. Sure, she’d assumed this sleepy, holiday town would look like something out of a winter wonderland, but as Nesta took in the sights, even a Grinch like her was forced to admit her expectations had been exceeded.

“Oh, wow,” Gwyn breathed as they came around the corner to reveal their Airbnb. It was a gorgeous house, fully decked out for the holidays with twinkling lights and a snowman out front to boot, and even Nesta had to admit it looked like something out of a Hallmark movie. The house was two stories and decked out with Christmas decor, from lights wrapped perfectly around the frame and candles glowing in each window. “It’s even prettier than the photos.”

“You sure know how to pick them,” Emerie agreed from the driver’s seat. She carefully pulled into the driveway before putting the car in park, and the three of them took one last moment to enjoy the warmth before they braved the cold December air. “Okay, let’s make this as painless as possible.”

Gwyn went to unlock the front door while Nesta and Emerie grabbed as many bags as they could carry. Thankfully, they weren’t in the cold long, and the house was just as beautiful on the inside as it was out. There were plenty of comfortable couches, picturesque sitting areas, and most importantly, three beds just as advertised. They’d paid a little more so everyone at least had their own queen-sized bed, and Nesta and Emerie would share a bedroom while Gwyn had the primary suite, given how close it was to her birthday.

“Woah,” Nesta said as she walked inside. The owners clearly hadn’t limiting their decorations to the outdoors; there was a giant, fully decked out Christmas tree in the living room, garland wrapped around the bannister on the stairs leading upstairs, and red and white stockings hanging above the fireplace.

“Woah is right,” Emerie agreed as she followed Nesta inside. “This looks like it should be in a magazine.”

“I know,” Gwyn replied, coming downstairs to help them continue unloading. “I’m a little obsessed with it.”

“Only a little?” Nesta asked, nodding at Gwyn’s ugly Christmas sweater. Today’s option was a navy sweater complete with a pattern of her cat’s face on it, and Gwyn clearly had no shame. 

“I am not ashamed of my love of the holidays,” Gwyn told her primly, “or my cat.”

“Maybe you should be,” Nesta fired back, teasing. 

“Just for that, I’m pulling my birthday card,” Gwyn announced, already turning and retreating back upstairs to her room. “Have fun unloading the rest of the car!”

Nesta met Emerie’s eyes and they shared a fond eye roll. “How much is even left?”

“You could probably do it in one trip,” Emerie answered, already backing away with her own bags in hand. “I’m gonna go… unpack my own bags.”

“So much for sisterhood!” Nesta called after Emerie’s retreating back, earning nothing but a loud laugh in return. 

It won’t even be that bad, Nesta told herself as she made sure her coat was zipped all the way up. I’ll do this in one trip if it kills me.

Nesta braved the winter air once again and made her way back to the rental car, breathing a sigh in relief when she realized she could almost certainly make it back to the house in one trip. It might take a little finagling, but it would certainly be doable. She squared her shoulders and started laying out the remaining bags, and she was about to start loading up when a voice broke her concentration. 

“You need any help with that?”

Nesta turned to see one of the most attractive men she’d ever seen in her life standing on the neighboring house’s porch with a playful look on his face. He was wearing a thick, dark green jacket, black jeans, and heavy winter boots, and she could tell he was built even through the multiple layers of clothes he had on. 

“Do I look like I need help?” she eventually said once she’d managed to find her voice. Despite how hot this guy was, she wasn’t going to fall all over herself for him.

“That sounds like a loaded question,” he said back with a lopsided grin, taking a sip of what looked like either coffee or hot chocolate. His eyes looked incredibly green because of his jacket, and they twinkled with his easy smile. “I’m going to go with no.”

“Then why are you offering?” she asked.

He laughed, and damn if that didn’t make her feel things. “Just because you don’t look like you need help doesn’t mean you don’t need it.”

“Even if I needed help, why would I accept it from a stranger?” she fired back.

“I’m Cassian,” Cassian said, and then pointed at the house behind him. “My friends and I are staying here for the week. I heard you guys pull up and thought I’d be… neighborly.”

“You wanted to be neighborly, but you’re standing there with your hands full of hot chocolate,” Nesta said back with a roll of her eyes. “Right. Makes perfect sense.”

“Who says I can’t finish my mug and then offer my services?” he retorted, raising said mug in her direction before he took another sip. 

“And what services would those be?” she replied. 

“I’m a physical therapist,” he told her, his grin turning downright sinful. “I’m good with my hands, and you seem pretty… tense.”

Nesta resolutely ignored the way heat was pooling between her thighs at the thought of how good those hands could feel on her. She was Nesta Archeron, Esq. Even if she met someone that managed to hold her interest for longer than a few minutes — without pissing her off, of course — she didn’t have time for relationships, or for flings, or even for removing tension. Her last boyfriend certainly hadn’t been worth the effort she’d put into their relationship, and even if he hadn’t cheated, she still regretted bringing him to one of her firm’s events. He just couldn’t keep up with her; who could?

So Nesta buried her head in her work instead. She still made time for her family and friends, of course — she was on this trip with Gwyn and Emerie, and she’d see Feyre and Elain once she got back — but her degrees weren’t going to up and leave her if they got bored. Her billable hours might not always be exciting, but at least they were consistent. 

“I’m sure you are,” Nesta eventually replied, making sure to keep her voice as bland and disinterested as possible. Judging by the downright gleeful expression on Cassian’s face, she hadn’t exactly been successful, but whatever. It wasn’t like she’d be spending her entire vacation with him. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ve got it.”

“Never doubted that you did,” Cassian said. “But I’ll be here all week if you change your mind.”

She rolled her eyes as she began to finally load up on the bags she’d came out here for in the first place. “I won’t.”

“Who was that?” Gwyn asked when Nesta finally returned inside. She must have been watching from one of the large windows overlooking the porch, and Nesta sighed as whatever thoughts she’d had about keeping that interaction to herself went up in smoke. “You were talking to him for a while.”

“Cassian is staying in the house next door with some of his friends,” Nesta answered. “He said he wanted to be… neighborly. Help me with the bags or whatever.”

“Uh huh,” Gwyn replied with a knowing look. “Is that all he offered?”

“He said he’s a PT, and that I looked tense,” Nesta told her with a roll of her eyes. “Like he’s one to judge. He doesn’t even know me.”

“I can feel you grinding your teeth from here,” Gwyn fired back. “Trust me, you don’t need to be an expert to see you need a break.”

“Which is exactly why we’re here, isn’t it?” Nesta retorted without missing a beat. “Besides, I’d much rather relax with my friends than have my time wasted yet again.”

Nesta was thankfully saved by the bell — literally, as someone was ringing the doorbell to their Airbnb. Nesta and Gwyn exchanged glances before silently deciding to see who was at the door, the two of them looking through the frosted glass to see three people waiting for them on the other side. Cassian’s green coat was clearly visible, and the two others with him must have been the friends he’d mentioned during his conversation with Nesta. 

“Nesta, what the fuck,” Gwyn hissed under her breath. She turned to look at Nesta incredulously. “You didn’t tell me his friends were hot.”

“Who has hot friends?” Emerie asked, finally coming back downstairs at the commotion. 

“Nesta talked to one of our neighbors for the week,” Gwyn answered, “and failed to tell me how hot everyone in that house apparently is!”

“Okay, well let’s not be weird,” Emerie replied slowly, clearly still processing what Gwyn had just shared. “Everybody keep their cool, okay?”

“I’m perfectly cool,” Nesta responded with a roll of her eyes. “And for the record, I didn’t say anything because I only saw Cassian.”

“I’ll bet you did,” Gwyn muttered under her breath, pulling a snicker from Emerie and a scowl from Nesta. “Okay, okay, everyone stay calm. I’m gonna open the door now.”

Gwyn opened the door to reveal Cassian and his two friends — one a blonde woman who was around Nesta’s height, and the other a man who looked so similar to Cassian they could’ve been brothers. The blonde woman lit up at the sight of Emerie, Gwyn, and Nesta , and even Nesta had to admit she was a little underprepared for how much more gorgeous she was with a smile like that on her face. She looked like something out of a winter magazine with her pristine, all-white skiing outfit that somehow managed to show off her curves despite the thick layers of insulation. “Hi neighbors!”

“Hi,” Gwyn replied, her eyes barely resting on the blonde before she openly started ogling her taller, broodier friend. He was dressed in a black peacoat, jeans so dark they nearly looked black, and similar snowboots to Cassian. “How can we help you?”

“Not to be totally weird,” the woman began, her smile turning a little self-deprecating, “but Cassian said you guys were staying here for the week too?” 

“Yup, Nesta mentioned that,” Emerie answered, completely ignoring the daggers Nesta was shooting at the back of her head. “We’re here until Friday. I’m Emerie, by the way.”

“I’m Mor, and this is Azriel,” Mor replied, jerking her head toward Tall, Dark, and Brooding. “Sounds like you already met Cassian.”

“Unfortunately,” Nesta grumbled, extremely unamused when Cassian just grinned like a maniac. What was wrong with him? Most men ran for the hills when she showed them this level of disinterest, but it seemed like that only got him going even more. “You’re very… forward.”

“That’s what they say about me,” Cassian said. “Very forward, and very down to take you to dinner later.”

“Jesus Christ, keep it in your pants,” Mor interjected with a roll of her eyes. Nesta was torn between thanking Mor and wishing she’d given Nesta the chance to verbally eviscerate Cassian, but Nesta got the sense he’d enjoy that, too, so maybe it was for the best that Mor had intervened. “You goddamn frat bro. I’m not trying to scare them off.”

“We are both bisexual, Morrigan,” Cassian quipped back without missing a beat. “I can’t be a frat bro, it violates the rules of nature.”

“Since we’re sharing, I’m straight, Nesta’s bisexual, and Emerie’s lesbian,” Gwyn chimed in with a knowing little smirk. “In case it’s… mhmm, relevant or anything.”

“Very relevant,” Mor said, suddenly looking very much like she wanted to eat Emerie alive. She started playing with the zipper on her jacket just enough to be enticing, and even Nesta had to look away before she got sucked in. “What would you say to coming over for dinner tomorrow? We’d love to have you over once you’re settled in.”

“I’m a great chef,” Cassian added, winking at Nesta. “Azriel isn’t a half bad bartender, either.”

“I do love cocktails,” Gwyn mused. 

“I could whip up a few things,” Azriel replied, his voice low and deep. “Hope you don’t mind being my taste tester.”

Nesta could feel the moment Gwyn fell — hook, line, and sinker — and had to refrain from releasing a heavy sigh. So much for a girls trip. “That definitely won’t be a problem.”

“So it’s a date, then?” Mor prompted, her eyes lingering on Emerie for a few moments before she turned to look at Nesta expectantly. “Assuming we haven’t already scared you off.”

It felt like everyone was looking at Nesta, as though they’d all mutually decided she was the holdout, and the worst part was they weren’t even wrong. Mor clearly had eyes for Emerie — eyes that were certainly being returned, given how much lower Mor’s zipper had fallen in the last minute or so — and Azriel and Gwyn were locked in some kind of flirtatious staring contest so intense Nesta didn’t even want to look at them. All that left was Cassian eyeing Nesta up like she was a particularly difficult challenge, and the only reason she didn’t visibly bristle was the fact that she could just tell how much he’d enjoy it. 

“Well?” Gwyn said. When Nesta didn’t say anything, she whirled around to look at Nesta with murder in her teal eyes. “What do you say, ladies?”

“I guess we have dinner plans tomorrow,” Nesta said back, somehow managing not to sound too put out about it. 

“Great!” Mor chirped. She reached into her pocket and somehow managed to extricate her phone, unlocking it with a flourish before passing it over to Emerie. “Can I have your number? So we can sort out all the details?”

“Of course,” Emerie replied. She blushed as Mor passed her the phone, and Nesta had to work to suppress her groan as she realized this trip would be anything but relaxing. “Can’t wait.”

“Me either,” Mor told her with a wink. Emerie’s cheeks went pinker the longer Mor stared at her, a fact that clearly delighted her, but Nesta not-so-subtly coughed and forced the conversation to get back on track. “Okay, we’re gonna stop letting all your hot air out. See you ladies tomorrow!”

“Okay, Gwyn was right,” Emerie said the second the door was closed. “Nesta, you could’ve warned us.”

tag list: @perseusannabeth | @bookstantrash | @fieldofdaisiies | @goddess-aelin | @c-e-d-dreamer | @talkfantasytome | @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk | @sv0430 | @talibunny30 | @unlikelypersonalknight1 | @champanheandluxxury | @lilah-asteria | @burningsnowleopard | @sayosdreams | @readskk | @simpingfornestaarcheron | @bellaful08 | @readergalaxy | @podemechamardek | @pearlfortears | @nerdperson524 | @jmoonjones | @kale-theteaqueen | @autumnbabylon | @hiimheresworld | @illyrianshadowhunter | @dustjacketmusings | @live-the-fangirl-life | @that-little-red-head | @sweet-pea1 | @brieq | @queercontrarian | @jsmelodies | @afflicted-with-wanderlust

[butlervibesonly]

𝑈𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑜𝑒 | Austin Butler

• Summary : Can something be more romantic than experiencing a first kiss with Austin, after hiding your mutual love?

• Pairing : Austin Butler x female reader

• Warnings : kissing, grammar mistakes

• Note: I wasn't much in my writing mood, but here it is, all done 😭 hope it's not too trashy, haha

From the very first time you met Austin, you couldn't deny he is the most perfect man you have ever laid your eyes on. You two met on the set of his movie he has been working on — and there is no lie there was a spark between the both of you. Since then you have been a good friends. But neither of you knew that you felt something more for each other.

You are now at a Christmas party hosted by one of your friends. There are a lot of people, and almost no one you know. You sit by the bar alone, taking a sip from your glass of wine. The color of the wine is almost the same as the beautiful Christmas dress you're wearing. The red velvety texture is so soft on your body and on the back there is a bow that decorates the bare back of yours.

Suddenly you feel a hand on your back. "Is that Y/n I see sitting all alone ?" You recognize the familiar voice. As you turn around, you can see Austin smiling at you. "Austin!" you jump off the bar stool, hugging him. You can smell his cologne, the scent of citruses with a mixture of wood and blossoms twisting your mind.

"Whatcha doing here?" you ask, as you pull away. His hands are still holding you. "I was invited, and now that I'm here I'm starting realize I barely know anyone," Austin replies, his eyes never leaving yours. "Or that was until I saw you. What are you doing here?"

"It's probably going to sound unbelievable, but the same what you're doing here. I was about to leave, actually—"

"Oh, really?" Austin asks, "That's good idea, I think I need a small escape too." You guys smile at each other, and without anyone noticing, you simply left the party.

Walking down the street, side by side with Austin, you are wearing just a light coat over your dress, and as the December breeze hits you, you shiver. Austin notices immediately, stopping. "You're cold."

"No, all good—"

"That wasn't a question."

Before you can reply, Austin takes off his coat, and puts it over you. Its little bit bigger, of course, but cozy enough to keep you warm. Austin has always been a gentleman, and especially around you. "Thank you, but you’ll freeze,” you protest, though you clutch the coat gratefully.

“I’ll survive,” Austin says with a small smile. “Besides, chivalry and all that.” You laugh again, the sound warming Austin more than any coat could. And you don't know about it.

"rather tell me why you went there alone?" you glance at Austin, your cheeks tuning red. He looks so good, and sounds even better, as his deep voice softens around you. You actually try your best to hide the feelings you have for him for a moment now.

“I guess I didn’t feel like dragging someone along just for appearances. I’d rather be with people I actually enjoy spending time with.”

“Same,” he says, glancing over at you. “Though I didn’t expect to find you here. That was a nice surprise.”

You guys walk along in comfortable silence for a while, your breaths visible in the cold air. You reach a street lamp with hanging lights, and there, hanging from one of the lower branches of an old oak tree, is a sprig of mistletoe.

“Well, would you look at that,” you say softly, tilting your head up. He follows your gaze, his heart suddenly pounding. “Mistletoe,” he murmurs. You both stand there, under the mistletoe as if you are frozen.

And that's because you both know exactly what this all means. Austin looks straight into your eyes. Even through the night's darkness and slight shine of the street lamps, you can see how his blue colored eyes glow with something unspoken.

"Shall we break the tradition?" you ask shyly, so embarrassed that you even let slip this question from your lips. Austin swallows, you see his Adam's apple bop, and clears his throat. "I mean... We don't have to do this, if you're not comfor—"

You eventually step closer, the snow crunching softly beneath you shoes. “What if I want to?” Austin seems taken aback for a while, but then smiles widely.

He can’t hold back any longer. Closing the small distance between you, he cups your face gently with his hands and press his lips against yours. The kiss starts tentative, as if you're both afraid of crossing the line you’d walked for so long. But when you lean into him, your arms wrapping around Austin's neck, the kiss deepens, becoming something neither of you want to end.

All that can be heard is the slight wind flowing, and smacking of your and Austin's lips. You fit perfectly into his embrace, your hands traveling to his hair, as you run your fingers through them. He is so soft and gentle, as if he's trying not to break you. Austin's arms are wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer and closer, if that's even possible.

As you break the kiss to get some air, he leans his forehead against yours. Both of you are breathless, and you're revising in your mind what just happened. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” he admitts, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Me too,” you say, your eyes shining as you looked up at him.

Austin smiles, brushing a stray snowflake from your hair. Everything seems to be too much perfect for this moment as another snowflakes starts to drop on the both of you. Austin and you look up to see how the snow starts to fall down from the black skies.

"What now?" you ask, jokingly, your heart swelling with love you feel for him. "I guess we can call it a date?" Austin grins, taking your hand.

With a nod you walk away from the mistletoe, hand in hand, both knowing something has shifted. The love you hide for so long was no longer a secret—and it felt like the start of something extraordinary.

[multi-fandom-imagine]

Are they on the Naughty List? Or have they’ve been good all year?Well that’s for you to decide.

Start:November 12

End: December 31

Green > SFW prompts

Red > NSFW prompts

«timeline»

⇀bold is the fandoms i really want. ↼

◇ day 1-7: {Nov 12-18}

Day 1: - Ice Skating- Rocky Rickaby

Day 2: “I can’t believe you did that to Santa…”-Stanley Pines

Day3: - “I made you some hot cocoa.”-Stanford Pines

Day 4:we were going to a Christmas party but fuck if you don’t just look sinful in red, and you know what? Fuck that Christmas party- Logan Howlett

Day5:- Dancing In The Snow-Rocky Rickaby

Day 6:-Sucking on a Candy Cane- Viktor Vasko

Day 7: - “are you really playing christmas music already? it’s barely November” -Mordecai Heller

◇ day 8-14: {Nov 19-25}

Day 8:-Watching the snowfall from inside a cosy house- Dorian Zibowski

Day 9:-“Carmel apples, leaves falling down. What could better then November?” “I don’t know maybe fucking June?”- Stanley Pines

Day 10: -we got a little too carried away with the Christmas lights, and now suddenly my hands are bound with the lights and oh my god are we about to have sex?-Bucky Barnes

Day 11:- it’s holiday dinner with your family, and oh Jesus where are your hands going?- Stanley Pines

Day 12:-“Do you need help hanging up the Christmas lights?”- Joel Miller

Day 13: -“HAPPY NOVEMBER!” “No one wishes anyone a happy November.” “Well I just did.”-Spencer Reid

Day 14:-one lending the other their scarf to keep them warm.- Mordecai Heller

◇ day 15-21 {Nov 26-Dec 2}

Day 15:-Handing their S/O a positive pregnancy test with a sprig of holly and a note reading ‘Merry Christmas’- Dean Winchester

Day 16:Baking holiday cookies.- Overlord!Husk

Day 17:-“The turkey’s not the only thing getting stuffed today.” - Sylus

Day 18:Jingle Bells: Our muses take a sleigh ride-Spencer Reid

Day 19:-Build A snowman.- Stanford Pines

Day 20:-Silent Night: Not a creature was stirring… It’s Christmas Eve and everyone is in bed, except for our muses.- Luis Serra

Day 21:-The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting): Our muses have snuggled for some fireside Christmas dreaming.- Dad!Fiddleford

◇ day 22-28 {Dec 3 -9}

Day 22:-Christmas Decorations- Dad!Fiddledord

Day 23:-“Breasts/thighs are my favorite part to nibble on.” Rocky Rickaby

Day 24:“You know, tying the legs together keeps everything moist.”- Overlord!Husk (pause)

Day 25:-Christmas Morning- Dad!Stanford Pines

Day 26:-Hanging Stockings.- Dad!Husk

Day 27:-Reader wearing nothing but a Santa hat-Vander

Day 28:-“Dancing in the snow- Reuben "Ruby" Pepper

◇ Day 29- 35 {Dec 10-16}

Day 29:“You look even more beautiful covered in snow.”- Gregory House

Day 30:-ice skating-Reuben "Ruby" Pepper

Day 31:-sneaking around after the other has fallen asleep to put up their gift.- Aaron Hotchner

Day 32:-“Go on, open it.” - Bucky Barnes

Day 33: Day 33:-“Did you decorate the tree without me? I can’t believe this!”- Rocky Rickaby(pause)

Day 34: -Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe. - Poly Fiddauthor x reader

Day 35:“Excuse me—where is my Christmas kiss?” - Remy 'Gambit'

◇ day 36-42 {Dec 17-23}

Day 36:-"Why are there so many mistletoe?"-Connor { DBH }

Day 37:-“It’s time for hand turkey’s everyone.” “FUCK YES YES!”- Dad!Stan Pines

Day 38:-“Alright, mister. I know you’re the one who keeps hanging up mistletoe everywhere." --Sedgewick Sable{pause}

Day 39:-“Thanksgiving is for giving thanks” “And for body slamming each other during the family football match!” - Nico Savoy {pause}

Day 40:-The scent of real Christmas trees-Joel Miller

Day 41: -“I’m going to have you stuffed better than the turkey by the end of the night.” Adam {Hazbin Hotel} {pause}

Day 42:-“I’m not much of a cook, but I’m good at glazing.” -Stanford Pines

◇ day 43-50 {Dec 24-31}

Day 43:-Cabin Sex { Christmas Eve sex }- Stanford Pines

Day 44: -“Merry Christmas, motherfuckers!" Stanley Pines.

Day 45: -“Did you spike the eggnog again?”- Sedgewick Sable

Day 46: “Will you make a gingerbread house with me?”- Dad!Husk

Day 47: - “It’s Snowing”- Rip Wheeler

Day 48: -Peppermint-flavoured everything-Penelope Garcia

Day 49:-wearing ugly Christmas sweaters-Gregory House

Day 50:spending christmas morning together.-James Sunderland

[www-jungwon]

in which jay can’t decorate the christmas tree for the life of him, and says you only keep him around to hang the star ୨୧

tw. reader is shorter than jay, jay has a hickey wc. 362

“jay, no!” you desperately claw at the white ornament, its high placement making it impossible for you to reach.

jay squints down at you in an exasperated sort of way, but reaches back up to take off the snowman he just hung on the christmas tree branch.

“it’s not supposed to go there! you have to put all the snowmen spread out.” you point a ‘see?’ finger at the snowman on the next branch over.

he rolls his eyes. “if you don’t want my help, i can just-”

“no, i do!”

“to put ones up on branches you can’t reach, yeah,” he scoffs.

“no, i promise i-”

“you’ve taken down every ornament i’ve tried to put up.” he kicks at the box full of ornaments he’s set down, only authorized to be re-put up by you. 

“well, that’s because you put them all up wrong!”

“that’s because you have too many rules.”

“well, they’re intuitive! plus, that’s like twenty, you must have learned them all by now.”

“that’s what i thought! at five. and ten. and fifteen.”

“well, i promise there are only twenty.”

“you promise?”

you cross your fingers behind your back. “promise.”

“hey, i saw that!”

“ok, ok, fine.” you put your hands in front. “i promise, i only have twenty rules.”

he reaches down into the box to grab another ornament, watching you carefully like a bunny watches a person through a glass window, ready to jump away at any second.

“what? i don’t bite.”

jay raises his eyebrows, pointing to a hickey on the side of his neck and you slap his hand down.

“shut up!”

he grins, finally hanging the star-shaped decoration on the branch.

your heart sinks, and your hand fidgets at your side.

he raises his eyebrows, laughing at you. “how does it look?”

you grit your teeth. “great.”

he laughs again, spinning you into a hug with your back to him.

“what about this?” he reaches around your shoulder, calmly unhooking the star and putting it in the yn-puts-up box as he talks. “i stand here, and when you want me to put something on a higher branch, you tell me where.”

“but i-”

“twenty-one.”

“sounds perfect.”

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

part of winters of us, an advent calendar : day 007 prev

comment or send an ask to be added to the taglist !

enhypen tl : @eupherbia @cutsiepatootsie @sammm5225

sry for the late upload everyone <//3

[uncleeater]

O' Christmas Tree - DR3 🍈 (2/12)

Warnings: Language, Alcohol, Drunk kissing

A/N: thank you all for the support on the Lando fic! it means a lot to me :3. Also sorry this is so short im writing this at 3 AM day of, so...

Word count: 494

"Wine, my love?" Daniel smiles as he walks into the family room, glasses in one hand and bottle in the other

You glance up from putting ornament hooks on the newest tree decorations, eyeing your boyfriend warily. "This is a brand-new white couch, Daniel. Get that Malbec at least 6 feet away from it."

He rolls his eyes, but sets the Malbec down as he kneels next to a box labeled 'FRAGILE - CHRISTMAS DECOR'. You two had decided that 11 at night would be the perfect time to drag out ornaments and start decorating.

"Aren't you cold? It's freezing and yet you're wearing shorts." Daniel comments as he digs through yet another ornament box.

"No, because there's this thing called an indoor heater" You tease back, "Have you found the star yet?"

Daniel had been looking for the star for an hour before getting wine, dragging out boxes and tubs of every type of holiday decoration. He had managed to find a back up, a toilet paper doll from his grandmother that smelled like a mixture of cat piss and puke.

"No, but I found your box of ornaments. I'm loving the disco ball snowman with tits. Very...y/n." He laughs, raising his eyebrows to accentuate your name

"Check the box for my star. It's brass solder and red glass." You choose to ignore the jab at your choice of decor, "I'll help since you're drunk"

You kneel across the tub from him, peeling out ornaments and tinsel garlands. You notice Daniel looking up at you every once and a while, his eyes pulling along your body when he thought you weren't paying attention. He feels a heat in his chest as he traces your body, his basketball shorts becoming a tad bit too tight for comfort.

"...hey baby?" As your head moves up to look at him, he moved forward, lips quickly pecking yours. He looks at you with a stupid grin on his lips

"What was that for?" You raise an eyebrow. Danny always had some sort of ulterior motive, whether it be getting in your pants or winning a grand prix.

He remains silent for a second, looking you up and down before he kisses you again. This time, however, his lips don't separate from yours. He shoves the tub to the side, pressing you back until you're laying against the carpet.

Daniel climbs over you, one of his forearms resting next to your head, his other hand on your waist as he kisses you. Hot kisses trail down to the side of your neck, where Daniel begins to suck a hickey into your flesh. "Fuck, Danny..." You whisper, leaning your head back so he has more room to kiss.

But suddenly, his forearm slips from underneath him, sending his fist straight into the bottle of Malbec. And sending Malbec into the couch. You let out a quick gasp, looking up at the mess.

"...sorry babe...merry Christmas?" He giggles, looking down at you

[ohitsjae]

Little!SKZ putting up Christmas Decorations...(Pt.1)

tags: Age Regression, Little! Hyung Line, Caregivers Stray kids, sfw - i.e.: this is non-sexual age regression NOT age play, gen/no romance

summary: a series of unrelated scenarios/imagines based on SKZ Hyung Line in Little space putting up Christmas Decorations

Chan

I'm imagining his headspace to be around 3-5 years old and it's always a bit blurry between them to the point where Chan can't really tell them what age he is reliably. One time he's asked he'll say four only for him to be asked a few minutes later and it's three and then the next time he's asked he puts up four fingers but says five so now the members don't ask him his age and just try and judge it by his behaviour as best they can.

He'd love putting baubles on the tree! After each one goes on he does a little happy wiggle and when the tree is finished he's all giggly and jumping around.

He just loves Christmas decorations in general, so the dorm always looks a bit like Christmas has thrown up on it with the sheer amount of tinsel, paper chains, and ornaments that have been put up. The other members don't mind because they get to see Chan smile every time he catches sight of a decoration he put up or made.

When the decorations go up, everyone has to have a Christmas hat or wear tinsel/a Christmas headband etc! They also all have allocated stockings and Chan spends ages lining them all up by the window making sure that they look perfect! (window because I doubt they have a fireplace lolol)

Chan singing and dancing along to Christmas songs before crashing on the sofa to watch his favourite Christmas film; The Snowman

Minho

I think his headspace would be around 2-5 years old and he's pretty set once he's slipped. He might slip younger if he gets overwhelmed/overstimulated but it doesn't happen often now that the members have become pros at being his caregivers. If it does happen, I think he'd stay at that younger headspace even once he's calmed down.

I don't think he'd be that interested in the tree although I bet there would be loads of Christmas cat baubles in an attempt to get him to like decorating the tree!

Definitely more interested in tinsel (the only thing he will reliably put on the tree lolol) and wrapping it around everything in the dorm. I just think he'd like the texture and shinyness of it. All the pictures and anything in a frame has tinsel around it, any bannisters or gates have tinsel around them, the bed frames? tinsel. The TV? Tinsel. The members? Tinsel! You get the idea - the entire dorm looks like a tinsel factory!

However, once the tree is decorated (by the others) and lit up Minho loves to sit in front of it and look at all the decorations. All the cat ornaments have names, plus all the members have a skzoo bauble that they hide in the tree for Minho to find and he loves looking at the twinkling lights.

Eventually the members pull him away from staring at the tree with a hot chocolate and settle down to watch his favourite Christmas film; Tom and Jerry: Snowman's Land.

Changbin

I always picture his headspace on a bit of a slider going from 2-6 and he often slides around this range when he's slipped. Starting older then dipping younger when he gets tired or hungry or just because. Then maybe sliding older again as the day ends.

I think he starts the decorating feeling a bit older and so loves putting all the ornaments out first because he knows a lot of them are glass/fragile and so won't be able to do this when he's younger. Each of them has a *very* specific place and he will boss the members around to make sure they go exactly where he wants them!

Loads of their ornaments light up as well - I think little Changbin would love sitting in the living room with only the Christmas decorations as lights! He'd find it really cosy and warm and it would absolutely make him slip younger. (The day before Christmas decorating the members have to go out and buy masses of batteries because they know there will be tears if the lights don't work.)

When he's feeling younger he would help decorate the tree. Although only the bottom half of the tree because he hates standing when he's in his younger headspace. The members all have baubles with their names on and Changbin has to be the one to hang them up! He always puts them in a little cluster because even the SKZ baubles have separation anxiety! I don't know I just think he'd, unintentionally, be very cheesy when he's in a younger headspace, saying that 'SKZ bauble belong with each other just like the members do' and then all the boys start cooing over him and hugging him and at least one of them starts crying!

Finishing the Decorating with chocolate on the sofa watching Changbin's favourite Christmas film; Arthur Christmas.

Hyunjin

I imagine his headspace being one of the oldest headspaces out of SKZ but being a pretty big range, so like 3-8. Once he's slipped though I think it's pretty set and won't change whilst he's in headspace.

Bossy! So very bossy! Especially when it comes to the tree. The baubles must be put on exactly the right branch and he will pout and whine if they're not. The members sign and roll their eyes but they're just teasing because they don't mind dealing with Hyunjin micro-managing the Christmas tree if it means seeing him so happy and carefree!

Little Hyunjin loves making Christmas decorations! Their tree is full of handmade baubles and Christmas drawings that Hyunjin did the last he was in little space. He spends hours (and makes the members spend hours!) making paper chains, cutting out snowflakes and painting new pictures to go on the fridge because 'the old paintings on there aren't festive enough'.

All the members bringing their skzoo to Hyunjin so that he can decorate them with tinsel and Christmas hats! Jiniret getting used as elf on the shelf! The members taking pictures of Jiniret climbing the tree, getting stuck in tinsel, stealing mince pies etc and little Hyunjin absolutely loves it - giggling and hugging Jiniret and telling him off for eating all the chocolate whilst the members resist the urge to squish him due to cuteness aggression.

The day ends with Hyunjin herding them all to the sofa, giving them their skzoo's to cuddle and wrapping them in (Christmas-themed!) blankets so that they can watch his favourite Christmas film; Father Christmas

---- Hope you enjoyed this!! Part two is Here!🦦

[citrinae]

gingerbread kisses.

or: christmassy things you do with them. there are some more holiday-themed drabbles/headcanons in the works so hopefully i'll get around to posting some of them anytime soon!

ft. the monster trio

☆*。luffy

• hot cocoa, ornaments dangling from his ears, snowman-building contests, him pushing you into a pile of snow and joining soon after, snow fights turning into snow angel-making contests, crumbles of the gingerbread he stole from sanji’s kitchen, once he exposed a fake santa in front of a bunch of kids at the christmas market. 

• he’d make it his life’s mission to make sure you’re laughing, always, especially around this time, when his restlessness and impersonation skills increase tenfold. luffy on christmas eve is like mixing coffee with an energy drink. and even though he vehemently claimed he’d help you decorate the tree, he cannot help throwing everything on him instead, tinsel and ornaments and lights, turning himself into a walking greeting card. 

• after one, two, three more attempts at placing decorations on the actual tree, a defeated sigh leaves you eventually as you hang a glass bauble around your nose. luffy’s eyes are glowing brighter than the lights blinking around his neck and he leans forward to press a kiss upon your lips, long and sweet, bauble slipping off and unfurling into constellations on the floor as he does. do remember to brush those under a carpet before someone witnesses the mess you’ve made in here.  

• “what’s that for?” you laugh, a pinker shade crossing your cheeks, only for you to be met with a shrug and a smile reaching luffy’s ears. “felt happy, was all,” he says, and it’s completely genuine, even more so when he adds, “you’re awesome.” you smile back. and just as spontaneously you pull luffy in for a hug, wiggling the rest of the ornaments off him, encircling you both in a sea of colour and glitter. the moment doesn’t last for long and it’s the silver star lingering at the bottom of your decorations box that catches his attention now. “who makes the coolest half gets to place the star on the top.”

☆*。zoro

• mulled wine, hesitant pecks under the mistletoe, a freshly cut conifer carried on one shoulder and chopper cheering merrily on the other, damp wood and pine filling your nose when you rest your chin over his head, pinkies touching, his hands wrapping themselves around you after you’d both have fallen asleep at the fireplace. 

• it’s common knowledge that zoro isn’t good with dates. neither is he someone to put as much importance on a holiday, “i guess people needed an excuse to drink without feeling bad for it,” and at first you are more than sure he’d spend christmas morning training. therefore not finding him in his usual spot, barbells and swords and towels untouched and forgotten, should come as a total shocker to you. 

• but you’d have found what he’d been up to way sooner if he hadn’t gotten himself lost on the way to the town and back to the ship. sunset victoriously colouring his outline and a hand at his nape, he blames his absence on an old lady mistaking a sword shop for a tavern. for all you know, it was probably him mistaking a tavern for a sword shop. there’s a rectangular object in his fist you cannot take your eyes off—a knife case. “found nothing to grab my attention, dunno. still i thought this might come in handy to you,” he lies. better throw yourself into his arms because getting presents from roronoa zoro is like seeing him rip himself open for you. of course the quiet sigh coming with his reaction isn’t always that reassuring, but deep down he’s happy to know his efforts brought a smile to your face. 

• you two spend a good part of that night in the storage room, clinking bottles and letting yourselves get carried away with stories from your homelands. before you get to open yourself another one, he gestures with his knee towards your pocket knife. “let’s see what this devil can do, shall we?” you know exactly what he means by this. with a swift hand, you slide the knife under the bottle cap. when it pops, there’s a smirk climbing on zoro’s face, “that’s my babe.”

• apple and cinnamon tea, matching sweaters, him spinning you around the kitchen while humming some carol he picked from the north blue, scented candles, sugar melting in a frying pan and your lips touching the tip of a wooden spoon after he asks if this syrup is sweet enough for you. "at least half as sweet as you are, mon cœur."

☆*。sanji

• food shopping is the default. he’s got everything planned out, lists and schedules of the best providers on the island, and he wants to make sure everything goes immaculately at dinner on this special occasion with you. you’re not surprised when you notice that a good part of his basket is made of either foods you like or stuff you’ve asked of him before. mans does his homework all right. 

• be watchful of zoning out because if you keep your eyes on something for more than thirty seconds he’ll get it for you. no questions asked. he might also make some other additions on the spot if you happen to stumble upon any trinkets that remind him of you in one way or another. does someone sell heart-shaped ornaments at the stall on your left? he’ll get one for you. snowflake ornaments? he’ll get one for you, “because, darling, you landed on my heart the way snow graces a withered tree.”

• shopping bags at your feet and your cheeks rosy after shouldering past animated gushes of people at the market, your retreat is an isolated bench near the docks and the clicking sound of sanji’s lighter. he folds an arm around you. “cold,” you try to reason for huddling yourself into him. snowflakes begin to dot the sky a whiter canvas, floating on your head and nose. sanji doesn’t say it out loud, but a selfish part of him wishes you were feeling cold more often. 

[dem-obscure-imagines]

Merry Little Christmas

Druig x Reader

Fandom: MCU

Prompt: @the-sunflower-room “can’t stop thinking about druig and have yourself a merry little christmas- so cozy 😭🙏🏻”

Note: This was actually requested last year, I believe, but I’ve always wanted to write it. I’m sorry it took me so long to get around to it, but I hope you like it! Happy Holidays, everyone <3

Warnings: None! Just cozy Christmas celebrations <3

Word Count: 1.6k words

Reader Is: Gender Neutral!

Druig was never one for holidays. He wasn’t a scrooge, per se, but, as an Eternal, the seasons came and went so quickly. Years were mere blinks to a being who was thousands of years old. However, the look on your face as you put the ornaments on the tree made something stir around his heart, he had to admit.

He was sipping cocoa from a mug with a snowman on it, one from your vast collection. Kingo was in the kitchen, mixing up beverages, which was why he sensed a bit of liquor in the chocolatey beverage. It was still good, obviously, but he definitely blamed that for the rosy hue his cheeks had taken on.

Definitely not the cute little reindeer antlers you were wearing. Definitely not the way your laughter sounded from across the room.

All of the Eternals were there. A rare feat, but with the danger defeated, for now at least, it was cause for celebration, a time to be with family. It was your house you were all celebrating in, a large place tucked away in Northern Michigan, which, at this time of year, was absolutely covered in a thick layer of snow, more and more fluffy flakes coming down as the moments passed.

You spent your time as a writer. One of the most prolific of your time, the reviews said. But then again, you did have a thousand year head start on the rest of them.

Druig would never admit to it, but he had read them. All of them, every single one. He’d borrow them from libraries, read excerpts in bookstores, but Makkari had a collection of them, too. She was your most loyal beta reader. Therefore, when one went missing, she always had a pretty decent suspicion of who the culprit was.

And he wasn’t positive, but he was pretty sure most of your love interests shared a certain resemblance with…well, him. He didn’t like the way it stirred around in his chest, the way it made him feel so warm and…hopeful. But then again, he’d never asked you what you felt.

“(Y/N), where are your Christmas records?” Phastos asked, standing over with his husband, Ben, as they dug through a crate of records.

“Oh! I forgot to bring them down, I think. I’ll go grab them. I needed to get the topper anyway.” You stepped down from your stepladder and handed the ornament in your hand to Sprite, who was sitting on the floor under the tree, shaking gifts. Typical.

Druig watched as you left, eyes glued to you. Which was why he didn’t notice when Sersi had joined him, standing right beside him.

He gasped, mug rattled, but not to the point that he spilled any on his sweater. He cursed and looked over at her. “What?”

“You look rather festive, Druig. I thought you didn’t care for holidays.”

“I thought so too…” He muttered into his mug, taking a long sip.

“Right. Well, I think I saw some mistletoe in that box of decorations. I can put it up if you’d like?” She asked, that glimmer in her eyes that she got when she wanted to meddle.

Druig thought on it, as he heard your footsteps coming back down the stairs. He met her eyes and that was all that was needed. She nodded and set across the room, plucking it out of the box, along with a length of fishing line.

“I found it! The Muppets and John Denver!” You said excitedly, presenting another crate of records, this one all Christmas. “And some other stuff.”

“May I?” Phastos asked.

“Yeah, of course.” You handed them over and walked back over to the tub of ornaments, searching for a very special one. It was a large mug of cocoa with eleven marshmallows in it, each one etched with the name of an Eternal. You smiled softly and tucked it into the branches of your artificial tree, curling the fake pine to support its weight.

“Where did you find one with so many slots?” Druig found himself asking as he crossed the room to stand behind you.

“Had it custom made.” You replied, turning to face him.

“It’s beautiful, (Y/N).” Ajak complimented warmly from her seat by the fire.

“Thanks. Thought we needed something like that.”

“What are these?” Sprite asked, digging through the other box and pulling out a stocking with Thena’s name embroidered on it.

“Stockings.”

“You had those made, too?” Ajak asked, getting up to see for herself.

“Well, I did them. The embroidery, at least.” You admitted with a shrug, motioning to the hooks under the mantle. “We can put them up, if you want.”

Makkari nodded and grabbed the stockings, putting them all in one clean row in a blur of red and green. She stood next to Druig, elbowing him and tilting her head towards his stocking, which she’d put on the end.

Right next to yours.

He nearly choked on his cocoa. So did everyone know, then? Sersi, Makkari, who else? Kingo, no doubt.

“You alright there, Druig? Looking flushed.” Ikaris jabbed, that wicked gleam in his eyes.

Alright, then, yeah, it was everyone. Everyone but you, it seemed.

It was as if a stormcloud manifested above his head. He shook his head and stalked off towards the kitchen. He didn’t know much, but he did know a cookie would make him feel better. Snacks always seemed to. And there was no shortage of them, especially now, when you and Gilgamesh had baked nearly twelve dozen batches of them. Gingerbread, snickerdoodle, sugar cookies shaped like trees, chocolate chip, oatmeal no-bakes.

He reached for a sprinkle-covered tree and bit off the tip of it, the frosting sweet. The oven started beeping and you rushed in, arming yourself with an oven mitt before reaching in for what he assumed must be one of the last trays. Oatmeal raisin, it looked like.

“Do you need any help?” He asked, staring as you straightened up and brushed the hair out of your face.

“Oh! Thank you, Druig. I’m all set, though. Are they good?”

“Are what—” He looked down at the half-eaten tree in his hand. “Oh, yeah. They’re great.”

“Awesome.” You grinned. “New frosting recipe.”

“Well it’s perfect, whatever it is.” He leaned against the counter, that boyish smirk on his face. He wasn’t sure what came over him, then, but he had to get it out. “It’s great, by the way. That new book of yours.”

“You read it?”

“I read all of your books.” He confessed. “I think this one’s your best.”

Your heart raced as you met his eyes. Surely he knew, right? He had to. That you’d been writing about him for centuries. When he’d left all those years ago, hundreds of years ago, he’d taken a piece of your heart with him, a piece you’d only found in fiction, it seemed.

“Thank you. It…it means a lot to hear you say that.”

“Can’t wait for your next one.” He winked, plucking up a second cookie and leaving the kitchen before his tongue got him in any more trouble than it already had.

***

Later in the night, when almost everyone had gone to sleep, you were up, wrapping presents in front of the fireplace, folding the paper neatly, complete with name tags and perfect little bows.

You’d switched records. It was an older one, the Rat Pack.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas…Let your heart be light…

The words were smooth, glided right out of the speaker. Snow was still coming down in droves. It was good you had nowhere to go, otherwise you’d be snowed in. Well, if your family didn’t have every superpower known to man, you would be anyway. You were glad they were there.

You were glad they were home.

“Can’t sleep?” Druig’s voice startled you from your reverie and you turned around, grateful his present was already wrapped and under the tree.

“Not until I get these wrapped.” You told him.

“Christ, you really do go all out, don’t you?” He chuckled, crossing the room and sitting on the floor beside you, yet another cookie in his hand.

“I think I’d lose my mind if I didn’t. Keeps me…in synch. The routine of a year, you know?”

“Mmm.” He hummed, nodding, face alight in the warm oranges of the flames. “I didn’t see it that way until…recently.”

“Until right now?”

“Yeah, something like that.” He chuckled, watching as you carefully wrapped the last one, taping every edge perfectly and putting a tag on top, printing Sprite’s name with a pen. “What’d you get her?”

“You’ll have to find out tomorrow morning.” You told him, shifting to slide it under the tree with the others. “What did you get her?”

“It’s a surprise.” He grinned as you settled in next to him.

“Is it a surprise to you, too?”

He gasped, offended. “I got presents for everyone!”

“I believe you.”

“Sure you do.” He shook his head, laughing softly. “Say, ehm, (Y/N), I’ve been wondering…”

“Mistletoe!” You gasped, staring straight up at the ceiling where, sure enough, a string of mistletoe hung, glittering in the low light. “Who put that up?”

“Well I’ll be…” He breathed, staring up at it, too, heart racing faster than it had in any battle. “What…do you suppose we do about that?”

“I have a few ideas.” You slowly brought your gaze down, meeting his eyes.

He may have been the telepath, but you could tell the only thing on his mind was you as he leaned in, thick eyelashes fluttering shut as his lips met yours, pink and plush and warm. You kissed back, not leaving a single doubt in his mind that you wanted this, wanted him. Your hand rose to his flushed cheek, holding him close as his arm wound around your waist.

The grandfather clock struck midnight, and he pulled away to rest his forehead on yours, noses flush, eyes on you, glimmering with a million words unspoken. He did have a few, though. “Merry Christmas, (Y/N).”

“Merry Christmas, Druig.”