#I think I saw them at like. First thing in the morning so I was like... Passes back out

[ellecdc]

I can’t find many fics with this…but would you maybe be willing to right poly marauders x werewolf reader?

Not in like a super angsty way. Maybe just like the morning after the full moon and Sirius and James are teasing reader and Remus because “you guys are like puppies chasing after bunnies.” Or maybe like prep for the moon and wow all the chocolate is gone it’s barely been a day.

I love this! thanks for the request, I hope I did it justice <3

poly!marauders x werewolf!reader post full-moon [836 words]

CW: fem!reader, post-moon care, werewolves being giant goofy baby dogs, James being doting, sirius being soft af [my kryptonite], Remus being stupid in love

His eyes - though obviously clear and clean of any blood, sweat, or debris - feel like they are crusted over. His chest feels like it’s being weighed down by a herd of erumpants. And his mouth tastes like acid and iron.

But the first thing from his mouth is the sound of your name as it rips through the sandpaper that's coating his throat, blindly feeling around on the bed whilst refusing to open his eyes. 

“Easy, Rem.” James whispers, and Remus can feel gentle fingers card through his hair. “She’s okay.”

“Where is she?” Remus croaks, still blindly searching for you even though it has become clear Remus won’t find you there.

“She’s right here, Moons.” He hears Sirius murmur, further from him than James is, which makes him too far away. 

Remus finally wrenches his eyes open and turns his head on his pillow, his neck cracking audibly as he finally spots the bed you’re situated in.

If Remus didn’t know better, he’d think it rather looked like Sirius was the one in the hospital wing; laying back on the bed, his head propped up comfortably on the stack of pillows meant for you whilst you were situated between his legs, your cheek smooshed up against his chest that rose and fell in time with his breathing. 

But Remus does know better.

“What’re you doing in her bed?” Remus grumbles, but the inflection is more a result of his current state and less to do with any real ire. He’d be lying if he didn’t admit how sweet a picture it painted; Sirius’ onyx hair fanned out against the white of the pillow cases, the sun warming a few strands ever so slightly causing them to appear a chocolatey brown as your breathing continued in perfect rhythm. You seem so content, so secure, so loved that even whilst unconscious, you lean into them with your full trust.

“Same thing Jamie’s doing in yours.” Sirius responds breezily around a yawn, and Remus looks up to notice that James is actually perched on the head of his bed looking down at him - like he hung, well, the moon - massaging at his scalp that Remus swore saw any residual tension seeping from his body with every stroke of James’ careful fingers. 

“She okay?” Remus asks then, letting his eyes fall closed as Sirius lets out a indignant scoff. 

“‘Course she is, we’re not new here.” He sneers playfully at Remus, pulling you closer to him by the shoulders when you shift in your sleep and brushes his hand up and down your back in broad strokes; Remus is sure it feels heavenly.

“We’re fine too, by the way.” James teases as he leans down to press a kiss to Remus’ forehead. “Not like we were the ones doing all the hard work last night or anything.”

“Hard work.” Remus snorts. “I’m sorry; did your bones bend and break, and did your skin stretch and snap twice?” 

“No…” James admits, though it’s Sirius who continues the banter. 

“We were just in charge of chasing two giant, hyperactive puppies through the forest all night.”

“We’re not puppies.”

“Yes you are.” Sirius laughs, though Remus can tell - for Sirius’ part - he’s working very hard to dim his brightness in an attempt to keep you sound and not wake you. It makes Remus’ heart swell. “Dolly’s afraid of her own sodding shadow and yelped at every snapping twig, requiring plenty of reassurance, and Moony spent about twenty minutes chasing his own tail before he fell head first into a tree when he got dizzy.” 

“That’s not true, is it?” Remus whispers to James who quickly offers him an apologetic smile.

“‘Fraid so, Moons. The two of you also had what I swore was a howling contest last night, too.”

“Oh my gods.” Sirius laughs as he recalls the memory. “Moony’s voice actually cracked like a teenage boy going through puberty, and Dolly’s voice was completely hoarse by the time we convinced the two of you to knock it off.”

“She’s not going to be able to speak more than a whisper for the next foreseeable future.” James adds, looking equal parts fond, exasperated, and sympathetic for you as they watch you push your face into Sirius’ chest. 

“We’ll make her tea.” Sirius declares, his own voice but a whisper as he holds you close, eyes far away as if he’s focusing especially hard on keeping you comfortable and sleeping soundly.

“With lots of honey.” Remus agrees quietly, smile growing when Sirius’ eyes meet his and crinkle in the corners.

“Pandora told me she has a recipe for lavender tea; could be nice to try after a moon, hm?” James offers.

“You’d probably like that too, hey Moons? Lavender tea.” Sirius asks. 

And Remus couldn’t deny that he would probably like just about anything so long as he was able to enjoy it with the three of you; pre- and post-moons, recovering in the hospital wing, watching paint dry, steeping tea…whatever.

 “Yeah, Pads.” He admits. “I think I would.”

[inbabylontheywept]

Weird Grandpa Dale Story #1

The day started with me digging up cactus. Grandpa Dale had a weird beef with cactuses, bad enough to pay me 10 cents for every pound I turned in. Looking back at it, I think they offended him because they could exist without his consent: They didn't need his water, they didn't need his fertilizer, and they certainly didn't need his permission. 

And that, he simply could not abide. 

Grandpa Dale had been doing something weird that whole morning. I knew because I'd been able to watch him since sunrise. Every time I took a break from digging cactus to look back at the house, I saw him doing something with the gopher holes. 

That made me nervous. Things never went well when he started messing with the gophers.  Earlier that month he'd tried gassing them out, and all he got from that effort was nasty looking blisters up both arms. He almost never complained about anything, but he griped all day about how bad those blisters hurt. When his wife suggested that he go to the hospital he said No, what am I gonna tell them? That my trench got overrun? They wouldn't buy that. They'd think I was cooking meth. 

Which was funny to hear, but also, true, and also, enough for me to know better than to get involved in future gopher battles. 

Which is to admit that I did get involved. But I should've known better. A few hours in, he invited me over, gave me a cold soda, and showed me what he had set up: Two camping chairs, a wicked sharp shovel, a car battery, and a long length of copper wire leading to a pit he'd dug in the middle of the yard. Told me that if I stayed a bit and took a break, cooled down there with a soda in the shade, I'd see something amazing. I asked him if there was even a chance I could get hurt by this "something amazing", and he said "no," which I knew was a bald faced lie. But I believed him because I wanted to believe him. Because I wanted to know what he'd done, and I wanted to sit there in the shade with my grandpa. I also figured, hey, maybe getting gassed taught him a lesson. 

(Never, ever assume that the kind of person willing to break out chemical weapons against gophers is capable of being taught a lesson.) 

So I sat down in my chair and he beamed at that. He loved having an audience. Then I watched him lean forward and tap the ends of the wire against the battery terminals.

And that's where everything went wrong.  

The first thing that hit me was the yard itself. Little bits of sand and grit flying fast enough to hit my skin and bite. It took a year and change for all the little bits to work their way out. But I didn't even feel it at the time, because of what happened after. 

I genuinely think he'd imagined the gophers getting launched out of the holes, disoriented but alive. I think that shovel was there to finish them off afterwards. Which also would've been traumatizing, but probably less so than watching each of those cute little gopher holes projectile vomit bloody piles of tattered critter all over the lawn. 

Which, spoiler alert, is exactly what happened. The sky fell down, and the ground flew up, and the gophers found themselves with nowhere to go. So they did the next best thing and went a little bit everywhere.

I don't think it was actually silent afterwards, but I couldn't hear shit. There was just this long, ringing period of us looking at each other, then the meat piles, then the lawn crater, then the big buckled section of yard that looked oddly like Rockies just behind us, then back to each other. 

I think I did that two or three times before I felt my shoulders start to shake a little. I was crying. Felt weird to cry and not be able to hear it. Like a tic almost, or the way your body seizes up right before you puke. 

And then I looked at his face, and I saw him mouth a single soundless word: 

Shit.

[hanmaitani]

FIRST BORN

a rumplestiltskin twisted fairytale...

PAIRING - Ryomen Sukuna x Reader WC - 1.3k GENRE - smut CW - heavy dubcon, tf sukuna, monster fucking, two cocks, oral m!receiving, unprotected fucking, size kink, mentions of breeding, cumplay? /SUMMARY - you were nothing until you made a deal with the devil, to give you a name, a status, success, he told you that you'd owe him your first born... you didn't know how he'd meant it...

KINKTOBER MASTERLIST

It had been years. Years since the day you made your deal with the devil.

It isn’t like you ever forgot about it. It lived in the back of your mind constantly. The devil’s clawed fingertips digging in whenever you thought you could be happy, reminding you of the promise you’d made in return for what he’d given you.

What he’d given you… Every now and again you’d find yourself questioning if what you’d gotten was worth the price. A status. If you broke it down, all he’d done was change your status with a few people. A few of the right people.

But that small change had freefalled, spiraled into a change of success rate, your wealth, the respect people had for you. You’d been nothing when you’d made the deal, and now? Now you were well renowned in your field and making so much money you didn’t know what to do with it.

All for the low low price of a child that hadn’t even been born yet…

Sometimes the thought kept you up at night and you tried to think of loopholes. How you could just never have kids, sacrifice that desire. Or how you could convince your now soon-to-be husband you weren’t pregnant during the first and he’d never have to know.

You’d promised away your first born child and that haunted the back of your mind some days. You hadn’t thought about it at the time, the deal seeming childish and implausible. You’d regretted it since. Especially now.

You twisted in your bedsheets, your room only illuminated by the moon through the window. Every time you moved, the white silk of your nightdress brushed against your skin softly. You were nervous, but not because of the deal. In fact, it was pushed to the back of your mind for the night. Your only focus was your wedding. The one set for the morning.

The relationship had been a whirlwind. An unexpected union. But the man you’d be marrying had pursued you so purely that you were sure you could be happy with him. But that was what you were worrying about, twisting in your sheets. Would you truly be happy?

“All dressed up for me?” The voice that echoes through your room takes you by surprise. You nearly jump out of your skin as you jerk up into a sitting position, searching for the source of it. Red eyes seem to glow in the space by the window, four of them staring right at you. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten of our deal?”

You know who it is before he steps into the light, the deal that haunts you. “Y-you…” your voice is shaking as his form comes into shape, he looks different than when you first saw him. He looms taller, nearly as tall as your ceiling, four eyes and four arms. A monster in your midst.

You shake your head as you scramble up out of your bed, scuffling backwards, trying to get away without turning your back to him. “But I- I’m not- it’s not time for you to collect yet…” You’re confused, scared, and feeling so, so small.

“You all dressed up like a sacrifice for me already?” He chuckles when you hit the wall and he only has to take a few steps to cross the distance to you. Two of his arms lean against the wall near your head, caging you in, one immediately starts to grope at your hip while the last one pinches at the light fabric of your white nightdress.

“I don’t- I don’t have a child to give you…” you’re not understanding his implications, your brain not wrapping around the smirk he wears.

“You mistook my words, sweet thing,” his nose drags along your neck as he inhales and you’re sure you’re shaking when his tongue flicks out to lick you. “I left you alone for these years, waiting until you were ready. And now you think you can give yourself to another man? A mere mortal?” He laughs as his clawed fingers dig into the fabric of your dress, immediately starting to tear at it. “I made you, you’re mine. And now you’re going to give me your first born. He’ll be mine too.”

You can barely process what he’s said before he’s tearing your dress as he shoves you to your knees. Your gasp is cut short when the lower two of his arms pin your own to the wall by your head and you’re suddenly aware of how little is covering such a big part of him. Or… parts of him, you learn as tears that fabric away too.

He can smell the fear that radiates off of you as you take in the sight of his two cocks bobbing under your attention. He grips the lower one first, fisting it as he brings it closer to your lips. “Open up now,” he laughs as you obey out of fear, worried of what would happen if he were to have to force you. He’s lewd about it too, smearing the leaking tip of it against your lips before pushing past them.

The stretch of it mixed with how the second cock drags across your cheek, leaking onto it, makes you tear up in humiliation. Your lips have to open wide, stretch almost painfully to accommodate the way just one of his cocks as he pushes it in without remorse. “Remember I made you,” rings in your ears as he groans, his hand wrapping into your hair to force his cock deeper.

He isn’t kind with it. You swear your ears stop working, fuzzy sounds barely making it through the haze as he fucks into your mouth without remorse. Your saliva drips from the corners of your lips and the gags forced from your throat sound wet, squelching.

“You’re such a messy little toy, knew you would be…” His comment is paired quickly with a large glob of saliva landing on your cheek. You whine at the impact, the demeaning act of him spitting on you as his cock is snugly down your throat. Your vision darkening on the edges and your lungs burning.

You swear you’re about to lose consciousness when he pulls back, leaving the tip in your mouth as he fills your mouth with his cum. Before you can think to spit or swallow, he’s dragging you up with one hand keeping your mouth closed as he looked down at you. “Let’s keep that in there for later, okay?”

You’re dizzy as he manipulates your body. It’s embarrassing to admit but you’re already dripping by the time his second cock is prodding at your entrance.

He doesn’t care to prep you, as he holds your back to his chest, two hands on your waist to hover you over his cock. The stretch itself feels like you’re being split apart, like he’s rearranging you to fit only him as he presses into you.

Your eyes are already crossed, his hand cupping your chin so he can see your expression as you lose your wits, trying to keep you from losing the cum he’d left in your mouth. Your whines sound like gargles as he fucks into you, his other cock brushing against your clit.

“You’re such a tiny little toy,” he growls above you, one hand pressing to your lower stomach as he fucks into you, the tip of his cock bumping against his hand through your skin, “I’m going to enjoy shaping your womb to the size of my heir…”

A/N - i have many thoughts and no spoons

TAGLIST - OPEN

@needtoloveoutloud @littleplantfreak @hayatoseyepatch

@tsukiran @awkwardaardvarkforever @all-in-the-fandoms @mightyknight501 @qichun

@megumuro @s0uldarling @seiri-ously @deepenthevoid @winniethepooh-lover

@stunies @all-in-the-fandoms @little-miss-naill @hayatoseyepatch @lumestar

@theycallmenanamisgirl @iluv-ace @rockrose-blossoms @afire24 @raven-nevra

[autisticoscarpiastri]

Kiss and Make Up - Norstappen x reader

If Lando wins the championship, I take full responsibility for it.

Warning: Like one swear? Arguments between Max and Lando

It’s the start of winter break, and you couldn’t be happier. You’re off of school for over a month and your boyfriends didn’t have any race for awhile. The perfect time to stay home and chill. Or so you thought. It started subtle at first, either boy saying they were staying over with a friend while the other was in your shared apartment. One of them always bailing on date night, but never both of them.

It all culminated one rare night when both boys were in the apartment, when you were watching Home Alone with Lando in the living room while Max was streaming. Lando was cuddled up to you, covered in the fuzziest blanket while you played with his curls. It was utter bliss. Well, it was until Max came out to the kitchen to refill his water bottle, knowing you would berate him if he drank only Red Bulls all day. As soon as Max opened the door to exit his stream room, Lando pulled his head from under your hand, sitting straight up, glaring at Max. Max didn’t notice at first, but once he did, he rolled his eyes and let out a scoff. You, having noticed Lando moving from under your hand, saw the whole interaction unfold. This was the last straw. You sat up on the couch and asked “What is up with you two? Ever since break started there’s been an animosity between you two. One of you always bails on dates or is staying with a friend.”

“It wouldn’t be a problem if he didn’t steal the Championship from me,” Lando said.

“It’s not stealing when I was ahead the whole season. It’s not my fault you fumbled the bag,” Max responded.

Lando opens his mouth to reply but you beat him to it. “Okay, what we’re not gonna do is fight like we’re children. How about you two talk it out like normal, functioning adults.” Both men had their arms crossed, refusing to look at each other. “Okay, well if you two won’t talk it out with me here, I guess I’ll have to stay over at a friend’s place until you guys sort this out. This relationship only works with mutual respect.”

“Babe.”

“Schat,” they said at the same time.

“I won’t hear it. I’m gonna go pack my things, and I won’t be back until this is sorted.” With a final nod, you get up from the couch to go to your room to pack a suitcase.

The boys sit on the couch with as much space between them as possible. They stayed like that even after you left.

Lando let out a huff. “What does she think we are, a couple of kids fighting on the playground?”

Max sighs. He has missed having his boyfriend and hated having to tiptoe around him when he wanted to spend time with you. “I’m sorry for avoiding you. I know it must be hard for you to finally have a good enough car to be in the running for the championship only to barely miss the mark. It’s the closest anyone’s gotten and you’re part of that feat.”

“I’m sorry too, for all the bitchy comments I’ve about in interviews. You truly deserve this title, no matter what I say.”

They then go into a somewhat awkward hug, affection with each other was never either man’s strong suit.

“What were you two watching before all this?” Max asks.

“Home Alone,” Lando responds.

“What’s it about?” Max inquires.

“Oh, you’ve never seen it?! It’s a Christmas classic. Let me start it from the beginning.”

It wasn’t until the next morning that you got a text message saying they made up.

[kindaasrikal]

Inspired by that post from @/sand-jam because the way i screamed when i saw it

So what do you do when your previous abuser who took away your free will and forced you to commit horrendous actions through your own hands, and who used too look so powerful, so big and larger than life itself, is suddenly a child. When that man you once remember was always just some kid. Some kid who could’ve been different, who could’ve been a friend, family. How do you react when that child is still the one who hurt you, regardless of how much smaller he is now?

Okay actual rant here but i was gonna add some more to this but i got impatient but i WILL comeback and add those little things and post this again, or replace the images.

Sand jam’s post actually made me scream because YES i think if they acknowledge the fact that Morro is now younger than the ninja it would be a great point of development. Because one, this is still the guy who hurt you tremendously and pretty much mentally abused you first weeks on end. This is still the guy who had amazing strength, strategy, and control on both the battlefield and outside of it. This is still a man who was a threat, and is potentially an even worse one with more training over the years under his belt, even without the element. But, two, this is now also some kid who is the same/similar age as your students, one who ran away just like how he did, and someone who is no longer on the path of evil but simply wants to rest now. Someone who regrets and feels guilty but was never taught how to handle such emotions, let alone any at all. This kid in front of Lloyd and the man that is in Lloyd’s memories are still the same person, but one grew from what he once was. How do you deal with that. Why do you have to deal with that again?

Seriously the angst between them would be perfect because it would be so complicated.

PHHH NOOOO I FORGOT TO COLOUR TWH MOITH

Ill do that in the morning.

If im being perfectly honest this isn’t really morro’s new design in my style i rushed it, i’ll do a proper one soon.

To be honest i was struggling on the faces and their expressions, especially lloyds so if his face overall looks weird just ignore it.

[dira333]

Stray Cat Police - Shinsou Hitoshi x Reader

meet-cute and confession - for @hitoshishusband for the Milestone Event Week 1

The kitten is a tiny white thing, barely bigger than your hand.

“Oh my gosh, you are so cute!” You leave your coffee behind to crouch low, tsk to catch his attention.

It hesitates, mewling, turning its head in the opposite direction.

You expect its mother to be waiting and lean to the side to check behind the shrubbery, only to find a set of beautiful, deep purple eyes staring back at you. The kitten bites the tip of your fingers as you squeak in surprise and the guy attached to those purple eyes moves, slow and yet deliberate, toward you.

“Forget it,” you hiss, picking the kitten up. “This one’s mine.”

He halts, surprise visible in his eyes. You can’t see much more of his face, something like a metal box hiding his mouth, but his hair seems just as purple as his eyes.

“Shouldn’t you be more scared for your own safety when you find a guy in the bushes?”

You blink, embarassed. “I mean, yeah, but… you were looking at the kitten more than you were looking at me, so I… I didn’t think, I guess.”

“Well, you can still give me the kitten, and-”

“Forget it,” you interrupt him, trying to get up without flashing him in the short skirt you wore for work. “Find a different one.”

The kitten pees on your hands.

“So you want to be handed over?” You ask it and it mewls back at you pathetically. You sigh, glare ready when gloved hands reach out for it. “No.”

“It clearly needs a home.”

“And it will have one, with me.”

“I saw it first.”

“And it still chose me.”

He sighs. “Look, I’m a Hero. Maybe you’ve heard of me, but-”

“That won’t get you any brownie points here.” You hesitate. “What kind of hero are you?”

“Underground. But you might have heard of me, Brainwave?”

“Not really. Did you catch anyone big lately?”

His shoulders fall down. “No, thanks for asking.”

“Sorry. I could, uh, buy you a coffee? As a thanks for your service?”

“I really want that cat.”

“Go visit the shelter?”

“Oh, no, because I never thought of that before?” His snark is surprising, but not unwelcome.

“So why haven’t you?” You hold the kitten up to check for flees but it seems healthy. His eyes follow its movement and you clutch it back to your chest where it begins to purr.

“It’s supposed to be a present. My little sister is starting school this week and she wants a kitten.”

“And she can’t have a bigger cat why?”

“Eri’s special. If she wants a kitten that will grow with her, I will get her a kitten. There are just no kittens around, it seems. And this one…” He hesitates. “Her hair is white. Blueish white, but white. It’s perfect.”

Your heart melts at this, just a little, but enough it seems. You hesitate as well.

“Can you prove that story?”

“Sure,” he pulls out his phone, turning it for you to see. His phone background is him and a little girl with white hair and a horn on the side of her head, both of them grinning into the camera, though his grin is more on the lazy side. He’s really attractive if he’s not wearing his Hero outfit, it seems.

“And this is Petrol,” he swipes through his phone, showing off a fat cat with almost yellow fur. “He’s her Dad’s cat. Smells like Petrol too, don’t ask me why. Eri calls him Mister Stinker.”

You laugh, swallowing down the last of your hesitation.

“Fine. I will give you the kitten. But I wanna get updates on his health and if I’m not absolutely satisfied I’m taking it back.”

“Are you the stray cat police?” He jokes but you don’t smile. “Something like that. What are you going to name it?”

“I’ll let Eri decide. You’re not going to regulate that, are you?”

-

Brainwave, as you still call him, is diligent with the updates. 

Every morning you get a picture of Pitpat, the little cat, named after the pitter patter of his tiny paws on the kitchen floor, as he explained.

Pitpat is clearly well loved, if you can judge that by the amount of toys he already has. So well loved you don’t hesitate to call him up when you find a very pregnant cat on your way home.

He’s quick to answer and even quicker to question you.

“You’re not taking it in?”

“I will,” you tell him, scratching the feline’s dirty chin. “But I thought I’d give you the heads up if you wanted one of the kids.”

Surprised silence follows it. You wonder if this was a bad idea.

“I’d take the mother,” he finally answers. “No one takes the mothers, right?”

“Oh,” you blink. “That’s… very thoughtful of you. She’s a nice little lady. A little too eager to bite.”

“Bite you,” he corrects you, a grin in his voice. “She’ll love me.”

You laugh. “You’re very confident for a guy who got peed on yesterday.”

“Hey, we don’t judge Petrol’s lack of bladder control.” But he’s laughing and you wonder how you got here, joking with him on the phone when you don’t even know his first name. Or his last.

-

Lady bites him too. He promises that she bit you harder but you doubt it.

All five of her little ones find new homes and you wonder when there’ll be an end to it, the updates about the cats you no longer have any claim to.

Brainwave must know it too, because much too soon there’s a message in your inbox that you’ve been dreading for a while.

Brainwave: Can we get coffee? Where we found Pitpat? I wanna talk.

“Found more cats?” You greet him, trying to downplay the effect he has on you, the rush of your heart at his sight in sweatshirts and a loose-fitting tee, smiling this lazy smile of his.

“Isn’t that your job?”

“Just a hobby,” you deflect, cursing your sudden awkwardness when he gets up to get your drinks.

“Listen,” he twirls his cup in his hands as soon as he’s sitting, looking over your shoulder instead of into your eyes. “I wanna tell you my name.”

“You shouldn’t,” you blurt out. “I can’t sue you if I don’t know your name.”

“Why would you sue me?”

“Why would you tell me your name?”

He laughs, sudden and carefree, and it calms your heartbeat better than any anxiety medication ever could.

“I wanna go on a Date with you,” he manages to say through the last chuckles. “No crime fighting, no cat rescues, just… a date. You and me. And it would be weird if you’d call me Brainwave the whole time.”

“A date,” you echo, speechless.

“Yes. Because I like you. I don’t send so many cat updates because I’m afraid of you, you know.”

“Fooled me,” you huff and he laughs again, softer this time, a sound you want to here at least once more.

“You’re not at all afraid I could say no?” You ask after a second, fiddling with a packet of sugar to ease your nerves. “You’re that confident?”

“Not at all, I’m just very good at faking it.”

“Hmm,” you narrow your eyes at him. “Prove it.”

Without a word he pulls his phone out, swipes his thumb across and turns it over.

There’s a message on screen, riddled with typos and emojis.

Eri’s wishing him luck on his quest to confess to you.

“What if you fail?” 

The question slips out unnoticed, but you don’t miss the way his lips wobble.

“Not that you do, you know, fail, I mean.”

“So you wanna go on a date with me?”

“Promise we’re not picking up stray cats?”

“I promise to try.”

[hywonuka]

keep that in mind | jww

every step that i take is a mistake to you, chapter 1

Sypnosis: After accepting the dare from his friends of making Y/N fall for him within 4 months, Wonwoo seems to realize how hard —and complicated— this is actually gonna be for him, due to awkward encounters and shared environments.

Pairing: college!wonwoo x college!fem!reader

Genre: college au, falling for a bet or dare trope, slow burn

Warnings: none

Word count: 2.086 k

intro | chapter 1 | chapter 2

9:30 in the morning. Wonwoo is late. Way too late. He wore the first thing he saw on his closet, and ran away to his faculty building, knowing he wouldn’t make it to his first class. He cursed at himself for not waking up in time, and promised himself he wouldn’t drink that much next time he went out with the guys, which was an obvious lie he always told himself.

As he was running to his destination, he couldn’t help but think about last night, and the damn dare he now had to fulfill. Why did he say yes? Firstly, he doesn’t know how to talk to women. Secondly, it’s not like she was unknown to him. In fact, they both were part of the same friend group, which, in Wonwoo's eyes, makes everything more awkward. And last (but not least), they both were part of the student council. Funniest part is that, even with all the opportunities he had have, he has barely ever talked to her, not because he didn’t like Y/N, but because he had no idea of what to say to her. He should just approach her, out of nowhere? No way, he couldn’t. Way too shy for that.

How was he gonna do this now? He only had 4 months, not enough time for him, but now he couldn’t back out. No, god, he couldn’t. The guys will mock him if he even thinks of backing out. He is fucked up and he knows it.

He glances at his phone, to check the hour. 9:45, and his next class isn’t until 10:30. He decided to keep walking, as the Engineering faculty building was nearby, and he already missed the first class of the day. He was passing by a small field with flowers, when he saw a familiar silhouette, which made him stop on his feet. “Hao? What are you doing here?

“Morning man. Just picking up some flowers for Asher”, Minghao said, as he showed Wonwoo a small bouquet he made himself. Asher was Minghao's partner and one of Y/N closest friends.

“Flowers, huh? What’s the occasion?”

“None at all, just felt like it”

“Huh?”

“Of course, you wouldn’t understand”

“W-why?” The tall one asked, startled. He knew his friend wasn’t fond of the idea of the dare, but he wouldn’t think that bad of him now, would he?

“Cuz you are a virgin and a loser who has never even touched a woman before”. Yeah, he thinks that bad of him now. On a normal day, Minghao would reassure Wonwoo about that topic, but seems like he won’t be doing it anymore.

“No need to be that harsh dude”

“And no need to say yes to such a dare. Wonwoo, have you thought of the consequences of this?”

“I… No, I haven’t. But is not like I’m gonna win it”. At this point, Wonwoo was trying to excuse himself, even though deep down he really thought he wouldn’t make it. He cannot make Y/N fall for him in 4 months. He needs more time for that. And it’s not like he knows how to make her fall for him.

“Whatever. When everything is messed up, if you come ask me for advice all I’m gonna say is ‘I told you so’, got it?”, as he said those words, he finished the bouquet, looking at it with a fond smile.

“You are giving it to her now?”

“Yeah, gonna see them before their classes start”

“Can I…?” Minghao gave a deathly glare to the tall one. He knew he was just asking as Asher and Y/N were classmates, which meant that Minghao was going to their faculty building.

“You are lucky you are my friend, cuz if not I would have kicked your ass at that question”

“But can I accompany you or not…?”

“Do as you please”, and with that, Minghao started walking towards the Art and Design faculty building. With no hesitation, Wonwoo ran after him, trying to make small talk, even if the other wasn’t really in the mood to talk to him.

They finally reached the Art and Design faculty building, which was just a couple minutes away from the Engineering faculty building. Minghao’s face changed completely as he was looking for his partner, which Wonwoo found endearing. And, if Minghao already seemed whipped while looking for Asher, the moment he landed his eyes on them, his whole expression lightened up. He quickly walked up to them, calling out their name. “Asher!!”

The goth stopped walking as they heard their boyfriend’s voice. The person accompanying them also stopped, which Wonwoo recognised even before she turned around. It was Y/N.

He suddenly felt his palms getting sweaty. Damn, how was he gonna do this now?? Should he approach herdirectly? Follow Minghao and just join the conversation?

“Hao!! What are you doing here?” Asher’s face lightened up at the sight of their boyfriend. It was that moment that Wonwoo noticed their makeup. He already knew they were goth, but never really looked at their makeup. It was pretty cool.

“Just wanted to give some flowers to my monarch”

“God, you know you can call me princess”

“Monarch sounds cooler”, he said as he leaned on to kiss their lips and give them the bouquet. Wonwoo couldn’t help but look away, feeling he was intruding on an intimate moment between the couple. His eyes landed on Y/N.

She was beautiful, that's something he always knew. It wasn’t a surprise she got many admirers. Damn, it’s gonna be impossible to win this dare. He didn’t realize he was staring at her, until she smiled at him, making him blush and look away. Great, now she will think he is even more of a loser than he already is.

“Are you going to this afternoon's student council meeting?” Her sweet voice surprised Wonwoo, not because he hadn't heard it before, but because it was directed at him. He winked a couple times before answering. “Y-yeah, gotta go”

Minghao looked briefly at the interaction between both of them, slightly annoyed, before turning back his attention to his partner.

“Oh, cool, I’ll see you there then!! It’s always good to see a familiar face at those places”, and she smiled at him. He could feel his heart race, due to the nervousness. He was about to say something, but the sudden sound of Minghao’s voice interrupted him. “Wonwoo, don’t you have to go to class?

Wonwoo looked at his phone. It was 10:27 and he, in fact, had to run to his next class. He waved them goodbye and ran to his faculty building, with the image of Y/N’s smile imprinted in his mind. These were gonna be the hardest 4 months of his life.

꩜ ‧.°. 𖦹.°.‧ ꩜‧.°.𖦹 .°.‧꩜ ‧.°. 𖦹.°.‧ ꩜‧.°.𖦹 .°.‧꩜ ‧.°. 𖦹.

Being part of the student council wasn’t something he had planned when he started college, but somehow knew would end up happening. After all, he has been class president during middle and high school.

He didn’t mind being his class president in uni. Been there, done that, he thought himself as he was elected, but things escalated way too fast, and without even knowing how, he was stuck in the student council. It was fun, and he got to be around some of his friends, such as Jeonghan and Minghao. That’s how he got to meet Y/N, and to be in the huge friend group both of them were part of.

Bzzz, bzzz

The sudden phone buzz scared him as he was on his way to the student council. He took his phone from his back pocket, and wasn’t surprised when he saw the notifications.

[vernon 🥸 has added you to a gc]

[vernon 🥸 has changed the gc name to wonwoo being a loser pt 4]

Wonwoo rolled his eyes at the screen, knowing perfectly fine what this was about.

[minghao psycho]: pt 4??

[mingyu uni]: i think he already made a fool of himself like 3 times with one of our dares

[mingyu uni]: you werent there last time tho

[minghao psycho]: makes sense

There was an unspoken rule about their dares. If you weren’t at the hangout, you didn’t get to know what the others were dared to, and no one had ever complained about it. Except for that one time in which Jeonghan was dared to ignore Cheol for a week, and as Cheol couldn’t make it for the hangout, he was heavily confused if he had messed up or if it had just been a simple dare. He even had begged the rest of the guys to break their rule and tell him the truth.

So it wasn’t a surprise for Wonwoo that Vernon created a new group chat. In fact, he was kinda expecting it to happen.

[vernon 🥸]: well wonwoo, any update??

[vernon 🥸]: time is passing by~

[wonwoo]: vernon its been A DAY?!?!

[wonwoo]: lemme breathe haven’t recovered from the hangover yet lmao

[tiger wannabe]: morning?? tf is this about now😭😭

[mingyu uni]: its fucking 5 pm dude wdym morning

Wonwoo laughed at his friends, as they started a discussion over hoshi’s sleeping tendencies. He kept walking, as another notification appeared on his lockscreen.

[minghao psycho]: are u coming??

The tall one laughed at the contact name of Minghao in his phone. He wanted to add him as ‘Minghao psychology’ but it was too long and just writing psycho made everything funnier.

[wonwoo]: omw, will be there in 5 mins

[minghao psycho]: nice

[minghao psycho]: btw she is here

[minghao psycho]: and asked bout u

Wonwoo could feel his heart beating faster. Why on Earth would she ask about him? Did she know about the dare? No, that’s impossible. Wonwoo hasn’t even interacted at all with her.

[wonwoo]: what she asked?

[minghao psycho]: if u were coming

[minghao psycho]: i would say try flirting with her in front of me and ill kick your ass

[minghao psycho]: but lets be honest

[minghao psycho]: u wont even look her way

[wonwoo]: what a dickhead

[minghao psycho]: deserved

[minghao psycho]: best part of this dare u dont even have the guts to talk to women

Wonwoo put his phone in silence and back to one of his pockets, ignoring his friend's texts. He is kinda tired of the same jokes all the time, and now that Minghao has also started to say those comments, just because he accepted the stupid dare. He wouldn’t admit it out of loud, but it hurts his ego.

After a couple minutes, he finally arrived where the meeting was taking place, and quickly sat down next to Jeonghan, smiling at him and Minghao. He looked around and without noticing, his gaze landed on Y/N. She was happily chatting with some of her friends, as she was about to start the meeting. Wonwoo couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. Both his friends sat next to him noticed, but said nothing about it.

“Well, now that everyone is here, the meeting can begin!!” The sweet voice of Y/N made Wonwoo come back to reality. He was at a student council meeting, in order to prepare this year’s university open days.

As the meeting progressed, Wonwoo could feel his concentration span diminished. All he could think about is getting back to his dorm to play league with Soobin, one of his classmates. He was already in the game, as Wonwoo saw on Discord. Agh, and he was stuck in that stupid meeting.

"Are you fine with the idea, Wonwoo?” Jeonghan’s voice startled the one with glasses, who had absolutely no idea of what was being discussed. Of course, he would do whoever in his same situation would do. “Yeah, sounds great”

Jeonghan smiled at his friend, and then at Y/N, nodding at her. Wonwoo was confused, what did that mean??

“Then it seems that we will be working together, Wonwoo!!”

Wonwoo looked at Y/N, and then at Jeonghan, trying not to look too confused. Working together in what? God, if only he hadn’t been lost in thought.

“Y-yeah, it will be great…”

As the meeting finished, Wonwoo ran to Minghao and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the room they were in. Minghao already knew what his friend was gonna ask, and wanted to see him suffer a bit more.

“W-why am I working with Y/N at?!”

“Some collaboration between Computer Engineering and Design. I can’t wait to see Vernon’s reaction to this”

A/N: yaaay, 1st chapter published!! i hope yall enjoy it, i honestly had a lot of fun writing this and thinking of different ways to make wonwoo more embarrassed :3 ill try posting next chapter next week, so i hope yall stay tuned!! you can ask to be added to the tag list if you want to! im also posting a masterlist of my fics (and this one too) and posting to my profile so it can be easier to find the fics :)

Taglist: @adonisbtch @mydearhangel @wonvsmile @wonuilu @peachyaeger @minwonwoozi

[daenysx]

3:23am sirius? With reader waking up from a nightmare? Mayhaps mayhaps ...

3.23 AM I SIRIUS BLACK

you can almost feel the hand on your shoulder that connects you to reality.

it's like slipping from unconsciousness, you're being pulled back, you're desperate to lift your body from bed. there's something wrong but you can't focus on it, trapped in your sleep.

"it's okay." someone says. you feel too warm. "you're okay, baby, wake up."

the slightly scratchy voice tickles your ears deliciously, you open your eyes. it's not like you flinch or anything, but the first thing you see is sirius's worried eyes. his thumb draws circles on your shoulder, does he even know he's been doing that?

"what-" you try to lift yourself on your elbows. the words get stuck.

"i think you were having a nightmare, lovely girl." sirius murmurs with a kiss on your head. "you looked so uncomfortable, i was worried."

"i don't remember." you tell him, and it's true. the feeling of discomfort is remaining, but you don't know what you dreamed of. your face aches from frowning.

"that's okay, and we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." he says. "do you need me to turn on the lights?"

it's the middle of the night, and he's losing sleep because of you. you know sirius doesn't care about that, but still you want to take your time with processing the negative emotions you felt unconsciously, you don't even know what you saw.

"no, thank you." you say softly, and settle down in bed again. "um- did i make any sound?"

sirius fixes his hair briefly before bringing his hand to your cheek. "only a few of them. you didn't say anything, but you were feeling nervous, i think."

"maybe i'll remember later." you say.

it's mostly okay, sirius hugs you the way he was doing before he woke up. you put your head on his shoulder, safe in his embrace.

"will you be able to fall asleep again?" he asks silently. he'd stay awake with you until the morning if you can't.

"i feel exhausted." you confess. "i want to sleep, i hope i can."

sleep doesn't come easy. sirius spends the next thirty minutes by rubbing your back with slow circles, kissing your head many times, and speaking in soft encouragements to your ear. you feel like a mush in his arms, desperate for some good rest and unable to find it.

he doesn't let this become insufferable, though. you know he's there with you, you won't sit alone in bed in the middle of the night if you can't find sleep.

sirius pushes his luck a bit harder by adjusting your positions under the covers. he helps you put your head on his heart, you don't protest. it beats steadily, and so beautiful in a way that makes you want to listen to it forever. a nice rhythm in the dark, you follow it. you don't even know when your mind gives up, but at some point it does, leaves you into sleep again.

sirius is proud of himself, and happy with the way you take easier breaths. the night turns into a peaceful one, now that he knows you're feeling better and getting some sleep. you squeeze his fingers. a pretty smile forms on your lips, he can see it this close. he hopes you're having a nice dream this time. he hopes you dream of him.

[thezombieprostitute]

The Arrangement - Part 9

Summary: Jake's done a lot of things to keep his sister, and then his niece, safe from his parent's influence and manipulation. If he wants to keep them safe, he has to marry you.

Warnings: Bad parents, Body shaming, Implied abuse. Let me know if I missed any!

Part 8 -- Part 10

Series Masterlist

Jake had his calendar open on his phone, putting in all of the events the two of you had been volun-told to attend. His heart sank as he realized just about every weekend would be taken up with something. He was going to have to work with you to coordinate calendars, clothes, and everything else.

"And don't forget to show up at the office first thing Monday morning," Montgomery tells him. "We've got an entire new employee orientation set up just for you."

"Thanks," Jake nods, exhaustion heavy in his voice. "8 AM, right?"

Montgomery laughs. "That's the arrival time for the drones and minions," he jabs. "But I suppose it would work to help endear you to them. Just don't expect anyone but your secretary to be there until at least 10."

"Right," Jake says through gritted teeth. "And do we need to get fitted for clothes or anything?"

"You saw the ones we got for you in the closet, yes?" Cordelia says with a raised eyebrow.

You try to hide your wince. If the parents knew you weren't actually sharing a bed you'd be in even more trouble.

"Yes, mother," Jake lies. "I just...didn't know if...if we'd need something special or tailored for the events."

The parents seem to buy his explanation and you breathe a little easier. Feeling full of nervous energy you keep yourself busy by refilling drinks and gently ask if anyone needs anything else.

Your mother snorts, "it's such a small wonder you haven't been able to lose weight, thinking people need more than that feast of a breakfast."

Jake's mother, Cordelia, laughs in agreement. "Seriously, girls these days are just too lacking in self control to starve themselves like we had to."

"It's such a shame," Carol shakes her head. Jake bites back a comment, reminding himself of what happened just an hour before when he tried to defend you. "I swear, the 'body positive' trend is undermining the strength of will of the younger generations. Who needs to eat to be healthy? Just take a few multivitamins a day."

Cordelia nods, "and you know they're not going to be able to make it through a pregnancy, either. The babies are going to be so fat!"

Your mother's follow up comment gets cut off by her phone ringing. You recognize the ringtone as the one she uses for when Travis calls her. "Travis!" Carol cheerily cries as she answers. You shouldn't be affected, but it still hurts that she never answers your calls with such excitement.

Everyone pauses when her smile drops. A hand covers her mouth and she starts shaking. "What hospital," she gasps, getting everyone's attention. "We'll be right there!" She hangs up and turns to your father, "Travis was in a car accident! We have to go!"

Your parents step away from the table, followed by Jake's parents.

"Should we go with you?" Jake offers, standing from the table.

"No," Montgomery shoots him down. "Only so many people allowed and we don't want to cause a scene by bringing a crowd."

Your mother starts sobbing and you go to comfort her but she smacks your hands away. "If we hadn't been visiting you he'd be okay," she snaps at you. You lower your head in shame. "You just had to keep us here, didn't you? I know you've always hated Travis. You know he needs more attention than you. And now he's in the hospital!"

"Let's go, Carol," your father intones. "Our son needs us more than she needs to be yelled at."

Carol huffs and storms out, followed by your father. You want to cry but Jake's parents are still here and you need to be a good hostess.

You turn to them to ask if they need anything but Cordelia sees your face and immediately scoffs. "Don't bother trying to keep us here. We're not that interested in you and now that your parents are gone, so are we."

William grabs his coat and tells Jake, "make sure not to screw things up worse. Anything happens to ruin this arrangement and your niece is up for grabs."

Jake's parents head out, leaving the two of you. That's when you start sobbing.

Jake's immediate thought is to comfort you, but he also knows he shouldn't touch you without permission. But would it be weird to ask when you're clearly already upset? Do you need words instead of hugs? Do you need water? Food? Blankets? Something else? He stands, torn with indecision, for several moments before moving close, but not too close, and asking, "what do you need?"

Caught off guard by the question you shake your head, "I don't know."

"Okay...let's start simple," Jake's voice wavers as he tries to keep himself calm. "Do you want a hug?"

You sob for a few more seconds before silently nodding. A hug does sound nice. You're not used to them, but they can feel good, right?

Taking your nod as permission Jake gently wraps his arms around you and you lean into him. When he helped you with the spilled coffee you got a sense of how much muscle his arms had but the hug solidified it. More importantly, he was so gentle with you, despite being so strong. You cry even harder at the realization of how much you've needed such a gentle touch in your life. You push a little harder into Jake's chest and he doesn't move. He doesn't say anything, doesn't do anything other than just hold you and let you cry.

Part 8 -- Part 10

Series Masterlist

Tagging: @alicedopey; @ashdoctor; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn; @irishhappiness

@jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @lokislady82; @ronearoundblindly

[fratttymatty]

Greeked

(All characters are 18+)

Matty never thought college would be this much of a shock. Sure, he was excited for the experience, but he wasn’t really prepared for how much things would change—and how fast.

He was 18 now, heading into his freshman year with a sense of nervous optimism. Matty had spent the last year of high school pining after his crush, Kayla—now, Kayla was his girlfriend, and for the first time in his life, he felt like he wasn’t invisible. He was excited for college, but one thing was certain: no matter how crazy college life might get, he was happy to be with Kayla—er, Cassie, now.

That was the first thing that had changed.

They had arrived at college together, a little overwhelmed but ready to face the unknown. Cassie, though—she had already changed. Matty was still trying to make sense of it.

“I’m telling you, Matty,” Cassie said one afternoon, walking hand in hand across the campus. “I so need to join a sorority. I’m like, totally vibing with the idea of Delta Theta Phi. They have, like, the best parties and stuff.”

Matty smiled, squeezing her hand. He’d known Cassie—Kayla—since high school. She’d always been fun and confident, but not quite like this. There was something a little… more bubbly about her now. More... valley girl.

“I don’t know,” Matty said, shaking his head. “You weren’t really into that stuff in high school, though. Is this, like… really you?”

Cassie stopped, looking at him with a confused expression. “What do you mean, babe? Of course it’s me. I just… I don’t know, I feel like college is all about being your best self, you know? I’ve been thinking about, like, how much fun it would be to totally fit in. I just know I’d be amazing at it!”

Matty blinked. “Uh… okay, if you say so. But you don’t need to change, Cassie. I love you just the way you are.”

She smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “I know, babe. But this is just, like, the next level. You’ll see.”

They kept walking, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of Matty’s mind. Cassie? She was still the girl he loved, right? Then why did she feel… different? She wasn’t the quiet, introspective girl he knew. This new version of her was louder, bouncier, more caught up in appearances and parties.

Then it happened. The air around them shifted, and a strange swirl of energy seemed to surround them. Matty didn’t know what to make of it—he couldn’t see anything, but he felt it deep inside, like the world had just tilted slightly. Then, a voice that wasn’t quite there but somehow echoed in both their heads spoke:

“You’ve been chosen. The power of college life will transform you. No turning back. Embrace your new path.”

The wind rushed through the campus in an eerie hush, and for a moment, everything stood still. Matty glanced at Cassie. Her wide-eyed look mirrored his own confusion, but the magic was already working its way into their souls.

The Next Day

When Matty woke up the next morning, everything felt… off. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw the changes before he even registered them. His body was leaner, more muscular. His posture had shifted—he now stood tall and wide-shouldered, his physique looking like he'd spent months in the gym (which he hadn’t).

But the most noticeable change? His hair.

Matty had always been self-conscious about his hair. It was unruly—curly and thick, and no matter how hard he tried, it always seemed to fall into a messy, unpredictable state. He’d never been able to tame it the way the popular guys did. His hair was more of a hassle than a feature he could flaunt.

But now? As he stood in front of the mirror, Matty ran a hand through his hair—and stopped dead in his tracks.

It was perfect.

Matty blinked, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. His hair had changed, almost overnight.

Where it had once been a tangled mess of light brown curls, it now fell in perfectly tousled waves that seemed to defy gravity. His once wild curls were gone, replaced by a smooth, more controlled texture that still had some natural volume, but now it was effortlessly styled in a way that looked like he’d just walked out of a barber’s chair after a professional cut. It wasn’t too neat, but it wasn’t messy either. It looked intentional. Like he’d woken up with this style and hadn’t even needed to run a comb through it.

His hair was now darker, too. Instead of the lighter brown he’d been born with, it was now a rich, deep dark brown. It was almost close to black in some lights, but it still held a slight undertone of warmth. The colour gave him a more mature, striking appearance—one that was instantly more eye-catching than the old, plain, lighter brown he used to have. The transformation wasn’t just in the texture; it was in the depth of the colour itself.

The change was so profound that Matty didn’t even know how to process it at first. He reached up to run his fingers through his new hair again. It felt thicker, softer somehow, with the faintest scent of something like gel or pomade, as if it had been styled professionally while he slept. It gave him the type of effortless, “I woke up like this” look that guys on Instagram or in magazines seemed to always pull off.

The more he ran his fingers through it, the more he noticed that the strands of hair fell naturally into place. It was no longer an unmanageable mop—it was sleek, smooth, and just the right amount of tousled. His hair now seemed to fit his transformation into this new version of himself—Matt, the frat guy, the confident guy who got noticed.

Before, his hair had always been a problem. He’d try to comb it into place in the mornings, but it would quickly fall back into its usual, messy shape. It was always too long in some spots and too short in others. He’d hated how it would sometimes fall in his face or puff up in ways that made him feel awkward.

Now, it was different. His hair had a natural flow to it. The kind of look that made him look effortlessly cool. The messy wave that fell just above his eyebrows gave him a brooding, “bad boy” charm. It made him look more confident—more put together—and it fit his new persona perfectly.

Matty grabbed his phone to check his reflection in the front-facing camera. He gave himself a once-over, taking in his broader shoulders, his new body, and the sharp jawline that had appeared seemingly overnight. But it was his hair that caught his attention again.

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath. “This is… way different.”

He ran his hand through it one more time, letting the waves fall back into place with minimal effort, and then he smiled. It felt right. His hair was a big part of the new Matt he was becoming—someone who didn’t have to work hard to look good. It was almost as if the universe had decided that everything about him needed to be sharper, more polished, more… frat.

His reflection stared back at him. Matt, with the perfect dark brown hair. Matt, with the confident, almost cocky smile that now played at the corners of his lips. The guy in the mirror was a stranger, yet familiar, someone who was meant for this life.

And as he admired his new look, he couldn't help but wonder just how deep this transformation would go. His hair was only the beginning, after all.

“Dude,” he muttered, staring at the reflection. "What the hell?”

And then it hit him—Matt. His reflection had changed. His whole demeanour was different. His voice felt deeper, and when he spoke, it sounded… natural. Like someone had flicked a switch, and now he was the ultimate frat boy without even trying. He flexed his arm in front of the mirror, still not fully understanding what was going on.

But something else was different, too. He looked at the clothes in his wardrobe—a brand-new set of tight, fitted T-shirts and well-worn jeans that made him look like he belonged in a college party. Gone was the awkward Matty, the kid who played it safe. In his place stood someone who could walk into a room and own it. Matt was the guy everyone wanted to be. He felt confident. Cocky, even.

He texted Cassie, hoping she was okay with all of this.

“Hey, you good? Something weird happened last night…”

Her reply came seconds later.

“Oh my god, babe! I feel amazing! You won’t believe it. I totally joined Delta Theta Phi, and they’re, like, so into me already! It’s going to be, like, the best thing ever!”

Matty stared at the text, his stomach twisting slightly. Something was off. Cassie—Cassie—was now using words like "totes" and "like" in every sentence. The bubbly, confident girl he once knew was changing right before his eyes, and part of him was unsettled by it. But the other part of him—Matt—found himself excited. This was the life he was supposed to be living. The frat parties, the competitions, the workouts. He couldn’t deny it: it felt good. Maybe, just maybe, this was who he was meant to be.

The Frat Life

Later that day, Matt was dragged into the fraternity house by a group of upperclassmen who had somehow decided he was frat material. They forced him to attend a party, where they pumped him full of beer, made him play beer pong, and introduced him to a whole new world of “bro” behaviour.

“You’re gonna crush it, bro,” Brock, the frat president, said as he threw an arm around Matt’s shoulders. “You’re one of us now. Party hard, hit the gym, and get with the ladies. That’s the frat way.”

“Yeah, dude,” Matt replied, nodding with a grin. “For sure. I’m, like, all in.”

The party raged on around him. It was loud. It was chaotic. But Matt had never felt more at home. The guys were laughing, the music was pounding, and everything about it felt right. He had no interest in the quiet, introspective kid he once was. This new life was everything he ever wanted. The muscles, the confidence, the parties—it was all here.

Cassie & The Sorority

At the same time, Cassie had fully embraced her new role in Delta Theta Phi. She walked around with her new sisters, a radiant smile on her face as they gossiped about their crushes and the upcoming sorority events. She had become, without a doubt, the epitome of a sorority girl. She was bubbly, she was popular, and she was constantly surrounded by attention.

But something about it never felt wrong. Cassie loved Matt. They were still dating, and no one could change that. Even though she was now a full-on "valley girl"—talking about boys, parties, and perfecting her “look”—her feelings for Matt hadn't wavered. In fact, if anything, she felt more connected to him than ever. She couldn’t wait to see him after every party, to tell him about her day, to laugh together over the silliest things.

She wasn't cheating, not at all. It was just that college life had changed them both, had made them more into the people they seemed to be destined to be. But even through all the transformations, her feelings for Matt never wavered.

A Relationship that Stays Strong

As the semester went on, Matt and Cassie (who had become an official part of the Greek system) lived in their new worlds. They attended parties, worked out together, and talked about their plans for the future. Despite their transformations, their love for each other was still the anchor that kept them grounded.

Cassie was happy with her sorority, yes. But she never let it interfere with her relationship. Matt was the same. The bro culture didn’t change how he felt about her. They made time for each other. They texted. They hung out. They still made each other laugh. Their personalities had changed, sure—but their connection hadn’t.

And while both of them had slipped into their new roles as frat bro and sorority girl, they hadn’t forgotten each other. They were still in love, still dating, still choosing each other every day.

For the first time, they both realized: sometimes you don’t need to be who you were in high school to find happiness. Maybe who they were now—Matt and Cassie—was who they were always meant to be.

(Matty on the left and Brock on the right, Cassie on the right and her sorority sister on the left)

[ohsohoney]

When it comes to love you're just as blinded.

Part Fourteen

Eminem x Musician

Summary: It starts with a drunk embarrassing video, it spirals into something a whole lot more.

Note: Been a little while but the next updates here! Lots to unpack, hope you enjoy it:)

| Set in 2014, just after the release of LP 2

taglist: @thelastemzy @helloitsme1223 @geekchic48

Masterlist

Things after that seemingly did a 360.

Not that I was given much of a chance to catch up with it all though, having been left standing in the studio hours earlier, back to the wall whilst the door hinges had slowly creaked to a close. 

No, because that would have been far too much to ask for.

Marshall had relaxed in a way that was more like a steel trap being reset; ready and waiting to be crossed again. It had me on edge. I couldn’t deny that, seeing as I knew what could be lying in wait for me if I did dare to trample any closer, but there was also an ominous instinct that had my back up. Something that kept me from lingering too long. 

“What’s goin’ on in there?” The man himself asked, tapping my forehead as he slid back into the driver's seat. 

We’d gone out, as promised, not long after ‘The Change’ had occurred (something I’d taken to dubbing the whole situation as inside my head). Rosie hadn’t forgotten about her idea of dinner and a movie– and really… Of all the things we could have possibly done after a kiss like that, it just had to be this.

Honestly, I had to keep biting the inside of my cheek to stop that particular train of thought each time I found my mind wandering back to it.

“Yoo-hoo…” Marshall dragged out, his brow arching as he glanced over at me again. 

Z was in the back typing away, having become completely unaware of our shared awkward existence ever since her sister had first called whilst we’d been eating dinner. The girl had taken to texting throughout, telling Ayla all about the heroics Marshall had performed that same morning in the principal's office, as well as the movie we were now headed to see. I had to smile at their closeness, thinking back to my own siblings and wondering how Em struggled to see just how much the two girls loved one another.

I glanced over at him, head rolling against the headrest. He was watching me with those familiar baby blues, but each time I caught sight of them, I was instantly reminded of the way they’d clouded over in the studio earlier.

“Thinking ‘bout getting a cat.”

His brow furrowed. 

“A cat?” He deadpanned, obviously perplexed by my answer.

I wasn’t actually thinking about it, but now that I’d gone and said it… it wasn’t half a bad idea.

So I ultimately shrugged, if only in an attempt to tear my eyes away from his. “Cats are cool.” 

At his scoff of disagreement, I nudged his arm off of the adjoining console with my elbow, “They are.” I defended, “They don’t need me to walk them or play fetch. They’re cute and fluffy, can definitely keep me warm at night.” I hummed, that eyebrow of his quirked up higher. “And besides, I reckon it could keep me company when I’m back in London, you know. Figure I’ll have a hard time with that after having you two around for so long– even with Lotts there to keep me from going insane.”

Marshall kept quiet at the acknowledgement, but did start up the car, its engine rumbling to life beneath us not a second later. 

It was just when I heard his faint intake of breath and caught the way he opened his mouth to speak, that Rosie shoved her phone in my face, her beaming grin peeking out over my shoulder. ��Ayla, meet El!”

I blinked at the sudden invasion I’d been confronted with but couldn’t help my warm laughter, even as Em gently scolded his daughter for the intrusion. “Z, what I keep tellin’ you?”

“But Dad, it’s important!”

My gaze flickered between the two of them and it was only when I drew my eyes back down to where the screen sat between us that I saw the fondness which had since swarmed my expression. I tried to dampen it slightly without being too obvious, but the girl waiting seemed to be watching the whole scene rather intently. She smiled though when she saw she’d finally captured my attention. All soft like.

My breath caught a little in truth, never really having thought about getting to meet Marshall’s eldest this early on, or through a screen either. Rosie didn’t seem to care much though, elbowing her way between the two front seats to get as much as she could  of us into the frame. 

“Layly, baby!” Marshall’s greeting cut in before I could spit out a hello, his little nickname for his girls sparking that same fondness I’d felt earlier. “How you doin’, Trailer? Behavin’, I hope.”

I blew out a small snort at the next nickname he used, turning an amused smile Marshall’s way, but his focus was wholly on the girl currency rolling her eyes at him through a digital frame. “You know I am.” Ayla huffed around a faint chuckle, leaning in closer to the lens, “School keeps me way too busy to get up to anything stupid.”

“What I love to hear.” Marshall replied with a sarky sort of smile, a new one that I could add to my growing collection, I quietly deemed. “You been good though?” He prompted further, “Don’t have to stop by and talk to any hanger-ons, do I? ‘Cause you know I will.”

“Yes, I know.” Ayla shook her head, exasperated, but her sweet smile was still so prominent. “Besides, I think you guys have had enough drama going on lately.”

Marshall’s eyes traitorously jumped over to meet mine in that split second, something I thought only I caught until I witnessed the assessing look Ayla took on. So I was quick to clear my throat, internally cursing his name, “I don’t know what Z’s told you, but the two of us? We’re innocent! This is all on your Dad.”

That seemed to earn me a lighthearted laugh, one that trickled out of the speaker and appeared to loosen Marshall’s tense set of shoulders. The man in turn levelled Rosie and I with an aggrieved look before he turned to speak to Ayla once more, “It’s like I’m a one man army here, AB. Didn’t think I’d ever lose Z, but she’s gone darkside.”

“Dad!” Rosie admonished around another giggle, whilst Ayla gasped theatrically, “Oh how the tables have turned. What will the papers say?”

“Hilarious.” Marshall said in a manner that was deliberately impassive. But he still cracked a smile though when Ayla’s chuckles trickled through.

“Good to see you guys,” She commented soon after and I got the chance to look at her a little closer, taking in the college dorm she had sitting behind her, as well as the blue of her eyes. They were more almond shaped, sure, but somehow the colour still managed to match Marshall’s toe for toe. “And to finally meet you, El. I’ve heard a lot about you these last few weeks.”

A sharp breath hitched my chest. “Only good things, I hope.” I found myself retorting around a rosy smile, knocking my head lightly against Z’s when the girl crowded in further to my side, her chin settling on my shoulder, “But it’s also really nice to put a face to all the stories I’ve been told, too.”

Ayla gifted me a bright grin at that, her gaze drifting between Rosie and I, “No hope in praying that it’s nothing too embarrassing then?”

I couldn’t stop the way I instinctively turned to share a secretive grin with the girl beside me, pleased when Rosie mimicked me to do the same. “I don’t know about that, I’ve heard all about the grocery store you see.”

The gasp that the comment drew from the older girl was all too real that time, “I was seven!”

“Seven don’t mean nothin’,” Em swiftly cut in, narrowing his eyes ever so as he directed a finger at the phone and his eldest, “You’d been potty trained since you were two.”

Rosie and I snickered between ourselves, but Marshall caught onto it all too quickly, moving to shift that finger towards the pair of us, “Aye, you two ain’t no better. Ms Bedwetter and Pillow-drewler.”

“Hey!” Rosie immediately spat, thumping the man’s shoulder hard enough to have the corners of his mouth twitching even as his brows rose, “That was years ago! And you said you wouldn’t tell nobody!”

Marshall’s hands flew up in a gesture of surrender when his daughter narrowed her eyes in further scrutiny, but I could tell that Z wasn’t as embarrassed as she was letting on to be, knew it to be true when she added, “You also said it was natural! That you didn’t stop doin’ it ‘til you were fourteen!”

Em’s chin jerked up before he softened his reaction, though his eyes were a tad bit too wide to have not been entirely caught off guard by the secret his daughter had just spilled, “Jus’ said that to make you feel better.”

His shrug wasn’t all that uncaring as he hoped for it to be. 

“Liar!” Rosie laughed, poking her dad’s side before she turned to peer back over at her sister and me, “He really did, promised he wouldn’t tell on me if I didn’t tell on him either. But he’s a big fat liar.”

“Name of your next single.” I quipped thoughtlessly, the comment going straight over Rosie’s head. Em shot me a steely glare and faked a silent laugh though, his lips softening into a small smile. 

It was after that in which Marshall’s palm pressed against Rosie’s forehead, jokingly coaxing her into the backseat once again, waving off her protests as she slumped into the middle. “Yeah, yeah, keep complainin’ and we’ll miss this damn movie, won’t we.”

“Dollar!” Two voices called out and I peered into the back to see Z snicker into the phone, the screen Ayla was still on illuminating her face. 

Marshall scoffed at the two girls but I could see how he was grinning happily to himself as we pulled out of the lot and onto the main road. 

It continued to surprise me how easily he could move throughout the city without looking at a map or using the GPS he had installed in the flashy monster-truck he was so fond of. I kept finding myself getting lost in the way he drove, in truth, stare caught on how the streetlights flashed over his stubbled cheek and the fluid way he switched gears as though the stick was an extension of his arm. 

It was only when Rosie popped up with another question that I found myself startling, looking back to immediately avoid the knowing smile Marshall had plastered over his face. Shit.

“What’s the movie called again? Ayla wants to know if it’s the same one she’s watching this weekend.”

I had to think for a second before I could answer her, my mind still honed in on the image of Em’s profile, “Love, Rosie.”

Z’s face split into a wide grin, her eyes squinting with the strength of it as she repeated the answer back to her sister, talking a mile a minute about how we were only going to see that film over The Book of Life because it had her name in the title. 

I settled back into my seat easily enough and fiddled with the radio to keep myself from acknowledging my previous leering, hoping that the drive would be over all too quickly. Only, things never typically tended to go my way.

Jerking ever so, my straying gaze snapped back over to where Em was still watching the road, as though all of his attention was stuck there, and that wasn’t his hand on my upper thigh. 

It was less than a second later that I let my eyes shift up into the rearview mirror, a breath of relief escaping me when I realised Rosie hadn’t caught the exchange, or see the lines her Dad was crossing. 

I licked the back of the teeth and willed myself to relax at the touch, taking a small breath before I looked back over at the man in question. When I did, I found myself narrowing my stare at the slight smirk Marshall wore, apparently rather pleased with the reaction he’d garnered. 

Still, my mind was warring with my want. I couldn’t wrap my head around the hot and cold, the way he’d push me away and then pull me in, how I’d thought about leaving to escape the icy shift and then been backed into a wall– literally.

I didn’t push his hand away though, and that in itself spoke volumes. 

I couldn’t tell how he meant the touch, was he trying to be teasing? Or was it just a show of reassurance for the unexpected conversation started with Ayla? Had it been something he’d been wanting to do for a while now, or was this all just a game?

He squeezed, ever so slightly. 

My eyes slipped closed.

His thumb brushed over the bump of my knee and I let myself melt into the firm hold.

It felt unnatural not to.

The hand didn’t travel, only moved away and then back each time it jumped up to the gearstick. I found myself, once again, wanting the journey to be over, whilst simultaneously hoping that it would never end.

The touch grounded me.

But it pulled away when the theatre came into view.

…

“Can't believe The Marshall Mathers is planning on watching a chick-flick.” I taunted playfully as we made our way up onto the pavement outside the red and gold doors, the joke only made to keep me from wanting to reach out and slide his hand into mine. Because I didn’t do that, I didn’t like all that sappy shit. I didn’t want to be holding his fucking hand, or have him drape his arm around me. It was just the moment, just that kiss fucking with my head.

Marshall feigned a put upon sigh, that hand of his coming up by his brow in an attempt to swoon. “Lord strike me down.”

I laughed outwardly, Rosie glancing back over her shoulder at us as she tugged at the heavy handle. “You’re not looking forward to it, Daddy?”

Shooting me a semi-sour look, Marshall let a lazy smirk crawl over his face just as he reached out to steady the door above Z’s head, “Nah I am, baby. Lia’s jus’ makin’ fun of the big manly guy.”

“Who?” Rosie asked in utter sincerity, enough that it had me cackling outright on the pavement outside. Em shook his head at the two of us, attempting to remain unamused but failing as reaching out to take my hand, tugging me through the open doors. 

Z was still looking confused by it all when I managed to calm slightly, but her smile was soft as ever as her eyes lingered over the pair of us. It was then I realised Marshall’s hand was still in mine. He must have realised it too, because he let it go and coughed quietly into his arm before gesturing his chin out towards the concession stands. “So we gettin’ some popcorn or what?”

And with that, Rosie’s sole focus was on getting exactly that.

I ended up trailing after her whilst Marshall went and grabbed us some tickets, keeping an eye on her shorter frame as she weaved around a tall shelf to get a look at the array of sweets. There weren’t too many people about, but I still found myself glancing back over towards Em to see if anyone had sussed him out yet.

“What’re you gonna get?”

My head snapped back at Rosie’s ask, eyes dancing over the grin she bore before flickering between her own. I glanced over the collection the theatre had to offer, surprised by the obvious differences I could see.

“Me and my sister had this thing,” I started to answer, reaching out to pluck a familiar bag from off the hook, “Where each time we would go to the cinema we’d just end up getting a big bucket of popcorn to share and dump a whole load of M&M’s or Magicstars inside. If the popcorn’s still warm the chocolate tends to melt a little.”

Rosie scrunched her nose, either in distaste or just thought. “Sweet or salted?” Was the next question she posed and it hastily reminded me of the same one Marshall had asked that very first night I’d spent with them.

“Salted.” Smirking slightly at the way her eyes lit up.

“You made the right choice.” Z claimed with a nod and wiggled her brows before she spun around the heel of her foot to make her way over to the short line.

We ended up getting a large popcorn to share. At first, I figured it wouldn’t be enough for the three of us until I saw the container we were handed, then I was just beyond baffled at how different the portion sizes were in The States compared to back in London. 

Once we’d paid, Rosie and I wandered over to a corner to dump the contents of the chocolate I’d picked up into it, Z having so much fun with it that a good couple dozen of M&M’s rolled over the ugly patterned floor. When Marshall strolled back over, he was wearing a questionable expression but holding onto three tickets.

“Should I even ask?” He quizzed, peering into the overloaded bucket. The look he wore turned somewhat appraising once Z explained and he was quick to steal a taste of our concoction, earning a tap to the arm in rebuke.

“Hey, hands off, bright eyes. Popcorn’s for the trailers, not here.”

“Bright eyes?” Marshall questioned, the left corner of his mouth lifting, but his ask was drowned out by Z’s, “The trailers? Dad always makes us wait ‘til the movie starts!” 

I snorted and held out the bucket so that Rosie could take a great big handful, “We’ve long since discovered your Dad’s a little neurotic, lovely. We just gotta love him for it.”

Rosie’s laugh was warm as she peered up at Marshall. But his eyes were caught on me and he almost appeared frozen before Z leaned into his side, “Can we head in now?” She wondered, chewing away.

“Uh, yeah.” Em seemed to stumble, before he blinked and leaned down to press his lips to the top of her head, “Think we made it just in time.”

..

Love, Rosie was a film I could have lived without watching, I wouldn’t lie. It was like every other Romcom I’d seen a thousand times before. And yet, I loved every single second of it. 

We were stationed in the far back, on the side closest to the stairs, Rosie perched between Marshall and I, her legs swinging back and forth. Throughout the whole film her attention remained captured, never wavering as her big doe eyes stayed locked on the screen with such reverence that it warmed my entire being. 

Marshall wasn’t much better either, in truth. Something which humoured me to no end. Whenever he wasn’t glancing at me from over the top of Z’s head or stealing the popcorn from out of my hand each time I reached into the bucket, his eyes didn’t stray from the heartfelt scenes as they played out. 

It was a strange conclusion to come to, that Marshall loved a good old fashioned Romcom as much as his daughter did, but it was a fact that went and nestled itself in between my ribs, where all the other little quirks the man had went to stay. 

It was only as we were leaving, Rosie talking a mile a minute about the ending and how she thought it sucked, that he reached out again in the dimly lit corridor that led us back to the main lobby, only this time he didn’t have the excuse of stealing any popcorn from me when his fingers slipped into mine.

I tried not to show how surprised I was by the action as I looked over at him, grateful that we were the last ones to filter out of the screening room so that no one else noticed when I let my feet slide closer to his so that our shoulders could brush.

They were such simple actions, ones that would be second nature to most people, but that meant a great deal to me. Because see, I’d never really been the type to be overly affectionate, having hated hugs or anything of the sort once Danny had grown too old for them. Well, up until Lottie had come along. And most of the people I’d been with over the years had seemed to struggle with that, even when I’d pushed myself into reciprocating, when I’d forced myself out of my comfort zone to make them happy. But here and now, it felt natural.

Most things with Marshall did, I deemed. Even us arguing.

Our hands parted just before we could step through the end doors, his thumb brushing over my wrist as our eyes adjusted to the vast change in light.

Rosie was rubbing at hers when I glanced over, her too large drink squashed in the crook of her arm. Marshall seemed to follow my gaze because he reached out to loop her into his side not a second later, peering down at her. “I want you takin’ notes, you hear?” He mentioned in reference to the film, his smile now sly, “None of that’s gone be happenin’ in your future, girlie. You wanna get married? I better be dead. And don’t even think ‘bout havin’ no babies ‘til you start gettin’ grey hairs, okay?”

Z rolled her eyes in response to her father's shakedown, shaking her head up at me in silent camaraderie. “You just don't want people to see you cry.” She poked fun, her grin turning evil, “But we all saw the tears when she started her speech, Dad!”

“Lies.” Em scoffed back at her, pushing her away and out of his hold. Rosie didn’t much care though as she laughed her way into mine, head coming to rest on my upper arm.

“Me? I always tell the truth. Even when I lie.” Was the retort she gave him, one that had me snorting on a laugh when Marshall raised a brow and turned towards me.

“Think we left Z inside,” He said, “seems Tony Montana here figures he’s comin’ home with us.” 

I couldn’t help the giggles that escaped me at all the references, especially when Rosie pursed her lips and drooped her eyes slightly, holding her arms out wide like Al Picino did in the famous movie, “Last time you gonna see a bad guy like me.”

Even Em couldn’t hold back the large snort he made at the little act she’d put on for us, shaking his head at her antics before he pointed a finger at her, “Last time you watch a movie with me, I swear.”

Rosie’s jaw dropped just a tad, “But it’s Scarface!”

“Exactly.” Was the only reply Marshall gave. 

I lifted a hand to give Z’s shoulder a squeeze, smiling stupidly when she wrapped an arm around my waist to pull me into a lazy hug. The pair of them continued with their little face-off though until I was promptly reminded of the thing that had been bugging me throughout the end of the film, “Go and head out to the car, Tony. Those petrol cans you lot call drinks had me needing to pee like yesterday.”

Amused, Marshall shook his head at the comment, though his eyes were fond when he reached out to steer Rosie back over to him, “You need us to hang about, or?”

Rolling my eyes at his protective streak, I smiled and simply waved him off. “I’m sure I’ll survive a trip to the loo’s. I’ll try to make it quick.”

His lips thinned slightly but he acquiesced easily enough, navigating Z over towards the exit whilst I slipped into the nearest corridor dotted with bathroom signs. I was beyond grateful when I found the line not to be too long, just an older woman waiting for the end stall to free as well as a mother and her baby stood by the sink.

It was only once I’d dried my hands and fixed my hat in the mirror that I felt a slight prickle on the back of my neck. I looked up as the bathroom door swung shut behind the young mother to find a new face stood off to the right just behind me. I caught their eye in the reflection and felt my own snap back down rather quickly, pretending to not notice their sudden fixation as I casually wiped down the front of my hoodie and turned to leave.

It was a cough and then a light ‘Excuse me’ that had me glancing back on instinct, only to find the same girl suddenly right there. I blinked in shock at her sudden proximity and rocked back on my foot to put a bit of space between us, but the smile I gave her wasn’t unkind.

“Sorry,” She apologised, seeming to realise, though she didn’t look all that sheepish, even with having accosted me in the theatre’s tiny bathroom, “Just, can I get a picture and like, an autograph maybe? I spotted you by the register earlier, but lost you in the crowd.”

I never minded the odd signature and a picture was done easily enough too, but Detroit was currently supposed to be my best kept secret and knowing that this girl had already spotted me, likely with Em, didn’t do much to ease the sudden anxiety I started to feel. 

Still, I grinned, unable to turn her down, “Sure thing, maybe we can grab it outside though? I doubt you’d want a selfie in the loo’s.” I tried for a light chuckle and was pleased when she laughed around an excited nod, exhaling slowly.

So we headed out of the bathroom and I posed for a picture against the white wall there, smile drooping a little the longer she kept snapping away, having gathered a little under thirty or so different photo variations. I ended up signing her phone case for her afterwards though and was thankful when nobody else seemed to crop up and spot me. 

It was just as I’d done dotting the i in my name that she shifted ever so. 

“I never thought I’d get to meet you, but really, you’re like one of my favourite artists. I think I know your whole album off by heart.”

My anxiety eased at her sweet words and my smile was sincere when I handed her phone back to her. “That’s really lovely to hear. I know getting to see some of you guys here in The States is always a little up and down because of touring, so I’m just glad we got to meet.” I assured her kindly before lightly teasing, “Never had someone say hello to me in the toilets of a cinema though. Guess there’s a first time for everything.”

She laughed loudly and gave me a light shrug, “I’d say I was sorry again but I really didn’t wanna miss you, especially when I saw you out there with your boyfriend.”

My mouth went dry at her words, but the girl didn’t seem to notice, continuing to ramble on.

“Was that his sister with you guys, or yours? I know you have one, right? People say she’s a lot younger than you, but then they also claim she’s your kid too. The internet is so crazy sometimes. Still, he’s real cute from what I saw! Are you telling people about you guys soon or keeping it lowkey?”

I was grasping at straws trying to find words. To simply recall my media training and the lengthy speeches Mila had given me. But nothing sprung to mind. It was like a cesspit full of disease that ate each and every thought that attempted to grow. 

“I don’t mind not saying anything to anyone if you don’t want me to.” The girl tacked on shortly after and I would have figured that she had quickly gathered that she’d caught me by total surprise there, but she was looking at me so closely that I could easily tell it wasn’t anything of the sort. It was like an eagle scoping out their prey.

“Um,” I swallowed, before finally plastering on something like a smile, “No, it’s– He’s not my boyfriend, just a– a family friend. But yeah, I’d prefer it if you didn’t mention it. At all. Please.”

Her eyes were wide when she nodded back at me, but her lips were curled into an insincere sort of grin that plucked my anxiety straight back up out of the cage I’d wrangled it into. 

“Of course, you can count on me.” It was with that in which she tugged me into a hug that had her hand settling on my waist, before I forced myself to step back.

I knew my smile had to have been less than flattering by that point, but I nodded anyway and waved at her as I backed down the hallway and crossed the lobby in a light jog, pulling my hat down lower over my face. It was only once I’d made it through the exit doors that I hurried to swallow the cold air that immediately hit me, throwing a startled glance back over my shoulder when the doors opened again, grateful to note that it wasn’t the same girl.

My eyes scanned the parking lot and it was a second later that I saw Marshall step out of the car parked across the street, his face furrowed under the shadow of his cap as he waved me over. I went, but something must have shown on my own face because he moved to meet me halfway, extending a hand out towards my arm the second he could.

He dipped his chin to catch my eye when we came to a stop and I wondered why he suddenly looked so uneasy. “What happened?”

My eyes snapped up to meet his and I blinked, still somewhat startled, “Nothing, it’s fine.”

“It’s ain’t.” He insisted, “You look like you’re gone be sick.”

I blew out another heavy breath and forced myself to calm the fuck down, “Honest, it was nothing. Just me overreacting.”

Marshall levelled me with a look before he sighed, “I know you. You don’t over-fucking-react like this. What went on?”

“Marsh, please. It was just a weird, I don’t know, encounter.” I tried, attempting to look past him to the car, “A fan that said was a bit too friendly, you know?”

I watched his jaw twitch. “What, in the bathroom?”

I sighed and lifted a hand up to rub at my cheek, “Just, can we leave it? Please. I just wanna go home. I’ll tell you then.”

Marshall watched me for a long second and for a moment I really thought he was going to argue, that he’d push, but instead he just gave a minute nod and wrapped an arm around me to lead us back to the car.

Surprisingly, Em didn’t head straight for the passenger side door and so I was greeted by the bright grin of a lovely little face when he ushered me into the backseat, seemingly knowing I needed a friendly face right then.

“What took you so long!” Rosie exclaimed the second she saw me, already shuffling over to make room whilst Marshall helped me inside, lingering a second longer to make sure that I really was fine before shutting the door and moving towards the drivers side.

“There was a long line,” I dragged out with a teasing smile whilst Em started the engine, “Think someone had a bad batch of nachos or something.”

Rosie’s face wrinkled into a grimace at my words and so when I met Marshall’s heavy stare in the rearview mirror the anxiety I felt was already starting to ebb. He gifted me a soft smile and it was then that I knew how well and truly fucked I was, because my heart stuttered.

…

The peace didn’t seem to last long though.

Not when I woke up the next morning to a thousand different notifications and my face plastered all over TMZ.

[weirdgenetic-fuckup]

Are you going to write the part two of lack of communication?

A/n: This was absolutely not how I planned on this turning out but I was not thinking while writing and came up with this. Do I like it? No, is it written? Technically.

Warnings: Smut, slight angst

Part 1

Duff did whatever to forget you that day, drinking himself to the grave until their show that same night.

He was in his dressing room, rocking slightly until he was told to get on stage. He was in no state to play but he knew he had to.

In the backstage area he saw you for the first time since that morning, curled up under Nikki's arm.

Duff stood farther away, staring longer than he meant to. Nikki nudged you and got you up, silently telling you to go play so you did.

Nikki went to Duff, though the blond tried to get away from him. "Duff, hang on." The raven haired said, placing a hand on Duff's shoulder. "Fuck did you do to her?" He asked.

"Thought you'd already know." He answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, I do, I wanted to hear your side 'cause you seem like a chill dude." He said, pulling his hand back as Duff turned to look at him. "Look, we're friends, alright? That's all it is."

Duff scoffed at that. "Or so I've heard." Nikki rolled his eyes at him. "Fuck you and fuck her, man, I've got a show to play." He grumbled as he headed off onto the stage, too out of it to really think of much else.

Nikki watched him stagger away onto the stage, knowing it wasn't going to end great.

Duff managed to play but that's about all he did, he played his part and got off stage, crawled into the limo out back and drank himself to bed.

Sleep didn't come easy, he missed you. He missed his arms around you and kissing the top of your head, he missed palming your belly pudge and feeling your human-ness. He missed you, and it was all his fault.

He felt tears building in his eyes but didn't care enough to stop them. You were in Nikki's bed, in his arms, laying on his chest. It was supposed to be him, yet when you needed him he made it hard for you to want him.

His tears soaked into the pillow under his head and he held it tighter, closing his eyes and pretending it was you.

Duff was woken up to get on the plane, he was never big on planes, something about being in a metal tube in the sky it always had his anxiety acting up.

As he was walking up the stairs he felt his chest tightening, already feeling like the air was thinner. He hated it, couldn't stand that sense of panic rising in him.

You were seated next to none other than Nikki Sixx, but you watched Duff closely. Usually you'd be there to calm him down, to keep him focused on other things or just to give him a drug buddy so he could wash it all away.

He wanted nothing more than to crawl into your lap and cry but he stopped himself and made a beeline for the sleeping quarters, his room specifically where he planned to cage himself until the plane landed.

He turned the lights off and curled up in bed, holding a pillow over his head, covering his ears.

He was so worked up he hadn't heard you come in. The mattress dipped under your weight as you sat down on the edge of the bed, bringing a hand to his shoulder and rubbing down his arm in a soothing motion.

He looked back at you, eye wide and full of a mix of emotions. Anger, panic, sadness. You moved closer to him, letting him move his head to your lap on his own.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." He mumbled, words slurring together as he tugged on your clothes.

You hand your fingers through his hair and shook your head. "Don't worry about it, just... you have other things to think about right now." You said, keeping your voice soft.

Duff kicked at the blankets until they were off of him and he pulled you down, holding you on top of him in place of a weighted blanket.

You continued to run your fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp and smoothing the pads of your fingertips over his soft skin, his cheeks and jaw, forehead, tracing his nose and other features while he focused on breathing straight.

You couldn't help yourself and kissed his lips, it was quick and sweet but when you pulled away he pulled you back, not letting you get a breath in.

You could feel his body reacting to your touch under you, how he rolled his hard cock into you, longs legs working between yours and spreading them, making you straddle his lap.

"Distract me." He said against your lips. You knew what he meant, not caring enough to take yours or his clothes off, just pushing them out of the way enough for him to be in you.

You felt that familiar push in your gut, that stretch. Him.

Your hips worked with his, rolling and rutting, hands planted firmly on his chest as you bounced on him. The plane hadn't even taken off yet and already you were making a mess in the sheets.

Duff was twitching inside you, hands gripping your hips and guiding you on his length. You felt his cum spurting out in hot strings inside you, coating your gummy walls and you couldn't get enough of the feeling. You followed shortly after, stretching out on top of him instead of rolling off.

The plane had started moving, getting ready to take off.

Duff reached off the bed to his bag and pulled out a little baggy with small rolls in them. "How the hell did you get past security with that?" You asked as he lit one up, taking a long drag of it.

"You can buy anyone off," he said, lungs full of smoke, "some people are just cheaper than others." He exhaled, blowing the sweet smelling smoke into your face.

He held the blunt to your lips, giving you a taste before you rested your head on his chest.

"Why're you such a bitch sometimes?" You asked, tracing shapes on his arm.

He shrugged. "Because I'm stupid." He grumbled, breathing in more smoke. "And you were with Nikki Sixx."

"I never said I liked him."

"But you do."

"I do not!" You protested, swatting his chest. "I would've loved to tell you that but you're a bitch!"

Duff huffed and handed you the blunt. "Someone needs this more than me."

You shot him a look, tapping the joint out and letting the ash fall onto him. He hissed and brushed it off his chest. "Say that again and I'll put it out on you." You grumbled, taking another drag.

Duff rolled his eyes at you but didn't say much more as he focused on not focusing on the flight, instead watching you, your lips wrapped around the blunt as you smoked, how you clenched around him occasionally.

High sex was his favourite, everything felt better but you had to find that perfect level otherwise you felt nothing. He right now he was perfect, staring at you with your sleepy red eyes, smoke blowing in his face.

Duff kept his distance the rest of the tour. You continued to share a bed unless you got tired of his odd demeaner and went to bed with Nikki.

He didn't spend time with groupies, he didn't go out drinking. He still drank and drugged just behind closed doors in his hotel room.

He barely spoke more than ten words a day to you, sometimes a week.

You didn't say anything at first, figuring he'd get over it at some point, but he didn't.

You were sick of it. You'd been at home all day, relaxing after the tour, and you were so, so fed up with how he was acting.

you stormed over to his house, banging on his door and ringing his doorbell until he answered. Obnoxious as you could be it was effective and he opened the door.

"The fuck's wrong with you?!" You yelled, slamming a hand on his chest.

Duff took a fumbled step back, giving you a chance to look into his house and you saw a woman sitting there on his couch. You looked back to him, brows knit tight. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

A confused expression grew on Duff's face at your question and he glanced around, quickly shaking his head when he saw the girl. "No, no, well, yeah... no!" He settled on. "It's not, we- Come." He took you by the arm, dragging you into his house to the couch where the woman sat.

In front of her was a cloth with rings of all kinds, diamond, opal, moonstone, lapiz, emerald, silver band, gold band, whatever you could think of.

"Pick." He said bluntly.

"What?" You asked, looking up at him. Now it was your turn to be confused.

"Pick." He repeated, gesturing to the rings.

"I'm not marrying you, not after you've been acting like this." You said, crossing your arms over you chest.

Duff's gaze flickered over your face a moment longer. "Not- I'm not asking you to marry me yet." He said, you didn't miss the 'yet'. "It's a promise ring. I love you, I'm committed to you, I'm yours... I want you to want me like that."

You stared at him a moment before looking back to the rings. "I-I don't need a-"

"Pick." He said more firmly this time, grabbing your hips and pushing you towards the rings so you could see them better.

You grabbed a random one and handed it to him, he placed it back. "Different one, you'll hate this." When you saw what stone it was you agreed.

You thought long about it, if you picked one to get him off your back he'd tell you to try again, he knew you too well and you hadn't even realized he would.

Finally, you picked another one and handed it to him. He stared at it and looked back to you before setting it down again. "Pick one you actually want to wear."

You looked back to the cloth. "I did and you put it back."

Duff rolled his eyes. "You keep asking for my approval, you don't do that." He was right, you never asked his permission or advice. You did as you pleased and he backed you up, it's one of the things he loved about you. You didn't take no, you had an opinion and you stuck by it.

Some called you stubborn but now you knew which ring to pick.

You handed it to him and held your hand out. "I thought I just-"

"Put it on." You said, interrupting him for once. You weren't asking, you were telling, and he did it with a smile. Holding your hand gently in his and pushing the ring onto your finger before kissing your knuckle sweetly.

[anniebeemine]

first day jitters- s.r.

Spencer had always known Amanda was bright. She’d adjusted to the idea of school faster than he’d anticipated, and every conversation they’d had about it was met with wide-eyed curiosity and excitement. He kept her involved in everything—reading books about school, walking through what her days might look like, and explaining routines. By the time her first day rolled around, Amanda was already printing her name in slightly wobbly letters, naming all her basic colors with ease, and showing off her ability to tie her shoes, though only if they weren’t actually on her feet. She was ready. Or at least, she had seemed to be.

Spencer, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure he was ready.

That morning, they arrived at the school bright and early, the sun barely cresting over the rooftops as he held Amanda’s hand, her tiny fingers gripping his a little tighter than usual. She had her favorite backpack on—purple with stars—and her pigtails bobbed as she walked beside him, chatting away about all the things she was excited to see. The playground. The big doors. The new crayons.

The schoolyard was already buzzing with the energy of other kids and their parents, and Amanda took it all in with a curious gaze. Spencer knelt down to her level, adjusting her backpack straps one last time and giving her a reassuring smile. "You’re going to do great, Amanda. Just like we talked about, right?"

She nodded enthusiastically, her eyes scanning the other kids. Without hesitation, she darted over to introduce herself to a group waiting nearby, her high-pitched voice carrying as she proudly announced, “Hi, I’m Amanda!”

For a moment, Spencer’s heart swelled with pride. She was such a fearless little thing, ready to take on the world, and for that, he was grateful. Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard after all. He stood back, watching as she interacted, her laugh ringing out as one of the kids showed her their new sneakers.

But as the minutes ticked by and the big, looming doors of the school creaked open, the energy in the air shifted. The bustling chatter of kids excitedly filing inside brought a new realization, and Spencer saw Amanda pause. Her head tilted toward the school entrance, and then, slowly, she turned back to him.

Her face, once full of curiosity, suddenly looked unsure. Her steps slowed as she walked back toward him, and by the time she reached his side, she was clinging to his leg tightly, her fingers bunching up the fabric of his pants. “Daddy,” she whispered, her voice smaller than he’d heard it all morning. “I don’t want to go.”

Spencer’s heart squeezed, and he knelt down again, wrapping his arms around her as she pressed her face against his leg. He could feel her little body trembling, the excitement that had been there moments ago completely evaporated.

Spencer knelt down, his eyes momentarily caught on the sight of Amanda’s backpack. It looked enormous on her small frame, practically swallowing her up with its bright purple straps and oversized shape. He couldn’t help but think how small she still was—how little she seemed in this big world, even though she’d been so excited about starting school. For a split second, he marveled at how determined she’d been that morning, bouncing around in her pigtails and proudly printing her name on a piece of paper. But now, in the schoolyard, with the buzz of children and parents around them, reality was setting in.

He was so caught up in the image of that oversized backpack on her tiny body that he almost missed the wobble in her lip. Almost.

And then, before he knew it, Amanda’s wide brown eyes were filling with tears. She buried her face against his leg, her small body trembling against him as soft sobs began to escape her. Spencer’s heart lurched painfully in his chest.

“Daddy, I don’t want to go,” she whispered, her voice breaking as her fingers gripped tighter, refusing to let go.

He tried to soothe her, stroking her hair gently, but his mind raced, caught between comforting her and feeling a pang of embarrassment as he noticed the other parents beginning to file in with their own children. Most of the kids seemed excited, some a little nervous, but none of them were clinging to their parents’ legs like Amanda was to his. Spencer glanced around, his cheeks growing warm as he saw sympathetic smiles from a few nearby mothers and fathers.

The knot of discomfort in his stomach twisted a little tighter.

Just then, a teacher emerged from the school doors, a welcoming smile on her face. She noticed Amanda right away and walked over to Spencer, her voice gentle and reassuring. “There’s always one,” she said softly, kneeling down to Amanda’s level. “It happens every year, Mr. Reid. She’ll be just fine once she’s inside.”

Spencer nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. He knew the teacher meant well, but it didn’t stop the ache from spreading in his chest. He leaned down and gently pried Amanda’s fingers from his leg, crouching beside her.

“Amanda,” he said softly, cupping her tear-streaked face in his hands. “You’re going to have a great day, sweetheart. I promise. And I’ll be right here to pick you up when school’s over.”

She looked at him, her lip quivering as her eyes filled with uncertainty. “But I don’t know anyone, Daddy.”

“You’ll make friends, I know you will,” Spencer assured her, though his own heart felt like it was breaking. “You’re so brave, and you’re so smart. And remember, you have your crayons and your favorite books in your backpack. You’ll be okay.”

Amanda shook her head, her tears spilling over as she started to cry harder. Her little hand found its way to her mouth, her thumb slipping between her lips as she sought some kind of comfort. Spencer’s heart clenched tighter at the sight, the weight of her tears making it harder to say the right thing.

The teacher reached out a hand to Amanda, her voice kind and encouraging. “Come on, Amanda. Let’s go inside and see all the fun things waiting for you. You’re going to love it, I promise.”

Amanda looked from Spencer to the teacher, her eyes pleading, but Spencer knew he had to let her go. As much as it pained him, as much as he wanted to scoop her up and take her home, he knew she had to take this step. She had to face the world, just like he had all those years ago, even though every instinct inside him screamed to protect her.

“Be a good girl, okay?” he whispered, brushing her hair back as she reluctantly took the teacher’s hand.

She nodded weakly, still sobbing, her free hand gripping the teacher’s fingers while her other hand stayed firmly in her mouth. Spencer stood up slowly, his own heart aching as she clung to the teacher, her little body wracked with sobs. It took everything in him to turn and walk away, but he did, forcing himself to take one step after another.

As he reached the edge of the schoolyard, he glanced back one last time. Amanda was still crying, her face pressed into the teacher’s side, but she was walking toward the school, her steps hesitant but moving forward. Spencer’s throat tightened, and he had to fight the overwhelming urge to rush back and pull her into his arms.

But instead, he kept walking, knowing that this was just the first of many moments where he’d have to let her go, even if it hurt him more than he could ever put into words.

The end of the day came sooner than Spencer could process. It had felt like an eternity waiting for that first bell to ring, counting down the hours until Amanda would be back in his arms, but suddenly, the afternoon crept up on him. He found himself standing outside the school once again, waiting with the other parents.

He’d imagined her running out with a smile on her face, maybe her hair a little mussed from a day of playing, but overall happy—excited to tell him all about her first day. But when Amanda finally came out of the school, there was no smile, no pep in her step. Instead, she practically stomped her way toward him, her brow furrowed in frustration.

Spencer blinked in surprise, his eyes immediately taking in her disheveled appearance. Her once-clean sweater was smudged with dirt, and there were streaks of bright paint on her pants. The scowl on her face was unmistakable, and as she reached him, she didn’t say a word—just stuck her hand out angrily for him to take, her little fingers outstretched like she was demanding an apology for the injustice she’d just endured.

He opened his mouth to ask how her day went but thought better of it when he saw her narrowed eyes and tight lips. He took her hand, leading her toward the car, and though she held his hand tightly, she stayed silent the entire walk, her small feet kicking at the ground as she fumed.

After buckling her into her car seat, Spencer stood at the open door, looking at his daughter, who still wore that same angry scowl.

“What’s wrong, Amanda?” he asked gently, leaning down so he was eye level with her. He knew something had to have happened. His bright, happy girl didn’t stomp around for no reason.

“I hate school!” Amanda burst out, crossing her arms over her chest with a huff. “It’s the worst, Daddy! Someone spilled paint on me, and I don’t even like fish sticks!”

Spencer’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but before he could respond, Amanda kept going, her voice getting louder as she ranted, venting all the frustration that had clearly been building up inside her.

“And nobody washes their hands! It’s gross!” she exclaimed, scrunching up her nose in disgust. “I saw them, Daddy! They touched everything after lunch without washing their hands! And the teachers didn’t even notice!”

Spencer bit back a smile, nodding seriously as she continued to unload every little detail that had gone wrong during her day. He knew better than to laugh at her frustrations, no matter how small they seemed to him. To Amanda, this was serious business.

“And the paint—someone just dumped it all over me during art time,” she said, pulling at the now-stained sleeve of her sweater. “I wasn’t even near them, Daddy! I was doing my own painting, and they just... splashed it on me!”

Spencer sighed softly, leaning against the car door. “That sounds like a tough day,” he said, his voice soft with understanding. “I’m sorry all that happened, Amanda.”

“It was awful!” she insisted, her arms still crossed tightly. “And I don’t want to go back tomorrow. I hate fish sticks.”

Spencer nodded, resisting the urge to chuckle. Fish sticks were clearly public enemy number one.

“Well, tomorrow’s a new day,” he said softly, smoothing a hand over her messy hair. “I’ll make sure to pack you a lunch you like, okay? No fish sticks. And we’ll wash your sweater when we get home.”

Amanda still looked grumpy, her little face scrunched up in frustration, but she nodded slowly. Spencer could tell she wasn’t entirely convinced about school just yet, but as he closed the car door and got into the driver’s seat, he knew they’d get through it together—one frustrating, fish stick-filled day at a time.

[narukoibito]

If you’re up for it - i'm not used to seeing you with clothes on.

Harry had no desire to attend yet another Ministry function, but the tone in Robards' voice made it abundantly clear that if he skipped tonight's he would be suffering desk duty so long that he wouldn't even remember what being in the field was like.

But that didn't mean Harry had to actively participate. Which basically resulted in him sulking in the background along the wall, using those stealth skills the Aurors had trained him so diligently on to avoid small talk and intrusive pawing by one of the desperate singles. He shook off Sirius's talks about his lack of social skills (whose fault was that when he had only ever been homeschooled and hidden away until it was time to fulfill a fucked up fate).

Letting his guard down momentarily, he closed his eyes, letting his mind drift back to a few nights again. He'd learned far too early (finding the hidden stash of fan mail) that being the Boy Who Lived meant there would be no shortage of willing participants. He wasn't one for intimacy (Sirius gave him a hard enough time about it), but that didn't mean he didn't have needs. With a good amount of lubrication and a fair dash of loneliness, he found himself at a bar known for discretion.

That was all fine and dandy.

What he hadn't expected was how much that night stuck with him.

Strange enough, she'd been funny. Her quips making his lips twitch in an unfamiliar way. It had been surprisingly easy when they slipped into one of the many rooms upstairs.

A burning ache rose within him. The door had shut, and he had reached out for her, that reckless smirk, the way her eyelashes fluttered at his touch. Hand wound in silky hair. He swore he could still taste her—

His eyes snapped open at the sound of giggling and heels to his right. Shite, the unfortunate owner of said noise was Romilda Vane, the new secretary in the office who would not relent on her advances, no matter how bluntly Harry avoided them.

He ducked to his left, weaving through the crowd. It'd been an hour, and Robards couldn't say he hadn't shown his face.

Harry turned the corner.

"Oof!"

The wind was knocked out of him by some blur of gold and red.

"Sorry," he said, hands automatically reaching out to steady the blur. He was already taking another step toward the exit when a stray glance had him breathless for an entirely different reason.

The redhead pushed the curtain of her hair out of her face. "No, I..." she trailed off when they made eye contact. "Oh."

He was staring. She had disappeared before the morning light crept through the windows, fulfilling her promise of "no fuss." And for the first time, he'd wished differently. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her, about the things he wanted to say, if he ever saw her again. He opened his mouth.

"I'm not used to seeing you with your clothes on," she said.

Harry burst out laughing, the tension in his gut unwinding. She grinned, looking tall and proud despite her small stature.

"A welcome change?"

"Hm," she said, her eyes appraising him. "I'm not so sure about that."

He swallowed hard.

"Heading somewhere?" she asked, her eyes following his original path toward the door.

"I suppose it depends. Would you like me to?" His hand was still on her waist, not ready to break contact.

His heart pounded hard at the thought that she might be here with someone.

She smiled, which seemed answer enough until she rose onto her toes. Her lips brushed against his, soft and warm, like sunshine breaking through the clouds.

She eased away, and only then did he realize he had pulled her close.

"That doesn't sound so bad... Are you sure you like these clothes though?" Her hands smoothed out the front of his robes.

"No promises." He grinned at her stupidly.

Before she could respond, a distinctly male and stunned voice, and she turned toward it. "Ginny!"

Ginny...so that was her name.

Harry followed her gaze, surprised to meet the shocked expression on Weasley's face a few paces away. Ron, he thought his name was.

"That'd be my insufferable brother." Her eyes shined with mischief, holding out her hand. "Still game?"

He took it without hesitation. "You bet."

As they walked toward her stupified brother, she asked, casual, "What did you say your name was?" She knew full well they hadn't exchanged names. His grip tightened.

She hadn't known then.

"Harry."

[anemicjellyfish]

I don't usually like to comment much on stuff like this, but I'll give it just this once. Because there's been something I've been wanting to say and I think this moment is the right time to say it? (Please pretend you don't see any typos or grammar issues, I'm trying my best after a concussion I got recently.)

Helluva Boss respects its audience.

Our beloved demon show is full of jokes, gags, visual and audio stimulation, and more. It's wild, it's silly, it's emotional, and it's weird. All of which are good things, imo.

But when I say it respects it's audience, I mean the show (the writers, producers, etc) trusts us (the viewers) to understand what they're trying to say without necessarily saying it aloud.

I don't have to provide screenshots by now, and I won't because I'm tired, sorry. But we've all seen the evidence that there is a big class divide in Hell. Since this divide places imps near the bottom, we see the world of Hell from the bottom tier* (or close to it, I'll touch on that in a little bit) because imps make up a lot of the named characters.

Even ignoring every instance of "small/tiny" said by multiple characters, we get a line from Striker about how it's impressive for an imp (Blitzø) to own their own business.

We see imps in difficult and humiliating service roles to the higher ranking members of society.

Seemingly successful imps like Crimson shouldn't be considered the standard by any means. We found out that his "business" was failing. He tried marrying off Moxxie to get whatever fortune Chaz had amassed (even if it did turn out that Chaz was penniless himself & had lied).

I highly doubt that Crimson's criminal empire really fell to pieces because one little Moxxie ditched him. The system is rigged against Crimson and the only way he could try to get ahead was by running a literal mob/mafia group.

We were shown through world-building and snippets of dialogue that imps haven't been treated fairly in society.

Helluva Boss told us all of this without characters breaking the 4th wall like a 1990's Saturday morning cartoon educational end segment. They pulled a "show, don't tell," on us, and I respect them so much for it.

And I don't want to be too harsh to those who didn't catch it earlier. It's totally fair and understandable to miss these things. Which is why I think they had Millie be the one to spell it out for everyone.

An imp, from a presumably poorer background (edit at the bottom**) than her two imp coworkers, was the one who put into words that imps are seen as "less than" by just about everyone else. She's our down-to-earth, badass character, who has no reason to just make up excuses for why things are so difficult in life. If Millie is acknowledging the classism, it's serious.

Personally, I think a lot of reactors get caught up in the act of reacting and don't get the chance to take in the media they're watching. Yall know that moment when someone shows you a video on their phone and you have to watch the video knowing that the person is watching you watch it?

Yeah, I imagine it's something like that. In not sure I'd come up with the best takes if I knew people were waiting for me to make online content about other online content.

* One slight add-on here is that Hellhounds appear to be below imps in social standing. Blitzø is seemingly able to walk into a shelter/kennel and take his pick of Hellhounds to adopt. So if I had to guess, imps may rank a little above Hellhounds. But honestly I'm just so tired and I think I'm gonna have to call it on the analysis here. Sorry!

I've had so much respect for this show since I first saw Harvest Moon Festival with the way they treat the world building.

** sorry I think I worded this differently than I intended, and I'm not even gonna blame the concussion this time. What I meant was maybe Millie wasn't necessarily closer to/deeper in poverty than Blitzø during their youth/early adult life (Moxxie seemed better off than both). I meant that it seemed like she stayed "poorer" for longer? In the sense that Blitzø was already working for himself when they met; he seemed to already be surviving on his own and was able to save money to start IMP and give them an office. My stupid brain is a mess, again sorry for being weird.

Danny Motta so fundamentally misunderstands Blitz and it boils my blood. Oh well. I will not elaborate.

[pricetagofficial]

The Little Merman -D.G. Part Four

Warnings: Language, some angst, heartbreak, I didn't really proof this so Im sure there are errors but I don't care, Dick is an absolute dork

Masterlist

Pairing: Merman!Dick Grayson x Reader

Word Count: 3.4K

A/N: Hello it's me, ya girl. I've had this written for a while but I finished this part not too long ago and so I decided to post it. It's been a long few days for me, with tornados and shit but I'm all good and everything is good. Big thanks to @offendedfishnoises for helping meeeeee

The next morning when Dick woke, he felt lighter than air. Having spent the day with you yesterday, it put him in a really good mood. His heart was aflutter and all he wanted to do was stare at the ceiling above him as his thoughts were plagued by your smile and laughter. 

The sheets were comfortable, and he never wanted to leave them but eventually, he would have to. He only had one more day left with you, his time was running short. 

Running a hand through his hair, Dick looked around and saw Alfred asleep on the pillow next to him. Even when he was being ridiculous, Alfred still stayed by his side. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, Dick slowly sat up and looked out the window. 

The sun was rising beautifully above the horizon, dusting the sky in shades of orange, blue and yellow. Today would be the day, Dick had to get you to kiss him. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if he didn’t. The thought made a shiver run down his spine. 

Roy didn’t show up at all this morning, neither did Kyle or Victor, to help him out. Maybe they all were busy with their duties, they were your royal guards after all. It was a good thing Dick learned to dress himself, if he was going to stay a human he would have to learn eventually. 

Pulling on the boots provided for him, Dick slipped Alfred who had woken not that long ago and gave him pointers on how to fix his shirt. 

“Now Master Richard, remember. You need to be patient, Y/N is still a young lady and there are rules for her to abide by.” 

Dick nodded absentmindedly, listening but not really listening to what he was saying. The only thing that was on his mind was getting to see you again. 

Walking down the hall with a spring in his step, Dick heard voices mutter around him even giving him an odd look, but he paid no mind to it. 

Dick searched for you in the library, the kitchen and even tried knocking on your bedroom door, to no avail. When he checked your study, Dick knew something was off. Those were your favorite places, so where were you? 

Hearing voices down the hall in the foyer, Dick’s face broke into a smile as he made his way to the stairs. You had to be there with everyone else. 

As he got closer, Dick heard your voice and that spurred him to go faster. His heart was already beating wildly, just from the mere thought of getting to see you. 

It was when he turned the corner and stood at the top of the staircase when he saw it, or rather him. 

You were in the foyer, with Roy, Kyle and Victor that much was true. But someone else was with you, someone who looked suspiciously familiar. But that wasn’t what made his stomach drop to the floor. 

It was the way you were looking at him, like he held the world in the palm of his hand as the man towered over your smaller form. Your chin was held between his finger and thumb as he brushed your bottom lip ever so softly, and a charismatic grin on his face. 

“Who’d have thought it’d be love at first sight?” the man grinned, pulling you closer by the waist making your hands rest on his solid chest. 

Love? 

No, that couldn’t be it. Dick was sure you loved him, you had to! But, everything about what he was seeing told him the opposite. Was he nothing more than just something to pass the time? A charity case for you to take in? 

“I felt something pull me to the beach, and there you were.” you sighed dreamily, “I’m glad I made it when I did.” 

“Me too,” 

What happened next made Dick’s heart shatter into a million pieces. If he listened close enough, he could hear the crack as it did. He watched with watery eyes as the man tilted your head up further and pulled you into a kiss. 

Not able to watch more, Dick held back his sobs before turning and running back down the hallway. How could he have been so stupid? Wiping the tears threatening to spill, Dick ran to his room and slammed the door only to fall to his knees letting out a defeated sob. 

He was wrong, he was wrong about everything. You never loved him, and Dick was a fool for thinking you did. Now, he had to live with the mistakes he made. It was a mistake to take Slade up on the deal, it was a mistake coming here, and it was a mistake to follow his heart. 

If he had just stayed home and had gotten married like Bruce wanted, maybe then he’d be spared the worst heartbreak he’s ever felt in his life. 

Alfred looked at Dick with a heavy heart, after all he had given up for something he was so sure about, to see you in the arms of another man broke his heart. Something wasn’t adding up, after seeing the two of you together the night before, Alfred was almost convinced himself that it was genuine. 

He needed to figure this out. 

As much as he wanted to stay and comfort Dick, he needed to find the truth. 

Quietly, he sidestepped under the door and made his way down the hall. Following the sound of voices, Alfred made his way back to the foyer and watched as you and the mysterious man disappeared through the doors to the dining hall, with Roy, Kyle and Victor staying behind. 

“What the hell was that?” Victor asked, looking between his two friends. 

Kyle only shrugged, “You’ve got me, last I checked she was making googly eyes at Dick. I don’t even know who this guy is, do either of you?” 

Victor shook his head again, before looking at Roy. 

“What do you know?” 

Alfred moved closer, eager to hear more. 

Roy ran a hand through his hair, and let out a sigh. “I have no idea. I talked to her last night, and she made no mention of this new guy, Bruce or whatever his name was. I–” he sighed again. “I was convinced she was going to–” 

His voice trailed off, as he looked towards the door to the dining hall. “Whatever is going on, I don’t like it and I definitely do not like the new guy.” 

“What are we going to do with our friend upstairs? Do you think he knows about this?” 

Roy shook his head, “We can’t let him find out, it would break the poor guy's heart.” 

Alfred shook his head, it was too late for that. 

“Before we do anything, we need to find out more about Bruce. Who he is, where he is from, and see if there are any discrepancies in his story.” 

Kyle and Victor both nodded, Alfred agreeing with their plan. Good thing he was small, and could hide easily. Watching the three guards divy out jobs, they all went their separate ways.

Before he went down the steps, the doors to the dining hall opened and out you came with Bruce on your arm. Giving you a kiss, Alfred watched as he muttered something in your ear that made you fluster before he made his way up the stairs alone. 

Hiding behind a pillar, Alfred watched as he made his way down the hall almost swaggering in his walk. Following behind as quick as he could so he didn’t get lost, Alfred managed to keep up and slip his way through the bedroom door he disappeared behind. 

What surprised Alfred was seeing young Terra waiting in the room. Slipping behind a vase, Alfred stayed out of sight. 

“When you said you would be coming here, this wasn’t what I expected, Slade.”

Alfred’s eyes widened, Slade followed them to the surface world? But how would he know when and where to go? Was Terra working with him the entire time?

“You should know by now that I always follow through with my plans, and deals, kid.” 

Terra narrowed her eyes. “Now that you’re here, what is your plan with Y/N?” 

“Since you failed me with that bad luck potion, I decided to change up my plans. Instead of getting one kingdom when princey boy fails to get that kiss, I can still marry that princess brat and get the literal keys to this place. Then I can get rid of those brats and good old Bruce, and then there would be no one around to stop me.” 

Alfred watched the look on Terra’s face, she looked conflicted. 

“What are you going to do to them?” 

Slade casted Terra a side look as he looked at himself in the mirror, “What’s it to you? I’m not the one who sold out my only friend to a sea demon for revenge.” 

Terra clenched her fists, giving Slade a dirty look. 

“Listen, all I’m saying is that if you want to stick around, I suggest you stay out of my way.” With that, Slade slicked his hair back once more and stepped out of the room, leaving Alfred and Terra alone in the room. 

Everything made sense, Alfred knew Slade was up to something. Why else would he give a deal like that to Dick, when there was a possible chance he’d uphold his end? He had to find a way out of here so he could warn Dick, and get him that kiss and save not only his kingdom, but this one as well. 

Looking around, Terra seemed to be out of sight so Alfred made his move. Creeping out from behind his hiding place, he quietly made his way to the window. Climbing up the bed, and to the windowsill, Alfred could see a clear path into a neighboring window that would get him back on track. 

Before he could make a move, a hand grabbed Alfred and turned him around. 

Terra looked at him with a skeptical look, “Looks like we have a little spy.” 

Alfred stayed still, trying to play dumb crab. It seemed Terra didn’t fall for it. 

“I know what the advisor to the king looks like, and it seems he was spying.” she hissed. Alfred wiggled to get out of her grip. “Master Bruce will stop you, and you will not lay a hand on Master Richard!” 

Terra rolled her eyes and placed him under a cup on the dresser, “We’ll see about that.” Placing a heavy book on top of the cup, Terra fixed her appearance before opening the door. 

“You should know when you’ve lost, after sundown today it won’t matter what you do.” 

With that, she disappeared. 

Alfred hit his claws on the dresser. Now how was he going to get out of this? Dick needed his help, and he was currently stuck. Taking a look around the room, his options were limited; not only was he trapped in a glass but there was a massive book on top of it. 

Running into the side of it, his little crab body only bounced off the glass before he plopped back onto the wood. So that wasn’t going to work it seemed. 

Lifting his claws, Alfred began hitting the glass hoping to make enough noise or break the glass even. Time was running out, with the new knowledge of Slade and his involvement things were getting complicated. 

After what felt like forever, Alfred let out a sigh of defeat. He was truly stuck, and no one knew where he was. Dick was still in his room to his knowledge and no one else was aware of a talking crab that didn’t trap him. 

“What a mess this has turned out to be,” he sighed. 

No sooner did he speak those words, there was a flap in the air and he turned to see a seagull wander its way in through the open window. This gave Alfred an idea. 

Waving his claws in the air, he jumped and shouted trying to get the bird’s attention. 

“Hey! Hey you!” he shouted, banging on the glass. “Look at the tasty red crab!” 

Alfred watched as the bird’s head twitched, watching him dance around. “Come and get me!” 

The seagull paused for a moment before it flew towards Alfred, and as it came into contact with the glass and book Alfred ducked hoping to avoid its claws and beak. 

There was a crash, and Alfred was suddenly on the ground watching as the seagull panicked, flying around the room in circles before it finally found its way out of the window once again. 

Letting out a breath, Alfred relaxed before making his way towards the door. Scrunching in his shell halfway, he slid under the door and quickly made his way down the hallway. He had to get to Dick, and he had to tell him what was going on before it was too late. 

Squeezing his way under the door, Alfred saw Dick sat on his bed as he stared out the window. His eyes were red and puffy, cheeks tear stained from what seemed to be hours of sobbing at the thought of his unrequited love. 

Dick was a fool, thinking a girl like you would ever love him. 

“Master Richard,” Alfred started. “Things may not be the way they seem.” 

Dick slowly turned to look at the little crab, hoping his expression gave off the words he couldn’t speak. If he was going to try and tell him that things  could still go in his favor, Dick would have to refuse. He saw you kiss that man with his own eyes, and he knew Alfred did too. 

“I think our Lady Y/N has been put under a spell.” 

Dick turned his head away, refusing to listen. He couldn’t give himself any more hope, hope that you could still love him in return. 

“Didn’t that man look familiar to you at all? To make matters worse, I heard the lady-in-waiting talking to him and they confirmed it for me.” 

Dick still refused to look. 

Alfred was not going to continue putting up with this. Banging his larger claw against the ground, Alfred huffed and crawled his way up the bed and sat on the window ledge in Dick’s view. 

“Master Richard, I did not almost get eaten by a seagull for you to sit here and sulk about a lovely woman who is in love with you. Slade wouldn’t have to play dirty and use magic if he thought you were going to fail.” 

Dick’s attention finally turned to Alfred. 

“You are going to break that spell, and you are going to get your happy ending.” 

Alfred could already hear the words on the young master’s mind. 

“You and I both know that Slade is playing dirty to prevent you from getting that kiss. So we need to pull a page from his book and make sure you get your happy ending.” 

Dick wasn’t sure what to think, he was a little apprehensive. Slade was evil and twisted, and doing things the way he did was never good. But he was about to lose you to him, and he wasn’t going down without a fight. 

Sitting up, he wiped his eyes and looked at the crab in front of him. 

“To start, we need to get the rest of the guard on our side. From what I heard, they already are. I believe Master Roy will be a good place to start.” 

Dick nodded again, rising to his feet and straightening out his shirt. He had to find Roy and somehow convince him that he was not only human, but that a sea monster was trying to marry you to take over the land and sea. 

Seemed easy enough, if he could talk that is. 

Picking up Alfred, Dick set him on his shoulder and made his way down the stairs. This was his only chance, not only to help you but to prevent everything from falling into the hands of the wrong person. 

It didn’t take long for Dick and Alfred to find Roy, catching him on one of the balconies watching you and Slade promenade through the gardens. 

Roy was watching from afar, cause he didn’t like this new guy at all. Something felt very wrong about him, like every word out of his mouth was crafted to try and lure him into a spell. Roy knew magic existed in their world, he just never thought it would be used in such horrible ways.

Hearing shuffling behind him, Roy turned to see Dick there with a suspicious looking crab on his shoulder. 

“Oh, Dick. How can I help you?” he asked, trying to hide the scene below with his body. 

Gesturing him closer, Roy raised a brow and followed Dick to a private corner. “What’s going on?” 

Alfred nudged his chin, “You must describe Slade to him, he won’t understand me. You have to do this yourself Master Richard.” 

Letting out an exasperated huff, Dick motioned to his eye and covered it up. 

Roy just stared at him, confused. “You’re a pirate?” 

This was going to be a lot harder than Dick thought. 

After what felt like hours, Dick with Alfred’s coaching had given Roy a small grasp at the situation. 

Roy watched as Dick once again gestured to the crab on his shoulder, before making a sawing motion with his hands. He then followed up with the sign they created for this new guy, Spade, or something, as he pretended to be a pirate with a sword. 

“Your crab saw Spade,” he recounted. 

Dick nodded, before waving his hand as if he was casting a spell and then made the motion for girl. Spade wasn’t entirely correct, but Dick didn’t want to put in the extra effort to get the right sounds for the monster’s name.

“Cast a spell on a girl, Y/N?” he paused. 

Dick nodded again, before waving his arms around like an octopus. 

“Because he likes to dance?” 

Dick shook his head, he held up eight fingers before pointing at his legs. 

“Eight legs? What the hell does that mean? The man’s an octopus or something?” 

Roy jumped back seeing how excited Dick was that he guessed it right. “How do you know that he is an octopus, or that your crab can talk unless–” 

Dick nodded quickly, before pointing out the window to the sea and then to himself. Was Roy finally getting the hang of it? If he could just get him to figure this out, so many issues could be solved. 

“Unless you’re from the ocean too,” he concluded, his eyes going wide. “But that would mean you’re a–” 

Again, Dick nodded, getting excited. He was so close, so close to someone knowing the truth. There was no way he could stop Slade on his own, and Bruce was too far to get help from in a timely manner.

“Wait, are you the one she kept meeting out in the middle of nowhere?” 

Roy chuckled at the thumbs up. “Well, that explains a lot actually. But why can’t you talk? Y/N said you would tell her stories.” 

Dick made the sign for Slade again, before pretending to rip out his voice box. 

“Spade cut your throat? No, you’d be dead. He took… he took your voice?” 

Dick was about to cry, someone finally understood him and knew the truth and it only took an hour of their day. 

“So we have to find a way to stop the wedding, and that will help you somehow get your voice back?” 

With another enthusiastic nod, Dick smiled. 

“Alright, sounds like a plan. But we really need to teach you how to read and write English, not merperson.” 

Even Alfred couldn’t hide his laughter at that one. 

Even though Roy couldn’t understand him, he knew the crab was laughing too. 

“Alright, let’s find a way to stop the wedding.” 

Roy and Dick turned to head down the hall when they were stopped by Victor, Kyle and several other members of the guard. 

“You two aren’t going anywhere,” Victor kept a hand on the hilt of his sword, and watched the two of them. 

Immediately, Roy and Dick could see that something was wrong with them. They had a hazy look to their eyes, and almost a sickly look to their skin. If either of them had to guess, Slade spelled them too. 

“Aw come on, Vic? Why not?” 

“We are under order from Master Slade to keep the two of you away from Y/N at all costs.” 

Roy and Dick shared a look, “Well, I guess this complicates things.” 

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