#I’m also thinking of writing a normal-again-verse fic so stay tuned if you love the episode lol!!

[thepunkmuppet]

also, HAPPY 27TH ANNIVERSARY YIPPEEEEEE <333

[jaskierswolf]

My dearest darling Wolfie, I saw your idea for game gerlion friends to lovers in @thewitcherbog horny chat and I am here to ask you to write the fic. Pls 💜😘

Tada!! I can't remember if this was exactly what I had planned... but it's what we're getting. Lovingly beta'd by @comfyswitcherblanketfort.

CW: probably rated M? Briefly mentioned masturbation more horny than smutty.

____

A retirement at Corvo Bianco had never been what Geralt expected of his life. He hadn’t been lying when he’d told a young Dandelion that witcher’s never retire, but in recent years between looting caves and haggling for contracts, he’d managed to save quite a bit of coin. He was, objectively, rich. He had the best armour on the Continent, the most deadly swords and crossbow bolts, and thanks to B.B., his house was beautifully decorated, with the exception of the rather garish portrait of his most loyal friend. Yet, he was still gaining more money than he knew what to do with. He’d started investing in merchants and refusing payment but the vineyard brought in a steady income and Geralt had to admit that his life was pretty luxurious these days.

So it wasn’t exactly a surprise when Dandelion had turned up, in fine, brightly coloured silks and the elegantly decorated elven lute from so many years ago. Geralt sometimes wondered whether Toruviel had enchanted her lute. There was barely a scratch and Geralt couldn’t even recall Dandelion ever having to change the lute strings in all the years he’d known the bard. Geralt was no expert but he was pretty sure that you were supposed to change the lute strings.

The sun was shining over the fields of Corvo Bianco, and Geralt felt at peace. Perhaps that was why he was feeling so nostalgic, pondering over the events that had led him to this moment. His life had always been so busy, but with Ciri off touring the multiverse, and Yennefer doing whatever Yennefer did these days now the Djinn wish had been broken, he was… well… bored? He had every Gwent card currently made, and no one would play him. It was just him and the bard, living the bachelor’s life in Touissant.

So was it any wonder that Geralt had started to develop feelings for his friend? Perhaps they’d always been there, clouded by the wish that tied him to Yennefer, or perhaps their newfound domesticity had awoken something in Geralt that he had never expected. Dandelion spent a lot of time in the makeshift study, working on his latest book, but they always ate together and sometimes the bard would even accompany Geralt on his contracts in the fields, for old times sake. After long nights of drinking too much wine or vodka, it wasn’t unusual for the pair of them to fall asleep together, curled up in one bed just like they used to in their youth. Those were Geralt’s favourite nights, because despite his protests of being better alone, he enjoyed the familiar warmth of another body pressed against his, and Dandelion had always been a cuddler.

And as if on cue, the bard burst through the doors onto the patio where Geralt was watching the world go by.

“Ah, Geralt, old friend, there you are. I’ve been looking all over for you!” Dandelion announced with a flick of his wrist. “I was just in town.”

“Dandelion,” Geralt groaned. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“Dear Henrietta will forgive me in time, my friend,” Dandelion winked, his tongue flicking out between his lips, “and until then I have plenty of friends who will offer me shelter if the guards are around.”

“You look like a man sized peacock,” Geralt scoffed. “How the hell does no one see you?”

“Ah, dear witcher, you forget that I used to be a spy,” Dandelion laughed, putting one hand on his hips. “Now, stop interrupting, Geralt, or do you not care about the gift I picked out for you in town today?”

Geralt hummed, knowing that it didn’t really matter whether he cared or not. Nothing would stop Dandelion once he was in the middle of a story. Some things just never changed. “Go on.”

Dandelion beamed, and from behind his back he produced a wooden box. The poet cocked his head as he opened the lid, revealing a set of tiny vials neatly lined up. Geralt almost choked, his breath catching in his throat.

“Oil?” he spluttered. A man such as Dandelion had to know of the more promiscuous uses of oil. Whilst Dandelion had never explicitly said as such, the way he talked of his lovers had always led Geralt to believe that he was rather flexible in his tastes, much like Geralt himself.

The poet blushed as he pulled a single vial from the box, his long lutist fingers wrapping around the glass. “Bath oils, Geralt.”

“Oh, of course,” Geralt cursed internally. Dandelion had bought all sorts of expensive oils and lotions when they had been on the path together, neither of them were shy with their bathing habits and the poet was a highly skilled masseur.

Which was not helping Geralt’s sudden rush of arousal as he remembered the feel of the poet’s hands on his skin. They’d laughed off awkward erections in the past, it was just a thing that happened… but Geralt was starting to wonder what would happen if, for once, they let it happen.

“This one will probably be a bit much for your witcher senses, my friend, but I rather like it,” Dandelion continued, oblivious to Geralt's inner turmoil. “This one,” another vial was plucked from the box, “however, I think you will like, and I managed to buy this,” Dandelion pulled a scroll from his pocket, “from a local mage. It’s supposed to move the water around the tub, like a massage!”

“And you’re telling me this, why?” Geralt sighed, rolling his eyes. As much as he adored his old friend, the man could take his sweet time getting to the point. It was even worse when the poet and Regis got together, Geralt honestly thought he might never know peace again.

“Because, Geralt, I am treating my dearest friend to an extravagant bath time experience!” Dandelion exclaimed with wide arms, almost knocking off his own hat in his enthusiasm. “Friendship and love, art and wine, Geralt. What more could you want in life?”

Love.

No, friendship. Geralt needed to focus on that. How many times had Dandelion called him his friend? Too many to count.

“Assuming you have wine, what’s the art?” Geralt smirked, enjoying the offended noises Dandelion made.

“Geralt, I’ll have you know that-”

“Relax, Dandelion. I’m teasing. So how about this bath then?”

The two men made their way upstairs, peeling off their outer clothes as they strolled past Geralt’s bedroom, and picking up a robe each. Dandelion had filled the room with candles, and there was a soft floral scent hanging in the air, roses, the oil vial that Dandelion had initially held up.

“I thought this one was too much for my ‘witcher senses’?” Geralt scoffed, peering at the magically bubbling water.

“Well, yes, but I did also say I liked this one, and I’ll admit that I got a little carried away. You don’t mind, do you Geralt?”

Geralt shook his head as he stripped off his final layer of clothing and settled into the tub. Dandelion sat in a chair, still wrapped in his robe, and picked up his lute. He plucked idly at the strings until he was seemingly happy that they were in tune, and then he began to sing. Geralt sighed as he sank deeper into the hot water, the enchantment really did feel like a sort of massage as jets of water pulsed against his skin, but he couldn’t help but wonder. The oils, the candles, the romantic ballad…

Was his friend trying to tell him something?

It was time for Geralt to test the waters as it was. He trod the water with his hand, gently splashing to the beat of Dandelion’s song. Normally, he would close his eyes and let the poet’s music fill the room, but instead he was mesmerised by the way Dandelion’s finger caressed the lute strings. Geralt could feel his cock harden as he pondered what other uses his friend’s delicate hands could have, the way they found their mark with such precision. The poet could make any instrument sing to the gods in his hands, Geralt was sure that he was no exception.

“Practicing your fingering?” he asked Dandelion with a tilt of his head.

The strings twanged unpleasantly, making Geralt grimace as the sound reverberated in his head. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Geralt smirked. “On your lute.”

“Right, yes, of course,” Dandelion muttered. “I’m just trying to figure out the next verse. I could use a hand, or an ear if you’d be willing to help.”

“I have a hand you could use, or two,” Geralt muttered not really intending for Dandelion to hear him but the poet had sharp ears and he spluttered incoherently as he set down his lute.

Geralt hummed and let his hand drop beneath the water, stroking his cock lazily. He wasn’t really chasing any real pleasure, but it was a good feeling, sending warmth across his skin. The bath, the candles, the song, they had to mean something even in Dandelion’s subconsciousness. The man was an insatiable flirt, and yet never seemed to notice when others’ affections were cast upon him, not unless it was blunt in its honesty.

So Geralt would be blunt.

He closed his eyes as he continued to stroke the length of his cock, the motion causing the water to ripple slightly, but not yet enough to draw Dandelion’s attention. The poet was too busy wittering on about his rhymes, only noticing when Geralt’s breath hitched as he cupped his balls.

“Geralt?”

“Dandelion,” Geralt grunted softly, his pleasure beginning to build from a warm ember to a roaring blaze that burned through him. The poet’s cornflower blue eyes were on him, dark and hungry. His cheeks were flushed rosy, and it seemed his dear friend was finally catching onto what was happening.

“I- I can leave, my friend, if you would prefer…”

“Stay,” Geralt insisted. “This not what you had in mind?”

“Well,” Dandelion laughed. “I had hoped, but I never thought it would actually happen, and well, really I thought it might take a little more convincing. Who knew all I needed all along were a few cheap candles?”

“Just get in the bath, Dandelion,” Geralt growled.

“Okay, okay,” Dandelion said with a roll of his eyes but shrugged out of his robe, allowing Geralt to admire his slender form. The poet’s cock remained soft as he stepped into the water. “So… how long?”

“Hmm?”

“How long have I been more than just a friend to you, Geralt?” Dandelion asked, settling into the water with a soft moan. His hands resting on Geralt’s thighs, fingers drawing patterns on Geralt’s skin under the water.

It wasn’t an easy question to answer. Could he even pin it down? Geralt wasn’t sure.

“Hard to tell, our friendship has never exactly been normal, Dandelion,” Geralt admitted.

Dandelion laughed, leaning forward in the tub, his hands stroking up Geralt’s thigh, the movement forcing the air from Geralt’s lungs. “You know, you’re right, and I think we should celebrate.”

“Celebrate?”

“Mhmm, and how about we start with a kiss?” Dandelion winked, before falling into Geralt embrace with a splash.

[sinsiriuslyemo]

Dearest Readers,

I know I’ve been absent during this quarantine and for that I’m sorry. It’s been pretty crazy to have to do distance learning with my six-year-old, but we’re getting by. I’ll be honest, I almost messaged the amazing @thefanficfaerie​ to tell her that I wouldn’t be able to do this, but the more I realized that I hadn’t created in what seemed like forever and thought about how much I missed interacting with you guys on here, the more I wanted to complete this challenge.

So I did what I always do, I sat down with three loose-leaf sheets and played “Penny and Me” by Hanson on a loop until this came out. I didn’t intend to be so on the nose with this one nor did I intend to use our current situation with covid19 in the fic, but here we are. Thank you so so much to @thefanficfaerie​ for creating this challenge! Also, thank you so much to @italiandoll1129​ for betaing this little diddy. I hope you guys enjoy this little imagine and I hope you’re all doing well and staying safe <3

Sinceriously,

Amanda

Your life up to the point when the world stopped had largely been made up of acoustics and half note runs. Countless moments captured in a simple bar, a single verse, a reprised chorus. Music was your lifeblood, the ticking of the muscle that resided deep in your chest and then--just a few short weeks ago--silence. The world stopped turning, life as you knew it upended, and the music in your soul faded without refrain. It seemed survival had been triggered when the governor implemented a stay-at-home order and music became little more than a distant memory of better days.

   Rafael had been more than annoyed at the disruption of his carefully crafted schedule, but had it not been for his steadfast reasoning and patience you surely would have sunk deep into the dark, bottomless pit of despair and hopelessness. Your loving, quick-witted ADA was the brain that steadied the storm in your heart. Had it not been for him you surely would have crumbled into a useless mess by day two of quarantine. Not that you weren’t on the edge every second of the day, but at least you were sure that if you did fall apart, Rafael would be there to put you back together again.

   You sat on the bumped out window seat in the corner of the living room, pillow in your lap, sipping your mug of home-brewed coffee, staring at the lifeless street below. New York City had never been so quiet, but now all of its residents waited with bated breath for the virus that had halted all to pass. Even the criminal world seemed to be practicing social distancing, though an uptick in domestic violence was certainly keeping Rafael busy. For the creatives of the world, however, the coronavirus seemed to slowly poison the well of inspiration, leaving little else aside from disconnection and isolation despite the countless public figures proclaiming “alone, together.” Or whatever they were saying.

   “Mi amor?” You heard Rafael’s voice from down the hall and let your forehead gently touch the cold, glass surface of the window as your eyes closed. “Y/N, we should go to the store today and pick up a few things, what do you think?”

   You inhaled through your nose and turned your head to look back at him, offering a weak smile. “Yeah, maybe they’ll have toilet paper this time.” How had toilet paper become more valuable than the dollar bill seemingly overnight?

   Closing the distance between the two of you, your boyfriend brought the back of his fingers to your cheek, corner of his lips quirking upward. His touch had always been enough to calm the emotional tornado that stress brewed inside you. Especially lately, you had become acutely aware of his ability to make you believe that everything would be alright.

   “This is all temporary,” he would say. It never took very much convincing on his part as long as his skin was making contact with yours.

   “We still have plenty for at least a week or two,” he said as he moved to sit on the other side of the window seat, facing you.

   Pursing your lips, you nodded. “Still, it wouldn’t hurt to have some extra on hand, just in case.” You tried to leave it at that instead of allowing a worst-case-scenario to form in your mind. The governor’s instructions had been clear: stay home, wash your hands, social distance until the curve flattened, remain calm. Despite your own paranoia, the world was not actually on fire...or if it was at least it wouldn’t be forever, and in truth as long as you had Rafael by your side, all would be well. Though it was times like this that made you wish you believed in God. There were moments when you envied Rafael in that sense; most of all now, when a magical sky-daddy would be a welcomed reprieve from the ever-rising death toll and unemployment rates.

   “Honey, we have to stay calm and not panic-buy, okay?” Rafael said, reaching for your hand. “You should try to keep yourself busy. You know how your anxiety gets when you sit still for too long without something to focus on.”

   “I know, I just…” You ran a hand through your hair and grimaced when you realized you hadn’t showered the day before. “I can’t slow my brain enough to create anything coherent.”

   “So create something incoherent,” he suggested with a bob of his shoulders. “Or, instead of writing music, why don’t you just play some songs you enjoy or learn to play one?” You could sense your lips trying to form a smile as your thumb stroked over the skin between his knuckles. “I just know how important music is in your life. It always makes you feel better.”

   “That’s not a bad idea, actually,” you said in a whisper as your eyes fell to your joined hands. “Maybe I could go live on Instagram,” you added carefully. “I’ve seen a lot of people talking about how scared they are, too.”

   He narrowed his eyes. “I thought we agreed you should stay off social media for now.”

   In the beginning of your self-isolation, you spent nearly every waking minute refreshing your Twitter and Instagram feeds, which in turn, had served only to fuel your anxiety and almost caused a panic attack. The logical thing was to avoid social media; the daily press conferences and videos from Philip DeFranco were more than enough to keep you updated on the situation without causing you to cry yourself to sleep because Dr-Random-Twitter-Handle had posted about his hospital’s desperate need for PPE, and how a portion of his staff had become sick, which would convince you that this was in fact the end of the world and there was literally nothing that could be done to stop it.

   So yeah, no social media had been the plan.

   However, your desire to share music had been a part of you since you could remember, and especially at a time like this, music could be the very thing to soothe people’s fears, even if only a little bit.

   “I know but I can’t help but wonder whether playing where other people can hear would help in some small way,” you said. 

    Rafael lowered his eyes as if in thought, nodding once. “What if you opened the window so the neighbors could hear?” His gaze came back to meet yours. “It’s been pretty quiet the last few weeks.”

   It had been quiet in the neighborhood since all the bars and clubs shut down, including Penny and Me’s, the bar just downstairs that normally featured live music, which would fill the entire neighborhood and carry over to the next block. You smiled at your boyfriend.

   “You don’t think people might get annoyed?”

   “No,” he answered. “I think people are reaching for as many positive things as they can get. And some music, especially when the neighborhood has been so eerily quiet, might be just the thing that makes them feel normal again. Even if it’s only for a moment.”

   You eyed your guitar in the far corner of the living room, leaning against the bookcase that held countless escapes into other worlds. Normally when reality came to be too much, a mix of other worlds and strums on your guitar would be enough to keep you from losing it completely. But right then, when the world as you knew it was forever changed, you couldn’t justify leaving it, even to save your sanity.

   “And,” Rafael added. “If anyone complains, they’ll have me to deal with.”

   You snorted, standing and opening the window before you went to pick up your guitar. Sitting back on the window seat, you took your time tuning it while your eyes periodically wandered, looking for an idea of what song to play. From the corner of your eye, you saw Rafael take out his phone, tap his screen a few times before he held it up. You knitted your brows at him; wasn’t he just trying to talk you out of going live?

   “I just realized your family might want to hear you play,” he said as though he’d been inside your head. “What are you gonna play, corazon?”

   “I don’t know.” Your gaze fell on the unlit, cursive lettering on the building across the street and the familiar chalkboard by the door that now read, “Stay home. Stay safe.”

   With a gentle smile, you began to strum an intro of chords, the beginning of a song that was written strictly as a love letter to music, highlighting the importance of a song in our hearts and how a simple, familiar melody could remind us of our favorite moments in our lives. Music, without which the world would be a much darker place, the one thing that in an instant could heal a hole in your heart, the thing that often formed fond memories of nights up late by the fireplace. Music that could speak for you with such clarity if you had trouble forming words.

   “That’s not obvious at all,” Rafael mumbled after hearing you sing the first chorus.

   “Hush, you,” you replied quickly, not missing a single strum. “Cause Penny and Me like to roll the windows down…”

   As you sang through the full chorus, a second voice joined in from below. Rafael carefully stepped closer to the window, mindful to keep his phone pointed in your direction as he leaned to stick his head out the open square.

   “Lawrence?” you heard him call out between lyrics.

   “Hey Rafael!” the voice replied. “And Penny and Me like to gaze at starry skies…”

   Your ADA chuckled under his breath when a third voice sounded from further down the building, and a fourth from above. By the time you reached the bridge, it was as though half the block joined in. Your focus was on keeping time with your strums against the strings, but your skin had prickled into goosebumps at the sound of your neighbors singing along with you. 

   For the first time since you’d been stuck inside, it actually felt like despite the fact that you were all self-isolating, none of you were alone. In that moment, the entire block of 82nd street was one, singing through their pain and loneliness, belting their affections for each other simply by joining you in a cover of an early 2000s tune by one of the original popstars of the 90s. Through the final chorus you could hear the longing, the desire to be together truly once again, going to Penny and Me’s for a drink after a long week and weaving in and out of clusters of people on the sidewalk to get home after it got late. It reminded you that New Yorkers were fighters, that you had all seen worse than this pandemic and that one day soon you would be reminiscing about where you were during the 2020 pandemic that had paused the world and forced people to appreciate each other just a little bit more. The time when music, as always, kept you connected while you distanced.

   “Do you think this is going to go viral?” Rafael asked no one in particular after you’d played the final chord of the song. 

   “I don’t think so, it’s a fairly obscure song,” you answered with a grin as you leaned back against the window sill, allowing the breeze to blow strands of hair against your face. 

   “Still,” Rafael mumbled as he tagged your parents in the post and, at your request, tagged the song and the virus for easy reference if you needed a pick-me-up later in the night. “Okay, I’m gonna head out to the store. Did you wanna come?”

   “I think I’m gonna stay here,” you answered, rolling your head to one side until your eyes met his. “I should clean the bathroom...and myself. Then afterward, I might try to work on some more music.”

   The smirk you knew all too well flashed in your direction as he closed the space between you to kiss your forehead. “Maybe without the window being open. The neighbors didn’t mind a song they knew, but the last thing we’d want is to disrupt their marathon of Tiger King.”

   “Speaking of which, they added an episode,” you said.

   “They did?”

   “Yep, Carol Baskins isn’t in it though, from what I’ve heard,” you said.

   “Fucking Carol Baskins. Okay, I’ll be back in an hour, tops,” he said, going to the door and putting on his coat. “When I get back, I think we should make dinner and watch that episode.”

   “And after that?”

   He bobbed his shoulders. “You’ve been trying to get me to watch Lost for years. Maybe now is when you do.”

   “I don’t know if I wanna watch a show about a plane that disappears to an island no one knows about. We’ll see what my paranoia level is by the time we finish the last Tiger King episode.”

   “Well, you know I’ve been dying for you to watch Catch-22,” he replied with a smirk.

   You paused a moment, grimacing at the thought of the show adaptation of a Joseph Heller novel that you hadn’t very much enjoyed in the first place. “Lost it is.”

[celestianstars]

Soft Gestures

Florian Munteanu x Reader

For @kati-1997 who requested a fic where the reader is an actress and sings in Creed II with Tessa and Florian falls for her.

This is such a cute idea! I made it fluffy so I hope you like it!

Also, feel free to send requests, headcanons, etc, my asks are open 😊

(Chapter 2 of Falling Is the Easiest Thing will be up either later tonight or tomorrow morning depending on when I get home lol, so stay tuned y’all)

——————————————————————————

Tessa’s role as Bianca was expanding this time as the second installment in the Creed franchise began filming. Her performances were going to be bigger than before and this time around they wanted to have another singer make an appearance as a headliner for a big show she was doing.

You auditioned for the part as soon as your agent found out about it, spending the weeks in between your audition and the confirmation of a yes or no, in a nervous panic. 

The role was such a big opportunity for you, your love of singing and songwriting on the side went hand in hand with your passion for acting and to have the possibility at working with such an amazing lineup of actors was a dream.

The news came eventually though and you basically lost it when you found out you were given the part.

And the first time you met everyone was probably one of those days you’d remember till you died. The sheer amount of star power from Tessa and Michael to Stallone and Dolph, it was insane that you were here and getting to share a creative space with them.

With being a newcomer though, you ended up gravitating more towards Florian since he was new to the party too and it was nice that he knew how you felt and vice versa.

Not only was he incredibly good looking but he was also so talented when it came to acting, he was just a natural and you could see that clear as day.

And when it came to you, Florian thought the same. You had a gift with your voice and your words and acting just enhanced that.

“So are they letting you write your own song or do they want you to write about something specific?” Florian asked you one day while Tessa and Mike were in your kitchen.

Your apartment in LA kind of became the go to spot for the four of you in between filming days just to hang out and relax, and also for you and Tessa to write music.

“Nah, they’re letting me write my own song, which I’m grateful for cause I think my personal sound would fit with Tessa’s music as Bianca.” you tapped your pen against the notepad in your lap, an idea for a verse coming into your head.

Florian was sitting on the opposite end of the couch as you but since he was such a giant, it felt like he was closer and you didn’t mind it one bit.

“I’d love to hear it sometime if you don’t mind. I saw your instagram story when you were in the studio and I liked what you were playing. You’re good at it.” he complimented you, an edge of softness in his voice.

Breaking out into a smile you could feel your cheeks getting red. You were gonna get yourself into trouble if you didn’t stop these thoughts but he had been so sweet to you since the moment you met and every time he said something like that you went crazy inside.

“For sure Flo! And thank you, that means a lot coming from you.” you nudged his knee with your foot playfully, unable to contain the smile on your face.

He caught you by the ankle before you could move your foot away, his other hand coming down to tickle your calf which made you jerk your leg out, catching him square in the jaw.

“I should have known that would happen.” the deep rumbling of his laugh filled your ears.

“Oh my god I’m sorry! Noooo!” you had to hold your side for a minute from laughing so hard cause now he was the one with red cheeks.

“Aww wait let me see!” you scooted closer to him, your laughter subsiding a bit as you ran your thumb along his jawline, his beard feeling soft to the touch.

“You think I need stitches, (Y/N)?!” he feigned concern and clutched his chest dramatically, which made you giggle again.

“Oh yeah sorry to break the news to you but you’re gonna have one big scar on that handsome face of yours!” your hand had dropped down to his chest just inches away from his own hand.

“Ah ok so you admit I’m handsome huh?”

“Ok yeah shut up!” you rolled your eyes, silence falling between you two after that, just the slightest bit of tension noticeable as you both just sort of looked at one another, not really having anything else to add but just wanting to be in the moment a bit longer.

Tessa and Michael re-entered your living room with snacks, making you withdraw your hand from Florian’s chest quickly, scooting back to your original position.

Florian sat up just a little straighter too, both of you trying to act normal but failing cause Tessa could already feel what was up, she saw how friendly you were with each other since you had met. 

She didn’t say anything out of respect, however, she was gonna wait to see how far it went because in all honesty, she could see how good a pair you and him were and didn’t want to scare either of you away from each other by announcing her knowledge of anything.

Florian missed the physical contact of your hand on him as soon as you’d moved away and most of all, the way you laughed. It felt so light and joyous and showcased how comfortable you were around him. 

He knew his appearance was a little intimidating and when he first met you he saw the familiar look of awe mixed slightly with fear in your eyes that everyone had when they first laid eyes on him but you never shied away from him after that. Both of you gradually got closer to each other and it just meant a lot to him to have a friend.

Being in LA was new for him, he had no family or friends out here and he couldn’t really tell them much about what was going on with the movie and everything because he felt like they’d know he was struggling most days, even with how grateful he was for the opportunity.

His character, Viktor, was a man filled with a lot of hurt and he had to go to a pretty dark place to get into character. This was also new to him and he couldn’t find a way to get out of character when he wasn’t on camera just yet so his mood was really tanking, even when Michael would drag him out to eat or hang with him or when he would talk to his family.

He missed them, he was a big family person and not having them near was so foreign to him. His apartment here in LA was so empty all the time and his head space was often filled with sadness lately.

But despite that, you were the one thing that was keeping him sane essentially. Admitting it was hard but he knew deep down that he was falling in love with you every day he was around you.

You made him feel seen and understood and you noticed that he was struggling sometimes and wanted to do what you could to help because he was one of the sweetest people you’d ever met, those were the words you used when he asked you about it one day and that only softened his heart for you more.

To you, nothing about him was fake or forced and you tried making a promise with yourself that this was just a small crush on him because he probably had a girlfriend back in Germany or something but the more you were around him, the more intimate things became.

------

After another day of bouncing ideas off Tessa, you decided it was time to take another crack at the song in the studio and invited Florian along, not forgetting about what he said the other day.

You got to work, playing with the beat, not really happy with the way the bass sounded. It felt off and you spent a good fifteen minutes trying different frequencies out, turning to Florian and asking him what he thought.

“Here, I’ll play the track for you without my voice on it first and you tell me what you think.” you sat cross legged in a chair, swiveling around to face him.

He was sitting with both his feet on the floor, his legs positioned wide which you should be used to by now because that’s how he always tended to sit but you weren’t. He looked so damn good, especially with the gold chain he had on and the all black outfit, he was really looking like a snack and it killed you in the best way possible.

The sound of the beginnings of your work filled the room and you studied his face closely as he started bobbing his head to the beat.

“You made this? It’s like...perfect (Y/N)!” his body moving a little bit more in time with the music as he leaned forward towards you.

“Yeah I produce and mix everything I make, I like doing it all myself really, and you think so, not too heavy sounding?” you stretched and ended up resting your legs on his thighs, which he didn’t mind.

“Ahh the lady does it all huh, that’s amazing,” his forearm now rested on top of your legs, the contact making you shiver slightly. “But no, no it’s really good, I like the dark sound to it but it’s just enough to have the right affect. I told you you were good at this.”

He was so impressed and very much a fan of the kind of music you were making and watching you sing was such a turn on. You would close your eyes and move your body with the song and he had nothing but heart eyes for you when you did that.

You thanked him about a dozen times over the course of the few hours you spent in the studio, not able to stop the blush from creeping up on your cheeks when he praised your skills and kept raving about how your voice sounded and that you should drop an album with that “angelic voice” of yours.

His support was one of the best things; it helped you focus a little less of worrying if everything sounded great and more on just letting it all flow out of you as it came naturally.

You showed him how to use all the editing software and how to make a song from scratch, his attention and interest in something you gave so much of your heart to, filling you with another wave of love for him.

He made you feel special. And for Florian, all he wanted to do was make you feel understood and cared for like you always did for him.

----

The sun had set and the stars were out as both of you headed out of the studio, still laughing about the attempt Florian made to make his own music, which you kept insisting sounded amazing and that he wasn’t bad at singing but he kept arguing your points.

The car ride was silent but comfortable as you drove him back to his apartment. He didn’t want to go back there in truth, he knew another lonely night was waiting for him there and he’d give anything to be with you for a little while longer.

His emotions were easy to read for you and you knew he was deep in thought and it didn’t seem like it was about anything fun.

“Hey...you alright?” you moved your hand from the steering wheel for a second to squeeze his hand gently, the red light from the stoplight in front of you illuminating his features.

“Hmm, yeah. I...just don’t really wanna go back to an empty apartment again.” he held your hand, his thumb running over your knuckles.

His voice was quiet and a little solemn and you felt your chest tighten at seeing him this way.

“Then you’re crashing with me tonight. I don’t want you to feel alone Flo. We can watch a movie, I have ice cream and you have a sweet tooth sooo...say no more!” you stated, leaving no room for him to argue even though he did.

You insisted that he wasn’t intruding upon your life, it was the least you could do and in truth you wanted more alone time with him too.

And that’s how you ended up snuggled against his chest, wrapped in a blanket as the two of you finished up a tub of ice cream.

You were feeling bold and seeing him half sprawled out on your couch gave you the idea to just try it, see what he would do, you’d find out how he felt once you did and wouldn’t have to guess anymore, so that’s what you did, lifting up the blanket draped over his torso, settling down against him as the movie started.

Florian couldn’t help but smile and try and remember how to breathe because this was all he’d been thinking about doing with you for months now. Watching Netflix with you in his arms, that was peace right there.

Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you in just a little more, his other hand coming down to hold your chin, gently making you look at him.

“I don’t think I’ve ever told you how much everything you do is so important to me. Thank you, (Y/N), you’re an angel. My angel.” he let his fingers trail from your temple down your cheek, your eyes closing at the sensation, his words making your heart beat faster.

The movie didn’t even matter anymore because all either of you could see was each other.

“I’d do whatever I can for you, Florian. I like you a lot, more than I can express actually.” your voice was a whisper, still reeling from the fact that he called you his angel.

He grinned and his head fell back against the back of your couch for a second, hardly believing that you admitted it, before he returned his attention to you.

“I feel the exact same way.” he tangled his legs with yours, making you clutch his large frame, wanting to be impossibly closer to him as he placed a kiss on your forehead softly.

You felt so safe and loved in his arms like this, relief washing over you that he was just as into you as you were into him and that everything was falling into place.

It all meant something important and deep and neither of you could wait to spend more time, exactly like this.

[besidemethewholedamntime]

Sing Me A Song

A fluffy Fitzsimmons family fic set in the near future because I couldn’t help myself. I know I still have prompts to do, and I absolutely promise I’m in the process of writing them but I got stuck and this popped into my head. I hope you enjoy it! 

Read it on Ao3

“Shh, it’s okay. It’s alright.”

Fitz bounces with his six-month-old daughter, cradling her gently against his chest. His words fall on deaf ears, and his daughter continues to cry mournfully into his shirt. Teething has begun in recent days and has been hard on Sarah and both of her parents.

“It’s gonna be okay,” he soothes, but his voice doesn’t sound convincing even to his own ears. He holds Sarah away from his chest; her cheeks are flushed and her impossibly blue eyes are wide and melancholy. His heart breaks in a strange way for whenever she cries it cuts somewhere deep inside of him.

She’s only teething, he reminds himself. Everyone on the planet has gone through this and got through it, she’ll be fine. The rational, non-father part of himself knows this. It’s the other part that doesn’t; the part of him that’s a father and cannot stand seeing his daughter hurt.

Wearily, he cradles Sarah to his chest again, and sits down in the rocking chair usually used for feeding. It’s been a long few days ever since her teeth had began appearing. Nothing has seemed to help: not the teething rings or the teething gels or even the special baby painkillers bought for especially for this event. Sarah is as stubborn as both of her parents, utterly refusing to be settled or comforted by things that Fitz is sure normal children would be.

That’s what you get for having two parents who aren’t normal Fitz sighs. His daughter is the love of his life, apple of his eye and he would gladly die for her without a second’s hesitation. He adores her unique-ness that shows even at six months old; the way her eyes are infinite and seem to understand everything of what she sees, the way she smiles and the whole world gets brighter, the way she laughs like laughter has only just been discovered… but just for this one thing, Fitz thinks he wouldn’t mind if she was a little more… average.

(Except that this is just his tired brain and of course he doesn’t mean it – he wouldn’t change Sarah for all the world, crying fits over milk teeth and all.)

Rocking back and forth softly, Fitz begins to hum a tune that comes so naturally to his mind in this state. A song his granny and his mum used to sing to him when he was small, when he was crying so much that he should barely hear them over his hiccups.

To his own surprise, he even begins to sing.

Ally bally, ally bally bee, Sittin' on yer mammy's knee

Fitz isn’t even entirely sure how he’s remembered the words, it’s been so long since he’s heard them. Sarah’s sobs begin to quieten. He carries on:

Greetin' for a wee bawbee, Tae buy some Coulter's candy. 

Sarah’s cries are now only soft sniffles and he’s so amazed that four lines of a simple song his granny used to always sing have done what nothing else has been able to, that he doesn’t even hear Jemma come in until she says quietly:

“That was quite lovely. I haven’t heard you sing that song before.”

He grins up at her, happy to see her even though she’s only been working a few hours. “Didn’t even realise I’d remembered it.”

She comes over and kisses him a greeting, gently kissing her daughter also before sitting on the bed opposite him with a sigh that can only mean she’s had a hard time at work. Her smile, though tired, is still bright. Fitz could never tire of that smile.

“Where is it from?” Jemma asks in an almost-whisper.

He looks down to his chest and sees that Sarah’s eyes have begun to droop and her cheeks are no longer as flushed as they once were.

“Uh…” He thinks back on how he actually knows the song. “My granny used to sing it to me when I was younger. My mum too. I’d be crying til I was hiccupping and my granny would sit me on her knee and sing until I wasn’t crying anymore.” Looking down at his daughter, he smiles. “Must run in the family.”

Jemma’s eyes have taken on that soft look that comes with whenever they talk about his family. “That’s very sweet, Fitz. Your granny sounds adorable.”

“Aw yeah, she was the best. Looked after me a lot when I was young. My mum was working all the time, and before my dad left he was too,” He frowns, the mention of his father bringing a crease to his forehead. “I stayed with her a lot if mum was on night shift, and even if I wasn’t upset she’d always sing the song before I went to sleep.”

Now that he’s thinking about it, Fitz begins to remember a lot about those days when his mum was working all of the time and his dad never seemed to want him around, or his gran never wanted him around his dad he realises now. He remembers the way her house smelled like lavender and she always wore flower prints and always called him honey.

“When was the last time you saw her?” Jemma asks softly, reaching over to squeeze the hand that isn’t supporting their daughter.

“I don’t even know,” Fitz whispers. When did tears appear in his eyes? “Haven’t been back in so long. I don’t even know what’s happened to her, if she’s…” he swallows, unable to say it. “If her and my mum are okay. I haven’t even phoned in so long cause so much was going on and now I can’t.” Fitz breathes deeply but slowly, not wanting to disturb Sarah who has fallen asleep on his chest. He blinks back the tears in his eyes and looks down at her. “I wonder what they’d think of us.” He beams at Jemma. “What they’d think of her.”

“I’m sure they’d be so proud of you, Fitz,” Jemma whispers to him, fiercely but so full of love. “They’d be so proud to see the father you’ve become to our daughter.”

“Thanks, Jemma.” He loves her so much that it’s indescribable. And they have a daughter. Even after six months, he still hasn’t been able to get over the wonder of it all.

“As soon as we’re able we’ll go to Glasgow,” she says decisively.

“My granny would like that,” he says, deciding to be hopeful. “And mum, too.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll introduce them to Sarah and they’ll lover her just as much as we do.”

Fitz doesn’t think that anyone, apart from Jemma, could love his daughter as much as he does but he knows their love will come awfully close.

Sarah begins to stir against his chest, and soft mewling cries begin to emanate from her.

“Oh dear, are her teeth still giving her a hassle?” Jemma asks, her features rearranging into a look of worry.

“Yeah.” Fitz begins rocking gently once more. “She’s really not getting a break with it.”

“Perhaps your magical singing will help, Fitz,” Jemma teases. “It did work last time.”

He rolls his eyes but takes no notice and begins the song from the beginning. There are other verses, he’s sure, but his granny never sung them to him. She always only sang these lines, and it was always enough.

Ally bally, ally bally bee,

Almost at once, Sarah begins to quieten again.

“Well would you look at that,” Jemma comments, marvelled. “Our daughter must be the only person who does like your singing.”

Sittin' on yer mammy's knee

“At least my musical talents are appreciated by somebody,” he faux-grumbles.

Greetin' for a wee bawbee

He thinks of his granny and what she would say if she saw him here with his wife and daughter now. He thinks that she’d be over them moon, happy with how it’s all turned out. Fitz knows that he is, that he wouldn’t change any of it for anything.

Tae buy some Coulter's candy. 

[robertdowneyjjr]

nursey the tech disaster and dex the apple support guy: an au

a conversation between me & @brandnewfashion

(interspersed with random hockey commentary)

kayytx

au where nursey keeps having IT trouble and every time he goes online to use that quick chat help service (bc he doesn't want to call. that's awkward af) he gets dex as the service guy

brandnewfashion

oooooh

nice!!!!!!!!!!!!

TELL ME MOER

kayytx

i'm trying to decide what products nursey's using that he keeps having issues lmao

i feel like fandom consensus states nursey is a mac guy?

brandnewfashion

yeah i can't see him not using them

kayytx

so basing off of my experience trying to update my software for FOUR HOURS at staying up until 3am bc of that shit ugh

the first time he has to contact apple support online he's trying to upgrade his OSX to the latest software, but it keeps stalling a quarter of the way through

so nursey borrows chowder's laptop to go on apple's website for support help and dex answers

and legit, that shit takes...four hours

brandnewfashion

lol i wouldn't know

sounds annoying tho

kayytx

it's supposed to be only half an hour but my laptop just decided to be a little shit

but anyway

in between dex telling nursey what to do, and nursey following instructions and waiting for his laptop to show some progress

they start chatting

bc nursey is bored and it's late at night and there's nothing else for him to do, especially since his computer isn't working

imagine nursey like, suddenly thinks of a few verses for a poem and types them in the chat bc he couldn't find anywhere else to write atm

and dex is like ??????

brandnewfashion

yesss

kayytx

YASSS HABS WIN

ok anyway

brandnewfashion

GOOD

kayytx

so that obvi leads to a convo where dex asks what nursey does and nursey talks about being an english major

and dex tells him about doing comp sci and working for apple part time

brandnewfashion

FINALLY THE FLAMES SCORED

and yes good i'm liking this au

kayytx

idk how many call locations there are in the US though so i'm trying to figure out where dex is based rn

like i'm kinda tempted to have him live in nyc

but i don't work for apple so idk how true this is

brandnewfashion

dude that'd be cool though? and nursey could be like "YO I'M FROM THERE" and dex, who just started school there, could be like "ok is there any place to get decent ____ bc i haven't found one yet"

kayytx

yeS EXACTLY

so nursey recommends some like hipster coffee places and one day dex remembers this convo and goes and at first he's like, what the FUCK this place serves out of mason jars NO

but he tries the coffee and he honestly thinks it's liquid cocaine so he keeps going back

brandnewfashion

lolllll

kayytx

anyway so like after three hours of chitchat and apple support nursey's computer finally boots properly and installs the update

so they say goodbye, it's been really fun talking to you, thanks for the help, etc. etc. and sign off

then three weeks later nursey's iphone spazzes out

and the nearest apple store is an hour away and he just doesn't have the time to go there, wait another hour for the genius bar to have an opening, and then go back to campus

so he goes online to apple support and clicks the chat option

and it's dex again

dex recognizes him from his apple ID, which usually never happens but bc they had such a good convo last time nursey left an impression

and so again in between helping out nursey he's just like, oh HEY i went to that place you told me about!

so nursey tells him about more places to visit

brandnewfashion

ok ben bishop is in net for the kings (no surprise) but he's wearing his lightning mask and it's really throwing me off

kayytx

god that's so weird

brandnewfashion

ANYWAY

what places does nursey tell him to go toooooo

how long does tihs go on before they get the opportunity to meet?????

kayytx

OKAY OK so

idk i think this happens like four or five times?

apple products arent THAT terrible lmao you can't have that many issues with your products

but nursey's a disaster so

he manages to fuck up something every few weeks

and like after the third time he enters the chat dex's coworkers recognize him also and they just pass him off to dex immediately hahaha

brandnewfashion

lmaooo

kayytx

oh FUCK stars tied the game

anyway

brandnewfashion

RUDE

kayytx

honestly after the fourth time nursey goes online with an issue about his ipad's storage issue or whatever dex is just really tempted to give nursey his number bc for the most part he's been able to solve his problems without referring to the resources at his desk

OH SHIT STARS IN THE LEAD

brandnewfashion

EXCUSE ME WHAT

FUCK U STARS

kayytx

UGH

anyway so yeah dex wants to give nursey his number and nursey wants to ask for it, but they both know the chats are monitored and that's just highly inappropriate and nursey doesn't want to get dex fired

so they both resist but like

it's kinda killing both of them

brandnewfashion

D:

kayytx

yeah like they're both p sure they're gonna die before they ever meet bc they're Dramatic af

BUT!! THIS IS FIC!!! and i love them and want them to be together so DO NOT DESPAIR

nursey goes back to nyc for winter break

and he doesn't want to be all cooped up at home with nothing to do

so he decides to go out, find some inspo, write a bit

AND THEN this suddenly becomes a coffee shop au

nursey goes to that mason jar hipster cafe to get some work done

but in the middle of writing his computer shuts down and he panics REALLY LOUDLY

and what??? dex is THERE???

brandnewfashion

LOL

AMAZING

HOW CONVENIENT

kayytx

R I G H T

he had the day off and was also there to work on some freelance coding projects he has on the side and in the middle of coding he hears this really loud person screaming at his laptop and he's like, what the FUCK

so he looks up and sees nursey doing SOMETHING with his computer. he's not even sure what

and in teh cafe there are like three other people with their laptops out, but dex is the closest and he looks the least busy (nursey is wrong. dex is the busiest, he just looked up at the wrong time and Eye Contact happened and now he's stuck)

so nursey goes over to him and he's like, "yo bro can i borrow your laptop to go on apple support and get some help"

bc that response is just like ingrained in him now. anytime something happens he just. goes on apple support

dex, being the lil shit he is, just goes, "have u tried turning ur computer off and on again"

brandnewfashion

HA

kayytx

nursey: it won't even turn ON dex: maybe its out of battery nursey: it's plugged in??? do u not see it????? dex: maybe your cord doesn't work

dex just. doesn't want to help

he does enough of that at work

brandnewfashion

lollll

kayytx

but nursey is really annoying and he figures the easiest way to get rid of him is to help him so he's like, ok fine i actually work at apple i'll help you

brandnewfashion

wow

the pens are gonna lose

to the STARS

kayytx

.....that's so depressing

brandnewfashion

they got too fucking cocky

ugh

kayytx

D:

brandnewfashion

anyway

dex helps him?

kayytx

dex helps him!

and meanwhile nursey's chattering on and on about how this is the first time someone's actually physically helped him with his laptop bc he never goes to the genius bar even though he probably should and he's terrible with technology and things always just die on him so he always has to get help from online support and it's kinda funny how he always gets the same guy who helps with his problems and it's actually kinda nice talking to him, and he kinda really likes him, but he doesn't think they'll ever meet bc why would that ever happen right? hey maybe dex would know him since they're both working for apple? but what are the chances?? surely there are thousands of people who work for apple

and like all this time dex has sorta just been tuning him out while he works on nursey's computer but he catches a few things here and there

and he's like

wait

rewind

dex: holy shit nursey: what? what is it, is my computer really dead this time? dex: you're derek nurse nursey: umm? yes?

and for a sec nursey thinks that he's just somehow become notorious within apple support center circles or something bc he's gone for help so many times

but then dex introduces himself and he's like OH HOLY SHIT

brandnewfashion

NICE

kayytx

and like sometime during nursey's little ramble he mentioned how he thought dex is funny and really nice and seems like someone he'd like to date and of COURSE dex totally heard all of that

dex: so. you think i'm funny. and you want to date me huh? nursey: ...well i mean maybe? dex: okay well just do you know just because we're both in a coffee shop right now declaring our feelings this ISN'T our first date okay bc i refuse to have our first date be one where i fix something for you again nursey: oh so YOU HAVE FEELINGS FOR ME TOO?

brandnewfashion

HA

kayytx

dex: well yeah. i wanted to give you my number but i couldn't do that without a monitored chatroom nursey: i wanted to give you my number too! dex: well? technically? i have your number? because it's in our systems dex: but i didn't want to seem like a creep if i'd just randomly texted you

but anyway they finally exchange numbers like normal people and nursey Officially asks dex out on a date

but then internally he's struggling bc he basically already gave dex a list of all the best places in nyc and now he has nothing to impress dex with lmfao

brandnewfashion

HAHAHAHA

kayytx

they end up going to brooklyn for smorgasburg bc you cant really ever go wrong with that

wait jk that's seasonal so it wouldn't be open for winter break LMAO

brandnewfashion

oh gosh they're gonna become a disgustingly sweet long distance couple

kayytx

yeah nursey's fucked

YES THEY ARE

they're so gross honestly

brandnewfashion

they always have shit going on

there's ALWAYS something hapening haha

kayytx

and dex's coworkers notice that this dude hasn't been on the chat in a really long time??? and they kinda start feeling bad for dex bc they knew he had a bit of a crush on nursey lmao

brandnewfashion

ok but then dex has them all over to meet his "new boyfriend" and they all walk in on nursey screaming at his laptop and they're like "OH"

kayytx

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

and at this point dex is already at the fondly exasperated stage and he's like, jfc nurse you should just give up on technology altogether