#More than everything I'm grateful they weren't weird about it

[kyouka-supremacy]

Today was a good day :)

[imaginaryf1shots]

Family at McLaren | Oscar Piastri

WC: 4.7K oops

Oscar Piastri x single mum!reader

Summery: Raising a son while working for McLaren F1 team was never easy but life wasn’t easy on you anyway.

Warning: Teen pregnancy, absent father, absent family

Masterlist

Oscar Masterlist

Life hasn't been the kindest to you, it seemed like you've been struggling for so long before things started to turn to the better. Getting pregnant young wasn't on the agenda, nor was your boyfriend breaking up with you and moving as far away form you as he could, and your parents cutting you off to 'save face' certainly wasn't planned. But in the end you have your son, all the doubts and thoughts about keeping him or giving him away were set in motion, there was no way you'll give him away, he's a part of you and he's yours. You worked hard, keeping your scholarship helped you through your university and then you also had work on the side to support yourself and your son. During university with the help of your life long friends you were able to get through it and your understanding professors were also a big help. All in all with a son under 5 years old you graduated university top of your class and many opportunities for you to work and choose from. So when you got the chance to work for Mclaren F1 team you took the chance without thinking about it.

Studying was one thing, but balancing work and personal life was hard, harder than you thought. But the McLaren team is like a family everyone's very understanding. McLaren continues to be your beacon of hope, a promise for a brighter future.

"Thank you so much for letting me bring him in." You thanked your manager, feeling grateful for her allowing you to bring Tom with you. The daycare was flooded due to some water leakage or a burst pipe of something like that, meaning until they get everything fixed you had no one to watch your son while you're working. So in a panic mode you called your manager and told her what happened, she was very understanding and agreed to let you bring him with you. You worked in an office and weren't with the mechanics so that made it easier for him to stay with you and not hinder your work.

"No worries, I understand how things get some times." She patted your back and smiled at Tom who was shyly hiding behind your leg, he was super shy. Your team knew you had a son and have all admired you for being a young single mother but so far ahead in your carrier already. But it wasn't something that you spread around so when you walked in and saw the looks on everyone's faces you knew that they were

shocked.

Tommy is a carbon copy of you, there's no doubt in anyone's mind when they first see him that he's yours.

"Oh my god, who is that cutie?" Asked one of the women on the media team, she crouched down in front of you to be eye level with Tommy, he held your hand and looked up at you, you gave him a smile and a nod of encouragement.

"Hello." He said and waved before he got shy and hid into your side, you and Sarah giggled, a couple other moved closer to the three of you to watch the interaction, it's not everyday that a child comes into the MTC.

"What's your name, little guy?" Sarah asked trying to prop him into talking and get him out of his Shyness

"I'm not little." He mumbled and peaked out at her, Sarah raised her arms in surrender.

"Sorry, what's your name big guy?"

"My name's Tom, but mummy calls me Tommy." Tom said and you giggled. A few of your colleague interacted with him on your way to your office. Once you were there you gave him a few of his toys to play with, including a toy car that he liked to act as if he raced with, especially since you started working for McLaren, and being surrounded by Formula 1 way more than before. As you settled in work, it was clear that Tom has created a buzz in the office.

It was later when Oscar strolled into the office. It wasn't weird for him to be there, since you're similar in age you had struck up a friendship, and he'd pop in every time he was in the factory, you'd always talk for a while but had no idea about Tom. So when he walked in and saw Tom surprise flickered on his face, it didn't take him long to put two and two together, especially with the murmurs of other people he passed since he arrived.

"Hey there." Oscar said a friendly grin spreading on his face as he squatted down beside Tom who was playing with his Toy car. "Are you a future driver?"

Tom looked up, his shyness having faded a bit since the morning.

"Maybe." He said with a giggle, holding up his toy car for Oscar to see, Oscar then glanced at you as you watched the scene unfold.

"He's got good taste." He ruffled Tom's hair and stood up. "Are you brining him to the track next?"

"Not if I can help it." You replied with a laugh, grateful for Oscar's easy going nature. "Too much people, too many ways to get lost."

"True." Oscar pulled the usual chair to sit next to you, his eyes not leaving Tom's. If Oscar held any respect for you before it just doubled. Oscar sat with you for a while before he had to go away.

By lunchtime Tommy was like a mini celebrity, there was even a few engineers that took turns showing him around. You were over the moon, just seeing him so happy and over his shyness. Lunch time is always hectic, and all it took a few seconds, you looked away from Tom for a few seconds and he was gone. You couldn't see him anywhere. Panic consumed you, and your heart pounded in your chest as

realization hit you, Tommy is lost. You turn around and head back to your office, maybe he went back there for one of his toys.

Dread washed over you when you didn't find him there, the MTC is a big building and he could be anywhere, you asked everyone you passed if they've seen him but no one has. You called his name, and a few others joined you in your search.

Where did he go? Was he hurt? Is he scared? Just the thought of him being alone in this big unfamiliar building scared you immensely. With each passing moment a sense of helplessness threatened to overwhelmed you.

As you ran around, calling for your son, your voice is tinged with desperation, you could feel the stared of your colleagues, their concerned expressions adding to your anxiety. And as they told you words of comfort it just fell onto deaf ears. You were lost in the whirlwind of your panic.

It seemed to you as if you've searched each corner, every hallway, your mind conjuring the worst scenarios. Each empty room you passed seemed to taunt you with its silence. The MTC always felt like it's a place filled with excitement and innovation, now just felt like it's a maze. You stopped by Sarah's disk, your breath coming in short and frantic gasps.

"Have you seen Tommy?" you ask her, your voice trembling.

"No." She shook her head, concern etched across her face. "But we'll find him, he can't have gone far."

Tears prickled your eyes as you continued your search, your voice growing hoarse from calling his name. your ran through corridors, peering into ever nook and cranny, your mind replaying the last moments you saw him, had he wandered into a restricted area? Was he frightened or hurt?

Just as the panic was threatening to consume you, you turned a corner and you saw a familiar figure approaching, relief and disbelief washed over you as you saw Oscar, with Tommy over his shoulders, a broad smile on his face.

”Looking for this big boy?” OScar asked, his eyes twinkling with a smile on his face.

A sob left you in relief, as you rushed over pulling Tommy into your arms.

”Oh my god!” You exclaimed, your voice trembling. “I was so worried.”

Tommy wrapped his arms around your neck, he sensed your distress. “I’m sorry mummy.”

Oscar smiled gently, patting Tommy’s head.

”I saw him wandering around, so I took him to check the simulator room.” He explained. “I think he’s got a knack for finding the coolest sports in the building.”

”Thank you Oscar.” You managed a shaky laugh, the tension slowly ebbing away. “I don’t know hat I would’ve done if-“

”It’s okay.” Oscar interrupted softly. “He’s safe now, let’s just keep a closer eye on him next time.”

You nodded, and as you hugged Tommy a tear left your eye, Oscar’s eyes just softened even more, he whipped it away and gave you a one armed hug with Tommy between the two of you.

“Oh Tommy, I was so scared.” You mumbled to your son after you pulled away from Oscar.

”I’m sorry mummy.” Tommy looked sad, he didn’t mean to scare you.

”It’s alright baby, just don't do it again, you have to always tell me where you are.” You tell him, and he nods, hugging you.

Oscar walks back with you, once you make it to your office, and you send a message to everyone that you found him, the rest of the day goes smoothly, everyone pays more attention to Tommy making sure that he’s alright and within eyesight.

This just renewed and cemented the love and care in the McLaren family.

From the moment OScar saw you at McLaren, he was captivated. You were different from everyone else he’s met, that is remotely close to his age, something he now concludes is because you’re a single mother, juggling a demanding job and raising a young son on your own.

Oscar admired your resilience, you run wavering commitment to both your work and Tommy. And despite the whirlwind that is Formula 1, he’s found his thoughts drifting to you, wondering how you managed to keep everything together with such grace. He often wondered how hard it must’ve been for you, he heard that you’re mostly alone taking care of your son, he pained him to think that you went through so much hardships alone. Your friends were there for you, but they couldn’t have been there all the time.

Oscar also knew you had drawn clear boundaries between the two of you, he’s seen the way you focus on your work and Tom, always putting your son first. He respected that about you, even if it meant keeping his feelings in check. When you brought Tom to the MTC, Oscar knew why you had drawn these lines.

OScar saw the way Tom’s eyes light up when he saw the cars, and when he sat on the sim even if he was too short to do anything yet, his face was beaming with excitement. Oscar enjoyed the moments he spent with Tom, you had brought him with you for a week while the daycare was being fixed up.

Seeing the vulnerability in your eyes when Tom got lost, he saw the fear of a mother who lost her child, and he wanted to be there for you, to support you in any way he could.

And through the week Tommy was at MTC, Oscar had taken it upon himself to spend as much time with Tommy as he could, he’d take him to the simulator room, and show him the cars at the technology centre. He saw first hand how much you meant to your son.

Without even noticing Oscar’s feelings grew stronger with each passing day, but he knew he had to approach his feelings dreadfully. His biggest fear is making you uncomfortable in any way shape or form, or overstepping. So he just focused on building a bond with Tommy, knowing that his actions will speak louder than words. And he couldn’t help but hope that in time you might see hi as more than just a colleague or a young F1 driver. Oscar understand that you’ve been hurt before and that you’re protective of your heart and the heart of your son. But he’s known for being patient, willing to wait and prove himself, to show you that could be a part of your life and Tommy’s in a meaningful way.

One afternoon, as you were wrapping up a meeting, Oscar popped his head into your office.

”Hey, got a minute?” He asked with that familiar, easygoing smile.

“Sure, Oscar.” You looked up from your desk. “What’s up?”

”I was wondering if you and Tommy would like to come to the race this weekend?” Oscar stepped inside, his hands causally tucked into his pockets. “It’s in the country, and it’s a big one, I thought it might be fun for him to see it all in action.”

Your initial reaction was to say no. The thought of bringing Tommy to a race, with the noise, crowds and the chaos, it just seemed overwhelming. but the way Oscar looked at you with genuine enthusiasm and a touch of hope, made you hesitate.

“I don’t know, Oscar.” You said, your concern evident in your voice. “Races can be pretty hectic I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for Tommy/“

Oscar pulled his usual chair to sit next to you.

”I get that, but I’ll make sure you both have a great experience, I’ve arranged for some VIP passes, and you won’t be working, so you’ll have access to the paddock and private viewing area, it’ll be safe and Tommy will get to see the cars in action, I promise it’ll be fun.”

“I’m not sure-“

”If you feel at any point that it’s overwhelming;ming you can escape to my room and stay there until the end.” Your resolve was wavering as you thought about how excited Tommy will be.

”Well, okay, alright.” You agreed but your voice was still tinged with uncertainty.

“Great!” Oscar’s smile widened. “I’ll make sure everything is set up for you, trust me, you’re going to love it.”

The day of the race arrived, and you found yourself with Tommy at the circuit. your nerves are a mix of excitement and apprehension. The roar of the engines, the buzz of the crowd, it was a world you had seen inside at McLaren but never experienced firsthand like this. Tommy is practically bouncing with excitement, the pass around his neck is like a golden ticket.

You were only there for the race day, and when you met Oscar by the Mclaren motorhome there was still a couple of hours until the start of the race.

”Hey, future race car driver.” Oscar said ruffling Tom’s hair. “Ready to see some action?”

Tommy nodded eagerly, his eyes wide with wonder. “Yes! Can I sit in your car?”

”We’ll see what we can do.” Oscar laughed, a warm and infectious sound. “Come on, let’s get you both set up.”

Oscar led you through the motorhome, you greeted your colleagues that you worked with and smiled. Tom was holding Oscar’s hand as he showed him around. Your son was mesmerised.

”Can I see that one up close?” Tom pulled on Oscar’s sleeve to gain his attention. Oscar glanced at you for approval, and you nodded, smiling at Tom’s enthusiasm.

”Of course, let’s get you a closer look.” You stood at the back of the garage, as Oscar took Tom to his car. One of the media members asked if they could film Tom and you agreed, he was dressed in a mini McLaren kit that he got as a gift from one of your friends for his birthday.

Oscar pulls Tom up and puts him in the cockpit, Tommy giggled, his laughter gaining the attention of the mechanics. One got the wheel and gave it to Oscar to put it in place. Tommy instantly leaned forwards to be able to hold it, but he couldn’t see over the cockpit anyways. The wheel was too heavy for him to move, but he was having the time of his life. Oscar glanced at you and he couldn’t help but feel proud seeing how happy you looked.

It warmed your heart seeing how happy Tom looked, and seeing how Oscar is with him made you feel some type of way. Tommy looked up so much to Oscar, since he met him at the MTC Oscar has been his idol, he’s always asking for him, and video calls have began to be a thing now.

”Mummy, look at me!” Tommy called for you, you walked a little closer and smiled at your son.

”You look like a racer, baby.” You tell him and he grins. “Oscar better watch out.”

”Oh I will, who knows, maybe he’ll come for my seat.”

After Tom had his fun in the car you get to the hospitality on top of the McLaren garage, your seat has a view over the pit lane. One of your coworkers comes and keeps you company for a while before she has to rush back to work.

During a break in the action, Oscar joined you with a wide smile on his face. He saw the hat you now supported with his number on it, custody of someone from his team.

“Having fun?” He asked, leaning in close so you could hear him over the noise.

Tom nodded vigorously, turning to you with a beaming smile. “This is the best day ever mummy!”

You chuckle, your heart swelling with happiness at seeing Tommy so thrilled.

”Thank you, Oscar.” You said meeting his eyes. “This means a lot to him.”

”I’m glad you’re both here.” Oscar’s expression softened, his eyes holding warmth that made your heart flutter, he said softly.. “I’d love for you to come to more races, if you’re interested.”

The sincerity in his voice, the way he looked at you and at Tommy, made you realise how much he genuinely cared. It wasn’t;t just about impressing you or having fun; it was about building a connection, creating moments that mattered.

”We’ll have to see about that.” You replied, a small smile on your lips. The idea of letting Oscar into your lives was still daunting, but seeing how happy he made Tom, how happy he made you feel, was starting to shift your perspective.

After the race, you were told that Oscar asked for you to wait for him. Since Tommy was crashing from the activities of the day, you went to Oscar’s drivers room, which he showed to you for an instant like this earlier in the day. Once you settled on the sofa/bed, Tommy was out in an instant. You were on your phone when Oscar came in, he was a little surprised but pleased to see you in his room.

He had showered and was dressed to go home, he leaned on the wall across from you, his eyes not leaving yours.

”Go on a date with me, just dinner, the two of us.” Oscar’s voice was low, but you heard him loud and clear. Your heart skipped a beat at his request.

”OScar, I really appreciate the offer, but my focus is Tom, I’m not sure dating is a good idea right now.” You replied, your voice tinged with uncertainty. Despite how Tom couldn’t stop talking about everything that happened today, relaying everything that happened in an enthusiastic way that only children could do it in. You found yourself smiling at his words, feeling a warmth you hadn’t expected. You can no longer ignore the impact Oscar is having on Tom. Their bond had grown stronger, and it was ever clear to everyone that Tom adored him, but it wasn’t just Tom. You couldn’t deny the way Oscar made you feel, the way he looked at you with genuine care and interest, the way he treated Tom with kindness and respect.

You had always been wary of letting someone into your life, afraid of the disruption it might cause for Tom and the vulnerability it required. But seeing Oscar with Tommy, witnessing his patience, his kindness, and the genuine joy he brought to your son, made you reconsider your stance.

You had spent so long building walls around your heart, protecting Tom and yourself from potential hurt. But those walls had also kept out the possibility of new happiness. And Oscar, with his easy smile and genuine care, was chipping away at those barriers in a way that was both terrifying and exhilarating.

"I understand, really.” Oscar said after a pause of silence. “But I feel like we have something special, and I’d love to see where it could go, I care about you and Tom and I’m will to go at whatever pace you;re comfortable with.”

His words resonated with you, touching a part of you that longed for connection and support. You knew how important it was to be cautious, but you also couldn’t ignore the possibility of finding happiness with someone who genuinely cared for both you and Tom. And seeing Oscar right now he looked vulnerable and genuine.

You took a deep breath, your mind made up. "Okay, Oscar. Let’s give it a try, I’d like to go out with you," you said, your voice firm yet hopeful. "But I want to take things slow. I need to be sure it’s right for Tommy and me."

You could see the relief on his face, it made you smile. “Of course, we’ll take it as slow as you need, I’m just happy you’re giving us a chance.”

The night of your first date arrived, and you felt a mix of nervousness and excitement. You had chosen a cosy, intimate restaurant, nothing too flashy, just a place where you could talk and enjoy each other’s company. As you got ready, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation, wondering what the evening would lead to.

Oscar arrived right on time, looking effortlessly handsome and a bit nervous himself. He greeted you with a smile that melted away your apprehensions. "You look beautiful." He said softly, his eyes reflecting genuine admiration.

"Thank you." You replied, feeling a blush rise to your cheeks. "You look great too."

The dinner was perfect, filled with laughter, conversation, and a deepening connection. Oscar was everything you had hoped for, kind, attentive, and genuinely interested in you and your life. He listened to your stories, shared his own experiences, and made you feel seen and appreciated in a way you hadn’t felt in a long time.

By the end of the night, as he walked you to your door, you realised just how much you had enjoyed his company. It wasn’t just about having a romantic interest; it was about finding someone who respects your boundaries, who cares about your happiness, and who is willing to be a part of your and Tom’s life.

Before saying goodnight, Oscar took your hand gently, his eyes searching yours.

"I had a really great time tonight." he said, his voice sincere. "I hope we can do this again."

You smiled, a sense of contentment settling over you. "I did too, Oscar. I think I’d like that."

As you closed the door behind him, you felt a sense of hope and possibility bloom within you. For the first time in a long while, you allowed yourself to imagine a future where you weren’t alone, where Tom had a positive male role model, and where you had someone to share the ups and downs of life with.

Months passed since you decided to give Oscar a chance and go on a date. Life began to change for the better, in unexpected ways. Oscar became a constant and important part in your and Tom’s world. He seamlessly integrated himself in your routines and lives. He showed up for dinners, outings, even a couple School events, and the quiet everyday moments that truly mattered. He wasn’t a visitor in your lives, he’s becoming a part of the family.

Oscar’s patience and kindness never wavered. He was there for Tom’s ups and downs, helping with homework, playing games, and simply being present. You saw the way Tom’s face lit up when Oscar was around, how he looked forward to their time together, and how he had started to look up to Oscar as a father figure. You were scared at the beginning that with the tantrums and fights you have every now and then with Tom, Oscar would bolt but he stood there and supported you with them.

One day, you found yourself at a part, watching Oscar and Tom play a game of football. Tom’s laughter filled the air and his joy infectious as he ran after the ball, his short legs moving with determination. Oscar let Tom score, cheering him on with genuine enthusiasm.

As you watched them together, a deep sense of contentment washed over you. It was in these simple moments that you realised how much your life had changed for the better. Oscar had not only brought joy to Tom’s life but had also reignited a spark of happiness and hope in your own heart, a hope that you thought you wouldn't have anymore.

Reflecting on your journey, you thought about the fear and apprehension you had felt when Oscar first showed interest in you. You had been so protective of Tom and cautious about letting someone new into your lives. But Oscar had proved himself time and again, showing you that it was possible to find love and support without compromising your responsibilities as a mother.

Oscar was different. He understood your fears and respected your boundaries. He was patient and gentle, gradually earning your trust and showing you that it was okay to open your heart again. He wasn’t just there for the good times; he was committed to being there through the challenges, too.

As Tom came running over, his face flushed with excitement, he jumped into your arms, babbling about the game. Oscar followed, a warm smile on his face.

“You have a future football star here.” He said, ruffling Tom’s hair affectionately.

You laughed, hugging Tom close.

”He’s got a great coach.” You replied, meeting Oscar’s eyes with gratitude.

Oscar’s gaze softened, and he reached out to take your hand, his touch gentle and reassuring. “I’m just glad to be here.” He said quietly, his eyes reflecting the depth of his feelings.

In that moment, you felt a surge of emotion, a realisation of how much Oscar had come to mean to you and Tom. He had become a constant presence, a source of support and love that you hadn’t dared to hope for. The walls you had built around your heart had crumbled, replaced by a newfound sense of security and happiness.

As you walked home together, Tom chattering excitedly between you, you knew that you had made the right decision. Oscar wasn’t just a boyfriend or a new figure in your life; he was a partner, a confidant, and a loving presence for Tom. He was the family you had hoped for but never thought you could have.

And from that day on, Oscar continued to be a steadfast presence in your life. He was there for the celebrations and the struggles, always with a smile and a helping hand. He became a father figure to Tom, guiding him with patience and love, and a partner to you, sharing in the joys and challenges of everyday life.

Looking back on the journey, you felt a profound sense of gratitude. You had opened your heart to love and, in doing so, found a partner who was committed to building a future with you and Tom. Oscar had not only filled a void in your life but had also enriched it in ways you had never imagined possible.

The second best decision you took, after deciding to keep Tom, is giving Oscar a chance.

Maintaglist

@gnatthefly . @mochimommy2002 . @llando4norris . @mrswolffs-blog . @barcelonaloverf1life . @c-losur3 . @xoscar03

[nicoline1998enilocin]

Naughty fantasies | 500 follower special 🖤

Pairing | Boyfriend!Avenger!Bucky Barnes x Girlfriend!Avenger!Fem!Reader

Word count | 2.5K

Summary | Bucky recently discovered a specific fantasy he's been wanting to fulfill. Even though you two have never experimented with roleplaying before, you're instantly on board when he brings up the idea of a Student/Teacher roleplay. It's just not the way you had initially thought...

Warnings | Established relationship ~ boyfriend/girlfriend, use of nickames ~ Doll, Baby Boy, Baby

Smut | Porn with some plot, Bucky watching porn, implied male masturbation, oral ~ M&F receiving, deepthroating, student/teacher roleplay, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it!), Sub!Bucky Barnes at first, but later he takes back control.

A/n | Firstly, I want to apologize that this has taken so long to be posted, life got in the way and with Fluffcember going on too it was hard for me to find the time to write this. But it's here now, and I hope you will all enjoy it! This is written as a thank you and celebration for reaching 500 followers; this one has been chosen by all of you! 🩵

A/n 2.0 | This is proofread by the amazing @mrsbuckybarnes1917, for which I am truly grateful! I also believe this was based on a post from @notafunkiller a while back (please correct me if I'm wrong and it wasn't you!) about wanting to see a student/teacher fic with student Bucky, so I hope this will fulfill at least a little bit of that craving 👀🩵

Events Masterlist | 2. ''Don't tell anyone'' | @the-slumberparty

Banners: @vase-of-lilies | Divider: @firefly-graphics | GIF: Owner

Main Masterlist | Bucky Barnes Masterlist

You've been away on a solo mission for the last three weeks, meaning your boyfriend, Bucky, has been looking for a different way to meet his needs. Not in the form of another woman, but in the form of his fist while watching porn.

The idea of porn was very foreign to Bucky at first, but he has always been curious about it. When he truly couldn't take it anymore, he decided to ask you since there's no one else he trusts more with such a sensitive topic than you.

''Doll? Could you come here for a moment?'' Bucky asks as he's seated on his bed, and you're getting ready for a girls' night out with Nat and Wanda.

You just put on your outfit for the night, and once your heels are on, you're ready to go. During this entire time, Bucky had watched you like a hawk, enjoying every curve of your body when you changed and pouting when you told him you couldn't stay.

If it were up to him, he would have you under him the entire night, making each other cum so many times you don't remember your name, let alone where one person begins and the other ends. But no, you couldn't cancel girls' night again.

''Is everything okay?'' you ask as you walk over to him, putting your hand on his thigh as you look at him with a curious gaze.

''Everything's perfect, but I've been... wondering about something,'' he starts, his voice trailing near the end and a blush creeping onto his cheeks. 

Your eyebrows are slightly raised out of curiosity, and your mind is going a mile a minute as you're trying to think of what could be swirling around in his brain. The following sentence is most definitely not on the list of things to even cross your mind, let alone his.

''Where can I watch porn?'' he said it like it was the most casual thing in the world, like someone asking what's for dinner that night. You nearly choked on your saliva, and after your coughing fit, you looked at him to make sure you heard him correctly.

It turns out that you did.

''Are you okay, Doll? I can ask someone else-'' ''No! I can show you!''

It was unexpected, yes, but you didn't want to give Bucky the feeling that you'd think he was weird or that you weren't okay with explaining these things, too. They're only natural, after all.

And that's how you found yourself explaining to Bucky where he can find free porn, and he has been exploring the wonderful world of online porn.

Ever since that night, he has watched porn a couple of times, usually only when you're away on long missions like you are now. He's been watching one of his usual videos when he stumbles upon something he's never seen before that instantly piques his interest.

Student/Teacher roleplay. After that first video, he has been going down an entire rabbit hole of roleplay porn, but he noticed he gets the most satisfaction from the student/teacher dynamic.

Somewhere along the way, he found out about the dynamics being reversed. It was usually a male being the teachers and a female being the students; in this one, a female teacher was punishing her badly behaving student.

Now, he's trying to find a good way to bring up the fact that he's interested in trying out a little roleplay of his own. It's not something you two have ever tried before, but it's not something you have discussed.

So here he finds himself watching the same video over and over again, his sweatpants on his knees together with his underwear and his fist wrapped around his cock, stroking himself at a leisurely pace.

Despite seeing the video countless times at this point, it never fails to get him off, and this time is no exception if it weren't for the fact that you swung open the bedroom door, just as he was about to reach his climax.

His super soldier hearing had not notified him of your arrival because he screamed when you caught him, his phone flying across the room as he tried to cover himself up.

''D-doll! Fuck! I didn't know you'd be home so soon...'' he mumbles, his face bright red while you walk over to where his phone landed to see if it's okay.

''Please, don't tell anyone!'' Bucky pleads, not wanting everyone to know about the kind of porn he watches. It's nothing illegal or anything, but that doesn't mean he's not embarrassed by it.

''I won't, Bucky; this will stay between us,'' you reassure him as you take off your boots before making your way over to the bed, where he's still waiting for what you're going to do next.

''So, you've wanted to try a little roleplay, huh? Well, you could have just asked me, and I would have happily said yes, silly boy,'' you tell him with a sensual voice.

You take slow steps towards the bed as you pull down the zipper on the front of your Tac suit, exposing your bra underneath.

''But first, do you want me to help with your not-so-little problem?'' you ask him, crawling on the bed and in between his legs before pulling the pillow away, revealing how he's still hard as a rock.

''Y-yes, please,'' he whispers, and without any hesitation, you bend down to give a few licks across his red, weeping tip to lick off the few drops of pre-cum that have gathered.

Your fist wraps loosely around the base, closing your mouth around his tip, sucking softly, and earning yourself a loud moan from your boyfriend that has your pussy clenching around nothing.

Slowly, you work more of him into your mouth and throat until your nose makes contact with his pubic bone, and you're gagging around his length. This turns out the be his undoing, and without so much as a warning, he shoots every last drop of cum into your mouth, letting you swallow every last drop.

''Fucking hell, Doll, you always know how to give a warm welcome-'' he tells you as he's softening and coming down from his high, ''- but now it's my time to give you the same.''

The next day, you and Bucky discussed roleplay and your interest in trying it out. However, this is also when Bucky confessed he would like to be the one receiving the punishment and taking the sub role in this scenario.

Your discussion has led to you searching for an office you could use, which may have resulted in a somewhat awkward situation with Steve. See, you've been trying to figure out if any offices are available with a lock on the door, but you didn't want him to know what you would be doing there.

"So, about the office… Is there one available?" you ask Steve again. It's been about a week since you last discussed it with him.

"Well, there are plenty available, but I can't exactly assign an office to you without knowing what you're going to do there," he tells you, focusing intently on your face. You know he means well, but that doesn't make it any less embarrassing.

"I have some- uhm- personal business? With… Well, with Bucky…" you say, your voice trailing off to a whisper, and that's when Steve finally puts two and two together. It's not about exactly what you would be doing, but it did click why you need an office with a lock.

"Oh! Well, uhm… Yeah! We have- I'll put you on the list; I'll let you know!" he says as his cheeks turn bright red, and with that, he storms off to try and not make the situation any more awkward. You quickly retreat to your bedroom to tell Bucky the excellent news, but you decide not to mention that Steve has an idea about what you will do.

A week later, you find yourself in the office Steve assigned you and Bucky. The door is locked so you two can avoid getting interrupted.

''Are you sure you want to do this? Because you know I'm okay with this, of course, but I care about your wellbeing too, Bucky,'' you tell him before you start.

''I'm sure, Doll. And I have my safeword if anything happens that I'm uncomfortable with,'' he reassures you. This does make you feel a little more at ease, and you need to get a few more things ready before your scene.

You've already changed into your outfit of a tight skirt that barely covers your ass, a white blouse that is about two sizes too small, your boobs and bra on full display, a pair of high stockings, and high heels. The entire look is finished with a high ponytail and your glasses.

''Ready, Baby boy?'' you ask Bucky when everything is ready, and when he notifies you that he's ready, you instantly switch into teacher mode. Suddenly, you're glad you've been a high school teacher for a few years before joining the Avengers.

''Somebody-'' you start with a raised voice ''- has gotten an F on last week's test. And because of that, they will receive a fitting punishment.''

Bucky's eyes instantly go wide at how you naturally slipped into your role. Between your authoritative tone and the way you look, he can already feel himself growing hard in his pants, and he has to adjust himself already.

This doesn't go unnoticed by you, and you walk over to Bucky, your heels clicking loudly on the wooden floor. You lean forward when you're at Bucky's table, and this only makes your boobs stand out more, making Bucky unable to look away from them.

You clear your throat loudly, and his eyes instantly snap up to yours, and he knows he's been caught. A deep red color appears on his cheeks and down his neck, and you can't help but grin at the sight.

''What's the problem, Baby Boy? Am I making you nervous by standing so close?'' you whisper in his ear after leaning in, and you are so close to him that he can smell the perfume you're wearing.

He bought it for you last Christmas, and you only wear it for special occasions. This occasion is very special, and his head reels from the thought.

You get back up, and he instantly misses you being so close, but that feeling is quickly gone when he watches you walk, the fabric of the skirt stretching slightly across your butt.

The sway of your hips has his mouth slightly agape and his hand reaching down to his crotch, palming himself over his jeans to give him the slightest bit of relief.

''Barnes!'' you say, and he quickly pulls his hand above the table. His eyebrows go into his hairline as he looks at you, and you turn around, sitting on your desk with your legs crossed.

''Come over here, Baby Boy, and I will give you your punishment now, so you won't have to go to detention later,'' you tell him, your glasses sliding down your nose as you playfully look over them.

He slides his chair back without hesitation, and before you know it, he's in front of you, the bulge in his pants very noticeable. He's enjoying this even more than you thought he would, and it makes you smile.

''For the first part of your punishment, I want you to sit on your knees, and eat this pussy until I tell you to stop, is that clear?'' you ask him, and he nods.

''Words, Baby Boy,'' you order, and he follows with a soft 'yes.'

''Good boy,'' you tell him as you spread your legs for him, and he sinks to his knees, his hands hooking behind your knees to pull you towards the edge of the desk. A soft gasp leaves your lips, and Bucky spreads your legs wider with his shoulders, opening you up for him.

The skirt you're wearing rides up to your hips, and when Bucky finds out you didn't wear panties for this, he lets out a deep groan. At this point, he's straining almost painfully against the confines of his pants, but since you didn't tell him he could touch himself, he hooks both arms around your thighs as he starts to eat you out like a starved man.

''Oh, fuck! Doing so well for me, Baby Boy,'' you praise him, and with that, he increases his pace even more, alternating between licking your clit and fucking your entrance with his tongue to get every last drop of your arousal.

He groans against your pussy with the praise, and you can never get enough of him eating you out like that. Your fingers are threading into his long locks before pulling him even closer, making your moans only louder.

''Use your fingers, Baby, use your fingers to make me cum-''

He doesn't have to be told twice because as soon as he hears the words 'fingers,' he is suckling on your clit, his fingers crooked inside your pussy.

Within no time, you're trembling as your legs are over his shoulders, your hand in his hair pulling him away as you're overstimulated and unable to keep yourself up at this point.

''F-fuck me, Bucky, fuck me until I can't fucking walk straight anymore,'' you tell him as he's worked you through your orgasm, and he's glad he can finally free himself from his pants.

After a few quick strokes, he's pushing himself into you, and you instantly clench down on him from the stimulation he's giving you. Once you've finally relaxed enough to let him in further, he slides in, bottoming out in one thrust.

The moan leaving your body is nearly pornographic, and it has Bucky going crazy, too. After getting adjusted to you and how tight you are around him, he leans forward and captures your lips in a soft, sweet kiss that is the complete opposite of the pace he's fucking you with.

With his metal arm, he rips your bra and shirt into pieces in a single motion, freeing your breasts from their confines and ready for him to play with. At this point, you know he's taken back all control, but you don't care; all you can think about is his cock deep inside you, hitting precisely the right spot.

''Need your fingers, please!'' you tell him, and his metal arm slides between your bodies, finding your clit without a single problem, while his flesh hand plays with your nipples, tugging and squeezing both in an alternating rhythm that only increases your pleasure.

Before you know it, you're falling over the edge of your second orgasm, and Bucky is following closely after, shooting his cum inside your pussy as he bends over and captures your lips in a passionate kiss.

Your arms are wrapped around his neck, and your legs are wrapped around his waist to keep him as close as possible. The two of you stay like that for a little while until Bucky goes soft, and he pulls out, ready to clean you up.

''So, how about that grade?'' he asks you.

''You deserve an A+ after that performance,'' you tell him, and after he's cleaned you up, you try to stand, but to no avail. Your legs give out immediately, and Bucky has done precisely what you asked.

''Here, take my shirt,'' he tells you as he pulls off his Henley before taking off the remaining pieces of your bra and blouse and throwing them in the trash for you. The soft material of the shirt feels warm against your skin, and Bucky lifts your bridal style, ready to take you to your bedroom.

You lay your head against his shoulder with your eyes closed, letting out a content sigh as you let Bucky take care of you. He makes sure all private parts are covered, and despite a few people giving him odd looks, Bucky keeps walking and giving you soft kisses on the crown of your head occasionally.

''I love you, Doll, and thank you for making my fantasy come true. Next time, I'll help you fulfill one of yours,'' he whispers to you before stepping into the elevator, and you fall asleep, getting a much-needed nap.

The elevator arrives at the floor of your bedroom quickly, and when the doors open, Bucky walks past Steve, who instantly turns bright red at the sight of his best friend holding you as you're wearing his shirt.

Steve turns around and quickly rushes into his bedroom to save himself from more embarrassment, though it is unspoken between all three of you that this will never be mentioned to anyone.

It's a good thing you left your bedroom door unlocked - your valuable stuff is always put away safely - and Bucky steps into the large room to put you on your bed without disturbing you.

When he pulls the comforter over you, he is just about to walk away to meet Steve, but you've woken up from the transfer, and you're not engulfed in his warmth anymore.

"Stay?" you ask him in a rough, sleepy voice, and he agrees. Right now, all he cares about is you, and Steve isn't capable of looking either of you in the eye after knowing what you did in that office.

For Bucky, though, this is truly a win-win situation. More time with you and the rest of the day to do whatever he pleases? It's like his dream come true.

[manipulatedstars]

We'll Be Alright

Genre: fluff, slight angst if you squint, non-idol AU, office romance, coworkers-slash-friends-slash-idiots-to-lovers

Pairing: Mingi x gn!reader

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: Pink Mingi (a valid warning), symptoms of anxiety and panic but nothing serious, mentions of gambling ig, Wooyoung being Wooyoung

Summary: When Mingi overhears some colleagues talking, he realizes he has to finally make his feelings known - easier said than done.

A/N: Can you believe this bitch (me)? Apparently I write now?? This is my first ever finished fic, and I'm eternally grateful to @hobarine for being the greatest beta reader without agreeing to being one in the first place. I love your sexy brain. [clears throat and wipes tears] I'd also like to thank my dear friends who made this possible in the first place - check the end of the fic for what violently inspired me to write this. Feedback and reblogs appreciated! Also - this is not a song fic (well... I suppose it very much is, but not in that way), but I'll Keep You Safe by Sleeping At Last very much set the tone for this, so I highly recommend you check it out.

The first couple times your new coworker had poked his head around the side of your cubicle, it was all business - or at least as much business as it could be considering that new colleague was Song Mingi.

It had all started out with work-related questions when he joined the company and, being one of the company’s top salespeople, you were quickly tasked with showing him around and answering any questions he might have. Your boss had personally offered Mingi the position, so he wanted to make sure the newcomer was going to stay, considering he was a “natural at his job” and would “undoubtedly prove to be a huge asset to the team.” You'd learned not to question your boss's decisions after he'd proven time and time again that he had a gift for picking out new team members, despite his sometimes questionable and unusual methods.

You also didn't question why Mingi, even after he'd grown accustomed to his new work environment, kept sticking around you. He never addressed this but he was shy around other people and you were still the only one he sort-of knew. And you, having grown to enjoy his company despite him being borderline clueless and painfully clumsy at times, weren't gonna complain.

So what started out as, "I'm so so so sorry, could you please explain the printer to me again? I'm so sor-" quickly turned into deeper, more personal questions and conversations. Not in a weird way, of course, he just really enjoyed being around you and wanted to get to know you better. Or so he kept telling himself and others when someone pointed it out. Over time, he had become fairly confident that you two could be considered friends, and he couldn't be happier. So you got used to him just poking his head, adorned with his signature pink hair, around the corner and asking you about movies and books you’d recently enjoyed, your most hated color (because according to him, asking for a favorite everything was overused), and your go-to spots in the area. At times you'd even catch yourself thinking how cute his childlike nature was. The only thing that put a damper on his mood was when one day he was put in a cubicle on the side of the office furthest away from you, for “productivity reasons" - not that it actually kept him from coming over to you just as often. In fact, he claimed to need a rest at your desk from the “extensive workout” they made him do in order to come this way. You never commented on how he was the only one to blame for full-on sprinting through the office space instead of walking like a normal person.

His favorite days are measured by how often, and how loudly, he managed to make you laugh that day. He could get lost in the sound, and knowing he was the reason for it? He wouldn't be able to wipe the smile from his face if he tried.

If only he knew that his visits had started to become the best part of your day, too...

You were thoroughly enjoying each other's presence. Always having lunch together, and taking a little bit too long to walk to your respective cars after work.

It was a regular Tuesday when Mingi made his way to the break room to get his regular drinks - a green tea for you, and a coffee with an obscene amount of sugar for himself - something you’d chided him for, telling him time and time again it would kill him one day.

He didn’t mind waiting for some coworkers to free up the coffee machine. He’d gotten used to it pretty quickly after the second one had broken some time ago. This just meant that the room was less crowded, since the majority of his colleagues had since chosen to head to the cafeteria downstairs instead of having to stand in line like he was now. But in his opinion, they were the ones missing out. He enjoyed getting to know the usual suspects of the breakroom a little better each time they happened to get something to drink when he did - which was the same time every day.

So it would’ve been just a regular coffee run on a regular Tuesday, if it hadn’t been for the conversation happening in front of him. He wasn’t one to eavesdrop, but nothing caught his attention quite like you did. Or, in this case, your name falling from one of the men’s lips. Mingi decided that he didn’t like the way it sounded coming from someone else, someone who probably didn’t even appreciate you in the way you deserved.

The men didn’t seem to notice him standing close by, or simply didn’t care whether they could be overheard or not, because their conversation didn’t seize.

‘’...I mean have you seen them lately?’’

He sure had.

‘’I’d be stupid not to make a move. They’re a catch.’’

NO! Well, yes..but-

’’Isn’t Song head over heels for them though? Kind of a dick move if you ask me…’’

They knew?

’’Come on, we both know he’s too much of a coward to actually go for it.’’

Mingi began to panic. He’d been so enamored with you since the two of you had been introduced that he’d never even entertained the idea of someone else possibly hitting on you. Of course he knew you were pretty. Gorgeous, even - he had eyes after all. He also knew you were the epitome of grace and kindness. Anyone would be lucky to be with you. But he’d been trying slowly and carefully to inch his way into your heart, and now realized that he was so focused that he hadn’t even considered the possibility of anyone else sharing the same end goal.

God he was so stupid-

He knew he had to act. Fast. Despite his insecurities trying to convince him that you’d surely be better off with someone who didn’t stumble over their words, someone who was confident and could sweep you off your feet, he knew he would forever regret it if he didn’t at least try.

Even if the chances may be slim, he couldn’t live with himself if he lost the opportunity to make you his, especially if he lost it to his own mind.

You were just typing up a response to Park Seonghwa from HR, who had once again asked you to consider joining their team, when suddenly, a loud BANG startled you out of your thoughts. You joined some of your other coworkers in getting up from their seats to see what the commotion was about, and you couldn’t help a bright smile from lighting up your face the moment you saw Mingi standing in the doorway. Though your smile dropped just as quickly when you noticed the look of pure distress on his face, his eyes scanning across the room rapidly. The second your eyes met, he started hurriedly making his way over to you, ignoring any of the worried and questioning glances and occasional comments that people were throwing his way.

What was going on?

‘’Mingi, what-’’ your question was cut short when he gripped your shoulders the moment he reached your cubicle. He was panting, eyes blown wide and never leaving yours, as if he was afraid you’d disappear the moment he so much as blinked.

As if he was only now noticing the stares and whispers directed his way, he glanced around the room timidly. His nerves seemed to catch up with him, because he turned and went to leave as quickly as he’d arrived - if it hadn't been for your quick reflexes and your hand curling around his wrist, stopping him in his motion.

It took you gently calling his name a couple of times for him to finally turn around to face you again - and now you could see the sheen of sweat covering his forehead.

He was also avoiding eye contact.

Now you were really worried. Was he sick? Did something happen?

"Hey, what's wrong?'' No answer. ''You look really pale... are you not feeling well?"

When he stayed silent again, you brought one hand up to his forehead - an instinctive action for you, but definitely not what he’d expected, because his face quickly went from looking sickly pale to flushing a deep scarlet.

Your eyes widened when you noticed how warm his skin was, placing your other hand on one of his cheeks. "Mingi, you're burning up. Do you need to see a doctor?" When again he didn't answer, you turned to grab your things, preparing to carry this man to the nearest hospital if need be, but now it was his hand around your wrist that kept you from moving further.

You glanced from where he was touching you with a gentle yet desperate, clammy hand and back to his face, noting the panic in his eyes that were still refusing to meet your own.

Any stranger passing by would've assumed you were approaching a stray kitten, desperately trying not to scare it off, but you knew how much of a flight risk Mingi could be when things got too much to handle. "Hey, you know you can talk to me, right? I'm only trying to help you," you said with the gentlest voice you could muster despite your racing thoughts.

Yeah, that was the main problem, he thought, you're the only person who makes this job bearable, and I can't lose you by messing this up. You bring both your hands up to cup his cheeks when you notice the tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill over.

"Hey, look at me.’’ you dipped your head trying to lure his eyes into meeting yours. ‘’You won't lose me. Why would you?’’ a gentle brush of your thumbs over his pretty cheekbones ‘’How could I make it through one day at this crappy office, with its crappy coffee and the crappy AC that’s broken more often than not, without you?"

Oh shit, his eyes widened even further. Did I say that out loud? Oh god-

He was about to bolt again, mentally calculating how long it would take him to make a detour to a wig store or a hairdresser on his way to the airport, determined to start over in a faraway country, when he involuntarily locked eyes with you. He never understood how you did it, and he was sure there was no possible scientific explanation for the effect you had on him, because the way your eyes, filled with nothing but kindness and understanding, always managed to calm him down instantly was nothing short of magical.

You had to be a heavenly being sent to look out for him - him, this mere human - and him alone. It was in this moment that he remembered what you'd told him time and time again. Realized that he really could say what had been running rampant in his mind for months now. Reminded himself that he could be open and vulnerable with you. You, who had never shown him anything but support and guidance, even when you were having a bad day yourself. Alright. You, who always managed to find a peaceful solution to any argument or tension that arose in the office… He'd be alright. You, who somehow didn't hold grudges even when people had wronged you. You'd both be alright.

You must've noticed the change in his demeanor, because your lips curled up into a small version of one of your beautiful smiles that he loved so much. Shit, he wouldn't be surprised if you could hear his pulse slowing down, his heart rate finally dropping to a point that wouldn't have sent an entire hospital wing into a panic had he been hooked up to a monitor, with news reporters flocking to his bed trying score an interview to find out how the hell he had managed to survive that.

So he closed his eyes, which were now stinging in protest to having been kept open wide for way too long, and took a deep, if shaky, breath.

That was all you, too. Your encouragement to face difficult situations despite every fiber of his being telling him to run. Your influence. You were the one who told him time and time again that things were going to be okay. You showed him that he was in control of his fate and his feelings, and that even when it felt like the whole world was against him, you'd be by his side. No wonder the HR department was desperate to get you to join them…

Mingi couldn't run away now if he tried. He owed you this much. If nothing else, he owed you an explanation, and honesty. He wanted to make you proud.

So with another deep breath, this one a little less shaky (the first one had you worried he might burst into full sobs at any second), he covered your hands in his much larger ones, pulled them from his face and intertwined your fingers with his between your bodies. When he finally opened his eyes again, they were full of determination.

This shift in tone, with him being calmer and more confident than you'd ever seen him, had you thankful for the grasp he had on you, needing his hands around yours in support as your breath hitched when you noticed the raw adoration in his gaze.

His voice, beautifully airy and deeper than you swore you'd ever heard it before, sent shivers down your spine. There was everything yet nothing as you got lost in his gorgeous, warm eyes, and now his voice too. You weren't in your office anymore. You were standing barefoot in a forest, surrounded by majestic trees and vibrant wildlife, a gentle breeze almost calling out your name. You were on a beach, the warm sand comforting between your toes, the waves softly crashing behind you, a pair of strong arms wrapped around your shoulders. You decided then and there that his eyes' gorgeous shade of brown was your new favorite color.

It took his voice calling your name softly to bring you back to the present moment, a bashful smile on his stupidly handsome face. Had he always been this pretty?

"Please tell me you heard what I just said?'' he asked shyly, knowing full well you'd completely spaced out.

"Uh..." You grimaced. At that, he couldn't help but turn his face downward as he murmured to himself, but you were so focused on him now that you had no trouble making out the words. "Oh my god, I can't believe you're making me do this again". He would've buried his face in his hands had they not been occupied with the much more important job of holding the world's greatest treasure.

He hadn't missed the way you'd gotten lost in his eyes, and it only fueled his confidence. He hoped that maybe, just maybe, it was the same way he’d been looking at you more often than not since he'd met you.

He took a deep breath. "I said..." he paused as he brought one of his hands up to your cheek, his other hand easily holding both of yours in their previous position.

You felt yourself blushing. Hard.

Stroking his thumb over your cheek gently, he continued "...that I like you. I like like you. No, scratch that -’’ a gentle shake of his head ‘’-I'm crazy about you.’’ His gaze dropped again as he started rambling. ‘’I hope this doesn't make things weird between us, and I'm so sorry if I read things wrong, and if y-" he started mumbling, nerves catching up to him again, insecurities trying to invade his mind and win back precious land. But you noticed. And you smiled at him in adoration, and squeezed his hand in reassurance. This made him look up at you again. You're going to be alright, you tried to convey with your eyes, we're going to be alright.

Another deep breath, followed by a lighthearted chuckle at his own antics.

"The point is, I really like you, a-and I would love to take you out on a date? O-only if you want to of co-" he couldn't finish the sentence, because you promptly freed your hands and grabbed his face again, pulling him down to you (what they fed him as a kid to get him so tall, you'd really have to ask his parents one day) and pressed your lips to his in a firm and reassuring kiss.

His eyes widened again, cheeks heating back up, but he melted into you as soon as the first shock wore off, arms wrapping around you almost on instinct. As if holding you was their only job, and what they were meant to be doing all his life. He pulled you up to his level seemingly without effort before getting lost in the next kiss. Feeling your fingers running through his hair, he groaned inwardly. Mingi could do this forever, and he would if you let him. He'd figure out a way to survive without oxygen. If not, he decided the team would be fine without him.

You only pulled apart when you noticed the cheers and clapping that had erupted around you, even the occasional wolf-whistle coming from your coworkers, most of who'd gotten up from their seats again, if they’d even settled down after the shock of Mingi’s arrival. You hadn't seen them this lively since the day your boss had ordered a coffee and snack truck to the parking lot in celebration of sealing a deal everybody had worked hard to finally make happen. The majority of them had their headsets still attached, and had you not been so ecstatic you would've felt bad for whoever was getting their ears damaged on the other end of their lines.

"About damn time, Song..."

"TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!!

"He finally grew a pair!"

These were only some of the lines being thrown at the two of you that had you blushing furiously, and Mingi hiding his face in the crook of your neck.

You could've sworn you saw a few fist bumps and some money being passed around, but you decided not to dwell on it for your own sanity’s sake...

After the noise had mostly died down, Mingi put you back on your feet just so he could press his forehead to yours, both of your breaths mingling. Maybe oxygen wasn't so bad after all if he got to share it with you.

You almost missed the signature fake gagging sound of your most obnoxious co-worker, but before you could chase him off like you usually would when he started to tease you about the way you, in his words, "spent more time staring at Mingi than actually working", the telltale sound of a palm making not-so-gentle contact with the back of someone's head (and the dramatic pained yelp that followed) made you realize that your boss had already taken care of Wooyoung himself. You swore he kept an extra set of eyes on the mischievous man-child just so he wouldn't miss an opportunity to reprimand him.

The same boss who sent you a curt nod and a small smile, before telling “the two lovebirds" to get back to work. Though you knew that he’d want to have a word with Mingi later, seeing as how the force with which he’d slammed open the door must’ve left at least an indent on the wall behind it.

It was safe to say you didn't get much work done the rest of that day, but you also never had to eat lunch alone again, or walk to your car without a strong, loving hand holding your own...or drive to work yourself, really.

Even years later, with your left ring finger now permanently occupied, you loved to remind him how proud of him you were.

✨Lore time✨

Here's how everything started:

Bonus:

(I was, in fact, not almost done)

A loving shoutout to my dear friends for planting this idea in my head. And thank you to everyone who read through it and left valuable feedback - you know who you are 💜

©manipulatedstars 2023 - do not steal, copy, repost, translate or otherwise plagiarize my work. If you do, I'll eat all your cereal and pour milk in your shoes.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Hi, I really like your Spirit Hunter Headcanons! I saw you wrote one for NG with the guys reacting to reader getting hurt. Is it alright if I request a version of that but with the Death Mark characters?

I've got you~ And I'm very happy to see more Death Mark/NG requests <3

・┆✦ʚ Mashita Satoru ɞ✦ ┆・

🚬 One would think Satoru is the most apathetic of the bunch, but in reality, his sense of justice and moral compass are still up there.

🚬 At his core, he will always be a policeman, and any wrong-doing will anger him internally.

🚬 He has lost everything during the Honey Bee Cult case, when his mentor was killed, and he got so close to the truth that he was kicked out of the police force under sexual harassment allegations, and his credibility and job opportunities were denied.

🚬 In spite of all this, he found a friend in Yashiki, and he treasured you more than anything in life.

🚬 You were there for him through all the hardships he went through, and he is infinitely grateful for your endless support and love.

🚬 That is why I say, when he finds out you've been cursed, he is devastated, as though the sky fell on him.

🚬 He found you on the ground in the forest while he and Yashiki were searching around for Shimi-O.

🚬 He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw you - He left you at home, why were you here? He couldn't be hallucinating, could he? So what is going on?

🚬 What's worse, not only did the Death Mark flash brightly on the soft neck of your skin, as if to taunt and mock him, but your clothes had subtle tears - But what is worse, they were bleeding.

🚬 He's not one to panic quickly under pressure, but you can bet Mashita is livid.

🚬 If it weren't for Yashiki calming him down and suggesting to get you back home to Mary and have Christie look after you, while the two of them purify the ghost and make sure everyone is fine.

🚬 Satoru held you dearly in his arms all the way back to the Manor, his grip a little too tight - He was afraid, deathly afraid, but not for himself, but for you.

🚬 He'd never forgive himself if he allowed you to die, when your life was in his hands like that.

🚬 What kind of reliable policeman would he be? His mentor would be disappointed if he failed you and himself like that.

🚬 He placed you comfortably on the bed he slept on while Yashiki told Christie not to tell you anything about the Mark; There was no need to worry you for no reason, especially as the scar was in a place you couldn't notice easily.

🚬 Though he knew he had to worry, Mashita lingered for a few minutes more - He couldn't stop looking at you, he felt weak, he blamed himself for dragging you into all of this, especially as the only reason you got cursed was that he forgot his gun at home.

🚬 Not only was it incredibly irresponsible of him, but he also willingly got himself in this mess, in hopes of unveiling the truth behind his mentor's death.

🚬 After tucking you in bed, Satoru kissed your forehead and took one last look at you, before pushing himself off the bed and quickly leaving the room, before he'd feel tempted to just get next to you and hold onto you until Yashiki solves the issue by himself.

🚬 He was much quieter and snarkier with Yashiki, even he was well aware he was much more of a menace than usual, alas there was nothing he could do about it.

🚬 Your well-being was above anything else, for him.

🚬 His rage, complimented by the extreme memory loss caused by Shimi-O, made for quite a weird iteration of Mashita, but regardless, with a simple slap, he was capable of helping Yashiki to purify the ghost.

🚬 Though Kazuo himself wasn't rid of the curse, you and Mashita, along with Shou, were able to return home with no more issue.

🚬 You didn't know why exactly your boyfriend was so clingy and mellow, but you didn't mind it one bit. It was a lovely change of pace, for the otherwise teasy man.

🚬 It would take a few days before he confesses to you the truth of what happened that night - And more than that, he thanks you dearly for compromising your life to bring him the gun, as without it, he and Yashiki wouldn't have been able to defeat the ghost.

🚬 He'd get very annoyed if you got smug with him for being so tender - But he'll get over it fast, don't worry - You just need to bat your pretty lashes at him and kiss him like there's no tomorrow.

🚬 He won't necessarily get overprotective after this encounter, but he will take all proper precautions going further into his and Yashiki's little 'Ghost Hunting Business'.

🚬 He might be reticent to you joining them for field work, but he'd be more than happy if you were to help with intel. You're safe, and he's reassured. Perfect!

---

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Daimon Shuuji ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

🩺 By the time Daimon gets cursed, he's already 44 years of age and chronically single and ill, so he resigns himself to the idea he will remain forever married to his work and succumb to loneliness and sickness.

🩺 When he gets cursed, however, he finds a new will to live - It's the human's natural response to danger, right? Fight or flight - Or at least, that's how he rationalises it.

🩺Not only that though, but also, his morbid curiosity with his grandfather's work in the Engineering Lab during WW2 and whatever atrocities happened down in the bunker hidden in the sewers of the city.

🩺That - And he's always been impressed by the supernatural, and now, he gets to experience it first hand - If only it wasn't life threatening, it would be much more enjoyable.

🩺It was here that Yashiki introduced him to a scientist women called Hiroo Madoka, whose grandfather was also involved in similar work to his own family... Though she's rather annoying to deal with, and thankfully, in spite of his kind demeanour, Yashiki is also of the same idea about her.

🩺But there was one more - He met you - Someone closer in age to him, who's professionally accomplished and so very beautiful; Not only beautiful, but so very and sweet, while also being effortlessly confident and radiating an aura of reassurance like the Sun.

🩺He couldn't help but feel attracted to you like a month to the light, caring little about getting burnt in the process, like the fool Icarus, flying towards the Sun with his waxed wings.

🩺How could he not gravitate around you, when you made him feel revitalised, no more the zombie of a man he accepted to being for so long.

🩺You worried for his health, told him to take better care of himself, even threw an off-comment about cooking him a nice soup and cutting up a fruit salad so he'd get more energy.

🩺Daimon was flabbergast - Did he truly deserve any of this? He knows he's not the most amicable person alive, yet you don't seem to be offended or intimidated by his coldness.

🩺During the whole investigation, you are the reason he stays sane and has hope for the future - A future with you.

🩺You weren't overly assertive, yet through your kindness and positivity, you made your intentions clear; He loved just how well the two of you understood each other, without the need of words.

🩺He was absolutely mesmerised by everything you did.

🩺From the time when you braved through the hypothermia and drove him back home - Only to see that the heating and water were being closed for the week because of reparations - So you invited him to sleep over at your home because it's extra warm.

🩺And how you nonchalantly told him you have a single bedroom, so you'd have to sleep together - All that, while he was suffering a bad case of tachycardia and his face had a feverish colour from too much emotion felt all together - But you? You were so nonchalant about it, wearing your pretty lingerie pyjamas, leaning on the heater and drinking a little alcohol to warm up, and inviting him to do the same.

🩺In those few days he got so used to living with you, that he almost felt disappointed when the day of the encounter came by and you got rid of the curse and had to part ways.

🩺He was there to watch you take the Suzu Bells and step up, confronting the Kannon Soldier all by yourself - He didn't know whatever Shinto or Buddhist mantras you chanted there, but by the time you started yelling at the ghost in Chinese, and ended it by slamming the wand into the side of its head and it disappeared into a splash of brightness, he felt as though he just watched a movie, because everything felt unreal.

🩺For the next two years, the two of you have such a domestic bliss, Daimon feels it's unreal that someone thinks he's not as unsufferable as he thinks he is, and by the way you smile at him so sweetly, he believes you are just as happy as he is, living together.

🩺Though when Yashiki goes ghost-hunting again, both of you are willing to help; Daimon remains in the hospital to care for Hiroo and Banshee, while you go on-site to aid him and Mashita with investigation.

🩺He knew both men would take care of you, and he knew you were strong and witty enough to take care of himself and succeed in this new case;

🩺Alas, when you are brought to the hospital, in full hysterics, Shuuji panics for the first time in his life - What in the world could have shaken you to such degree, that you lost your cool?

🩺After Mashita explains the three of you were blocked in an elevator filling up with a bunch of huge spiders, even he cringes, especially knowing your clear aversion and disgust towards them.

🩺As much as he cares about the two special patients in his care, he's going to take the week off to take care of you.

🩺He'll hold you close and try to reassure you to the best of his ability; Though he's known as not having the best bed-side manners, he's so unexpectedly tender and sweet, that Yashiki thought it was another person altogether.

🩺He'd make you warm honey tea and suggest watching any of your comfort tv series or movies, and he'll kiss your face so gently.

🩺There's not much he can help much to help you relax, except get some sedatives if you're going into panic mode again, but regardless, there's nothing he wouldn't do for you.

🩺When you're finally better, he'll feel so relieved - He was so worried for you and your mental state, that he'll be fussy over you for a long time going on.

---

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ Yashiki Kazuo/Kujo Masamune ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

🐇 It's needless to say, you and Yashiki went through a lot together.

🐇 From the day you got cursed, until you managed to purify the ghost with Yashiki's help, and got all better.

🐇 You decided to stay until the very end to aid your partner with the curse - But if not even the Kannon Soldier cursed him then... Could it have been Mary...?

🐇 Yashiki was protective of all the mark bearers he encountered, you most of all, so when he regained his memory, he made sure to keep everyone at a safe distance so he can deal with Mary himself.

🐇 You were the only one who knew the truth of the Doll, so of course, you worried over his well-being; But he still wouldn't step back and allow you to help him, it was far too dangerous for anyone else.

🐇 So, to reassure you, he promised to take you out on a date by the time he's some with the Doll; And he vowed to also tell you the truth and his memories.

🐇 Thankfully, that evening, you receive a text from Yashiki, with the details of your date the next day, namely the time and place.

🐇 You're so excited and happy that he's alive, that you can't contain your joy, and you call all the mark bearers to tell them that Yashiki is alright and he finally got rid of the curse - And decide to celebrate together, of course!

🐇 What was supposed to be a private date became a private party for the Death Mark survivors - And although he was bewieldered, Yashiki was beyond touched by your act.

🐇 Still, you still had to go on that date - And when you finally did, he told you all about his real identity, as Kujo Masamune, about his sister, about the Doll Mary, and what not.

🐇 And for the next two years, you had a beautiful relationship, with Mashita as the wing-man.

🐇 But when the two of them went to investigate the Masquerade Love Hotel, you got worried; Can't he stay out of trouble, for once? Those two are searching for an early death sentence.

🐇 So of course, from your worry stemmed overprotection, and you insisted in joining them in the investigation.

🐇 Unfortunately, because of your personal relationship with Yashiki, and your spiritual-proneness, you were the first prey of the Jirogumo spirit.

🐇 Not only were you forced to experience first-hand the memories of the poor, tortured girl who was forced to ingest a living spider crawling down her throat with those furry legs, but you felt all of her horrors.

🐇 Once you came to, your mind was in shambles, and you shrieked, running the hell out of that perverted torture den, aimless and confused;

🐇 Thus, you ended up wearing only your pretty lingerie, on a dusty bed, slamming your boyfriend on the bed to seduce him into sleeping with you.

🐇 At first, Yashiki was shocked out of his mind - What the hell happened to possess you like that? You were never this straight-forward, let alone to do something so vulgar and lustful in public; But then, he noticed the spider web sticking to your back.

🐇 As soon as he ripped it away, you fell limp in his arms like a marionette, deep into a coma that he knew wouldn't get away unless the ghost was exorcised.

🐇 He quickly dressed you back in your clothes and called for Mashita to help him get you to Daimon under constant care.

🐇 The whole time, he was out for revenge - Yes, he pitied the poor ghost girl, but he pitied you more; Not only that, but were it not for Mashita, he also would have died, plunging out of the window.

🐇 Who was going to take care of you, if he dies?

🐇 He was going to fight even God himself, if it meant saving you; So there was little a silly little malevolent ghost could do, that would deter him from his path of purifying it.

🐇 Even Mashita hadn't seen him so on-edge and boiling inside from rage for allowing you to get hurt and possessed like that.

🐇 The otherwise moral compass and spine of the group was almost shaking with anger, and it was terrifying.

🐇 He even cursed once! Yashiki - Cursed!

🐇 When the whole charade was finally over, he rushed to the hospital to see how you were doing.

🐇 Thankfully, you didn't remember a single thing of those traumatic encounters, and he wasn't going to tell them to you either.

🐇 He just told you you collapsed suddenly because of low blood sugar, and Daimon gave you some glucose IV and a good rest.

🐇 Though you didn't fully buy it, it was clear he wasn't going to tell you the truth, so you let that be.

🐇 Surprisingly though, he asks if you want to go on a date with him. At home, watching a movie and drinking hot chocolate by the fireplace.

🐇 He's as much of a gentleman as always, or even more so.

🐇 Although he's sometimes awkward when expressing himself, holding you tightly to his chest does wonders in non-verbally telling you how terrified he was for your well-being.

🐇 For his sake, you don't ask about the investigation, just settling to being happy it was over.

🐇 Instead, you decide to promise him that you're not going anywhere - You're a tough cookie, and will always be by his side.

[vividachromatic]

Meant To Stay The Worst - Pt. 5

Alastor x reader

Marriage ♡

Tags: ongoing, marriage, confessions / proposals, manipulation and toxic relationships, canon typical violence and language

((<- Pt. 4 - Pt. 6 ->))

*

After being together for about 8 months in total, the two of you started seriously planning your wedding together.

While things weren't going well in the world right now, it only brought the two of you even closer.

Alastor and you had been planning your future home together for quite some time now. While the complicated things... like electricity or heating systems were left to Alastor and your father, you spent much more time with Alastor's mother and even his friend Mimzy.

Alastor's mother in particular was extremely happy for you and her son and always invited you to excitedly talk about Alastor's childhood and showed you a few photographs of him as a child. You could tell that she already loved you really much and saw you as part of the family. Which was further proven with how she insisted you call her 'mother'.

What you appreciated the most though, was that you had much more time to spend on your art and thoughts, and for the first time in your life you weren't put down for it. In fact, Alastor genuinely made an effort to let you know how much he appreciated your mind, art and the way you think quite often.

He even talked about you and why he likes your art on his radio show.

You were plannig to have a small radio station for Alastor on your future property, too.

While he was obviously not perfect: he definitely had some fucked-up morals at the very least; you were almost completely sure of his loyalty towards you at this point, despite your trust issues.

He never gave you any reason to think he'd even look at another woman or man in a weird way. In fact, he even went out of his way to express his extreme dislike towards cheating and betrayal.

(He once recommended a book to you where the husband cheats on his wife and she murders him, cooks him and eats him in response-)

While you never planned to; you were extremely sure that if you were ever to make the mistake of betraying Alastor in that way, you would definitely not survive it. Obviously this would be an extremely red flag in like... every situation.

But since you never did plan on betraying him and you were sure of his loyalty because of it, you digressed

The two of you had an unspoken understanding between each other: one that would be seen as problematic by almost anyone else.

You supported each other in everything.

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

"Y/N, my love..." You looked into Alastor's eyes, who recited his wedding vows to you.

Your heart was beating louder and faster than it ever has and you tried holding back tears to not look like a pussy or ruin your fucking make-up (it was very expensive).

And Alastor looked at you with pure love in his eyes. Which touched you to your core, since even when it was just the two of you he had a hard time letting his mask slip completely. But now it did.

"I love you. And I'm beyond grateful, to have you in my life and to have you want me in yours. So thank you, for giving your heart to me. I promise I will treat it like the most precious thing I have ever received. And I promise I will spend my entire life to protect you and make you the happiest woman in the world. I love you. So thank you for choosing me, being with me, and taking my last name."

You tried blinking away your tears and cleared your throat, so your voice wouldn't break.

"Alastor, I... I love you. More than I ever thought I was capable to love anyone-" You paused for a second, suddenly forgetting the lines you prepared and your heart started beating even faster - you thought you were actually going into cardiac arrest for a moment.

"I- I.... I'll-" you gritted your teeth and cleared your throat again.

Okay, get your fucking shit together now, Y/N.

"I will always stay with you. Through life and death. And I promise I will always be by your side. Through health and sickness; even if the whole world was against you." You managed to somewhat stutter out the rest of your speech.

And eventhough you fucked up, Alastor seemed to be geniunely touched by your words and gently moved his hand to hold your cheek.

The officiant probably told Alastor he can kiss you now, but you weren’t completely sure - it was like there was only static in your head, sending you on the verge of passing out.

You only regained the full awareness of your surroundings again, when you felt Alastor press his lips on to yours while the audience in your wedding cheered.

Even your family was there and you had to admit, that even when most of them were assholes and didn't care about you, they at least knew how to behave in a social setting.

Your offical wedding went better than you thought it would, your father led you to 'give you away' to Alastor and also held a speech later on.

(Your brother did too, but it was way more embarrassing since he insisted on bringing up embarrassing childhood memories and mentioning how he thought you'd die alone over and over again.)

When the official ceremony was over you held an after party with only your closest friends and Alastor's mother.

That part of the day was even more enjoyable than the first one. With a lot of music and dancing and only your closest friends giving you heartfelt words and gifts.

On the wedding night both of you treated each other patiently and lovingly.

...

During your marriage you tried the houswife / cooking and cleaning part as best as you could.

Though the cooking part went badly most of the time and Alastor ended up cooking dinner anyway...

(Though you did pride yourself on the fact that eventhough you couldn't cook very well, you could make good sandwiches. And Alastor was at least polite enough to pretend like that was at least somewhat comparable. )

The cleaning part went a little better. Although you did tend to hyperfixate on certain parts and neglect others from time to time...

All in all both of you had a very happy marriage. You loved each other. Even after the 'honeymoon phase'.

You always had enough money and supported each other's hobbies, while following your own.

Your own drawings and writings changed to be of or inspired by Alastor. Which was something he noticed (because he sniffed around your stuff), although he never mentioned it to you. And it did inflate his ego even more than it already was.

At the same time you knew, that his 'hunting trips' weren't for hunting animals, at least 9 out of 10 times.

But you were already sure of that before you even married him.

And since his radio studio was right next to your house right now, you could spend most of your time together.

You knew when he was going out to kill someone.

In fact you sometimes almost casually, although subtly, chatted about it with each other.

Talking about another bad person who would be better off dead. And the next day they were.

You liked this way more than you should. And Alastor obviously did too, since a lot of your most passionate nights ignited right after one of his 'hunting trips'.

You watched him clean off blood when he came back and helped him doing so more than once.

Alastor also made a great deal out of showing you actual self-defense and teaching you how to shoot, in case he wasn't there.

After a couple of years, you talked about expanding your family and even trying for a child.

Until one day the police knocked on your door.

____________________________________________________

Tag list:

@cryptidghostgirl @adeadreader @yourdoorisunlocked @spirit-of-the-hollow @droopingdatura @reikamasama @over-the-little-blue-house @wonderlandangelsposts @mysterypotatoink

(♡♡ thanks sm for your support! Tell me if you want to be added or removed)

A/N: Thank you for reading :D

Next chapter will be here soon and angsty.

Btw, I think this should be obvious, but I still wanna say that actually marrying someone in these circumstances would be quite stupid. This is like the perfect set up for an abusive relationship. But! This is fictional, so I'm writing this in a way it just works out for the two of them.

+ my girls, my boys, my nonbinary friends!! If you want me to actually write out the smut pls tell me if u actually want that. Bc I can, but I'm not sure if ppl actually want that. So comment pls (or write anonymously in my inbox) I'm just gonna do whatever I wanna do otherwise obviously, but I'd like to hear feedback anyways lol.

(On this note: thanks to 🍷 anon for your message :D I appreciate it. I'm just not answering publicly to avoid spoilers in case I'm using one of your suggestions(: )

Also this is obv to 90% an Oc/self-insert, so don't kill me if it's not 100% neutral, just change it in your head or don't read idk.

[greenerteacups]

forever grateful to you for sharing your musings, as if the book writing weren't great enough and hard work enough, you truly spoil us and i love you.

I'm popping in here to ask if you would like to talk about how you see Dumbledore. Sometimes I feel his manipulative side is abused in fanfiction, depicting little more than a heartless chess master.

And well, I guess I'm curious to find out if Lionheart Albus has a heart and will we get to see it. Maybe the more generous glimpses you give us of Snape and his interactions with him will shed some light on his hidden depths? Or will his appearances remain fleeting and enigmatic, always far and above all the little people we do know and adore?

Sorry, I know you can't possibly be completely balanced in your portraying of the whole cast, or they would spread too thin. I am here for the plot, for the Dramione and the Blacks, but I deeply enjoy all the character building (I truly live for all of them, not only our loved ones, I even cherish Warrington with sincere hate and am waiting for his comeuppance ) so I thought I would ask if you wouldn't mind a few comments on our opaque headmaster.

Thank you, friend! You're really kind.

Dumbledore has a relatively minor role in Lionheart for a few reasons — chief among which is, as you point out, that we just don't have time for everybody to get the same level of characterization the mains do. I have plot justifications for that, but it'd be disingenuous to suggest otherwise: Dumbledore's minor because I'm less interested in him than I am in Snape and Narcissa, and Lionheart is much more about Draco's sphere of the world than Harry's. That being said, I think some people forget how small Dumbledore's role is in the original books. He pretty much exists to deliver exposition and tell Harry how to beat the final boss; dude doesn't even get a gesture at a backstory until he's already dead. In fact, it's kinda weird to me that everyone (including a lot of people in the series) treats Dumbledore like he's some kind of guardian for Harry, especially with respect to the decision to keep him at the Dursleys. I know it's set up in the prologue, but if I'm Dumbledore, and I'm catching strays for Vernon Dursley being a piece of shit, I'm gonna be like:

The TLDR on Dumbledore is he's blamed way too much for stuff he doesn't do instead of the stuff he does. People seem to blame him for everything bad that happens to Harry because he's a competent adult in the general vicinity of the kid. But with the possible exception of hiring Lockhart — a bad decision I attribute to Early Installment Weirdness and, just maybe, a certain scarcity of applicants for a position where the last dude Literally Fucking Died — there's not a whole lot of shit that happens to Harry in the first few books Dumbledore could've prevented. Plus, he does in fact have Other Shit to be Doing. Is he a really powerful wizard who probably could've saved Harry's ass in a lot of the fights he gets into? Yes. Does he also have a whole school to run, a secret guerrilla group to direct, a Ministry full of political enemies to placate, and — oh yeah — a snake-faced immortal evil sorcerer he's playing 4D chess with at all times? Yes!

The whole lamb-to-slaughter thing with Harry is admittedly quite dark, but I don't read it as machiavellian. For one, Dumbledore obviously comes to this conclusion after a lot of deliberation, and to his death, he refuses to tell Harry about it, because (one assumes) he never intends to kill Harry himself. He's willing to hinge the fate of the free world on his respect for Harry's autonomy and/or his faith that Harry will make the "right" choice. That's pretty humane, given the circumstances. And he holds off on telling Harry about the horcruxes because... he doesn't want to inform a literal child that he'll eventually have to kill himself for the war effort. Oh, GOD, what a SCHEMING MONSTER. Surely this is motivated by menace, and not the grieving reluctance of a seasoned veteran who wants to preserve whatever few years of happiness this kid can eke out of life.

The areas where Dumbledore is morally shady come out most in his interactions with other adults. His conversation with Severus in 1981, for instance, is the one time in the books where I was legitimately frightened of him, because it's a rare time he's completely without mercy or grace. "What will you give me in return, Severus?" is a character-defining line, because Snape has just told him that two twenty-somethings and their infant child are about to be murdered, and Dumbledore's hit back with the subtextual equivalent of: "Tough shit. Why is it my problem?" Which is COLD AS FUCK! And we can kind of infer that he's not in earnest here, that he's manipulating Severus by making him think Dumbledore won't protect the Potters (even though they're Order members, which this theory requires us to assume Severus doesn't know) so that he can get him to work as a spy — but we don't know that for certain, right? It's all inference. We hope that his implicit threat isn't genuine, but what would happen if Severus said no, and walked away? How much did Albus understand about Snape's feelings for Lily, and what kind of person does it take to bluff like that in front of a known Legilimens? That line is intimidating as fuck whether or not Albus means it.

It's bits like these, where he's talking to people that he actually dislikes, where we get hints of the real Machiavellian Albus Dumbledore, and it's absolutely fascinating. He's the veteran of two wars, going on three when he dies, and you can tell in how he conducts himself. That includes, by the way, his gentility with children and his respect for innocence. But he's not just Good Funny Grandfather Dude or Crafty Mastermind. He's a general. He's been waging wars from the back lines since his twenties. That does something to your brain, and it doesn't leave a lot of you left over for anything else.

[lottiebagley]

'Tis the damn season- Sirius Black

If I wanted to know Who you were hanging with While I was gone, I would've asked you It's the kind of cold Fogs up windshield glass But I felt it when I passed you

She felt weird being there, an intense feeling of guilt. She hadn't meant to leave. Really, it was the last thing on her mind at first. But everything felt claustrophobic, like the walls were closing in on her. Things with Sirius were in a weird place and really she wasn't 100% sure how to handle it. Then, all of a sudden, she had this job offer. It was temporary, 6 months in New York and she needed something that felt new and alive and she wanted to be far away from Sirius. Now everything had changed because 5 years later and she still lived an ocean away. 

Remus was a teacher now. Lily and James were married with a kid and trying for another. Marlene was thinking about filing for divorce. 

They weren't kids anymore. They were in their mid 20's. 

She was home for Christmas. She didn't have family in New York nor England, but as they had every year prior Lily and James demanded she spend the holiday at their place. 

"God I'm so glad you're here!" Lily is squealing, arms flung around her friend in the busy airport. Little Harry, who's 4 now is clinging to his godmothers leg with gleeful giggles 

"Hey Lils," She smiles, a soft smile, as she returns the hug. Leaning down to pick Harry up "How's my little trouble maker?" She questions, propping the dark haired boy on her hip as she grabs her suitcase, listening to the child's babble and responding when needed as her and Lily make their way to the Potter's car. 

Harry is babbling excitedly from the backseat, about father christmas and presents and chocolate, as Lily attempts to join the stream of traffic leaving the car park

"James is so sorry he couldn't come with us to pick you up, he got called into work last minute," Lily apologises as they start the hour long drive back to her home. 

"Prongs knows I don't mind Lils, and so do you. Just grateful to have somewhere to spend Christmas," 

"And you should know we would never let you spend it alone," Lily reminds, her friend smiling softly. 

"I do know that," She reassures. It was true. She'd grown up next door the Potter family, so inevitably James was one of her best friends. When they both made Gryffindor they stuck together, as everyone who knew them expected. They had their little group which eventually adopted her dorm mates, Lily, Dorcas and Marlene after Lily and Severus stopped speaking. 

It had been content, the war was fought and they survived.

 The friendships survived too for the most part the only lingering awkwardness being the one shared by her and Sirius. They never dated, technically, but they were in love. Utterly deeply in love. They had been since they were 15 and though they never actually confessed it, never allowed their friendship to blossom into something more, they both knew it. Sirius was her first kiss, her first time. He took her to dances and picked her up from class and she painted his quidditch number on her cheek for each game and stroked his hair. It wasn't a relationship, but in all ways but labels it was, which led to inevitable drama. It was unsustainable but nothing changed, they both knew it was why she left.  

"You can ask y'know," Lily comments, eyes ever so briefly flickering to glance at her friend knowing the thoughts in her mind.

"Don't think I wanna know the answer," She shrugs, glancing out of the window. "Is he gonna- y'know," She trails off embarrassed to admit seeing him again had been on the forefront of her mind. 

"Yeah he's spending the holidays too," Lily confirms, watching as her friend nods and knowing better than to ask her what she's thinking.

"Is he..." She trails off not entirely awkwardly, Lily glances at her intense eyes and a knowing smirk "Does he. I- A date? Is he bringing someone of the holidays?" She lets the question spill out 

"No," Lily informs simply, she doesn't offer anything else, changing the conversation quickly. 

There's an ache in you Put there by the ache in me But if it's all the same to you It's the same to me

She'd known she was going to see him, with Lily's confirmation in her mind. She didn't know though, how she felt about it. Excited and nervous all at once, would he hate her? would he have moved on? Just because he wasn't bringing someone for the holidays didn't mean he didn't have someone.

She hadn't expected though,  to see him quite so quickly. The car pulls into the drive and she knows immediately that he's there, motorbike tucked at the end of the drive way and the door is being pulled open by him. His hair is a little longer, though she hadn't seen him since last Christmas so she could have predicted that. He's clad in a warm looking jumper and some sweatpants, clearly cozy inside the comforting home. 

"There's my little man!" He's cheering, wide grin, as he rushes to open a giggling Harry's car door, quickly fetching the child from his car seat and lifting him into a tight hug. 

She wonders, briefly, if he was concentrating on not letting his eyes fall to her, or if maybe that magnetising need to look at each other wasn't there anymore. For him at least. She still can't imagine a view on earth she'd rather look at than that of Sirius Black. 

"Thought you were coming tonight?" Lily questions, she's helping the girl with her bags but her eyes are watching Sirius, watching as he seems adamant on not looking at the girl who's staring at him so desperately Lily thinks she looks as if she could combust. 

"Regulus' new girlfriend is a bore," Sirius shrugs, he knows he should greet her, that it's awkward not too, after all they are spending the next week in the same house. But he doesn't want to be the first to say something. He didn't leave. He didn't not return any calls.

"Hi Sirius," Her voice is timid and as much as he's glad to hear it, to see she's here, she's here and well and not got some boyfriend to spend her holidays with he hates it. Hates that she is reserved around him now. 

"Hey, good flight?"

"Fine, crying baby but no turbulence," 

"That's good then, aside from the crying obviously," he feels like an idiot the second the words have left his mouth

"Yeah," 

"Cool," he wants to curse whoever has decided now would be a good time to  remove every word he has ever known from his mind and leave him a boring, lifeless shell. 

"What about you? How was Regulus?" 

"Fine got a new girlfriend,"

"Heard she's a bore," The girl jokes and Sirius smiles, a real smile. Wondering, for a moment, when he last didn't have to force a smile. 

It's then that Harry begins to whine, Lily swooping in to get him inside and get him a snack. The small moment effectively ruined.  

So we could call it even You could call me "babe" for the weekend 'Tis the damn season, write this down I'm staying at my parents' house And the road not taken looks real good now And it always leads to you and my hometown

The house is cold, it hadn't been the whole evening, upstairs and tucked in the spare bed she hadn't been. James had insisted she take the guest room. He'd assured time and time again that Remus and Sirius didn't mind her having it. Remus was going to have a blow up bed in the office and Sirius was taking the couch. She had consistently tried to take either sleeping situation, feeling bad to be the one taking the bed. The offer was refused. 

She's humming softly, some Christmas song that had been stuck in her head for days having heard it so many times recently. Her hands make light work of pouring milk into a pan, the lights in the kitchen set to dim. 

"Let me guess, hot chocolate?" His voice is velvety, not at all laced with sleep. She wonders if he was laid awake too, thinking about how she was directly above him, so close yet impossibly far. 

He had been. 

"You know me too well," She agrees, voice soft. She doesn't turn around, feels almost embarrassed to be clad in reindeer print pj bottoms and some old jumper she'd had forever. 

"You just haven't changed since we were eleven," He returns, leaning on the door frame. 

"You want one?" She asks, moving towards the fridge to take out the milk once more. 

"I got it," He announces. She nods, lets him cross the room to take out the milk, instead taking out another mug, and dumping 2 tablespoons of hot chocolate powder into it.

He arrives by her side, placing the milk down alongside a can of whipped cream. 

"Pretty sure that's for Harry's special christmas eve hot chocolate, the one with a flake and marshmallows and smarties," She comments, her tone is soft, the adoration she has for the child evident. 

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," Sirius shrugs, he watches as she carefully adds more milk to the stove, "Just promise you won't tell on me yeah?" 

"Your secret's safe with me," She confirms, she looks at him then. For the first time since he entered the room. He's already looking at her. With a look she can't read and so much intensity she wonders if anyone has ever looked at her like that before. He looks beautiful though, glowing in the soft lighting of the room. 

"Y'know, I still do this every time I can't sleep," She informs him, eyes sincere and voice quiet, almost lost in the night. 

He knows what she's trying to say. It had started when they were kids, he'd found her in the common room late at night on the second day of school. They'd spoken a little, but she'd stuck to James like glue, quiet when he wasn't by her side. She'd looked at him, wide glassy eyes. He'd asked what was wrong and she'd whispered to him about feeling like she was never going to belong in Gryffindor, not even at Hogwarts. He'd comforted her, wiped her tears away and helped her sneak to the kitchens, acting confident when in reality he'd never done it before either. He'd made the hot chocolate and she'd sat on a counter, he made her laugh and she suddenly felt like maybe everything would work out, like she might belong here after all. 

It had become ritualistic for them. If one of them was sad they'd sneak to the kitchens and make hot chocolates and vent and cheer each other up. 

Her first break up. 

His bad fight with James. 

Her dad passing. 

His parents. 

The war. 

"I do too," He'd said quietly. Looking away now, almost like her words had hurt him even though it was the last thing she intended to do. "Milk's done," He adds, he wanted to leave the room, he was scared. Scared if he stood there, looking at her all domestic and cosy and glowing and beautiful, he wouldn't be able to resist the urge he'd been fighting since she climbed out of the car that morning. 

I parked my car Right between the Methodist and the school that used to be ours The holidays linger like bad perfume You can run but only so far I escaped it too Remember how you watched me leave But if it's okay with you It's okay with me

Her legs are curled under lap, almost cat like in the large arm chair. Remus in next to her, sprawled across the sofa with the crossword of the day from some muggle paper in his hands. 

She has one too, in her lap, though she's hardly looking.

"Ok, I'm at a wall. Trade me," Remus announces, leaning across to hand her the paper he had been working on 

"Huh?"

"Trade me?" He questions, eyebrows furrowing at her despondent face.

"Right," She nods, switching papers with him. 

He looks at her crossword, hardly started and suddenly he feels bad. 

"You okay?" He asks, he glances out of the window she's clearly looking out of. Sirius is out there, leather jacket and a loose scarf. He's laughing, head thrown back and eyes crinkled. Helping Harry, who Lily had bundled up extra tight, to build a snowman. 

"Fine," She confirms, pulling her eyes away from Sirius to look at her friend. 

"I can only imagine how hard this is for you," Remus says gently

"I'm okay," She shrugs. Remus nods, not sure what to say. It felt like a theme recently. In the 24 hours she'd been there Lily, James and Remus had all struggled. Not sure what to say to either of their friends. They clearly missed each other, clearly pined for each other. Yet, neither of them was doing anything about it, neither of them even wanted to talk about it. 

"You know he never wanted kids," She speaks quietly, head motioning outside. "It was weird. I always thought he'd be a great dad. Still, think he would. I just- I guess I got it. His parents were-well, y'know- and I understood him not wanting to repeat that, thinking he'd be like him, his dad I mean. He wouldn't though. He'd have been a good dad. Still could be I guess," 

"I think so too," Remus confirms, eyes traveling to watch his friend as he helps Harry to roll a head for his snowman.

"I get that he was scared, just think it's a shame," She comments. She turns back to her crossword, to Remus' familiar scrawl. She'd said too much, she didn't want to put anyone in the middle of things.

"You're wrong," Remus speaks, still watching Sirius

"How so?" 

"He wanted kids. He talked about it a bit," Remus explains, watching as she turns to look at him face contort with confusion, "Said he wanted them after the war.  A boy first, then a girl,"

"He'd be a good girl dad," 

"Didn't seem to care too much," Remus shrugs, "He just wanted a family. Everyone to be happy and healthy and safe. Said he wanted a daughter cause he thought she'd look like you," 

"Me?" 

"Who else would he have had this fictitious family with?" Remus shrugs 

"Sirius didn't want to settle down, we all knew that," 

"If you'd asked he would have done,"

"Remus-" She sighs

"You know I'm right. He'd have done anything you asked," 

"That's not fair, I wasn't even his girlfriend," 

"Sorry. I'm not trying to put anything on you. I'm just saying, he would have done anything you asked. Think he probably still would," 

"I asked him to be my boyfriend. He said no," She states simply. She'd asked too early, that's what Sirius had always said. To ask right before a war was starting, when their lives were so imminently in danger. The label would make something happening to either of them so much worse, it's what he'd said when he rejected her.

Remus wants to say that if she'd asked again, asked after the war, that Sirius would have said yes. That he'd have married her on the spot if it's what she'd wanted. That Sirius had told him that the day before she left. But Remus decides it's not fair to put that on her. She left and Sirius stayed and either one of them could have changed everything. 

"Let's talk about something else," Remus decides.

We could call it even You could call me "babe" for the weekend 'Tis the damn season, write this down I'm staying at my parents' house And the road not taken looks real good now

Lily was stressed, that much was clear. Her hair was messy and Harry was whining on her hip. The kitchen a mess around her. James wasn't much better. Somewhere outside with Remus and Sirius, a desperate attempt to try and construct the goddamn gazebo. 

"Lil, everything okay?" Her friends voice speaks from the doorway 

"Oh hey, I didn't hear you get back," Lily speaks, her voice a little quick and eyes wide as she turns around, Harry starts to let out a whine and Lily's eyes screw shut. 

Her friend is quick, reaching out to the toddler and distracting him quickly when she passes him his dinosaur toy from the kitchen counter. "What can I do?" 

"Remind me to never listen to James and agree to host a stupid Christmas Eve party next year?" Lily questions, she's moving quickly back to the counter. Stirring the chocolate that's melting in a pan for dessert, momentarily abandoning the vegetables she had been cutting. 

"Okay, and for right now?" 

"I hate food cooked with magic, but this is hard and I have a thousand things to do and no time and-" Lily complains, eyes starting to turn glassy 

"Lily, sweetheart, you are gonna be fine. Delegate okay? I chop a mean carrot," 

"No, you're a guest and-" 

"Lil, what do you need?" 

"Can you run to the supermarket?" 

"Done," The girl nods, scribbling the list Lily recites onto an old envelope 

"Take one of the boys with you, there's going to be a million bags," Lily instructs, pointing out her car keys as she turns back to her food prep "You're the best," She calls after her friend. 

The silence in the car is awkward, they both hate it, because before all of this silence between them was never anything but comfortable. She has so much she wants to say and he does too, yet neither of them can even begin to find the words they would need. 

"Got a lot to get?" Sirius questions from the passenger seat, fingers tapping anxiously at his thigh. 

"There's a list in my bag," The girl answers, suddenly questioning if she'd come off blunt, she hadn't intended to. 

"Can I?" He questions, head tilting to the tote bag on the back seat, unaware whether they were at an appropriate level to go  rifling through each others bags.

"Sure," She agrees, he leans back, grabbing the bag and pulling it onto his lap. 

He rifles through the bag for the list, trying to ignore the de ja vu the bag causes, her essentials the same as they were in her high school bag. 

"You're a shit driver y'know?" he teases, looking up from the list when she takes a turn much too quickly, jolting him in his seat 

"Maybe I had a really bad teacher," She shrugs in response, they both find their minds running to the summer Sirius had taught her to drive, her home opposite the Potter's allowing them to hang out every vacation. 

"At some point you can't teach someone, trust me I tried," 

"You gave up,"

"Well at the time I was a glorified taxi service,"

"I'd say private chauffeur," She corrects, he smiles lightly 

"I'm driving home," 

"Okay," 

Time flies Messy as the mud on your truck tires Now I'm missing your smile, hear me out We could just ride around And the road not taken looks real good now And it always leads to you and my hometown

The black dress sparkles a little in the light of the guest room, ending at her thighs and tight to her body she turns a little in the mirror, she was running a little late but it had taken forever to get her hair to fall right. 

She thought maybe she'd dragged out getting ready a little too long. The party had started downstairs, there was so many people. People from school. People she didn't know, new friends and colleagues. Her friends, all of them. Yet it was daunting. She thinks maybe it was the thought of Sirius, Sirius all dressed up because she just knew he'd look perfect. Sirius flirting with some girl he'd invited, or one of James' colleagues or someone from school. 

She'd been drinking wine as she got ready, something she'd done to ease her nerves but now she almost regretted. Feeling a little tipsy and overly emotional, the idea of watching Sirius with someone else left her feeling a white hot anger in her very soul. A feeling she knew was incredibly unjustified, yet she couldn't push it away. 

It's why, as she walked into the decorated living room, bee lining to Marlene, who was squealing at the sight of her well missed friend, she was glad to see Sirius was in the corner of the room playing with Harry.

She spends hours catching up with friends, making polite chit chat with people from distant memories, smiling and exchanging pleasantries with strangers. She allows some guy from Lily's work to flirt with her but doesn't give anything back. 

 She watches Sirius from afar. He looks beautiful, so utterly beautiful. He's dressed in a white shirt that's tight around his form, the top few buttons undone and his blazer abandoned somewhere. 

He spends as much of his night as he possibly can with Harry, staying with the kid until he's tucking the sleeping boy into his bed. Partly because he firmly believes Lily and James deserve a night off, partly because it's the perfect alibi. 

After that Sirius tries to float, doing little jobs to help things run smoothly and using a plethora of excuses to excuse himself from conversations. He feels rude, particularly to a girl from school who he is sure is nervous to approach him. He isn't rude. But he thinks maybe it comes off that way. 

He's not sure is it's just that it hurts to see her so okay, head back laughing with her friends. Or maybe it's just how drained he's felt all day. 

He grabs a bottle of champagne and his blazer, sneaking outside and to sitting on the floor round the side of the house. Out of sight from any windows. He digs through his blazer pocket for a packet of cigarettes and a lighter, a habit he's been trying to drop but honestly was struggling with. 

Its 5 minutes of silence before he is the slight click of heels on the floor. He holds his breath, hoping to not be found. She rounds the corner and he exhales. Feeling less drained just at the sight of her. 

"Got a light?" She questions, Sirius nods and watches as she crosses towards him, cigarette in one hand and glass of champagne in the other. She holds the cigarette out to him and he lights it for her. "Mind if I sit? Or I can go smoke in the back garden and we can both pretend the other person isn't out here?" 

"Sit," He says simply, she nods, sitting next to him on the cold ground, Remus had shovelled snow all afternoon. "Since when did you smoke?"  

"Since 2 years ago, I had some project due at work and I was crazy stressed. Some guy I work with offered me one and I accepted. Stupid looking back," She informs simply.

"It's bad for you," 

"I've been telling you that since we were 17," She reminds

"Been trying to quit," He admits, watching her as she stares at him. Her eyes are slightly hazy, he can see she's drank a little too much but she's holding herself together gracefully. 

"That's good. I have too,"

"Good," He nods, he watches as she inhales and exhales and sips her champagne. 

"Why are you out here?" 

"It was too much in there," Sirius admits, she nods in quiet understanding 

"I get that," 

"You always did. Get me," He sighs, almost wishfully 

"I guess so," 

"Do you regret leaving?" He asks. He thinks maybe he shouldn't. That come morning maybe he'll regret it. But there's something about the way she looks in the moonlight. The way she's been looking at him since she came outside, and how it's the same way she's always looked at him. 

"I'm really proud of my career. I wouldn't have it if I had stayed," She's careful in her words, he can see her thinking about them before she speaks

"Right." He nods, her words in his mind are a polite rejection. 

Sleep in half the day Just for old times' sake I won't ask you to wait If you don't ask me to stay

"Merry Christmas!" James' voice is loud as he enters the guest bedroom, flipping the light on without a care in the world

"I hate you," She states simply, they grew up together and James really was the closest thing she had to a brother. He smirks watching as she uses the thick sage green bedding to cover her eyes from the light.

"I know. Haz wants you to come downstairs so we can do gifts," 

"What time is it?"

"6. He's been up since 4," James informs, she pulls the duvet down from her face to see him leaning in the door way 

"Fine," She agrees stretching a little before clambering from the bed. The matching Christmas pjs Lily had purchased for everyone bunched up a little. 

"Hey, you doing okay? With Sirius I mean," James' voice drops low as he asks, eyes scanning the landing behind him briefly

"I'm fine," She can tell from the look on his face he doesn't believe her "Promise," 

"Mooney said he saw you guys sneaking back into the house last night. At the party," she hates the way his voice sounds hopeful

"We were both having a smoke James. It's nothing," 

"Thought you were quitting,"

"You sound like your mother,"

"Harsh! Go downstairs already woman," James teases, his tone light as he shoves her playfully on her way past him. 

Lily makes mimosas and the group of friends share easy laughs as the day passes by, gifts exchanged and Harry smothered with love and attention. She decides it's the easiest day, people are distracted enough in the festivities the Potters have planned to not spend the whole day worrying about her and Sirius.

Without eyes on them they both find it easier to talk, they share whispered jokes and his dizzying beauty seems softer when he's smiling at her as they peel veg together. 

"Lil I'm serious, go play with James and Harry. We can handle veg duty," She's determined in the way she gently pushes the girl through the archway into the kitchen. 

"Thankyou sweetie," Lily is beaming, looking between her friend and Sirius's back knowingly before shooting her friend a knowing wink. "Rem, come with!" She calls as she retreats to the living room. Remus does as told, but not before giving Sirius a pointed look, one that screams 'SAY SOMETHING'. 

"I've got the potatoes if you've got the carrots," Sirius offers

"Sounds good," She confirms, fluffy socks pattering on the floor as she takes her place beside him at the oak counter. 

"When are you flying back to New York?" 

"The 28th, I promised Mitch I'd be back in time for his birthday stroke crazy new years party," 

"That's fun," Sirius is lying. Nothing about what she just said is fun. It's the opposite. He has three more days before she's an ocean away all over again. She's rushing home, not staying for new years like she has every other year for some guy.

 That's the least fun of all, Mitch. Who the fuck is Mitch? Sirius is racking his memories, in all the awkward Christmases they'd shared since she left she's never once mentioned a Mitch. 

She sees the question in his eyes but doesn't say anything else. She's about to, truly she is, until the song playing through the small radio changes. 

"Oh my god it's my favourite Christmas song!" She's beaming, dropping the carrot and knife she's holding and rushing to turn the music up. 

He smiles gently, watching as she begins to dance around the kitchen. Red tartan pyjamas and the knit jumper Remus gifted her, he can't stop his mind from running to all the summer holidays they'd make breakfast together in the Potter's kitchen and she'd dance around. 

"God, you still can't dance," He teases, gentle smile 

"Shut up and dance with me!" She demands, she stretching an arm out to him and fuck he wishes he knew how to say no to her. 

They jump around and sing along, hands linked together as he twirls her around the room, hearts beaming and flooding the room with laughter. 

The song ends and she's breathless, chest to chest, so close to each other. 

"Mitch?" He can't help the question, not when he's so close to her, not when it's taking everything in him not to lean down and kiss her

"He's gay." 

"Oh,"

"There's no one else for me," She says it quietly, hands dropping his and looking down to her feet, almost embarrassed to admit it 

His hand shoots up, cupping her cheek gently and forcing her to look at him 

"Me either," He reassures, voice smooth and soft. 

So I'll go back to LA And the so-called friends who'll write books about me if I ever make it And wonder about the only soul who can tell which smiles I'm faking And the heart I know I'm breaking is my own To leave the warmest bed I've ever known

James Potter can make a kick-ass espresso martini. It wasn't new information, he always made cocktails in the evening on Christmas. The rest of the inner friend group (the other girls from the dorm at school) and their spouses would come over, they would play stupid games and listen to the music they grew up on and the parents would take it in turns to check on Neville and Harry who by this point would be sound asleep in Harry's space themed bedroom. 

Lily had gawped with wide eyes when she'd chosen the seat next to Sirius at Christmas dinner. Remus almost choked on his carrot when Sirius had ever so casually wrapped his arm around her at the table and she had leaned into his touch   Marlene had been shooting her friend knowing looks all night, eyebrows raised in question at the way she'd been perched on the arm of his arm chair the whole night. 

Nothing had happened. Not really. But something in the air had changed, something in the way he was looking at her was different, the longing glances had lost their sadness. 

The night ends slowly, Marlene and Dorcas wander out into the night. Alice heads to where James had pulled out the sofa bed in the office. Lily leaves having checked on the kids one last time. 

She's the next to head to bed, acutely aware of the sound of Sirius behind her on the stairs even though he's been sleeping downstairs the whole trip. 

"What are you doing up here?" She whispers the question in the hallway as Sirius arrives on the landing. 

"I wanted to say night," He whispers back, he looks too pretty. The warm lighting from the downstairs light makes him almost glow and he has a drunken grin on his face. She's no better, her eyes glassy from one too many of those damned martinis. 

"You said night downstairs," She counters, he rolls his eyes fond gentle  smile as he tucks her hair behind her ear. 

"I'm glad you're here," 

"Me too," She confirms it quietly "Look forward to getting to see you, talk to you all year." He doesn't know if the light blush on her cheeks is from the alcohol or the whispered confession. 

"Doesn't have to just be at Christmas y'know? You could call, visit even. I really miss you," He isn't shy in his confession. He'd scream it from the rooftops if it meant she might be a part of his life again for more than just the holidays. 

"Sirius," Her voice is soft, he's too close. He is so close and she feels overwhelmed by him, drunk on his scent and using all her self control to keep her hands out of his hair. 

"I mean it, darling. Truly," His hand reaches out, firm against her chin. "Hey, look," He speaks, face close enough she feels his breath on her face. She follows his eyes, looking up to see a sprig of mistletoe above them. 

James does it every year, enchants mistletoe to sprout above two people in love. Mainly, he does it so he can kiss Lily and remind her to stop being so stressed about hosting and actually enjoy the holidays. Partly, he did it in the hopes it might help his two friends find their way back to each other. 

"Can I?" Sirius's question is full of nerves, scared he's pushing her too far

"Always,"

It's gentle and timid, the way he pushes his lips to hers. It's safe at first, a peck. Neither wants the other to freak and run. 

He's the one to push it further, though that isn't really surprise. 

He pulls her ever closer, chest to chest and his big arms wrap around her, holding her to him. He kisses her like he's desperate, scared if he stops he'll loose her all over again. 

She feels like she can breathe properly for the first time in years. Feels a weight off her shoulders as she allows her hands to tangle into his hair, a craving she'd had every time she looked at him. She lets him man handle her towards the door to the guest room. 

His tongue pushing into her mouth as he holds her against the wall by the door. One of her hands stays tangled in his hair as the other moves down to hold onto the warm skin of his hip, fingertips slipping under his maroon sweater. 

His hand travels down, landing on her bum with a firm squeeze and the motion seems to bring her back to her senses a little. She pulls away, though Sirius is quick to chase her kiss swollen lips with his own. She giggles in response, one last chaste peck to his lips before she looks him in the eyes, blown out a little with lust and creased from his bright grin.

"Sirius," She sighs out, he smirks head falling to allow himself to press a trails of kisses down her jaw and onto her neck

"Darling," he murmurs against her skin 

"This is a really bad idea," Her point seems a little futile as she moves her head to the side to allow him more space to press his kisses 

"Tell me you want me to stop. Say the word and I'll go back downstairs and you can go to sleep and we can wake up and pretend none of this happened," 

We could call it even Even though I'm leaving And I'll be yours for the weekend 'Tis the damn season

He doesn't think he's ever seen a sight so beautiful. She's laid next to him, body lit by the pale moonlight casting through the window. Her skin is bare and flushed and she fits against his body as perfectly as she always has. 

Her leg is strewn over his naked torso, her head resting on his chest, hand reaching up to comb her fingers through his hair. 

His arm that wraps around her lands on her back, thumb pressing comforting circles into her back.

"You're so perfect," He speaks into the quiet. She tilts her head up on his shoulder, allowing him to see her beaming face 

"Sirius, you are the most beautiful person I've ever known," Her tone is impossibly soft, as his heart in that moment. The sincerity in her voice makes his whole body feel warm. 

He feels too overwhelmed by the sickly sweet love in his chest to come up with much of a response, instead he presses his lips to her forehead an action so full over love and comfort it almost hurts her chest. 

"I'm gonna hate having to miss you again," She says softly, her settling back into his chest as he squeezes her closer

"Only ever a phone call away," He hums hand moving to toy with the ends of her hair

"You could visit?" She suggests, scared he'll laugh at the thought though she has no reason to be 

"Anything, if you want me to do it I will," His promise makes her grin widely, she leans up to press a gentle kiss to his lips. 

The quiet takes over once more, both basking in having the other in there arms again, a feeling they'd been craving in the years of absence. 

"I'm sorry I left," She whispers, she'd wanted to say it a thousand times, truly she had. 

"I'm sorry I didn't come after you," He pauses for a beat, he thinks maybe the question is too big, what he's asking of her too much. His eyebrows furrowing as he thinks, deep pout on his lips.

"What are you thinking about?" She questions, thumb gently  smoothing out the lines in his frown 

"Stay," He says it quietly, so quiet she almost misses it. "Please, I need you to stay,"

We could call it even You could call me "babe" for the weekend 'Tis the damn season, write this down I'm staying at my parents' house And the road not taken looks real good now

She hadn't technically said no. She hadn't said anything really. 

She'd felt like an idiot, sitting up in the bed to better at Sirius. Blinking as her mind raced, what if she did stay? what would she be staying for? would he finally be ready to commit to her or was he asking her to give up the career she worked so hard for to be around when he wanted a casual fuck? 

"Say something," He hated how much his own voice sounded like it was begging, he hated the look in her eyes. The guilt. She was going to say no. He was certain of that as he looked at her. 

"Say anything," He doesn't mean to sound angry. Doesn't mean to make her feel bad. 

She's left, blinking as she desperately tries to gather her thoughts. He gets out of bed. 

His movements around the rooms are sharp and hurried, tugging his clothes back on. 

"Sirius," She says, she needs him to look at her. Needs him to stop for a second, to talk to her. 

"No," His hands tug his jumper over his head as he moves towards the door 

"Stop. Sirius, please just wait," She clambering out of the bed to follow him, grabbing her pyjama pants and pulling them up quickly as she reaches for the large knit sweater. She's following him down the stairs of the silent house. 

He slams the front door in her face before she has the chance to follow him out into the snow. She hears the revving of his motorbike before the engine kicks in, hears the way it fades away as he races into the night. 

She feels like an idiot. Feels pathetic as she sinks to the ground, back pressed to the front door. She had vowed a long time ago to stop crying over Sirius Black yet she can't stop herself. 

"What's going on?" Remus is calling. Woken up by the sound of the slamming door. She wipes at her tears, desperate to hide them from him but the second he sees her and sends her a soft smile she's blubbering all over again. 

"He left. He fucking just left," She's hiccuping through her crying, and he joins her on the old wooden floor. 

"What happened?" He asks gently, a comforting hand squeezes at her knee. 

"We slept together," 

"Ok, ok and then he just left?" 

"No. He asked me to stay and I- I froze Rem. I sat there like an idiot and didn't say anything. He just- I needed to think and he wouldn't give me fucking second," 

"What would you have said?" 

"I don't know what he wants. If he wanted to try like really try I would have said yes," 

"He needs to know that," 

Time flies Messy as the mud on your truck tires Now I'm missing your smile, hear me out We could just ride around And the road not taken looks real good now

She hadn't been to his apartment before. Remus had apparated her there and waited with her in a comfortable silence until he'd arrived. Sat on the curb outside, her head on his shoulder. Knowing he was home Remus left, she was safe on the busy London street, Sirius wouldn't let any harm come to her despite the deep sigh he lets out at the sight of her. 

"I wanna be alone,"

"Too bad. I need to talk to you," She demands, arms crossed in front of her. 

"We can talk later," 

"No Sirius. You don't get to say all that shit to me and then just leave," 

"Fine. come on,"

He leads her in an awkward silence up into the building, refusing to look at her in the short elevator ride to the 8th floor. 

His apartment is very him, it's cosy and homely and smells like the Gryffindor common room. 

He drops onto the sofa in the living room, she's too busy eyeing the framed photos on the wall, heart melting a little at the photo of the two of them, both in school uniform sat by the black lake her head on his shoulder his arms holding her close to him. Matching bright grins staring back at her.

"You wanted to talk," He reminds, embarrassed that even after rejecting him she's seeing his framed photo of her. 

" The other day, at the party You asked me if I regret leaving? I lied. No I didn't lie. I just- I didn't tell you the truth. I regret it, every fucking day I regret it, I lay awake every night thinking about what we could have been if I'd stuck around,"

"It's a little late for that," he grumbles, arms folded and a stoic look on his face

"Could you just listen to me?" She snaps, "I've been in love with you since I was 14 Sirius and you have never ever wanted a relationship," 

"That's not true," He protests

"Oh. So you just didn't want one with me?" She feels like an idiot, standing in front of him. Their friends were wrong, she was wrong.

He hates the hurt in her voice, the tears in her eyes.

He's on his feet now, passing over the burgundy rug to grab her hand in his

"That's not what I mean. I just- I was scared, scared if you were mine and something happened. I couldn't have lived through that," 

"You never told me that, you always just said you weren't a boyfriend guy," 

"I could be. For you I could be,"

"Why did you leave?" She questions, desperate to know why he couldn't have given her just a few minutes to work things out

"I couldn't hear you tell me that you don't love me enough to stay,"

"I would never say that,"

"No?" He questions timidly, his eyes searching her desperately

"No," She shakes her head "If I stay this can't be what it was. I'm giving up my life here. We are older now and we are safe and this has to be real,"

"It's always been real to me. I'm in love with you, been in loved with you since second year and I will be until the day I die. So sweetheart, please, please be mine? for real this time,"

"It'll always be you Sirius," She promises, his lips kiss her and she feels herself fall in love with him all over again. 

And it always leads to you and my hometown It always leads to you and my hometown

[jjkamochoso]

I just want to say thank you for always writing my silly little request! I was wondering if maybe you could write about Noritoshi comforting non-binary- reader about being trans/non-binary? Again thank you sm for putting up with all of my noritoshi ask ^_^

OF COURSE OMG ITS AN HONOR TO TAKE YOUR REQUESTS :'))))))) I love writing for Noritoshi (as you can all tell lmao) and you always have such cute ideas!!! I hope I was able to do the scenario justice here-- I kinda ended up going down a self conscious/uncomfortable in body route which I hope is okay but lmk if you'd like a different scenario!

Also, I wrote for a non-binary reader but if you'd like a transgender reader version I can definitely whip that up so just lmk <3 I'd love to take more of your requests when my inbox opens back up in a few days!! Much love to you <3 <3

I Love You for You

Fluff

Noritoshi Kamo x non-binary!reader

Warnings: negative self image

You know those days where everything just feels... off?

Your hair isn't going right, your outfit looks wrong, you have a weird, uncomfortable sensation flowing through your body at all times?

Yeah?

That's how you felt today.

There was no rhyme or reason for you to be experiencing such dread like this, but you were, and you absolutely hated it. You pulled down at the hem of your oversized sweatshirt, an outfit choice much too warm for the hot sun beaming down on you, but you couldn't bear to wear anything more revealing while you were in a state of self loathing. You finally slowed your jog to a walking pace, happy to be finished with today's brutal training. You made your way to a tree, relishing in the shade of the leaves, but it did little to cool you down. As you tried to catch your breath from your previous exercise, you spied Noritoshi on his way to you, a bottle of water in his hand.

"You're getting better at training every day, y/n. I'm proud of your hard work," he said, handing you the bottle with a hint of a smile on his lips. You eagerly downed the drink, grateful for the chance to cool your insides. Unfortunately, it didn't work all too well, and you were back to sweating up a storm.

"You can take your sweatshirt off, you know. It's not public indecency," your boyfriend joked, tugging at the cuff of your sleeve. You quickly yanked your arm away, avoiding eye contact with the man who was now frowning.

"I'm fine," you mumbled, looking off into the distance. "It's not that hot."

Noritoshi could tell immediately that something wasn't right with you, but he wasn't the pushy type. He understood that sometimes, people had things going on that they didn't want to talk about, and he respected that. However, he wasn't going to let you suffer in the blazing heat.

"C'mon." He nodded toward the dorm kitchen. "Let's grab something to eat."

"I'm not hungry. You go ahead."

Okay, he knew something was really wrong.

"Obviously I know something's bothering you and you don't have to tell me what, but could you please at least go inside? I don't want you to get heatstroke," he said, his gray eyes filled with worry.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," you said, not meeting his gaze, "and then I'm gonna take a nap. See you."

You hurried away from Noritoshi, not wanting him to look at you anymore. When you didn't feel comfortable in your own skin, you didn't want others to see you and any time you were with Noritoshi, it was like he knew you better than you knew yourself, and you weren't in the mood to explain all of your self doubts that he probably already guessed you were experiencing. When you got in the shower, you tried to scrub away all the feelings of self consciousness, but when you were drying off and spotted yourself in the mirror, they all came back. You ran back to your dorm as quick as you could, thankfully without running into anyone else you knew. With a sigh, you threw yourself on your bed and laid in silence, too upset to attempt to sleep like your original plan was. You stared at the ceiling, wishing you could just ignore these thoughts. For you, being nonbinary was the perfect way to express your identity, and most days, everything was fine and you were positively content with yourself. On the days you were plagued with self image issues, though, you found yourself wondering how you could look better, fit in more. Would people respect you if you dressed differently or if you aligned with a certain gender instead of rejecting that notion as a whole? You groaned.

If I changed all of that about me, then I wouldn't be me.

You were kicked out of your thoughts by a knock at the door. You ignored it, hoping the person would go away.

"I know you're in there and I know you're not napping. You can't sleep when you're upset."

Yep, Noritoshi knows you too well.

"Come in," you huffed, though you were secretly relieved he came to find you. If there was anyone who could lift your spirits, it was him. Your boyfriend walked over to your bed after setting a bag of food on the table. Your stomach growled in anticipation of the delicious meal he brought, making him laugh a bit.

"I also knew you were lying when you said you weren't hungry."

Noritoshi laid on the bed next to you, resting his chin in his hand and staring at you with a mix of fondness and concern. "You wanna talk about it?"

"I... no, it's dumb. I'll get over it."

"Do you want to get over it or work through it?"

You sat up, your eyebrows furrowing. "Are you always this profound?"

"Only around you, my love."

You playfully scoffed as he patiently continued to wait for you to speak your mind, because of course he knew you would when you were ready.

You took a deep breath. "It's about me. My body and my... identity."

That got his attention as he, too, sat up to show you he was taking you seriously.

"Today has been really, really, crappy for me in terms of accepting myself. I don't know why, but it was just impossible. Every time I looked at myself, I... didn't like what I saw. I didn't feel like I deserved to stand by your side as your partner and that's why I ran away earlier. Being nonbinary is great and it's how I want to express myself but today, it just... it didn't feel right."

He nodded solemnly. "Do you think you would feel better if you didn't use a label at all? Would that help ease some of these feelings? Maybe you wouldn't be so hard on yourself if you didn't feel pressured to fit in a certain group."

"I see where you're coming from, but nonbinary is still what feels right," you said. "It's just hard sometimes, you know?"

"Admittedly, I don't, but I do know what it's like to feel out of place or like you don't belong somewhere. But, y/n," he said, earnestly grabbing your hands in his own, "I don't ever want you to feel like that around me. I want to be that safe space where you feel totally, completely comfortable just being yourself. You're so kind, funny, and you have a heart of gold. I could list a million more different attributes that I find so wonderful about you. I'm honored to have you as a partner. I love you for you, and you should, too. Don't be afraid to show the world just how special you are."

Noritoshi gave your hands a squeeze before leaning in to give you a gentle kiss, his soft lips leaving you breathless. When you both pulled away, he kept his forehead against yours, noses brushing one another.

"There's nobody more attractive than you, no matter how you dress, do your hair, or otherwise present or label yourself. You're perfect the way you are." He pressed a chaste kiss to your forehead. "And I will tell you that as many times as it takes for you to believe it." Another kiss, this time on both of your cheeks. "Got it?"

"Mmm, maybe another kiss like that first one will make me remember," you teased, causing Noritoshi to blush. It felt great to know that no matter what you were going through, you had a wonderful person there by your side to support you the best he could.

[deadal1enx3]

SOLARBALLS! YIPPE

Can you do headcannons of sun and Jupiter astronaut reader having to research about the planets and while they research about them they get to know the planets as well? Pretty please and thank you 🙏

Hai! Thank you for requesting, sorry if it took long, I'm also doing an art challenge and I'm kinda slow

And for the other anon who also requested me, I'm doing that too, it's just I'm kinda busy, but I'll always make time for my dear readers<3

Fandom: Solarballs

Solar system x astronaut! reader

Timeline: before the moon revolution

THEME: fluff? Maybe small against, platonic 💗

This is going to be an Headcanon, and thank you anon for requesting again!<3

꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡——— research ———♡⁠˖⁠꒰⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠⑅⁠꒱

Sol:

When you first met sun, he was actually kinda scary

but after a while you got used to her acting a bit crazy sometimes

you got to research about him some things, and she didn't really mind it, as long as you don't come close to her because, yeah, it's kinda hot there

you shared some facts about him that you knew, and there were even some stuff he didn't know himself

as you talked more to him, you realized he was really nice! And as you guys came more friendly with each other, he started to make more sun jokes

at first the jokes were weird but some were really funny too!

later even you made some jokes and he was really happy that someone liked his jokes

Sun was just happy that there was someone was friends with her other than Mercury, and Mercury was glad to sometimes hang out with the other rockies

but, the solar flares are still very scary, especially on how big the solar flares were

you guys became good friends at the end ^-^

Mercury:

Mercury wasn't used to see earthlings up close, so he was glad to be able to talk to you

he also didn't mind you doing some research but when you told him that he's constantly shrinking, he got scared that he'll no longer be a planet and become a dwarf planet like Pluto

you had to calm him down, and you explained that he's bigger than Luna, the fifth biggest moon in the solar system, which means that it would take a really long time for him to shrink to the size of Pluto

he understood it wasn't you intention to make him upset and you guys talked more

you got to know that he's always being bullied by Venus and either Venus or Sun doesn't let him go to play with the other rocky planets

you sometimes helped him by talking to the sun and he was grateful for that

you even talked to him about how he could stand up for himself against Venus' bullying

in the end, you guys became really good friends, and helped each other when needed!

Venus:

Venus wasn't really a fond of you, he didn't really liked earthlings, especially if you needed research about him

he needed some time to get used to have an earthling machine in his orbit again

there weren't some many things that were knew, maybe that his atmosphere wasn't so stormy while you were with him

you noticed there was a lot of times when he was just alone, you tried to speak to him, hoping maybe he wouldn't be soo rude to you

at first the conversation were short, and a bit awkward too, like the basic 'how are you'? and 'what are you up to?'

but the more you guys talked the more you started to know about him

he was actually nice, he just needed some time to get used to someone new

you found out that he wasn't purposely being mean to the others, he was just being insecure after losing his life

He also made fun of Mercury because it made him seem more though then other celestial bodies wouldn't hurt him because he lost his life even though he did everything to have life

overall, you guys are pretty good friends, even though the start was a bit rocky (no pun intended)

Earth:

You didn't really had to do any research with earth so you only wanted to know more about them

But you didn't expected your home planet to be arrogant, or at least this much

At least they didn't talked as much about their life to you than they did to the celestial bodies

You noticed that they did seem pretty insecure whenever people would talk about how there are super earths and other planets that are sustainable for life

But it was understandable, the humans weren't the best life to have with all the trash they make

But it was still not right to treat others like that

You tried to talk to them about those things but they didn't really listen, you thought they would just need time to realize it

(sorry couldn't really write much for them >.<)

( this is before the moon revolution so they didn't really made changes in their personality yet, but after that you and Earth became good friends ^-^)

Mars:

Now that it's kinda colder here, you wondered how cold it will be in Neptune's orbit

Mars was actually very friendly he didn't mind you doing some research at all, he was used to earthling technology on his surface, so things were going smoothly

The moons were pretty weird first but you got used to time, they really are cute!

Not even Mars knew this but his Sunsets were blue on his surface and he thought this was super cool

You and Mars were really good friends

You talked to mars about earthling stuff and technology and he talked about some space stuff, it's honestly was a good match for you two

Because both of you felt comfortable with each other, you two know the most about each other, but of course with time

Jupiter:

It's been a while since and earthling probe was in his orbit but was glad he could get to know more about earthlings and in exchange, the earthlings got to know more about him!

Because you couldn't really land on a surface, you just stayed in moons orbit that isn't too close to Jupiter because he does have a strong radiation

You were honestly fascinated on how big was Jupiter in real life, and the big storm, 3 size of earth

It would been scary if Jupiter wouldn't be so kind and sweet

He talked about mythology while you did some of your research, like checking the wind speed in the storms and the storms radius, it was honestly calming than being with the rockies, they some why always had trouble with each other

You talked about how some of the earthlings found strange occurrence in the Kuipers belt that dwarf planets couldn't do and that they were thinking that there was maybe a ninth planet in the solar system

Jupiter looked paranoid at that news, so you quickly asked if there was something wrong

He just tried to brush it off, but you didn't wanted to ask more so you wouldn't make him feel discomfort

Overall that small incident you guys are pretty good friends if i may say so, same with mars

Saturn:

Saturn was beautiful, you couldn't say less

Saturn didn't seen earthling machines for so long, the only ones she could remember were the voyager ones and the first Pioneer 11, but she was also glad that she could talk to an earthling, it was a rare thing in the solar system

She was happy that the earthlings wanted to know more about her, and it was surprising to hear that she had a liquid core instead of a solid one or a gas one

You noticed that she didn't had the best relationship with her moons so you thought you would help her try to remember their names and tell interesting facts

Of course she didn't had the best time remembering but she tried her best

The moons were kind to you, well.. most of them

Titan was still scary tho, he was the second biggest moon in the entire solar system so it was kinda predictable but still not expected

You and Saturn remained natural but overall friendly

Uranus:

It was cold out there

Uranus wasn't used to earthlings in his orbit, the only one he saw was astro dude(?) and Voyager 2

This meant to you that there were many things that humanity didn't know about the coldest planet

There were many facts about him that you found out while doing your research and you shared these informations with him

In fact, He's the only planet named after a greek god, Ouranus, the god of the sky, Gaia's husband or Earth's husband

It was a bit weird at first for him, but then it made him think of his name otherwise because earthlings names him after a greek god

The other thing you knew about him was that he actually had the biggest rings in the solar system.

At first he obviously didn't believe you but you explained to him why

He actually had 13 rings, but most isn't seen because it's mostly made of ice and icy rocks that aren't the most visible things in the system

And Saturn has 8 visible and overall 9 which made Uranus have the biggest ring in the solar system

He couldn't believe it, did he really had the biggest rings in the entire solar system?!

You really did boost his confidence now, so he was quite thankful

But you guys did remain neutral, but still friendly

Neptune:

What's an earthling?

Yeah um.. he doesn't really know anything about earthlings

The only probe that went past Neptune was voyager 2, and he didn't even remember that

Tho he was a bit weird and orbiting him was also Unusual because how in the earth did he change his shape?!

Yeah, all of was weird, you thought it might be just because the light of the sun didn't reach this far that much so you thought the light was bugging you or you're just so insane that you not only imagine planets talking but you're also imagining that they are changing shapes

Yeah you're completely insane

But! Neptune was extremely kind and was glad that whatever the earthlings were, they still wanted to know more about him

Neptune had the highest wind in the solar system, it wasn't a big thing but it explained why the storms on him never stayed as long as on Jupiter

Neptune was very supportive and again, very nice, just like his moons

Triton was a bit skeptical about an earthling doing research but settled down once he understood why you were doing this

The mini moons were extremely cute and was fun talking with them

Neptune overall was very supportive and kind, his very friendly

Now you were completely know that you should take your meds

꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡——— research ———♡⁠˖⁠꒰⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠⑅⁠꒱

My ADHD ass had to do this all day because i always started doing something else, i even made a binder out of a small swim suit while writing this!

Uhm yeah... I just realized now that I'm done that you anon only wanted me to do oneshots for Jupiter and Sun... Well i hope this will be good too!

I think you can see who are my favorites.. (Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Sol<3)

At least others who also will read this will have others to read too..

But still, thank you dear anon for requesting, and if the other anon who also requested, I'm sorry but that'll take more time to make because I'm going over to a friends house in the weekend.

I still hope you enjoyed this one anon, it's good to hear about another person who is also is a Sol Fanon

Love y'all have a good day, night, evening, afternoon, morning<33

[slasheru]

Slasher U 1-Year State of the Union / Unholy Census!

Holy fucking shit we're coming along towards the 1-year anniversary of the release of the Slasher U Act 1 alpha!! We've come SO FUCKING FAR. Sawyer wasn't even a romanceable option back in the day! As of April 27th, it'll be Slasher U's first ever anniversary!

Mostly, I am SO FUCKING GRATEFUL that you all came along on the adventure to make my weird horny dating RPG a smash fucking hit!! Taking narrative seriously in dating/adult games was kind of my entire M.O (is?? mods??) and I am SO GRATEFUL Y'ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO HERE lmao

THE BIG NUMBERS

As of 11:21 AM EST on 3/23/24, Slasher U: Act 1 has sold 6,100 copies across Steam & itch.io (Not including the copies sold as part of Games for Gaza that weren't redeemed/downloaded, so this only counts people who actually downloaded or bought the game!). This is obviously BEYOND MY WILDEST FUCKING DREAMS AND I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH HOLY SHIT. I didn't even realize it until I added it all together. (On top of this, we sold several fucking tens of thousands of games for Games for Gaza!! Hell yeah!)

For my fellow solo devs out there, this comes to Slasher U making a total of about $6,000 + $2,000 net USD through sales (the former) and crowdfunding (the latter, for Slasher U: Act 2) over the last 11ish months!! The game started off being free for the first 6ish months, then went to $6.69 for the Beta (with dong! whoa!!), and now at its full size, stands at a good ol' $14.99 for 15 hours of primo datin' sim!

This is objectively the most money I've ever made off of anything I've developed in my entire life, and paid my whole ass rent for the entire year, so THANK YOU HOLY SHIT. According to Steam, most indie games barely break $1k in total, so I am AGOG. FUCKING AGOG. THANK YOU FOR LIKING MY GAME AND LETTING ME MAKE MORE VIA NOT DYING FROM CAPITALISM

The average review score, across 89 reviews on itch.io, remains 4.9 out of 5 stars, and we're rocking a 93% Positive on Steam!!

THE UNHOLY CENSUS

The best part of Slasher U is, as I always say, THE STUDENT DISEMBODY!! Slasher U will always be a place where everything is gay and trans as fuck (although I'm also proud of writing my cishet storylines too :V /lh)! I knew y'all were gay (hello fellow gays) but I did not realize the QUEER FUCKING FORCE THE STUDENT DISEMBODY IS

Here's the demographics of Slasher U players as taken from Tumblr polls (that's a skewed sample size of about 280, so grain of salt here for the homo website for queers):

92.6% of you ID as queer (see below for the breakdown!) | 7.4% of you ID as straight

This fictional horror movie campus is: 48.5% bi/pan, 16.2% gay/mlm, 10.3% lesbian/wlw, 10.3% ace (oo tie!), 7.4% queer but not defined as above, and 7.4% straight!

61.9% of you ID as trans/not cis | 23.8% of you ID as cis | 14.3% of you ID as neither trans nor cis

46.8% of you are between 22-26 | 32.3% of you are between 18-21 | 16.1% of you are between 27-32 | 4.8% of you are between 32-45 | 0% of you are older than 45 (sample size I am guessing lol)

For 14.6% of you, Slasher U was the very first dating sim you've ever played (!). For 3.8% of you, Slasher U was the first indie game you've ever played (holy fucking shit!!! this is an actual absolute honor)

76.7% of you instinctively Road Runner away from Melyssa at the fountain in Act 1 | 23.3% let the Melyssa tsunami arrive at you

--

A FINAL WORD (FOR NOW) ON MAKIN' VIDJEE GAEMS

You should totally do it.

No, okay, but for real, I started working in games professionally in 2009 (yeah yeah i'm old. i am 32 and i am dying and they're coming for me in the corpse wagon etc) and I burned out in 2016 and came back two years ago with THIS THING and I can tell you RIGHT FUCKIN' NOW that, if you have ever wanted to make a game and the big guys aren't gonna do it, grab yourself and/or some friends and fuckin' make a video game. I have worked for a bunch of AA and mobile companies and I can tell you right the fuck now that this is the most fulfilling experience I have ever had writing a video game. I taught myself programming logic to make this thing! And sound design! I fucking learned to animate sprite sheets!! YOU CAN ALSO DO IT given the time and energy (pace yourself don't die)! And there won't be any execs around to tell you your weird niche game won't sell!! BECAUSE IT FUCKING WILL

Anyway, my entire career as a game designer, nobody let me write shit for them. You don't need permission to make stuff or write stuff. If you write it, they will fuckin' come, Field of Dreams style (also don't forget to tell everyone you made stuff and share it around. super key here. lmao). Turns out writing is all about sharing yourself with people, and who knows, you might just find that a fuckton of people ACTUALLY relate to you. (And that you're a pretty good writer. Which you knew. Yes, you. I am mixing metaphors and pointing to myself AND you now.)

xoxoxoxooxoxox,

Professor Plutonium

[jell0buss-37]

You’re carrying the Peter B fandom 🙏. Anyways, how about reader being a spider person and falling in love with Peter at headquarters but knowing they can’t be together 😔

ASHAJSKAM THANK YOU!!! Loving this plot, and it was longer than my normal headcannons, so far I haven't written for ATSV yet, so I hope you like it!!!

Falling for a Peter B you can't have

His eyes 😫❤️

Much like Gwen, your universe had a Peter that was also killed

You had loved that Peter, more than anything in the world, and you never got the chance to tell him, as you were teens at the time

You were now in your thirties, having healed from that pain

Or so you thought

You were recruited by Peter B, actually

To say you were shocked was an understatement

You had been struggling with a bad guy, when suddenly he had swung in and helped you kick his butt

Once he removed his mask, it's like the air from your lungs just evaded you for a moment

You couldn't help but reach out and touch his face, seeing if he was really real

He just laughs at this

"Yeah, I'm here man!"

He explains everything to you, as you do to him

Minus the fact that you had been horribly in love with his other self

You two were quick to become close friends

It was going great! Like you had your own Peter again

Until he introduced you to his daughter

"This is Mayday! She's got a lot of heart, and this beautiful smile that'd knock you away, although I'd say she gets that from her mother."

You adored Mayday so much

However you couldn't help the tugging at your heart at the fondness in his voice when he spoke of his wife.

It looks like you weren't as over your Peter's death as you thought

You started avoiding him, going on more missions to get away from him

The pain was just too much to bare

It wasn't until you found a certain Spiderling in your apartment

You were quick to bring her back to Peter, he was probably incredibly worried

Mayday was extremely attached to you for some reason, not even phased that she was in a different place to begin with

"THERE YOU ARE!! May, honey, you scared the crap out of Daddy. You can't just go around taking time watches that aren't yours!"

He was incredibly grateful for you

You couldn't help but smile at the scene, albeit sadly

He notices this

"(Y/n), take a seat. Talk with me a sec, will ya?"

You listen willingly, although you put some space between you two

He seems to be choosing his words carefully

"Mayday's mother, MJ... She, uh, was a good friend of mine. Very smart woman, and we dated for a while, actually. My wife, see, she couldn't have kids. She actually had a miscarriage. It broke her."

You couldn't believe what you were hearing. This was something very personal to him, and you were happy, albeit confused, to be the one he tells this to

"And so, MJ actually helped us out with that. She had Little May here for us. That's why she looks like her, as I'm sure you have an MJ in your universe."

You did. She was your best friend actually, and had two kids of her own. She had been there for you through it all

"See, my wife... I think you two would get along a lot better than you'd think. I know it's weird to see someone who meant a lot to you who should be dead just, sitting in front of you now. Much less someone you loved."

You're entire face goes red, dread filled your stomach at the notion, but before you could apologize or anything, he rests a hand on your shoulder.

"Relax. It's no big deal. In fact, I'd like to invite you to dinner. My wife has been dying to meet you!"

You accept warily

Later on you're all ready, sitting on their front door step, overthinking.

You're about to turn around when the door opens behind you

"Oh! You must be (Y/n)!!! I've heard so much about you!"

You freeze in place slowly turning

Your stomach drops again. It's...?

"I'm (Y/n)."

She greets you with a hug, and you stand there stiffly, in even more shock than when you had met Peter B for the first time

She pulls back, and it's like looking into a mirror

She smiles warmly at you, you flashing a nervous smile yourself

She takes the wine you had in your grasp, her face lighting up at the sight of it

"Well! Looks like we have the same taste. I-I mean, I guess we'd have to, right?"

You can't help but burst into laughter. Looks like you really are funnier than you thought

Dinner was one of the strangest, yet most relaxing experiences you've had with the multidimensional hopping you've had so far

You knew there were plenty of you in multiple universes, one of you was just born in one of them!

The way he'd look at her, well, also you I guess, was now bittersweet

He held so much love in his gaze, and suddenly you no longer felt any resentment or jealousy to yourself

It was painfully beautiful to see that maybe, if your Peter had just stayed with you long enough, you could have had this too.

[monsoon-of-art]

Hey! I had a late night idea in regards to your mer au of Ingo cheering up Dawn. I hope it's okay to share it with you.

Ingo frown stretched lower than usual "What's wrong?"

Dawn paused to gather her thoughts, and then eventually turned to him "Can you be honest with me?"

"Of course."

"Do you...like it here?"

Ingo's gaze drifted out to the stretch of water above them as he considered her question "I am grateful for the hospitality of my clan and being of service to my Noble brings me great satisfaction if that's what you're asking. "

But Dawn shook her head "No, I mean, do you like living here?" With a wide sweep of the arm, she gestured to the space in front of them "In the ocean?"

Ingo made a thoughtful noise "I don't know what to compare it to, I'm afraid. It's all I've ever known. I cannot recall living anywhere else. Why do you ask?"

Dawn shrugged "I just...I don't know how you live here. I don't know if I could. It's so scary here!"

She forced a smile up at her Uncle's concerned eyes "Don't get me wrong, I love being with you and the other mers are nice...mostly. And I still think it's cool to be a mer and to do things and go places nobody else in the Survey Corps can. And I like writing down all the weird and wonderful things I find out about marine life, but..."

Dawn twiddled her fingers, folding in on herself as if to hide. "For every reason I find to love the ocean... there's so many more reasons to dread it.

"Everything's bigger than me, including everything that wants to eat me. And even the things that are way smaller than me are terrifying. Like pufferfish or jellyfish or the time Sabi told me that starfish would eat my body if I died. It's all so creepy! I feel like I can't go anywhere without being in danger.

"And sometimes the creatures I find give me the shudders when I have to draw them or write about them. Everything seems to be either full of teeth, are armed to the teeth, slimy, have unspeakable diets or are deceptivley cute. It's like swimming through a place of nightmares!"

She sighed internally "Honestly, I'm beginning to hate coming back to the ocean again and again. If it weren't for the fact that the Survey Corps are relying on my research...Ingo, how do you deal with being here?"

Ingo straightened his cap and gave an apologetic shrug "I suppose because I don't face a lot of the problems you do, I'm not a pup who's just learning to swim and I don't have to fear as many of this world's creatures you do. And like I said before, the ocean is all I've ever known. But I do admire your courage in coming here for your research, even if I'd prefer that you'd stay on land."

"It's kinda sad, you know? The ocean's not as...well...magical as I thought it would be."

It broke Ingo's heart to see the girl look so sombre. It must have been hard to be such a small and vulnerable pup in a vast, unforgiving ocean. And Dawn was right, the ocean could be a cruel and ugly place...but it wasn't all it was. Ingo's amnesia had brought him to be blown away by so many rich experiences as if it was his first time in the ocean. When he first arrived, members of the Pearl Clan would smile and laugh affectionately at the way he stared at the reef coming to life around him, mesmerised by the shifting colours and shapes. Or the times he could swim beside a pod of sperm whales during patrols, the motions of his tail mirrored by slow, graceful giants that would turn their gaze at him with seemingly all knowing eyes . And even something as simple as a kelp forest seemed to hold such majesty and serenity if you stopped to enjoy its shade.

The orca's attention was brought back to the melancholy child in front of him as an idea tugged up the corners of his mouth. "How about I show you something?"

Dawn couldn't see much between the gaps of Ingo's fingers as they closed securely around her, just a deep cobalt blue interrupted by the occasional black shape. Although, more and more black shapes were appearing, occasionally blocking out the light. She grew nervous. Where was Ingo taking her? They've been travelling like this for quite a while now.

Ingo broke the silence with a smile in his voice: "We have arrived at our stop. Are you ready?"

The black shapes were more frequent than ever now. Dawn was incredibly uneasy, but also admittedly curious. And Ingo's cheerful tone calmed her down somewhat, telling her she was in no danger.

"Okay." That came out more timid than intended.

Ingo removed the hand that served as her roof and the bright blue light surrounding her made her blink.

And all around them wide, graceful sheets of black and white glided through the vast blue space.

Manta rays.

So many-too many! Like the ocean had moving stripes! All of them slowly migrating forward. Below Ingo's steady hand she could see more of them below, many so far down they were fading into space. The filtered sun above them was occasionally blocked out, leaving dancing shadows over Dawn and Ingo's form.

Beside her, one of them glided close enough for her to note its large gaping mouth. She flinched.

"It's alright" said Ingo, holding her closer to his tunic "They're harmless."

Dawn read about Manta rays. She knew they were only filter feeders and that they wouldnt harm her with barbs in their tails. However, seeing a Manta ray up close and personal was different to seeing one in a book, and new uncertanties curled in her stomach.

But she trusted Ingo. She was safe with him and he wouldn't take her anywhere he deemed too risky. And even if there was danger, he would close his hand over her again at the first sign of it. She laid lack into his tunic behind her and took in the comfort that came with it. Her shoulders began to relax.

"They're quite friendly, and even playful" Ingo continued "Sometimes I blow bubbles here because I know they enjoy swimming through them."

He demonstrated, and he was right. Some mantas above them seemed to slow down through the streams of air, and even circled back to have a second go.

Dawn giggled. It was almost like they were watching dolphins.

Ingo pointed up to the larger mantas above them with his free hand "See the markings on the underside of their bodies?"

Dawn nodded

"The shape of the markings is unique to each animal, like a fingerprint."

"Really? So you can tell each Manta Ray apart?"

Ingo scratched the back of his neck "Well, I haven't personally memorised any markings, and even if I did, there are too many at this station to keep track of, but yes, in theory you could."

For a good while, they stayed there. Ingo had long since became lost in his own rambling, and Dawn was just happy to listen. He was spouting facts about everything he was taught about the creatures around them, from their feeding habits to the how and why of their migrations.

She couldn't even hope to remember half of it all, but she took mental notes to write down some of the more interesting things he mentioned when she had the chance.

If the Mers weren't so afraid of humans and visa versa, Dawn imagined Ingo would be quite valuable to the Survey Corps.

Dawn took another glance around her. The colossal, yet quiet creatures drifted in a steady stream around them; taking their time towards an unknown destination, like commuters in a crowded city, but in slow motion. It was so serene here. So peaceful. Gentle giants, just like Ingo and so many of the other mers.

"There really is no danger, is there?"

Ingo chuckled "No. Not here."

But then his smile dipped and he looked soberly down at Dawn.

"Perhaps there is danger back at the reefs, waiting for us. And perhaps there always will be a dangerous and ominous side to the ocean. But the ocean is vast. And in all that space there is room for beauty as well, and gentleness, and wonder. The scope of it amazes even me.

"My home is frightening, and I'm worried that I won't be able to protect you from all that it holds, but I don't want you to miss out on all that's good in this world either. In more ways than one, it is magical. I hope you come to see it that way too."

Akari leaned further into her Uncle's tunic and smiled.

Yeah, maybe she will.

"Thanks, Ingo."

(Aaaaaand it's morning! Wow, that idea really exploded! Thank you for letting me share, though. And thank you again for all your art and stories! :) )

;w;

[apostateoverrubies]

You know, I am fucking grateful that I was born in the 2000s. Like, the only fucking decade I wouldn't mind being born in is the fucking 1990s and that's purely because the internet would still be there just in time to shape me as a person.

I don't want to be that fucking person who thinks they want to be born in decades like the 80s, 70s, 60s etc because I know I'm purely in it for the aesthetic.

If I were born around those decades, I'd be a much different person and I would hate the person I'd become.

This is why I hate it when people from older generations romanticize their childhoods, talking about how everything was so good and everyone was so nice to each other etc.

When I look back at my childhood with what I know now, I realize there are a lot of fucked up things about it.

How Christianity has been shoved down our throats since preschool even though it wasn't tied to any church and some children weren't Christian at all.

How my dad beat me mercilessly with a belt because I was unable to recite Gentle Jesus on my own. Prayer is important was his reasons. But I was still in preschool.

How grown-ups would threaten to cut off my thumb because I hadn't yet stopped sucking it.

How I was pretty much allowed to not do anything up until my late primary school years yet the grown-ups in my life blamed me for their lack of effort.

How I only had one true friend in primary school because contrary to what some adults would have you believe, not everyone was friendly and kind, especially when you were the weird kid.

I can go on and on because it doesn't end there.

Sure, I have my gripes on certain things about this generation and there are things about my childhood I love.

But I'm grateful that folks in my generation and the ones after have internet access. It's not perfect obviously. Plenty of bad stuff happen on the internet.

But it was thanks to that internet access that I was able to be the person I am now. Because when the internet is good, it's REALLY good.

I've met my dearest friends on there, I found tutorials that help me improve my skills, I found things that challenged the views my culture tried to force down my throat that led to me not only coming to terms with and embracing my sexuality and femininity.

I recently left religion behind because I was able to learn how much it didn't make sense and conflicted with my morals.

I was able to become more compassionate than I had ever been I could see the injustices people have to suffer and I learned to understand people I would've scoffed at if not outright discriminated against.

Anyways, I'm done rambling now. It's funny how people think the internet makes us appreciate life less but I am so fucking grateful for being alive right now.

[shadyauthor]

Strings of their hearts 💕 CH 5

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Waking up, you covered your eyes with your hand at the sudden change of lighting to your eyes. This was weird, you knew the light from your window did shine on your face when you laid in bed in the mornings but it was never this bright. Now that you think about it, what is with all the sounds? All the colors? Why did everything sound so muffled? You rubbed your face, slowly sitting up and realized you were surrounded by people...or rather..puppets.

You closed your eyes and tried to focused on what they were saying to the best of your ability "-dearie are you okay?" You looked up and focused your eyes on the..extremely tall red big bird look-alike??? Where in the fiddly diddly were you? Wait....did your brain just correct fiddly diddly to fiddly diddly?? WHAT IS HAPPENING WHY CANT YOU SAY FIDDLY OR DIDDLY? NOOO.

Oh wait you forgot what was happening for a second, "who- who are you???" You asked, looking up at the 3..puppets? Puppets. Standing around you, "see? I told you I saw 'em hit their head hard, not even two steps out the door and they went falling harder than a tree in timber season, they can't even remember our names!" The orange one said in a worried tone to the other two. Wait a minute....this guy looked AND sounded like that guy from the game you were playing, did you fall asleep and now your having a lucid dream of a dating sim game because your lonely and have nothing else in your life better to do??....likely. Figuring this WAS a dream, you decided to make the best of it "Wait a minute..no no...I remember you! Eddie? Right?" You said looking to your right up at him "Phew I was worried there for a bit, guess you were just still wakin' up! You've been out for a good few hours now, Howdy is on his way right now with a med kit, we didn't know if you were goin' to need it or not" He sighed in relief before rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

You smiled, grateful for their kindness "Thank you, I don't remember what happened, I barely remember what I ate this morning....your Poppy right??" You looked to the much taller puppet that was standing directly in front of you, you needed to make sure that you matched the names to the faces, even though this is a dream, if you embarrassed yourself here you wouldn't never live it down when you woke up. "Yes dear! Thank the stars you remembered, we didn't know what we were gonna do if you couldn't remember anything, we've been very worried. Here, let me help you up, no use in staying on the floor and getting uncomfortable, let's go inside" she held out her wing? For you. You looked at it for a moment before taking it hesitantly and letting them lead you into your 'home', it took you a moment to remember there was a third puppet walking with you and you decided to look at them and see if you could remember their name...but when you looked to them they were already staring at you?? Awestruck??? Nah that part must be your brain making something up, though it wouldn't be that odd considering it was your dream. But what was even more odd was, you haven't seen this character before? Was your brain making up more characters or do you just not remember them?

"Hey...I don't seem to remember your name? I'm sorry" you said, looking to the individual, for some reason, with the way the other two were looking at the third colorful and interesting puppet, they didn't seem like the type to be this quiet? Maybe they were nervous "oh haha, I haven't introduced myself to you yet, I was going to yesterday but it got to dark and you went home before I could" they said, nervously fidgeting their fingers and moved around your house slightly but never straying to far from the group, guess they weren't the type to stay still for very long. "My name is Sally! Sally Starlet" she seemed to be getting more and more energetic by the second the more comfortable she got, even with the noticeable red dusting onto her cheeks. "Oh! Sorry I didn't know, maybe I did hit my head hard" in exchange you gave her your name, she said it a few times, trying it out as it rolled out of her mouth almost naturally like she's known you for years, you already loved how she said your name, it made you feel at home.

"No worries! Hey, I like your home, it looks very nice in here, are these all you in these photos?" She said while looking at the framed photos that lined along the wall in your hall with her arms crossed behind her back,

You looked at the photos the decorated almost every inch of your hall. You didn't recognize anyone in the photos, though you deeply felt like you were supposed to, everything started to feel wrong you didn't belong here, you have to g-

And just as soon as the thought came, it left. You didn't remember what she asked, you nodded hoping it would be a good enough answer for whatever she asked you. She smiled at you and continued looking at the pictures with her hands behind your back, you continued to stare, the two other puppets sharing a confused and concerned look as you spaced out before the third spoke up "you look very different! But you still look just as nice, magnificent even!" She said, putting her hand over her heart as if posing dramatically.

All four of you heard knocking on the front door of what was supposed to be your house. Eddie got up to answer the door, smiling all the way and as soon as he opened the door, a giant MAN HOO BOY- excuse me I mean, an extremely tall green man with antennas and....FOUR??? ARMS?? oh and four legs, basically burst into your home, worry visibly all over his face "who got hurt? Is everyone one okay? what's happening?!" He bombarded question to no one specifically, worried that someone got seriously hurt

"Howdy!" Sally jumped in joy, grabbing onto howdys arm and pulling him over to where you were seated "I maybeeee exaggerated what happened...just a little" she pinched her fingers together, but it was clear she gave him almost an entirely different story "so our new neighbor didn't actually fall down a flight of stairs and then their porches flight of stairs and rip their legs seams?" He looked at Sally, clearly upset she got him so worried over something that could've been so minor. "Wellllll" she rocked on her feet, hands behind her back and looking anywhere but you and the three puppets staring at her "t-they fell in their doorway and fell unconscious atleast! Isn't that atleast half as bad??" She tried to reason, well, it was almost as bad because you could have a concussion but at least your legs were still stitched to your body- wait what??....??

You shook your head, your thoughts becoming fuzzy, where were you again? Oh right. "Come here sweetheart let me check your head" Poppy said, southern love dripping from each word, almost making your face turn red. She gently took the medical box from a still confused...Howdy? Right? Yeah, Howdy. He stood there, watching as Poppy took the container from his hands before turning to talk to Eddie, seemingly asking him what happened. Wow you really need to stop staring, its rude and its getting creepy, you shook your head before turning to Poppy and letting her examine you to make sure you were okay, "Well aren't you a tough little cookie" she said while gently patting your head with her soft fluffy wing "you don't have a single scratch" she said smiling down at you, and oh my god she was so fluffy all you wanted to do was hug her and just stay there till you fell asleep, so much so you started to unconsciously move to hug her, shoving your face onto her neck full of feathers, your arms open wide on both sides of her, to small to fully hug her, this was heaven, absolute heaven.

You just stayed there, rubbing your head into her feathers gently, to caught up in your own little world you didn't notice both of her wings draping over you like a giant warm fluffy blanket, to caught up in your world you didn't notice the audibly loud muffled sigh of relief you let out as you were practically laying on the bird, to caught up in this absolute heaven you didn't notice how the room fell silent, so caught up in your own little world you didn't realize how you drifted off to sleep and was being carried away now..

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Boy, that took me a month to make😔 anyways, thank you EVERYONE for following and liking my au and story so far, its amazing how much attention this is getting already and it makes me so happy

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Taglist:

@elegantkidfansoul @fic-fortress

[cybertron-after-dark]

TFP Cons Headcanons with reader trying to feed them earth minerals (diamond, quartz, emerald, jade, pink salt, jasper, gold)

Okay this is gonna be a weird one. I'm honestly of the firm belief that cybertronians only really need to eat metal for auto-repairs. Like if they get hurt and there are chunks missing that need to heal, the stockpiled metal gets incorporated into the frame to replace what was lost, and whatever they eat beyond a pretty small threshold of what's necessary is basically snacks/junk food. Sometimes it results in either a slightly bulkier frame or little add-ons that weren't there before as everything reconfigures and works itself out, though that's uncommon.

-Megatron honestly couldn't care less most of the time. The only mineral he's concerned with is dark energon. He gets all the necessary metal from the same rations everyone else gets, so if you can't supply anything worthwhile, don't bother him with this unnecessary earth nonsense.

-Starscream is thriving. You spoil him so, and in his mind, it's simply what he deserves. Being offered little treats and tributes by his tiny, precious, devoted pet is simply what he's earned by being such a superior being. Some of what you give him is familiar. Comfort food, in a sense. Some is much more exotic, a rarity on Cybertron, but in abundance on this quaint little world. Some is entirely alien, and revels in being the first of his kind of try something so decadent. It's 100% going to his head.

-Knockout is torn. On one hand he feels like the luckiest mech in the galaxy. You supply him with all these little luxuries, the finer things he deeply appreciates, so rare in the ravages of war. It's nice. Every crystal on his tongue is a blessing from his favorite fleshy, a taste he couldn't possibly describe to them. Always making him feel like more than he was before. The diamonds incorporating themselves into his claws, sharper, stronger tips than normal. The gold leaving flecks in his optics, they're brighter than they ever were. Stronger plating, a shinier finish, a clearer processor. But on the other hand... You're little gifts and his lack of self control are adding a good bit to his waistline. Though, perhaps, the payoff is worth it. Just maybe.

-breakdown is honestly just happy for anything you give him, but he is SUCH a sucker for snacks. Especially anything that could potentially make him stronger, heavier, a more destructive force than he already is. He'll try just about anything you give him, and he's always excited to see what kind of sweet upgrades they net him.

-Soundwave will take whatever you give him, but for the longest time you never see him eat it. You honestly have no idea what he's doing with it, but he always seems pretty grateful, so... You guess that's a win? You only get the idea that he is actually enjoying your little treats when you spot some particularly shiny flecks next to his screen, stuck there like cookie crumbs. Neither of you address it.

-shockwave doesn't usually eat what you gift him. He doesn't typically allow himself to get caught up in petty, irrational emotions, but... he doesn't actually have a mouth and he always gets these weird looks whenever he uses his intake port, so he's insecure about it. Not that he'd ever admit that, he'll just tell you it's unnecessary at present and he can't really taste it anyway, so itd be illogical to indulge.

-do not give airachnid anything edible, abort mission, she Will use it to season your blood, run while you can.